a houseful

It could have been a big mess. Thank God, for the extra paper plates. It was little overwhelming by the unexpected guests.

"I told her not too," Rosco's Dad shook his head.

"Its OK." Rosco didn't know what else to do, but grin. People were eating in the livingroom. "Gloria knows these people, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, most she help raise." His Dad shrugged.

"OK, great." He looked around wondering where Charlotte was mingling in the crowd. He just wished the turkey was bigger. They'd included Parker and Emily's Mom too. They were going to bring food if there was any to Bella and Fish. It was a bit of a mad house. Thankfully, his Mom had gone to Las Vegas to see her boyfriend.

Naturally, he went to shake hands with all sorts of people he never expected to meet. Some were dressed up, some looked a little down on their luck, but there was Charlotte, happy as could be asking questions, talking about the library.

At least, there would be no leftovers this year.

here we go again

"I thought they were going to attack me," Rachel was being her dramatic self while Gordy was with the girls, finishing up their brownies for the Thanksgiving feast that would begin tomorrow at his brothers' house.

"I see." Gordy just nodded as she ranted on. She'd had a terrible time at Bella's.

"You know, this was for Bella, not you." He finally went on to say.

"What are you saying?" She stomped around. She couldn't get undressed fast enough to get in her flannels and comfy house-shoes.

"That you need to calm down." He shrugged. "Look, you'd been mad if you hadn't been included."

She swelled a frown as if he was suppose to be on her side and not there's.

"Is that all you can say?"

"Well, are you going to behave yourself tomorrow?" He smiled. "Part of me wonders what you could do with a sword half the time, but I think you get so uptight, you miss the point, entirely. You have to think positive. I don't think Whitney nor Charlotte are out get you. They are trying their best. I'm trying my best. You just need to chill."

She gritted then as if she didn't want to hear it.

He went back to get the girls' hands cleaned up. Naturally, Lucy got in the chocolate. Jane gave him a look that she was glad it was Lucy and not her.

"I told her not too." Jane informed him.

"Yes, I'm sure you did." Gordy wiped Lucy's hands and face. He could see Jane could be a little overbearing. Sometimes, he wondered if Lucy had a chance in this family. "You aren't trying to get her in trouble, now are you?"

Now Jane gave him an angry look and stomped off. He watched her, thinking Jane might be more like Rachel than Bella, but then again, maybe Bella and Rachel were much more alike than they even knew.

Crap, he thought, he had fallen in love with the same type of woman all over again, and he'd promised himself again and again, he'd never fall into anything like he did with Bella. Well, it was too late now.

He got them ready for bed and went to make Rachel some Sleepy-time tea.

"I think you're working just a little to hard, lately." He'd try to get back in there and fix this with Rachel. As usual, everything evolved, but still it didn't stop them from colliding into each other.

in the mood

"Wow, this is exciting." Charlotte walked the corridors of the hospital with Whitney. She'd decided to come. She couldn't remember the last time she actually went to the hospital. Part of it felt like the mall and then there were patients. She was giddy and practically dizzy. "This is where you'll have your baby?"

"Yeah," Whitney smiled. "Archie works here, you know. I'm glad I came so I could get an unofficial visit at the way things work. I'm glad Kal's with Gib."

"How do you think Gib will feel about the baby?" Charlotte asked.

"He's so little he'll always think his sister was with him, I guess. That's the way it was with my sister. For awhile, anyway." Whitney shrugged.

"Oh. How is your sister?"

"Fine, I suppose."

Charlotte could see she'd hit a nerve. She really hadn't meant too. She looped her arm around Whitney's and grinned.

"I never had a sister." She told her.

"Well, then I guess you'll have to settle for me," Whitney told her. "Of course, I might not fuss enough to be an official one."

"Don't worry, I have Rachel to fuss with all the time."

They both laughed then.

"We should get together, you know." Whitney shrugged. "But I know, Rachel is on the outs with Serena, still. And she doesn't like Bella at all, especially not Emily."

"We'll see them at Thanksgiving." Charlotte looked at Whitney.

"Yes, of course, sometimes, though, I think we need a rehearsal of some kind, so we'll be on our best behavior." Whitney sighed.

"What do you have in mind?"

"Cheese." Whitney smiled.

"Cheese?" Charlotte almost cracked up.

"Well, its a start. We could have a little welcome home baby and me party for Bella." Whitney nodded.

"You'd do that?"

"Perhaps its just the holiday spirit wooing me," Whitney nodded. "Really, I want us to get along. I'm tired of all the hatefulness."

"All right, I'm in. Just tell me what you need." Charlotte smile, hugging her arm more. It was time to see Sophie.

about time

"I wish we hadn't bickered," Fish said to anyone who'd listen. He just knew it. There would be complications. "How could I have been, like that?"

Whitney could see he was tired. It helped that Archie showed up. At least he had Archie to hug on instead of her.

"You just need to focus on right now, OK." Archie informed him. "Now come on, she's having contractions. You get in there and cheer her on."

Fish cringed.

"You should be happy," Natalie smiled. "No, major surgey. Its the good old fashioned way."

"I know." He sighed. "She's gonna make me suffer, you know. I know, I'm being a whimp about this."

"Get back in there." Archie looked at him wide eyed.

"All right." Fish nodded like he was gonna do it. Whitney smiled knowing all he wanted, really, was a pep talk.

"You're gonna miss it." Archie was getting him hyped. Whitney almost laughed watching Fish act like he was going in for the last couple of yards for the game. Finally, he went back to Bella.

"Does it always make everyone this crazy?" Whitney looked at Archie in the hallway.

"How should I know," Archie laughed. "I'd probably be just as weird."

Whitney hugged herself wondering what was to come with Kal.

Naturally, a short while later everything unfolded in maybe 20 minutes. The baby was here. Tiny and screeching. Bella in a sweat. Fish all teary eyed and smiling. Whitney supposed, Thanksgiving had already began. And it didn't have anything to do with turkey nor pie. Just happiness.

one of those days

"But I wanted to see New Moon today." Bella was put out with everything. Including Fish.

"No, you don't. You'll complain about the whole thing. You'll tell me its boring. You thought Edward wore too much make up, last time. Its a very long movie. And you have an appointment today to have the baby." He informed her as he had everything packed. All she needed was her coat and away they'd go.

She just huffed instead.

"Come on. You know, you wanna." He helped her with her coat. It was gonna be a slow go.

"I hope nothing happens to me." She looked at him.

"Now, you're worried about that?" He stood there looking at her puzzled as if he hadn't a clue what she might say next.

"Of course, I am." She winced as if he had no idea the trouble she'd gone to during all this. "I always hate this part."

"Do you?" He looked at her as if he didn't quite believe her. "I'm not even gonna ask what that's about." He was beat. They went to the car.

"Don't tell me you're gonna want one of those Twilight names?" He sighed thinking they'd settled on Sofia.

"Well, it did open on the 20th." She told him.

"So." He winced.

"Well, there might be some sort of significance." She shrugged.

"Like our kid is gonna turn into a vampire?" He started up the car. "That's just creepy."

It wasn't long until Bella started contractions. Fish tried to smile hard, hoping her water didn't break before they got there.