Ok, everyone ready to rescue the kids and their moms?

Davy: Please tell me it isn't THAT bad at the 'ouse.

Mike: Or the Pad. :p

*Micky just sticks his tongue out at Lauren. He's completely lost his voice.*

Lauren: I TOLD you, Mick.

(We open in total darkness, illuminated only by a few candles and a single flashlight. The camera pans around the room, showing Jordan and Little Mick in one bed, Shelly and Katie in the other, and Lizzie and Leah in a crib behind them. Then...we hear little giggles.)

Katie: (Turns over) "You guys still awake?"

Jordan: (Rubs his eyes) "Huh?"

Little Mick: *sits up* "Of course."

Shelly: "I'm awake, too." :)

Katie: "I can't sleep. I'm worried 'bout Daddy an' the water. It was really high on the beach when Mama and Auntie Daphne sent us to bed."

Little Mick: "Uncle Davy and Nyles went to get them. I'm sure they'll be fine."

Jordan: "Yeah! Unca Davy said he had Auntie Ursula! She knows what she's doing!"

Katie: "But what about the water? What if it comes in here? There's already a lot of water in the basement."

Shelly: *shakes her head* The water won't get to us! Our parents won't let it!

Jordan: "I like swimming, but not in the house!"

Katie: "I hope you're right. I heard Mama say what happens when people get a lot of water in their houses. Some of them even drown!"

Jordan: (Squeals) "I don't wanna drown!"

Katie: "I guess your mama and papa are still on the big radio box, Shelly and Micky."

(Jordan continues to whimper in the background.)

Little Mick: *grins* "Yup!"

Jordan: "Will they be ok? Will the water get them there?"

Katie: "I'm sure they'll be ok in a big building, won't they?"

Shelly: "They'll be fine!"

Little Mick: "Yeah!"

Katie: (Sighs) "You know, it's kind of nice to be sleeping together here, like a big family."

Jordan: "You guys will protect me and won't let me drown!"

Katie: "Of course we will, Jordan! Didn't we make that promise today we'd help each other? If we didn't, we'd break the promise, and Mama says it's bad to break a promise."

Jordan: "What about Lizzie and Leah? We gonna protect them, too?"

Katie: "Of course! They're family, too, and Guard'ns!"

Jordan: "When do you think the water will go away?"

Katie: "Tomorrow! It'll get so bored once the rain stops, it won't want to play here anymore, and it'll go away!"

Jordan: "Really?"

Katie: "Yeah! Have I ever fibbed?"

Jordan: "Well, there was that one time you knocked over Auntie Emma's cookie jar..."

*The twins exchange looks.*

Katie: "Besides that!"

Jordan: (Thinks) "Uh, yeah, I guess not."

Katie: "I wish we could listen to Uncle Micky and Auntie Lauren. Then we'd know the rain was gone and they were ok."

Little Mick: "Wait..." *reaches under his pillow and produces a small transistor radio* "I brought the radio Daddy gave me!"

Jordan: "Great! Do you know how to make it work?"

Katie: "And how to make it quiet, so we don't wake up Leah and Lizzie? If they get up, they'll get our mamas up here, and they'll be mad!"

Little Mick: "Sure I do!" *turns the radio on at a low volume; there's music playing* "Aw, there's music on right now."

Jordan: "It's not our daddies' music!"

Katie: "It's a pretty song, though."

Jordan: "I wish my daddy and mommy were here! The lights are still gone, and I'm scared! Do you think someone came and took all the light away?"

Katie: "Yeah! I'll bet someone stole all our lights, an' the police will find it!" :D

*The twins exchange looks again.* :P

Jordan: "I don't like the dark! What if there's a monster in the closet who's gonna eat us?"

Katie: "If there is, I'll get him with my sword and make him go away, just like Papa does!"

Jordan: "What if he tries to eat all of us?"

Little Mick: "Then he'll have a tummy ache!"

Katie: "Yeah! There's too many of us for one monster to eat!"

Jordan: "What about the babies? They don't have weapons."

Katie: "We'll take extra-special care of them. I heard Papa say they have to take extra-special care of Mama, 'cause she has a baby in her tummy."

Jordan: "When are you gonna have a brother?"

Katie: "Mama says in a month, right after Halloween."

Jordan: "Wow." :o

Katie: "I'm real excited. I can't wait to have someone new to play with and show our house to and run around with and play blocks and softball and Cowboys and Indians with!"

Jordan: "Are you sure your brother isn't gonna come out now? Auntie Lauren once said the twins decided to come out when it rained a lot."

Katie: "Mama says no. It's too early."

Little Mick: "We like the rain!"

Katie: "You must really like the rain. You surprised Auntie Lauren!" ;)

Jordan: (Gulps) "I hope the rain really will be gone by the morning and light will be back. This is so spooky."

Katie: "It does feel weird, doesn't it? Like one of those old movies with no color Mama likes."

Little Mick: *out loud* Spooky? I'll show you spooky! *Runs around, making ghost noises. Shelly shrugs and follows her brother.* ;)

Jordan: (Wails) "Waaahhh! Stop that! You're scary!"

Katie: (Puts her hands over her ears) "Guys, cut it out! Our mamas will hear, and we'll get in trouble!"

Lizzie: *yawns* "What the heck are you doing?"

Little Mick: *grinning ear to ear* I'm a ghost!Wooooooooo!

Katie: "See what you did? Lizzie's up! Now we're all in trouble!"

Jordan: "I DON'T WANNA BE EATEN UP BY A GHOST!"

Little Mick: "Oh, Jordan, I'm just pretending to be a ghost! Gee whiz." *starts running around again, but without the ghost effects. Now he's making train noises*

Emma: (Outside the door; sound of feet coming upstairs) What's going on in there?

Katie: "Shh! Shh! It's our mamas!"

Daphne: It sounds like a herd of elephants.

(Emma enters, followed closely by Daphne. She shines her flashlight on Little Mick, who runs around in a circle, making train noises. Shelly jumps on the bed. Katie still has her hands over her ears. Jordan continues to wail. Lizzie just stares at all of them like they're crazy.)

Emma: That's ENOUGH! You're supposed to be sleeping!

Katie: No sleep. (Makes a face) Little Mick’s noisy!

Little Mick: *stops and makes a face* Am not!

Daphne: Why doesn't that come as a surprise?

Katie: Yes, you are! Auntie Daphne's right! You sound like a whole buncha elephants, and maybe buffalo, too!

Emma: The point is, you are supposed to be in BED, not debating whether Mick sounds like elephants or buffalo.

Jordan: I WANT MOMMY!

Shelly: I want a trampoline!

*Lizzie lays back down and ignores the lot of them.*

Emma: Jordan, what's wrong?

Jordan: (Sniffles) Don' like dark! No dark! Wan' Mommy!

Katie: Little Mick scared Jordan.

Emma: You know what, kids? We just heard from Uncle Davy. He's going to come over to the house and pick us all up in Ursula. We're afraid the water is going to rise higher here. We're going to have a nice ride and get to sleep in Aunt Valerie's daddy's big house.

Jordan: Water here?

Emma: (Sighs) I can't lie to you kids. There's already water up to our ankles in the basement, and we had to put tape on most of the windows. Yes, the water may come here. We're near the beach.

Katie: Will we be washed away?

Emma: Not if Uncle Davy picks us up.

Little Mick: Yay, boat ride!

Jordan: I want Mommy. Don't want water!

Emma: (Looks at her watch) Uncle Davy should be around soon with Aunt Ursula, so why don't we get everyone and all of their stuff together? You guys can stay in your jammies. You'll be going straight to bed when we get to Aunt Valerie's dad's house.

Jordan: Go Granpa Morgan's big house?

Emma: Mr. Cartwright is out of town, so we can stay there for a while until the water goes away.

Katie: Yay! I like Granpa Morgan's big house, an' Chrissy's there!

Emma: So all of you big kids are going to have to be really good and help us pack up some clothes. Katie, Uncle Davy's going to stop really quick at the Pad so I can check on it and get clothes for us.

Katie: Ok!

Davy: *appears in the doorway with Mike* Gee, awfully 'ard to miss where the lot of you were. We could 'ear ya from outside.

Mike: Little Mick was carryin' on like a nut or somethin'.

*Little Mick just grins.*

Katie: PAPA! (She jumps out of bed and runs right into her father's arms)

Emma: Honey. (She puts her arms around his shoulder as best she can)

Mike: Hi, darlin'. (Grins down at Katie) You too, Cowgirl. I been worried about my girls.

Katie: Me too, Papa!

Mike: (Looks at his wife) Em, Davy and I stopped really quick at the Pad on the way and took anything we may need for the next few days, including clothes. I'll give you the ugly details when we're at Val's dad's place.

Emma: (Sighs) Thanks, Baby.

Mike: (Goes to Little Mick) Whoa there, cowboy! What's got you runnin' in circles? You're gonna get dizzy doin' that!

Little Mick: *grinning, shakes his head* No, I won't! I'm a train! Woo woo!

Mike: (Grins) How would the train like to head down the tracks to Ursula? A train conductor's got a lot of important things to do. He's gotta help his mommy get clothes for the next few days, and he's gotta get in Ursula and be a nice, quiet boy, 'cause everyone else is gonna be sleepin'.

Little Mick: *huffs, but nods* Okay, I'll help.

Jordan: Want Mommy n' Daddy!

Mike: Don't worry, little cowboy. Your mama and papa are at the big mansion, tellin' the maids to set up rooms for us for the next couple of days.

Jordan: (Gulps) Ok.

Katie: (She puts an arm around Jordan) "Don't worry, Jordan! We'll all take care of you! You won't get hurt!"

Jordan: "Will you take care of me forever n' ever?"

Katie: (Hugs him) "Of course!"

Mike: (Grins at the two) Aw, ain't they cute?

Emma: (Smiles) That's very sweet of you, Katie.

Katie: Thank you!

Emma: (Looks at her watch) We'd better get moving. It's late, and you kids really do need to get in bed.

*The camera follows Little Mick as he goes to retrieve his small transistor radio. He grins, finally hearing his mommy's voice come from it. We fade out on Shelly joining him and fade into the radio station. Lauren sits at the microphone again, Micky next to her, with his arms folded, frowning. Nyles collects 45s. Jack is in his regular seat across the table.*

Jack: Mick, don't give us that look. It's not our fault you can't talk.

Micky: *mouths* "Why not?"

Jack: If you'd gotten off when we said to, you'd be fine now.

Lauren: Since when does he listen, hm?

Micky: *turns to Lauren; mouths* "Don't you start too!"

Lauren: *sighs* I'm really not much of a lip reader...

Nyles: That isn't what Mick's said.

Micky: *mouths* "NYLES!" :P

Nyles: What?

(Jack laughs at Mick's expression.)

Lauren: *slaps her forehead* How am I surviving these guys?

Jack: How do you survive being married to him? (Juts a finger at Mick)

*Micky sits back in a "hmph" manner, his eyes narrowed.*

Nyles: *interrupts* You know that line "sooth the savage beast?" Laur's got a corner on it.

*Lauren shakes her head, trying to not laugh. Micky glares at Nyles, but Nyles doesn't understand it.*

(Jack snorts.)

Lauren: You guys think you can hold it to a dull roar, so I can give the weather and lead into the next song?

*Micky rolls his eyes.*

Jack: So, what IS the weather?

Lauren: *on air* And that was Frankie Valli with "Can't Take My Eyes Off You." On to the weather, I hear it's finally stopped raining, but there is still a lot of flooding out there. The flood warning has been extended through midnight tomorrow, so everyone hang tight and enjoy the music. *off air; turns to Jack* And that's the weather.

*Micky picks up two pencils and uses them as drumsticks.*

Jack: (Over Micky) I'm almost afraid to think of what the damage is going to be from this when the whole thing's over. (Glares at Micky) Do you HAVE to do that?

*Micky nods, continuing to drum.*

Lauren: Micky, I'm gonna take those away from you!

*Micky keeps on drumming.*

Lauren: *snatches the pencils from him* Mick, would you knock it off?

Nyles: *leans closed to Jack* Fight?

Jack: Looks like it. This could be fun.

*Micky shakes his head and grabs the pencils back.*

Lauren: *eyes widen* Micky, we've all been in here for over twelve hours. It's well after midnight. We're tired and irritable. Your drumming is NOT helping. If you'd just collect 45s to play or something, you wouldn't have to sit there pouting, looking more immature than the twins!

Micky: *stares at Lauren for a moment, then tries to say out loud* I wanna go home.

Nyles: *frowns* Aw man, this is gonna turn sappy.

Jack: Maybe, maybe not, Ny.

Lauren: *ignores them* NOW you say that.

(Jack nudges Nyles and flips the "on" switch again.)

*Nyles grins, but not TOO widely.*

Lauren: *frowns at just how bad Micky sounds* Mick, I'm sorry for yelling, but it's still your fault you lost your voice.

Micky: *nods; faintly* Yeah.

Lauren: *glances at the two across the table trying to not smirk for all their worth; to Micky* Mick, how about after I finish out this hour, we head out? Everybody's gotta be at the mansion by now. We could find a room out in the far wing... ;)

Micky: *finally grins* Yeah... ;)

Lauren: I can do my best to help you feel better. ;)

(Jack grins and lets out a low whistle.)

*Nyles snorts outright, then stuffs his fist into his mouth to keep from crowing.*

Micky: *faintly* We have to finish the hour?

Lauren: Maybe the hyenas over there can take it from here.

*Micky turns a pleading look to Jack and Nyles.*

Jack: (Grins) Should we, Ny?

Nyles: Oh, I don't know... *is kicked under the table* Okay, okay! We can handle it.

*Micky mouths "Thank you!" to them, then stands as Lauren does.*

Lauren: Let’s get out of here, before my face gets any redder.

*A blue light surrounds them as Jack and Nyles wave. We fade out on the radio station and into the mansion. Lauren and Micky appear in the main parlor...and find they aren't alone.*

(Mike, Peter, Valerie, Daphne, Davy, and Emma sit around a large console radio, grinning.)

*Micky's face falls as he points at the radio.*

Davy: Well, well, look who finally showed up.

Valerie: The West Wing is open if you guys want privacy.

(Peter's jaw is on the floor.)

Lauren: *groans* Oh, geez, he did it AGAIN!

Micky: *croaks* I'm gonna kill Jack and Nyles.

Mike: Why? You guys are hilarious!

Davy: Your ratings must be through the roof!

Daphne: It's been definitely some of the most entertaining radio I've heard in a long time.

Emma: Who needs the storm outside? You guys are infinitely more entertaining, and a lot less wet.

Davy: *snorts* For now!

(The others burst into laughter, except for Peter, who blushes.)

*Micky makes a weird, strangled sound as he grabs Lauren's hand and leads her out of the parlor, headed for the west wing.*

Davy: Did we strike a nerve? ;)

Daphne: *shrugs* All I know is that Micky really doesn't sound very good, but still very entertaining!

Mike: They ain't that much different from the storm. They cause a lot of trouble an' you worry about them, but they sure can rock the boat!

(Everyone doubles over laughing again as the camera fades out on the radio and the view of a dark, but mostly cloudless night over the Cartwright Mansion.)