Jesse was thankful when Kimmy interrupted his thoughts: "I'm sorry about the accident," Kimmy said. "I guess you're in one of those places for orphans till DJ and her family adopt you. I hope there's someone like Annie there if you wake up with a nightmare about the ferry boat."
Mrs Barker hummed. "I hadn't made that connection with what might have happened to Molly in the musical. It could be."
"And don't worry about Miss Hannigan," Kimmy continued, going from whimsical to bizarre in Mrs. Barker's mind. "There's a reason Pepper's called the Jack Dempsey of the orphanage. Between that and getting her foot stomped on a lot, she knows not to bother the younger kids."
Stephanie shrugged. "This is DJ's friend Kimmy. I can't stand her but you have to meet her sometime. You may as well get it over with."
"She's improved a lot since we became friends," DJ explained in a very low voice. "I didn't realize she brought a bag of coal over as a joke for Steph last year for Christmas. That hurt Steph a lot more than she thought it would and, well, they've been at it since. I guess I'll have to be more like a mom in some ways," DJ mused, like making sure Kimmy realizes some of her teasing hurts and she shouldn't do it.
"Well, I'm sure you'll work things out. And, Kimmy, your way of looking at the play shows Miss Hannigan knows not to get really physical with the girls, which is a plus," Mrs. Barker said, not sure how to respond otherwise.
"Sure." Kimmy showed that DJ had talked with her some in the last couple of days, and she had listened. She told Isabelle, "Don't worry. The worst you'll hear from me is saying your middle name is Ringing. I'm sure it would be in my family."
"Anyway, we got a temporary order allowing us to have Isabelle till all this other stuff goes through," Isabelle's grandpa said. He couldn't figure out what to say to Kimmy.
"Hey, Jess," Danny said later as the two met in Jesse's room later, "it sounds like Mrs. Barker was impressed with everyone."
"Yeah, but…what was Isabelle doin' here? I mean, I know why, but when I heard a couple died and left you and Pam as guardians, I never thought it'd be her parents. I mean, you volunteered to do that for a few," Jesse stammered.
Danny placed a caring hand on Jesse's shoulder. "Jess, I know it's tough."
"That was so long ago. Heck, back then I was ridin' motorcycles on the roofs of buildings and all sorts of daredevil stuff. I made the joke about getting engaged in the back of a Chevy, but then once I found out and the adoption was taken care of, I thought that was it. And, so did the mother. About three years ago Pam told me the mother had moved out of state for college some time earlier and was getting on with her life."
"Jess, you and her mother were seventeen. I know you're a different person now," Danny said. He knew Jesse had been a wild, rebellious youth who spent lots of time in the principal's office, and womanized quite a bit when young. But, he really had settled down. And, both Jesse and he knew the dangers of letting the girls date "boys like him."
Jesse turned back toward Danny and held out a hand. "Yeah, but we gotta tell them sometime soon, don't we? I mean, at least the older kids; you know, D.J. and Joey."
"Joey would understand. D.J., well… that's up to you. But, after a few weeks, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea. Now that Isabelle's going to be my daughter - man, that seems so weird to say - you're going to help raise her. And, if she ever wants to know her birth parents, we'll have to tell her sometime. After a while, I think D.J. will accept that you're not the guy you were at seventeen. You might have gone out with lots of different ones, but you wouldn't have chanced doing that after you got Isabelle's mom pregnant."
"Yeah, but will she believe me?" Jesse sighed and moped around. "Here I am, tryin' my best to be this great role model. Instead of Uncle Jesse, the guy who rides in on a motorcycle and gives the kids gifts once a year, and goes around with different women, I've tried to live a decent life, change my ways, and become Uncle Jesse, the guy who takes them to dance practice and karate class and all that other stuff. I haven't always liked what's happened to my life. But, I put up with it because… well, 'cause I've tried to be like Pam, as much as I can be," he said with a tear in his voice, thinking of his departed older sister. He pointed at the wall as a distraction from his emotions. "I mean, look at these pink bunnies," he said, indicating what had been part of Stephanie's room before he came.
"Mrs Barker did hint that you could move up to the attic. That would give Isabelle her own room, or if she wanted she could room with DJ or Steph. And DJ says she's okay with it. I think she feels like she did after Pam died, the way oldest siblings sometimes get. And, she feels like she has a little more of an option than I gave her when I said Steph was moving in."
"That might not be a bad idea," Jesse muttered. He loved being there with Michelle and bonding with her so much. That had been much more possible with him on the same floor automatically getting up for her. Still, he would have to deal with being on the same floor as Isabelle now. "I figure I have to be what Pam always tried to be, that great role model who showed me the right way to live, even if I didn't believe it, maybe didn't totally till after she died." Jesse shook his head and sighed. "And now my nieces will look at me and say, 'Why should I listen to that hypocrite?' Or worse, 'I'm gonna be just like Uncle Jesse was when he was a teen, and risk throwing my life away'?"
"Jess, you're overreacting."
"I'm overreacting? In just a few short years, D.J.'s gonna be old enough to date boys; boys like me!"
That comment made Danny's hair stand on end. "Oh boy!" the very protective father said.
He quickly realized, however, that Jesse really did mean well; he was a changed person. Danny figured Jesse might have considered it since then - when Jesse moved in, he'd told a story about a woman named Vanessa that Danny interrupted by saying, "food; she was hungry, Jess," because he was concerned about what Jesse might have been ready to say.
Still, Jesse would never expose his nieces to anything bad, and Danny knew it. He might slip a little - like when he'd let Stephanie watch a scary movie a short time later - but he would never slip too far.
A few weeks later, late in the morning a few days before Christmas, the other girls were in the kitchen while Isabelle played outside and talked with her grandparents. Danny and Jesse and Joey came downstairs and then went into the living room as they talked. "It's been nice of them to hurry things up so we could have Isabelle for Christmas break," Danny said.
"Yeah, Of course, it helps that her grandparents are going to be here for a few days now. We should get it all moved in this morning," Jesse said absently. "Now to see if that old room of mine becomes hers or Steph's or whose."
"Well, right now it's a nice guest room for the Follins'. For all I know I might make it an office," Danny said. He went around the side of the house and called to the Rollins that they were ready to help with the next load.
Isabelle came into the kitchen with a jump rope. "Anyone want to play?" she asked in a very slight Southern twang picked up from her mom and, especially, grandparents.
"Sure, squirt. Let me show you how to lasso a raccoon," Kimmy said.
"You can lasso a raccoon?" Isabelle asked. "My grandpa can lasso a cow."
"Her grandparents are staying here now, we have enough cots and things from when my grandma stayed here," D.J. explained.
"Cool. And, actually, my brother Garth is the one who did it. Although, I wouldn't recommend it unless you've had your rabies shots."
"Kimmy, you don't get shots before you're bitten. You can only get them after you've been bitten to stop the rabies," D.J. explained.
Kimmy was amazed. "Thanks, Deej. I can go tell my mom she doesn't have to feel bad she hasn't gotten me immunized." Kimmy turned toward Isabelle. "I was a great help listening to D.J. talk about her mom after she died. I'll be here to listen to you anytime, too," she said sincerely. Isabelle suddenly looked a lot sadder than she had when she entered. "Oops, I guess now wasn't a good time to say that, huh? Sorry."
"She means well; sometimes her mouth just moves while her brain's stuck in neutral," D.J. explained as she and Stephanie hugged Isabelle.
Stephanie spoke as Kimmy left. "It would help if Isabelle had someone like Mr. Bear. But, she doesn't. We need to help her."
"How would we do that?" D.J. inquired.
"We have to start holding auditions. Once we get all her stuffed animals here, we'll start the tryouts. I figure by the middle of next month, we'll have a winner."
Isabelle was amazed that Stephanie had spoken with such certainty. She had several very nice stuffed animals, but there was a time when Stephanie talked with Mr. Bear, and he had seemed to understand her. She supposed it was like that story she'd read a few times - "The Velveteen Rabbit," she thought it was. Somehow, Mr. Bear had become real to Stephanie. And, Stephanie seemed to know how an animal could become real to Isabelle.
"Thanks, Stephanie," Isabelle said happily, now thinking again of happy things. "How will we know?"
"Trust me, you'll know," Stephanie said with the confidence of someone who knew a special trade secret, one that couldn't be disclosed to just anyone.
Early Christmas morning, D.J. awoke with a seven-year-old snoring peacefully by her side. She sighed. Stephanie had moved into Michelle's room last night. But, that had just made Isabelle - or Belle, as she was becoming known - more lonely.
She looked at her clock - 6:20 - then got up gingerly and stepped into the hallway. "Morning, Dad," she whispered as he was returning from the 2nd floor bathroom. "We must be the only ones up."
"Yippeeeee, it's Christmas Day!" came the jubilant shout from Stephanie and Michelle's room.
D.J. looked tiredly toward that room and said, "I should have known I'd jinx it," as Stephanie bolted out the door and said hello so fast as she ran downstairs that the words seemed to trail behind her by several yards.
Danny followed Stephanie downstairs as D.J. walked into the room. Michelle had obviously awakened Stephanie, as the 2-year-old sat in her crib with a "what just happened?'" look on her face.
"Hey, is this my Strawberry Shortcake?" D.J. asked, using the pet name she'd recently made up for Michelle. She was really glad to see Michelle's smile. "Don't tell anyone. But while Uncle Jesse loved bonding with you when he got you up in the morning, since we started this transition, I'm really loving this role. Maybe I won't have to do everything. Plus, I think yoe listen a little better, too. I'm just glad you let Steph sleep - well, till almost 6:30," she added, continuing to talk with Michelle as she changed the toddler's diaper.
DJ understood why Uncle Jesse had moved up to the attic. The situation was just like when their grandmother had slept with Stephanie in her room because Steph had been so fearful. Except that Isabelle had decided to stay with DJ. DJ could understand that, and she knew it made a lot of sense for Jesse to move up, however they eventually organized things. Maybe her taking some of his role as the oldest person besides Danny on that floor was all it was. Yet, part of her felt like there was something more, she just wasn't sure why.
"Come on, it's Christmas!" She picked Michelle up and cuddled her for a moment, but Michelle insisted on walking downstairs herself when D.J. tried to carry her.
Once D.J. and Michelle had come downstairs, Danny asked how Belle had been the previous night. "She crawled in bed with me but I don't really remember it."
"I'm sure she'll need lots of extra company, extra mothering for a while."
Yeah. It's funny," D.J. said as she watched Stephanie distributed presents from under the tree. "I feel like I'm helping both her and Michelle a whole lot right now, Michelle with behavior, and Belle with everything. Uncle Jesse seems…I don't know how to put this. He's been nice to her and all, but it seems like he's a little afraid or something."
Danny knew it was hard for Jesse to accept Belle being there; Jesse felt a little like his past sins were chasing him. But, he didn't think this would be the right time to mention it. Instead he simply said, "Well, after your mom died, it was really hard for him. He tried not to show it, but it hurt him a lot more than he let on."
"So you're saying it's Mom's death coming back?" Danny nodded. "That makes sense; Steph and I have been talking about it a little more, too."
"Same here, yesterday evening she asked me if Santa could give Belle any extra presents her parents wouldn't be able to buy. And, I could tell she was thinking about Mom a little, too, and we talked about that. She really wants to make everything perfect for Belle." He was grateful that Stephanie had such a warm heart. Indeed, all of them did; it was one of the best gifts Pam had given them. "But, I agree, she's not going to start grieving all over again. I can tell you're taking it pretty well. And, hopefully, Belle will come around pretty fast, just like the two of you did. She does seem to be opening up more, talking about her feelings, and she's willing to have fun here. So, she's trusting us."
D.J. concurred. "I just wonder what will happen when she sees this," D.J. said, holding a box that said "To Isabelle, Love Mom and Dad." She didn't like to think about such things - might not have had that thought at her age normally - but she was taking on more responsibility than she thought she would. It wasn't uncommon at times, like she had stayed home from her first non-mother-daughter slumber party to watch Michelle once. But, now it just felt like there was a lot more.
She was enjoying it, though, that was the nice part. It didn't feel forced like she had sometimes felt with Danny not enforcing limits with Michelle, and then DJ fretting over whether she'd have to do more. Belle coming into their lives was helping DJ to see that providing such mothering could be fun.
"I thought about that last night, as I was getting all the presents out," Danny said lowly after a moment.
The sadness was interrupted by Joey coming in through the kitchen in his Batman pajamas. He shouted, "Well, blow me down" like Popeye as he observed the gifts.
"Joey, you're just in time. It's a good thing we didn't try to go to Colorado for the family gettogether. We'd been planning it for months before we canceled because of this, but I heard on the radio everything's snowed in out there. We wouldn't have gotten there anyway."
"Too bad. Well, let's see what Santa brought me." Danny looked oddly at Joey, wondering if he was serious.
After a few minutes, Isabelle raced downstairs, with her grandparents and Jesse following close behind her - she had wanted everyone to get up, even going up to the attic for Jesse.
"No joy like that, is there?" Isabelle's grandmother said.
"You said it!" Jesse was happy once more. Though at first he'd felt mad at himself for not taking responsibility with Isabelle back when she was born, he'd come to accept that at least he had the chance to be with Isabelle and help her now. And, he wanted to make the most of it. "Hey, wow, look at that," he proclaimed beside Isabelle, who had just pulled out a brand new doll. "Boy, you're really getting some cool gifts."
"I know," Isabelle said as she opened the box D.J. had picked up. Thankfully, in the excitement of Christmas morning, she wasn't even looking at the tags. "I can't wait to see what that big box is, Uncle Jesse."
"Did you hear that; she called me Uncle Jesse. You've got such a great family here," Jesse said as he put an arm around her. She smiled broadly as she looked up at him. "When I moved in to help raise the girls, it was the most wonderful thing, Danny. And now, I got one more wonderful young lady to help raise."
"Just wait till he helps with a class party, or takes you on a field trip somewhere. And, he's the best person ever at baking cookies," Stephanie proclaimed proudly.
Isabelle looked a little sad. "Mommy loved to bake cookies. I helped her all the time."
"Well, tell you what, when we're done with the presents, how about you and me go into the kitchen and bake up the best batch of chocolate chip cookies there ever was!"
"I'd love that, Uncle Jesse. Thanks," Isabelle proclaimed, wrapping her arms around him. Jesse hugged back; he hadn't been big on hugging when he first moved in a year and a half before, but he'd gotten used to this kind of warm embrace by now.
All had been watching Isabelle so intently for a few minutes, hoping she wouldn't start to feel sad about losing her parents on Christmas morning, that they'd ignored the brand new dust buster sitting in the middle of the room. Michelle, before being distracted by a toy early in the gift-opening, had torn through the package and then left the dust buster laying in its box in the middle of the living room floor.
"You sure are great at helping, Jess."
"Thanks, Danny, I…Whoa, how'd this dust buster get here?" he asked, looking at it with shock.
"Simple. When it comes to cleaning, he's the Pied Piper," Joey kidded. Standing up, he began an impromptu comedy routine, doing numerous different voices as well as his own, totally causing Isabelle to forget her sadness, just as he'd hoped would happen. "'Hark!' that dust buster said. 'I hear the melodious voice of Danny Tanner.'" Putting his hands to his mouth, Joey imitated a man playing a flute, complete with flute sounds. "To the ear of that dust buster, and many like it, it was merely a piper, drawing them onward. In a hypnotic trance, the dust busters all began to walk." He began speaking slowly and walking slowly. "'I must go to the Tanners and clean. I must go to the Tanners.'"
Joey turned quickly toward Isabelle and Jesse. "'Soon, the home was covered. Mops bowed their handles at his feet. 'Oh, great cleaner,' they said. Bars of soap slipped down the road as if in a parade, joyously celebrating their arrival at the home of the master of cleaning, and leaving miles of suds in their wake," he shouted triumphantly.
"Finally, as if picking the winner in a fabulous beauty pageant, Danny walked around the hushed gathering of cleaning items. Each of them giggled with excitement under their breath. 'Will it be me? Will it be me?' And then, that fateful moment. Danny looked at this dust buster, and said, 'This is the one. This one will be crowned Miss Clean America,'" Joey said as he picked up the dust buster and set it down again, and momentarily sang "Here she comes, Miss Clean America!" sounding like the emcee of the Miss America pageant.
"The crowd roared with excitement." He did the sound of a raucous crowd cheering. "The dust buster broke down and cried. 'Oh, this is the happiest day of my life! I just want to thank my family and my friends and all the other dustbusters out there who have supported me through all of this,'" Joey said, pretending to wipe away tears. "There was a big celebration, as this dust buster took its place among the many honored products in the home of that great King of Clean, Danny Tanner."
Amid numerous giggles, chuckles, and smiles of admiration at the sudden comedy, plus the Rollins' applause - D.J. whispered to Stephanie, trying to make a point about why Stephanie shouldn't talk all the time like she did at times. "It would so spoil the moment if I said Michelle opened it."
"I think you're right."
"That was funny! Do some more," Isabelle requested joyously. This was one of the things she loved most since coming here, hearing the funny voices and jokes that Joey could do.
"Maybe later. Let's open some more presents," Joey said.
Isabelle agreed quickly, and began opening more gifts. Her new family was so much fun. She'd liked being an only child, but here, she was surrounded by so many people who cared. Joey's entertainment, Jesse's sweetness, Danny's kindness and concern for her - even though he talked a lot, her new dad seemed to be someone very special.
Then, there were her sisters. It was fun having Michelle around; the silly things the two-year-old did helped take her mind off her sadness sometimes. D.J. was so warm and caring, and was so motherly, doing her hair just the way she liked it, letting her crawl in bed and snuggle when she'd felt so lonely, and so on. And, Stephanie was such a fun sister, and knew so much!
They'd talked for quite a while to each of her stuffed animals, and soon, after all the gifts were open, Stephanie said they would begin to find the one that would understand her and be a best friend. She didn't know how anyone could do that, but it sounded like Stephanie knew all about such things.
Hours later, Jesse and Isabelle were waiting for the last batch of cookies to be ready. Isabelle fiddled with the ribbons that tied together the ponytails on either side of her head, as she went from staring at the oven timer to licking her lips at the aroma of freshly baked Christmas cookies. They had made several dozen of four different types.
Jesse picked up a soft, warm chocolate chip cookie and handed it to her. "Come on, have another one; I know that look; you'd like to eat all of 'em right now," Jesse kidded her.
"Thanks, Uncle Jesse." She bit into it, rubbed her tummy, and turned to several stuffed animals that were seated at a few of the kitchen chairs. "It's just like Mommy and I make them," she said.
"Yeah, your mom was a very special woman. I know the feeling, 'cause your new dad's wife, the girls' mom, she was my big sister." Jesse knelt down to her level as he said this; he could see so much of himself in her. He was so thankful to be able to share a moment like this. At least he could help ease the pain of losing her parents.
Isabelle even made him laugh, too, just like Danny's girls could. "Shhhh," she said holding a finger to her lips. "I was seeing if any of them talked back."
"Who, the animals?" Jesse grinned toothily and chuckled. "Haven't found one yet, huh?"
"No, but I will," she said with confidence.
The timer dinged, and Jesse put on his oven mitts. "Okay, the last batch of cookies is ready to roll out of the oven," he said with excitement. Isabelle anxiously followed the baking sheet from the oven over to the cooling rack. "Twelve dozen cookies. So many even that guy on Sesame Street would have trouble counting them."
"Of course," Isabelle joked as she removed her apron. "The cookie monster would eat them all before he got to ten."
"You got that right. Hope I was able to make this special for you," Jesse said tenderly as he removed the oven mitts and sat down.
Isabelle climbed into his lap and proclaimed, "You did! You're the best uncle in the whole world." She threw her arms around him, and they embraced tenderly.
Jesse was torn between thinking of the loss Isabelle was probably feeling, and the loss of years that he could have spent raising her. A day like this felt extra bittersweet, as he thought of what he'd missed, but yet also of the fabulous joy that came from having her there now. "Right back at ya, kid," Jesse said, a small tear forming in his eye.
As the final batch of cookies cooled, Danny opened the door to greet a woman of about 30. Stephanie came in from the kitchen first, with Isabel close behind. Even before Stephanie could say hello, Isabelle ran to her, shouting, "Aunt Lena!"
As they hugged, Stephanie said, "Welcome to our home. You'll really like it here. Uncle Jesse's parents will be coming, too. Our Grandma Tanner and some other people can't make it because the airport had snow where they were having their family reunion. But at least we didn't have to go there; Santa knew right where I was. Joey's mom will be here, too. His parents are divorced, he never sees his dad."
"She talks a lot," Isabelle said simply.
As the couple hung up their coats, the rest of the family greeted them. Isabelle explained, "Stephanie's helping me find a friend."
"She means a stuffed animal friend. None of hers come alive the way Mr. Bear does for me."
Lena and the Rollins could sense the love and excitement in Stephanie, and knew that with Stephanie encouraging her, it would make things great for Isabelle, too.
"Uncle Jesse and I baked lots of cookies," Isabelle said as she led them into the kitchen. Lena saw DJ helping to make something for their dinner.
"Hi, DJ, you probably don't remember me. We didn't get to talk during calling hours. I'm Lena Smithson. Your mom and I were really good friends in school." She added lowly, "Isabelle's dad was my oldest brother, our parents had seven kids spaced over 14 years."
"Is that how they found out about her?"
Lena nodded. "She said the mom was a teen who couldn't care for her… she knew my brother couldn't have children."
DJ sighed. "I know it can happen. Sounds like she had a really good home. And now she's got another one."
Neither was sure what to say as DJ kept working for a moment. Thankfully, Joey suddenly came up from his basement apartment laughing like Popeye. "Whoa. Oh, hey, it's almost time for the Bullwinkle marathon," he exclaimed excitedly. Then, he turned to Isabelle. "By the way, never try to stick a piece of Christmas candy up your nose; Danny almost had to take me to the emergency room just now."
With a hearty laugh, Mr. Rollins said, "Y'all, that is why I said earlier I don't think it would be bad if you call Joey by his first name instead of Uncle Joey."
"Actually, D.J. had talked about maybe all of us calling him Uncle Joey, just because it would get Michelle in the habit while she's still young. But, anyway, I'm really glad you could come. And, from the size of the gifts, Isabelle will be, too," Danny joked. They had decided to have Isabel open presents from her grandparents and other family members in the afternoon since that would have been the way they did it.
Later, the families were gathered in the living room opening presents. "Oh boy," Isabelle shrieked as she opened a box to reveal a doll. "Stephanie, do you think this doll can join in the auditions?"
"I don't know. I never thought of a doll as a friend. To me, they're for pretending you're the Mom. What do you think, Joey?"
"Well, Steph, I think you're right. Only stuffed animals can be true friends. They come in all sizes, all colors, in a way they're kind of like Muppets. And, that means each child will have a unique friendship with one in particular, just like some kids might find Big Bird to be their favorite, while others prefer Kermit the frog."
Jesse teased Joey. "Can you believe this guy? He sounds like he's doing a paper for school on it."
Isabelle didn't want to fight, but she really liked this doll. "Go ask Mr. Bear."
"Okay," Stephanie said, joyfully playing along. As she skipped upstairs, she was simply glad to be extending the play. The adults, however, were more happy to see that Isabelle was having fun and not thinking about her parents not being there.
Once in her room, Stephanie pulled Mr. Bear off her bed. "Mr. Bear, can Isabelle's new doll be part of the auditions?"
"Hmmmm," Mr. Bear said, mumbling lowly, as if thinking out loud, something Stephanie often seemed to do. "Well, I suppose. But, I'm still the final judge, and it is very hard for a doll to be a close friend."
"It is one that looks kind of like her."
"Well, that will be a plus. But, it's not the looks, it's the friendliness. That means the animal…or, I guess doll…has to make you feel good when you cuddle it. Like D.J.'s pillow person."
"I forgot about her pillow person. That's kind of in between, huh?" In the still vivid imagination of the young schoolgirl, Mr. Bear agreed.
"Your doll's going to be able to enter the contest," Stephanie reported as she ran down to the living room. "But, Mr. Bear says it's going to be tough. D.J. does have a pillow person, though, that I forgot about."
D.J. tried to defend herself while looking at a new sweatshirt Jesse's parents had gotten her. "Well, that was a long time ago; when I was about her age. I mean, I talked to Kimmy more when…well, you know."
"Same difference; their heads are both full of stuffing," Stephanie joked.
Wanting to deflect that comment, especially since Kimmy wasn't here to defend herself, D.J. said, "Well, your stomach's going to be full of stuffing pretty soon, along with every other kind of food. I think that doll has potential, Isabelle."
"What does that mean?" Isabelle wanted to know. She looked expectantly at Joey, as if he would do a long comedy routine again.
Instead, he simply said, "That means she's got as good a chance as anyone, once you name her. But, that's all these six bears, three horses, three dogs, two rabbits, one doll, and one lion have right now. They will all go through an exhaustive series of tests over the next few weeks, for the right to become what every stuffed animal dreams of; yes, one or more of these will become, to you, totally real!"
Isabelle grinned broadly. She'd heard Stephanie talk to Mr. Bear. Even if it was all in fun, it was going to provide her with an incredible amount of delight.
After opening gifts, Danny and the Rollins went upstairs to the trust that Isabelle had set up for her, for which the Rollins were trustees but Danny would now be an alternate. Meanwhile, Isabelle was speaking to the animals and doll gathered. "This sure is a nice place. I wish Mommy and Daddy were here to see it. They sure would enjoy it."
She felt confident that at least a few seemed to understand her, in her mind, more than the others.
Stephanie and Isabelle talked with numerous stuffed animals over the next couple weeks, as they tried to see which seemed the most like friends. The doll, as expected, had dropped out of the running rather quickly, as had several others. By the time school had resumed after Christmas vacation ended, they'd narrowed the field to four finalists.
The four animals were seated around a small table with Isabelle after school that day, with a tea set on the table. Isabelle was having an imaginary tea party with them. "Stephanie did over a hundred hulas with a hula hoop at recess today," she said as she poured the invisible tea. "It sure is fun having her around. I'm glad we can have the same recess period. My new teacher is really nice, too."
Once she sat, she glanced at the two bears, one dog, and one lion. She was very comfortable talking with stuffed animals, and this quartet made her feel very comfortable, as well as being quite cuddly. But, Stephanie had implied there would be one special one - and Joey had seconded the notion. She could always have all of them as special friends, but one would be extra special.
Danny poked his head in the door. "Hey, 'Belle, how's it going?"
"Fine." She didn't really feel right calling Danny "Dad" yet, but she was getting there. It was still quite hard for her to think of him that way. "I'm just having a tea party."
"Great; listen, I'm going to film Michelle for my show's new promo if you need anything."
"Okay. Say, can I go to the Honeybees meeting next week with Stephanie?"
"Sure. Sorry we don't have a Brownie troop near us like you belonged to, but hey, the Honeybees just prefer yellow and black stripes to those brown uniforms. It's sort of Disco Meets the Brownies." The Honeybees, of course, had been around for much longer than disco music, but Danny had always thought that to be a very clever description for those who weren't familiar with them.
Isabelle laughed out loud. Her new dad could be corny at times, but he was quite funny then. "Yeah, like those uniforms the Athletics used to wear. I saw them once; all green and gold."
"You think that's something," Danny said, "look at the Astros' old ones once. Yellow, orange, and red alternating. First time I saw them as a sports reporter I thought one of their players would swing from the Astrodome like a disco ball."
After mentioning that they'd probably fit her for a Honeybee uniform that evening, he left, and Isabelle went back to conversing with the animals. Stephanie was supposedly downstairs showing everyone her hula hoop record.
However, unbeknownst to Isabelle, Stephanie had gone into the room she and Michelle now shared, and been talking to Mr. Bear about feeling ignored. Suddenly, she burst into the room. "Isabelle, grab a jacket," Stephanie said. "I told Dad, we're going over to Allie's. If he was listening."
"Sure, but why?"
Stephanie told him the whole story. "I told Harry to call some of our friends. I'm getting married." Isabelle gasped. "A husband will pay attention to me."
"B-but, you can't leave me! I just lost my parents, I don't want to lose my new sister. Besides, we still don't know which of these animals will be my friend," she complained nervously.
Stephanie put an arm around her, holding Mr. Bear with the other one. "Don't worry, I'll make sure Harry stays here. And, if it's really that rough for you, we can just pretend for a little while."
"Oh. Well…okay, I guess. You're sure you won't leave?"
"I promise. If he's going to be my husband and pay attention to me, he'll have to stay where I want to stay," she said matter-of-factly.
Allie's mom picked them up a moment later. She assumed the wedding was a play one; she was going to do Stephanie's hair. Mr. Bear went along, too.
"Now, I have a tough decision to make," Stephanie said to Mr. Bear. She was holding him while in the flower girl dress she had worn to a wedding the previous summer. Allie's mom was fixing her hair so she'd look extra fancy. "I mean, Allie's my best friend. And yet, I really like Isabelle, too. I can't have two maids of honor, can I?"
"Why not?"
"Well, that's true, Mr. Bear. But, still, I can't stand to hurt either one's feelings."
Mrs. Taylor finished doing Stephanie's hair, and offered her own advice. "Honey, my Allie remembers so well the first few months she knew you, so soon after losing your mother. Why don't you explain it to her. I bet she'd be more than happy to let Isabelle be the maid of honor instead, so she can feel wanted and accepted." She would be sure to talk to Allie herself if need be.
Thankfully, Mrs. Taylor had been right. Stephanie learned that as long as Allie could be a bridesmaid at the wedding, she didn't mind not being Maid of Honor. In hindsight, that made sense; Allie was quiet and shy, so she wouldn't feel slighted not getting the top billing at this play wedding, though if asked to be she would have. Both would stand with Stephanie up front in the Tanners' backyard; it's just that Isabelle would get to hold the paper towel box that would form Stephanie's train.
Isabelle greatly enjoyed the play wedding, even though Stephanie wanted it to be real. Thankfully, Danny and the others then realized how Stephanie was feeling, and they all made her feel welcome. That made Isabelle happy, too; she saw she wasn't the only one who ever felt like she wasn't a part of things. She imagined everyone felt like that at times.
Later that evening, Stephanie's Honeybee hive mother arrived with a tape measure to fit Isabelle for her uniform. She had a number of them in the car, and she said they might be able to find her one tonight.
"So, I get to be a disco Brownie, then?" Isabelle asked.
Danny laughed. "She's only know the Brownies all her life; I told her the Honeybees were like Brownies with disco uniforms," Danny explain with a laugh. "Come on up to the girls' room, Linda. Well, that is, the older girls' room, now there are two rooms that can be called the girls' room…well, just follow me."
Linda laughed at Danny's rambling. "I guess that's a good way to put it. They really broke off from the Brownies when they wanted to integrate in the early '50s and the Brownies and Girl Scouts didn't - by the late '50s there were a number of hives that joined nationwide in integrating in all 3 groups. But, nowadays nobody really pays attention to that history," she said..
Danny, too, was glad each group was integrated. "I know, I can just imagine the clamor of those meetings before they broke off. The black and yellow of a honeybee sure is cuter than black and white, though. I mean, what girl would want to be a Zebra? How do you attract girls into a Zebra club?" Linda laughed at the corny comments. Danny wouldn't say, but he was babbling to keep from thinking of Pam's death right now. "The costumes wouldn't be near as cute, and what would you sell in place of honey?"
Linda wasn't sure, but as she measured around Isabelle's waist, she went on sayingthat by now, the organizations functioned peacefully, and had for some time. They were just two separate clubs to everyone involved.
Isabelle peeked in the bag. "You really do have fancy uniforms," she told Stephanie, who was watching along with D.J..
"Yeah, we do."
Isabelle noticed a small bit of sadness in her voice. "Did your Mommy help pick out your uniform?" Stephanie nodded, and Isabelle gave her a brief hug.
"It was just like this," D.J. said. "Except, I don't remember you telling as many bee puns back then, Dad."
"Oh, you're right, but I can't help it, this girl looks simply beeee-utiful. I can tell she's just buzz-ing with excitement." Danny loved to lavish praise upon the girls, and talk about how proud and happy he was for them. He was doing it a little more this evening, of course, because this was reminding him a little of Pam, too, just as it did Stephanie.
Joey poked his head in the room while carrying a sleepy Michelle. "I'm gonna put her to bed."
"Okay, thanks, Joey," Danny said before answering D.J.'s query about where Jesse was. "Oh, he and Becky just, well, he invited her to spend some time with him, just the two of them." The girls went "oooh" in an excited way. "Guys, there is nothing to 'ooooh' about. Well, yet. Maybe there will be, I don't know."
"Fine, Dad. When he gets home, we'll be sure to congratulate him on his 'not quite a date.'"
Danny laughed; Jesse would probably be home after the girls went to bed, anyway. "Fine, if you're up you can do that. Now, 'Belle, not only will you be getting your very own fabulous uniform, you also get your very own pollen sac."
"And, I'll just bet there's a joke with 'honey' in it waiting to come out of his mouth," Linda said as she finished taking the measurements. Isabelle nodded happily; she was used to such comments by now.
After a short while, Linda found a combination that Isabelle could try on. She went into the bathroom and changed into her Honeybee outfit, then came back out. She turned around with outstretched arms in the bedroom as Danny videotaped her. "Aw, look at you. Hold this," he said, handing the camera to Linda. Linda, had never used this type of camera and had to find the viewfinder for a moment while Danny hugged Isabelle and gushed over how cute she was.
"That looks so adorable on you," he continued. "Isn't she the cutest girl you've ever seen, Linda?"
"I think Linda's own daughter would rank up there pretty high," D.J. noted.
Danny chuckled softly. "You're right. I'm just glad we're here to share this. Look at those antenna, they're so adorable. And, just think, she probably gets good cable reception with them, too. And who can resist those darling wings, and the pollen sac?"
"So, do you like your new uniform?" Joey asked as he centered the room.
"Not as much as he does," Isabelle answered, looking at Danny.
Danny grinned broadly. "Sorry. I guess I get a little carried away." Not just thinking about Pam, he mused, but wanting to keep her feeling happy and excited after having lost two parents.
"It's normal around here. You get used to it," Stephanie explained.
"Yeah. He really is a great dad. You've come into a great family," D.J. emphasized.
Danny agreed silently. He just hoped that D.J. continued to remember that; Jesse was telling Becky about Isabelle tonight, and they'd decided that if all went well, they would tell her in a couple days, after having told Joey a couple weeks ago. The younger girls seemed a bit too young to understand yet; he hadn't even told Stephanie all about the birds and the bees. He would need D.J.'s and Becky's help for that, he was certain.