On October 28, 2022, the world of music lost a great legend. Jerry Lee Lewis, rock and roll's first 'wild man', passed away at age 87.
During a tea party that Nell and Bianca are having at the castle with some of Bianca's friends, James, who was asked to provide music, goes above and beyond the request, especially when he sneaks some of his and Bobby Lee's favorite wilder songs into the mix! Nell and Bianca are shocked, but they learn that it's all in fun, and their friends also like the style of music James is playing. Of course, that doesn't stop Nell from planning some fun of her own later on! Thanks to theblindwriter95 for helping with the story. Annabelle, Caroline, Elizabeth, and Margaret are characters of theblindwriter95 and are used with permission. Jerry Lee Lewis's music is not mine, and on a more serious note, rest in peace, Jerry Lee Lewis.
"This is going to be so much fun!" Sabrina smiled as she got ready for Bianca's tea party. "I can't wait to see Miss Bianca's friends again!"
"Even Caroline?" Nell smirked. "You didn't really get along with her before, you know."
"I know, but that's because Jack was with her, and he was really mean to Elena," Sabrina frowned. "I know he's a good boy now, but I was always so sad listening to his mommy talking about us after Roland took us in after we were rescued, then she was always so mean about Elena, and Jack started saying those things too..."
"You don't have to worry about Juliette anymore, Baby Girl," Nell smiled. "She and Arthur divorced, and she's living in a different town now. Jack's learning better behavior from him and Caroline, and he's a lot nicer around all of us."
"Okay," Sabrina said at last. "I'll be nice to Jack while he's here. But at least Miss Caroline's going to be there to keep an eye on him."
"And don't forget, James is going to be there too," Nell added. "Jack learned that he plays the piano, and he'll love hearing him play."
"Music makes it all better!" Elena giggled as she ran in.
Nell laughed, taking her in her arms, then looking down, seeing that she hadn't put her shoes and stockings on yet. "Where are your stockings and shoes, young lady?"
Elena pouted at the offending shoes and stockings, which were by the bed. "Don't wanna wear them! If Ricky don't wear suit then why me and Gabby have to wear dresses for the tea party?"
"Because Ricky's a baby, you're not," Madeline smirked.
"And you want to set a good example for him, don't you?" Nell added. "But at least you're going to be wearing little ankle stockings, and they won't be as hot on your legs. I know I used to take my shoes and stockings off all the time during Bianca's tea parties, but that's when I was your age. 'Be as free as the wind', she'd tell me, and I was. And you can do that after the party, okay?"
"Okay," Elena sighed as she let Nell help her put her shoes and stockings on.
"Cheer up, Elena, it's going to be fun," Madeline smiled. "James is going to be there, playing the piano!"
"James play kitty song?" Elena asked, perking up right away at the mention of James playing the piano.
"He might, but he's going to play some of Nell's friends favorite songs first," Sabrina replied. When she saw Elena pout, she smiled. "Elena, you know that it's good manners to let the guests hear their favorite songs first, then we can ask James if he can play a kitty song for you."
"Okay," Elena agreed. "I pick kitty song for Ricky!"
"That's so sweet of you, Love Bug!" Nell smiled.
"Elena wants to be good example for Ricky!" Gabby giggled as Ricky squealed, enjoying the blanket he was riding on.
"Gabby, did you drag Ricky all the way here on that blanket?" Sabrina teased.
"It's not a blankie, Auntie Sabrina! It's his magic carpet!"
"Oh, yes, I remember now," Nell grinned. "Sofia and Amber told us how they rode that magic carpet, and when they brought it home a few weeks ago, they let you ride it. Of course, we rode it with you, but it was a lot of fun!"
Sabrina smiled, recalling the story of how Sofia and Amber had tamed the flying carpet when they were in Tangu with Princess Jasmine's help. They had brought it home for a day, and Elena had loved it almost as much as when she rode the flying kitties in Avalor.
"If that Ricky's magic carpet, then where the thingies you need to steer it with?" Elena frowned.
"I couldn't find them, so I had to use my hands instead," Gabby explained. "Ricky laughed and laughed as I dragged him around looking for you before we found you with Mommy!"
"Nell, does Ricky have to behave at Miss Bianca's tea party too?" Madeline asked.
"Well, he is a baby, so he doesn't know the rules of etiquette that you do," Nell admitted, "But I know he'll try not to fuss too much. He's always been well behaved around Bianca's friends, but we'll find ways to help him if he gets too fussy."
"James play kitty song for Ricky after he plays song for Grand Mommy's friends!" Elena giggled.
"We'll see, Love Bug," Nell chuckled.
Ricky squealed, hearing the word 'kitty' as he reached for Elena. While he didn't fathom what was going on, he adored kitties just as much as she did.
"Is that Richard I hear?" Annabelle cooed, surprising everyone in the room.
"Yes," Elena replied timidly. "It's his first tea party with grownups."
"Annabelle! What a lovely surprise!" Nell smiled. "What are you doing here so early?"
"I thought it would be nice if I came early and helped you get things ready," Annabelle smiled, then she turned to Elena. "And you don't have to be shy around me. I've seen you at Bianca's tea parties before, and you're always so sweet. I also hear that Prince James is going to be playing the piano for us today, and I just love hearing him!"
"James play kitty song for Ricky soon!" Elena smiled.
"And I can't wait to hear him," Annabelle smiled.
"We appreciate your help, Miss Annabelle," Madeline smiled.
"Yeah! As Nell says, more hands make light work!" Sabrina grinned.
"Can I help you too, Mommy?" Elena asked.
"Sure you can, Love Bug! You and Gabby can watch Ricky and make sure he doesn't get in the way," Nell smiled.
"Why? Is Ricky a bad baby?" Gabby frowned.
"Of course not," Nell smiled, "It's just that we have a few more things to set up for the party, and we don't want anything to happen to Ricky, especially since he's crawling and getting into everything. And as Daddy and I've said before, taking care of a baby is at least a two-person job!"
"That sounds familiar," Annabelle smirked. "Alexander's and my children were a handful and a half when they were that young! But at least my sister Alice was there to help run after them before they got into trouble. But thankfully, Nicholas and Samantha mellowed out as they got older."
"And how are they now?" Nell asked.
As Nell and Annabelle talked, Elena smiled as she saw Nell's other friends, along with Bianca, Sofia, Amber, and James coming in. She ran over to James, who was setting up his music on the piano.
"James, can you play kitty song for Ricky after you play songs for Grand Mommy's friends? Please?" Elena asked.
"Sure! But only because you said please," James smirked.
"Oh, James!" Sofia grinned, taking Ricky in her arms. "And how are you doing today, Ricky? You ready to have fun at your first tea party?"
Ricky squealed at the idea of a kitty song, and Nell smiled as she took him from her. "He seems to be pretty excited about it," she said as she smoothed his collar. "And I know he'll love hearing James play the piano."
"Ricky sing with James too!" Gabby giggled.
"Yeah! James sings when he was baby, and Ricky does too!" Elena giggled, turning toward Nell, and flapping her hands.
"That's right, Love Bug, and thank you for turning your back towards me," Nell smiled.
"Why?" Jack frowned. He was followed by Caroline and Arthur, bowing to Elena. "Elena's at-is-him is a good thing."
"Mommy knows that, Jack, but she doesn't want people to think I'm a birdie," Elena explained to him as she curtsied timidly.
"And Mommy says that Miss Bianca's friends are gossipy. Especially at tea parties," Gabby added.
"That's right," Nell murmured, "Sometimes they tell people what happened while they were with us, and those people think it's okay to say mean things to me or Elena. But you don't have to worry about that anymore," she added, squeezing Jack's hand. "You've become a better person since you've been learning proper behavior instead of mixed messages."
"And that was a good idea, turning away to do that," Annabelle said as she came up to greet the newcomers.
Watching Annabelle greet Caroline and Arthur, Jack and Elena hid behind Nell as they saw Elizabeth and Margaret walk into the room.
"Elizabeth! Margaret!" Bianca greeted, giving them a hug. "Margaret, I haven't seen you since Helen Genevieve was pregnant with Richard Edward! It's been a long time."
"It has, hasn't it?" Margaret smiled. "When I heard the little guy would be here today, I thought I'd come by for old time's sake."
"I'm glad you decided to come by to see him," Nell agreed as Ricky giggled, reaching out to the mysterious newcomer. "Margaret, may I introduce Richard Edward Johnson or Ricky as we like to call him."
"He used to be a second like Land is until Daddy realized that his daddy didn't have an Edward for his second name so with Land and Rinda's help, he and Mommy got Ricky's name changed a while back," Gabby added.
"Wait a minute, Nell; isn't Ricky named after Bobby Lee's daddy, Richard, and our daddy, Edward?" Madeline whispered.
"Yes, but since Bobby Lee's daddy has a different middle name, there might be confusion, since Richard's middle name is actually Darell," Nell murmured. "So, our Ricky's full name is Richard Edward Johnson."
"Okay," Madeline nodded. The name change sounded confusing, but she decided not to dwell on it. This was a time to have fun, catch up with Nell's friends, and listen to James play the piano.
"Jack Hubert, Elena Lydia, come on out. Don't you want to see Prince James play the piano?" Bianca smiled.
"I do like it when he sings. Auntie Caroline says he has musical ears!" Jack giggled.
"What song James play first?" Elena wondered.
"Well, I thought I'd play something Bianca and her friends like first," James said as he got out a folder with some sheet music that Bianca had given him. "But after that, I'll play something for you and Jack."
"Okay," Elena agreed. She knew good things came to those who waited, and that she had to be patient. She'd been getting better at waiting for something, but it was still hard sometimes. Fortunately, she saw something to keep her occupied until it was time. She went over to the snack table and got a few cookies. "You want a cookie, Jack?" she offered.
"Thank you," Jack smiled. "Your mommy told Auntie Caroline you've got a princess friend who gives her recipes sometimes. She gave her the recipes, and we make them sometimes."
"Yeah! Princess Sandra makes good cookies!" Elena smiled as they listened to James playing the slower-tempo song.
"Can I have a cookie too, Elena?" Gabby asked.
"Okay!" Elena grinned. She frowned, not seeing Ricky with her. "Where Ricky go?"
"Miss Bianca's friends have him. They keep saying how cute he is and how they want to eat him up."
"They wouldn't really do that would they?" Jack frowned.
"It's just an expression you three," Sabrina explained, hearing the conversation. "Ricky's not gonna get eaten. Although he might get a little spoiled today from all the attention he's getting."
Elena sighed in relief as she held up a cookie. "You want a cookie, Auntie Sabrina? I'm saving the rest for Daddy after he has his shift during the tea party."
"Okay! Thanks, Elena!" Sabrina smiled.
"Actually, he might be here in a little while," Madeline said as she came up and got some cookies for herself and Nell. "He didn't have that many places to look around, and he only has to do his own shift, so he might be able to make it before the party's over."
"You want to get James a cookie, Jack?" Elena asked when Madeline left them. "He gets hungry playing for everyone, and I don't want him to lose his voice."
"Okay," Jack agreed, "But why would he lose his voice?"
"Because the last time he did, a long time before we were born, James shut himself away," Gabby explained.
Jack looked puzzled. "Like Elsa?"
"Sort of. Mommy says he was scared to sing, because he thought if he did, he'd lose his voice," Elena frowned.
"Not exactly," James said as he came up to them, since he decided to take a break, "I practiced a song so much, that when it was time to sing it for everyone, I couldn't, since I lost my voice. I was so upset about that, that I said I'd never sing with my door open again. It took a little while, but now I have my door open when I sing."
"And we're so happy you do that, James," Nell smiled. "But at least you know not to overdo it now, and you know enough to take a break when you need to."
"Yeah!" Elena agreed as she handed James a cookie.
"It's so sweet of you to think of James' well-being, Elena," Sabrina smiled.
"Elena's the best sharer I know!" Jack giggled. "She's so good at it!"
"Thank you, Jack," Elena smiled.
When James had finished his snack, he motioned for Jack, Elena, and Gabby to follow him. "You play kitty song now?" Elena asked.
"Kitty song?" Jack repeated, looking confused.
"A few of the songs I know mention kitties, so Elena got used to calling them kitty songs, even though I don't just play those," James explained. He smirked as he got a song out and set the music up. "Like this one. It's not a kitty-kitty song, but it's still a fun song to play. And I think we could use some more fun at this tea party, don't you think?"
"Okay!" Elena giggled. "What fun kitty song you play?"
"Oh, just something I heard your daddy sing once, and he even found me the sheet music for it!" James grinned as he started playing.
You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain
Too much love drives a man insane
You broke my will but what a thrill
"Everybody join me on this part!" James called.
Since the girls knew this song from having heard Bobby Lee sing it, Elena and Gabby shouted with him, Goodness gracious, great balls of fire
"It may not be a kitty-kitty song but Elena still likes it!" Gabby giggled.
"I like it too!" Jack shrieked.
James grinned as he continued, I laughed at love 'cause I thought it was funny
You came along and you moved me, honey
I've changed my mind, this love is fine
The kids shouted with him, Goodness gracious, great balls of fire
"Isn't it sweet how Elena and Jack are getting along, Helen?" Caroline asked as she held Ricky in her arms.
Nell couldn't speak, since she was in shock at the wild lyrics James, the girls, and Jack were singing. But she did try to nod and smile.
At the same time, James grinned as he sang, Kiss me, baby
Mmmh, feels good
Hold me, baby
Well, I'm off to love you like a lover should
Oh, you're fine, so kind
Got to tell this world that you're mine, mine, mine, mine
I chew my nails and I twiddle my thumbs
I'm real nervous, but it sure is fun
Come on, baby, you're driving me crazy
The kids all shouted with him, Goodness gracious, great balls of fire
"Well...that song certainly is...interesting..." Bianca agreed.
"Oh, they're perfectly fine," Annabelle chuckled. "Alexander's a talented piano player like Prince James is, and he sometimes sneaks rock-and-roll songs into my own gatherings with friends too!"
"I remember..." Nell smiled a little. However, as she watched Madeline and Sabrina go over to the piano, she was thinking, 'I'll wait until he's alone, then I'm going to get James for this!'
"Oh, yes," Bianca recalled, "He did like those crazier songs, but he always played your favorite songs first, just like Prince James did earlier."
"Despite how wild it is, Richard seems to like it too," Margaret smiled.
"No. He just likes hearing his sisters sing," Nell smirked.
"This is fun! Let's get Mommy to sing with us too!" Elena suggested.
James shook his head. "I don't think so, Elena. Your mommy looks pretty mad at me for teaching you this song."
"Oh, come on, James, you know it's all in fun!" they heard Bobby Lee's voice at the door. "Hello, ladies!" he added, turning and smiling at the group.
"Yes, hello, Robert," Nell tried to look angry, but she was fighting a smile that was twitching on her lips. "And you do know that I blame you for giving James that sheet music!"
"You love me!" Bobby Lee grinned as he pecked her on the cheek, took a few cookies, then joined the group at the piano.
He took the next part of the verse, Well, kiss me, baby
Mmmh, it feels good
Hold me, baby
Well, I'm off to love you like a lover should
"Daddy! You're here!" Elena cheered.
"And Mommy's mad at you!" Gabby giggled.
"It's James she should be mad at, Gab-Gab. Not me," Bobby Lee smirked.
"Why?" Elena asked.
"Because he's the one playing it," Bobby Lee smirked. "My mommy tried to teach me how to play the piano, but I wasn't interested in it. But that never stopped me from listening to her play. And I admit, I did learn a little when I was older, but I'm nowhere near as good as James."
He finished the next part of the verse, You're fine, so kind
Got to tell this world that you're mine, mine, mine, mine
"You also don't have James' ear for music," Nell smirked, explaining to her friends and Jack that James could play any instrument part on the piano.
At the same time, James was finishing the song, I chew my nails and I twiddle my thumbs
Real nervous, but it sure is fun
Come on, baby
You're driving me crazy
"Everybody!" he called out.
Elena, Gabby, Jack, Madeline, Sabrina, James, and Bobby Lee all shouted together, Goodness gracious, great balls of fire
"We love James' musical ears!" Gabby giggled.
"I love how he know kitty songs!" Elena shrieked.
"Ricky does too!" Jack grinned. "Auntie Caroline says he keeps squealing and moving his hands to the music!"
"Ricky doesn't have autism like Elena, but he likes doing what she does," Bobby Lee explained to him.
"So he's copying what she does because he looks up to her?"
Bobby Lee nodded. "Exactly."
"Ricky likes dancing and copying what I do for my bad leg!" Gabby giggled.
"I'm sorry I teased you about that, as Mommy used to say that your bad leg made you slow," Jack frowned. "Does it still hurt?"
"Not as much as it did before," Gabby smiled. "But Mommy and Daddy tell me to take my time and do things at my own pace."
"And she gets better all the time," Bobby Lee smiled.
"Yay!" Jack cheered.
""I'm happy you're a good boy now, Jack!" Elena grinned.
"We all are," Caroline agreed, hearing the conversation as she carried Ricky in her arms. "Did you enjoy the song?"
"We loved it!" Madeline grinned. "But Nell didn't."
"It's all right, it's just not what I was expecting," Nell tried to smile. She beckoned her sisters over, and whispered something to them, and they both nodded when they heard 'get James'.
"Not now, but later," Madeline whispered.
"That's right, Maddie," Nell whispered.
"What are you whispering about, Helen Genevieve?" Bianca asked.
"Oh, just a little secret between sisters," Nell smiled innocently, then she whispered, "Bri, Maddie, don't tell anybody!"
"Not even Elena and Gabby?" Sabrina asked.
"They already know about it, Bri," Nell smirked.
"Elena loves it when we get James," Madeline whispered. "Do you think Jack will love it too?"
Nell nodded as she took them back to the rest of the group. She tried to smile as she saw Elena and Jack dancing together, happy to see them get along with each other without teasing and hurt feelings.
"We'll ask if he wants to play that game later with us," she murmured. "He might not know what that means, but we'll let him join in."
"Mommy! You dance with us too?" Elena asked.
"Maybe later, Love Bug, but I'm planning a different game for us for after the tea party," Nell smirked.
"Can Jack play too?" Elena asked.
"If Caroline and Arthur don't have to be anywhere, I don't see why not," Nell smiled.
"Daddy and Auntie Caroline said they wanted to help Miss Bianca clean up after the party," Jack said.
"Yay! Jack's staying!" Elena giggled.
"You'll love playing 'Get James,' Jack," Gabby added. "It's mine and Elena's favorite game because sometimes our kitties get to join in the fun!"
"Really?" Jack grinned.
"Yes, but the only rule of 'Get James' is don't let James in on what we're doing," Nell added as she came up to them.
"You bring your kitty, Jack?" Elena asked.
"I wanted to, but Daddy and Auntie Caroline said no, since Annette might get lost here," Jack shook his head.
"That's a good idea," Nell agreed. "You can tell Annette about this when you get home and see if she wants to come and play with us next time."
"Okay!" Jack giggled.
"Do we get James now, Mommy?" Elena asked.
"Patience, Love Bug. He has to stop singing first," Nell smirked.
"Nell, do you think Miss Bianca and the other ladies want to join us too?" Sabrina wondered.
"No, we'll let them catch up with each other," Nell smiled. "It's not very often that they get together, but once they do, they want to hear about everything the others have been doing."
"And 'get James' is more of a young person's game," Bobby Lee added.
"I don't think you and Nell are young, Bobby Lee," Madeline smirked.
"Yeah! You're a mommy and a daddy!" Sabrina giggled.
"Butterfly, Baby Girl, you're only as young as you feel," Nell smirked.
"Should we get James now?" Jack asked.
"Let's let him take his bow, get a few snacks, then when he goes to his room, we'll follow him," Nell smirked. "When we play 'get James', we usually lull him into a false sense of security with some small talk, then we wait until he turns around to pick something up, then that's when we get him!"
"Okay!" Jack agreed.
He and Elena waited patiently for James to take a bow before they and everyone else followed him.
"Your voice okay, James?" Elena asked.
"We don't want it lost again," Jack murmured.
"It's fine," James assured them. "I didn't really do a whole lot of singing this time, but after the songs I did sing with, I took a break and got something to drink."
"What are you doing now?" Jack asked.
"I was thinking of doing a little writing," James said as he found a notebook. "I was working on a new story yesterday, and I had some ideas this morning, but I forgot to write them down."
"Can we help you?" Jack asked, the girls nodding around him.
"That would be great," James grinned. "In the immortal words of Mom, the more the merrier!"
"Auntie Caroline says that too!" Jack smiled.
"Great minds do think alike," James smirked.
"We get him now?" Elena whispered.
"Not until we get to his room," Madeline smirked.
Elena nodded, trying to be patient as she heard Ricky fuss and took him in her arms.
"It's okay, Ricky. You good baby. Is it getting too loud for you in here?" Elena asked.
"Maybe a little," Sabrina admitted. "Nell, can we take Ricky up to his room?"
"Sure," Nell smiled. "It's getting to be about time for his nap anyway. Why don't I put Ricky down, then I'll join you, Madeline, Elena, Jack, and Gabby when we play you-know-what."
"Okay, Mommy!" Gabby grinned.
"Have a nice nap-nap, Ricky. We see you later!" Elena smiled.
While Nell took Ricky up for his nap, everyone else had followed James to his room as Jack gasped, seeing his writing helpers scattered around the room.
"You have a dragon! Can I hold him? Please?" Jack asked.
"Sure, you can hold Sir Blaze-a-Lot," James smiled, handing the blue and gold-star plush dragon over. "Elena uses not just Kitty and Pinky, but my tiger Prince Blizzard, when she visits me; Ricky also likes holding or biting Cammo Kitty when he comes to visit; Elena and Gabby both like playing with my plush dog Little Rex, and I've got a jaquin from Avalor, too: Zebra."
"How do you know what your kitties are saying when you write?" Jack asked.
"I learned from one of my Creative Writing classes that plush animals are a really good source of information," James grinned. "My teachers told us that you just need to listen really carefully to what they're saying, and they'll give you brilliant ideas for whatever you're writing."
"Do you think that would work with Annette too?" Jack asked.
"Of course it would," James grinned. "Like I said, just listen really carefully to what she has to say, and she'll give you ideas for whatever you want to write about."
"Okay!" Jack grinned.
"Thank you for letting us be with you, James," Gabby smiled as she held Little Rex in her arms.
"No problem, Gabby. I always love it when I have all of you here to help me with ideas," James smiled back.
They watched as he wrote something down, then James turned toward Annette. "What do you think Andrew Harmon should do now? Should he check in with Julie Melody and Miss Lydia, should he meet up with Mister Hubert and Mister Edward and make a plan, or should he, Mister Lee, and Miss Genevieve go find the next part of the treasure map?"
They heard Bobby Lee's voice at the door. "Thanks for including us in your story, but I think we should let you take a quick break so we can play...what game, girls?"
"Get James!" Elena, Gabby, Madeline, and Sabrina giggled as they tackled James on the bed.
"I play too!" Jack giggled as he joined the girls on the bed.
"Hey! What did I do to deserve this?" James pouted as he started laughing under them.
"Nothing. We just decided that you needed a break after working so hard," Madeline smirked.
"And I take it this is for the one song we did?" James asked, trying to push Madeline away.
"That's right," Nell smirked. "But it's lucky for you that Bianca and her friends liked that song! And Annabelle told me that her husband did the same thing, sneaking rock-and-roll songs into the peaceful music of her tea parties!"
"Then why they not here helping us?" Elena frowned.
"Auntie Caroline likes her tea parties. She'll be with her friends for a long time," Jack smiled.
"It's not every day they get see each other. Besides, how would you and Gabby feel if you didn't get to see Sally and Susie at preschool every day?" Sabrina asked.
"We'd miss them, but we'd see them another day," Elena admitted.
"That's right," Nell smiled.
"Can we get back to playing now? Please?" Jack asked.
"No! Not again!" James yelled.
"You hear that everyone? James wants us to get him again," Bobby Lee smirked.
"If you say so, James!" Nell smirked as they pounced on him again.
"Curse my talent with words!" James started laughing under them again.
"No, it's a good thing, but we do like to twist your words sometimes!" Nell grinned.
"What can we say, James? We learned from the best!" Bobby Lee grinned.
"You the best, James!" Elena smiled.
"Thank you!" James smiled.