The phone rings.

Nancy answers the phone having gotten her voice back by now and the flu has left her. "Hello."

"You're not Mitch," the voice on the other end complains.

"No I'm not, who's this?"

"This is the Bradfords', right?"

"Yes, but the last time I checked we didn't have a Mitch."

"No, you wouldn't. Tell Abby to haul her keis...tell her Dotty's on the phone, would you?"

"Sure hold on." She goes to the kitchen. "Hey Abby, Dotty's on the phone."

"Dotty?" Abby says, surprised. She hurries to the phone. "Dotty? Are you...Really?...Sure--of course. You know it always would be...Don't worry, we'll figure it out. When will we see you?...Great. See you then. Love you."

Abby hangs up the phone. "Who do you think I can kick out of her room for a few nights?" she asks Nancy.

"Well Mary can stay with Elizabeth and I can go and stay with Noah." Nancy jokes.

"I think Dotty coming here for a few days will be enough of a heart attack for your father. Your going to stay with Noah would finish the poor man off."

"Ok I'll be good. What's she like Abby?"

"Um...." Abby tries to figure out the best way of describing her childhood friend. "Well, she recently got married. In London. To a man she'd met three days before."

"Wow that sounds like something Auntie V would do."

"Shh. Let's not mention your aunt or she might be the next to call--that's more chaos than this house could handle, Dotty and V at the same time."

"Yeah imagine that." Nancy laughs.

Meanwhile in one of Horst and Vivian's Spring homes.

"Vivian what are you doing?" Horst asks his wife.

"I'm leaving you what does it look like I'm doing?"

"Again?" He sighs. "V you do this each time we have a quarrel. This is really getting old."

"Did you just say I'm old? Well hmph." She finishes packing and has her driver bring the car around.

Back to Sacramento.

"Well sometimes Auntie V doesn't even call."

"Shh," Abby repeats. "Let's not tempt fate. Your father's sanity is marginal enough as is, right?"

"Right." Nancy whispers.

Abby smiles. "But we still have to figure out where we're going to put Dotty."

"Well Mary is the only one not rooming with someone else right now."

"Yes, but she's going to hate being asked to give up her room again. Oh, well, don't have much choice, I guess."

"Yeah, but she and I can take turns with my bed and the cot if she stays with Lizzie and I."

"Thanks." Abby gets up. "Mary upstairs?"

"Not a problem, yes she is. See you later on." Nancy leaves for work.

Abby heads upstairs and knocks on Mary's door.

Mary sets her book down. "Come in!!"

Abby takes a deep breath and enters. "Hi. I have a big favor to ask of you."

"Ok." She says a little warily. "What is it?"

"See, my best friend, Dotty Gordon, wanted to meet all of you, so she flew in from London..."

"That's wonderful Abby I can't wait to meet her."

"Only problem is where to put her. I know we've kicked you out of your room plenty, but could we do it just once more? Nancy said if you move in with them all three of you would take turns at the cot."

Mary sighs. "I guess I mean there's no other rooms for her to stay in."

"Well, if you can convince Susan and Joannie to give up their room..."

"It won't be so bad. I can keep an eye on Elizabeth and Nancy at least."

"You know, that wouldn't be a bad idea."

Mary nods. "So Abby what's she like?"

"Like your father's worst nightmare," Abby smiles.

"Oh really I can't wait to meet her."

"I'll tell the ambulances to be standing by."

Mary laughs. "Dad won't react that badly."

"Don't be so sure."

The doorbell rings. "Mary, can you get that? I've got to get ready, or I'll be late to school."

"Sure." Mary goes downstairs and answers the door.

"Mary, come give your Auntie V a hug."

"Auntie V hey!!" She hugs her. "What brings you here

"Can't a woman just want to see her family?"

"Of course. Come on in." Mary leads her inside. "Hey everyone guess who's here!!"

Joannie comes in from the kitchen. "Auntie V--so Dad's forgiven you for my being an idiot?"

"You have never been and never will be an idiot." Vivian hugs her. "How are you?"

"OK, I guess. Where's Uncle Horst?"

"Horst who?" Vivian replies.

Mary exchanges a look with Joannie.

"OK, Auntie V, you come into the kitchen and tell us what happened."

They go into the kitchen to get something to drink and then all three of them sit down.

"That man is impossible always having to have things his own way."

"Hey, you grew up with Dad. You should be used to that."

"Joannie it's different when it's your husband. It shouldn't be that way and I'm not going to take it anymore."

"Oh, come on, Auntie V, it can't be that bad. What did he do?"

"Instead of getting a summer home he bought another Mercedes."

"But I thought you like to be mobile. Another house would just tie you down."

"I do but he collects cars like they're going out of style."

"Everyone collects something."

"That they do but I am not going home to that guy who calls himself a man." Vivian insists. "And why are we still hanging around in the kitchen. Let's go shopping."

"We should probably get you settled in. Mary, you can stay in our room if you give Auntie V yours," Joannie offers.

"I'm already staying in Nancy and Elizabeth's room. Abby's friend Dotty will be staying in my room." Mary tells her.

"Abby's got a friend staying over?" V asks. "What's she like?"

"According to Abby she's very fun."

"Abby thinks your father is fun," V points out.

"Oh yeah." Mary remembers.

V gets up and goes to the refrigerator. "When's she due to arrive, and don't you ever have anything interesting to eat in this house?"

"I don't know yet and we didn't know you were coming Auntie V." Mary says.

"You never do, dear. That's half the fun."

Mary smiles in agreement. "What are you in the mood for?"

"Something extravagant. Charged to Horst's credit card, of course."

"Ok, hey where is everyone else?"

"Upstairs, I think."

"I'll go and get them." She goes upstairs. "Hey didn't you guys here me Auntie V is here!!"

Tommy and Nicholas rush downstairs.

"Ah, the two most handsome men in California," V says.

"HI. Auntie V." Tommy replies.

"Bring me anything?" Nicholas asks.

"Don't I always?"

"Cool." Nicholas replies.

"Fill me in on everything that's been happening and then we'll unpack."

"Cool." Nicholas replies.

~V is here. Dotty is coming.~ Abby thinks. ~Oh, just wait until Tom hears this...~

"Hey Abby are you ok?" Mary asks.

"Just marveling at the power of suggestion," Abby says.

"Huh?"

"Never mind. So your aunt and Horst are here for a visit?" ~Tom's going to *really* hate this.~

"Actually she came without Horst."

"But he'll be joining her real soon, right?"

"I don't think so."

"Why me?"

"Don't worry you won't be alone in suffering Dad's reaction."

"You mean you'll give me a cot in Nancy's and Elizabeth's room, too?"

Mary smiles. "Abby it won't be that bad." She tries to assure her.

"OK, then, why don't I just go off to my class and you tell your father about the invasion."

"Because I'm a coward." Mary says.

"Me, too," Abby confides.

"How bout I help you tell him."

"No, I'll do it. Well, part of it--I've got to get to school, so I suppose Tom will find out about Vivian on his own."

"Yeah."

Abby sighs, gathers her books, and heads downstairs. "V. It's good to see you again."

"Abby!!" She hugs her. "It's good to see you too."

"Where's your charming husband?"

"Right now I don't care where he is."

"You and I are going to have to have a long talk," Abby says.

"I heard about your friend staying here and if there's not enough room I can stay at a hotel." V offers.

"No, you're family. There's always room, even if we'll have to squeeze in a little."

Vivian smiles and then does a head count. "I know David is probably at work but where are Nancy, Susan, and Elizabeth?"

"Nancy's probably at work. But I'm not sure where Susan and Elizabeth are." Abby starts to worry. "Does anyone know where Elizabeth is?"

Vivian waits for a reply and wonders why Abby is so worried.

"I haven't seen her all day," Joannie says.

Vivian goes upstairs and knocks on Liz's bedroom door.

"Come in."

"Hey kid, why are you hiding up here?"

"Auntie V."

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I am fine. Why do you ask?" she asks not caring.

"Because you don't seem like the Elizabeth I know right now." V says not knowing about what has happened.

"You didn't hear about..."

"Hear about what?"

Elizabeth tells her what happened.

Vivian is stunned at first but makes a quick recovery. "That little, why I'll...."

"It's OK." Liz says.

Vivian sits down beside her. "If you need me for anything and I do mean anything."

"How about a new school?"

"Why do you want do change schools you didn't do anything wrong."

"No, but people will know."

"Have you talked to your father and Abby about this yet?"

"They know I don't want to go back to Central."

"Are there any other schools around that you would like to go to?"

"Memorial."

"Is that a good school?"

"It's in the school district."

"I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks Auntie V."

"Not a problem honey." She hugs her.

"So how is Uncle Horst?"

"I don't care how he is."

"Uh oh...fight?"

"Yes dear."

"I'm Sorry." Liz says

"Don't be, he'll come to his senses sooner or later."

"You staying long?"

"I guess that depends on your father, and what's this about Nancy working? Did she quit school?"

"No, she has a modeling job."

"That's wonderful. Hey are you hungry?"

"A little."

"Do you want to eat here or go out?"

"In here." Liz says

"In the bedroom?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Yeah why not. So what are you in the mood for?"

"Chinese?"

"You got it." V goes to order Chinese for the whole family.

Later that night Nancy comes home from work exhausted. She retreats to the kitchen to get something to eat and then cracks open one her text books. She tries to study but can barely stay awake. ~Maybe modeling and college isn't such a good idea. Or maybe I just need some caffeine.~

She doesn't see V enter the kitchen.

"Looks like you need something a little more lively than that book to keep you awake."

Nancy smiles and then gets up to hug her. "When did you get into town?"

"This morning. And where have you been, beautiful?"

"Modeling, it's good to see you. Did your bring your Horst this time?"

"My Horst? He's not mine."

"What did he do?"

"He is stubborn, opinionated, and inconsiderate."

"Do you want me to beat him up?"

"He'd enjoy it too much."

"Sounds like a man all right."

When V doesn't reply to this Nancy cringes. "I'm sorry."

"Did you mean that, 'sounds like a man'?" V asks.

"Uh yeah."

"Since when do you have that attitude towards men?" V asks, worried. "I always thought you liked them. A lot."

"I do but I don't trust them as much as I used to."

"Why not? Because of Elizabeth?"

"Partly but that's not the only reason."

"Tell your Auntie V your troubles, sweetie."

"I wouldn't know where to begin. I mean I trust Noah and the men in the family, but after things that have happened with former boyfriends I still find it difficult to trust men."

"Everyone goes out with a few wrong men in their lives. Otherwise, we'd all be married by 13."

"That's true, but it sure is hard to know which ones you can trust."

"Depends on how far you can throw them."

Nancy smiles. "Exactly."

"You're going to miss a lot of fun if you don't trust men."

"I know and I'll do the best I can I promise."

"Good. Can't have my beautiful niece missing out on any fun."

Nancy smiles and gives her another hug. "I'd better get to bed while I can still make it up there, I'll see you in the morning."

"Not too early, though. A lady needs her beauty sleep."

"You got that right." Nancy goes upstairs to bed.

After she comes home from classes, Abby seeks out Tom to tell him about Dotty's impending invasion.

Tom is the kitchen fixing a snack. "Hi Honey, how was classes."

"Pretty good. How was your day?" she asks, having left the house before Tom knew his sister had come to visit.

"Alright, nothing special until you walk in."

"Really? Well, if you're taking it this well..."

"Taking what well?"

"Your sister coming to visit."

"Just what we need now." Tom says.

"I guess now wouldn't be the best time to tell you that things are going to be even crazier?"

"Crazier than my sister visiting?"

"Remember I told you about my best friend, Dotty Gordon? Well, she's coming for a visit, too. She called before V showed up or I would have said no," Abby apologizes.

"Where are we going to put them?" Tom asks.

"Well, Mary offered her room. They'll just have to share. Or..."

"Or what?"

"If your sister wants a room all to herself, we could let Dotty in ours. I know she wouldn't mind," Abby teases.

"And where would you sleep." he jokes back.

"Dotty and I always shared our toys."

"Sorry, this toy has only one owner." he says as he points to himself.

"Uh huh," Abby nods. "Me."

"Right."

"As long as you don't forget that. So it's OK that we're having all these guests?"

"Do I have a choice?" Tom sighs.

"Vivian did offer to go to a hotel, and Dotty would, too, if I told her we were swamped for space. But I think V will be good for the kids, and, well, I'd like to have Dotty here. But it's up to you."

"I guess if we can survive Elizabeth's attack, we can survive two more women in the house."

Abby grabs a bite of Tom's snack. "I wouldn't repeat that comparison to either of our guests if I were you."

Tom snickers. "I guess you are right. I mean I do love my sister and I am sure your friend is nice, but...."

"But the reason you had so many kids in the first place was to keep guests away," Abby finishes his sentence.

"No, that's not it all." He defends himself. "I am just tired that's all."

"Well, with your sister here and Dotty coming tomorrow, you'd better rest up tonight, because this house will never be the same again," Abby warns.

"I can hardly wait."

"You will be nice, won't you?" Abby asks. "Your sister you may not be able to fool, but Dotty's going to expect the devastatingly charming man I've been telling her about."

"I'm always nice."

Abby laughs. "And I thought you'd be too tired for jokes."

"I think I was just insulted." Tom replies.

"Teased. I'll leave the insults up to Vivian--she's got so much more ammunition."

"Humph." He acts upset.

"You're adorable when you pout."

"How adorable?"

"Almost as adorable as you think you are."

"So are you." he flirts.

"I'm not the adorable type at all."

"Who says?"

"Just about everyone. I'm more the deep intellectual type."

"That too, but you are still adorable."

"You men are all alike. You're just saying that because you want something."

"What do you mean 'we' men? Tom asks. "You women do the same thing."

"We do not."

"You do so."

"Do not."

"Do too." Tom says. "Do you know who we sound like?"

"Who?"

"Tommy and Nicholas." He chuckles.

"Yeah, but they just have to fight it out. We have more mature ways of settling our differences."

"We do?" he jokes.

Abby nods. "Scrabble. The winner is always right."

"Good point, want to play?"

"What are we waiting for?"

"For you to start the game."

He kisses her.

"Maybe we should go somewhere this game won't be interrupted. Hate having kids break up a good score."

They go upstairs.

The next morning Nancy awakens and finds that Elizabeth is already awake. She have had a nightmare in the middle of the night so both of them lost about an hour or sleep. "How are you doing this morning?" She asks her little sister.

"I am OK, I guess." She sighs.

"You don't sound it." She sits down beside her.

"What do you expect me to say?'"

"I don't expect you to say anything but if you need to talk I'm here."

"I know that."

"Good."

"How are you?" Liz asks.

"Tired but otherwise fine, between work and school..."

"At least you have a life." Elizabeth confesses.

"So do you, once you get back into the swing of things. That won't happen right away but it will happen."

"Sure."

"You will."

Outside, a car horn starts honking.

"Who is that?" Liz asks.

"I don't know."

Nancy throws her robe on and goes downstairs. "What's going on?" She asks Abby.

"I don't know. I was just on my way to check. Want to back me up?"

"Sure."

They go outside and see a woman standing on their lawn, rocks in her hand, looking up at the windows.

"Hey, Mitch," the woman says. "You know, it was easier to wake you up when I knew which was your room."

Abby points to her window. "But don't forget, I've got a man in there now."

"So what else is new?" the woman laughs.

"Nancy, this nut job is my friend, Dotty Gordon."

"Hi, nice too meet you."

"Which one are you, beautiful?" Dotty asks.

"I'm Nancy. I give Abby the most trouble." She jokes.

"The model, right? Well, maybe the most trouble of the *kids*."

"Yep the model." She stifles back a laugh about Tom.

"Dotty, you don't have to let all my secrets out," Abby complains.

"Sure I do. I mean, you told my parents about the pig in the principal's office."

Nancy laughs. "The what?"

"What did you think, David cornered the market on animals? At least Dotty dressed her pig up. In the principal's toupee."

"That I would've liked to see."

"You think that was good, you should hear what Abby did to that poor blind date--what was his name--Johnny...?"

"Dalton," Abby says, and then tries to stem the tide of gossip. "You know, we should probably get you inside, introduce you to everyone else."

"But I want to hear about Dalton." Nancy says.

"Nancy," Abby chides.

Dotty pulls Nancy aside. "Talk to me later, kiddo."

Nancy smiles and then the three of them go inside.

"Is anyone else up yet?" Abby asks Nancy.

"Elizabeth is I don't know who else yet. Hey wait a minute." She rushes to be first in line in the bathroom.

Mary walks in.

"Mary, good morning." Abby introduces Mary to her friend.

"You're going to be staying in her room," Abby explains to Dotty. "But with my sister-in-law--she just showed up on our doorstep yesterday."

"Your sister-in-law? You mean the one who..." Abby quiets Dotty by placing a hand over her mouth.

"You've heard of her." Mary chuckles.

"I've heard of all of you," Dotty says. "And if you want to save your family a bundle, I'd suggest that when you specialize, go in for obstetrics--or psychiatry."

"It's not that bad."

Dotty sneaks a glance at Abby; who's busy at the stove. "That's not what I heard."

Mary also glances at Abby. "What did you hear?"

"I seem to recall the phrase 'the most lovable bunch of fruitcakes in the state of California'."

"Nice."

"What are the two of you gossiping about?" Abby asks, made suspicious by the whispered conversation.

"Oh you know." Mary says.

"If I knew, I wouldn't have asked."

"I can't answer I'm one of the patients." Mary jokes.

"Excuse me?" Abby says, completely confused.

"You know," Dotty says, trying to distract Abby, "what I want to know is when I'm going to get to meet this husband of yours."

"Well, I'm not sure he's even awake," Abby says, trying to postpone the inevitable. "It is awfully early."

Tom comes down in his robe. "Oh, Hi." He says embarrassedly.

"Well, hello there, sailor," Dotty says.

Tom face turns red. "You must be Dotty."

"The one and only. And unless Mitch here is starting a polyandrous commune, you must be Tom."

"The one and only." Tom repeats what Dotty just said.

Dotty looks him over. "So do I get to see these famous knees of yours?"

~Abby, help me out here.~ "Uh...well." he blushes.

"Dotty," Abby chides.

"You never minded when I watched Frank get changed," Dotty points out

"Wha......?" he starts to say.

"Dotty," Abby hisses. ~Please let V come downstairs. At least she'd  distract Dotty.~

Tommy and Nicholas enter the kitchen

"Now I know why you wanted to join this family," Dotty says to Abby. "Not hard on the eyes at all."

"Hi." Tommy says. Nicholas just wonders who this strange lady is.

"Dotty, this is Tommy and this is Nicholas. Boys, this is my friend Dotty Gordon. She'll be staying with us for a few days."

"Hi." Nicholas replies.

"Come sit next to me, cutie, and we'll see what I can sneak you that you're not allowed," Dotty says.

Nicholas shyly sits by her.

"I don't suppose Chivas goes with cornflakes."

"huh?" Nicholas asks. Tommy smiles and Tom doesn't know what to think.

"Guess not," Dotty sighs. "Maybe ice cream with lunch." She counts heads. "You're a few short--or have you run them off already, Mitch?"

"Mitch?" Tommy asks.

"Short for Mitchell," Abby says. "She always did hate Sandra Sue," Dotty adds. "Sounds so country singer. Next thing you know, someone'd be calling her Dixie or who knows what."

"Oh, why don't you still use it?" Nicholas asks.

"It's a long story, Nicholas," Abby says, trying to avoid the discussion. For once, even Dotty doesn't add a comment.

Nicholas shrugs.

Abby looks around at her , none of whom reacted to Dotty’s ‘run them off’ comment. ~Well, gee, thanks for that rousing show of approval for your stepmother and wife.~ "Don't mind
Dotty," she says. "She must have forgotten her medication."

"Now you know I'm off the meds or they wouldn't have given me a day pass from the asylum," Dotty jokes back.

They all laugh except for Tom.

"Nancy was telling me about the pig in the principal office." Tommy says. "Have any more stories.?"

"Did she ever tell you about Professor Hicksbury's Beetle?" Dotty asks.

Abby looks over at Tom, worried.

"No." Tommy laughs. What about it?"

Tom tries to interrupt. "Tommy, Nicholas you have school."

Nicholas sighs. "OK."

"No, I don't. I'm suspended remember?" Tommy says.

"But you still have school work, and you're supposed to be staying in your room during school hours, remember?" Abby says.

~Now she wants him to say in his room.~ Tom thinks.

"But, I haven't eaten." Tommy protests.

"Eat fast," Abby says.

Tommy leans over to Dotty and whispers."Talk to me later."

Dotty nods.

"Abby, can I speak to you in my study for a moment?" Tom asks.

"Sure." She follows Tom to his study and as he closes the doors she says, "Make it quick, though, or she'll completely blow my image before breakfast is over."

"Abby you know I love you right? But how can we let her stay here?"

"Oh, come on. Is she any worse than your sister, Tommy Belly-Button?"

"I hate that name." he mumbles. "OK, but please talk to her before she has all of our kids become worse delinquents then they are."

"I really don't think any of the kids would pull the stunts she and I used to," Abby says. "David didn't need my bad example to come up with the idea of a cow in the principal's office."

"Uh, What others stunts did you pull?"

"Well, Dotty was about to tell about that poor Beetle, and there was the fetal cat in the faculty room refrigerator, and that little weather-predicting stunt, but that was more luck than anything, and the ping pong balls, and...you know, Tom, you might not really want to know this. Let's just say there's a good reason my students have a hard time getting one over on me."

Tom laughs. "Your poor parents."

"So maybe next time you see them you can have a little more sympathy for them."

"The way they talk, you were the perfect child."

"As far as they knew, I was. Our principal could never tell one parent from the next, so we had Dotty's older sister come talk to him whenever we got into trouble."

Tom shakes his head. "I never realized I married such schemer."

Abby puts her arms around him. "There's a lot about me you've yet to learn."

"I'm finding that out." Tom says.

"So Dotty can stay?"

"Yeah, she can stay." Tom kisses her. "You better get back in there before she totally corrupts your image for Tommy."

"I don't know--I think my stock might be going up with Tommy the more he hears."

Tom chuckles. "But he might try to use it against you." He jokes.

"Let him try."

"I better get into more appropriate clothes, By the way what was this comment  Dotty made about watching Frank get dressed?"

"Oh, that. In college Dotty covered sports for the school paper, and she decided it wasn't fair that the male reporters got better stories because they did their interviews in the locker rooms while the players were still on a post-game high. So she snuck in, too, as often as she could."

"Wonderful." Tom says. "I better get going."

"I'll try to make sure the house is still in one piece when you get home."

"I'd appreciate that." Tom says.

"It's gonna cost you."

"Oh yeah, how much?"

"Nothing you're not willing to give."

Tom laughs. "There is nothing better I would like to do than play house all day, but someone has to pay the mortgage."

"Oh, that reminds me--I'm supposed to hear from Ann Cavalussi today."

"Really? I hope she has good news for you."

"For all of us. Maybe Elizabeth will agree to go back to school if I'm there with her."

"I hope so, she has me worried."

"Your sister said she's talking about transferring to Memorial."

"What? There is no way I am letting her go there."

"And if she won't go back to Central?"

Tom shrugs. "We will figure something out."

"I sure hope so."

Tom leaves to get ready for work.

Vivian enters the kitchen with Nancy.

"You must be the famous V," Dotty says.

"You must be the famous Dotty, and yes I'm V, how are you dear?"

"Tired. It was a long drive. But glad to finally meet this bunch. After all, I've heard so much about all of you."

"Well it's all true of course." V says.

"Then I'm really looking forward to getting to know you. You sound like my kind of person."

"In that case you're my kind of person let's do lunch."

"Is there anywhere interesting in this town, or are we going to have to make our own excitement?"

"I know some places, we'll be fine."

"I'll trust you. Which, if I understand correctly, might be fatal, but I'd die a happy woman."

"And then some." Vivian states.

"Good," Dotty smiles.

Vivian smiles too. "I'll make the reservations what time is good for you?"

"I don't know. Does this asylum keep a schedule?"

"Yes but the inmates won't make you stick to it." Nancy says as she grabs something to eat before school.

"Next question is, are we allowed to encourage the inmates not to stick to their schedule?"

"No, but let's not let that little rule stop us."

"I've never met a rule I didn't enjoy breaking. I think there will have to be some plotting at lunch."

Abby walks in. "What exactly were you planning to plot? Oh, good morning, V."

"Good Morning Abby, and why do you ask about a plot? Do you want in on it?" V tempts her.

"Depends on whom you're plotting against."

"We'll know more about that after lunch."

"Hey, if the two of you are going to do something to get yourselves kicked out of here, don't expect me to be joining you."

"Can you be bribed?"

"It'd have to be an awfully good bribe."

"We'll keep that in mind."

"Don't worry," Dotty whispers to V. "I know how to blackmail her."

"Good." V whispers back.

Elizabeth walks in unaware there is company. "Oh hi, I thought this family had left already."

"When there's all this excitement right here in your own kitchen?" Dotty asks.

Elizabeth feigns a smile.

"Liz, you want to eat up in your room? I'll make you a tray and bring it up," Joannie offers.

"Uh yeah, thanks." Liz says and leaves. "I'll be upstairs." She tells Abby as she passes her.

"Was it something I said?" Dotty asks.

"No, she is going through a hard time right now." Tommy explains.

"Teenagers. She just needs some excitement to get her mind off of it."

"Yeah I suppose." Tommy replies.

Dotty gives him a disbelieving look.

"I'll be right back," Abby says to the people in the kitchen, and then hurries after Elizabeth.

"You guys keep her busier than a one-armed paper hanger," Dotty remarks.

Part 2