Aunt Jenna's Birthday Gift

by Maggie O'Malley and shalimar

Note: Transgender element is from previous stories. Spells R Us is implied.

Four little girls sat on the edge of the three-year-old's bed. The youngest being Michelle two, then Cathleen her cousin at three, and the oldest twins being her best playmates and cousins, Maggie and Baruchah at age five. The four little girls were often called princesses by Cathleen's mother, Jenna and at the moment they really looked the part. Dressed in their pink princess gowns, wearing aluminum foil crowns, and holding their "scepters," they swung their legs and wiggled their naked toes. The barefoot princesses were holding court today, and a collection of stuffed babies were neatly arranged at their feet attentively listening to the royal rugrats.

Michelle, the diapered one, with her still growing platinum hair had a winning smile that was only exceeded by her great cuddles and her constant following of her older siblings and cousins. Today she showed her relatives her new tooth.

With her long strawberry blond locks and big green eyes, Cathleen was the perfect toddler version of a fairy tale princess. Her smile was pure love and magic, a combination her parents were usually powerless to resist. The little one's charms could get her nearly anything, but sadly were ineffective against her arch enemy "bath time.”

Baruchah had hazel eyes and dark complexion like her mother, and fiery red hair. She was unfortunate to be fifteen minutes younger than her “fat turn all” twin and sometimes had to respect Maggie as her elder. She also hated bath time until she was finally in and playing with the bath toys.

The senior princess, Maggie, shared her cousin’s green eyes but her long hair was in soft curls and auburn in color. Freckles, which her mother told her were really tiny lipstick marks from angel kisses before she was born, adorned the small child's face. She too, had a magic smile, and although it had lost a tooth recently, it still had the same power as Cathleen's, and unfortunately for her, the same failings concerned bath time.

Playing princess was the most recent activity for what had been a pretty active day for the toddlers. Their day had started early as usual. Shelly: Michelle, Baruchah and Maggie's mother and Jenna's sister dropped off her little ones at Jenna's that morning around eight. Jenna normally watched Maggie while Shelly was at work at the Kamp. It was an arrangement that worked well for all parties as Shelly wasn't very comfortable about leaving her little girls at an overcrowded, understaffed day care, and Jenna got to spend the day with her nieces and daughter which thrilled her to no end, while of course the twins and toddler were tickled to be with each other, sometimes literally!

The four were wide awake this morning, so Aunt Jenna gave the three oldest each big bowls of their favorite cereal while Michelle received a bowl of Cheerios, a half a banana and a bottie of milk.

She then let them watch cartoons in the kitchen, while keeping a watchful eyes on the four as she worked. Most of the Lucky Charms went into the three oldest mouths and bellies, with only the usual amount for toddlers, ending up on the table, the floor and them. With the exception of having to remind them to eat once or twice, after Barney magic had captured them and left them staring open mouthed at the television, breakfast was quick and painless. It was Shelly’s good fortune not to be there with that show because she swore she would one day put on Elmer Fudd’s hunting hat, grab her trusty shot gun bought at Toys R Us, bag Barney and serve purple dinosaur meat for dinner.

After the pair washed hands and brushed teeth, Maggie helped Cathleen into play clothes, and the pair spent most of the early morning playing with puzzles and babies, and several noise making toys, which as any toddler knows are by far the best kind. That’s because children are usually heard and not seen.

Around ten, Aunt Jenna checked on her charges and brought them fruit juice sippee's. She sat on the bed, happily captivated, as the group explained all the activities that Jenna had missed in her absence. Jenna pulled her girls in for a cuddle and then asked them if they were ready to play outside for a while. Baruchah and Maggie smiled brightly at each other and then turned to Jenna and in unison in exclaimed. "Can we pay in da pool?!"

“Yeah,” Cathy agreed.

“Pool,” added Michelle.

Jenna laughed and cuddled them tightly. "Yes, you can play in the pool. I'll go outside and make sure it’s clean while y’all get into your bathing suits. When your dressed you come out, and don't forget your towels and your sippee's, okay?"

The little girls were holding hands and jumping up and down but still managed to get out an "otay" before running past Aunt Jenna and heading to the bathroom to get their bathing suits. Jenna shook her head and smiled lovingly, as the fearsome foursome disappeared from view. The young woman had been tempted to put Cathleen into daycare and make her part time work in the toy store a full time operation, but it was moments like this that reminded her she had made the right decision to be a stay at home momma, except when she did som work at the Kamp. Rising from the bed, Jenna then headed outside to the pool, as she knew the junior swim team would be there shortly.

Ten minutes later the quad appeared, Cathleen dressed in her adorable cheerleader swimsuit, Miriam in her cute bikini, Baruchah and Maggie in their Little Mermaid ones. Jenna stretched out on her lawn chair, and opened a book, but over the next two hours never got past the first chapter as she was far too busy answering, "Look at me Aunt Jenna,” and “Look, mommy, look!" The young mother didn't mind as no author's words could come close to giving her the joy she felt just being with children.

She watched as the pair ran in and out of the wadding pool, over to the swing set, then into the playhouse before hitting the water once again. Bailey, the puppy, was a bit slower, but she followed the girls everywhere they went, even into the pool! Once when Aunt Jenna had finally gotten into a few pages of her story and failed to answer one "Look at us now, Mommy," two of the girls snuck up on her and began squirting her with water guns. The young woman was up in a second and pretty soon all five girls were running in and out of the pool and around the swing set with Bailey was still chasing from behind.

Finally, about 12:30 Jenna corralled the water nymphs and reeled them in for lunch. Normally they loved hotdogs and tater tots, especially with lots of ketchup, but they were still wound up from playing outside and were more interested in hitting the water, then hitting the dogs. Jenna, noticing her girls had barely touched their plates, resorted to an unfair mommy tactic. She bribed them with dessert. Going to the oven, she pulled out a tray of freshly baked brownies. The girls seeing their favorite "ooey-gooey" began licking their lips in anticipation. All it took was from Jenna was to remind them that they don't get dessert until their plates were clean. Ten minutes later there wasn't a single tater tot a speck of ketchup or a bite of dog left except for Bailey and what she was able to snatch, and, of course, for the usual amount the rugrats routinely wore.

The four kittens plowed into the brownies like toddlers on a mission. Two brownies a piece and a glass of milk later the toddlers were waddling around like Bailey the puppy. Bailey and Jenna helped them wash off the mess they had worked so hard to create, but not without each giving them several chocolate "ooey-gooey" hugs and kisses.

Jenna then suggested that they might want to lie down a short nap, but the girls weren't ready to succumb to the charms of the sandman just yet and insisted they weren't tired, despite the heaviness in their eyes and bellies.

Jenna told them they couldn't go outside for a little while anyway and that they could play or watch a video. They opted for the video, but long before Peter Pan dueled the Evil Captain Hook, the girls felt the Sandman's presence and decided to get up and play before he caught them.

They had played with their babies for awhile, and they even sung songs with Cathleen's toy piano. Bailey accompanied them with a yip or a howl or two on occasion, but for the most part hid under the bed, and eventually fell asleep.

Finally they decided to play princesses for a while and that's what they had been doing for about thirty minutes. Maggie had just hit Sir Lionheart with her "scepter" officially knighting the King of Beast when Cathleen smiled and called to her twin princess. "Maggie, Baruchah guess what?"

Not giving her royal cousin a chance to answer, Cathleen plowed right ahead as most toddler's are prone to do, "Mommy's birfday is tomorrow! And there's gonna be a big ol pardy wiff ice cweams and cake too!"

Baruchah and Maggie's eyes grew wide at this toddler news flash. Any day there's ice cream and cake is a good day, but this was an especially good day because it was their Aunt Jenna's birthday, and they loved their Aunt Jenna with all their hearts. The young girls smiled as they thought of Aunt Jenna blowing out the candles on her cake, and knowing that they and Cathleen would probably get to help.

The thought of candles brought a question to Baruchah's mind and she shared it with Cathleen, "Cathleen, I wonders how old Aunt Jenna's gonna be. She's all growed up and she's a mommy, so that means she gots to be weal old, maybe bout a hundred years or somethin."

Cathleen thought for a minute and then shook her back and forth. "No,I don't thinks so, Baruchah, cause member when it was Auntie Prue's birfday, and she said she didn't gets no older cause girls can have lots and lots of birfdays and not gets no older, and somes even gets younger?"

Maggie nodded her head and turned to Baruchah, “Remember Cathleen's last birthday? She was three again.”

“Yeah!”

"Well", added Cathleen, "I kinda thinks that's what my mommy does, so she probably done had lots of birfdays, but she ain't never getting no olds."

Baruchah smiled and was happy that her younger cousin had reminded her of the birthday rules for girls, because she never wanted Aunt Jenna to get older either, she loved her just the way she was.

The four children’s thoughts included dreams of cake and ice cream dancing in their heads, when suddenly Baruchah grew wide eyed and her mouth fell open.

Maggie seeing the panic stricken look of her “fat turn all” twin’s face grabbed her hand and asked her if she was sick. Baruchah shook her head no, but she was sad. Aunt Jenna's birthday was tomorrow and she didn't have a gift to give her. The more she thought of it, the sadder she got, and tears began to form in her big eyes that were already heavy from a nap free afternoon. Cathleen and Michelle hugged her immediately, and got tears in their own eyes, becuase if Baruchah was sad, then so was they.

The two princesses held Baru for a few seconds before Maggie joined them.

And then Cathleen smiled. "Baru, Mommy's birfday ain't till tomorrow, and tomorrow is a whole long time. You gots plenty of time to makes mommy somethin or to get her somethin. We just gotta figure out what it is!"

Maggie smiled and wiped a tear away. Cathleen even though she was two years younger than her twin cousins, had a wisdom far beyond her toddler years, and The twins normally followed the little imp's lead, be it into the pool, into the cookie jar or trying to get out of bath time.

The four princesses sat on the bed carefully contemplating their predicament.

Cathleen, trying to help, had her faced scrunched up in as much serious thought as a three year old could muster, when Maggie tapped her on the shoulder, "Hey Cathleen, what did you get for Aunt Jenna on her birfday?"

The tiny tot smiled and then whispered quietly. "I maded mommy a special birfday card wiff lots and lots of hugs in it. Here I gots it hid. I'll shows it to ya."

“Michelle,” suggested Cathy. “look outs da door an see if my mommy is near by.”

The barefoot princess slid off the bed, and hurried to the door. She looked from side to side to be sure Jenna was nowhere in sight. When she gave the OK, Cathy dropping to her knees and crawled under the bed until only those bare feet were showing.

Maggie listened as she heard Cathleen groan, grunt and then holler, "Bailey! Gets off dat. You is seepin on mommy's birfday card."

A few seconds later the pup wiggled out followed by Cathleen who'd lost her crown in the struggle to retrieve the hidden present. Pushing the hair from her eyes, she proudly presented the card to her cousins. The three sisters smiled wide at the brightly colored card. It showed a mommy hugging her little girl tightly, and Cathleen had "customized" it by adding some crayon colorings of her own all over.

Then pointing to a very lovely but totally unreadable scribble at the bottom, she smiled, "See girls, I even putted my name on it right there."

Baruchah and Maggie nodded as that small bit of coloring might have been scribble to any adult, but it was perfect toddler script for "Cathleen.”

“Dat your name?” asked Michelle.

“Sure is Mishee.”

The freckle faced girl and her twin hugged their cousin tightly and told her that was a great gift and they wished they had one just like it to give Aunt Jenna. Cathleen smiled big and ran to her desk to get her crayons and some paper. When she returned she handed them to the puzzled Baruchah and Maggie.

"Maggie an Baruchah, yous can colors mommy a weal purdy picture and gives her dat for her birfday and I bets she will likes dat a lot and yous colors weal good too, like me!"

Maggie got very excited, and dumped the crayons out on the bed and started thinking about what to color when the girls noticed they were shy several crayons. Cathleen pushed the pile around but it was obvious she was missing some.

"Girls, I can't find my gween cwayon no wheres."

Baruchah started poking through the pile and noticed the absence of blue as well. The girls began wondering what could have happened to their crayons and who would possibly take them. In only took a few seconds for the four toddlers to solve both the what and the who.

"Bailey!" they shouted.

The pup had been known to munch a few crayons on occasion and seemed to have a particular fondness for green. The pup hearing its name, wagged her tail and looked up, but when she saw the scowls she was getting from her usually cheerful playmates, she made a beeline for the bedroom door. Cathleen stomped her foot and told her to come back but by then the pup was long gone to her safe spot under the sofa. Maggie walked over to where the pup had been laying and found the evidence to convict the canine. Wrappers from both the blue and green crayons were all that was left.

The girls sighed heavily. Without blue and green it was impossible to color a pretty picture. You couldn't make the sky or the grass. They had no choice but to come up with another alternative.

The girls spent the next thirty minutes suggesting and rejecting possible gifts. Cathleen said that her cousins could get her mommy anything as long as it wasn't bath stuff because Cathleen was having a hard enough trying to throw away or hide all the bath stuff that her mommy had already.

The group of princesses were so engrossed in their task that they never saw the Sandman sneak into the room, and before they knew it, he hit them all in the eyes with a good dose of magic sand. The four princesses had become a quad of sleeping beauties, and when Jenna and Shelly came in to check on them they found the group snuggled with each other and still sleeping soundly.

The two women smiled and shook their heads at the heart warming sight. Jenna went to her baby, and Shelly to hers. They hated to wake them, but those kids needed supper soon, so with a mommy's kiss instead of a prince's kiss, the group was awakened.

The Sandman must have hit them with both barrels, because the girls were still half asleep as their mothers got them out of their princess attire and into shorts, shoes and shirts.

With a sleepy Michelle on her hip and sleepy twins in tow, Shelly thanked Jenna as usual for watching her babies, and then headed for the door as she needed to get home to start dinner. The three blew sleepy kisses to their Aunt Jenna, and waved at Cathleen.

Cathleen astride her own mother's hip waved at her cousins and shouted. "Don't worries girls, you'll tink of somthin."

Jenna gave her daughter a puzzled look and said, "Think of somethin? What are you kids up to now?"

Cathleen smiled like a toddler who knew all the bath supplies were hid well, and answered. "It's a secret and I ain't tellin."

Jenna laughed knowingly, like a mother who knew where her toddler had hid those bath supplies, and said, "I see. Well far be it from me to try and get a secret out of you. Guess we better just go to the kitchen and get ready for dinner. Your father will be home any minute. We're having spaghetti tonight, so you know you'll be getting a bath afterwards."

Cathleen acknowledged her mother with an "Uh huh."

Jenna then carried her daughter to the kitchen, both girls smiling complacently, sure they each had the upper hand in tonight’s battle of the bath.

By the time Shelly had been driving five minutes, Maggie had finally dusted the sleep off and her concerns were once again on Aunt Jenna's gift. Shelly could sense her little girl’s worried state, and if she hadn't, it was obvious that Maggie was upset by the frown on her face and the way she squirmed in the front seat.

Keeping one hand on the wheel she reached over and took Maggie's hand and gave her a quick glance as she spoke, "Baruchah honey, what's bothering you?"

In additional to being Baruchah’s first name it was also Maggie's middle name and it was the female Hebrew word for "blessing." To Shelly, her little girls had been blessings from the first day each had entered her life, and it was obvious to the young mother that at least one of her little blessings was troubled.

Maggie sighed and slumped in her seat before answering, "Tommorrow is Aunt Jenna's birfday and wes just founded out, and wes aint gots no prezzie for her! Mommy wes just gots to have a prezzie for Aunt Jenna, wes just gots too!"

The little girl was nearly in tears again. Shelly knew just how much her babies loved Jenna, and how important it was to the little ones to be able to show that in the form of a gift on Jenna's special day.

The young woman thought for a minute and then actually began to feel guilty. She hadn't thought about the girls wanting to have their own special present to give to Jenna. She was just going to have them sign the card that Shelly and her husband, Norman, were going to give her. If she hadn't been so busy with her latest novel, she would have realized that the girls would be crushed if they had no "personal" gift for their aunt.

Silenced filled the car, as Shelly thought and the girls sulked.

Finally the young woman smiled hopefully, "I know girls! Why don't you color a real pretty picture for Aunt Jenna. I know she would love that!"

Baruchah dropped her head and then shook it back and forth. "Can't mommy. Wes and Cathleen putted our crayons together and Bailey eated up da blue and da green ones, and sides Cathleen done already colored her somethin purdy so wes wanna do somethin else."

Shelly squeezed her daughter's hand and cooed softly. "Don't worry Baruchah. I'll try to help you think of something after we have dinner, okay girls?"

Baruchah and Maggie looked at their mommy and smiled weakily, "Otay mommy."

“K, mommy,” added Michelle who was almost awake.

A few minutes later, Shelly pulled into the driveway of the spacious Johnson home. The girls waited patiently as their mother came around to help them get unbuckled. Michelle was still young enough to still have a baby seat, and the twins still had car seats, like Cathleen, and they'd have to be Harriet Houdini to get out of those car straps without assistance.

Shelly opened the front door, unlocked her first baby, then went to the back and retrieved her other two before heading straight for her bedroom to get out of her pair of three inch high "Hell" shoes, while the three bounded down the hallway to their own bedrooms. Climbing up on their beds, they snuggled with their stuffed babies, and pondered more possible prezzies for Aunt Jenna. Ten minutes of pondering got them lots of consoling hugs from their stuffed babies, but not one idea for a prezzie. Aunt Jenna's birthday was tomorrow!

Suddenly Baru smiled impishly, 'Tommorrow,' she thought, 'Who knows more about tommorrows then their Auntie Prue, because her Auntie Prue lives in New Sealand where its always tomorrow.'

Actually, the children's Auntie Prue lived in New Zealand, but to the toddlers that translated into New Sealand, and while it wasn't really always tomorrow there, the kids weren't old enough to understand concepts like International Date Lines. Their Auntie Prue living in a land of permanent tomorrows just made better toddler sense.

Bouncing back off the bed, she grabbed Molly, her unicorn, and headed straight for the living room phone to dial for special auntie assistance. She was followed bu Maggie and Michelle. Baru wasn't too swift with numbers, especially as many as it would take to call her Auntie Prue, luckily for the toddler, Shelly had Prue's number programmed into the phone, and all Baru had to do was remember which button to push.

The little girl looked at the phone base, and shivered as she realized just how many buttons there were. She went to column she was sure her auntie’s phone number was in and started going down the list of buttons.

The first button has three P’s on it and she smiled as she remembered which one that was. That was her parent’s lawyers. She wasn’t sure exactly what lawyers did but the little girl was sure she never wanted to make them mad. Her mother had told her that these lawyers had some pretty potent magic and weren’t to be trifled with. Actually, the law firm of Pickle, Piper and Possible didn’t really have magic and were actually quite nice people, but when it came to business, this Jorsie law firm took no prisoners. Sides they’s Uncle Bill, Aunt Emma and Catlyn, aka Piper.

The second button had MD on it, and stood for Dr. Misty Dawn, the children’s pediatrician, and one of Shelly’s sisters. The kids absolutely adored the petite, young platinum blonde with big sky blue eyes. At first glance you might think this pixie sized practitioner was in need of a pediatrician herself, but in reality, she was wise beyond her years and one of the best in her field. The children, of course, fell for her the first time Shelly put each in Misty’s arm. At that point the little ones had even less command of the English language, and try as Maggie might she could never come close to saying the word, “pediatrician”. She was lucky to get much past the P, so in time she translated the doctors title into toddler and from that point Misty Dawn the pediatrician, became Misty da Pip! The girls were always glad to see her even if that did mean a shot in the bum, because the little ones always left with a cuddle and sucker from the doctor.

The third button was the princess button in Baruchah and Maggie’s eyes. It belonged to the lovely lady Cynthia, a beautiful young princess who held court in a magic kingdom known as La La Land. Maggie especially liked talking to the soft voiced princess and hoped someday they could come visit with her.

The fourth button was the prince button, and of course to the girls that made perfect sense, the prince should always be next to the princess. Prince Admiral Lynx was a handsome prince right out of Maggie’s fairy tale books. They often imagined him sailing his mighty ship, and galloping on his fiery steed as he went to save the princess, especially one of them. Baru smiled brightly, as she thought about the prince and princess who were beside each other on the phone and how she wished they was beside each other for real. She decided to ask her mommy about that later, but for now she was a toddler on a mission to find Auntie Prue.

She sighed, relieved, as the fifth button belonged to Auntie Prue, she was sure of it. She was very glad that she didn’t have to go past the fifth button, because whenever she had to count past the fingers on one hand, she didn’t do so good. Baru then lifted the receiver and pusher Prue’s button.

The twin held the phone to her ear and waited as the line rang. Six rings later, a soft voice answered the phone. Baru naturally assuming it was her Auntie Prue, started going full blast. "Auntie Prue, Auntie Prue, it's me Baru wid da Kitten! I loves you lots and I misses you and I gots a pwoblem and you just gotta helps me! Peas Auntie Prue, peas!"

The line was quiet for a second then the soft voice answered again. "Hi Baru. I'm sorry coz, but this isn't your Auntie Prue. It's Sara. Do you remember me from your last visit? We did some coloring together. Remember I'm your auntie's "illy-stater." Actually she was still a very talented artist, despite being age regressed to six, and illustrated many of Prue's stories as Prue was an accomplished author in her own right as famous as her sister, Shelly. The twins had met Sara on their last visit to New Zealand and the little ones couldn't master such a word as illustrator, so they called her an illy-stater, but as they and Sara became fast friends, the young girl of six with the adult sense of art convinced Baruchah and Maggie that she was really just a girl who likes to color and the toddlers even liked that idea better.

Baru paused and then started chatting again happily. "Hi Sara. It's me Baru wid da Kitten. Is you still coloring lots of stuff? I liked colorin wiff you cause its fun? Is my Auntie Prue dere or is she paying wiff her sheeps? If she's talkin to her moose, I don't wanna bodder her."

Sara reeled in the aftermath of the toddler tornado, and after a few seconds of silence, tried to sort out Baru's words, "Yeah, Baruchah, I'm still coloring pictures for mommy, and no she isn't playing with her sheep or talking to her moose."

Sara had to suppress a giggle at the word "moose". It was another one of those toddler tongue twisters. Prue had once told the twins that a "muse" would come to them and whisper stories in their ear. The little girls tried to say muse, but it always came out moose, and since they loved Bullwinkle the Moose from their cartoons, they rather fancied that idea that their award winning aunt got her stories from a cartoon moose.

Sara continued talking and told Baruchah that her auntie was in the other room and she would go and get her straight away.

Baru said her usual "otay", and then waited on the line.

A few seconds later she was greeted by another woman's soft voice. "Baruchah...hi honey! It's your Auntie Prue! It's very nice to hear from you. Is everything okay?"

The litte girl shouted excitedly. "Auntie Prue! Auntie Prue! I loves you lots and I misses you lots too. I was talking to Sara and we talked bout colorin and stuff and she said you weren't talkin to no mooses so I asked her if I could talks to you cause me an Maggie kinda gots a pwoblem."

Prue wondered just how big a problem her little nieces really had. A favorite toy becoming lost is the end of the world to a toddler, so there was no telling what was troubling these twins. Still, it had to be important to Baruchah and Maggie if no one else, and that's all Prue needed to know.

Prue spoke lovingly to her little niece, "Honey, you know your Auntie Prue will help if she can. Can I ask you a big question?"

Prue heard a soft, "Uh huh" in her ear.

"Baruchah, does your mommy know you're on the phone calling me right now?" gently asked the young woman.

She pretty much suspected the answer she got before the toddler even said it. "No, Auntie Prue, I don't wanna bodder her cause she is makin dinner, but if you wants me to I can goes and gets her."

Realizing the little imp had no concept of what it cost to call New Zealand and how upset Shelly would be that she did it without permission, she quickly told her not to bother her mother right now and decided to just press on to the problem, "Baruchah, why don't you just tell me what's bothering you and I'll see if I can help, okay?"

The little girl answered “otay,” before proceeded to tell her aunt about how Jenna's birthday was tomorrow and that they didn't know what to give her, and that they couldn't even color her a picture because they was short a few crayons. She finally added that since Prue lived in a tomorrow land, she would surely know what the perfect gift for Maggie to give to Aunt Jenna on her birthday, TOMORROW, would be. Actually it was perfect toddler logic, completely useless in the real world, but perfect in Maggie and Baruchah's.

The young woman sighed and tried to figure out what to say.

Finally that "moose" of hers gave her an inspiration, "Baruchah, I'm not sure exactly what you should give her, but I can tell you this. If it comes from your heart she's going to love it very much."

The line was silent for a few seconds and then a sad little girl spoke. "Auntie Prue, I wishes I had a moose just like you do and then it could give me purdy words to say to Aunt Jenna."

The young woman spoke softly and with love, "Oh little one, you do have your own ‘moose.’ You just don't know how to listen very well yet. The moose may come to your ear, but he's really speaking to your heart. And the best stories you can write, in fact the best any thing you can do, comes from your heart. That's why I tell you if you just give her something from the heart I know she will like it. Does that help, sweetie?"

Silence again for a few seconds and then the child’s voice returned. "I weally gots a moose like you do, weally?"

The young woman giggled but managed to get out a "yes.”

The little girl was obviously happier and her next question showed it. "Auntie Prue can I calls my moose, Bullwinkle cause he's my favorite moose, otay?"

Prue smiled and chuckled. "Yes, Baruchah, I think you can calls your ‘moose’ Bullwinkle, but Baru, honey, I have to go now and I don't think you should tell your mommy about this phone call. Why don't you let me tell her when I call her this weekend, that way it will be my special surprise, and remember let the gift come from the heart and Aunt Jenna will love it. And oh Baruchah, do you want to know what I got your Auntie Jenna for her birthday?”

The tiny toddler answered with an enthusiastic, “Yeah!”

The young woman laughed and told her what the present was and that she had to keep it a big girl secret. Maggie thought the gift was Prue perfect, and she solemnly promised to keep it a secret.

Baruchah then said she had better get going because she was going to be real busy with Aunt Jenna gifts so she sent a hug and kiss and lots of love for both her Auntie Prue and her new friend and cousin, Sara. She finished with another kiss and a goodbye before setting the phone down. It had been nice talking to Auntie Prue and Sara, but she still wasn't exactly sure what to get for their Aunt Jenna. It was time to go to plan B and seek out some sisterly assistance. With that thought in mind, the twins scampered down the hallway with Darla and Molly at their sides and Michelle running after them.

The first bedroom past the bathroom belonged to their older sisters, Amelia and Angela. The girls were eighteen-year-old twins, and being the oldest living at home, Baruchah annd Maggie were sure they could help them figure out what to give Aunt Jenna.

Seeing the bedroom door was ajar, Maggie peaked in and at first the room appeared to be empty. Then suddenly, a bright yellow blouse came flying out of the huge walk in closet. The silky shirt floated in the air for a moment, before falling into a small but growing pile in the center of the bedroom. Maggie took a step into the bedroom and another blouse flew out of the closet to join the yellow one. This time the toddler could hear a voice, and not a very happy one, coming from the depths of the walk in closet. Immediately she recognized it as Amelia.

Maggie and Baruchah walked over to a space near the pile of clothes and searched the closet for their sister that went with the unhappy voice. In the darkness of the closet, they could make out the bare foot and the jean clad leg of a teenager.

The toddlers waited a second to see if Amelia was going to emerge, and when she failed to arrive, Maggie decided to call her. "Ame..." shouted Maggie, but the little girl had barely said the first syllable when a flying pink dress attacked the tot and enveloped her.

Baruchah started to giggle but had to shout, “Hey!” when a baby blue dress covered her.

Amelia stormed out of the closet, fuming over her twin sister being a clothes horse, "Half this closet is SUPPOSED to be mine!" shouted the disgruntled teen.

Seeing two three foot tall statues standing in the middle of her room covered with the dresses she just tossed and the little one crawling across the rest broke the teen's tirade. She just had to laugh as she pulled her sister’s clothes off her little sisters who had gotten caught in the bedroom “snow” storm.

She quickly apologized to the little twins, and then started on about how she can't find anything because Angela hogs the closet. She hadn't gotten too far before she noticed her little sisters’ own look of frustration.

She knelt down and smiled at her younger siblings. "Hey shortcakes, what's got you down? Somebody borrow your crayons?"

"Shortcake" was the nickname Amelia had christened each of the little girls with, and it came as much from the twins’ legendary love of the dessert as it did their resemblance to Strawberry Shortcake, the popular children's doll.

Maggie sadly shook her head as she answered. "Nope, Bailey eated da green and da blue ones and now wes don’t know what to do!"

Amelia blinked her big doe eyes, and realized she had just walked into a toddler trap, and with her date coming in less than an hour she didn't have time for a "Kitten" tale, "Kitten" being yet another of Maggie's nicknames.

She then tried to get straight to the heart of the matter, "Shortcake, why don't you tell me what's wrong, okay?"

Maggie started talking and the tears started well. "Amelia, tomorrow is Aunt Jenna's birfday and wes aint gotted nuttin to gives her. Mommy says she'll helps us’es but she is so...busy wiff stuff. Can you helps us’es figur out somethin to gives to Aunt Jenna, peas?"

The lovely young lass gazed at the troubled toddler and then the clock.

She sighed and smiled weakily, "Maggie, I've got a date tonight and he's going to be here like WAY too soon. I really can't help you right now, but I promise I'll help you when I come back, honest I will, okay?"

Maggie dropped her head and answered lowly, "Wes be seepin by then. Wes is always seepin when you comes home."

Amelia pulled the saddened little sis into her arms and held her tightly. "I'm sorry Shortcake, it's just that Kerry asked me out and well...he's, he's..."

Maggie pulled back Amelia's embrace and sighed before finishing the sentence for her, "He's a boy!"

With that, Maggie turned and tucked Darla under her arm and headed for the door followed by her army. Amelia caught Baru before she had gotten two steps. Turning her around, she saw the tears leak from the toddler's eyes.

Reaching out a slender finger she wiped them away as she spoke. "Tell ya what shortcake. I'll make you a promise, a big sister promise. When I get home, I'll ask momma if you've gotten a gift for Aunt Jenna yet, and if you haven't, I'll get you all up and we'll drive over to the 24 hour Walmart and we won't leave until we finally find something, okay?"

The little girls’ faces brightened immediately, boys or no boys, Amelia would never break a big sister promise. They smiled and hugged their sister tightly. Amelia kissed them and then kissed Darla and Molly, the unicorns, which made the little girls giggle happily. Potential disaster adverted, Amelia gently shooed the little ones toward the bedroom door before turning her attentions to the special on tonight’s menu, Kerry!

The girls were running out the door when Amelia shouted to them. "Hey Shortcakes, Angela should be out of the shower by now, unless she's also going to be a shower hog today, why don't you ask her if she's got any ideas on what you should get Aunt Jenna."

The tiny tots smiled happily and responded with their trademark, "Otay!" and before heading to the bathroom.

Maggie stood at the door and listened, the light in the bathroom was peeking out from beneath the door, but the water wasn't running so she figured it was alright to knock on the door.

Maggie knocked and Angela's voice answered her. "I'm still in the shower Amelia. I got ten more minutes before its yours, you know the rules!"

Maggie gazed up toward the doorknob and shouted back. "Angela, it's not Amelia, it's me Maggie wif Baru an Michelle."

There was silence for a few seconds, and then the door slowly cracked open. The towel clad figure of a well built eighteen-year-old girl greeted the toddlers. She smiled down at the three musketeers and her voice was much softer this time. "Girls you need to come in and go potty?"

“Me diaper,” Michelle explained.

“You need your diaper changed?” Angela asked as she picked up and smelled her baby sister.

Then Maggie shook her head back and forth. "No Angela, wes gots a problem and wes don’t knows what to do."

The teen shook her towel clad head and sighed, "Girls, uhhh...I really am kinda busy right now. I've got a date tonight, and I'm already running late. If it can wait until tomorrow, I can help you in the morning before I go to work at the Kamp."

Maggie returned her sigh and said, "Dat's otay Angela. Wes'll figure it out."

Angela watched the little one turn and start to shuffle off. "Girls, why don't you go ask Amelia?"

Maggie smiled sadly, "Wes did, and she tolded me to asks you."

The towel clad teen stepped into the hallway and reached for the toddlers, drawing them in for a quick cuddle and another big sister promise, " Baru, Maggs, whatever the problem is, I promise we’ll figure it out tomorrow. If you want, I'll give you a ride over to Aunt Jenna's in the morning and we can talk about it then, okay?"

The three smiled and cuddled with their sister and once again gave her their trademark, "Otay."

The toweled teen stepped back into the bathroom, and tried to make the most of her five minutes she had remaining.

Maggie leaned against the wall and hugged Darla as she talked to her sisters, "Well" she told them. "Wes still don’t knows whats to gets Aunt Jenna but wes gots two big sister promises to helps us’es."

Toddlers are impatient by nature, and if the girls couldn't wait until after dinner for their mother's help, they could hardly sit still until Amelia came home or tomorrow morning for Angela. With the unicorns tucked under their arms, they headed down the hallway to the next bedroom in search of answers.

The bedroom at the end of the hall was the biggest in the house, and it needed to be as it housed three more teen aged girls. Ally and Elsa, sixteen, were visiting Andrea, fourteen, and her twin sisters, Isabel and Stephanie who were right behind her at thirteen.

Maggie heard the music from the stereo playing long before she got to the doorway, so she knew at least one of them was home. When she got there she was pleased to find all five sisters in the house. Steffi was adjusting the sound on the stereo and moving in sync to the hip hop beat. Ally lay crashed on her sister, Issy’s bed, sipping a soda and flipping through Tiger Beat magazine. Elsa was sitting at the vanity brushing out her long locks and softly singing along with Steffi's tune while Issy and Andrea were dancing to the beat.

Even though the door was open, Maggie knew better than to walk into the room without knocking. She rapped lightly on the wood, and then took a tentative step in. The five teen divas turned, and greeted their little sister with a smile. Maggie sighed with relief as she entered the room and brought her troop with her. Teenagers could be awful moody sometimes so they was definitely delighted to see the five happy faces.

Ally dropped her centerfold shot of the latest teen heartthrob and turned her attention to the toddlers at the door. Maggie took a step toward Ally's bed, as the sixteen-year-old was the closest sister to her. The long lean beauty, smiled and offered Maggie an invite as she patted the spot next to her on the soft quilted bed. "Hey Kitten, come give your big sister a cuddle!"

Elsa and Isabel stopped dancing to the music as soon as they saw Ally rocking the small child in her arms as Steffi pulled herself away from the mirror. The four other teens plopped down on their beds and gave Ally a questioning glance before turning their attention to Maggie.

“That’s a good idea, Baru,” Andrea suggested as she and Isabel pulled the imp up onto Issy’s bed and into their embraces.

Stephanie grabbed the third toddler and gave her a hug as she put that imp on her bed.

Maggie and Baruchah sat their beloved unicorns on the bed, and then Maggie tried to climb up herself. Her big sisters' beds were for bigger girls and not toddler friendly. She jumped twice trying to make the ascent, but failed both times. A third effort almost made it, but the quilt betrayed her and she fell to floor landing hard on her bum.

Ally had tried to grab for her but missed, and then winced when she saw her little sister hit the floor with a thud. The young beauty quickly swung her legs off the bed and reached down for the fallen child. With little effort, she hoisted the lightweight up into her arms and cuddled her tightly, and finally the pair eased back on to the bed.

"Owwww...Kitten, that HAD to hurt! Are you gonna be okay?" softly cooed the young teen as she rocked her little sister in her arms.

Maggie nodded as she nuzzled against her big sister's shoulder and then answered bravely, "Uh huh, I is otay Pippa. I falls on my bum lots. It no hurts."

Pippa was Maggie's nickname for Ally. Ally had told her that when she was a little girl about Maggie's age, she had an imaginary friend who was a beautiful princess, and she used to call her Pippa, because it was an easier word for a small child to say than princess. After that, Maggie started calling Ally, Pippa, because in her eyes, her big sister really was a princess, and besides, Pippa was such a fun word to say that Maggie couldn't help but smile every time she said it.

Ally smiled as she shook her head at the imp, and then playfully ran her fingers through the child’s long curly locks.

Steffi tapped the little girl on the shoulder and smiled lovingly, "Hey Kitten, what's up with you. Tough day on the swing set over at Aunt Jenna's?"

The older sister knew how to get a smile out of her smaller one, and the tiny tease worked its usual magic, as Maggie smiled at her and giggled slightly. "No Steffi, I felled off Pippa's bed, but I is otay. I gots a good hard bum. Mommy said so before."

That remark made Maggie's older sister's join her in a few little girl giggles.

A few seconds after the giggles subsided, Maggie felt two arms slipping beneath hers and pulling her away from Ally. Even before those arms turned the little girl to face their owner, she knew who they belonged to.

Elsa greeted her with a smile and then pulled the toddler in close and rocked her back and forth like a baby doll. "Kitten...I can tell something's bothering you girls beside your busted bum. I can see it in those big green eyes of yours. Now are you going to tell your big sisters willingly, or..." The long haired beauty smiled devilishly as she paused for effect. "or...are we gonna have to tickle it out of you!?"

Maggie's eyes grew wide and she opened her mouth to speak, but Elsa never gave her a chance as she started tickling her little sister, and the other four joined in quickly on the rugrats. In seconds, all eight girls were rolling and bouncing on the beds, giggling and tickling and having the kind of fun only little girls with their big sisters can have.

The fun finally ended when Steffi hit the floor. She got up slowly, wincing a bit and rubbing her bum. Ally laughed at her, and told her she would be alright as she had a good hard bum just like Maggie did. That remark netted Ally a pillow in the face. A few flying pillows later, the eight girls finally settled back down on Ally's bed.

Ally took Maggie's hand in hers, and smiled lovingly. "Okay lil sis’s, spill it. Something is bothering you, and we can't help if you don't tell us."

Baru and Maggie frowned and sighed.

"Tomorrow is Aunt Jenna's birfday and I don't gots nuttin to gives her, and I bets everybody else gots somethin for her cept us’es," explained Maggie.

Elsa smiled hopefully and gently laid a hand on Maggie's knee. "Hey Kitten, why don't you girls color her something. I've checked out some of your artwork on mom's refridgerator. You're pretty good for your age. I know Aunt Jenna would love that."

Baru shook her head, tired of explaining this too many times, "Can't Elsa. Bailey eated our bestest cwayons, and sides...Cathleen colored her purdy stuff and wes wanna be diffrent!"

Steffi tapped her fingers on the bed and looked at Michelle before offering her suggestion, "Why don't you go ask Mom what to do? I'm sure she can think of something. That's one of those things that moms are just kinda naturally real good at. You know...like baking brownies, and making hurts go away and stuff like that."

Maggie shrugged her shoulders and answered with little enthusiasm. "Done already did dat. Mommy said she help us’es later, but I don't wanna wait till later, cause sometime she gets all busy. I wanna do somethin now!"

Ally pulled the little one back into her arms, and comforted the frustrated child. She knew that patience was something toddlers had in short supply and she could also see how important this was for her little sister.

Andrea sighed, and then thinking out loud more than anything else, made a casual comment, "Well...I wish Auntie Prue was here. She's got such a great imagination. I'm sure if any one could think of something for you to give Aunt Jenna, she could."

Much to her five sisters’ surprise, Baruchah shook her head and responded again. "I done called Auntie Prue, and she telled me to listen to my heart and da moose."

Ally and Elsa shouted in unison. "You called Auntie Prue!?”

“Does Mom know you've been on the phone to New Zealand!?" asked Isabel.

The teens didn't realize that toddler's don't think about things like how much the phone charges to "Tomorrow Land" are, or why their mother would mind. In Baru's mind, she wanted to talk to Auntie Prue, she knew how to do it, and she did.

She then answered her sister with little enthusiasm, "Yeah, I called her when we gots home, and I didn't ask mommy cause she was busy."

Ally and Elsa blew out a sigh, as they knew that Baruchah didn't need to get a scolding about making long distance calls, since she was already upset enough anyway. At least that crisis could wait until the phone bill came in.

Steffi had been strangely quiet and then finally asked the obvious question. "I don't get it. What's a moose got to do with Aunt Jenna's gift?"

Maggie opened her mouth to answer, but Elsa realized that this had all the makings of a long Kitten tale, so she cut the little cutie off at the pass, "Maggs, you can tell Steffi about the ‘moose’ later. We need to stay focused on helping you find a gift for Aunt Jenna, okay?"

“Buts dis is important!”

“I know, but Aunt Jenna is more important.”

Maggie blinked her eyes a few time, filing the moose story away for later, and then smiled as she said, "Otay."

Elsa, then started the ball rolling. "Okay, you've talked with Cathleen, Mom, and Auntie Prue."

Baruchah nodded and then quickly added, "Wes talked to Amelia and Angela too, but they is too busy to help right now."

Issy giggled, "Amelia's busy all right, busy trying to catch Kerry Kirkwood! He's a doll baby."

Steffi knodded knowingly. "You got that right! He's a nineteen-year-old Brad Pitt in a college football uniform."

Baru rolled her eyes and squirmed in Elsa's lap. Finally the toddler could take no more, and stuck out her tongue in disgust. "Boy's...YUCK! Cathleen says they should all be turned into froggies!"

That thought brought a small grin back to the little girls face. Elsa nodded her agreement. "You tell 'em Kitten. Who needs boys anyway?"

Ally shot her an evil grin, "I'll remember that sis when I see James Sharpson in English class this fall. I'm sure he'll like to hear that."

Elsa gave her an icy stare and shook her head as to say, that this isn't the time or place for a discussion on high school hunks. They needed to stay focused on their little sister's problem.

None of the little ones caught any of the silent exchange.

Baruchah continued on with her tale. "Amelia said she would helps us’es later too, but wes be seepin then, and...and...then wes asked Angela, but she was in da bafroom and she was too busy too!"

Steffi nodded, and smiled. "Yepers, her "busy" this week is Kenny Bradley and those big dark eyes of his."

Andrea, the quiet one, smiled dreamily for a second, and then shook her head to clear the hormone induced fantasy from her mind, and get back to the matter at hand, "Okay Kitten, then...it's up to us to help you and I'm sure we can come up with something."

Elsa still holding Maggie in her lap, snapped the fingers on her free hand and smiled enthusiastically, "First of all we need to think of what everybody else is getting Aunt Jenna, so Maggie doesn't give her the same thing!"

Steffi and Ally nodded, as Elsa began listing the known gifts. "Okay, Mom and Dad and are giving Aunt Jenna and Uncle Richard a weekend getaway at some cottage up in the mountains. I heard them talking about it. You know one of those romantic things!"

The five older girls smiled knowingly, while the toddlers just sighed impatiently.

"Angela and Amelia went in together and got Aunt Jenna some of that real expensive perfume from Channel she likes. Amelia told me about that last week…" Ally added as she made her contribution.

Steffi, jumped off the bed and ran to the closet, returning quickly with a huge unwrapped gift box. Lifting the lid off, she revealed a beautiful long skirt and blouse with a slip, panties and bra to match.

Smiling proudly she pushed the box toward Maggie, "And this is what we all got for Aunt Jenna. It was half off at Nordstrom, and we know Aunt Jenna will like it cause she almost bought the skirt and blouse before they went on sale."

Maggie ran her fingers across the silky material and smiled sadly. "It's soft and purdy Steffi. It's weally nice, a whole lot bedder than anyting I gonna give ta Aunt Jenna."

The sad eyed girl looked up at Ally. "Pippa, I ain’t hardly never gived no gifts before. Just to udder kids at birfday pardies and mommy always gotted them for us’es, but wes wanna give Aunt Jenna somethin special, somethin special from me, but...but...wes don't know hows to do it."

Elsa hugged her sister tightly as the others joined them in a sisters group hug.

After they finally broke the embrace, Ally got to work. "Okay...so you wanna know how to get somebody a gift. Well...when I give someone a gift, sometimes I try to give something they like a lot. You know, things they like to collect and stuff. My friend Mariah Joyce is crazy about Star Trek Next Generation, so for her birthday I gave her a set of a Star Trek NG bubble gum cards."

Baru frowned as she thought, and then shook her head. "I don't think Aunt Jenna likes bubble gum cards a whole lots."

Ally smiled and shook her head, "No, Imp, you're missing the point. What I mean is try to think of something Aunt Jenna likes, maybe something she likes to collect, okay?"

This time the teen's advice got through to the tiny toddler and she smiled in acknowledgement. "Otay Pippa, I think I unnerstand."

Steffi then added her thoughts, "Well, I try to give people something they can really use, or they need real bad. You know, kinda like when Mom buys all the tools for Dad every Chanukah. She does that cause he can use them to fix all the stuff that's broke around the house."

Isabel smiled and then chuckled as she spoke, "Yeah, trouble is after Dad get's done trying to fix it, then Mom's got to call the repair guy to fix what Dad broke trying to fix it!"

Even the little ones got that one and all eight girls erupted into full scale giggles as they thought of their father and his failed "fix-it" efforts.

Steffi finally stopped laughing long enough to finish her thought, "Girls, what I am trying to say, try to think of something that Aunt Jenna could really use, or that she needs real bad, and I think that would be a great gift!"

The toddlers nodded and added it to their list of gift requirements.

Elsa then made her contribution, "When I give a gift, I try to think of what that person would love to have more than anything else. I might not be able to give it to them, but maybe I can get them something close."

Elsa stroked Baru's locks and searched the little one's eyes for any look of recognition. "That make sense to you, Imp?"

Baru nodded and then hugged her sister tightly. "Uh huh, I unnerstand."

The little girl then looked from sister to sister and restated in toddler terms their suggestions. "I gotta get her somethin she likes to have lots of kinda likes bubble gum cards, or somethin she needs lots like Daddy needs his tools, or somethin she loves a whole lot, kinda like Aunt Jenna loves Cathleen and us kids."

Baru's mouth flew open and her eyes grew wide with excitement. She had figured it out. She knew exactly what to get Aunt Jenna now. It was obvious, even to a five-year-old.

The sisters saw the excited look on the child's face and Steffi quickly took her hand, "What is it Kitten? You figure out what your gettin Aunt Jenna?"

Baru looked from sister to sister and nodded proudly. She knew they would be impressed with her discovery.

"Uh huh, Wes gonna get Aunt Jenna somethin she loves more than anything! Wes gonna get her another kid!"

As Baru paused, Maggie gave a second inspiration, "And not just a toddler like me and Cathleen, Wes gonna gets her a baby so she can have a bran new prezzie that ain't no udder mommy never had! Yepers, I bet she's gonna be surprised!"

Ally giggled slightly, "If you can give Aunt Jenna a baby, she wouldn't be the only one who would be surprised!"

Elsa turned the happy little imp to face, "Uh Baru, I don't think is such a good idea."

Baru stared at her sister as if she's just crushed her heart, "But Elsa, you tolded me I should get Aunt Jenna somethin she loves and she loves kids more than anyting cause she's a mommy! Why can't I gets her a baby Elsa? Don't you knows where you gets babies at?"

The young teen's face went crimson. This wasn't the time and she wasn't the person to tell her little sister about where babies come from. She looked pleadingly from sister to sister, searching for one of them to bail her out.

Andrea tried to come to the rescue with a baby tale made for a toddler, "Kitten, it costs an awful lot to get a baby at the baby store. I don't think you have that much money."

Maggie sat up straight and smiled proudly again, "Oh I gots lots of money in my Eyore bank. I saves all my birfday money, and toof fairy money, and all da pennies I find. I gots my big ol Eyore almost all filled up!"

“An my bank’s as heavy as Maggie’s,” added Baru.

Ally gave Andrea a stern look for telling the little ones such a tale, but in for a penny meant in for a pound, so she tried to work with story her sister had started, "Kitten, I'm not sure where the nearest 'Baby Store' is. I wouldn't even know where to look to find one."

That slowed the toddler train down a bit, but certainly didn't derail it, as Maggie's face lit up again. "Dat's otay Pippa! I knows where ta look! I bet there's a baby store in da mall, cause da mall's got everthin in it. I'm gonna go ask Mommy to takes us’es to the baby store in da mall right now!"

Ally started to protest, but the excited Kitten bounced off her lap and hit the bedroom floor running. She was followed by Baruchah and Michelle. Elsa reached for Baru as the two other girls shouted but the three imps were already out the door and halfway down the hall shouting, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!"

Elsa gave Ally an icy stare. "Nice work sis, what's Mom gonna say when she hears this one."

Ally threw up her arms and returned her sister's scowl. "Hey don't look at me. I'm not the genuis who thought up a baby store."

Both girls then turned and stared at Andrea who was slowly backing away from the bedside.

She swallowed hard as she spoke meekly, "I was only trying to help."

Maggie nearly wiped out on the hard wood hallway as she tried to make the turn into the kitchen. Shelly was sturring a pot on the stove when she heard what sounded like a heard of toddlers size buffalos clammering down the hallway.

The three different voices shouting, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy" told her it was but three toddler buffalos, Miriam, Maggie and Baruchah, her younger blessings.

Maggie slid by the open kitchen door for a second before finally getting the brakes to hold and then came flying in and hugged her mother's legs tightly. Before Shelly knew it there were three pairs of hands around her legs.

Shelly put down her ladle, and pulled the small children from her legs sat down and placed them on her lap for quick inspection. Seeing no tears, bumps or bruises, she inquired what all the commotion was over. Noticing the wide smile on the children's faces releived her slightly as she was pretty sure it was a good thing.

Maggie took a deep breath and then started the ball rolling, "Mommy Mommy, guess what? Guess what? It was Baru’s idea, buts I’s fixered it!"

Shelly started to guess, but the Kitten Express was already at full steam and never gave her the chance.

Wes I knows what wes gonna give Aunt Jenna for her birfday!” Baru continued, “I asked Auntie Prue and she tolded me to listen to my heart and da moose, and den Amelia said she would helps us’es latter, and dat's what Angela saided too, cause they is busy wiff boys an stuff and den wes went to Andrea, Elsa and Steffi's room and Maggie felled down when wes comed in dere but hers not hurted none, and...and...wes tolded dem wes didn't knows what to gets Aunt Jenna, and...and then Elsa tolded me I should get her somethin she loves lots and...den I knowed what's to get her. Steffi said it would costs us’es too much but wes gots money and Ally said she didn't know where da store is, but I bets they gots one in da mall. So will you takes us’es to da mall mommy, peas! purdy peas!"

Shelly just stared at her little blessing, wondering how so many words could come out of someone so tiny, all without a breath in the middle. Fortunately for Baru, her phone call to Prue blew past her mother in the Kitten tale, as Shelly just focused on trying to find out exactly what this mystery gift was.

The young woman did her best to slow down the runaway toddler trains, "Okay Baruchah, calm down", gently cooed the loving mother. "Why don't you tell me exactly what you want to get Aunt Jenna and then we'll see if we need to go to the mall or not."

Baru puffed out her chest proudly, "Wes is gonna get Aunt Jenna a weal baby at the Baby Store, cause she loves kids more dan anyting!"

Maggie stopped Baru for a moment as a troubling thought crossed her mind, and then she shared it with her mother, "Oh, I tinks wes bedder gets her a girl baby cause Cathleen might want you to turns it into a froggie if wes gets her a boy one."

Shelly's hazel eyes grew wide and she was nearly speechless. Realizing it might take some mommy magic to undo the damage the big sister magic must have done, she reached into her mind for the best way to end the babies’ misconception, yet not tell too much in the process.

Baru and Maggie were still smiling, and asked again if she would take them to the Baby Store in the mall.

Shelly sighed and then tried to choose her words carefully, a bit miffed she was about to have a discussion with her little one that neither one was really ready for.

She started gently, "Baruchah...who told you about the Baby Store?"

Maggie smiled innocently, "Andrea did Mommy. She saided babies costs lots but I gots monies in my Eyore bank, and and Baru habs same in hers bank. Den Ally said she didn't knows where da Baby Store was, and den I tolded her I bet ones in da mall and then I tolded them I was gonna asks you to takes us’es. So, Mommy, NOW can we go looks for da baby store, peas?"

Shelly cuddled her babies tightly and began, "Baruchah, you really think that mommy and daddy's get their babies from a Baby Store?"

The toddler nodded her agreement and then added, "Uh huh Mommy, I didn't know for sure, but I kinda thoughted you get babies in a store, cause I knows you gots to cook em before you gets to have dem."

Shelly hazel eyes were ablaze as she spoke angrily, "And which one of those young witches told you that you have to "cook" babies first?"

A tiny finger poked Shelly in her chest, "You did Mommy. I heared you and Aunt Jenna talking one day and Aunt Jenna saided she wanted Aunt Janet to have a baby, and you saided you it would bes good if she habs one in her oven."

Shelly didn't know whether to laugh or cry when she found out the young witch was actually the oldest witch living in the house. The three little girls stared at her waiting for an explanation, and Shelly was desperately searching to find a suitable one when Norman, Maggie's father entered the kitchen from the back door.

He smiled as he walked over, and knelt down to give his wife and daughters each a kiss. Seeing the strained look on his wife's countenance he lightly jested, "Hmmm....must be having a GIRL talk, huh?"

Shelly turned and shot him her best Evil Witch smile, "As a matter of fact, Norman, we are. I'm trying to explain to Maggie about where babies come from, but you're MORE than welcome to join in."

The handsome man's face went ashen, as he began a hasty retreat, "Uh...uh...that reminds me. I've ummm...ummm... got to check the oil and transmission fluid in the Blazer. Yep, better get on that right now...sure don't want to take any chances. Well...ummm...I'll be back later, might take awhile you know."

By the time he'd finished the sentence he was closing the back door behind him.

Shelly laughed and then hollered, "Come back her Norman Johnson! You COWARD!"

Actually Shelly was glad he wasn't there, it was going to be tough enough to get through this comforting the kids, let alone him.

Once again she started, "Girls, I think you misunderstood a little. Mommies don’t cook their babies in real ovens. When babies is real small, they live in their mommy's belly's, cause its real warm in there, kinda like an oven, okay?"

Maggie nodded and blew out a breath. "Mommy I is glad you don't put babies in da oven, cause if you had a baby in da oven then you couldn't fixes us’es no fozen pizzas or cookies cause da baby would be in dere."

Shelly held back a giggle and then commended her daughter on making a good point.

"One down and too many more to go," thought the young mother as she continued, "Now that you know that babies don't get cooked in real ovens, but are kept in their mommy's belly, you also need to know that we don't buy babies at a Baby Store either."

Baruchah, Maggie and Michelle were obviously disappointed as they felt their perfect gift for Aunt Jenna was slipping away.

Baruchah whined, "But Mommy, if you don't gets da baby at da baby store then where does da baby come from dats in da mommy's belly?"

Shelly hugged her little ones close and spoke gently, "Girls, babies come from Heaven, and they are a gift from G_d to a man and a woman when they fall in love and get married. And, if this man and woman are very lucky sometimes they get several gifts from G_d."

Maggie smiled happily. "You gots weal lucky didn't you mommy cause you gots a whole bunch of gifts!"

The young mother felt tears welling in her eyes and pulled the imp even closer. "Yes baby, I've been very lucky."

Maggie cuddled for awhile before curiosity got the better of the kitten, "Mommy, if G_d gives you da baby, how does he puts it in your belly. He don't makes you eats it do he?"

Shelly comforted the suddenly frightened child. "No baby, I didn't eat you or any of your sisters either, okay?"

The children nodded and relaxed a bit.

"Getting the baby into mommy is part of your father's responsibility. He kind of helps put the baby in me you might say."

Shelly blew out a breath and felt a slight sweat start to break. This was getting a little too close for comfort.

Baru looked up and down at Shelly and then lifted her head to look out the kitchen window where she knew her daddy was playing with his car, and then smiled brightly, "I unnerstand Mommy! Daddy uses his tools he gots and dats how he gets da baby into your belly."

It was all Shelly could do to hold back the laugh this time. She still chuckled lightly at her daughter's discription.

"Yes Baruchah, for want of a better explanation. Let's just say that Daddy's got the tools to get the job done and leave it at that, okay?"

Baru then smiled and started again, "Mommy how comes da baby is in da mommy's belly keeping warm? How come Daddy don't keeps it in his belly? Can you use Daddy's tools to put da baby in him?"

Shelly got an evil gleam in her eye and whispered just outside Maggie's hearing. "Trust me, I'd like him to carry the next one just for awhile. It'd do him good to feel like a beached whale in the July heat."

Her picture of a pregnant Norman faded as Maggie tugged at her blouse. "Mommy, why don't daddy's get no babies in da belly?"

Shelly smiled and kissed her Kitten. "Cause it doesn't work that way Baruchah, and don't ask why. Trust me, when it's your time to become a mommy, you're not going to want anyone else to carry that baby but you, okay?"

The child cuddled close and answered as usual, "Otay."

Shelly relaxed a little and then rocked her quiet children, relieved this mother/daughter conversation went reasonably well, even if it had came a little sooner than expected.

Maggie lifted her head off her mother's chest and sighed sadly, "But Mommy, if wes can't gets Aunt Jenna a baby for her prezzie, then I don’t knows whats to get her. Wes is wight back where wes started!"

Shelly hugged her kids tightly and then set them to the floor.

Smiling, she lifted the children's fallen chins, "Don't worry little ones. You kids may not be getting your Aunt Jenna a baby for her present, but you are going to the mall, and your five sisters who told you about the baby store are going with you and they are going to help you find a gift. How does that sound?"

The toddlers were all smiles once again, and hugged their mommy tightly.

Shelly held them for a bit, and then gave each a playful swat on the bum and told them to go to her room and change clothes for a mall hop. They would be leaving in a few minutes.

The girls nodded and ran to the kitchen door.

Baru started out and then stopped to look back at her mother, "Mommy, I know wes can't get Aunt Jenna no baby but I sure wish wes could cause I know she woulda been weal happy."

Shelly quickly crossed the short distance between her daughter and her and knelt down to Kitten level.

Whispering in her ear she smiled. "Baru, this is kind of a secret, but...Cathleen is going to be spending next weekend with us, because...Uncle Richard and Aunt Jenna are going away for a weekend and I think your uncle is going to be working real hard at trying to get a baby into your Aunt Jenna."

Baru smiled happily and then asked the logical question. "Mommy, does Uncle Richard got da tools to does dat?"

Shelly held that laugh again, and simply answered with all that she dare say, "Yes Baruchah, he does, and remember this is kind of a secret, so don't tell anyone okay?"

“Will daddy habta lend uncle Richard any of hims tools?

“No, I don’t think so.”

The tiny toddler nodded and promised solemnly, as she turned and ran to her bedroom. Shelly shook her head and smiled lovingly before her thoughts turned to the planned romantic getaway for Richard and her sister.

‘He better not!’ she thought.

Smiling devilishly, her thoughts finally became spoken words. "And from what Jenna says, Richard really knows how to use those tools."

The young woman laughed naughtily, and then got back to more appropriate mommy thoughts. She walked to the hallway and called out, "Ally, Elsa, Andrea, Isabel, Steffi! I need to see you five in the kitchen, NOW!"

Shelly walked back to the kitchen table and took her seat, a few seconds later, five rather sheepish looking teens entered the kitchen. Shelly gave them a stern gaze as she went from face to face. The girls shifted nervously, and after waiting to hear the pin drop.

Shelly finally dropped it, "Well...someone want to tell me about the Baby Store?"

After about ten seconds of silence, all five girls began talking at once until Shelly raised a hand and it was quiet again. Looking at Andrea, she nodded.

The teen started pleading her case. "But...But Mom, it's not what you think."

Shelly smiled evilly, "BUT, hmmmm...now that's an interesting choice of words isn't it."

The five girls instinctively felt their backsides get a little warmer and they swallowed hard.

Shelly had never spanked them and had no intention of doing it now, but the implied threat got her kids immediate intention, as Steffi went on, "Mom...we weren't trying to talk to Maggie about babies, she just all confused, and then we kinda got confused and we didn't know what to say."

Elsa poked her younger sibling in the arm. "Hey...don't rope me into this. I'm not the one who came up with the local Baby Store, that was your BABY, Andrea!"

“Andrea, of all people, YOU had to be my Achelies heel?”

Elsa then raised an accussing finger in Ally's direction. "And you didn't help either Ally, you're the one who told her the Baby Store was in the mall!"

Ally pushed Steffi aside and was quickly up in Elsa's face, "Did NOT! I never said that, and besides you started the whole thing anyway!"

Elsa answered with a loud, "Did NOT!" of her own, and before this became one of those "Did not,” “Did too" shouting matches, Shelly put a quick stop to all the bickering.

"Girls! That's enough! I don't care who started it, but I've finished it and your little sisters have an understanding about babies now, at least as much as they need to know for the moment."

Shelly looked from face to embarrassed face as the five girls said in unison, "Were sorry Mom."

Shelly stood up and opened her arms and the five girls ran into them for a group hug. Everyone felt a little better and then it was time for mother to levy the punishment.

"Girls, I know you didn't mean to do anything wrong. I know you love your little sisters very much and that's why I am sure you "fab five" will be willing to help the “Three Musketeers” find a suitable gift for their Aunt Jenna at the mall tonight."

The five girls slumped slightly and sighed. An evening at the mall with the rugrats was not the way any of them had planned on spending a Thursday night, but they knew how much this meant to the toddlers, and they sure didn't want to get into Mom's dog house going into the weekend, so they each reluctantly agreed. Shelly told them they had fifteen minutes to be ready. When the girls groaned about that not being enough time, she quickly reminded them this was a shopping mission, not a boy hunt, and to dress accordingly.

Ten minutes later the girls had yet to return, but Shelly did hear strange shuffling sounds in the hallway accompanied by groans, grunts and toddler huffs and puffs. The young mother went to the doorway and was greeted by the sight of her little blessings trying to push two huge plastic banks down the polished wood floor. Each bank was probably a few inches taller than they were, and a whole lot heavier. Michelle in her little way was trying to help both. Shelly had to laugh, and then went into the hallway and collected her little imps. Leaving the coin laden banks behind, she carried Michelle, Maggie and Baruchah into the kitchen, and over to her purse on the counter.

Pulling out a two tens, she handed it to Baruchah and Maggie and a single to Michelle.

"Girls, I think you should leave your money in the banks, and I'll give you some money. I think twenty dollars should be more than enough. I'll just square it with the tooth fairy and we'll call it a loan on future teeth you lose okay?"

Baruchah and Maggie nodded and stared wide eyed at the two ten dollar bills in their hands. "Wow Mommy, twenty whole dollars. Wes is gonna have to lose all ours teefers a couple times to pay back da toof fairy for dis."

Shelly laughed and held her babies close. "Don't worry little ones. Your father and I'll work it out."

The young mother was still holding her babies as her five young teens walked in, smartly dressed and smiling.

"Were ready Mom," they said in unison.

Shelly transferred Maggie into Ally's arms, and the young teen winked at her little sister. "Maggie be prepared to be taught the finer art of da Mall Hop! You are in great hands, literally!"

Baru went to Steffie and Andrea retrieved Michelle. Everyone laughed at the bad joke, including the little girls as they cuddled in their sisters’ arms.

"Otay Pippa, I is weady!" Maggie announced.

Shelly quickly surveyed her mall rats and then came up to the rugrats and gently poked her fingers into the center of each of the little ones’ chests, "You be very good at the mall, and don't let go of hands. And, I know you really want to get something special for your Aunt Jenna, and I'm sure you will. Just let your hearts lead you, my babies and they'll take you right there, okay?"

The five-year-olds smiled, promised to be good and of course finished their sentences, as usual, with, "otay".

Shelly then went to the counter and grabbed her purse.

Pulling out the car keys, before taking out three twenties and handing them to Elsa with instructions, "Since you five will be missing dinner tonight, here's food money! I'm sure the rugrats will want pizza, they always do. Now, your father and I are taking off for a bit tonight so I want you to call your Aunt Janet and have her pick you up from the mall when your done. We live ten minutes from there, and I'll let her know to expect your call. If for some reason you can't reach her, call me on my cell, and your father and I will come get you. Have it wrapped, and make sure you get a card."

The young woman looked from face to face as she finished, "Any questions?"

The eight shook their heads no, and the momma hen then herded her chicks toward the door. Twenty minutes later, Shelly was pulling into the crowded mall parking lot. The five teens got out followed by Maggie, Baruchah and Michelle with a little help from Elsa. Shelly motioned Elsa over, and then had her lean each of the little girls toward her window.

The young mother smiled at her babies and then pointed a finger at the twin's chests, "Baruchah and Baruchah, remember what I said, trust your heart, girls, and it will lead you to Aunt Jenna's gift, okay?"

Baruchah and Maggie nodded and leaned forward a little further so they could get her good-bye kisses. Elsa finally pulled Maggie back and then along with Steffi, who held Baruchah and Andrea who had Michelle started heading toward the mall entrance. Ally held back a second then smiled at her mother.

"Mom, don't worry. We'll help her find something nice for Aunt Jenna, I promise. Oh, and Mom, I'm glad you didn't get all upset about Baruchah getting on the phone and calling Auntie Prue all the way to New Zealand. As much as that's gotta cost, I thought you would have a cow for sure."

Shelly's eyes grew wide at Ally's words, and the young girl realized she put her foot it in this time.

Shelly gave her a stern look, "What do you mean Baruchah called your Aunt Prue?"

Ally was already backing up and searching for escape. "Uh Mom, I gotta catch up with the girls. I know you don't want us to get seperated. Have a nice time with Dad tonight. Bye!"

The young girl turned and headed off at a jog. Shelly shouted, "Ally!" but then just shook her head and laughed. Realizing she would get the rest of the story later, she always did, the young woman put the minivan into gear and headed for home.

‘Besides it is only a calf,’ Shelly thought.

Baru, Michelle, Issy, Andrea, Elsa, Maggie and Steffi were waiting at the entrance to Parisian's as Ally came jogging up.

Steffi gave her sister a questioning glance, "What's up with you?"

Ally shook her head as she caught her breath. "Never mind, let's just do da mall girls!"

The girls cruised through Parisians, and then into the center of the mall. Elsa had passed Maggie to Isabel, and the five older sisters were forming a battle plan.

Ally ran her finger up and down the store map, as the other four followed it closely. The teens were debating on where to start the search when Maggie finally added her toddler two cents worth. "I is hungry. Can we eats furst. I want pizza!"

“Me too,” added Baruchah.

“I’s two.” Michelle reminded her slightly older sibling. “Yous five.”

The five older sisters looked at each and nodded their heads in agreement.

Elsa smiled and winked at Maggie, "Good choice Kitten. Never mall hop on an empty stomach. First we eat, then we shop!"

The girls made their way over to the food court. They went from booth to booth each getting their favorites. By the time they sat down they had hamburgers, chicken, tacos and of course the rugrats’ pizza.

The eight girls began eating and continuing their debate on where to start the search. The rugrats grinned, wearing mozarella cheese and tomato sauce for make-up. Steffi looked over at her sisters and laughed. Elsa reached across the table and wiped the mess off Maggie's face that the little toddler had worked so hard to create. Issy took care of Baru as Andrea tried the lost cause known as Michelle.

Maggie swallowed a bite and looked over at Ally. "Pippa, I knows what to gets Aunt Jenna now!"

The young teen put down her drink and leaned forward. "What Kitten?"

The toddler smiled proudly, "Pizza and honey bar-be-cooed wings!" Aunt Jenna says she loves dem lots, and I thinks dats a good idea!"

Ally dropped her head and closed her eyes. Steffi and Elsa both shook their head as Isabel and Andrea giggled. Ally opened her eyes and found her little sister staring at her with a disappointed look.

She shot her two sister's a glance that said, "cut the giggle" and then reached over and took Maggie's tomato sauce caked hand, "Maggie I know Aunt Jenna loves those things, but pizza and chicken wings, don't do so good sitting inside a gift box all day. I think we better just keep trying to think of something else, okay?"

Maggie was slightly dejected, but undaunted, and went back to happily munching and modeling her pizza. Twenty minutes later, which included ten of it in the bathroom trying to clean up Maggie, Baruchah and Michelle, the eight girls were back on their quest again.

The toddlers had gotten tired of being passed around from sister to sister, and insisted on walking. Elsa held Maggie by the hand, Andrea held Baruchah’s and Isabel held Michelle’s as Ally and Steffi had stopped for a second to chat up a few friends. Baruchah impatiently pulled on Andrea’s hand, as the toddler was ready to roll.

Elsa was about to pick Maggie up rather than have a tug of war with her when Steffi waved over at her enthusiastically. Getting her attention, she pointed over to the mall entrance. Elsa's knee's buckled and her face turned bright red because James Sharpson had just entered the building, and she was totally not dressed for an encounter of the high school hunk variety. Grabbing Maggie, she ran over to the photo machine and pulled her little sister in, closing the curtain behind them.

Maggie stared at the photo screen, and having had her picture taken there before started smiling and making faces, but the flash never came. Frowning she looked up at Elsa, "Elsa I tink its bwoked."

Elsa was too busy hiding to pay much attention. Sure that her crush had definitely past by, the beautiful young lass pushed the curtains open a few inches and then carefully stepped out. Her heart nearly stopped as she stood eyes to lips with the handsome high school hunk of her dreams, James Sharpson.

The boy smiled. The girl melted. The boy liked what he saw. The girl couldn't make eye contact. The guy put a gentle finger under her chin and helped her. The girl blushed. The boy smiled again and the girl became a puddle.

James leaned on the photo machine and struck up a conversation with his cute classmate. Elsa made doe eyes and responded with enough conversation to prove she was at least not completely comatose. Ten minutes had passed by before Ally, Isabel, Andrea and Steffi had returned with their charges. James took that as his cue to leave, winked at the girls and then strutted the walk.

Elsa gazed at him until she heard Ally utter. "Earth to Elsa! Come in Elsa!"

Elsa shook her head and then blushed while Ally and Steffi giggled at her expense.

Steffi made a comment about how someone's got it bad and Ally made the most intelligent comment of the last fifteen minutes. "Uh Elsa, where's Maggie?"

Elsa pulled the curtain open and waved her hand like a magician, but she sure wasn't a Blackstone, as the photo cabinet was empty.

The five girls gasped in horror. They didn't know whether to scream, cry, or just go directly into full scale panic. It was Thursday night in a packed summer mall, and they had to find one little rugrat. Mother would not be happy. Saying she would kill them was an understatement. They had to find the Kitten and they had to find her fast.

Elsa was already in tears as she blamed herself for the whole thing. Steffi was rambling on about people who abduct children from public places, and Ally was trembling, Isabel was in tears, but probably the sanest of the five was Andrea, because she, at least, had the good sense to think of alerting mall security.

Ally was about to flag down a mall cop when amazingly she saw Maggie smiling and waving to her from a shop on the other side of the hallway.

Ally screamed out, "There she is!" and took off at a run with Andrea, Isabel, Elsa and Steffi close behind.

By the time they had weaved their way through the crowd, the young girls found themselves standing outside a shop simply called, "Aunt Jan's Place.” Maggie was holding the hand of an older woman with long brown hair streaked with gray. She wore glasses, a long sleeve frilly blouse, and an ankle length skirt. The lady smiled lovingly at the girls. To the girls she seemed to look exactly like what an Aunt Jan ought to look like.

The teens smiled at the lady and then went directly after their wayward sister. Ally knelt down and pulled her into a tight hug. Andrea and Issy quickly joined in. Once they dried eyes and were sure she was safe and sound, all five scolded her.

Maggie turned from sister to sister unable to answer all the questions that were being fired at her, "How could you run off like that?” “I thought you knew better than that?” “Do you have any idea of what could have happened to you?” “Do you know how much you scared us?” ”What do you think Mom is going to say?"

Tears welled in the little girl's eyes as she tried to answer. "I gotted tired sitting in da booth listenin to Elsa bein goofy wiff a boy and I snucked out da udder side and then I kinda started lookin around and then I gotted losted and I didn't know what to do, and then I membered Mommy and Auntie Prue said to listen to my heart, and it tolded me to start goin dis way and it leaded me to Aunt Jan. I...I...is sowwy I gotted losted and..and I didn't means to be bad and..."

The little one's voice trailed off as she became overwhelmed and then broke down in sobs. The girls shook their head realizing they were all to blame and started comforting the little toddler.

Aunt Jan came over with tissues and a plate of cookies.

She smiled and introduced herself, "Hello girls. I'm Aunt Jan and well, this is my place. I saw your little sister out in the middle of the walk and she looked lost, so I called her over. I was just about to call mall security when she saw you looking for her. Maggie was telling me she's looking for a birthday present for her Aunt Jenna. I have quite few things in my shop that an aunt just might like. Please feel free to come in and browse around. You just might be surprised what you'll find here." She knelt down to Maggie level and winked at the small child. "And today is half off all purchases made by toddler's!"

Maggie squealed with delight and gave her a cookie crumb kiss. The five teens laughed and each helped herself to a cookie, giving one each to the other two other toddlers.

Elsa surveyed the front entrance of the shop and gave it a curious look, "Aunt Jan, I don't remember seeing this shop here before and I was just in the mall last weekend."

The kindly older woman smiled and nodded, "That's true Elsa. Actually a friend of mine owns this spot, normally he runs a little magic shop from here. Maybe you've seen him. A little short older man, wears something that looks like a bath robe?"

Elsa thought for a moment and then shook her head.

Aunt Jan smiled and then continued, "Well, anyway, he's taking a little vacation and he's letting me have a go at a shop for awhile."

Elsa nodded, and then gave the woman a strange look, "Aunt Jan, how did you know my name was Elsa? I didn't tell you."

The older woman looked down at Maggie and winked before answering Elsa query, "Why your little sister told me, dear," Before looking from teen to teen, naming each one.

The girls shrugged their shoulders and Steffi said, "Well...I think we ought to let the kittens look around. It's not like any of us have come up with anything and we got less than an hour left."

The girls began wandering through the aisles. The three little ones kept hold of at least one sister's hand at all times. Aunt Jan seemed to pop in and out as the girls browsed. One of them would be looking longingly at something and almost like magic she was beside them telling them about it.

Ally had Maggie's hand this time and looked down at the quickly tiring tot, "So Kitten, any ideas yet?"

Maggie sighed and closed her eyes. "I is twying to follow me heart like mommy says, but I aint doin so good!"

Like magic Aunt Jan appeared and took Maggie's other hand.

Kneeling down to Kitten level she smiled at her, "Maggie, if you could give your Aunt Jenna anything in the whole world, what would your heart want to give her."

The older woman closed her eyes when she finished her sentence, and suddenly Maggie felt the palm that Aunt Jan held tingling with something like electricity.

Maggie closed her eyes and when she opened them she smiled sadly, "Aunt Jan, I weally wish wes could give Aunt Jenna a baby cause she loves kids more than anyting, but my mommy done splained to us’es I can't do dat."

The kindly shop owner winked at Maggie and then spoke, "No child, you can't give her a real baby, but I've got some lovely baby dolls that I bet she would fall in love with."

Maggie smiled brightly, and exclamimed. "Cans wes see dem Aunt Jan! Peas! Peas!"

Aunt Jan raised up and waved her hand toward the shelf directly in front of them. "Why they are right there Maggie and all at toddler level just so you can pick them out."

Ally gave Aunt Jan a puzzled look, "That's funny Aunt Jan. I was over at that shelf five minutes ago and I thought it was full of jewelry."

The older woman put an arm around the young teen, "Ally my dear, or should I call you Pippa? There may have been jewelry there five minutes ago. Sometimes I think my friend left a little magic in this place when he left, as strange things have been happening here ever since I moved in."

Ally was considering the implications of the shop owner's statement, ‘Like mom?’

“Yes, like your mom,” Jan smiled.

Suddenly they heard Maggie squeal with delight. "Look Aunt Jan, look Pippa, look at da liddle babies, they is twins!"

Maggie had already lifted the box from the shelf and shoved it up toward her sister. Ally sighed and smiled at the lovely baby dolls. "Ohhhh! They are adorable Kitten. Boy and girl twins, and their little pink and blue outfits are soooo...cute!"

A few seconds later, the other six girls had joined the trio and they too fussed over the dolls as if they really were new born infants. Elsa looked at the bottom of the box and winced when she saw the price.

She sighed and shook her head at Maggie, "Sorry Kitten, but even at half price you couldn't afford these babies. You'll have to put them back and we'll look for something else."

Tear welled in the toddler's eyes, and Steffi knelt down to comfort her.

Aunt Jan took the box from Elsa hands and gently turned it over, "Why Elsa, you must have read that price wrong. Maggie has more than enough money for these babies, especially with her toddler discount."

Elsa shook her head and then her eyes went wide as the price tag read $9.99.

The young teens lip quivered as she spoke. "But...but...I just looked at that, and...and...I know, I could have sworn it said $79.99."

Ally thought, ‘Just like mom.’

Aunt Jan laid a gentle hand Elsa’s shoulder. "Probably just the lighting dear. You've wouldn't believe the things I've thought I've seen in here."

Maggie stopped crying and looked up at Ally, "Pippa does dat means wes gots enuff money to buy da babies for Aunt Jenna?"

Ally smiled and nodded, "Yepers Kitten. You get to give Aunt Jenna babies after all!"

The little girl jumped up and down, squealing and breaking into a little toddler dance before latching on to Aunt Jan and hugging her legs tightly.

Aunt Jan pulled the little octopus away from her legs and lifted her into her arms. Smiling at the child she hugged her tightly and quipped, "Nothing like a satisfied customer!"

The eight-some laughed heartily and then Aunt Jan asked the tiny tot if there was anything else she wanted to get. The little girls frowned for a minute as she thought before Baru’s slowly turned it into a smile.

Baru looked at Elsa as she spoke. "Elsa you said wes should gets somethin for Aunt Jenna dat she loves for more dan anythin and now wes got da babies and she will loves dem lots."

Baru then turned to Elsa. "Elsie, you saided wes should gets her stuff she likes to have lots of, like your friend Mariah. Member Pippa you saided wes should get her somethin she likes to co...co...co..."

Elsa smiled and finished her little sister thought. "Collect Baru, the word is ‘collect,’ but I don't know if Aunt Jenna collects anything or really likes anything that much."

Isabel and Steffi looked at Elsa and shrugged their shoulders as they had no idea either. Once again, it was Aunt Jan to the rescue, as the proprietor lead that girl over to a shelf filled with small stuffed animals.

Still holding Baruchah she directed her attention to the display, "Baruchah I don't really know your Aunt Jenna, but I know a lot of people who like to collect little animals."

The older woman waved her hand across the shelf and one by one she named its occupants, "Here's a little elephant. Those are very popular. Uhh...here's a horse, a bird, a bear, a lion, a bunny rabbit."

Baruchah jumped up and down in Aunt Jan's arms, "Bunny wabbit, bunny wabbit! Cathleen tolded me Aunt Jenna likes bunny wabbits a whole bunches! I wanna get her da bunny wabbit!"

Steffi smiled and then nudged Isabel, "You know...come to think of it...I heard Mom say that Aunt Jenna really liked rabbits. I forgot all about that until the Imp mentioned it."

Ally and Elsa nodded as they now remembered the same thing.

Elsa stepped next to Baruchah and smiled at her, "Well little bit, which rabbit are you gonna get? There's a couple on the shelf to choose from."

Baruchah looked back and forth at her choices before selecting the one dressed in a little blue and white sleeper with moons on it, "I wants dat one cause its da cutest and it can seeps wiff da babies while they is waiting for Aunt Jenna to opens da box."

The girls giggled while Aunt Jan complimented her on a good choice. She also mentioned there is a Golden storybook that goes with the rabbit, but sadly she didn't have one. However, she assured Baruchah that Aunt Jenna shouldn't have any trouble finding it and when she did, she could read it to her, her sisters and Cahtleen. For Baruchah, this was the bestest icing on Aunt Jenna's birthday cake.

Steffi reached over and hugged her little sister. "Baru, Maggs, I I think you've done great! Aunt Jenna is gonna love her gifts."

Baru and Maggie smiled proudly, but they weren't done yet and Maggie was quick to tell their sister so, "Steffi, wes gotted what Elsa and Ally saided but wes ain't gotted Aunt Jenna what you saided. Wes gotta figure out what she NEEDS most of all!"

Without even really thinking, Andrea commented casually, "I tell you what she really needs. She needs some allergy medicine that really works for once! I feel so sorry for her in the summer time. She always sneezing and blowing her nose. Not even Mom's chicken soup has been able to cure her allergies."

A toddler sized light bulb went on over Baruchah's head. "Dat's it Pippa. Wes is gonna gets her medicines for her bad ol ally-geez! She needs dat more dan anyting!"

Elsa shook her head at her little sister. "Baru, this isn't a chemist shop. I really doubt if Aunt Jan sells magic medicine to cure Aunt Jenna's ally-gees."

The tiny toddler looked hopefully into Aunt Jan's eyes, and the older woman smiled and winked, "Well Elsa, normally you'd be right but, I might just have a little something here somewhere."

Aunt Jan slipped behind a counter and reached into a drawer. She muttered to herself as she searched its contents. The girls watched intently as the older woman finally stopped and then smiled as she pulled a small plastic bag from the drawer.

"I thought I still had a bag of these somewhere."

The tots smiled happily but the five teens looked at the bag suspiciously.

Finally Steffi voiced their opinion, "Uh Aunt Jan, that doesn't really look like allergy medicine. It kinda looks like jellybeans to me."

Ally, Andrea, Isabel and Elsa nodded in agreement.

Aunt Jan squinted her eyes and took a closer look at the bag in her hand, "Hmmm....girls they do kinda look like jellybeans don't they, and....who knows, they might even taste a little like jellybeans, but, as you girls get older you will learn that very often the true nature of things isn't always found in what they look like or sometimes even act like. The true nature of a thing is often deep inside the shell and kept safely in the heart. Sometimes, we may have to give it a gentle nudge, a hug and a lot of love, but if were patient, we might just get to see it. And, that works as well for jelly beans as it does with people."

Aunt Jan then handed the bag to Michelle who held it tightly against her chest. "Michelle," she started. "Do you think the true nature of these jellybeans is magic allergy pills?"

Michelle nodded solemnly. "I tink so, Aunt Jan."

Aunt Jan smiled and placed her hand on the bag, and then waved the girls over to do the same.

By the time each got a few fingers on the bag, the older woman started again, "Okay, girls I want you to take all the love you feel for Aunt Jenna, and how much you wish her allergies were all gone, and pour it into these jelly beans. Now, if the true nature of these jellybeans are to be magic allergy pills, then your belief in them and your love for Aunt Jenna will give them the courage to be what their destined to be."

Everyone closed their eyes and for a few seconds the world around them was still. Michelle felt a slight tingle in her fingers that her twin toddler sisters felt before and so did her sisters. When Aunt Jan told them to open their eyes. The girls examined the bag of jellybeans and found them to look exactly as they had before.

Ally sighed, "I don't think it worked."

Aunt Jan winked at the young skeptic. "I wouldn't be so quick to say that. The proof of the allergy medicine isn't in the look or the taste! I have a very good feeling we are holding the very first bag of jellybean flavored magic allergy medicine!"

Michelle smiled triumphantly, believing in the power of the magic beans, "Yeah...I gots Aunt Jenna magic ally-geez medicine and she don't gotta have sneezies no mores, and da bestest part is da medicine tastes likes jellybeans."

The little girl licked her lips as she eyed the bag. "Aunt Jan, I kinda think I gots to sneeze, can I have some jellybeans, I means ally-geez medicine?"

Her sisters giggled and Aunt Jan chuckled. "Michelle I think we should let your Aunt Jenna try them first as it is her birthday gift, but I have a feeling that she might want to share them with you and Cathleen should either of you feel the sniffles coming on."

The teens giggled a little more, but Michelle paid them no mind. She was more than willing to wait for some magic medicinal jellybeans. She was just tickled they had gotten so many wonderful gifts for her Aunt Jenna.

Aunt Jan added the jellybeans to the dolls and the rabbit as the closing announcement from the mall came over the loud speaker. The older woman quickly tabulated the tally and cashed Maggie and Baruchah out. They had everything they needed and a good portion of her twenty left. Each one of the girls thanked Aunt Jan for her help and the cookies and then left her with a hug. Maggie of course, had to be last, and hugged Aunt Jan so tightly and then told her she loved her.

The proprietor gave the imp a little kiss and told her she loved her too. Tears welled in the eyes of the older woman as she watch the four girls head for the mall exit. Sighing, she closed the gate on her shop. She hadn't made many sales that day, but now she realized why her friend liked the business. When you made the right sale, it was worth everything.

Outside the shop, the girls stopped at the phone booth just outside the mall exit and phoned their Aunt Janet. She was by the phone waiting for their call, as Shelly had called her on the cell as soon as she had dropped the girls off.

Janet said she would be there in about ten, and true to her word, she tooted the horn at the exit shortly thereafter.

The eight girls poured into her car, and excitedly filled her in on their great mall adventure. The young woman laughed as the five teens were all talking at once as Maggie and Baruchah were trying to poke a big white box into their aunt's face.

Janet really did love children, and someday she might be ready to embrace motherhood, but it was moments like this that reminded her of how much she enjoyed her "Aunt" status.

The young woman finally got the three tots buckled in as the teens settled in. Insisting they go one at a time, Janet began the drive home as she listened to each niece give part of the tale.

Maggie was last of course, and the gentle motion of the car combined with it being already an hour past her bedtime, had the toddler pretty docile by then. She just showed the open box to her Aunt Janet while they were at a stoplight, and said. "See Aunt Janet".

The young woman cooed just as the girls had done when she saw the babies, and the little rabbit. She noticed the jellybeans and after hearing the story how doubts about their medicinal quality but knew that her sister would be deeply touched by the sentiment.

The light had yet to change as Janet poked around in the box. She had a slight frown as she looked at her little sleepy eyed nieces, "Maggie, Baruchah, I can't find the card. You did get a card for Aunt Jenna didn't you?"

The little girls shook their head and being so exhausted, they nearly broke into tears on the spot. Ally looked to Elsa and Elsa to Andrea who looked at Isabel who looked at Steffi, as the five girls shook their heads.

Ally looked at her aunt from the back seat, "Aunt Janet, we forgot all about the card. You think maybe we can stop somewhere and get one. The girls still got plenty of money."

Maggie was buckled in but still managed to reach over enough to grab Janet's sleeve. "Peas, Aunt Janet peas!"

“Yeah, peas, Aunt Janet?” added Baruchah.

The toddler may not have had a good hold on her aunt's blouse, but those sad green eyes had Janet's heart firmly.

"Don't worry Baru and Maggpie. There is a Walgreen's at the next light. I'm sure we can pop in and find you girls a card. How's that sound?"

The little ones grinned and gave their aunt a toddler thumbs up and then added, "Kewl!"

Her sisters started laughing and Janet had to follow as they made their way to the Walgreen's parking lot. The teen queens agreed to wait in the car and watch the sleeping Michelle, while Janet, Baruchah and Maggie went looking for the card.

Janet found the card aisle and then the birthday card section. A brief scan of the selection found three cards for Aunts. She pulled one of each from the rack and held them in front of the girls.

When Maggie saw the one with the bear hugs she squealed, "Dat's the one Aunt Janet, dat's the one," as Baruchah agreed.

A quick stop through checkout and the girls were back on the road again. Ten minutes later, Janet pulled into her sister Shelly's driveway. Shelly had the porch light on and met them at the door. Three teens hugged their Aunt Janet tightly before squeezing past their mother. Ally carried Michelle, and Elsa carried a now sleeping Baruchah.

Janet had Maggie in one arm and the big white box in the other. The toddler had succumbed to sleep before the car had pulled out of the Walgreen.

Shelly smiled wickedly at her sister holding the baby in her arms, "Janet, I wish you could see yourself right now. This motherly look really suits you. You really ought to do it more often. You know, I know this guy..."

Janet shook her head and laughed. "You and Jenna just aren't going to give up are you?"

Shelly laughed. "Why of course not. That's a silly question. We're your sisters. You should know better by now."

Janet nodded and laughed again. "Yeah I guess I should. I don't think you're ever gonna have any luck trying, but I guess I wouldn't know what to do if either of you stopped."

Janet then gave Maggie a kiss and hugged her tightly. The little one smiled and snuggled in her arms. Shelly noticed the loving look on her sister's face, and opened her mouth to comment but Janet cut her off. "Don't say it Shelly, don't you dare. So help me, don't you say it."

Shelly rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue. She just took her baby from her sister's arms and then the white box.

Janet leaned over and gave her sister a light peck, and then turned to head for her car.

Shelly waited till she was on the driver's side and then had to say it. "Goodnight, Mommy!"

Janet's eyes grew wide and she shouted, "Shelly!" but her sister had already disappeared inside the door.

The young woman slipped in behind the wheel and muttered to herself, "Damn! She always gets the last word!"

Shelly smiled triumphantly as she peeked from the window and watched her sister drive away.

The teen trio was already in their room with their slightly older twins, as the sound of the stereo told their mother that. She would check on them a little later and get the details of the mall hop then. At the moment, she had a few munchkins to put to bed.

Entering Maggie and Baruchah's room, she sat the white box down on Maggie's desk and her babies on their beds.

Shelly puled off Maggie's sandles, she wiggled her baby out of her shorts and t-shirt. She frowned for a moment as she realized the little one was badly in need of a bath, but it could wait until tomorrow.

Selecting the Lady and the Tramp nightgown from her daughter’s nightie drawer, the experienced mother slipped her little one into it and had her beneath the covers and snuggled in with Boots, Lionheart and Darla in record time. She leaned over and kissed Maggie's forehead and then turned to Baru, when a sleepy little voice called to her. "Mommy....mommy."

The young woman turned and knelt at her baby's side. "Yes Baruchah honey, what is it?"

The little girl was so tired she couldn't open her eyes and her voice was barely more than a whisper. "Mommy wes followed my heart and wes founded everthin for Aunt Jenna, but...but...I still wish I coulda maded her somethin too. You know...like colorin her a picture, or..."

The toddler never finished her sentence as sleep reclaimed her. Shelly smiled lovingly and hugged her sleeping baby. "Don't worry Baruchah, I'm sure you'll think of something in the morning."

She then lovingly put Baruchah in her Cinderella nightgown and made sure Molly and Ein were under the sheet with her baby.

“Wes got great prezzies, momm…” Baruchah told her as she went back to sleep.

Shelly then took care of Michelle, changing her diaper and putting her into her babydoll before putting her in her crib and arranging her plushies.

The young mother backed out of the room and turned off the light before heading down the hallway to check on the rest of her brood.

************************************************************

Note Maggie is the main author. Edited for "Little Kids Kamp" by shalimar.

Huggles Aunt Jenna. This is the something else that Maggie maded special for you the next morining and I hopes you likes it. I loves you bunches and bunches!

Happy Birthday!!!!! from Maggie da Kitten