Joannie walks into the kitchen with a bunch of envelopes. "Boy, I might as well apply for a job with the post office. Doesn't anyone bring in the mail but me?" She looks through what she's brought in. "I hope Abby's at least saving the autographs for you," she tells Nicholas.
"What autographs?" Nicholas asks.
"All these football players. Didn't she tell you?"
"No." he says.
"That's a shame. Oh, well, I'm sure she has her reasons."
Nicholas goes upstairs and knocks on his parents' door.
"Come in."
"Hi." he says.
"Hey, Nicholas," Abby says. "Need some help with your homework?"
"Uh, no. I thought you liked me."
"Of course I like you, Nicholas."
"Then why didn't you give me the autographs of the 49'ers?"
"Autographs of the 49ers?" Abby asks, confused.
Nicholas tells her what Joannie said.
"Who told you that? I've been getting letters, sure, but they're for work. Tell you what--I'll save them and after the book's published I'll give the originals to you and Tommy, OK?"
"You mean what Joannie told me wasn't true?"
"Well," Abby says, not wanting to make trouble, "I suppose it's true in a sense. An autograph is someone signing his name, right? And these guys have signed their names on the bottom of the letters. But autographs in the regular sense? If I had any, I'd give them right to you. You know that."
"Oh, OK." Nicholas says
Meanwhile there's the sound of a horn honking outside.
Abby hears the honking. "I wonder who that is. Too early for dates to be coming for the girls."
Joannie goes to the door to see who's making all the noise.
"Hey who wants to go for the first ride." Nancy says with a smile on her face as she tosses the keys to her very first car in the air and catches them again.
"You got a car? What happened, you gave up on the idea of a condo with a hot tub?" Joannie asks.
"Well Joannie, we both know I'm not ready to be on my own yet. However, a new car is a good idea for everybody."
"You mean you'll share?"
"Of course, when I'm not driving it."
"You're not driving it now," Joannie points out.
"I will be in a minute. Do you need a ride anywhere?"
"Give me a minute and I'll think of somewhere."
Nancy smiles. "Ok."
Tommy comes down. "What did you get?"
"Well come outside and see."
Tommy goes outside.
Nicholas looks out of the window and turns to Abby. "Nancy is in a car."
"A car... Guess that money is burning a hole in her pocket."
Nicholas leaves and run down the stairs.
"Cool." he says when he sees the car.
"Thanks Nicholas." Starts counting. "Ok I have room enough to take all three of ya."
Tom calls home.
Abby answers, since everyone else is outside gawking.
"Hi, just calling to see how everything is."
"Nancy bought a car. Other than that, everything is fine," Abby says, though her voice says everything is not.
"A car?" Tom voice rises.
"At least it's not a condo," Abby reminds him.
"But still....since she has gotten this money she doesn't ask anybody's advice. She just jumps without thinking."
"Just jumping seems to run in this family."
"Oh no, who else is jumping?" Tom is afraid to ask.
"Joannie, same as always. This time it was Nicholas she got riled."
"Nicholas? That's just great. What happened?"
Abby tells him how Joannie had misled her brother. "Why does she do this?"
Tom sighs. "I don't know, have you talked to her about it?"
"Do you really think that would work?"
"Somebody needs to call her on it."
"And have her run away again?"
"Well what do you suggest?" Tom asks in frustration. "We can't just ignore it."
"Don't use that tone on me, Tom. I have enough with Joannie trying to get all your kids to hate me."
"OK, I am sorry." Tom calms down. "What if we both tried and talk to her?"
"And say what?"
"Ask her why she did what she did to Nicholas."
"OK, I guess that we could ask her without her getting even more--well, whatever she is."
"Yeah and then I am going to have a little chat with Nancy."
"Go easy on her, OK? One more car certainly won't hurt the transportation situation around here."
"Don't worry." Tom tells her. "I'll be home soon."
"I always worry."
"I promise I'll go easy on Nancy."
"And on Joannie?"
"Yes, I just want to find out why and put an end to it."
"Good luck--we'll need it."
"I'll be home in an hour." Tom says.
"I'll be waiting--hiding out in our room."
Tom laughs. "Keep your chin up." And then hangs up.
After taking her brothers and sisters for joy rides Nancy hands the keys to Joannie. "Have fun, but can you have her home by morning at least please."
"Don't worry, I'll be the perfect date."
"Cool I knew I can count on you."
"You always can."
Nancy smiles.
After Joannie leaves with the car Nancy goes inside and finds Abby in the kitchen.
"Hello, how are you?"
"OK. Nice car, by the way."
"Thank you, I figured it would be practical. Give everyone an extra car to use."
"You're going to share it?"
"Sure why not?"
"You trust them?"
"Yes."
"Well, it is your decision," Abby says, a little doubtful.
"Do you need help with dinner?"
"Always."
Nancy helps her with dinner.
Joannie drives around with no real destination in mind, and about an hour later returns home.
Not long after Tom walks in. "Anyone home?"
"In here," Abby calls from Tom's study.
"I thought you would be upstairs hiding." Tom jokes.
"I was, but dinner needs to be cooked, Joannie or no Joannie. So I'm hiding out here in between stirring the soup."
"Oh? Where is she?"
"Watching TV last time I snuck into the kitchen."
"Might as well get this over with." Tom steps out of the study and calls for Joannie.
"I'm busy!" she calls back.
Tom sighs. "Joannie, please come in here."
"Dad, I have to watch this movie for class."
Tom turns to Abby. "For Class?" and then says thru the door "OK, fine come see us when its over."
"Sure, Dad. But I've got a rehearsal after dinner."
"Rehearsal can wait!" Tom says firmly.
"Just remember that when you see my grades at the end of the semester, if you want me to miss rehearsal."
"I'll take that risk." Tom replies.
Joannie comes out. "You don't care if I get bad grades?"
"I didn't say that." Tom says. "Being a little late for one rehearsal isn't going to hurt your grades. I am sure you won't be the first or the last student to be late. Now is your movie over?"
"Commercial break," Joannie says. "And I'm in the first scene of the play. I can't be late for rehearsal and make everyone wait for me."
"OK, let's try this. When in your busy schedule will you have time to talk to your father?" Tom asks almost too kindly.
"I could squeeze you in late Saturday morning," Joannie says, just as sweetly.
"I have a better idea." Tom tells her. "Come see us when you get home. No excuses on why you can't." Tom says as he climbs the stairs.
"Fine. I'll do that. That's just what I'll do," Joannie says and goes back to the TV.
"Thank you." Tom replies back.
Meanwhile Nancy is in her room calculating her car payments when she hears her Dad coming up the stairs. "Think he knows by now?" She asks Elizabeth.
Elizabeth laughs. "What do you think?"
"Nancy?" Tom calls
"He knows." Liz says.
"I hope he takes it well." Nancy says. "I'm in here dad!!"
Tom walks in and is about to talk when he sees Elizabeth sitting there. "Oh hi."
"Hi Dad." Elizabeth says.
"Uh Elizabeth do you mind?" Tom motions her to the door.
"No, I'll go see if Abby needs help with dinner."
Elizabeth leaves and finds Abby in the corner of the study. "Hiding?"
"Am I being that obvious?"
Elizabeth laughs and nods.
"Then I'd better just admit it--yes, I'm hiding."
"Who from?"
"Do you have any idea what I ever did to Joannie?" Abby asks.
Elizabeth face falls. "Oh, that."
"That? So it was something I did?"
"Well not something you did per se, just the situation." Elizabeth tries to explain.
"Which situation?"
"You married Dad."
"Oh." Abby chews at her thumbnail for a minute. "I'd thought people were starting to get used to me. Guess I was wrong."
"We are." Liz assures her.
"Well, maybe some of you, but I'm still hiding out."
"Then you are letting her win." Elizabeth tells her.
"I'm not going to fight her."
Tommy comes down the stairs and sees Abby and Elizabeth talking. "What's going on?"
Elizabeth tells him the story.
Tommy doesn't mince words. "You are afraid of Joannie?"
"Afraid of starting a family fight. Joannie seems the most likely adversary."
Elizabeth tells her "We all tried to talk to her...but she seems so bitter."
"Maybe you all should just sort of stand back and give her some space," Abby suggests. "If she has a problem with me, no need for all of you to get involved."
"I guess." Liz says.
Tommy nods. "When is dinner?"
"Soon as someone makes the salad. And yes, I know it's Joannie's turn," Abby says, "but I'm hiding, remember?"
"I'll do it." Elizabeth says. ~Joannie gets away with everything now.~
"Thanks, Elizabeth. I know I should confront Joannie, but not today. Your father is going to be in enough of a mood about Nancy's new car. Don't need World War Three at the dinner table, too."
"OK." Elizabeth says and tells Abby. "Oh, by the way I have a date Saturday night."
Tommy just moans and leaves.
Abby makes a mental note to go talk to Tommy later. "Good, Elizabeth. See? Being grounded didn't entirely kill your social life."
Elizabeth smiles. "I'll go get the salad ready."
"Thanks." As soon as Elizabeth goes, Abby seeks out Tommy. "So, what's going on with you?"
"This guy Elizabeth is going out with, I don't trust him."
"Why not?"
"If I knew I'd tell you." Tommy says. "Just a gut feeling."
"Enough of a gut feeling for me to try to find some way to keep her home, or just enough to warn her to be careful?"
Tommy shrugs. "Be careful I suppose."
"OK. I'll try, even if it's your father who's got all the experience with 'be careful Saturday night' speeches."
"Good luck." Tommy tells her.
"I'll need it."
"That you will."
Meanwhile Tom talks to Nancy.
"Nancy, I know what it is like when you find yourself earning money, but couldn't you have thought more before buying a car?"
"But I did, I thought it all through."
"Why is it then its the first I heard of it?"
"Just because I didn't check with you first it doesn't mean that I didn't think about it."
"You used to tell me these things."
"You've been busy."
"That is not an excuse." Tom tells her.
"I know it's the truth. Dad I know what I'm doing."
Tom sighs. "Just promise me one thing will you?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"If you decide to ever move to New York or Paris, talk to us first OK?" Tom jokes.
Nancy smiles. "Ok."
"So are you going to take your old man for a ride in your car?"
"Yeah, are you ready to go now?"
"Yes are you?"
"Sure am." They go outside to her car.
~At least it's not an MG.~ Tom thinks.
Nancy takes her Dad for a ride. "What do you think Dad?"
"Nice." Tom says.
"Thank you."
They go into the house.
"Do you think Abby wants to go for a ride?" Nancy asks.
"If she does, you will find her hiding in the study." Tom tells her.
"Why is she hiding?"
"You'll have to ask her that." Tom says.
"Ok. Hey Abby want to go for a ride?" Nancy asks.
"Well, I have to get the table set, and it's almost dinner..." Abby hesitates.
"After dinner then?"
"I've got class tonight."
"Well whenever you want to let me know." She says the wind being cut out of her sails.
"Maybe you could give me a lift to school."
"I'd be glad to." She says as her smile returns. "Hey I can set the table if you want."
"Thanks. I'd appreciate that."
"No problem." She goes to set the table.
"If Nancy drives me to school, I'm going to have to make my own way home, so I'll probably be late," Abby says to Tom. When Tom doesn't answer Abby says, "You know, this is where you could offer to come pick me up from school."