Part 2:
A little while later there's a knock on the door and Abby lets Max in. "All right, young lady, let's see what's so important you had to get sick during dinner," he says to Elizabeth.
"Hey I'm just relieved it didn't happen Friday and ruin my whole weekend." Elizabeth says.
"Well, it'll probably ruin your whole week," Max says. "Stick out your tongue."
"Only school." She sticks out her tongue.
"Well, my son was asking how you are and whether you were busy Wednesday night."
"Really?"
Max looks into Elizabeth's throat. "I'll tell him you're on a hot date with your bed."
She frowns.
"Max how is she?"
"I'm going to do a throat culture, I'll know the answer tomorrow. When's the last time you took her temperature?"
"Right before I called you. What do you suspect?" Tom worries.
"It might be strep throat," Max says, and sticks a thermometer in Elizabeth's mouth.
~If they stick that thing in me again I'm going to bite it.~ Elizabeth waits impatiently for them to take out the thermometer.
"Again? She had it three times last winter," Tom remembers.
"101.5; it's going down, at least. You gave her aspirin?" Max assumes. "And yes. It's winter again, so it's strep season again. I have to pay tuition bills somehow, right?"
Tom sighs in relief and kisses Liz on the forehead. "Yes I gave her some Bayer." And laughs at Max's joke.
"Well, keep it up--and lots of fluids. I'll call you when I get the culture run."
"Thanks Greg." He sees him out and then returns to Abby and Elizabeth.
The rest of the resident Bradfords walk in the door, still celebrating.
"Hey Dad we won." Nancy brags.
"I know dear."
Abby gives her husband a poke in the ribs. "Let her tell you the details. After all, if she weren't so good at kissing..."
"Hey anything for my family." Nancy jokes as she tells Tom all the details.
"So are you and Brad going out this weekend?" Tom asks.
"Yep, how's Lizzie?"
"It might be strep again."
"Again? Sheesh she's a magnet for it." She goes to talk to her.
"Hey Dad it was really a great game." David says.
"Especially since you weren't playing," Joannie adds.
Tom frowns. "I had to take care of your sister otherwise I would have played and we still would have won."
"You would have been a real asset, hobbling down the field with the ball tucked under one arm, a crutch under the other," Abby says.
"What is this, pick on Tom night?"
"Nah," Abby reassures him. "That was a few weeks ago.'
"Oh, yeah," Joannie says. "I remember that. It was fun."
"I'm going to go check on my daughter, the one who doesn't pick on me." He pouts.
"Dad Elizabeth picks on you all the time." David says.
"Maybe he's got a secret kid hidden in the attic," Abby says.
"Cute real cute." Tom says.
"I thought so," Abby answers. "Go on, check on Elizabeth."
Tom grumbles and goes to check on Elizabeth.
Meanwhile in the den.
"Still not talking to me?" Nancy asks.
Elizabeth smiles. "Don't be silly. Of course I didn't mean that earlier."
Nancy smiles back. "I'll give you the peace offering anyway." She hands her a bag of lollipops. "For your throat."
"Thanks Nancy."
"No problem sis."
They watch tv together.
Later that night while the kids are sleeping. Abby is checking on Elizabeth one last time for the night while Tom is making plans to spend some quality time with her.
"Now David remember stay at your place tonight, please."
"Don't worry Dad I will. Have fun." They both hang up and Abby enters her and Tom's bedroom.
Abby yawns as she begins getting ready for bed. "What a long day."
"And we finally have some time alone."
Abby yawns again. "Which I'm going to use to get some sleep. I don't know why I've been so tired all this week; at least today I have the excuse of the football game."
"Oh, you're right in fact I think I'm tired too." Tom pretends to yawn. "Very tiring day."
"Siting on the sidelines can do that to you," Abby says as she gets into bed.
"That it can." He climbs into bed, kisses her goodnight, and pretends to go to sleep.
Abby turns away from him, fluffs her pillow, and tries to go to sleep. After a few minutes: "Will you stop that?"
"Stop what?"
"That," Abby says. "That pretending to sleep but really watching your wife thing."
"How did you know that I was watching you?"
"I've been your wife almost two whole months. You're very predictable."
"Ok I'll go to sleep, and I'm not predictable."
"Goodnight--and yes, you are."
"Am not." Tom says as he falls asleep.
Abby shakes her head and also goes to sleep.
While meanwhile, after checking on her sister, Nancy very quietly makes her way downstairs and quietly opens the front door. She then runs to where Brad is waiting next to his car.
"I thought you'd never come out." He says as he kisses her.
She kisses him back. "Have faith will ya, so did you get the hotel room?"
He shows her the key, she grins, and then they both get in his car and drive away.
In the hotel room:
"Are you sure they won't wake up?"
"Very, are you sure you want to do this?"
"Isn't that usually the guys line?"
She laughs and pulls him into bed with her. Fade out.
Joannie decides to have a late-night conference with her sister and knocks on Elizabeth and Nancy's door. "Nancy! Hey, Nancy, you awake?"
Elizabeth is woken by Joannie. "Joannie I was sleeping what do you want?"
Joannie goes over to Nancy's bed to wake her. "Come on, Nance, conferen--Elizabeth, these are pillows. Where's Nancy?"
"I don't know." She tries to go back to sleep.
"What do you mean, you don't know? Just because you're sick doesn't mean you shouldn't know."
"She was here before I fell asleep. Maybe she's downstairs."
"Then why'd she stuff pillows in her bed?"
"She what?" Elizabeth chuckles. "She must know that never works."
Joannie sighs. "I'll check the bathroom, Mary's room, and the kitchen, but if she's not there, I'm getting Dad and Abby."
"Ok." Elizabeth falls back to sleep.
There's a knock on Tom and Abby's bedroom door. "Dad! Abby! Nancy's missing!" Joannie screams out.
Tom out of bed and answers the door. "What do you mean missing?!"
"She stuffed pillows in her bed," Joannie explains. "She isn't in any of our rooms or downstairs."
Tom also checks and notices that the cars are still there. He returns inside. "Wait a minute Nancy would have taken one of the cars."
"Well, if she isn't here and didn't leave, where is she?" Abby asks.
Elizabeth have been woken from Joannie's shouting comes downstairs and sits on the bottom steps.
"If she were taken we would have heard a struggle." She says.
"She wasn't taken and you get back to bed." Tom worries and starts pacing.
"As long as she's awake, maybe we ought to try to get some more tea and soup into her," Joannie says, "while we're waiting to hear what happened to Nancy."
They go into the kitchen and get the tea and soup started.
"I wonder if Brad knows anything?" Elizabeth finally says.
"I thought the bet was for a date on Friday night," Abby says.
Tom calls Greg.
"Greg is Brad home right now?"
"Tom, it's after midnight," Greg says, half asleep. "Of course he's home."
"Can you check please? Nancy's missing."
Greg grumbles and puts down the phone. "Brad's not here," he says when he gets back. "But his pillows sure are."
"I see. Thanks Greg if they show up here I'll send Brad home." Tom tells him.
"He might be safer if you don't."
Three hours later. Nancy kisses Brad goodnight and quietly opens the front door and closes it. She then heads for the staircase, only to find Tom and Abby sitting on the landing.
"Where the hell have you been?" Tom keeps his voice low so he doesn't wake Elizabeth.
"I thought you two were asleep." She tries to change the subject.
"We were, until you turned up missing," Abby yawns.
"Do you have any idea what you put us through tonight?"
"Dad."
"No don't even, every time you and Brad get together something like this happens. Young lady you are grounded."
"Dad I'm eighteen."
"Yeah well you acted fifteen tonight. Go to bed."
"Would it help if I said I'm very very sorry."
"Nancy." He growls. "Now, we'll talk about this in the morning."
He makes room for her so she can go upstairs where she finds Joannie waiting for her.
"Is this something you have to do on a regular basis, waiting up for a kid who snuck out?" Abby asks.
"Not too often, but too much. With the way the world is today it's very scary."
"You know, the girls aren't entirely helpless."
"They're not invincible either."
"Even you're not," Abby says.
"I know that but I'm not the one sneaking out in the middle of the night scaring his family."
"We could arrange that," Abby teases.
Tom relaxes, laughs, and kisses her.
"Come on, it's late. Let's go to sleep."
"You got it." They head upstairs.
Upstairs, Joannie grabs Nancy and drags her into the bathroom so they can talk. "What do you think you were doing?"
"Meeting Brad, we thought it would be fun to meet in the middle of the night. If I had known anyone was going to wake up I would have left either you or one of our sisters a note."
"Yeah, well now thanks to you we'll probably all be grounded till Christmas."
"Why would he ground you guys. I'm the one who snuck out."
"Because Dad's a dictator and you scared him. You know how he gets when he's scared."
"I'm sorry I didn't think anyone was going to find out. I thought they were asleep for the night. How was I to know they'd check our room again."
"They didn't," Joannie tells her. "I did."
"Why did you rat on me?"
"Why'd you do something stupid like stuff pillows in your bed?"
"I couldn't think of anything else. Why can't you just answer the question?"
"Because I didn't know where you were," Joannie said. "You got me scared, too."
"Oh," there's a short silence. "I'm sorry."
"I mean, it isn't like you've led the most calm life these last few months," Joannie continues to explain.
"I am such an idiot. I should have realized with all that has happened that sneaking out was a very bad move."
"Yes, you should have. Particularly when I'd be looking for you for a little gossip."
"Gossip?"
"Did you notice how early Abby went to bed tonight?" Joannie says.
"Yeah mom used to go to bed early when she was pregnant with Tommy and Nicholas."
"And she didn't eat much at dinner, even though the Maxwells were buying. I think we're in trouble."
Nancy groans at the prospect.
"Hope you like Susan as a roommate..."
"It might be a boy."
"In this family? Ha. It'll be a girl," Joannie insists.
"I can't believe this. They should have been more careful."
"Remember the party line, Nancy--all the Bradford children were planned. I mean, why wouldn't she? She's still young enough to want kids of her own, no matter how many Dad already has."
"Yeah but we already have a house full this is nuts."
"They're going to do what they want to no matter what we say--I mean, they already have, I guess."
"Yeah, and after tonight. I don't want to deny anyone that experience." Nancy says clearly not thinking, too tired to think.
"Well? Aren't you going to elaborate?"
Nancy just smiles. "Let's just say that Brad is a very good boy."
"Let's just hope you were more careful than Abby..."
"Of course I was."
"More careful than I was about I was about what?" Abby asks from the doorway. "I'm not snooping or anything; I was just headed downstairs to get something to drink and heard you talking."
"Er nothing."
"If it was nothing, then how could you have been more careful about it than I was?" Abby asks, puzzled.
"Can we talk about this later?" She tries to buy time.
"Sure," Abby yawns. "I'm too tired to talk about it now anyway. But we will talk about this in the morning."
"Ok." Nancy says dreading it. After Abby leaves. "Great now I'm in trouble with both of them."
"Nah," Joannie says, "I'll cover for you with Abby. But Dad--you pull a stupid trick like that, you're on your own, young lady."
"Thanks Joannie." She hugs her.
"But next time you sneak out and don't let someone know, you'll be in trouble with me. Now go to bed; you need the sleep."
"I'll let you know I promise. Goodnight." She goes to her room and goes to sleep.
The next morning she wakes before the others. Showers and gets dressed and then heads downstairs to grab a cup of coffee hoping to get out of there before Tom wakes up.
"Never thought I'd be in this big of a hurry to get to school." She says to the empty kitchen.
Abby walks in, yawning, with an open textbook in her hands, and blindly makes her way over to the coffee pot.
"Good morning, and later I have to get to school." Nancy tells her and heads out the door.
Tom walks in "School can wait. You're not going anywhere til we talk."
"Dad major test, later." Nancy leaves.
Abby pours Tom a cup of coffee. "You buy that, or is she just trying to worm her way out of explaining herself?"
"She's trying to get out of explaining herself which means she doesn't have a good explanation."
"Well, I suppose I could always find out from Joannie," Abby says, and start to prepare breakfast.
"How would Joannie know?"
Abby brings one plate of food to the table and puts it in front of Tom, then sits down next to him with her coffee. "Well, they were talking about it last night, after we'd gone to sleep."
"What exactly were they saying?"
"The little bit I caught didn't make much sense," Abby tells him. "I was supposed to get an explanation from Nancy today, but you saw how willing she was to explain anything."
"Yes I did and I don't even want to think about what went on between her and Brad last night."
"If you hadn't let them make out in the middle of the game, they might not have wanted to rush off together at night."
"I didn't think it was going to lead to that. Anyway I'll deal with Nancy later I think I'll call Greg and see if the results of Elizabeth's throat culture are in." Tom says very angry with his second to youngest daughter.
"Good idea. And while you have him on the phone, tell him that when he loses next year he should take us to dinner somewhere where the food doesn't make people sick."
"Abby, Elizabeth got sick before the food."
"Actually, I was talking about myself. I may never eat pizza again."
Tom feels her forehead. "No fe, how are you feeling?" He asks.
"I'm fine. I said it was just the food," Abby insists. "Go call Max and find out how Elizabeth is."
"Ok," he goes to call Greg. "So old friend what's the verdict?"
"Tom," Greg grumbles, "have you ever heard the term 'office hours'?"
"Sorry when will the results be in?"
"I'll ask them to rush it. About 9, 9:30, OK? How's she doing this morning?" Greg asks.
"Yeah that's fine, thanks Max. She's doing about the same except her temperature has gone down to 100."
"Well, keep up the liquids and the aspirin. And call me back later--at a civilized hour, all right?"
"Will do." They soon hang up.
Nancy is half way to school when she realises that she's forgotten her
books. ~Oh great.~ She heads home and tries to get her books before
running into anyone.
"Nancy in my study now. Your test can wait your first class doesn't start til 9am."
"But."
"Now!!"
She goes into the study with him.
"Now I want an explanation for last night and it better be good."
"Dad I'm 18 now why can't I come and go as I please."
"Because you didn't leave a note!! You just left we didn't know where you were for all I knew some lunatic could've taken you. Do you have the slightest idea what you put us through last night!!"
"Dad I'm sorry your right I should have left a note. Can I go now?"
"No you can't!! You are grounded for a week and you are not to see Brad again!!"
"You can't stop me from seeing him."
"Oh yes I can I won't have my daughter acting like a floozy!!"
"A floozy? Oh I see what's ok for David isn't ok for your daughters. I am not a floozy you're just too old fashioned."
"And you're grounded for a week." He counters.
"You can't do that I'm an adult now."
"Then act like it."
She glares at him, grabs her books, and then heads for school.
Abby, having heard the fight, sneaks out of the house, not wanting to have to deal with Tom on a rampage. Outside, though, she corners Nancy before she can head off. "Want a lift to school?" she asks.
"Uh uh, oh heck I might as well get it over with."
"So you want to tell me what you meant last night?" Abby asks.
"When you were away. I needed an aspirin and I couldn't find any in our bathroom and when I went to check the medicine cabinet in you and Dad's bathroom I noticed that you left something behind. And I've been kind of worried about it."
"No wonder you thought I was singling you out when I complained about people in my room," Abby says, avoiding the main topic.
"Well yeah."
"And it was only the bathroom you were in?" Abby asks. "Because afterwards I went looking for some things in your father's nightstand and they were all out of place. I suppose he could have moved them, but when, right?"
"Well when it got trashed the first time I must have put that stuff back in the wrong place." Nancy lies not wanting Abby to find out that Joannie's involved also.
"OK," Abby says, not entirely convinced. "First it's Joannie snooping, now you're rearranging... Look, given what you were putting away, is there anything you think you need to talk about?"
"I'm not sure I want to know. Look it's not like I'm curious and tried any of that stuff with Brad last night or anything and for the record we did have protection."
"Hey, I didn't say anything about last night, except that you got everyone worried by sneaking out. If you'd wanted to go somewhere with Brad, you could have done it at a reasonable hour. You're not exactly Romeo and Juliet, you know," Abby defends the family.
"Good, Romeo and Juliet died way too young." Nancy says. "And you're right that was pretty stupid last night and I'm sorry."
"Just don't do it again, OK? No matter for how long your father's grounded you."
"Ok."
Abby pulls up in front of the college. "Look, Nancy, you have any questions about me, or concerns, talk to me about them and not Joannie, OK?"
"Ok, that thing you forgot when you and Dad were away. Well I was wondering is everything all right? Did you two have a back up plan?"
Abby's about to tell Nancy to mind her own business when she remembers that she just all but asked for the question. "I wouldn't worry about it if I were you," she assures Nancy.
"Ok, thanks for the ride Abby." She gets out of the car.
"No problem. See you tonight."
"See ya." She goes inside. A couple of hours later Joannie and Susan show up and meet her in the cafeteria.
"You still in one piece?" Joannie asks. "Word has it Dad caught you this morning."
"Yeah I'm still in one piece. And Abby gave me a ride to school."
"And? You sound like you're hinting at something, sister. Out with it."
"She knows I found out that she left those things behind, but she doesn't know who else found them. She thinks only I found them and she said not to worry."
"Whew. So I guess it was just a change of methods," Joannie says before she remembers that Susan can overhear them.
"Joannie."
"Oops."
Nancy waits for an indication that Susan heard her.
"Who's changing methods?" asks Susan.
"Um...Oh, look, that's the guy who's casting a play. I should go talk to him," Joannie says, standing.
"Joannie, who's changing method?" Susan asks again
"I don't know." Nancy says.
"Gee, a person can't even get a straight answer around here." Susan says getting annoyed at her sisters.
Brad comes over.
"Well hello there trouble." Nancy teases.
"You did it. You finally remembered my real name." He teases back.
Joannie sees the look on her roommate's face and decides coughing up information is the safest path. "Look, if we tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone else."
"I promise" Susan says
"On all of your sporting equipment?" Nancy asks.
"Yes" Susan says "I promise on all of my sporting equipment. Now spill it you two."
"Well, I guess it doesn't matter. She said not to worry about it. See, we thought Dad and Abby might have had, well, a little accident."
"She forgot to take her pills with her on the honeymoon."
"No way" replies Susan. "How could she be so careless?"
Nancy shrugs. "She did say not to worried, that she had it covered."
"How can we not worry. The house is busting at the seams already," Susan says.
Mary sees her sisters and joins them "Hey what's up?"
Nancy smiles. "Hi Mary, come one over, sit down."
"Nancy and Joannie just told me that Abby forgot her birth control pills while she was gone on her honeymoon," Susan says.
"What?" Mary says in disbelief.
"Susan, you promised."
"Oops" Susan says.
"It's cool. Mary you won't tell anyone right?"
"Who would I tell; practically everyone I know is sitting here," Mary laughs.
Nancy laughs also and rubs her throat.
"You OK?" Mary asks Nancy.
"Yeah my throat is just a little scratchy."
"Maybe they had other means of protection."
"That's possible or maybe Abby forgot them on purpose," replies Susan.
"Abby wouldn't do that." Nancy says.
"Susan, I hardly think she would do that." Mary says.
"How can you be so sure?" asks Susan. "Maybe she wants a baby."
"I doubt that, especially with the mob she married into," Mary tries to reason.
"But wouldn't she discuss it with Dad first?"
"Good point." replies Susan "I doubt dad would go for the idea."
"I don't think he would either."
"Well regardless, if they do decide to have a baby. I don't think they will ask our permission," Mary replies.
"Yeah I know."
"Well, she said not to worry," Joannie says, "so I won't. At least not too much."
"I guess we'll just have to wait and see," Susan says.
"I better get back to class, see you guys later," Mary says.
"Bye." Nancy says.