Happy New Year, all! Last time, we left off with Pinky and the Brain making plans to take over the world. Now, we revisit Nori, who is just about to arrive at the studio for the first time. Don't worry, she's going to meet the Warners soon, but first, she has the obligatory meet-and-greet with Mr. Plotz. I've also brought back an old friend for this chapter: Hello Nurse! I wanted to feature her in this story and do her character justice (kind, compassionate, bombshell with a genius-level IQ) since the reboot did her dirty. And, of course, we get another peekaboo at the Warners and see what they're up to. No good, as always. That being said, we get a look at their family dynamics here and how Yakko plays the role of dad, not just big brother.

Time for Name That Flick: what's the movie reference here?

This has got to be a dream.

Nori could hardly believe her luck as Warner Bros. Studio came into view. Not only was this the studio responsible for producing some of the greatest movies of all time, this was the home of the funniest toon characters on Earth: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester and Tweety, Slappy the Squirrel, and more. And now, it was her place of employment. She was going to go through the studio gates and meet her new charges, the three toons who lived in the water tower. What these three would be like, she didn't know – only that Scratchy had said they could be wild at times. I won't know until I meet them. Here goes! The light at Riverside Drive flashed green and Nori drove straight on to the studio's Gate 4.

A guard poked his head out of the gatehouse as Nori braked before the lowered gate arm. He was a tall, heavyset guy with a broad, friendly face; his badge identified his name as Ralph. "Uh, welcome to Warner Brothers, young lady. Do you have an appointment?"

Nori smiled. "A permanent one, I hope. I'm Nori Bennett. I'm the new babysitter," she explained, handing her driver's license to Ralph.

Ralph gave her license a once-over and passed it back with a smile. "Oh, you're the kid Dr. Scratchy picked out to watch the Warners! Boy, am I glad to see you!" he effused, seizing her hand and shaking it vigorously.

"Man, some welcome," Nori commented. "Am I free to go in?"

"Yup, yeah! Go on ahead! Mr. Plotz is expecting you," Ralph said, lifting the gate for her to pass.

"Thanks!" Nori drove through and immediately found herself in the middle of a Hollywood hubbub – stagehands, set designers, actors, and toons were everywhere. The massive soundstages flanked either side of the street, and the huge water tower was dead ahead. It was tempting to go there first, but right now, she had a meet-and-greet with the head of the studio. Thankfully, she managed to find a parking spot and hopped the next tram that came her way, asking for the administration building. In minutes, she was there, and right outside, Scratchy was waiting for her. Nori grinned, glad to see a familiar face. "Hey, Scratchy!"

"Guten tag, Nori!" Scratchy enveloped her in a warm hug. "Velcome to Varner Brothers. Mr. Plotz is vaiting to meet you, if you'll follow me."

Nori followed, her eyes darting from one space to another. The lobby was a blend of old and new, modern technology mixing with an Art Deco look. Not surprising, given the studio's history and its major heyday in the 1940s. "Has this place really been around since the 30s?"

"Oh, for longer zan zat, my dear. Ze studio has existed since 1923, and led ze vay for ze era of talking pictures, vith Ze Jazz Singer in 1927. Ve also released ze first film ever made in color, On Vith Ze Show."

"Didn't Warner Bros. also make Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, and Dial M for Murder?" Nori asked.

Scratchy turned an impressed smile to Nori. "Very good! How do you know about zose movies?"

Nori shrugged. "My dad loved old movies. When I lived with him in Virginia, our old movie theater showed classics every Saturday night, and we never missed one."

By this time, they had reached the elevators. "Did zey also show cartoons before ze picture?" Scratchy asked, punching the Up button.

"Oh, yeah. They were really into the Looney Tunes, and I saw them every Saturday morning, too. I got a good toon education when I was little."

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open, allowing the twosome to enter. Once inside, Scratchy chose the third floor and they were off. "So, you are avare of how cartoon physics vork? And you know vat tricks a toon has up his sleeve?" When Nori nodded, Scratchy gave her a smile of approval. "Good. You are vell-prepared for any tricks. Now, you must get to know ze Varner brothers and sister."

When they reached the third floor, Scratchy led the way through the conference room, pausing before the door to the secretary's office. "Before ve go in, I just vant to tell you something: don't let Mr. Plotz scare you. His bark is vorse zan his bite most of ze time, but he has been known to make people cry. I just don't vant you to take anything he says personally, liebchen."

Nori gave him a grateful smile. "I would say after living with my mama, not much can scare me, but thanks for the heads-up. Good to know what I'm up against."

Scratchy gave her shoulder a friendly squeeze. "You're velcome, sweetie." He opened the door to reveal yet another door across the way and a pretty young woman sitting at a desk, typing on a computer. She stopped briefly to answer the phone with a chipper "Warner Brothers Studio, Mr. Plotz's office, Miss Flamazel speaking." A wide grin lit her face. "Hey, Bugs. Yes, your meeting with Mr. Plotz is still on for tomorrow morning. I've made sure there's plenty of carrot juice in the mini-fridge. Mr. Plotz himself actually bought a 25-pound bag of fresh carrots for you." Silence, and then a laugh. "Are you kidding? He graduated summa cum laude. Okay, no problem. Say hi to Lola for me. I'll see you tomorrow! Bye!"

Scratchy chuckled as Miss Flamazel put the receiver back in its cradle. "Vat did Bugs ask you about Mr. Plotz?"

"If he took a class in butt-kissing." Miss Flamazel turned her smile on Nori. "Hi, you must be Nori! I'm Teressa Flamazel. Great to meet you."

"Back at you. Was that really Bugs Bunny on the phone?" Nori asked excitedly.

"Sure was. Mr. Plotz is a master at schmoozing the stars, hence the VIP treatment he always showers on Bugs and the rest of the Looney Tunes. Bugs says he comes up here to discuss his contract and pay, but I think he comes because he knows he can get free carrots out of Mr. Plotz every time he visits."

Nori laughed. "He's no dumb bunny, that's for sure."

Miss Flamazel grinned. "Mr. Plotz is waiting for you both. Heloise is in there with him, just in case he gets to be too much of a blowhard."

Scratchy breathed a sigh of relief. "Danke schoen, Miss Flamazel. Zat vill be a huge help."

Miss Flamazel nodded and pressed the button on the intercom. "Mr. Plotz, Dr. Scratchansniff is here with the new babysitter."

"Send them in." Hearing the reply, Scratchy and Nori entered the CEO's office. A short, bald man in a blue suit sat behind the desk, while a tall, beautiful blonde woman in a nurse's uniform stood nearby. The man looked about as friendly as a cactus, but the woman had kind eyes and a reassuring smile, which put Nori at ease.

"Ah, you must be Miss Bennett," the man said, leaning across his desk and extending his hand. "Thaddeus Plotz, CEO of Warner Brothers."

"Nice to meet you," Nori replied. "Just Nori is fine."

"All right. Nori," Mr. Plotz said, with a raised eyebrow. He gestured toward the nurse. "This is Heloise Nerz, our resident medical professional… and diplomat, when the occasion calls for it. As of now, she's a perpetual student, taking yet another college class when she already has a home plastered with degrees."

"I do it for fun and because I never stop learning, as you well know, sir." With a smile that clearly said ignore him, the nurse shook Nori's hand. "Call me Heloise, dear. It's a pleasure to have you here."

"Thank you, ma'am," Nori said, returning Heloise's grin. The nurse was built and stacked like a supermodel, but there was an intelligent glitter in her blue eyes that shone past her California-girl looks. Something tells me most people can't see that.

Scratchy, however, probably did if his next words were anything to go by. "Hello, Miss Nurse," he said, a shy smile gracing his features. "How is your class going? Are you still studying Goethe?"

Heloise returned his smile. "Yes, Doctor. We've finished his poetry and moved on to Faust. I haven't read it in years, so it's great to have a refresh on it."

Scratchy's eyes glittered behind his glasses. "If you vould like to discuss it sometime, I vould love to hear your opinions."

Mr. Plotz waved a hand. "Save it for study hall, Scratchansniff. The two of you can form your dead poets' society on your own time. Miss Ben – Nori, please sit down."

Impatient much? Nori thought, taking a seat next to Scratchy. He hadn't been kidding when he said the CEO was "not an easy man." To his credit, though, Mr. Plotz's tone was polite when he addressed her next.

"First of all, welcome to the studio. While you're here, you will have full access to the commissary for your meals, which will be provided free of charge. If you need anything, Dr. Scratchansniff and Heloise are always at your disposal. They've known the Warners long enough to answer any questions you have about them."

"Speaking of which, Mr. Plotz, perhaps Dr. Scratchansniff and I should take it from here. We can tell her about the Warners without making it sound like a Stephen King story," Heloise suggested. Though her tone was kind, Nori couldn't help hiding a chuckle at the last remark, which bore a hint of subtle snarkiness.

"Are you saying I have no tact, Heloise?" Mr. Plotz asked, a warning in his voice.

"Not at all, sir," Heloise said smoothly, giving him a smile. "I'm only suggesting that, since Dr. Scratchansniff and I have spent more time with the Warners, we tell Nori about them. We know them a little better."

Mollified, Mr. Plotz relaxed. "Very well."

Heloise inclined her head and sat by Scratchy; Nori turned her chair to face them both. "How much do you know about the Warner kids, Nori?"

"Beyond the fact that they were created in the 30s, locked up for 60 years, and then busted out of the water tower six years ago, not much," Nori admitted. "I keep hearing they're a little wild, though."

"Wild is a good word for it," Heloise confirmed with a grin. "They love to raise Cain, although they don't ever hurt anyone. They're creative, highly intelligent, and have enough energy to power the state of California five times over. They definitely have their quirks, which is to be expected of toons; they certainly have the right."

"What kind of quirks?" Nori asked.

Heloise nodded at Scratchy, who picked up the discussion from there. "I had better explain each Varner's quirks. Zey each haff different personalities, after all." He cleared his throat. "Ve'll start vith Dot, ze only girl. She is ze youngest of ze Varners at ten years, but she doesn't act like a baby – unless it suits her. Dot's greatest veapon is her cuteness, and she vill use it to get herself and her brothers out of trouble, so vatch out. She is into designing and loves to come up vith ideas for, as she says, "glitzing things up," and she loves reading and creating her own poetry. Just bevare of interrupting her quiet time, because she von't thank you for that. Neverzeless, Dot is a sweet girl. I daresay she vill benefit from haffing another girl to look up to. It may take her mind off boys for a while."

"Is she boy-crazy?"

Heloise laughed. "Is she! Dot keeps saying she'll capture Mel Gibson's brave heart one day."

Scratchy chuckled and moved on. "Next ve haff Vakko, ze middle child, eleven years old."

"Wakko?" Nori repeated. "Perfect name for a toon."

"It suits him vell, indeed. Vakko is a very easygoing boy, and pranks are his specialty. He has a gag bag zat he keeps his best tricks in, so don't be surprised if he pulls it out from time to time. And he is something of an inventor – he is always creating new gizmos and machines. As far as his disposition goes, you von't find a sweeter toon. Vakko is very affectionate."

"A little too affectionate sometimes, but not to the extent his brother is," Heloise spoke up.

"Ah, yes," Scratchy said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ze eldest of ze Varners at fourteen and ze leader: Yakko."

Nori couldn't help a giggle at his name. "Let me guess: he loves to yak?"

Mr. Plotz let out a loud scoff, the first sound he'd made during the conversation. "That's the understatement of the twentieth century."

While Heloise (calmly) shushed her boss, Scratchy continued, "He lives up to his name, zat is certain. Yakko has a mind zat is never at rest and he is alvays thirsty for knowledge. He loves learning about everything possible, alzough he loves geography and history best. Books, too. And he vill talk your ear off about anything."

"He doesn't sound too bad," Nori commented, while Mr. Plotz released another "Ha!"

"He isn't," Scratchy said, daring to flick an irritated look in the CEO's direction. "Yakko can be a smart-aleck, but he is not a bad kid. His biggest problem is… he is very girl-crazy. He is a terrible flirt."

Nori's gaze turned to Heloise. "Will I need mace?"

The nurse laughed. "No. Yakko can be a little on the Lothario side, but he's not horrible. Believe me, I've known some horrible men, and Yakko's not in that category. If you want my advice, outwit him."

"Miss Nurse is quite right, Nori. If zere is one thing Yakko loves, it's a challenge, and he respects someone who can match him vit for vit." Scratchy smiled. "Slappy told me how you handled a girl picking on you. I don't think you'll haff any problem dishing it back to Yakko."

"Hmm." Nori thought for a moment, more than a little intrigued. "So we've got a cutie pie, a little sweetheart, and a flirt."

"That's what you got out of it?" Mr. Plotz asked, mouth agape. "You make them sound like the Seven Dwarfs, for crying out loud!"

Nori thought it was pretty rich of this runt to call anyone a dwarf. "With all due respect, sir, what would you call them in that case? Cutie, Sweetie, and Horny?"

Heloise threw back her head and roared with laughter, Mr. Plotz looked like he'd swallowed a lemon, and Scratchy was pressing a hand to his mouth, his face and scalp turning red from suppressed mirth. "Meine Güte," he chortled, once he'd managed to control himself. "You'll be perfectly fine. Zat vas funny!"

"Yes, very hilarious," Mr. Plotz said stiffly. "Well, Nori, I won't keep you any longer. The Warners need watching, so by all means, go and watch them. I'll be grateful if you can keep them out of my hair."

What hair? Nori wanted to ask, but wisely held her tongue. "Thank you, sir," she said, shaking his hand once more. "I'm grateful for the opportunity." Mr. Plotz gave her a nod and a wave of his hand, to which Heloise rolled her eyes. "Nori, do you have a cell phone?" she asked. When Nori replied yes, Heloise pulled a small pad and a pen out of her pocket and quickly scrawled something down, then tore the leaf loose.

"Here, this is my cell number and Dr. Scratchansniff's number. If you need anything or have any questions, don't hesitate to call us. We want you to feel welcome here," Heloise said, handing the numbers to Nori.

Nori smiled at the nurse, grateful for the kindness she'd been shown. Mr. Plotz hadn't exactly rolled out the welcome wagon, but Scratchy and Heloise had made her feel more welcome and wanted than she had in a long time. "Thank you."

Scratchy offered a hand to help her out of her chair, which she took. "Feel free to explore ze lot, Nori. In ze meantime, go on to ze vater tower – you'll be able to find it easily enough. Unless, of course, you'd like to visit ze commissary first? You must be hungry."

Nori shook her head. "I appreciate the thought, but I think I'm gonna order pizza, considering this is my first day as babysitter."

Heloise gave her an approving smile. "Smart idea. Wakko will thank you for that."

Scratchy smiled. "Go on, liebchen. You may even run into ze Varners on ze lot. Viel Glück – good luck!"

Mr. Plotz chose that moment to mutter you're gonna need it, which Heloise popped him on top of his head for. Thankfully, Nori's back was already turned and heading out the door so he couldn't see her smile.

"Will you get your butt out of my face? I can't see a thing!"

Holding his binoculars to his eyes, Wakko shook his butt at his sister, who was trying to nudge past him through the cracked water tower door. "Why don't you get your face out of my butt?" he retorted, still scanning the lot below.

By this time, Dot had wriggled in between Wakko and the door. "Hard to tell the difference between your face and your butt from here," she quipped. "What do you see?"

"Not much. Buttons is chasing Mindy again… the Goodfeathers just took off… ooh!"

"What? What?"

Wakko laughed. "Ralph's picking his nose."

"Eww! Let me take a look." Wakko passed her the binoculars and Dot peered down at the lot. "Yeah, same old, same old. If the new babysitter is here, they got here before we could catch them." She lowered the binoculars. "Yakko's gonna kill us. I mean, he had a geography project he had to finish because Miss Flamiel bet him a detention pass he wouldn't get it done, and you know Yakko, he can't pass up a challenge. He asked us to keep an eye out for the new babysitter while he worked, and we blew it."

"Hey, we had an emergency," Wakko said.

Dot threw a glare his way. "You did. What gave you the bright idea to throw a cherry bomb down the toilet?"

Wakko shrugged. "I was experimenting. I'm thinking about playing a joke on Mr. Plotz."

"Hey, ix-nay on the oke-jays, remember? Yakko's orders, unless you want Mr. Plotz to sentence us to twenty to life."

Wakko's grin disappeared. "Oh, yeah." He was quiet for a moment, then nudged his sister. "Dot? Thanks for helping me clean up the bathroom."

Dot looked up at Wakko with a smile. "Don't mention it, Wak."

"Speakin' of don't mention it…"

The two younger Warners jumped like they'd been stung. Oh, crud. Should've seen this coming. They never could hide anything from big brother Dad for too long. Slowly, they turned to see Yakko behind them, arms folded over his chest.

"Either someone was playing naval mines in the john or I'm gonna have to feed you two more fiber," Yakko said, holding up an intact cherry bomb.

Wakko's eyes widened. Oh, man. It must have fallen out of his pocket while he and Dot were cleaning.

"Not to mention it reeks of Pine-Sol in there." Yakko tossed the firework to Wakko. "Fess up, you two. What happened?"

Wakko and Dot looked at each other. "Uhhh…" Wakko began.

"Hey, that's my line. I know you can do better than that."

"Ask her," Wakko copped out, pointing at Dot.

Yakko's gaze shifted to his sister. "Your turn, princess. What happened with the porcelain throne?"

Dot immediately jabbed a finger in Wakko's direction. "Ask him."

Yakko threw up his hands. "You two are a lot of help here. Lemme guess: you, brother sib, tried to blow up the bathroom, and you, baby sister, helped him clean up," he said, pointing to each sibling in turn. "On a scale of one to ding-ding-ding, how right am I?"

Wakko and Dot stole another glance at each other and knew they couldn't deny it. They knew from long experience that there was never any point in arguing with Yakko when he'd caught them. It was better to fess up and be done with it. "Bullseye," Dot said, while Wakko muttered, "Yeah, you're right."

"Guys, you had one job. I'm guessing you might've missed the new babysitter rolling in because you were too busy covering your butts?"

The younger Warners both had the grace to look contrite. "We're sorry, Yakko," Dot apologized, while Wakko concurred with "Yeah, sorry, big brother. We got distracted."

Yakko finally smiled. "Apologies accepted. And hey, you're kids. I'd fear for your insanity if you didn't get distracted now and then. Next time, just don't try and turn our bathroom into Old Faithful. 'Kay?" Once he'd gotten promises from them, he launched into his new idea. "Great, 'cause while you two were swabbing the decks, I finished my project – meaning Miss Flamiel owes me a get-out-of-jail-free card – and came up with a plan on how to meet our new friend."

Dot's eyebrows arched. "You mean we're not gonna wait here like we've done the others?"

"Heck no. For some reason, Scratchy's been awful hush-hush about the new sitter. All I know is he and Slappy hired someone yesterday and they're supposed to be here any minute. Since Scratchy's keeping state secrets, a little espionage is in order. We're gonna hit the lot and do recon instead of sitting here in this foxhole we call the water tower."

Dot snickered. "In English, Sergeant Slapstick?"

Yakko grinned. "We're gonna go look for our new friend." He clapped his hands. "All right, listen up! Our babysitter has been on the run for ninety minutes. What I want from each and every one of you is a hard-target search of every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse, and doghouse in that area! Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" both the younger Warners saluted.

"All right, let's go." After a quick peek outside to ensure the coast was clear, the Warners leapt out of the water tower and immediately began dashing around the lot, ducking stagehands and actors and zipping in and out of the soundstages. Of course, screams began and a whistle blew. The siblings stopped in their tracks and whipped around to see Ralph bearing down on them, a net in hand. "Come back here, youse three!" he hollered.

"Well, sibs, that's our cue to skidoo. Split, now!" Yakko barked, and each of them took off in different directions. Ralph skidded to a halt, head swiveling to each Warner in turn before deciding to chase down Yakko, who was making a beeline for the gate. Dot ran for the costume department, while Wakko sprinted toward the administration building as fast as his little legs would take him. No way Ralph'll look in Mr. Plotz's office for me! Miss Flamazel will hide me, and maybe she'll give me some candy… As visions of sugar treats danced in his head, he didn't realize he was on a collision course with someone – until he ran headlong into a pair of jean-clad legs and fell backward onto his butt, muttering an ow at the same time a voice cried the word above him.