Part 2

"Who's doing a munchies run?" Joannie starts organizing things. "Susan, Mary--give me names of guys. Hey, Nancy, you staying for this shindig?"

"I would but I have to get up early." She says.

"Come on Nancy, you know how rare it is that we get the house to ourselves." Elizabeth says.

"Yeah we can't get in trouble without you." Mary says. "Stay and call in sick tomorrow." ~Maybe if we get her relaxed enough she'll talk.~ "All right, count me in." She smiles.

"Cool." Liz says.

"Noah's invited too right?"

"I don't see why not."

"Cool." She goes to call him. Mary gives Joannie the names of some guys.

"If I remember correctly," Abby says as she shuts the hotel room door, "I promised you dessert."

"Yes you did." Tom says. "Do you have chocolate cake in that bag?"

"Chocolate cake isn't good for you."

"Oh? Then what is good for me?"

Abby smiles at him. "Me."

"Hmmm...I think I'd rather have the cake." he jokes and kisses her.

"The problem with cake is that you can't have it and eat it, too."

Tom laughs. "I see your point."

"Yeah? When do I get to see yours?"

Tom goes over to the radio and turns it on. "May I have this dance?"

"I thought you'd never ask, sailor."

Tom takes Abby in his arms.

"Wait," Abby says, and walks away. She turns the lights down low and returns to him. "Where were we?"

"You were about to serve me dessert." Tom jokes.

"You sure you're up for it? You never did have a main course."

"I am stronger than I look, besides this hotel has all-night room service."

Abby kisses him. "Know what? So do I."

They continue to dance. "This is nice."

"The silence is deafening."

"But I could get use to it."

"You'll miss them when they've all moved out."

"Never, we will spend our time going from place to place visiting them."

"If David's any indication, we'll be able to hit them all in a single afternoon."

Tom laughs.

"Why are we discussing the kids again?" Abby asks.

"You were the one who brought them up."

Abby rests her head against Tom's shoulder. "Help. I've been domesticated."

Tom laughs. "Now we can't have that can we," he says when he kisses her.

"Not when there are other things we can have."

"Abby, may I ask a serious question?"

"Of course."

"Do you ever regret marrying me?"

"Every night," Abby answers.

"Every night?"

"You snore."

"Oh." he says relieved.

"Why else would I regret marrying the man I love?"

"I don't know, maybe eight other reasons."

"I love your kids; you know that. Just sometimes I'd like to love them from a little bit of a distance."

"I know the feeling."

"Do you? You're the one who goes nuts when one of them wants to move out."

"Only because I worry." Tom says. "Abby, we are doing it again."

"Maybe we should give Max a call."

"Max? Why, what for?"

"Maybe he's got a cure, because we are definitely sick."

''No, not sick; just out of practice."

"You know, when I took voice lessons my teachers told me the key to success was practicing every single day."

"Then we better get busy."

"No more backsliding and mentioning the--you know whos?"

"My dear, I don't know who you are talking about."

"We'll see how long you can keep that up," Abby laughs.

"I bet you I can outlast you."

"You're on."

Tom leads Abby to the bed.

"I like these kind of bets--everyone wins."

"Me too."

"Tom?"

"Hmm?"

"Shut up and kiss me."

Tom happily complies.

Later:

~I wonder of the house is still standing. A food fight, then no adults in the house all night,~ Abby thinks, but remembering the bet says nothing.

Tom wonders if the house is still standing. A food fight, then no adults in the house all night, and Nicholas there alone. But remembering the bet he says nothing.

"Tom?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think the...oh, nothing."

"Do I think what?" Tom asks.

"Um....Do you think you want something to eat? Drink?" ~Drink. If Elizabeth or Tommy went near the liquor cabinet or after the beer, it'll be a very long summer for them both.~

"Yeah, I would like that. ~I wonder if I locked the liquor cabinet.~

"Room service or do we find a restaurant?" ~Maybe I can maneuver him into driving past the house.~

"A Restaurant would be nice.' ~Maybe I can get lost.~

"We could always go back where we were before." ~Then we pretty much have to pass the house.~

Before Tom can answer, their is a pounding on the door.

"What in the heck?" Tom says as he goes to the door and answers it.

"Sorry to disturb you sir, but some of our pipes have burst and are starting to shall we say wet the rugs on this floor. We have to move you and your wife to another room."

"Another room?"

"Yes, and if things get worse, another hotel."

"Terrific." Tom says.

"I'm very sorry for the inconvenience."

"Thank you." Tom says. "May we have a few minutes?"

"Sure, but only a few minutes, wouldn't want you or your things to get wet." He gives Tom and Abby their privacy.

"Now what?" Tom asks Abby.

"I guess we move. What other choice do we have?"

"Abby...." Tom starts to say. ~No, I am not going to say it.~

"What?"

"I don't want to mention the 'K' word. But..."

"But you just did. You think we ought to go home, don't you?"

Tom shakes his head. "Just to see what's going on. Please don't be upset."

"Maybe it would be better if we were just having an affair," Abby says as she starts to get dressed.

"No, I promise you a romantic evening and that is what you are going to get." Tom goes to the phone.

"Tom, they're going to come back any minute. Who are you calling?"

"Another Hotel."

"But they said they'd give us another room here. Besides, weren't we going to get something to eat? By the time we get back, they'll have things settled here one way or the other."

Tom hangs up. "OK, lets go eat."

Abby kisses him. "You might want to finish getting dressed. Not that I'd mind you going around as you are..."

Tom looks at himself. "Oh." He then gets dressed.

"Oh," Abby laughs at him. "Hey, since you were the first to mention the K-word, what do I win?"

"Dinner with me?" he teases.

"Oh? So what would I have gotten if I'd lost?"

"The same thing?"

Abby laughs. "You should have held out longer. I had a more innovative prize in mind for you."

"So I don't get the prize?"

"You'll have to do something to earn it." There's a pounding on the door. "Guess our time is up."

"Sounds like it."

"Mr. Bradford, you said a few minutes!" the hotel employee yells through the door.

"OK, OK. We are coming."

"Actually, we're going."

"Ha Ha." Tom says. "Why don't you drive?"

"Wow--what's gotten into you? I usually have to pry the car keys out from between your clenched fingers."

"Nothing." Tom says. ~It'll keep me from driving pass the house.~

"We'll see if I still remember how to drive there." ~Must be some way to pass by the house...~

Tom hands Abby the keys.

Abby drives towards their neighborhood. "It's a right here, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Tom says suspiciously.

Abby makes the turn and a few more, ending up at the start of their street.

"I think we are lost." Tom tells Abby.

"How can we get lost in Sacramento?"

"Abby, look where you are. But I have a hunch you knew what you were doing."

"Hmm?" Abby says, playing dumb. "Well, at least from here I know how to get to the restaurant."

"Uh huh." Tom says. "Come on, admit it. You are concerned too."

"Concerned? About what?"

"Ok, fine play that game." Tom says.

"Actually, there are other games....But as long as we're in the neighborhood, it wouldn't hurt to just drive by, would it?"

"No, not at all."

"We won't go in or anything."

"Fine." Tom says. As they drive near the house. Tom face drops. "Oh my...."

Inside: "Hey Noah maybe we ought to clear this place out. It's starting to get out of control." Nancy says.

"Exactly what I was thinking." He grabs a bullhorn someone had brought. "This is the police!! Everyone out!!"

"Nancy, what are you doing?" Elizabeth asks.

"Trying to keep this place from falling apart."

Tommy comes upon the beer.

"Don't you dare little brother." Elizabeth says.

"I am going to only have one."

"Tommy, didn't you learn anything from last time?"

"No one is going to find out."

Elizabeth sighs. "It's your funeral." she says as she reaches for a cola.

"We said we weren't going to go in," Abby reminds Tom.

"But look at the place, I am surprise it is still standing."

"At least they're not trying to burn it down..."

Tom closes his eyes. "I hope Nicholas is OK."

"I hope he and his buddies aren't the ones behind this."

"Somehow I doubt it, but give him a few years."

"We're going in there to check this out, aren't we?"

"Think we should?" Tom deadpans.

"I don't know," Abby says honestly. "We said we weren't going to even think about them tonight."

"If you can honestly say you can ignore this without any reservations, drive on." Tom says.

Abby drives past the house. About 3 doors down she stops and backs up towards the house.

"Don't feel bad." Tom says.

"Why not? Instead of a nice romantic night with you, I'm about to spend the night in the emergency room, because this time you really will have a heart attack."

"Why do you say that?"

"If you don't think that's what's going to happen, why are we going in there?" Abby asks, looking towards the house. "Oh, no, it must be worse than we thought. The rats are leaving the ship," she says, watching kids of all ages and sizes leave the house.

Tom sighs. "Why couldn't they just leave well enough alone."

"Because they take after their father?" Abby guesses.

"I never pulled stunts like this."

"Only because your sister always was, I bet."

"You got that right." Tom says. "Well, let's get this over with."

"Tom? Try not to kill anyone, OK?"

"You're taking all the fun out of it."

"No, I just want you to have some strength for fun later on."

Tom kisses her and gets out of the car.

Abby takes a deep breath and follows him.

They walk in. Tom is stunned. "Do we really live here?"

"As of later on tonight, we might live here alone," Abby answers.

Tom goes through the crowd trying to find any of his kids.

Nancy and Noah are clearing the last of the partiers out when they come face to face with Tom and Abby.

Noah blinks and pretends to look around in confusion. "Oh no I'm sleep walking again."

"Oh no not that. I should get him home." Nancy takes his arm and starts to lead him out.

"Hold it you two."

"Busted." Nancy whispers.

"Who is responsible for this?"

"I'm not sure."

"Where's Mary and Joannie?"

"In the house."

Joannie tries to sneak up the steps undetected.

Tom sees Joannie out of the corner of his eye. "Going somewhere?"

"The bathroom?" Joannie tries to evade punishment.

"My study." he says pointing to it.

"But Dad..."

"Now."

"This must be the only house in America where the father has put nature on a schedule," Joannie grumbles as she follows her father to his study.

Tom shuts the door behind him. "I see it didn't take you long to plan this party after we left."

"We didn't exactly plan it, Dad."

"Oh? So all these people just decided to drop by?"

"Most of them. We didn't call more than a dozen or two."

Tom holds his head in his hands and shakes his head.

"You did ask... What are you doing home, anyway?"

"Our hotel got flooded." he says.

"Bummer."

Nancy and Noah try to make a break for it.

"You two lovebirds going somewhere?" Abby asks.

"We're trying." Nancy says.

"I don't think so. If my night's been ruined, so has yours."

Nancy cringes.

"I think Tom will want to see you both in his study."

"I thought he just wanted to see Joannie."

"Nancy don't even try." Mary says.

Elizabeth runs to find Tommy.

"Tommy, get rid of that can. Dad and Abby are back."

Tommy hurries and disposes the evidence.

"Come on let's go upstairs." Tommy says. Elizabeth nods.

Abby heads upstairs and meets Tommy and Elizabeth in the hallway. "Don't tell me. You were both in your rooms studying all night."

"Uh…well." Elizabeth says.

Since Tom's in the study with Joannie. And Abby's gone upstairs, Nancy and Noah slip out the door but not before telling Mary.

"If they need to talk to us, tell them they can call my penthouse."

"Well?" Abby repeats.

"It was too noise to study, so we did venture downstairs for a few minutes." she says.

"Enjoy the party?"

"It was ok." she says. "What are you two doing back here anyway?"

"We heard about a wild party on Oak and decided to check it out. Tommy, you're being awfully quiet."

"Nothing to say."

Abby gets a whiff of Tommy's breath. "Yeah, I can guess why."

"I am going to bed." Liz says.

"Traitor." Tommy says.

"I can take you both down to your father or we can take care of it here, the three of us," Abby says, holding Elizabeth back.

"Are they are only options?" Tommy asks. Elizabeth gives him that look.

"We could go back to you setting your own punishment."

"Why?" Elizabeth asks. "I wasn't drinking." she defends herself.

"So you're just abandoning Tommy, even though you knew he was doing something he shouldn't?"

Tommy closes his eyes and sighs. "Don't blame her, she tried to stop me."

"OK, Elizabeth, I guess you're off the hook. You can go downstairs and help clean up. Tommy, step into my office, would you?" Abby points towards her bedroom.

"Sorry, little bro." Elizabeth says.

Tommy goes into the bedroom.

"So what are we going to do about this?" Abby asks.

"I don't suppose we could just forget about this."

"As much as I'd like to forget this whole disaster of a night, no, I don't think so."

"I didn't think so." Tommy says.

"I thought you'd leant your lesson last time."

"It was only one can." he says.

"And the legal limit for a boy your age is...."

"Eighteen." he says reluctantly.

"That's the age you can drink at, not the number of cans you can have before you hit the legal age," Abby reminds him.

Tommy sighs not knowing what to say.

"If you don't come up with something, I can find a punishment or two."

"KP?"

"That's a good start."

"What else?"

"You know, I have half a mind to send you for counseling, since you can't seem to keep away from the stuff."

"Abby, that's ridiculous."

"Is it? This isn't the first time this year. It's not even the first time you've been caught."

"I don't have a problem."

"You obviously have a problem saying no."

"I do not, just because I had a beer, doesn't make me an alcoholic."

"So what does it make you?"

"A normal teenager."

"Elizabeth didn't drink. Is she abnormal?"

"No of course not." Tommy says.

"Either she is or you are."

"You are blowing this out of proportion." Tommy says. "Can you tell me you never drank when you were a teenager?"

"I never got caught drinking when I was a teenager," Abby says.

"But you did drink."

"What I did is irrelevant."

"Is it?"

"Of course it is. I'm not the one in trouble here, you are."

"Can we get this over with."

"Hey, look, if you don't like the way I'm handling this we can always go downstairs to your father."

"I didn't say that." Tommy says.

"Well, then, KP, work on your English for next year and what else?"

"Isn't that enough?"

"Only if I make you work on the English with your father."

"How about I clean out the garage instead."

"And you work on English with me?"

Tommy nods.

"OK. Why don't you go wash the smell out of your mouth and then go downstairs and help with the cleaning."

Tommy leaves and heads for the bathroom.

In his study, Tom sighs. "It was just one night, why couldn't you guys play scrabble or something."

"Oh, come on, Dad--for the same reason you couldn't tell us you were going."

"That's beside the point Joannie." Tom says. "We are the parents, you are the kids."

"You sure didn't act like it, running off like that. What if we hadn't found the note and Nicholas had needed you?"

"I made sure you would find the note." Tom says. "Speaking of Nicholas, where is he anyway. You know he is just getting over the chicken pox."

"Last I checked he was upstairs asleep. Freddie Ryan's up there, too."

"Frankly, I doubt they are asleep especially with the chaos going on around here." Tom says as he opens the door. "I am going to bed and when I get up in the morning, I want to somehow see this house turn back from a disco to a home. Understand?"

"At least the kitchen's already spotless."

Tom rolls his eyes and opens the door. "Mary..." Tom starts to say.

"Yeah?" Mary asks.

"You are next, where is Nancy and Susan?"

"Nancy and Noah had to go, she said to call her at her place if you need to talk to her. I have no idea where Susan is. In fact I haven't seen her since the party started."

"Well if she is smart, she'll lay low." Tom says. "Mary I'm surprised at you letting this party go on. Out of all the kids, I thought I could count on your sensibilities."

"Well you thought wrong Dad, I'm human just like the rest of them and I had a great time tonight." Mary says tired of being the responsible one.

"Let's see how much fun you have after you stay awake all night, cleaning this place up."

"I'm not cleaning."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me." She goes and pours herself a rum and coke.

Tom is stunned by this attitude.

Mary starts laughing and then goes to the kitchen to see if there's anything to cook.
 

Elizabeth goes downstairs and runs into Joannie. "How did it go?"

"Deadly."

"Yeah, I know the feeling." Liz says as she gathers up the trash.

"What are you complaining about? You didn't get called into the ogre's lair."

"No, but Tommy and I were called into the principals office."

"Huh?"

"Abby." she explains. "Tommy is still up there."

"Poor Tommy. Abby seemed pretty upset by the whole thing."

"Upset doesn't even begin to cover it." Elizabeth says. "I just hope she lets him live."

"I wouldn't count on it. She was pissed before they left the house. Now she's probably steaming."

"Yeah." she says. "Well it was a nice party while it lasted."

"It was. Maybe we could convince them to go away somewhere they couldn't surprise us by coming back."

"Good idea."

"Only problem is how to make them think it was their idea in the first place."

"We could leave travel brochures laying around."

"You don't think that's too obvious?"

"Do you have any better ideas?"

"Have a travel agent mail them to Dad's office?"

"Might work."

"Anything's worth a shot. We need a break from parents."

Tom follows Mary. "What has gotten into you?"

"I don't know but I like it." She continues to laugh not knowing that the brownie she had at the party contained hash.

Tom takes a hold of Mary and looks at her eyes. "Mary you are stoned."

"I am, cool." She laughs even more.

"Oh Mary." Tom says. "Why did you smoke that stuff, you know better than that. You are in med school."

"I didn't smoke anything."

Tom is mystified until he sees a plate of brownies on the counter. He breaks one of them open and smells it. "Mary did you eat one of these?"

"Uh huh, best brownie I ever had."

"Oh boy." Tom shakes his head. "Let's get you upstairs to bed."

"No I don't want to go to bed."

"Joannie." Tom calls out.

"The evil dragon calls," Joannie tells Elizabeth. "Yes, Dad?"

"It seems Mary had one of those brownies, help me to get her to bed."

"I am not." Mary stresses. "Going to bed."

"Then what do you want to do?" Tom asks.

"I want to eat some more brownies, do you two care to join me?" Mary giggles.

"You've had enough." Tom says as he takes the brownies away.

"What brownies?" Joannie asks. "Did I miss something?"

"They are full of hash." Tom says. "Where did they come from?"

"I don't know, but I have a pretty good guess where they're going to," Joannie says, sad that she won't get a taste.

"You've got that right." Tom says. "Stay here and try and talk your sister into going to bed."

"I bet Nancy would let me if I went to her place." Mary says skating on thin ice.

"Mary, did Nancy bring these?"

"I don't think so. She's like the poster child of saying no to drugs and alcohol these days. Such a waste." Mary laughs again.

Tom fumes. "Joannie, please help me."

"Why me? First no brownies, now this?"

"Because the party was your idea."

"Says who?"

"Well." Tom thinks. "Nobody has told me any differently."

"Yep always blaming Joannie, that's so wrong Dad." Mary says.

"Oh, don't worry Mary. You'll get your share of the blame in the morning, when you can remember it."

"No one told you Freddie Ryan didn't start it, either," Joannie notes.

"OK, I get your point."

"I should probably get Mary up to bed."

"Thank you."

"You'll owe me one, Dad. Come on, Mary, let's see if any of the cute guys hid out in your room."

"If there are do you want one?" Mary asks.

Tom does an about face and realizes Joannie was joking, he hopes.

"Of course. Come on, Mary, before they get away."

Tom starts to take the brownies upstairs to his room, intending to flush them down.

Abby comes downstairs after making a deal with Tommy. "Good night,  girls," she says, passing Joannie and Mary on the steps. "Oh,  brownies," she says, seeing the try in Tom's hands, and takes a bite  out of one before Tom can react.

Mary sees this and starts laughing again.

"Abby, those are hash brownies." he says too late.

"Hmm?" Abby asks through her second bite.

"They are full of marijuana." Tom explains.

"Oh, come on, Tom, that's not..." Abby stops her lecture on why pot isn't the worst thing in the world as soon as she realizes Mary is still there, laughing.

"Abby, you OK?" Tom asks with concern.

"Sure I'm OK. It was just two bites. I've..." ~No, I guess this isn't the time to tell him what college was like in the mid-60s...~

"You've what?"

"Why don't we take those things upstairs and out of harms' way before someone else takes a bite?" Abby suggests.

"I was just on my way to get rid of them."

"Well, don't put them outside or we'll have a bunch of stoned squirrels trying to invade our house."

"I plan getting rid of it permanently by flushing them."

"Instead of standing here talking about it, let's take them upstairs, then," Abby says. She leads the way, hoping Tom will follow.

Tom follows her.

When Joannie gets Mary to her bedroom they find Susan passed out on Mary's bed.

"Great. Guess Susan got to the men before we did," Joannie grumbles. "Come on, I'll bet there's a stash in my room," she tells Mary.

"Lead the way."

Once they get into the bedroom, Abby tries to snitch another brownie.

"Abby." Tom chides. "You're acting like one of the kids."

"Oh, come on, Tom," Abby says, free to speak now that no kids are around, "it's just pot. We'll have slept it off by morning."

"I am surprised at you." Tom says.

"Why? Don't you think I've ever had a joint before?"

"But its illegal."

"We've already broken the law having it here. Whether it goes down the drain or into us doesn't make much difference. Besides," she smiles and starts playing with the buttons on Tom's shirt, "whatever happens in the bedroom between consenting adults is only their business, isn't it?"

Tom shakes his head. He takes the contraband into the bathroom and flushes it down the toilet.

"That was silly, Tom. I'll bet you've never even tried the stuff."

"You're right I haven't." Tom says. "So shoot me."

"There are other things I'd rather do to you," Abby giggles.

"Oh brother, now you are stoned too."

"It takes a lot more than two bites of a brownie to get me stoned," Abby says. "At least it used to...."

"Look, I am sorry I am a stick in the mud, but I saw first hand what this did to Nancy." Tom says. "So forgive me if I am not amused."

"Tom, I'm not saying we should start baking them here at home, but...Anyway, I'm not Nancy." She starts kissing him.

Tom gets serious and stops the kissing. "I think I'll sleep downstairs tonight." he grabs a pillow and walks out.

Abby follows him. "Oh, so that stuff in your nightstand drawer, that's OK, but my taking two bites of a brownie that your kids brought in makes me the bad guy?"

"Will you keep it down, you'll wake the kids."

"Then come back to our room."

Tom reluctantly goes back to their room.

"What's gotten into you?" Abby demands as soon as the door's shut.

"What's gotten into me?" Tom answers back. "What's gotten into you acting like its no big deal that marijuana was brought into this house."

"I didn't say that it's no big deal. When I find out who brought it, that person's going to regret it. And if I'd have known what was in those brownies you were holding, I wouldn't have eaten one. But as long as I did, you could have joined me, just this once. Try something new. And it really
isn't any worse than those 'medicinal powers' you keep in your desk drawer. For some people, that's illegal, too, and it sure messed Nancy up as much as anything else."

"Look, I know I am being hardheaded. But it scared me when I saw you eat those. It was like I didn't know you and I couldn't stand it if anything happened to you."

"Like you didn't know me? Because I started kissing you? I've been doing that all night, or trying to."

"But I thought...."Tom says. "I thought is was the hash talking, not you."

"I don't need drugs to be interested in you," Abby says and starts kissing him again.

This time Tom doesn't pull away.

"I guess we're not going out to dinner."

Tom laughs. "I think you just had dessert."

"But I was supposed to be making you dessert."

"You still can, the night er...the morning is still young."

"You mean the kids didn't totally manage to ruin our night together?"

"Kids? What kids?"

"Remember? That's the word that lost you the bet--which you never did pay up on."

"Oh yeah." he says. "Ok, what do you want."

"What I always want, brownies or no brownies--you."

"You have me."

"In theory. I was talking in practice."

Tom gives her a long kiss.

"And if the brownies have made me a little more...suggestible," Abby says when they come up for air, "it's not like I wasn't willing without them."

Tom smiles and leads her to the bed.

~Ol' stick in the mud. Objects to a buzz, but doesn't mind the benefits.~
 

Part 3