Well darling, if worse comes to worse, we could take them with us, daddy said smiling down at me. OH NO, mommy said, I am not keeping a 3 yr old and a 5 yr old up half the night, Oh No Siree. I can tell you that right now. Just calm down darling, we’ll think of something. What about Aunt Tammy I asked. Aunt Tammy is not really my aunt, her real name is Tammy Grieb. She and my mommy have been friends forever. They met before I was born when mommy was on the board of directors for the Los Angeles Zoo. Tammy is in charge of the Children’s exhibits at the zoo. She really loves the animals she works with. Needless to say they hit it off right away and have been best friends ever since.
That’s a great idea JL, do you want to call her and see if she’s home? Can I? Sure why not. Aunt Tammy is on our speed dialing system right between daddy’s office and FAO Schwartz. She answered on the 2nd ring. Hello? Aunt Tammy? Its me, JL. Whatcha doing pip-squeak? I hope your not playing with the phone again. You know how much trouble you got into the last time. No, I’m not playing, in fact mommy’s standing right next to me, but she’s got a problem. What? Put your mom on the phone pip-squeak, and I’ll talk to you in a few minutes ok? OK, here you go mom, its Aunt Tammy. JEN what’s wrong? Are you hurt? Is Jonathan Ok? What about JJ? Calm down Tammy everybody is just fine, but we do have a little problem. What’s that? Well Regina’s sister is sick, so she got called out of town, and tonight is the annual Hart Ball. Okayyyy. And I was wondering how would you like to spend some quality time with your niece and nephew? Oh Jen….Not tonight. Nick’s coming over….a slow smiled crept across mommy’s face, Its his only night off this week.
The Nick in question is Nick Stokes. He is a Crime Scene Investigator for the Las Vegas Crime Lab. Mommy had to go do an article on the dead and the dying in LA, and when she heard that the best crime unit was a short distance away in Las Vegas, she had to go and check it out. I didn’t like it that she had to spend the night in Las Vegas, and neither was daddy, but when she came back, she said she would take us the next time she went so we could see Excalibur. When she got there she met Gil Grissom and the rest of his team of CSI agents, but when she met Nick Stokes, her match making abilities went into overdrive and she decided to hook him up with Aunt Tammy. Nick told her he wasn’t ready for any kind of relationship, but when Nick had to come to LA for a convention, Mommy just happened to be there and she just happened to have Aunt Tammy with her. Needless to say they hit it off, and have been dating for about 2 years now, with no end in site.
I’ll tell you what Tammy, I will not only donate $1,000 to your children’s exhibit at the zoo, I will also get you a weekend off with plane tickets for you to Vegas and a hotel room for you AND Nick. Jen, you drive a hard bargain, but you have yourself a deal, on one condition. What’s that? That Nick gets to come too. Sure why not. Knowing you, you and JL will get into some kind of game and leave poor JJ out of it, so why not, he can keep an eye on him. Thanks Jen, you’re the greatest, what time do you want me over there. Well we have to be there at 6, so how about 5:30? You’ve got it, now let me talk to my kid will you. Whose kid? Mine. Oh allright, here she is. JL, its for you. Hello? Hey pip-squeak guess what? What? I’m coming over there tonight. YEAHHHHH. So you had better behave before I get there, cause I sure would hate to have you in your room all night got it? Got it. I’ll see you later, now let me talk to your mom again. Ok here she is. Here you go mommy. I owe you one Tammy. No you don’t, I’m getting a free trip to Vegas out of this. Talk about your fringe benefits. I’ll see you and that gorgeous husband of yours at 5:30 ok? Ok, see you then bye now. I couldn’t wait for Aunt Tammy to get there. She’s my favorite baby-sitter. She always has new stories to tell us about animals from the zoo, and every once in a while, she sneaks real animals into the house. They are so small that they fit into her shirt pocket. Mommy doesn’t know about them, and I hope she never finds out.
I ended up playing zookeeper with my stuffed animals, until I heard mommy tell me that Aunt Tammy was here, so I rushed downstairs. Mommy, Daddy, Aunt Tammy and Nick were all talking in the living room. AUNT TAMMY I cried running and jumping into her arms. Hi ya pip-squeak, how’s my favorite kid in the whole wide world? I’m fine Aunt Tammy how are you? I said giving her a big hug around the neck and a slobbery kiss. Oh I’m just fine now kiddo, that made my day. I’m glad, what are we going to play tonight? Wait a minute here, don’t you want to say Hi to Nick? Hi ya Nick? Hello yourself. Well we should be going, mommy said. Wow mommy you sure look pretty. Well thank you very much sweetheart. Now don’t you give your Aunt Tammy and Nick a bad time you hear. I want you on your best behavior, otherwise Aunt Tammy won’t be bringing any more little animals into this house, do you understand? How did you know about those? Tammy and I said together. I’m the mommy, I know everything. Now be good understand? Yes mommy. Have a good time ok mommy, you too daddy? We sure will. Goodnight Princess. Night daddy, goodnight Mommy. And with that they were out the door.
Uh oh I think I hear JJ hollering about something upstairs, I’m going to go check on him, I’ll just be a few minutes Tammy said, OK? Sure. Wanna help me pick out a video Nick? Sure why not, what’s your favorite video JL Nick asked. I like Beauty and the Beast. What about you. Well I’m kinda partial to Tarzan. We have that movie, wanna watch it? Sure that sounds like a great idea. We have to wait for Tammy to get back down here with JJ before we can start watching it though, cause we have to make pizza AND popcorn for the movie. Hey, that sounds good to me. Can I ask you a question Nick? Sure kiddo what is it? Well I was just wondering why you and Aunt Tammy aren’t married yet. Well for one thing I haven’t asked her yet, but I’m going too. REALLY? Really. Then why haven’t you asked her. Because I just haven’t found the right moment yet. How about tonight? Tonight? Yeah tonight. Instead of watching Tarzan like we had planed we could watch Beauty and the Beast and at the end when they are playing the song the Beauty and the Beast, you could say something like I’m a beast will you be my beauty from now on? And then give her the ring, you do have a ring dontcha? Yep, I sure do. I’ll tell you what, I’ll do it. But I have a little bit different version in mind ok? Ok, as long as I get to watch Beauty and the Beast. You got yourself a deal.
