(We open in Davy and Daphne's living room. Davy and Nyles plays with all six kids while the radio plays in the background. We see the heavy, dark clouds in the background behind Davy and Daphne's wide picture windows and see the steel-gray Pacific Ocean churn and froth.)

Emma: (Comes out of a room in a simple peach dress with a lace collar, her feet in low white sandals) This was a wonderful idea, all of the mommies going out together tonight! I'm glad we thought of it. (Sighs and rubs her stomach) I won't have the time for nightly outings after the baby's born.

Katie: Mama! (Runs over to her mother) You so pretty!

Emma: (Blushes) Thanks, sweetie. Are you being good for Uncle Davy and Uncle Nyles?

Katie: Yup! We're playin' with blocks! :D

Nyles: They're building me a block surfboard!

*Davy rolls his eyes, but he's grinning.*

Jordan: Surf'board! Go swimmin'!

Emma: Not today, Jordan sweetie. The water's too rough because of the storm. You'll have to pretend your surfboard is in the water.

*Nyles helps Jordan lay on the "surfboard" and shows him how to move his arms to "paddle."*

Emma: Ok, you know where to contact us. Katie has to go to bed at eight o'clock...

Katie: Awwww! No bed!

Emma: Katie, don't fuss. You promised you'd be good for Uncle Davy!

Katie: I want to play!

Jordan: (As he "paddles") Whee! Surfin's fun!

Daphne: *enters the room* Sounds like something fun is going on in here!

Jordan: Surfin'!

Katie: (Sits next to the twins) What'cha doin'?

Little Mick: I'm building a fort! It's Fort Knox!

Katie: Ooh, cool! Can I help?

Little Mick: Sure!

(Katie sits down with the twins and their blocks as the music winds down.)

Katie: Aww, no music!

Emma: I'm sure another song will be on in a minute, Katie. Give Uncle Micky some time to do the weather and make announcements.

Micky: *over the radio* And that was Boots Randolph with "Yakety Sax" as we roll right into the weather. Frankly, it ain't looking pretty. The weather service has issued a flood watch for the next 24 hours in all surrounding areas and beyond this station's broadcast signal. *small sigh* It doesn't look fit for man or beast out there.

*A faint voice in the background behind Micky says "Yeah, it isn't even fit for you!*

(All four of the adults in the house burst into laughter.)

Micky: That was my producer, Jack, who apparently thinks he's funny.

Emma: No, he's right!

Micky: I just sent Jack to take a look out a window on the other side of the floor. The thing about a studio is it's just all walls. It feels like a cave, especially since I can get an echo going in here, too.

(Pause) Jack just came back, and he says it is NOT looking pretty out there. Well, looks like I might be taking a longer shift tonight.

Jack: *in the background again* Or you could let your wife on!

Emma: (Frowns) That's not good. He and Lauren are supposed to be coming home in a half-hour so us ladies can go out.

Micky: I'm starting the music back up so that funny guy won't be on air anymore. *the radio cuts to a commercial. The phone rings.*

Emma: I'll get it. (Picks it up) Hi, Lauren! How's everything going? We heard Micky's weather report.

Lauren: Everything here is good, but Mick's right, I don't think we're gonna be able to get out of here, at least not until the rain stops. Apparently, the street already looks like a river.

Emma: Great. It's just starting to come down hard here. I guess we're going to either have to wait on going out or do it another time.

Lauren: We'll have to take a literal rain check.

Emma: And I was looking forward to this, too. The baby will be out in a few months, and I won't be able to really do this for a while.

Lauren: I'm bummed out too, but it's for our own safety.

Emma: I know. I wonder if we ought to try to move the kids now, or wait and see what the storm's going to do. This house is awfully close to the water, and so's the Pad and the Montgomery House.

Lauren: I don't know. I think you might be better off just staying there.

Emma: What about you guys? How are you gonna get home? What about the kids?

Lauren: I'm afraid we're stuck here. You guys are gonna have to watch the kids for now.

Emma: What should we tell the twins? I don't think Leah will be too much of a problem, but the twins will know something's wrong.

Lauren: Just tell them that the weather's too bad for Mommy and Daddy to get home, but we'll be there as soon as we can. They'll understand.

Emma: All right. You guys be careful there too, especially if the water's already that high where you are. (Frowns) You haven't heard about anywhere else, have you? Like Bel Air or Studio City? Val was supposed to be picking up Chrissy and Sarah to watch the kids so Davy and Nyles could go out with Mick and she could go out with us, and Mike and Peter are working on the new album. We haven't heard from any of them.

Lauren: Nope, haven't heard anything else yet. Mick wasn't kidding when he said the studio is like a cave. *sighs* I will let you know if I do hear anything, and we'll keep you updated over the airwaves. I might get a turn at hosting if Jack and I can pry Mick from the microphone and headset.

Emma: All right. Please keep us posted for as long as our phone holds out, which if the way the water's coming down now is any indication, won't be for long.

Lauren: They should have a transistor, at least you'll get to hear us if something does happen to the phone.

Emma: All right. Just be careful, ok, you, Mick, and Jack. Is there anyone else at the studio?

Lauren: Yeah, there's a few others milling about. Jack just headed out to grab some food from the breakroom. Good thing it's usually kept pretty well stocked. Unfortunately, it won't be long before Mick starts complaining of hunger pains because we don't know how long we'll be here.

Emma: Tell him to imagine himself something until you can send a good swimmer out for supplies.

Lauren: Or we could just send him. *snickers*

Emma: True. He swims.

Lauren: Well, I'd better get off before I run up the station's phone bill too much. Take care and stay put!

Emma: (Sighs) We will! You take care, too! (She puts the phone down and returns to the living room. Most of the kids now watch the rain fall in heavy streams down the window.)

Katie: "Wow, lookit that rain! I've never seen it rain so much!"

Jordan: "What if it rains so much, we get washed away?"

Shelly: "We won't wash away!"

Little Mick: "Yeah, we aren't getting wet!"

Jordan: "My mommy says sometimes the water can go into people's houses and make them so wet, they float away!"

*The twins just exchange looks.*

Katie: "Aw Jordan, don't worry! We're in a nice, safe house! The rain won't get us! And if it tries, we'll take care of each other!" (Nods at the floor in front of the window) "Come on guys, let's sit down. We gotta talk." (She plops down on the floor; Jordan plops next to her)

Jordan: "What we gonna talk about?"

Katie: "Well, I'm gonna be a big sister soon, and Shelly and Mick already have Leah, and there's Lizzie. We have to keep an eye on each other."

Jordan: "I thought my eyes were in my head!"

Little Mick: *puts an arm around his sister* "No, silly, she means we're gonna make sure we all stay nice and safe. If one of us gets in trouble, the others will rescue them!"

Katie: (Nods) "That's right. We're the big kids. We have to watch Leah and Lizzie and each other, like the grown-ups watch each other."

Jordan: "So if I get hurt, you'll help me?"

Katie: "That's right!""

Lizzie: *as she toddles over carefully* "Hey, I can watch you, too?"

Katie: "We're doin' serious talkin', Lizzie! We're talkin' bout how we're gonna take care of each other!"

Jordan: "We're gonna rescue each other!"

Lizzie: *plops down* "Okay!"

Katie: (Growls) "If that mean old Bad Lady and the Bad Man try to hurt us again, we'll stop them! I have my sword, an' the twins have their swords, an' Jordan has his bow n' arrows!"

Jordan: "But my arrows are made of plastic! They don't really hurt."

Katie: "So? They look good! They'll scare them away!"

Jordan: "Lizzie, we really have to watch you n' Leah. You're too little to have swords or arrows, and the Bad Lady and the Bad Man might try to hurt you."

Lizzie: *nods* "I don't wanna be hurt!"

Katie: "We're going to be our own Guardians, like our mommies and daddies, and we're going to make sure that we all stay safe, including my new little brother when he comes out of Mama's tummy." (She grins) "Why don't we make a pact? We could all swear to be good Guardians!"

Jordan: "Mommy says swearing isn't nice."

Shelly: "Not that kind of swearing, Jordan."

Katie: "I saw a couple of guys do this on TV once!" (She puts up a hand) "Everyone raise your hand an' repeat after me."

(The other four kids do so, Lizzie as well as she can on all fours.)

Katie: "Ok, this is what we're gonna say. 'I promise to be a good and nice Guardian and take care of my mommies, daddies, and all the other Guardians and to make sure the Bad People never get us."

*Again, the twins exchange looks. They can't remember all that!"

(Jordan gets kind of tongue-tied half-way through and ends with "Um, yeah.")

*Lizzie just smiles.*

Katie: "Guys!" (Sighs) "Ok, I guess that's good enough."

Emma: (As she, Daphne, and Davy join the kids; Nyles listens to Micky on the radio) Kids, what are you doing over here? You shouldn't be near the window with all that wind! (She picks up Katie and brings her back over to the living room)

Davy: *ushers the twins away* C'mon, rugrats, don't make Uncle Davy get harmed by your daddy for leaving you too close to the window.

*Daphne picks up Lizzie and takes Jordan's hand and brings them over to the couch.*

Emma: (Looks at the twins and sighs) Um, Shelly, Mick, I don't know how to explain this, but your mommy and daddy are going to be a little...late.

Little Mick: *tilts his head* Daddy's still on the radio.

Emma: And they're staying there. They can't pick you up because of the storm.

Shelly: *smiles* We'll see them later.

Little Mick: *nods* They'll be here when they can.

Daphne: I think they're taking it rather well.

Emma: Good. (Looks at Jordan) I don't know when your mommy will be around, either. She said she was driving Chrissy and Sarah over after work, and I know work should have ended by now.

Jordan: Aunt Emmie! (He goes over to her and hugs her leg) Ok! Mommy come soon!

Emma: (Sighs) I hope you're right, Jordan. (She rubs his hand gently)

(Fade out on Emma and Jordan; fade in on the radio station where Micky and Jack worked during the "Traveling" and "Literary Stories" arcs.)

*There's music playing in studio. Micky paces around the room, while Jack sits on the opposite side of the table. Lauren isn't in the studio at the moment.*

Jack: Mick, sit down. You're going to wear a hole in the floor, which I don't think will make Hamilton too happy.

Micky: Jack, I'm going on 8 hours in this studio. I'm going stir crazy! I don't mind doing it, but that fact that I couldn't go outside even if I wanted to is driving me up a wall!

Jack: Go get another Pepsi from the machine and throw on another stack of wax.

Lauren: *returns to the studio* Jack, you really DON'T want him to have more caffeine. *sits Micky down, then rolls her eyes and sits next to him*

Jack: I just want him to DO something, before he drives ME crazy!

Micky: Before I drive YOU crazy?

Lauren: Guys, knock it off! We're barely into the storm and you're already making each other crazy. I don't feel like leaving here with both of you in straight jackets!

Micky: *puts his head in his hands* I feel like I'm getting claustrophobic.

Jack: I may end up leaving in a straight jacket if Mick doesn't sit down and save his babbling for on the air.

Lauren: *sighs* Maybe I should take over, so Mick can run up and down the halls for a while.

Micky: *looks up* It's the same thing! I can't leave! It's too enclosed!

Jack: Yeah, that's not a bad idea, Lauren. We're the only ones who can GET here. Everyone else besides the technician went home.

Lauren: What do you think, Mick?

Micky: I think I'm gonna start hyperventilating.

Lauren: What is WRONG with you?

Jack: Mick, you've been doing this ever since the storm started. It's just a storm! It'll pass!

Micky: No, it's bad. There's a 24-hour flood watch! We're STUCK in here until it passes! I can't handle it...I gotta get outta here... *his knee bounces down in a nervous twitch*

Lauren: *to Jack, but motions to Micky* You think you know someone.

Jack: (To Micky) You're afraid...of the flood?

Micky: *shakes his head* Not the flood...we're stuck in here.

Jack: (Smirks) You're claustrophobic!

Micky: *voice a few octaves higher* So!?

Lauren: *puts a hand on Micky's leg to make it stop bouncing* Mick, stop it!

Micky: *the other leg starts bouncing* At least this won't be like the last major storm...at the pad...

Lauren: Right, Mick. There won't be any babies born here.

Jack: Babies?

Lauren: *sighs* Remember that big storm a about 5 years ago? I ended up going into labor and Mick delivered the twins.

Jack: Oh. I think I've heard about that from a couple of different places.

Lauren: Yeah, well, if one of those sources was Mick, he was NOT completely coherent during that. I remember more about it than he does.

Jack: That's interesting, considering you were the one having the kids.

Lauren: Isn't it?

Jack: Hey Mick, you ok?

Micky: *breathing a bit heavily* No...I gotta.... *jumps up from the chair and runs out of the studio*

Lauren: Okay, either his three 32-ounce fountain sodas finally caught up with him, or... *makes a face*

Jack: Lauren, take over the controls and change the song. I'm gonna go see if I can talk to him, or at least stop him before he runs into something or knocks himself out.

Lauren: *nods* Consider it taken care of. *goes for more 45s*

("Goin' Down" begins as Jack peers into the corridor, looking for Micky.)

*As Jack looks one way, Micky runs by on the other side.*

*Micky runs into the "office area" which consists of mostly cubicles. He climbs over the walls of the them.*

(Jack tries to follow him, but he stumbles over a chair, then slips on some papers left on someone's desk and falls flat on his face.)

*Micky stops briefly by the water cooler and lays down on the floor under it. He reaches up and turns the water on, letting it run on his face.*

*Micky takes up residence in one of the cubicles and spins in the desk chair.*

(Jack makes a flying leap for Mick in the chair.)

*Micky jumps out of the chair, which Jack crashes into. As Jack rights himself, paper airplanes begin descending on him.*

(Jack follows the paper airplanes to another desk. Micky leans back in a chair, making airplanes from official station notepaper, his feet on the desk.)

*Micky waves at Jack, then leapfrogs over him, racing back out of the cubical.*

(Jack follows Micky back into the hallway again.)

*As Jack passes the Xerox machine, he notices some strange looking copies...*

(Jack finally stops at the machine and picks up one of the copies...getting a very large and very odd picture of Micky's face squashed against the copier. He turns to Micky, who continues to copy himself.)

*Micky grins and presses Jack's face to the glass, then presses the "copy" button before taking off again.*

(Jack gets up and grabs the picture of his squashed face, tossing it over his shoulder before chasing Micky again.)

*Jack sees Micky run into the men's room and follows him. Jack runs in as one of the stall doors closes. Jack goes back out, waiting for Micky to come out. Micky does come out after a few minutes as the song finishes.*

Micky: *groans* Man, that's the last time I have that much convenience store soda and jump around that much.

Jack: Hey Mick, you ok, other than your face is about fifteen different shades of green?

Micky: *barely shakes his head* No, man, I'm freaking out. I know we're safe and everything in here, but... Is it just me or are the walls closing in?

Jack: Did you have anything else besides soda before you came? I know you and Peter and some of the other guys who have been working on that movie with you have been tryin' some stuff...

Micky: Weeeelllll...oh man, don't tell Lauren, she'll kill me!

Jack: Mick, what did you do?

Micky: *frowns* It had some fancy name I couldn't pronounce. One of the other guys had it and passed it around. *leans back against the wall*

Jack: When, where, and how much?

Micky: Uhh, last night, after recording. I don't remember...

Jack: No wonder you feel awful. How did you cover it up with Lauren?

Micky: I didn't really start feeling it until we figured out the storm was gonna keep us in here. *makes a face* I really am claustrophobic, but not usually this bad. It's making it worse. *frowns*

I don't think it mixed with the soda too well, either.

Jack: No kidding. Look, why don't we go see if we can get something in the break room to help your stomach, then we'll see if we can get some more information on this storm.

Micky: *nods slightly* Yeah, okay.