A Little Family Bonding

"I don't want to go."

"You're going to go and you're going to like it, young lady!"

"But I don't want to!"

"Carly!" Althea yelled. "You're going if I have to knock you over the head and throw you in a sack!"

"Hey, do that. It sounds interesting," Pietro laughed. "Do that!"

"Shut up Pietro!" both girls yelled.

"Look, Carly," Althea continued in a softer tone of voice. "My father and your mother are dating whether we want them to or not. We just have to grin and bear it for as long as they're together. They want to have a 'family dinner' with us and we have to."

"Why?" the feral asked with a growl.

"Because they want us to," the other girl snapped. "Look at it this way. If we go with them, they won't be alone and therefore won't be creating another little brother or sister for us."

"I'll be ready in five minutes," Carly eagerly agreed.

"Aww, that was depressing!" Pietro stated. "There was no action."

"Why did I agree to let you come along?" Althea rolled her eyes and left Pietro standing alone in Beach Head's living room.

"She's coming," Althea informed her father. "She'll be here soon."

"Good," Shipwreck grinned. "We'll be going to her mother's favorite place."

"Where, the corner bar?" Carly asked as she entered the room.

"Don't be so snippy," he replied. "Everybody ready?"

Althea and Carly picked up the babies and they were ready to go.

"Buy me something!" Adam called out from the other room as the group teleported away.

"Your mother's favorite place is McDonalds?" Althea asked.

"What can I say? We're cheap," Carly shrugged. "Besides, they make the best fries."

"It's so good to see you again my little Peach Dumpling," Roxie said, giving her daughter a big hug.

"Yeah, isn't it though? Can we please eat and get this over with?" Carly asked desperately. "Ouch! Althea! You kicked me!"

"Be nice," the other girl hissed.

"Fine!"

A short time later they had their food and were sitting at a table near the play place where the younger kids could play.

"I'm so glad y'all decided to join us," Roxie told the two eldest girls in her possibly fake Southern drawl.

"It was our pleasure, Ms. Shane," Althea answered before Carly could complain. She turned and whispered to the sullen feral, "This won't be that bad, really. It's just eating and watching the babies and the triplets play."

"I think you're speaking a bit too soon," Carly replied with an embarrassed look on her face. "We can't let my mom turn around."

"Why not?"

"One of her ex-boyfriends just entered with the woman he dumped her for."

"What are you two whispering about over there?" Shipwreck asked suspiciously. They looked like they were up to something.

"Nothing," they answered in unison, just as Roxie turned round to see what they were looking at.

"Why that lowdown, dirty, scum sucking pig!" she growled. "I hate him. I really do."

"But you're with someone much better than him now, Mama," Carly pointed out desperately. "Remember that. You can be the bigger person and, you know, not beat him to a pulp."

"You're right, dear. Hector here is much better than Lonny."

"Nice one," Althea whispered.

"Thank y—oh, you have got to be kidding me! Another one!"

"Another ex-boyfriend?"

"What are the odds?" Carly hissed before continuing in a louder voice, "Remember, Mama, Hector is much better than Lonny and Derek."

"What makes you bring up Derek, sweetie?" Roxie asked, looking behind her once again. "That lousy, effeminate, jackass!"

"That's the one who dumped you for another man, isn't it?" Shipwreck asked, studying Derek.

"That'd be the one," Carly answered. "The one even little Beak could snap like a twig." She turned to Althea. "You know, I really think that he and Pietro would get along well."

"I'm bigger than him, I have a better man, too," Roxie sniffed, turning back to their meal.

Ten minutes later, Althea and Carly both looked about ready to cry as yet another man entered the fast food restaurant.

"Let me guess," Althea said slowly and quietly, "that's another one?"

"What can I say?" Carly shrugged sheepishly. "My mother got around."

"That makes the tenth one!"

"Make that eleven," Carly smirked.

"I wish I had stayed home. So you're saying they all dumped your mother?"

"Yes. They all broke her heart. Just as soon as it was healed, another one would come along and break it," Carly whispered angrily. "I really hate them." She turned to her mother and Shipwreck. "Excuse me, I'm going to go check on the little ones."

"I'll go with her," Althea said, hastily following her friend…past her siblings and to the ball pit. "What are you doing?"

"Getting ammo." Carly grabbed an armful of the plastic balls and set them in a pile next to the door of the play place. She made more trips until she had a good-sized pile of balls ready and waiting.

By now she had caught the attention of the triplets and the babies, who stood behind her, next to Althea, watching what she was about to do. "It's been a while since I've played softball, but I was always a pretty good pitcher," Carly commented softly as she began to stretch. Finally she wound up and pitched the ball straight at Number 5's head. "Bulls eye!" She lobbed a few more at the various guys around the restaurant.

"Carly!" Roxie admonished as she stood up, glaring at her daughter.

"Roxie! Would you keep that brat of yours under control?" Lonny yelled angrily.

"Brat? Carly, give me one of them," the elder Shane woman huffed, holding her hand out for a ball. As soon as it was in her hand it was flying at Number 1, scoring a direct hit to the center of his forehead. "No one calls my Baby Doll a brat and gets away with it, you pig!"

It was all out war. Everyone in the restaurant was throwing plastic balls at the other side of the restaurant: the Misfits and Roxie against the Exes. The restaurant workers all ran out the back door, screaming, avoiding the painful dodge ball game.

"We're home!" an extremely chipper Carly called out the moment they teleported back to Misfit Manor. "And we come bearing fries!"

The others stood stunned, staring at the slightly bruised people before them.

"What happened to you?" Low Light asked, trying to suppress a laugh and miserably failing.

"We ran into some of Roxie's ex-boyfriends and got in a fight," Shipwreck explained. "That was fun, we'll have to do it again."

"Yes, we will," Carly agreed with a broad grin.

"That was horrible! We're banned from McDonalds! I'm never going out with you guys again!" Althea moaned as she started up the stairs. She turned back to Carly, with a small smile. "But you and your mom sure can throw. I don't think you missed a single one of her exes."

The End