The day after Christmas Nancy and Joannie decide to go out to breakfast and discuss their plot to get their Dad and Abby the house to themselves on New Years Eve. As soon as they come up with something they're to report to Mary and Susan.

"I think I have something." Nancy begins. "Dad, it must be hard for you I mean being a family man you seem to have a hard time being alone. You're so used to having your children home every night you probably wouldn't know what to do with yourself if you were alone with your wife for one night."

"Close, but not subtle enough," Joannie says. "After all, everyone knows exactly what he'd do if he got a night alone with Abby, and anyway, it's not that long since their honeymoon. Maybe we never let the two of them have a second alone so they plan to get rid of us--a double plot."

"Yeah that sounds better, I just hope we don't drive them crazy in the process."

"Why? Driving parents crazy is our job."

"I thought driving our brothers crazy was our job."

"Yeah, I guess it is. Well, we can consider Dad and Abby volunteer work, then."

"Ok," their food comes.

"Think Dad will make it to New Year's Eve in one piece?" Joannie asks as they eat.

"I sure hope so. He is our only Dad."

"But he hasn't been acting very dad-like these last few months," Joannie complains. "Sometimes I think if we can get him angry enough, he'll go back to normal."

"That'll be a welcomed change. I miss Dad."

Joannie leans in close to Nancy. "I thought I was the only one," she admits.

"Nope I miss him too, and I'm sure our brothers and sisters do also."

"Maybe instead of encouraging him, we ought to be plotting how to tone him down."

"Are you kidding? Abby would never forgive us and she does the silent treatment real well."

"You got that right," Joannie agrees. "Maybe we should hold off Dad's rehabilitation until the summer. That way we can make good use of Abby's cold shoulder treatment."

Nancy laughs. "Good one Joannie."

After breakfast they head home and get their sisters together and then they go to Joannie and Susan's room, where Nancy reveals their plan.

Meanwhile, upstairs Tom and Abby are getting ready for the day. "I might be a little late getting home today," Abby says. "Got a new student."

"Do you want me to save you some dinner? And serve it with a smile."

"I hope I won't be that late," Abby answers. "But I'll take that smile whenever you offer it."

He grins and kisses her.

Just then the kids' meeting breaks up. "Their door is closed," Joannie notes. "Can't have that," she says, and goes to knock.

"What?!"

"Can I come in?" Joannie asks.

"Sure," he opens the door. "What do you need honey?"

"Morning, Dad," Joannie says and pushes into the room. "Abby, could I borrow your blue sweater?"

"Sure. I'll get go it." She goes into the closet and comes back with the sweater. "It doesn't really match what you're wearing, though."

"That's OK. I'm changing."

Nancy walks in. "Hey Dad can I borrow the station wagon?"

"Sure, where are you going?"

"Crazy. Want to come?"

"Maybe some other time honey."

Abby sees another kid approaching the doorway. "I think I'll just get going now," she says, giving Tom a quick kiss. "I'll see you whenever I get home."

"See ya then." Tom smiles at her.

"Dad can I borrow five bucks?" Susan asks, entering the room.

"Sure honey." He gives his daughter the money. "What's it for?"

"Um" Susan says "I borrowed some money from a friend of mine at school and I need to pay her back and I'm a little short on cash."

~Hmm I wonder what it's really for.~ "Ok."

"Thanks, Dad."

"You're welcome honey."

Abby calls Tom at work. "Looks like I'm going to have to have you save me some dinner," she says. "This place is chaos--I don't remember such an uncongenial place for studying since I walked into your house."

"Oh no, Abby, I'm sorry." Tom says. "Do you want me to bring dinner to you?"

"Thanks, but no. When I leave here I have to go shopping, then I have to hit the library. Who knows when I'll be getting home. I'll just pick something up somewhere."

"Ok, I'll wait up for you."

"Don't. I'll be really late. I'll wake you if you want."

"Yes I'd like that very much."

"If I'm not too tired I'll try," Abby promises.

"Ok, hey Abby I have to go. Elliot is holding a meeting in a few minutes, I love you."

"That's all right. I have to get back to plane geometry. You remember, that subject some fathers kept avoiding."

"Yes I remember."

"I'll see you tonight and then you can tell me what else you remember."

"You got it." They both hang up.

Around twelve thirty the next morning Abby finally gets home, unloads the groceries, and goes down to the basement to do some laundry.

"Hey Abby can I talk to you. It's very important." Nancy says.

"If you don't mind if I iron while you do. What are you doing up at this time of night, anyway?"

"A lot of us went out for coffee after the meeting tonight. There's a guy that goes there who is very cute, but I've sworn off men for awhile. However, this guy, anyway they say it's not a good idea to date someone in the same group. What do you think?"

"Going out with someone from the same group isn't the problem. It's breaking up that is."

"Don't I know it. I've had enough breakups to last a life time."

"Breaking up is part of dating, Nancy," Abby says. "Somehow I don't think you're ready just yet to settle down with one man for the rest of your life."

"You got that right, but I want to wait a while on my next broken heart. I think I'll just be friends with him. Hey do you need any help?"

"No, I'm just about done. Well, maybe you could convince your father he's starchy enough, he doesn't need any in his collars."

"Ok I'll go do that now."

"Nancy!" Abby looks at her watch. "It's" <yawn> "almost two thirty in the morning. It can wait."

"Oh you're right I'm sorry. I guess we both should be getting to sleep. Goodnight Abby and thank you." She goes upstairs to bed but not before high fiving Joannie.

Abby heads upstairs. She considers waking Tom but decides it's too late.

~Tomorrow it's Elizabeth and Tommy's turn.~ Nancy thinks before falling asleep.

In the morning Tommy knocks on his parents bedroom door.

~Oh no not today too.~ Tom puts his robe on and answers the door. "Hey Tommy what do you need?"

"Help; they sent us home for the holidays with homework."

Elizabeth comes in. "Yeah Dad what are we going to do? Isn't it illegal for them to assign homework over the Christmas Holiday?"

Tom tries to keep himself from laughing. "I have a great idea. Why don't you two get a petition together and after you get the signatures give it to your class presidents and they should be able to try to do something about it. In the meantime make sure that homework is done before you have to go back."

"But what about the help I need?" Tommy asks.

"Can you ask one of your sisters? I have to get to work and so does Abby."

"Since when does my sisters know geometry; No offence Liz." Tommy says.

"Nancy was always good at geometry." Elizabeth says.

"Maybe I'll give her a shot." Tommy says

"You'll give me a shot of what?" Nancy asks as she comes in.

"Helping me with geometry."

"Ok."

Meanwhile, Abby pulls Tom aside. "Why did you tell the kids I'm working? It's Christmas break--I don't go back until after New Year's."

"Because you have that new student to tutor. Remember you got home late last night."

"I was at the library last night. And I don't start working with the new student until next week; I just went to meet his father and the conversation went a little long."

"Oh ok, did you want to help Tommy with his homework?"

"If Nancy doesn't want to I will. I've done it before when someone else couldn't find the time."

"I'll help him Abby." Nancy says.

"Like you did when his leg was broken? Ha."

"Thanks a lot." Nancy says and leaves the room.

"Great. I should never talk before I've had coffee," Abby mutters. She goes after her step-daughter to apologize.

Nancy is downstairs making coffee.

"Ah, coffee. Perfect," Abby says. "It'll soothe my mouth after I extract my foot. Nancy, I'm sorry I snapped at you. I was upset with your father and you crossed my line of fire."

"It's ok Abby, and do you have any stamps I have to mail something."

"No, I don't. I just put things on your father's desk and the mail elves handle it," Abby jokes.

"Thanks Abby." Nancy laughs. "But if I don't mail them today they'll be late. So what do you want in your coffee?"

"Same as always. What are you mailing out? Unless it's a secret."

"A letter to Auntie V."

"Maybe you'd better mail it and not leave it for your father. He might hold it back for fear of chaos."

"Good idea." She finds a stamp in her room and then goes to mail it.

At that moment Tom enters the kitchen. "Is is just me or are the kids coming to us every five seconds?"

"It's just you," Abby assures him. "They're not coming more often than every ten seconds."

"They're driving me crazy."

"Didn't have far to go."

"Cute."

"Thank you. Maybe what we need is a plan."

"Now you're talking. We have to get some time alone."

"Midnight to three am?"

"Last night at midnight I was awoken by David. He called me and asked for advice on what he should he do with his life he kept me on the phone for almost an hour."

"And from about one Nancy was downstairs with me talking about boys. You have a better plan?"

"Yes; we must get rid of them."

"Isn't that illegal?"

"No it's perfectly legal and they might like the idea."

"Which is?"

"Nicholas can spend the night at a friends house and the other kids are very self sufficient."

"They won't go for it. They'll think you're up to something."

"Then we have to plan it very carefully."

"In the nine seconds they allow us between interruptions."

"Think they'll allow us that much time, you're very optimistic." He says.

"Forget about optimistic, I think I'm getting desperate."

"Yeah me too."

"Somehow we've got to make the kids think they're putting one over on us. Then they'll at least leave us alone long enough to plan how to do it."

"Yeah but how."

"You can't tell me this is the first time you've tried to trick them into doing what you want."

"No not the first time, but this will be complicated."

"With these kids it always is, isn't it?"

Tom nods in agreement.

"So what do we do first--try to come up with a plan, or plan to find time to come up with a plan?"

"I don't know did the chicken come before the egg?"

"In this family, definitely the egg. Scrambled."

Tom laughs. "Well none of them are here now. We can say things like they couldn't survive a whole night away from home."

"You don't think that's too obvious? Wait--you have any specific night in mind?"

"No I don't think that. New Years Eve."

"Maybe..."

"Maybe what?"

"What if we got them to sneak out? Find some reason to ground them all--well, except for Nicholas, him we send off to a friend, then tell the kids we're going out and will be back before midnight. They won't party at home because what's the point if it has to break up before midnight, right? I bet that within a half hour they've all snuck out."

"But what if they don't sneak out?"

"The kids--stay home on New Year's Eve? Besides, do you have a better plan?"

"Not really."

"Well, then..."

"I guess we just have to find reasons to ground six kids."

"From what I've heard, that shouldn't be a problem for you. Wait--why are we talking about the kids? We've just had three uninterrupted minutes and we wasted them."

"That's ok we'll have a whole night of interrupted time together."

"If the plan works."

"It will work."

"OK," Abby says, a little doubtfully.

"Abby you were the one who kept saying that we wouldn't be able to go on a honeymoon and we did that."

"That's true. We certainly did," Abby smiles.

He leans over to kiss her.

Abby returns the kiss. "Are we tempting fate?"

"Yes isn't it fun?"

"Let me show you what fun really is."

Tom just grins.

There's a knock on the door.

"Do you want to get that or should I?"

"Can we ignore it?"

"Sure can."

The knocking stops.

Currently at the park while they're walking Sam.

"Think we're getting to them yet?" Nancy asks her sisters.

"I think so. Dad's getting that nervous twitch in his eye."

Nancy smiles. "I knew it would work."

"But driving Dad crazy wasn't the whole point--we've got to keep up the pressure until he gives us all the night off."

"I know, I meant working so far."

"Now it's time for phase two--to drive them so crazy they give us what we want."

Elizabeth laughs.

Tom and Abby have gone upstairs and are about to enjoy their time without the kids when the girls return. Joannie and Nancy are staging an argument.

"You did too Joannie, you just can't admit it!!" Nancy says.

"Did not. You don't know what you're talking about!"

"You did too!! Why can't you just admit it!!"

Tom groans in the bedroom.

"At least they're not coming in here," Abby looks on the bright side.

"Dad!!" Nancy yells.

"I had to open my big mouth..."

"Not your fault dear." He kisses her and goes into the hallway. "What are you two shouting about!!"

"She started it," Joannie says.

"You started it." Nancy says.

"I don't care who started it. You two resolve it right now!!"

"But Dad!!!"

"Don't but me, just resolve it."

"No."

"What did you say young lady?"

"I said no we can fight if we want, right Joannie."

"That's right, Dad. It's in the Constitution."

"Ok, you two can fight all you want while you're grounded for a week." He returns to Abby.

"A week?" Nancy says stunned.

"Dad, you can't do that!" Joannie bangs on the bedroom door. "You can't ground us for New Years!"

"And what about my NA meetings?!"

"I'll drive you to meetings Nancy!! And watch me Joannie!!" Tom yells.

"That's not really fair to Abby, is it? I mean, what kind of a celebration can the two of you have, your first New Year's together, with two kids at home all night?" Joannie asks.

"Go to your rooms!!"

"I knew you're a rotten father, but I'd hoped you weren't also a rotten husband," Joannie says.

"I'll remember that little comment the next time you need to borrow some money."

"You don't need money when you're under house arrest."

"Yeah really." Nancy agrees.

After that Tom goes to work and Nancy helps Tommy with his homework.

"Nancy are you sure this right?" Tommy asks in frustration.

Nancy looks it over. "Well not quite you're still having trouble and that's my fault. I've been too boring with the lessons so far. Now let's say you had two dates lined up for the same evening. And they both live near an intersection. One on one side of the intersection and one on the other so you have to cross the intersection to get to each one. Nancy draws it up for him. Now notice that..." Nancy continues to explain it to him.

"I like it better when Abby used football." Tommy says.

Nancy tries to hide the hurt in her voice. "It probably would be better then if Abby helped you she's still home if you want to ask her." She glances at her watch. "Regardless I have to go and help start dinner. See ya Tommy." She leaves the room.

"Nancy.....Oh great." Tommy throws his books against the wall.

Nancy goes to start dinner.

"Careful you don't burn it." Elizabeth jokes.

"Can this family ever go a day without making me feel like an idiot?"

"But it's so much fun." Elizabeth continues to tease. "You're so easy."

"Ha ha."

The telephone rings. Nancy answers it. "Hello, no I'm not going tonight, because I don't feel like it. No I'm not down I'm fine. Yes I'll call you first before taking a drink or calling a drug dealer I'm not going to to do that anyway. See ya." She hangsup.

"Why aren't you going to the meeting?" Elizabeth asks.

"Why are you listening in on my phone conversation. I don't feel like going ok." Nancy says.

"You always do this."

"I always do what?"

"Instead of admitting it when you're upset you hold it inside until it grows worse and then something major happens causing you to leave the house and worry us. Nancy when are you going to grow up and stop being afraid of telling people when they tick you off."

"I'm not ticked at anyone and I'm not upset so why don't you just let me be." Nancy says. "We have other things to think about you know." She says referring to the plan to get Abby and Tom the house to themselves for one night.

Nancy continues to fix dinner while Elizabeth seeks Mary out and finds her in her bedroom.

"Hey Liz, what's going on?"

"Nancy's hiding her feelings again. I swear the slightest thing sets her off these days. If this is what being 18 is all about I think I'd like to skip that age. She's not even going to the meeting tonight."

"18 isn't easy. So just give her some slack. In the meantime I'll go talk to her. Where is she?"

"In the kitchen pretending she's fine so she doesn't upset the herd."

"Thanks." Mary says to Elizabeth and goes downstairs to talk to Nancy. "Hey Nance, you need a hand?"

"Yeah, can you make the salad?"

"I think I can handle that. Anything else?"

"I got it under control." She says.

~Let's be subtle here~ "I thought I would go to the library tonight to do some early reading for next semester. Can I give you a lift to your meeting?"

"I'm not going tonight." She tells her.

"Oh, Why not?"

"I don't feel like it. It's not something I have to do every night, right?"

"I guess not, how are you doing anyway?"

"Have you ever felt like you can't do anything right?"

"Sure we all do at one time or another. What's going on?"

She tells her about what happened with Tommy asking her not to mention anything to him and shows her a couple of letters she got that day.

"The first one is my grades which are very horrible. The second one is a rejection letter from a modeling company."

"Nancy, I am sorry. You are just going thru a rough patch right now. That's all."

"Yeah," Nancy says disbelieving.

"Don't you remember me a few months ago? When I thought my life was over 'cause I didn't get into a particular med. school?"

"Yeah I remember. Nothing we said could convince you otherwise."

"Look, I don't have any magic words that will help except to say Don't shut us out. If we don't know what's wrong we can't help."

"I'm not I told you what's wrong. Ok not all of it. I guess with Tommy today it kind of felt like I was getting rejected all over again and if I didn't get out of there I was going to start crying in front of him so I left."

"I don't know what happened between you and Tommy but just remember he is 15, a boy and can't see past his own nose. So don't take it personally."

"I know, that's why I left the room, and normally it wouldn't have bothered me but." She sniffs a little. "Is something burning?"

"Oh No." Mary goes and gets the fire extinguisher.

They put out what was once the main course of dinner. Nancy groans. "Think everyone would like pizza or something?"

"We better get a count on who wants Pizza or Tacos." Mary suggests

"Yeah, I'll ask Dad, Susan, and Joannie."

Meanwhile Tommy goes knocks on Tom's and Abby's bedroom door.

"Come in!" Abby calls.

"Bad Time?" Tommy asks.

"No, it's OK," Abby says, putting her book aside. "But I thought you were studying with Nancy."

"I was until she gave up on me."

"Why'd she do that? You're not *that* hard to teach."

"Funny; She left after I got upset with her when she related geometry equations to dating."

"Well, she should have tried football. After all, the way Nancy dates it's more applied anatomy than geometry."

Tommy laughs "So will you give me a hand?"

"Sure. Bring your book and chalk board in here and we'll work on it. Worst comes to worst we can work out some plays for the next time we have to beat the Maxwells, right?"

"Right." Tommy goes and gets his stuff.

Abby's cleared space to work, and when Tommy comes back says, "OK, what theorems are giving you headaches?"

"All of them." Tommy says embarrassed.

"OK, then, we'll start at the beginning," Abby sighs. "I hope you brought a lot of chalk."

"I'll be glad when I don't have to do this anymore."

"Study geometry, study at all, or plot out football plays?"

"Study at all....Abby do you smell something burning?"

"Yeah, I do. Oh, no, wasn't it Nancy's turn at KP tonight?" she says, hurrying out of the room and down the stairs. "What happened here?" she asks Nancy and Mary.

"The main course got burned." Nancy says.

Tommy follows her and says "Hmmm...looks like burnt offerings."

"Sorry guys." Nancy says.

Abby checks the clock. "Not enough time to start over. Looks like it's pizza again. Mary, could you take care of that?"

"Sure." Mary says.

"Thanks," Abby says. "Tommy, we'll continue the geometry after dinner, OK?"

"If we must." Tommy says

"And Nancy, could I speak to you, alone?"

"Sure."

"I am just glad it was you and not me." Tommy says callously.

"Tommy do you ever think about anyone's feelings but your own? Abby can we have that talk later? I have to get out of here." She grabs the keys to the station wagon and heads out.

Abby turns on Tommy. "Nice going, hot shot," and follows Nancy out, hoping to catch her before she drives off.

Nancy tries to open the car door but the keys keep falling so she kicks the door instead.

"Cars can really be frustrating sometimes, can't they? Almost as much as Bradfords," Abby calls out from the front doorway, then heads down the steps to Nancy. "And no, I don't think our talking can wait until later."

"There's not much to talk about. I'm a screw up I might as well accept it."

"There's a lot to talk about," Abby insists. "We can either stand out here and talk and be uncomfortable, or we can go inside, sit down and talk. Your choice."

"Tommy you can be such a jerk sometimes." Mary says before ordering pizza.

"Me a jerk? What about Nancy? I am tired of having to watch what I say to her."

"Tommy........" Mary says and stops before she finishes and leaves. Leaving Tommy alone in the kitchen.

Abby and Nancy go to talk on the sun porch. Nancy is about to show her the letters but doesn't have them. "I guess I left them in the kitchen."

"Well, then, go get them, because I want to know what's going on here."

Nancy gets them and hands them to her. "The proof is right there."

Abby looks the letters over. "OK, so you didn't get a job. There's no guarantee that you get everything you want in life, Nancy. And your grades--well, with the amount you don't study..." She sees the look on Nancy's face. "Oh, no, you don't, young lady. You are not going to run out
of here until we've finished talking. You can run away from a lot of things, but this discussion isn't one of them."

"I study, ok not as much as I should have but I did study."

"You could have asked for help; there's enough of it around here. What's really up with you, anyway? It's like you're not even trying anymore."

"What's the point? Every time I do try whether it be boyfriends, school, anything... I just get knocked down again." Nancy says.

"Maybe because you're expecting to get knocked down," Abby suggests.

"Why would I do that?" Nancy asks confused to where Abby is going with this.

"I don't know, you tell me. It seems like things are getting worse for you instead of better, and I'm not big on conspiracy theories--the whole world is not out to get Nancy Bradford. But Nancy Bradford might be out to get herself, and I still want to know why."

"But I'm not out to get myself. I guess I just have to try harder, but the rough part is combating the negative thoughts when they hit. It's hard to get out of that pattern."
 
 

"You've got plenty of people who are willing to help you, you know. But you have to learn to ask instead of running off and waiting for us to force it out of you."

"You're right and it's easy to say right now that I'll do that for now on, but what happens if next time I just end up doing the same thing again."

"Then we have this talk again and you try again the next time. But I think if you'd really make up your mind, you won't end up doing the same thing over again. Sometimes life's a little disappointing, and that's when you've just got to toughen up."

"I'll do that and thanks Ab..." She stops herself and says instead. "Mom."

Abby looks at her, shocked. "Um, sure. Remember, I'm here if you need me." ~When Tom comes home I'm going to have to have a long talk to him about Nancy.~

An hour or so later Tom does come home, he kisses Abby. "So anything  interesting happen today?"

"Oh, yeah. Think they'll give us five minutes alone so we can talk?"

They go to his study for privacy. He locks all the doors. "Ok what's going on?"

"It's Nancy. She's spiraling downward, hadn't you noticed? It's getting worse and worse. And today I had a talk with her, and, well... she called me 'Mom.' I'm really getting worried about her."

"I thought she was doing better after Christmas and did she say why she called you mom?" ~That's odd first she's missing Joan and now she's calling Abby mom.~

"No. It's the last thing I expected. I mean, OK, maybe Nicholas one day, but one of the older kids? And especially Nancy? I had a student once... I think what I'm really saying is that maybe we ought to consider getting some help for Nancy."

"Why? Do you think she's crazy? Or maybe she's regressing and thought you were Joan?" Tom tries to consider all possibilities. "Maybe she's starting to feel close to you and thought it was appropriate? In either case I think we should wait til after the holidays. See how she's doing
then."

"I suppose it can wait until next week..." Abby says, not entirely sure about it.

"Look, if she worsens before then we won't wait but a lot of people have a hard time this time of year. Maybe after it's over with she'll be fine."

"You know her better than I do. OK--but you will keep a close eye on her, right?" Abby worries.

"Of course I will."

Meanwhile upstairs. ~Mom? Why did I call her that? Ok it seemed right at the time, but...~ She decides not to stress about it too much. It's just the way Abby had looked at her after she said it. ~I really hope I'm not losing it.~ Joannie enters the hallway. "Hey is the pizza here yet?"

"Not yet. But I better get the money from Dad." Mary goes downstairs and knocks on the study door.

"Not now we're busy!!" Tom shouts.

"Dad, its Mary. I need money for the pizza."

"I'll be right back Abby." Tom steps out. "Sorry honey, how much do you need?"

"A 20 should do it." Mary says.

He gives her the twenty. "Here you go."

"Thanks." Mary replies.

"You're welcome." He returns to Abby.

Tommy goes and knocks on Nancy's door.

"Come in!!" She shouts.

"Are you sure you want to let your jerk of a brother to come in?" Tommy asks.

"You're not a jerk, come on in. I'm sorry I yelled at you." Nancy says.

"Well Mary and Abby might disagree with you, and I am the one that should apologize not you."

"What happened with Mary and Abby?"

"Let's see Mary said that I could be a jerk sometimes and Abby called me a hotshot. The point is they are right. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings earlier."

"Ahh, Tommy it's all right. I shouldn't have taken it so personally anyway."

"So I'm forgiven?"

She smiles. "Of course you are."

"Good, I'd hate to eat pizza with three angry faces looking at me.' Tommy says jokingly.

Mary yells "Hey everybody Pizza's here. Each person for itself."

"Do you want me to talk to them?" Nancy asks as they go downstairs.

"No, that's ok. I can handle it. Besides Abby can't be mad at me too long especially if she is helping me with my geometry after dinner."

"Good point."

Later after dinner Tommy finds Abby on the screen porch "Hi."

Abby looks at him. "No books, no chalkboard. Going to be difficult to work without them, you know."

"You still want to help me?"

"You still want to learn it?"

"Not really but I better if I want to pass this course."

"Such enthusiasm--it's underwhelming. All right, then, go get your book. I mean, why wouldn't I want to help you?"

"Since I was a jerk to Nancy earlier."

"That's between you and Nancy. I may not be thrilled about what happened before, but I wouldn't deny you help because of that."

"Thanks and for the record I apologized to her before dinner."

"For the record, good. Now, for the report card, how about getting your geometry book?"
 

<insert everything that happens the next few days>

New Years Eve, before everyone is to leave to give Tom and Abby their privacy. Tom and Abby think that it was their doing to get everyone out of the house, and the kids think that it was their doing to convince Tom and Abby to get them out of the house so they could have the house to
themselves.

After Nancy is dressed to go out. Tom meets her in the hallway. ~Hmm, she seems happy. Maybe she will be ok for the night.~ "Hi honey what are your plans for the night?"

"Well there's a party after the meeting tonight. It's going on all night long. I should be back in the morning. We already talked about this remember?"

"Yes I remember, you'll be ok?"

"Um yeah why wouldn't I be?" Nancy asks still unaware of the talk that Tom and Abby had earlier in the week.

"Just checking. If you ever need to talk about anything."

"Thanks Dad." She kisses him on the cheek. "But I do have to get going. Have fun tonight." ~Have lots of fun.~ Her ride comes to get her and then she leaves.

Elizabeth's date comes to get her. She'll be spending the night at a friend's house.

Susan goes to an all night party with some of her college friends.

Tommy and David decide to spend sometime together since neither one of them has a date. Nicholas spends the night at Kenny P.'s.

Tom smiles when they're all gone and meets up with Abby in the kitchen.

"They're all gone?" Abby asks.

"Yes, they're all gone."

"And they're not going to sneak back in within the next ten minutes?"

"No they would never sneak in."

"Why do I feel like I ought to lock all the doors, just to be sure?"

Tom laughs and then kisses her.

"Mmmm," Abby returns the kiss. "So--were you planning a New Year's party?"

"Of course I was. But only for two."

"My favorite number. Wait." Abby rummages around and pulls out a bottle of champagne. "I hid it, just in case this plan actually worked."

"Good deal." He pops open the champagne and pours them each a glass.

"Well, you're starting this party early. If we're drinking the champagne now, what do you have planned for midnight?"

"One glass isn't the whole bottle." He says as they go to the den and he turns the stereo on.

Abby goes over to the records and pulls out one she'd brought with her from before their wedding. "This time I'm not going to let you walk out on me," she says, putting on the music they'd danced to after the fundraising ball.

"Believe there's no chance of me walking out on you tonight."

Abby covers his mouth with her hand. "Never say 'no chance' with this family. That's just tempting fate."

"Abby you're stuck with me the rest of the night."

"Oh, now talk about torture. Or better et, don't talk," Abby says, and then kisses him.

Tom returns the kiss.

The phone rings.

Tom's about to ignore it but decides not to. ~What if one of the kids is in trouble?~ He answers it. "Hello."

"Tommy! Happy New Year, baby brother!"

"Happy New Year V." Tom says. ~I hope I can get her off the phone soon.~

"You know, I could be at your house in a hour, two tops. What do you say--let me take you and Abby out for a night on the town."

"Vivian I need to tell you something." He tells her all the trouble he and Abby went through to get the house to themselves that night and if she wanted to come for a visit could she make it tomorrow.

"Tom, you old devil, you. Well, never let it be said I stood in the way of romance. You take good care of your wife and have a good time..." V goes on for five minutes, encouraging Tom to spend time alone with his wife.

"Thanks V." They talk a little while longer and then they both hang up and he returns to Abby.

Abby shakes her head. "You can always count on the Bradfords."

"Yeah, but she got the hint."

"Took long enough."

Tom smiles and returns to kissing her.

Part 2