Rebuilding Begins

 The Barbieville Business Owners Association is focusing on the members impacted worst by the flood.  Mei Chang has lost home, cafe, and husband.  Four Eaton his grandfather/business partner.  Iris Patrick her tailoring business. Whitney Darling's father owned WDLC, was lost in the flood, and she inherited.  

Rose-Grace: This may be weird, but we've never been a normal town, have we?  Sulu suggested this meeting and has offered campsites on his property to anyone lost their home.  Most of the losses were homes, some residents are being housed in motels by insurance, but many are not.  If you know of anyone in need, please send them his way. 

Dionne:  I can't pay near what you were making from the cafe, but Helena House needs kitchen staff.  Do you think you're up for supervising a bunch of kids as they learn basic cooking skills?  We can also offer room and board. 

Mei: You can board all four of us?  We would only need two rooms - one for we girls and a smaller one for Qi - until I find a house. We won't need boarding permanently.  

Dionne: Of course.  Now, let's talk about wages and benefits. 

Pocahontas:  I was discussing you and Dawn with Tierra, my entertainment head.  We could use you for wardrobe on shows.  Tierra's got a lot of ideas.

Iris: It would just be me.  Dawn's moved on.  

Pocahontas: Really?  Well, that's fine.  I really didn't know if I'd have enough work for both of you. We'll order the costumes premade and you'd just have to make alterations and mending.  Doesn't pay much, though. 

Iris: Coby makes more than enough to support us.  My shop was more of a hobby.  

Four:  I don't know if I can make it without Bapo.  I'm still so new at tattooing professionally.  

Whitney:  At least you're trained.  What do I know about running a TV station? 

Okoye: I can help you there, Miss Darling.  I'd like to buy you out.  

Whitney: Who are you?

Four:  That's Okoye, the media mogul.  You just got your butt saved, my friend.  

A man comes in while everyone is conferring. 

Tony:  I'm Anthony Lucas, Rayshawn's brother.  I'll be handling matters for his family for now.  (To Rose-Grace) My brother speaks highly of this town and of the lovely mayor.  I just stopped in to introduce myself and let anyone who might be concerned know that Marty is in good hands.  

After the meeting, Rose-Grace finds Agent Danvers in the parking lot. 

Carol: We need to talk, ASAP, in a secure location.  The sabotage at the dam is way bigger than I thought.  

Rose-Grace: Come to my office in the morning.  

Sulu notices lights on in the greenhouse shop and investigates.

Sulu:  Mattie?!  What are you doing here?!  

Mattie: I came home.  My place is here with my family. 

Sulu: Umm... okay.  Can we talk about that hair? 

For The Children Part Two

 At Sulu's Greenhouse 

Mattie: What happened at the lawyer's?  We all but ran home from school.  Almost forgot to get DD from the daycare, even!  

Bobby:  Is it a brother for me?!  Is it?! 

Sulu: I told Lynch she shouldn't make you go to school today, that you'd be too excited. (dramatic pause)  We're adopting a boy about Anakin's age.  His name is Rayford.  Bobby, he'll have to share your room, but I think you're close enough in age for that to work. 

Vivica: Me and Mattie could share.  Mattie even said it's okay. 

Sulu: You'll share with DD once she starts sleeping through the night.  No need to cram three people in one room.

Bobby: YAY I gots a new brother! 

Vivica: He's my new brother, too, you poopy head! 

Bobby: You already gots a brother - me! 

****

At The Tor, Charlotte and Batgirl are relaxing on the penthouse balcony.  Batgirl is telling her sister about a new cashier at the grocery when Charlotte's phone goes off.

Charlotte: I don't believe it!  Kayden agreed! 

Batgirl: He's giving you custody? 

Charlotte: Oh, no, I made an offer I thought he'd never accept.  My children can't get their money until they are 21 if I relinquish custody.  Well, if Billy passes away before then, you know.  I thought for sure he'd decline and my lawyer could use that against him as we went forward. 

Batgirl: I guess he does have motives besides the money.  

Charlotte: He's going to brainwash them and get the money then.

Batgirl: I know you were never particularly maternal and you only had them for Billy's sake, but you're so... distant.  With the internet and telephones, there's no reason you can't be part of their lives even from here. 

Charlotte: I don't know how to deal with kids.  You've seen me with yours. 

Batgirl: I can help you with that.  Just sign custody over and follow my advice.  By the time they're grown, Mary-Kate and Max will at least like you.  You don't want to end up like our mom, do you? 

Charlotte (angry): Don't you dare compare me to her.  She deserved everything she got.  Or didn't get. 

*****

Airport, somewhere west of Barbieville.

Malachi: Are you waiting for the Barbieville plane?  Me and my mommy are going to live there.

Rafe:  Yeah, I'm getting adopted by a family there. Do you know anyone there? 

Malachi: Just my grandparents and my uncle.  Are you an orphan?

Rafe (reading from his tablet):  Not no more.  I've got a new dad, a new mom, a brother, and three sisters. 

Malachi: Mommy!  This boy is going to live in our town!  Can he sit with us on the airplane? 

Diana: The plane has assigned seats, but maybe someone will trade if you ask nicely.  

Malachi: He said his new family is named Sulu.  Do we know anybody named Sulu? 

Diana (to Rafe): Adoption? (He nods) That's probably Hikaru - I can't imagine the parents adopting at their age.  They have to be in their sixties by now, if not older.  As I recall, they are very nice people.  

Malachi: Rafe's mommy and daddy went to heaven, just like my daddy, so he had to go live in the orphanage til somebody bought him. I'm happy this guy did, cause now I'm gonna have a friend as soon as we get there. 

Rafe: That's not really how it works, but I'm happy, too.  (winks at Diana) It sucks at the orphanage. 

Note to readers: Charlotte's kids live on Facebook page Our Toy Story - album Nearly Famous 

Pillaging the Pumpkin Patch

 Early November on Windu Acres

Fred: Why can't I ride back here with Stacie?  It's not fair.

Mace: You can if you agree to pay the ticket I'll get.  Got a couple hundred bucks laying around? 

Fred: How come we're taking the horse trailer but no horse? 

Mace: Hagrid will meet us there.  Anything that is too mushy for us, he takes to the preserve for the wild animals. Our stuff goes in the bed of the truck, his in the trailer.  

Fred: I like Hagrid.  He's like a giant hairy kid!

Hagrid: Once you adopt a few more helpers, or the ones you got grow up, you'll be able to keep the patch open after Halloween.  Do hay rides and stuff. 

Sulu: We did have live music this year, thanks to Mattie.  

Hagrid: Are you gonna adopt more kids?

Sulu: Five's our goal.  Bobby's hoping the next one is a boy. 

Stacie: You played for the customers?  I'd get stage fright so bad! 

Mattie (shrugs): More like I just played during down time.  Customers liked it, so Dad gave me more down time.  Some girl with pink hair tried to start a fight with me about Finnick.  It was weird.  

Stacie: Esperanza.  She's probably convinced he's cheating on Nakoma with you.  

Mattie: As if.  He's disgustingly in love with Nakoma. 

Mace: Hey, we ain't paying you gals to gossip!  

Mattie: We're waiting for you big strong men to start chucking pumpkins at us.  

Hagrid:  Dang, girl!  Where'd you come from that you think we're gonna throw these at you? 

Mattie: Give me a break.  I'm new at this farm girl stuff. 

Fred: This is neato.  Can we get in it?

Bobby: It's just a decoration.  I wish we'd get big enough to help, but Daddy says we have to weigh more than the pumpkins.  

Vivica: He's fibbing.  Mattie don't weigh more than the pumpkins and she gets to help. 

Fred: I babysit our little twins all the time and StepMommy says it's a big important job. So we are helping since we gotta keep Diana safe. 

Once the pumpkins are loaded, they discuss lunch. 

Hagrid: You pick the place, I pay the bill.  That's the deal every year and you know it. 

Mace: Might be a little different now that I've brought these two. 

Hagrid: Nope.  I expected Tanner, anyway. How's he working out? 

Mace: He's good.  Needs a poke every now and then, but who doesn't? 

Fred: Hagrid, tell Grandpa Mace to let me ride in the horsey trailer with you.  

Mace: Hagrid ain't the boss of me.  The only reason he's allowed to ride in the trailer is because he's a grown man and can pay his own ticket. 

Mattie Settles In

 Sulu's (the local greenhouse/nursery) 

Mattie is puttering around, enjoying her first full day of work in her new family's business. The bell on the door chimes.

Mattie: I'll be right with you!  

Mattie: What can I do for you? 

Jessie: I'm Jessie Cooper, I work for Joe Montez.  I need to put in an order for a large landscaping job. 

Mattie: Oh, Su- I mean, Dad - hasn't trained me on that yet.  I'll have to call him in from the property.  

Jessie: He's on the way in.  I flagged him down from the parking lot.  You must be Mattie.  How are you settling in? 

Mattie: I like it here.  They even gave me my own room, even though I would've been fine sharing.  And the work so far has been a lot easier than what I did before.  Waitressing. 

Jessie: I know what you mean.  Joe's a contractor, so we do construction.  I go home exhausted every night, but I don't normally deal with the public.  My roomie waits tables and she - well, my former roomie, I should say.  She recently had to move back into the family home. 

Mattie:  As long as they keep their hands to themselves, I never minded the public.  It's the going home exhausted part that got to me! 

Sulu: Thanks for waiting, Jessie.  I was checking on the hives. 

Jessie: I figured as much since you looked like a snowman out there. Mattie's a nice girl. 

Sulu: We've been quite pleasantly surprised.  Adopting an older child is always a risk. 

Jessie: Did you really adopt her without ever meeting her?  

Sulu: Sort of.  We'd seen her records and met her over video chat.  Now, what's up with this huge landscaping job?  Since when does Joe do landscaping? 

****

Speaking of Jessie's former roomie, Zenobia is resting after rehearsal with Sarcastic Fringehead. 

Zenobia: He thinks I'm not going to press charges.  Said my primary duty is to family. 

Whitney: Well, my dad's an ass, but I don't think I'd -- 

Zenobia: Your dad never ran over your mom with your stolen vehicle. (pauses to collect herself)  I'm sorry, Whitney, I know your dad's done some awful things, but...  never mind, it's not a contest.  I'm just venting and probably telling you stuff I shouldn't. 

Tanner: Since our mom is the star witness? 

Finnick: Probably not supposed to tell anyone anything.  

Taylor (entering): Hey, Finnick, you wanna make a little extra money? 

Tanner: Hey!  Don't come in here during rehearsal! 

Taylor: It's been five minutes since you stopped.  I waited and y'all are hibernating in here.  (To Finnick) That girl Sulu and Lynch adopted is looking for a guitar teacher.  She said she's just getting started, but Sulu said she's been taking lessons for years, so I don't know what's up with that. 

Finnick: Let me guess.  You were showing her around school and just happened to mention that I play. 

Taylor: Something like that.  She's pretty nice.  Kinda quiet. 

Whitney: Is she pretty? 

Finnick: What the hell? Why would that matter? 

Zenobia: Because Esperanza, that's why.  Whit worries way too much about what that idiot thinks. 

Whitney: Be nice. 

Zenobia: Oh, that was way nicer than what I was thinking. 

Finnick: I'll talk to Sulu or Lynch about it, Taylor.  We should be able to arrange something. 

Another Sulu

 The Sulu family is at the airport.

Bobby: Is that our new Sissy's plane?  Is she here now? 

Sulu: I think it is.  Now, remember, be on your best behavior.  We don't want her jumping back on the plane and running away! 

Vivica (giggles): I'll tackle her!  We been playing football at recess!  

Mattie:  Mr. and Mrs. Sulu?  I'm Matilda.

Lynch: No need for the formality.  If you aren't comfortable with Mom and Dad, I'm Lynch and he's Sulu.  These little monsters crowding around our knees are Bobby and Vivica, your new siblings. (To the little ones) Back off and give her some space. 

Bobby: Daddy said you was bringing a guitar.  Where's it at? Can you play it good? 

Mattie (to Bobby): I've just started lessons and it'll be waiting for us at Baggage Claim.  (To Sulu and Lynch.)  I hope there's someone who can give me lessons here?  

Lynch: We've been asking around, but no luck so far.  This all happened so fast!  

Vivica: How come you got such a teeny suitcase?

Bobby: I dint know we was adopting a growed-up lady. 

Mattie (laughs): I've got a few years before I'm an adult. I'm just tall. And the teeny suitcase holds my book.  I'm really fussy about taking care of my books.  (Looks up as Sulu and Lynch return from conferring with the flight crew.)  All set? 

Lynch: All set.  Just had to prove we really are the people that are supposed to be picking you up. 

****

On the way home, they stop at Sunburst for dinner. 

Mariko: Your food will be up shortly. 

Lynch: Mariko, this is Matilda.  (The girls exchange the usual pleasantries) We contacted an agency about adopting an older child and almost instantly, they hooked us up with Matilda.  

Mariko: No offense, but you guys are nuts.  These three aren't aging you quickly enough? 

Mattie: I'm pretty sure that's why they adopted me. 

Sulu: Hey, now!  That may have been part of why we requested --- 

Mattie (laughs): I'm not complaining! It's all very Anne of Green Gables.  

Mariko: When you start school, I'll meet you at the office and show you around.  Unless Lynch already roped Taylor into doing that? 

Lynch: Taylor's in the same grade.  But thanks for offering. 

John: Just what we need. Another Sulu. 

Sulu: How'd you manage to sneak up on me? 

John: Restroom.  (To Mattie) Nice to meet ya, kid.  I'm your uncle John. 

Sulu: Don't confuse her, she just got here. 

John (pretends to be hurt): You didn't tell her about me? Your best bud since kindergarten?  

Sulu: Don't make me kick your ass.