Author's note: I have decided to upload two chapters today since yesterday was the Fourth of July and I never updated. In this chapter, Angelica finally appears, as does Peter, King of Confederacy.

Disclaimer: I am sure that anyone reading this knows that Rugrats belongs to Nickelodeon. Zack belongs to celrock, Jesse belongs to Jesse Barrow stories, and Peter belongs to TCKing12.

Another Fourth of July

Chapter three

After they had formed the idea to save fireworks in Yucaipa, the Rugrats were currently forming their plan.

"So, guys, how are we going to do this?" Jesse asked.

"Well, I was thinkin' that we could stay out of this and, you know, play ball," Chuckie suggested.

"Chuckie, we already agreed that we aren't going to play ball," Zack reminded him. "So you might as well stop asking."

Chuckie, feeling defeated, sighed.

"Okay, guys, but, I'm still not sure if this is such a good idea," Chuckie said.

"Trust me on this, Chuckie," Tommy told him. "I'm sure that it's not too dangerous."

"Yeah," Kimi agreed. "Tommy's right. 'Sides, we've faced worser stuff."

"Well, okay," Chuckie said, deciding to stay quiet for the rest of the time.

"Anyway, we need to be able to do something that could actually happen," Tommy reminded them.

"Yeah, it can't be dumb," Phil said.

"Uh huh, it has to be real smart, just like Tommy said," Lil added.

"Phil, Lil, I actually think Tommy meant you two the most," Zack told the pair. "I mean, you two always come up with weird ideas, along with Dil."

"Hey!" The three shouted.

"Well, sorry for 'fending you, but it's true," Zack claimed.

"Guys, guys, this isn't the time for arguing," Tommy interrupted. "We're 'sposed to be helping my daddy save fire works, not 'fending each other."

"Well, sorry Tommy, I was just telling the truth," Zack pointed out.

"Yeah, it is kind of true," Chuckie said quietly.

Before the twins and the younger baby could show their anger at Chuckie being on Zack's side, Tommy, once again, interrupted them.

"Guys, what did I just say?" Tommy questioned. "That I wanted you all to be quiet and say your ideas, that's what! I said to stop arguin', too! So if you really want to have fun today then just say your ideas, and get on with it!"

They were all silent for a moment, taking in what Tommy had said. Realizing that they were ruining his fun, they decided not to say anything else about the argument for now.

"Well, it's gots to be something that will make them want to put fire works back," Lil reminded them. "Cuz since none of us are even four, we can't write and Zack's the only one who's even close to knowing how to read, long with Chuckie who can read a few words."

"Uh huh," Chuckie agreed. "Like cat, fat, bat, and scat – anything that rhymes with cat, I can read it!"

"Fire works doesn't rhyme with cat, though, so sorry Chuckie, but that won't be much help," Zack told him.

"Wait, Lil saided that we can't read or write, but who says that we can't draw?" Kimi asked.

"Draw?" Phil asked.

"Oh, I think I know what Kimi means!" Jesse exclaimed. "Why don't we all draw pictures for whoever wants to ban fire works?"

"Uh huh, they can't say no to a few cute babies!" Lil acknowledged.

"Well, at least we're doin' somethin' safe like drawing," Chuckie said happily. "I thought we were gonna do something really dangerous."

What Zack said next, however, would contradict Chuckie's former statement.

"As great of an idea as that is, we can't just go along with it now," Zack told them. "First of all, do we even know who's banning fire works?"

There was no answer from anyone, because Zack was right; no one knew. All they had known was that fireworks were being banned.

"That's what I thought," Zack said. "Second of all, once we do find out, how are we gonna get there?"

Once again, nothing though crickets could be heard.

"That's exactly what I thought. So, first let's come up with places to find our info."

"Hey," Jesse said after a moment, "isn't there something on TV where these growed ups tell us stuff?"

"Oh, yeah, there is," Chuckie said, agreeing with Jesse. "My daddy watches it all the time, I just forgotted the name of it."

"Isn't it called the… the… news?" Zack asked.

"Yeah, that!" Jesse exclaimed. "We gotta look at the news! Why don't we get out of this place and go watch it?"

"Good idea, Jesse!" Zack responded. "Tommy, do you still gots the screwdriver?"

"Do I ever not?" Tommy asked, pulling the screwdriver out of his diaper. "C'mon, guys, we're goin' on a 'venture to the TV room!"

They all wandered out of the playpen, off to the TV room. Coincidentally, at around the same time as this was happening, Peter Albany, King of Confederacy, rung the doorbell. He was supposed to have tea with Stu and Didi, perhaps to discuss a few things. However, he was five minutes late, thanks to traffic.

Didi walked to the door, attempting to quiet her husband down. He was literally pulling out same of his hair, he was so stressed.

"Stu, stop it, it's not healthy and it's embarrassing," Didi reminded him.

"You say it's embarrassing when you've never gone through anything similar!" Stu shouted. "I'm going through a lot, Deed, please just pay no attention."

The woman sighed and deduced that there was nothing that she could do about it. With this information in her head, she opened the door to reveal the king standing right there, a smile on his face.

"Why, hello, Didi," Peter said.

"Oh, hello there, Peter," Didi said, being too tired to refer to him as 'sir.'

"Bad day?" Peter asked.

"Oh, Peter, you don't even know the half of it," she said, leading him into their house. "Stu has been going crazy about having to make a new toy in time for the Fourth of July, and because of the news of a firework ban by the fourth of July. Did you hear about that?"

"Yes, yes I did," Peter told her as they walked into the kitchen. "Even as a king, though, there isn't much that they'll allow me to do about it. I have very little choice; I just watch what they're doing and make sure that they're doing it right."

As Peter continued telling Didi about how he wished that he could do something about the firework ban, though couldn't, the Rugrats had finally found their way into the TV room.

"Okay, looks like we're here," Zack acknowledged.

"Now we just need to turn on the TV," Tommy said. "Uh, where's the remote?"

Only about a second later did they hear grunting. All of the kids turned around to see Phil and Lil fighting over the remote.

"It's mine, Phillip," Lil insisted, gripping onto it.

"No it isn't, Lillian, cuz I founded it first," Phil argued.

Zack sighed and rolled his eyes. Sometimes, just sometimes, he wondered why he was even friends with them. However, once he thought that, a second later he would remember that everyone had their flaws, including he himself. While the twins did indeed argue far too much, a fact that they all agreed with, they were still great friends and funny people to be around.

"Phil, Lil, it doesn't matter who found it first," Zack told them matter-of-factly. "What matters is that we all need the remote to get on with our plan. So, if you may, could you let go of it?"

Realizing that the boy, though younger, was right, they dropped the remote. Jesse, smiling, went over to it and picked it up.

"Now, from my understanding, TV works with channels," Jesse reminded them.

"That's right, Jesse, it does," Zack agreed. "We just gots to figure out what channel the news airs on."

"Zack's right," Tommy concurred. "Jesse, why don't you change the channels until we're on the news?"

Jesse nodded, and channel surfed until they finally found a news station that they all thought would have accurate news.

"There we go!" Zack shouted. "Stop right there!"

He stopped at that channel, and they all sat down together to see who was in charge of the fireworks ban.

"The mayor, Hilton…" Brady Simpson began, although the Rugrats stopped listening and began talking right about there.

"That's what we're looking for," Jesse deduced.

"Yeah, but we still don't know where she lives," Zack reminded them before the conversation could continue any further.

"Darn," Phil said, snapping his fingers. "He's right."

They all sat there for a moment, thinking, when suddenly Kimi came up with an idea.

"I got it!" Kimi exclaimed.

Shocked by this sudden outburst, they all turned to look at her.

"Tommy, didn't your mommy say that the king Peter would be comin' over?"

"Well, yeah," Tommy told her.

"Doesn't Peter work with the mayor or somethin'?" Kimi asked.

"I think she does," Zack said.

"Well then, can't we just ask him where she lives?" Kimi asked them. "I mean, he's our friend, so he'd tell us for sure!"

"Even though I agree, Kimi, we can't be so sure that he'll tell us," Zack reminded her. "Some information is 'sposed to be secret."

"Awe, Zack, that's nothin' that a little convincin' can't fix," Tommy declared.

"Tell me, Tommy, would you like a stranger – which is what we are to the mayor – asking for where you live?" Zack asked, crossing his arms.

"Well, uh, no, but" –

"There are no buts, Tommy," Zack insisted.

Phil and Lil giggled at Zack's usage of the word 'but.'

"He said butts," Lil said.

"I said it in a different way," Zack, once again, insisted. "And this is serious! Something that Tommy's daddy cares about could be in danger, and yet you guys are joking."

After feeling that he had gotten his point across, the toddler sighed.

"Listen, guys, I guess we can try asking Peter where the mayor lives, but don't expect him to give us a good answer."

They nodded and, feeling that it didn't have to be said, crawled into the living room.

"I'm pretty sure that Peter is here already, because I hear a boy voice that I don't recognize as daddy's and certainly not mommy's," Tommy told his friends.

It turned out that Tommy was indeed right, since once they all crawled to the doorway, one behind the other so that the adults couldn't see them and wonder why they were out of the playpen, they saw Peter.

"Okay, Tommy, looks like you're right, Peter's in there," Zack whispered.

"Oh, no, what if the growed ups see us and we get in troubles?" Chuckie asked.

"Calm down, Chuckie, if you stay so scared then they will see us," Zack whispered back.

Chuckie, obliviously not wanting such a thing to happen, tried to keep his mouth shut.

Tommy and Zack, however, tried their best to signal Peter. It took a few tries, but Peter eventually saw them. At first, he thought that perhaps he were hallucinating, until they did it twice more. Realizing that no, he was not hallucinating, he glanced back over to Didi, who was attempting to calm her husband down.

"Stu, Didi, may I be excused?" Peter asked.

"Oh, please, sir, don't leave simply because Stu has gone insane," Didi insisted.

"Oh, no, Deed, that is not the case at all," Peter swore. "I simply have to go to the restroom."

While the king felt bad for lying to Didi, he had a feeling that if the Rugrats had escaped from their playpen, then whatever they had to ask him was serious.

Didi, actually believing the king, felt embarrassed, as she had incorrectly assumed. However, she had thought that it would be right to assume that her husband was the reason why a king would feel the need to be assumed; after all, it must be rather uncomfortable for a fourteen-year old male to watch as her middle-aged husband ran around the house.

"Well, alright, then," Didi said. "Yes, Peter, you may be excused."

Peter nodded and, still feeling bad, got up from his seat and went outside to see the Rugrats.

"What do you guys need?" Peter whispered, hoping that Stu's screaming would block out from his own voice.

"Well, Peter, we were wonderin' if you know the mayor," Tommy told him.

At the thought of the mayor, whom Peter had forgotten about for a few hours, Peter scrunched his eyebrows together. Unfortunately, for the king of Confederacy, there was still a "mayor." This 'mayor' however was not exactly a mayor. Only to those who felt that a town such as Yucaipa needed a president as opposed to a king, did they consider the woman to be a mayor. Of course, this meant that Peter and the 'mayor' were not even close to being friends. While the mayor made it regular to insult Peter at her meetings, Peter tried not to insult her, and if he did, he at least attempted to make the insult subtle. The 'mayor' never tried to do that. She was always insulting him, even saying his name directly a few times.

As much as he'd like to have her banned from Yucaipa, not only was half of the town on her side, while the other half had taken his, Peter, despite legally being a king, could not ban for verbal abuse. He, however, would like to have that law changed, because he wanted this 'mayor' out of town.

"Peter?" Kimi asked. "Peter?"

Realizing that he had not responded to the Rugrats yet, he glanced back at them.

"Yes, I know the 'mayor,'" Peter said, trying not to sound too angry.

It seemed, though, that very few of them had realized that Peter was even remarkably angry.

"Oh, well, do ya know where she lives?" Phil asked.

Peter noticeably calmed at this, although this would not stop him from being surprised.

"Yes, why?" Peter asked.

"It's a surprise," Lil said.

"Well, I really can't tell you guys unless you tell me for what, because, even though I don't really like the mayor, what you're asking is private information, and I could get into big trouble, along with you guys," Peter explained.

"See!" Zack exclaimed. "I told you guys!"

"Oh, well, sorry for botherin' ya, Peter," Tommy said.

Peter was about to say something else, until he decided that perhaps it had just been an argument between them, and he could help them solve it after he finished with tea.

He didn't, however, know how wrong he was.