Um, yeah. I do not, nor will I ever own the rights for the Tiny Toons, or any other Warner Characters. The TTA Crew (including Babs' mom) is copyright to the Time Warner Company, and are used without permission. I'm making zero money from this, so I hope Warner Legal will over look my transgression. "Dates" by Tim Walters (d_ghol@yahoo.com) Sunday September 3, 1986. The stew was burning. That's about all I could think of as Kelly, Halley, and Bailey clung desperately to my legs, each crying about transgressions made by one or more of their siblings. Josh, James, Emily, Erin, Bradley, Boris, and Roberto were all in the living room. From the racket I could only assume that another game of "find our sister" was in progress. The doorbell rang, and a crash came from the living room. Sounded like the lamp again. And the stew was burning. "I found our Sister!" came the singsong victory cry. Erin. She was always good at finding her sister. "Ah, ha! Yes, Erin you've found your favorite sister. Now for your prize!" the voice sounded like a nondescript game show host. "And for your pestering, probing, persistent, pleading, dear Erin, You get to answer the door!" A loud cheer erupted, and I smiled. At least Babs was keeping the rest entertained. In my condition it was all I could do to drag around the kitchen with three small weights attached to my legs. And as I said, the stew was burning. I had turned the stove down a notch, and set Kelly and Halley to work on tossed salads, since they so enjoyed throwing miscellaneous objects into the air. Bailey, I set on fire watch, since she kept saying she wanted to be a firebunny when she grew up. I added the stuffed carrots to the stew, which was no longer burning. Back in the living room, a slight commotion demanded my attention. Something had the bunnies riled. No matter, I had stew to make; Babs would sort it out. I had faith in my oldest daughter, besides it takes at least an hour of uninterrupted culinary drudgery to feed forty seven and a half bunnies, there for I couldn't be interrupted. "Mom!" interrupted Babs a moment later, barging into the kitchen with Grissom nestled between her ears, Roy locked under her arm, and Neal balanced on her left foot. "Can I go play with Buster, and Plucky? Bugs has a new tunnel maze and he's letting the kids try it out!" "Oh, Babs hon," I said as I set down the ladle and turned to the eager ten year old. "I wish I could let you go, but with your father working late at the studio I just have to have some help with the others while I fix supper." My daughters' ears dropped in disappointment, letting Grissom slide to the floor, where he proceeded to take a nap. "Ok, mom. No problem. I'll just tell the guys to go on then." She said as she walked out of the kitchen, a disappointed air looming over her. I hated to do that. After all, Babs was such an exuberant child, so full of life. Sometimes she was too much for me to handle by herself, to say nothing of her brothers and sisters. Still, she was a good little bunny, and I could always count on her to help out in a pinch. "We've been getting pinched more and more lately." I said to no one as I gently moved the sleeping Grissom to a dusty corner with my free foot. Kelly had run off after Babs. "Ever since Phil took that job with the studio." Now, I'm not one given for idle talk, especially when I'm only talking to myself; so I went on with dinner in relative silence. Hailey crawled over to sleep along side Grissom, leaving only Bailey on my leg, crying. One kid latched on to my leg while I cooked. Easy. An hour later, dinner was ready, and I called to the children. "Ok, now children it's dinner time. Come and get it!" No matter how old I get, I'll never cease to be amazed at the strange vortex that forms in the fabric of the universe every meal time at my house, as my whole family somehow displaces themselves from where ever they had been and simultaneously appear at our dinner table, which is longer than most you understand. Even Bailey left her spot on my leg to sit in her high chair, letting the blood and feeling flow back into my foot. You'll understand why I'm thankful for small favors… As I went down the table ladling unburnt stew into my children's bowls I became aware of a break in the usual routine, which stopped me in my tracks. The break came in the form of a blue bunny. This in unto itself would have been no cause for alarm, since I've often lost track of what color belonged on whom in my house, but this one was different. He was obviously about Babs' age, and wore a nervous grin as he stood next to my oldest daughter. "Buster!" I said, surprised by the boys' presence. "I'd thought you'd gone to the maze with Plucky." "Oh? Well, uh, you see Mrs. Bunny… I uh…" "He told Plucky to go on to the maze, and stayed here to help me out with the kids mom!" Said Babs, smiling at her friend. "So, I told him to stay for dinner." I laughed. "Well of course he can stay, hon. You know your friends are welcome any time here." Buster seemed relieved. I swear that boy can be so shy at times. "Gee, thanks Mrs. Bunny." He said as he took a seat next to Babs. "Don't think anything of it young man. It's been ages since I saw you; why you must have grown a head and a half. You're getting so handsome too." Buster tried to say something back, to contradict my words, but he was having trouble with his tongue, and didn't note the secret smile I exchanged with Barbara Ann as he tried to untie it. Babs spun around in a whirlwind of flashing colors, stopping dressed in a great hoop skirt, and with a parasol delicately balanced over her left shoulder. "Why, I do declare mother, when you speak the truth you are ever so right!" she said in a drawling, south Georgia accent. "Why, I would just Looove for this young man to come a-callin' at our humble burrow some time!" Of course, Buster had managed to untie his tongue by that point, only to turn beet red at Babs' words. Poor boy. "How's Bugs doing Buster?" I asked, saving him any further embracement. As much as I enjoyed the little game Babs and I played, I knew not to over do it. A lesson Babs had yet to learn. Buster gave me a thankful look. "He's fine Mrs. Bunny. A bit put out with the studio for their lack of interest in the old Loony Toons, but other than that, he's doing great." "Well, I'm glad to hear that." Bugs Bunny had done a lot for my family, and I suspected he had something to do with Phil getting a job offer so soon after he was laid off from Acme. Dinner went on in relative silence for awhile then. If you can call the noise made by over forty rabbits, most of who were under the age of ten, silence. Babs and Buster whispered to each other, occasionally looking around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. I wondered what they were up to. "Mom?" asked Babs in her sweetest, most endearing voice. "Yes Babsie?" "Can me and Buster go and check out Bugs's maze after dinner?" I thought for a moment. "Oh, gee I don't know Babs. You know it's getting late, and it'll be dark soon." The two looked so disappointed that it nearly broke my heart. "Oh, ok. But make sure you're back by nine." "Yay!" the two bunnies shouted in unison, before hurriedly finishing supper and placing their dishes in the kitchen. "Be careful kids!" I shouted after them as they made a mad dash to get outside. I doubt that they heard, but shrugged the thought off. After all, they were young, and deserved every chance to act so. Bugs had a reputation for being the best entertainer in town, and his mazes were always popular with the kids. Plucky, and Hamton would be there; as well as most of the other kids from Acme Acres. All of Babs friends together for one more night before school started. I remembered Buster, and how he'd stayed to help Babs with the kids, and I smiled. She had such good friends. Continued next month. I know it's not much, but it actually started out as a character sketch, but the idea for a story took hold. It comes from a different view I know, but I thought a look at things from an "adult" observer of the TTA crew would be neat.