Thanks so much for the reviews!
Flash, I love the idea.
Hopefully it's okay that I borrowed it and twisted it a bit.
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Upper East Side, mansion, 3 weeks later
Speed: *knocks on door*
Katie: *jumping up and down* SO EXCITED! SO EXCITED!
Speed: Hush. She's not going to let you in acting like a ping-pong ball.
Betty: *opens door, smiles* TIMMY! *waddles over, hugs Speed*
Speed: *smirks* Hi Mom. *wraps arm around Betty*
Betty: *looks outward* OH MY! *lets go* You brought the whole herd! *smiles* Come in, come in! Let me see your little faces!
Inside mansion
Horatio: *takes off shades*
Betty: *pinches Horatio's cheeks* Well aren't YOU a distinguished young man. Is that your real hair colour? *adjusts glasses*
Horatio: Mrs. Speedle. Nice to see you again.
Betty: MY KATIE! *waddles over, hugs Katie*
Katie: Oof.
Betty: How are you, dear!
Katie: Real hungry for those cookies of yours.
Speed: *clears throat*
Katie: *smiles*
Betty: *lets go* OH! You know, I hadn't had the opportunity to bake until very recently.
Speed: Really.
Betty: Now where did you put that darling wife of yours...AH! *waddles over to Calleigh* This is the one!
Anni: *lifts hand* Uh, actually, I'm his wife.
Betty: *looks at Anni, adjusts glasses* ...Timmy, you know polygamy is a felony.
Speed: *frowns* I only have one wife. *grabs Anni's hand*
Betty: *grabs Anni's face* Oooh she's pretty. Have we met?
Anni: We have. I'm Anni.
Betty: OH YES! I remember now! The wild one with the nice chest.
Anni: *looks at Speed*
Speed: So you were saying about baking?
Betty: Everyone make yourselves at home! I'll get the cookies started!
Colton: I want a mom.
Carly: ...You have one.
Colton: I want his.
Kitchen
Betty: *dumps flour into bowl* Doris Finch came over yesterday.
Speed: *lifts eyes*
Betty: Her granddaughter looks just like your Lori.
Speed: That's because her granddaughter
is Lori's.
Betty: *turns around* I fed my great granddaughter cookies and I didn't even know it?
Speed: She was here?
Betty: Why yes, she brought her here for a few hours. *gasp* You mean Lori married that nice young Finch? OH GOODIE. He's a fine man. *smiles, turns back to bowl* They were certainly eyeing each other from afar at that gala a few years back, I'm not surprised they ended up together.
Katie: How was Stephanie?
Betty: *stirring* Simply adorable but I couldn't get a smile on that girl's face if I had shoved a
thousand cookies in front of her. Timmy, she's definitely your daughter's daughter.
Speed: Do you know what she was unhappy about?
Betty: *turns around, opens oven* I suspect it had much to do with Doris' handling of her. She was shrewd and quite insulting. *closes oven* I've never seen a little girl cry over the placement of her hands on the table in relation to how parallel her chin is with the floor. I told her not to worry about it but Doris assured me little Stephanie needed to learn those skills. I'm not sure what century that mixed bag of nuts is living in.
Speed: *nods*
Betty: Not to mention Doris seemed a bit...can we say inebriated?
Speed: *frowns* She was drunk?
Betty: I could smell the alcohol. Shame too, she was doing so well for such a long time. Perhaps her husband's parole denial had something to do with it. At any rate, I was sad to see the child go back with her. There was something in her eyes...a pleading, almost. I sure hope she doesn't have to stay there much longer.
Speed: She's not. *stands* Where does this Doris live?
Betty: No no no, Timmy it's not your place.
Speed: It is my place.
Betty: *crosses arms* Timothy, don't you go there all cocked and ready to fire. Violence will get you nowhere and I don't want to see you acting like your father.
Katie: *stands* But I can punch her, right?
Betty: The both of you need to sit down and-
Speed: *leaves*
Betty: Don't you bring any guns!
Katie: *runs*
Betty: *sigh* He never listens to me, even on his best days.
Car, road
Katie: You think it was such a good idea to steal your mom's car?
Speed: I'm just borrowing it.
Katie: OH! Let's douse her house in mustard.
Speed: Let's just get the kid.
Katie: Okay, I'll get the sniper rifles. *crawls into backseat*
Speed: *lifts brow* What kind of mother do you think I have?
Katie: She has a shotgun under the seat.
Speed: ...She has a
what?
Katie: *smiles* Your mom is so cool. You should hug her more.
Speed: *rolls eyes*
Katie: *sits back in seat* Where's this house?
Speed: Down the block. At least that's what I remember from when my parents used to talk about her and her parents. I don't know the exact address but it shouldn't be hard to pin down.
Katie: Good 'cause I'm going to blow a hole in her face.
Speed: You're not going to do anything.
Katie:
You get to shoot her? That's not fair!
Speed: No one's shooting anyone.
Katie: Can't I at least pinch her?
Speed: *looks at Katie*
Katie: Nevermind. We'll do this like adults.
Mansion, 10:30pm
Speed: *walks up to door, tilts head*
Katie: It's open.
Speed: *pushes door, steps in* Mrs. Finch! We're Lori's parents, we just came here t-
Katie: *grabs Speed's arm, points to living room*
Speed: *looks over* What?
Katie: She's in there.
Speed: *walks away*
Living room
Katie: *runs over, kneels* She's not dead. Looks passed out on something.
Speed: *grabs bottle* Jack Daniels?
Katie: *lifts head* STEPHANIE! *stands, runs around*
Speed: *looks down at Doris*
Upstairs, bedroom
Katie: *flips sheets, looks under bed*
Speed: *walks over*
Katie: *stands* She's not here.
Speed: Neither's her stuff.
Katie: *looks down at floor* Check it out.
Speed: *looks down*
Katie: *picks up cracker* Salted.
Speed: Maybe little Stephanie had enough and decided to skip town.
Katie: *looks at Speed* That means there's a little girl by herself in the dark, somewhere in New York City. *shakes head* Where could she have possibly gone?
Speed: We don't know how long she's already
been gone and what direction she's headed...*stares at Katie*
Katie: What? Do I have something on my face? *touches cheek*
Speed: I think I have an idea either way. *grabs Katie's hand* Let's go.
Outside Empire State Building
Katie: *shuts door* Why the hell would she come here?
Speed: Think about it. *walks around vehicle* You're a 4-year old in the middle of Manhattan-
Katie: I AM NOT.
Speed: I'm not finished.
Katie: Oh.
Speed: You're a 4-year old in the middle of Manhattan, you look up. What's the first thing you see?
Katie: ...The sky?
Speed: *points up* The Empire State Building.
Katie: *looks up* OH! Because Scott works here.
Speed: That's where I'd be headed.
Katie: *smiles* ...You think like a 4-year old, often?
Speed: *frowns, walks away*
Katie: *smile fades* I was joking!
Side of building
Speed: Steph! *looks around* STEPH!
Katie: STEPHANIE ELIZABETH FINCH!
Speed: *looks at Katie*
Katie: You never know how many there are.
Speed: *points* Is that her?
Katie: *clicks on flashlight* I think so.
Speed: *runs over*
Steph: *hugging side of building, sniffling*
Speed: *sigh* Stephanie.
Steph: *lifts eyes*
Speed: *kneels*
Steph: I want Daddy.
Speed: I know you do.
Steph: Grama's a meanie.
Katie: I AM NOT!
Speed: *lifts head*
Katie: Oh. You were talking about...nevermind. *waves hand* Ignore me.
Speed: *slides backpack over* This your Barbie backpack?
Steph: *nods*
Speed: *opens bag* Crackers, juice boxes and Monopoly money. *smirks* Looks like you were all set.
Steph: *sniffs* Yup.
Speed: *picks up plastic knife* What's this for?
Steph: Protection.
Speed: *looks at Steph*
Steph: Lotsa meanies out there.
Speed: That's true.
Katie: Okay, I want to hug her.
Speed: *places hand on Steph's head* Why don't we get you something real to eat, would you like that?
Steph: *nods*
Speed: Okay. *picks up Steph* Get her backpack.
Katie: *grabs backpack*
Steph: *wraps arms around Speed's neck*
Speed: *looks at Katie*
Katie: *touches chest*
Hummerhome, outside mansion
Steph: *munching fries*
Katie: Does she look like she's on the skinny side to you?
Speed: Yep. Stephanie, can you tell me what you ate at the other grandma's house?
Steph: *dunks fries in ketchup* She wouldn't lemme eat 'til I gots manners.
Speed: *lifts brow* What does that mean?
Steph: *gobbles down fries*
Katie: *hands over water*
Steph: *grabs cup* I had to cross ma legs and...*touches chin*...fold ma napkin right and mmm...eat lotsa caviar.
Katie: What else did she make you do?
Steph: I couldn't sleep 'til ma nails was clean.
Katie: *looks at Steph's hands* Yours are full of bandaids.
Steph: Yup. She cleaned too hard.
Katie: Ugh, I don't know if I want to hear the rest of this.
Steph: *shoves burger into mouth*
Speed: ...Did the other grandma hurt you anywhere else?
Katie: *shakes head* Tim, don't.
Speed: *lifts hand*
Steph: *chewing, shakes head*
Speed: *sigh* Good.
Katie: Should we call them?
Speed: *looks at watch* It's still late in Brazil, I don't want to worry them. We can call in the morning.
Katie: And you're sure it was okay for Josh to keep an eye on Brooklyn while they're in Brazil.
Speed: He said he sent Cait to Australia to spend the rest of the summer with Carly's parents. They're a real military family so he was hoping that would rub off on her in a positive way. I guess he has the time. He's not working for the rest of the month.
Katie: *wraps arms around Steph* You poor dear.
Steph: *drinks water*
Speed: H said it was okay that she tag along for a while.
Katie: Who's going to tell Mrs. Finch that Steph's not going back?
Speed: I'll tell her tomorrow.
Brazil, resort room
Lori: One more shot.
Scott: No. No more.
Lori: *smiles* Aw, c'mon Scott. You've already had 8, what's another one?
Scott: *lifts finger*
You are tryin' to get me wasted.
Lori: You're already wasted.
Scott: *shakes head* No I'm not.
Lori: Then crawl across this bed and tell me that again to my face.
Scott: *jumps off bed, staggers sideways, trips over table*
Table collapses
Scott: *falls over*
Lori: *looks down at floor*
Scott: *blinks* Whoa, this floor is real close to the ceiling.
Lori: *slides off bed, sits on floor* You're just real drunk.
Scott: *sits up, leans against dresser* And YOU are real purdy. *laughs*
Lori: Yeah I know. *grabs Scott's arm* Let's get that glass out of your arm.
Scott: What glass? *stumbles forward*
Lori: ACK! *falls over*
Scott: *looks down, smiles* Well here we are. Right where I want you.
Lori: *smiles* I bid you good luck. 8 shots of tequila probably won't get you far.
Scott: Doesn't mean we can't have a little fun, right?
Lori: Ooh. I
like this side of you.
Scott: You were right. I am WAY too resplondisble, I need to let loose every once in a while. Y'know?
Lori: *laughs* Yes you do.
Scott: You are the most
exciting person I've ever known.
Lori: Well thank you.
Scott: *strokes Lori's hair* And you're so pretty.
Lori: *smiling* You've said that.
Scott: *rolls over onto floor* Wow there's a lot of glass on this floor. Someone might get hurt.
Lori: That was you, hon. You broke the table.
Scott: *looks over at table* Oh shit. *starts to laugh* Oopsies.
TBC........................
