Here's the moment y'all have been waiting for: Nori meets the Warners! She finally gets to meet the Warner brothers and sister (with funny results), and Yakko can't believe his luck that they got a pretty girl to watch them. He tries his usual tricks, but Nori just might have a trick of her own up her sleeve.

Name that Flick: what movie is parodied in this chapter?

Nori balked hard as something slammed into her legs and let out an "OW!" Muttering the word herself, she leaned down to massage her aching calves and saw… a toon. A little toon boy with a shining red nose, long black ears and a tail to match, wearing a blue sweatshirt and red ball cap. He'd been knocked backward on his butt and was rubbing his head. Good night, I'm not even halfway across the lot and I'm already bumping into toons. Kneeling to his level, she smiled and said, "Where's the fire, little guy? Are you okay?"

Stars were whirling around the boy's head, but they flew in all directions when he shook his ears. "Uhh…" he groaned, getting to his feet. I think I hit my head," he said in a charming British accent.

"Yeah? Come here, let's see," Nori said, carefully lifting his hat from his head. A lump like a molehill was sprouting out of the tuft of black fur at his crown. She winced. "Ouch. Wile E. Coyote would be proud of that lump."

The boy rubbed the knot. "I might be Wakko, but I'm not as daft as Wile E."

"Hey, you're a toon. Being whacko's your calling."

"I know, and it's my name." He smiled and slapped his cap back on his head. "I'm Wakko Warner."

Nori's eyes widened. "You're one of the Warner kids! Man, when Scratchy said I might run into you, I didn't think he meant literally."

A quizzical frown puckered Wakko's brow. "You know Scratchy?"

"Yeah, he hired me." Nori grinned and held out her hand. "I'm Nori. I'm your new babysitter."

Now Wakko's jaw dropped. "You? But you're… you're…"

"A girl?"

"A pretty girl – no, no, I mean, yeah, you're pretty, but…" Wakko blushed, fumbling for his words. "You're not a… a grown-up. You don't look much older than my big brother Yakko."

"I'm sixteen. Since you guys have run off every adult the studio's hired, they thought someone closer to you guys' age might actually work."

Wakko's ears drooped a little. "You've heard, huh? Do you think we're rotten? Most people do, but Yakko just tells us not to worry about what people think."

Nori smiled. "He's right. And no, I don't think you're rotten. Not yet, anyway. I'd rather get to know you guys first and then decide." She looked around. "Speaking of, where are your siblings? I thought y'all stuck together most of the time."

"We split up when Ralph started chasing us. He can only run after one of us at a time. But I don't know where Yakko and Dot are now."

"Will they go back to the water tower, or do we have to call out the dogs?"

Wakko laughed. "My brother and sister would play with the dogs. But yeah, they'll go back to the water tower."

Nori nodded and rose to her feet, catching a whiff of strong pine as she did. "Whew!" she exclaimed, fanning the air. "What smells like a Christmas tree toilet brush?"

"Uh, that's me. I was cleaning the bathroom," Wakko said, looking a little sheepish. "Big mess. We had to use a lot of Pine-Sol."

Big mess, huh? Nori didn't ask any questions, but it couldn't have been any worse than some of the messes her mother had left in the house. "Well, how about you and I go back to the water tower and see if your brother and sister are back? If not, we'll get you cleaned up while we wait for them."

Wakko's eyes went wide and he audibly gulped. "You're not gonna make me get a bath, are you?"

Nori gave him a sly grin. "Well, I can't make you, but just being real here: girls don't like hanging around guys who stink. You do want a girlfriend someday, right?"

"Yeah, 'specially if she's as pretty as you," Wakko said, hearts fluttering around his head.

"Whoa there, partner," Nori said, reaching out to gently noogie the uninjured part of his head. "Point is, if you want a girl to stick around, you gotta get a bath more than once a month." When all she got in response was a scowl, she tried a different tactic. "Okay, how about this: you get a bath and let me see to that knot on your head, and I'll order pizza for dinner."

Wakko's eyes sparkled and a goofy grin split his face. "With anchovies and pineapple?"

Nori made a face. Oh, what the heck. She had a two-for-one coupon. "I'll order one just for you. Deal?"

"Deal!" Wakko bounded up into her arms and planted a kiss on her cheek. "I like you, Nori."

Nori smiled. She liked him, too – it was hard not to, sweet as he was. Scratchy was right; he is a sweetie. "Right back at you, little dude," she said, carrying him to the water tower.

"Where have you been?" Dot asked as Yakko came sauntering up to the studio gate, licking a chocolate ice cream cone. "And where'd you get the ice cream?"

Yakko smirked. "Ralph got distracted by the ice cream truck. Chased it all the way to Rodeo Drive before he caught it. And yours truly was driving." He took a slurp of his ice cream and reached into his pocket. "By the way, I gotcha something." He pulled out an ice cream bar and tossed it to her.

Dot caught the package with a grin. "Choco Taco?"

"Yup. I got Wakko a Nutty Buddy. Speaking of, where is he? I thought he'd find you after we split up."

Dot shook her head. "I thought he was with you." She bit into her taco. "You don't think he snuck into the commissary again, do you?"

"Nah, we all got banned from there, remember?" Yakko rolled his eyes. "Man, just because you start one food fight, your brother drinks all the chocolate fondue, and a plate of spaghetti gets thrown in Meryl Streep's face, they gotta get their panties in a bunch."

"Well, you were the one who threw the spaghetti."

"At Jim Carrey, 'cause he hit me with a squirt of Thousand Island first. It ain't my fault he ducked and Meryl got a mug full of marinara."

"Yeah, and what if it had been Michelle Pfeiffer you hit? You'd have been begging for mercy."

"Falling at her feet? Yup, and then I'd offer to get her cleaned up." Yakko licked his lips for emphasis.

Dot made a face. "You're gross."

"Says the girl who wanted to lick Mel Gibson clean when he took a pie to the puss." Yakko shot her a smirk. "You think he's yummy, donchya?"

Dot's cheek fur flamed red and she threw a death glare at her eldest brother. "Oh, shut up," she growled, taking a vicious bite of her Choco Taco.

Yakko grinned and polished off the rest of his ice cream. Victory never tasted so sweet. "Come on, sis. Let's go find our brother. Knowing Wakko, he's probably back at the water tower stuffin' his face," he said, taking Dot's hand and leading them across the lot. The siblings shot the breeze about new ways to outwit Ralph and what to get Scratchy for Christmas, and they were still trying to decide on a present while climbing the water tower ladder.

"Should we get him a cake?" Yakko suggested.

"Nah, he'll think we're having a mental bake down. How about a session at the Hokey Pokey Clinic?" Dot asked.

"Maybe. I heard you can really turn yourself around there. Hey, you hear that?"

Dot climbed onto the platform surrounding the tower and listened. At first, she heard nothing, but then a loud scream resounded from deep within the metal walls, followed by a cry of "I'm dying! I'm dying!" The voice gripped their hearts and the siblings looked at each other in panic. "Wakko!" they chorused, eyes wide. "What's happening to him?" asked Dot fearfully.

"I dunno, but we're gonna find out." Eyebrows knitted in determination, Yakko nodded at his sister. "You know what to do."

Dot returned the nod and pulled out her mallet; Yakko likewise took his own mallet in hand and slowly pulled open the water tower door. The entrance, which doubled as the Warners' living room, was empty, but a light was spilling out into the dim hallway that led to the kitchen and bathroom. Stealthily, the siblings tiptoed down the hall. Wakko's screams were coming from the bathroom, but the shadow of someone holding a knife was thrown onto the wall opposite the kitchen entrance. Yakko gritted his teeth in anger. Mess with my little brother, will ya? "You save Wakko," he mouthed to Dot, pointing at the bathroom door. "I'll take care of this jerk. One… two…" On three, the siblings broke for their prey: Dot zipped into the bathroom, while Yakko charged into the kitchen, mallet raised to strike… and slammed on the brakes at the sound of a frightened gasp.

Dot burst through the bathroom door and was greeted by a set of whimpers and rushing water. A shadow was visible behind the shower curtain, and another yelp of pain startled her – the shadow spasmed as if it were being tortured. What the heck? Slowly and silently, Dot crept over to the shower, mallet raised. She yanked back the curtain and aimed to pound –

Wakko, dripping wet and naked, jumped about three feet and let out an earsplitting scream. Dot likewise screamed, startled by what she heard (and saw). Both Warners kept screaming until Wakko collapsed face-first onto the bathroom floor, ripping the shower curtain off the hooks as he grabbed it in his fall.

Dot, wondering if it was only her imagination that she'd heard violins screeching as well, reached out with her foot and nudged her motionless brother. Wakko popped his head up with a grin and said, "Do you have any chocolate syrup? This won't feel right if I don't pour it down the drain."

Loosing a growl of frustration and embarrassment, Dot stormed over to the sink while Wakko chortled on the floor.

Yakko dropped his mallet to the kitchen floor as his eyes zeroed in on who exactly was in their home. A girl, a beautiful teenage girl, was standing at the table, knife poised over a pizza. Well, it was; now it looked like she was aiming it at him. Honestly, she could have been aiming Elmer Fudd's shotgun at him and he couldn't have cared less. Heck, a bow and arrow would have been more appropriate, given the way his heart was pounding. This girl was stunning – long brown hair hung down her back and around her shoulders in waves, eyes the same rich chocolate as her hair stared back at him, and don't even get him started on her creamy skin, perfect lips, and legs that just wouldn't quit. Helloooo, nurse! he wanted to say, but for once, his tongue was tied. Man, what a beautiful girl! What's she doing here? Aw, who cares? She's here, she's gorgeous, she's got food, and did I mention she's gorgeous? Time to pour on the charm. Snapping out of his love daze, Yakko slicked back his ears and threw his best "smolder" at the girl. "Well, helloooo, beautiful! Did it hurt when you fell from heaven? 'Cause I'm looking at an angel."

The smolder had no effect. The girl was still holding the knife, staring at him like he was an alien. Okay… let's try another one. "Y'know, it's a good thing I'm wearing gloves. 'Cause if I wasn't, you'd be too hot to handle." That got a quirked eyebrow, but she was still looking at him weirdly. Jeez, I must be losing my touch. How 'bout this one? "I'm gonna need your name and phone number for insurance purposes, 'cause I was blinded by your beauty."

This time, he got a grin, although a snicker came with it. "That's the worst one yet."

"You want another one? I got a repertoire longer than a rap sheet."

"Yours or someone else's?"

"Only Cal State Prison knows for sure." Yakko grinned. "Kidding. My sibs and I don't have raps – yet."

The girl lowered the knife, understanding dawning. "You're Wakko's big brother."

"That's me." Yakko strode forward and kissed her hand. "I'm Yakko, but you can call me anytime." He looked up into her eyes and couldn't help noticing the flecks of gold near their centers. Wow. "So, what's your name? I bet it's as beautiful as you."

She gave him a skeptical look, but shook his hand. "I'm Nori Bennett. I'm your new babysitter."

"Stop the presses!" Yakko held up his hands. "You are gonna be our babysitter? As in, in the water tower every day, hanging out with us, brightening the place up with your beauty?"

Nori rolled her eyes. "I don't know about that last one, but yes."

Yakko let out a whoop and backflipped. "Christmas has come early! But how did old Saint Nick know I wanted a girlfriend? I haven't even mailed in my list yet!"

Nori's eyes widened in – was it shock or joy? Gotta be joy. "Hold your horses, dude! I am not your girlfriend." Wrong-o, Yakko. "I'm here to make sure you guys don't get into any trouble."

"Shame." Yakko's eyes glittered with mischief. Okay, so he'd misjudged the girlfriend scenario, but that wasn't going to stop him from doing the other thing he did best: flirting. "I can think of some trouble we could get up to."

She went quiet for a moment, but those pretty eyes narrowed at him. "I get the point. Do you?" she asked calmly, turning the knife so the blade flashed in the light.

"You've already shot an arrow through my heart; a knife ain't gonna hurt me," Yakko said, totally unfazed by the veiled threat. "A kiss might do me in, though."

Nori shook her head. "I think you need a cold shower, stud."

"Uhhh… no can do. See, my little sister's in there trying to save our brother –"

"Not anymore! Save me!" Yakko and Nori's attention riveted to the pink-skirted figure of Dot trotting into the kitchen, furiously scrubbing soap suds into her eyes. "Eyucch, I hope I never see that again! That was horrible!"

Yakko's heart jumped into his throat. "Wakko's not hurt, is he?"

Dot finished washing her eyes and blinked at her eldest brother. "Worse," she said, her face contorted in disgust. "He was naked!"

Right on cue, Wakko entered the kitchen. "How about you knock next time, Dot?" He saw her brush away the last of the suds and smirked. "Oh, for Pete's sake. I'm not that ugly!"

Dot glared at him. "You're my brother. I'm not supposed to like it!"

Wakko stuck his tongue out at his sister, but brightened when he saw the pineapple-anchovy pizza on the counter. "Pizza!" He ran to Nori, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Okay, I got a bath. Can I eat now?"

Nori grinned at him and Yakko was struck by the beauty of her smile. Man, I wish she'd smile at me like that. "Did you use soap?"

"Yeah. 'Bout killed me, but I did. I'm fresh as a daisy," Wakko said, whipping off his cap to reveal a daisy growing out of his head.

Nori snickered. "Well, that's a sight better than that goose egg you had before."

"No, that was a knot. This is a goose egg," Wakko replied, plucking said egg out of his ear. Nori laughed, and Yakko felt an odd pang within him. I want to be the one who makes her laugh.

"At least you're still in one piece. Jeez, the way you were carrying on in there, someone would think I was killing you."

"That's what it felt like," Wakko admitted with a shudder.

"And that's what we thought," Dot said, joining her brothers. "You actually got him to take a shower? How'd you do it? Last time, Yakko had to run him through the car wash."

Wakko grinned. "I got a hot wax, too. My fur was nice and shiny."

"And solid," Yakko chimed in. "It didn't move in high wind."

"I bribed him with food," Nori said, gesturing at the pizza. "The way to a boy's heart is through his stomach, I guess."

"It's sure the way to Wakko's. He never met food he didn't like," Dot commented.

Yakko snapped his fingers. "Hey, speakin' of meeting, we haven't introduced ourselves to this lovely lady," he said, sweeping a hand toward Nori. "I know I've already introduced this far-too-handsome face and you know my little brother, but we've gotta do a real introduction. Ready, sibs?"

Dot snapped to attention and said "Ready," while Wakko took a deep sniff of the pizza and, a little reluctantly, joined his siblings with a "Ready." The Warners flung out their arms and beamed at Nori. "We're the Warner brothers!" the boys announced; Dot followed up with "And the Warner sister!"

"You already know us boys. I'm Yakko…"

"I'm Wakko…"

"And I'm cute, but you can call me Dot," the sister said, shaking hands with Nori. "Call me Dottie, and you die."

Nori laughed. "I'll remember that. I'm Nori."

"She's our new babysitter," Wakko said, with the air of someone introducing a goddess.

Dot's face dimpled with glee. "No way! Scratchy actually got another kid to watch us?" She released an ecstatic cry and jumped into Nori's arms. "This is great! Now I have another girl to talk to!"

Nori ruffled Dot's fur. "Don't you guys play with other kids your age?"

Yakko snorted. "Lotsa luck. If old man Thad had his way, we'd be under house arrest 24/7."

"Like you were before?"

Yakko's heart thumped. She knew? She knew about their history? Scratchy probably told her, the blabbermouth. Under any other circumstances, this would be a perfect opportunity to con their "special friend" into feeling sorry for them and spoiling them rotten. But now… the last thing Yakko wanted was to look like a wuss or a helpless kid in front of this beautiful girl. "Never mind," he said, waving a gloved hand. If they got into a discussion about their past, Nori would just end up pitying him, and Yakko wasn't one for pity. His eyes slid over to Wakko, who was staring at the pizza with glazed eyes and his tongue hanging out. "I think you'd better feed him before he drools all over the floor. Last time, we had to build an ark and float out of here. Took us forever to get down from Ararat." His heartbeat kicked up when that won him a grin.

Nori turned to Wakko and said the magic words: "Eat up." Wakko whooped, planted a smacking kiss on Nori's cheek, and pounced on the countertop where his own pizza box rested, shoveling slices into his mouth. "Mmm, anchovies… pineapple… onions," the toon groaned in bliss.

Dot wrinkled her nose. "Yuck. His breath's gonna stink after this."

"It ain't his breath I'm worried about," Yakko said dryly before refocusing on Nori. "I hate to be picky, but is that all the pizza you got? Me and Dot aren't exactly into anchovies, and personally, whoever thought putting pineapple on pizza was a great idea needs a mallet to the head."

Nori chuckled. "I hear you. Don't worry, I got a regular pepperoni for the rest of us." She pulled a couple of plates near and stood over the box on the table. "How many slices?"

Dot raised two fingers. "Two, please."

"Two slices of pepperoni and a little slice of you," Yakko purred, throwing Nori a roguish grin.

Nori threw him a dirty look in return, picked up the pizza, and scored the pizza so swiftly that Dot nudged Yakko and whispered, "I think she's imagining you under that knife."

"As long as she's imagining me," Yakko said dreamily. Dot just rolled her eyes and muttered, "Boys." When Nori handed him his plate, he took it and said, "Mmm. Looks delicious," eyes on her lips the whole time. Nori said nothing, just glared at him again and turned to give Dot her pizza.

Dot smirked at him. "Smooth, Yakko."

"You know it." After Nori got her own pizza, Yakko plunked himself down opposite her at the kitchen table. As they ate, he didn't get much of an opportunity to speak with her, as Dot seized the chance to pelt her with questions. Oh well, if he couldn't flirt with her, he could at least listen to her answers and get to know her that way. As the conversation progressed, he was able to stock away some important info in his mental Rolodex.

Originally from Virginia, very nice. Big cartoon fan, good to know, although that could mean she'd be wise to toon tricks; that was a challenge in the making. Movie nut? Excellent – that meant he could keep movie night in mind for a future date. Bookworm? Oh, heck yeah! And although Dot was asking her about books like A Wrinkle in Time and Ella Enchanted, Yakko was pleased to hear Nori say she was studying Shakespeare in school. He was a Bard buff himself and couldn't wait to talk Twelfth Night or joust over Julius Caesar. He also couldn't help noticing how she seemed to get tight-lipped over questions about her family. Interesting, but even he knew how it felt to be nosed at – and when to change the subject. No sense in making this girl feel like a bug under glass. "So," he began, when Dot paused to breathe. "You got my brother to take a bath. Major respect – not many people can do that and live to tell the tale."

"I like her," Wakko piped up from his perch on the counter, his mouth full of pizza. He swallowed, chased it with a slug of Coke, and continued, "I got a knot on my head when I ran into her. She kissed it and made it better right before I got my bath."

Yakko's ears perked up. "Really?" He pinned her with another smolder. "Ya know, if you're gonna dish out kisses, you can bathe me any old time you like."

Dot slapped a hand to her forehead. "Jeez, Yakko, do you have a death wish?"

Nori's cheeks flashed red, but judging from the look in her eyes, it wasn't a flattered blush. "I think the only thing that needs bathing is your mind," she said, keeping her voice level. "Something tells me it's seen a gutter or two."

"Or two," Yakko retorted with a smirk. "And ya can't wash out my mind. Scratchy once stuck a bar of soap in between my ears and scrubbed. Nothin' doin'."

Nori gave him a blithe smile. "Probably because there wasn't much there to wash in the first place."

Dot nearly spat her soda across the table, she was laughing so hard. "Aw, sick! She got you, Yakko!"

Yakko's smirk slipped a little at this burn, although inside, he was impressed. This girl knew how to hold her own and keep her cool – most people were usually frothing at the mouth after dealing with him and his sibs. "I like a lady with a smart mouth. Smart and kissable, though, that's just gravy."

Nori's expression was neutral, but her eyes were throwing off sparks. From his spot on the counter, Wakko noticed and gave his brother a warning look. "I think you're making her mad, big brother."

"You're right. I need to be spanked." Yakko hopped off his chair and sprawled himself face-down on Nori's lap. Looking over his shoulder, he flashed her a devilish grin. "Do the honors, please."

The next thing Yakko knew, the world flipped upside down and his butt kissed the linoleum, hard. Stunned, he sat up, shook his ears, and stared up at the girl who had, quite literally, dumped him. "Hey, what'd you do that for?" He got up, rubbing his butt. "Watch the merchandise."

Nori gave him a dirty look. "Merchandise? If you're selling, I ain't buying," she said, rising to take their now-empty plates. "Keep that act up and you won't get dessert."

At the mention of dessert, all three Warners' ears perked up. Dot's face lit up, Wakko's tongue lolled out, and Yakko's eyes glazed over. He may not have been the foodie his brother was, but he never passed up dessert. And the Oreo pie Nori had just pulled into view was enough to make his mouth water. "Aw, man," he groaned. "Give a guy a break, huh?"

She finally smiled at him, but it was a sarcastic smile. "Trust me, Yakko, you don't want me to give you a break," she said, taking a knife to the pie.

Yakko didn't have to ask what she meant. "Okay, leave me in one piece, but at least let me have a piece of pie!"

Nori handed slices to Wakko and Dot, cut one for herself, and picked up the remainder of the pie in its pan. "You really want a piece?" she cooed.

"Please! Let me have it!"

Yakko realized he'd said the wrong thing about two seconds after the mound of Oreos, whipped cream, chocolate filling, and crust smashed into his face. It didn't help that his sibs were laughing their butts off, either. He wiped the gooey mess from his eyes to see Dot bent over the table, banging her fist on the surface, and Wakko rolling on the countertop. And Nori? She was sitting there with a smug grin on her face. The look on his own mug must have said why'd you do that, because she said, smile still in place, "You asked for it."

Well, son of a gun. I've been out-tooned by a human, Yakko thought, licking chocolate filling off his fingers. His mind replayed his entire encounter with Nori: she'd matched his wit with her own, stood up to him, not once lost her temper, and even gotten him to fall into a classic toon trap. She's made for me. However, she didn't seem to see it that way. She was apparently more interested in dodging his attempts at flirting. Well, if she thought he was going to give up that easily, she was crazy. "So, you wanna play, huh?" he muttered to himself. "Well, Miss Bennett, challenge accepted."