( 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗌𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗇 — 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖽𝖺𝖽𝖽𝗒 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝗌𝗉𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗋 )

Charlotte sat in the kitchen, on the left side to the high chair as Bonnie fed Emma. Hearing Tucker and Danny fighting over the remote on the couch, Bonnie stopped for a second and turned around to look at the boys. "Play nice, Danny." She told her son, and referring to Tucker, she advised. "Or at least get him a stepladder."

This got a chuckle from Charlotte as Tucker gave up on trying to get the remote from Danny, when the front door opened and in walked Ben. "Okay, people. I need a clean shirt and a clean baby— not necessarily in that order." He stopped next to his mother as he looked down at his baby with a smile, while pulling his work shirt off. "Emma, are you ready for your first play date?"

"Okay," The blonde was looking down at the baby as she spoke. "now remember, Emma, what we talked about. Just because he buys you formula, doesn't mean you need to share your toys."

Ben rolled his eyes at what his mother said before smiling. "She's actually pretty smitten with her new little friend Jordan." He shared as he started heading towards his bedroom.

Bonnie turned around in her chair for the second time to call after her son. "Well, she's also having an affair with her thumb, so I wouldn't be picking out china just yet." She laughed. "Honey, I think it's so cute that you joined a Mommy and Me class."

"Cute? Really?" Charlotte raised a brow, knowing a reason why Ben would want to join the class.

Ben had returned from his room with a new shirt on, as Danny nodded from the couch. "Room full of hot mommies? Yeah, he's selfless." His brother
commented sarcastically.

Ben scoffed. "This is about Emma, okay?" He told his brother. "Jordan's mom, Isabelle, is amazing. People actually call her the 'mommy whisperer'."

"Funny." Bonnie chuckled awkwardly. "That used to be your father's nickname."

"She runs the whole program." Ben continued on speaking about Isabelle. "There's a huge waiting list for her class. But, using a little of the patented Wheeler charm, Emma and I have jumped to the front of the list. We pass our play date audition today, and we're in."

"We're in! Yes!" Tucker and Danny jumped up in excitement, from their spot on the couch, making Charlotte look up from her phone. She was in the middle of texting Brodie, to wonder where he was since he had taken Tommy out to the store.

"Today is gonna be all about yelling," The eldest-Wheeler sibling started to say, before pretending to punch Tucker in the stomach. "swearing, and full-on body blows."

"Sounds like my wedding night." Bonnie pointed out with an awkward smile, causing the others to look at her disturbed.

Charlotte looked amused. "You do know they are talking about boxing, right?" She told the blonde, as Ben chuckled with her before he turned to his mother to explain. "It's the pay-per-view fight of the decade."

"Yep." Tucker nodded his head. "And watching it is how we stay manly. Ooh."

"Yeah, okay, that should do it." Bonnie chuckled slightly, as the boys stared back at her, offended by her comment.

Bonnie turned back and looked down at the floor when she noticed a piece of food that Emma had dropped. "Oh! It's okay, Emma. Here we go." She had bent down to pick it up. "Three-second rule."

Before Bonnie could give it to Emma, Ben quickly intervened. "No! No-second rule. Izzy said that's a myth." He passed on to his mother what he had learnt from Isabelle. "Do you have any idea what kind of germs you're exposing her to?"

"Honey, when I was raising you boys," As Bonnie started to say, she gave her son a look. "it was a three-day rule. If you kept it down, it was safe. If you didn't— well, that's why we had a dog."

"Well, Izzy has this simple list of rules that every parent needs to follow. It's amazing how much I don't know." Ben chuckled.

"And we're all amazed at that, Benny." Charlotte smiled innocently at the boy, causing Bonnie to snicker.

Ben pursed his lips at the brunette. "Ha-ha. Very funny."

"And I've got a list too." Danny shared, while him and Tucker talked about arrangements for the boxing fight. "Chips, Beer, Salsa, Guacamole— I think Brodie might be getting some of that from the store—" He cut himself off again as he turned around to point a finger at Ben. "And you be home by 8:00."

"Please. I'm so on it. And I'm so late." With a bag now in hand, Ben started making his way to the door. "The first thing on Izzy's list: be prepared for everything." He stepped out of the apartment and shut the door behind him, only to open it a second later and walk back inside. "The second thing on the list: don't forget the baby." The boy rushed towards his mother who had taken Emma out of the high chair a moment ago, and took her off her.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

After Ben and Isabelle returned to the apartment, the latter soon left once arrangements were made for them later on that evening, to have a date, or so Isabelle could give Ben tips to prepare him for her class.

Charlotte stood in the kitchen, helping to prepare the dinner for Ben's date with Izzy after she made some food for Tommy, who sat eating his chicken nuggets in front of her, watching something on Charlotte's phone through headphones.

Brodie sat next to the four year old, and snacked on some Doritos while his mother talked to Ben who stood across the room. "Ben, honey, there is such a thing as being too protective." The blonde-haired woman started to say. "Did I pick you up every time you cried? No. Did I feed you every time you were hungry? No. Did I fix those frayed wires behind the tv? I mean, what am I? An electrician?"

"No." Brodie cut in, mimicking his mother's tone, receiving a pointed look from the woman, before she turned back to Ben to carry on what she was saying.

"Come on, Ben, you turned out—" Bonnie seemed to struggle on how to finish her sentence. "Well, you are still here."

Ben pulled a face at her words, glancing at Brodie who laughed before he looked back to his mother and feigned a smile. "I feel so coddled." The boy commented sarcastically.

"Well, you should," Charlotte scoffed at him, and gestured to the food plate on the counter. "since I'm making dinner for you and as your mom calls her, Lady Goo-goo."

"Hey, that's organic chicken, right?" Ben pointed towards the food plate as he walked over to them, with a reminder. "She only eats organic."

"Yeah, right." His mother scoffed slightly. "Like Charlie and I are going to spend forty bucks on a breast of chicken. I don't spend that much per cup on a bra."

"Mom! This is important." Ben groaned.

Bonnie stared at her youngest son. "Honey, your brother is 6'5" and he grew up eating dirt." She reminded both him and Brodie, before the twins shared a look. Though, before any of them could comment on it, everyone turned towards the door as Riley walked in.

"I did it!" The Perrin girl announced to the group with a beaming smile on her face, before starting to shut the door behind her. "I got the job. You are looking at the newest employee of Bender, Bowman, Brockman and some guy whose name I can't pronounce."

Brodie smiled. "Congratulations, Riley."

"Wow." Bonnie looked at the blonde who had just walked in, and chuckled. "That's a really long name for a strip club."

"It's a law firm." Riley corrected, as she started to head over and walk past Bonnie. "And I start my internship on Monday."

"Well," Bonnie turned around to face Riley. "then you better find the rest of that skirt before then, because I can kinda see your tonsils," She moved aside and gestured towards Tommy. "and let's not forget there's a child in the room."

Brodie raised a brow at his mother. "Says the one who said strip club in front of him." He reminded the woman, receiving a look from both Charlotte and Bonnie in return. "Oops, now there I go."

"It's a good thing he's too busy watching Fireman Sam, to listen to what we're saying." Charlotte let out a sigh.

"This is the most conservative thing I have." Riley mentioned, fiddling with her skirt as Bonnie had looked back at her.

"Well," Bonnie looked back at Charlotte who was heading towards the bathroom. "Charlie and I are bringing Emma and Tommy along to the Outlet Mall, for their monthly madness sale. It's 40% off of 40% off." She told her with a smile. "Which I think means, they pay you."

Riley thought for a second. "Well, I actually could use a couple of new suits." She shrugged, before looking back at Bonnie. "Here's something I'm gonna regret." She chuckled. "Mrs. Wheeler, will you take me shopping?"

"Absolutely." Bonnie accepted. "I can always use somebody to block those perfume ladies. Those bitches are tough. But, we should probably get going before the fight starts." Bonnie turned her head around. "Charlie!"

"I'm here, I'm here." Charlotte announced, as she exited the bathroom and walked over to her little brother, seeing as he was finished with eating his food. "Come on, Tommy. We're going."

"Oh, that's right." Riley walked past Bonnie when she remembered. "I forgot the fight of the decade is tonight."

"No. I mean the one Ben's gonna be getting into with the boys when they find out that he's ditching them for Dizzy."

"Izzy." Ben reminded his mother, who plastered a fake smile on her face, her disinterest in Isabelle being shown quite clearly as she waved her son off. "Whatever." She mumbled.

"Hey, it's for Emma." Ben told the girls. "They'll understand."

Tommy got down from the stool, before his hand was grabbed by Charlotte. "No, they won't." She called at the same time as Brodie, gently pulling her brother over to where Bonnie and Riley were standing. They knew Tucker and Danny too well to know that they will definitely not understand.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

"You were amazing." Riley gushed, as she walked around the corner with multiple shopping bags in her hands. Bonnie followed behind her, pushing Emma in her stroller. Charlotte and Tommy had gone off somewhere else, not long ago, so Tommy could get something that he liked. "The way you just ripped that shirt right out of her hands."

"Well, that's why they call it a tag sale." Bonnie smiled proudly. "I tagged her right on her ass— just ka-blam!"

"Excuse me. Ladies." A security officer called out as he approached them.

"Normally I would buy cookies from your troop, sir, but I just dropped a boatload of cash—"

"Let's cut the chatter." The officer interrupted the woman, before pulling out his walkie talkie to speak into it. "I got a 942 in progress." He turned off his radio, now talking to Bonnie and Riley as he ordered. "Follow me, please."

Confused by what was happening, Riley looked at the man with her brows furrowed. "I'm sorry, is there a problem?" She asked politely.

"Yeah." The officer nodded. "You're under arrest. Let's fall in line, blondies." Bonnie and Riley fell into shock, as the man turned to leave, indicating for the two to follow him.

As Bonnie and Riley were now sat in the security office, they felt worried. And would they be able to contact Charlotte? As far as they knew, her and Tommy were still in the mall, most likely in one of Tommy's favourite stores.

"This is the Tom man at Home Base— over." The man who arrested them, spoke into the walkie talkie as Bonnie and Riley sat at his desk. "Come in Sector 21."

Bonnie lifted her hand near her mouth, imitating radio static. "This is Bonnie in security. Come in, Fatpants." She looked over at Riley with a smile as the two could find themselves to be amused in this situation.

"Hey there, Bonnie." Riley mirrored the woman's action and imitated radio static. "Looks like we're gonna be cell mates. I call top bunk!"

As the blondes laughed, the security officer stood behind his desk, and spoke once the girls looked back at him. "Guess there was a two-for-one sale on wisenheimers. You two ladies wanna tamp it down?"

"Please don't call my mom. She will totally freak out." Bonnie begged in a valley girl accent. "And if she grounds me, I'm gonna miss prom. And I think that David and I might actually..." She then began twirling her hair, and bit her lip. "do it."

"Shut up." Riley mimicked the accent that Bonnie was putting on.

"You shut up."

"The two of you shut up." The now fed up officer interrupted them, making Bonnie and Riley look back at him. "You two should take this act on the road. Oh! But you can't, because where I come from," He slowly approached the stroller. "using an innocent little baby to steal a diamond watch is what we like to call" He pulled out that exact item from behind Emma. "a felony."

"Where did that come from?" Riley asked, as her and Bonnie both looked confused at seeing the diamond watch. "We didn't put that in there."

"Tell it to your parole officer, sister!" The security officer replied, not believing that she was really confused. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get the proper paperwork."

As soon as he had left the room, Riley turned her head to look at Bonnie in shock. "Oh my god! A felony? I could lose my internship." She stood up to her feet in panic. "I could get disbarred before I'm even barred. How could you do this to me?"

Bonnie wore a look of disbelief. "Oh, you actually think I stole a watch and shoved it into Emma's stroller?" The woman scoffed.

Riley leant against the door, still panicking about the situation they were in. "How should I know?! You're a crazy person." The girl snapped, making Bonnie look at her, offended. "If I do become a lawyer, the first thing I'm gonna do is sue you."

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Riley had moved away from her spot by the door, and was now pacing back and forth in front of the Wheeler woman, who now had Emma on her lap after taking her out of the stroller. "Do you have any idea what this means?" Riley asked.

Bonnie nodded. "Yeah. We're paying retail from now on."

Riley leaned over the desk, narrowing her eyes at the woman. "Mrs. Wheeler, you have ruined my life!" She claimed, still believing that Bonnie was to blame for this situation.

"Okay, let's calm down. We can't turn on each other. That's what they want."

"Oh-ho, I'll sing." Riley disagreed with her. "I'll tell them everything."

"Obviously, Emma just grabbed it." Bonnie stated with a shrug, gesturing towards the baby that was currently trying to grab something on the desk in front of them. "She's at that stage. All right, listen—" Bonnie stood up from her chair with Emma in her arms. "when walkie-talkie Tommy gets back in here, just use your powers of persuasion and get us out of this."

"Well, I have picked up a few legal moves."

Bonnie looked at her confused. "I meant use your skinny little butt and shake what weight watchers gave you." She encouraged the blonde, before she slightly opened up the top of her shirt. "Huh? Huh? Huh?"

"This is called entrapment." Riley went to button her shirt back up. "Or solicitation, or something... Intercoast—" She mumbled.

Bonnie nodded her head. "Oh wow, you are good at this." She commented sarcastically, before she passed Emma over to her and sighed. "All right, here. Fine, I will do it." She turned to look inside her bag to pull out some money. "Okay. Huh, yeah, okay. Ah, okay."

"Oh my god, we're so going to prison." The Perrin girl panicked once again. "Let's hope Charlie gets here soon." She muttered, moving to stand on the other side of the room as the officer walked back in.

He shut the door behind him, and turned back to find Bonnie waving money in his face. He looked at the woman with his brows furrowed, following the money with his eyes before he asked. "What's this?"

As a response, Bonnie placed the money over his mouth, and shushed him. "20 bucks and a coffee card with at least five freebies still on it."

"I don't drink coffee." The man declined Bonnie's offer, before giving her a pointed look. "And that's bribery."

"Oh! That's what it was."

As time went on, the two blondes were still inside the room, sat back in their chairs with the officer sat on the other side of the desk. "And according to statute 189– or perhaps 237– of the Bi-Laws of this state, you are prohibited from holding us for more than 48 hours." Riley told him, going from what she knew so far.

The officer checked his watch. "Oh great, so that's 46 hours and 20 minutes to go." He informed the two, quite smugly. "And I've got no plans."

"Well, color me shocked." Riley commented in a sarcastic manner.

"Hey!" The man looked at her offended, when he noticed the sarcasm. "I have dedicated my life to protecting this mall. I did not pick this job. The job picked me."

"Look, charge us or let us go." Bonnie gave him a choice. "Either way, I'm gonna need to get my parking validated."

"I'll just walkie the cops, hmm?" The man looked down at the file on the desk. "They'll get your real name, Siegfried." He scoffed, before going to pull his walkie talkie out. "Wait— my walkie. Where is it?" He was now out of his chair, looking around for his missing walkie talkie.

"Don't panic." Bonnie gained his attention before reminding him. "You had it with you when you ran out to that staff meeting."

"Right! The men's room." He remembered before pointing over to the two blondes. "You two don't move!" He ordered, and ran out the room as fast as he could, shutting the door behind him. "Lock it down, people! I'm off walkie! I repeat— I am off walkie!"

As soon as he was out of view, Riley was quick to get up and rushed towards the door, only letting out a groan once she realised the man had locked them in. She leant her head against the door and whined. "No, no, no. We're locked in. What are we gonna do?"

Bonnie turned to the blonde with a smirk, before she held up her left hand. "Bam!" She revealed to Riley what she was holding, which was her phone and showed her the open messages between her and Charlotte, who had advised her what to do beforehand. "And bam!" Bonnie held up her right hand that held the officer's keys and walkie talkie that she managed to steal.

"Psst." They heard a sound from outside the door and at their next words, they instantly knew it was Charlotte. "Come on, Barbies!"

"Let's go, Siegfried. I'm springing you." Both girls rushed to gather their belongings and put Emma back in her stroller before unlocking the door and left the room before the officer got back. The girls rounded the corner to find Charlotte and Tommy waiting for them. "Where were you?"

"We went to the Lego store!" Tommy said with a beaming grin, making Bonnie and Riley instantly return his smile.

"We got lost on the way back." Charlotte notified the two with a sigh. "Never mind that, we gotta go now."

Once they arrived back to the apartment, the five of them had walked in on Izzy fast asleep on the couch with Ben nowhere to be seen. Charlotte let out a chuckle at the sight. "Ben really knows how to show 'em a good time, doesn't he?" She joked, making Bonnie snicker before she shushed them and tip-toed over to stand behind the couch.

The Wheeler woman let out a sound that imitated a baby crying, causing Isabelle to wake up from the noise. "I'm up! Jordan, it's okay! Mommy's coming!" She panicked, thinking her son was the one crying, but stopped when she saw Bonnie.

"Oh, give it a rest, super mom." The woman said, holding out her hand to introduce herself to the girl. "Hi, Bonnie Wheeler, real mom." She turned her head, pointing over to Charlotte first. "Same as that one over there." She then gestured over to Riley. "And my nondescript sidekick."

"I'm sorry. I guess I fell asleep." Izzy apologised.

"What the dealio with you?" Bonnie asked, as she put her bag down and went to sit down beside the girl. "Why are you trying to make the rest of us look bad?"

"I'm not." Izzy answered. "I'm just trying to make everything perfect."

"How's that working for you?" Bonnie wondered, making Izzy tilt her head. "Look, I've raised three boys, and she" She gestured to Charlotte with her thumb, wanting to include her in this. "has been raising her four-year old brother ever since he was born, and I'm here to tell you that there is no such thing as perfect. They might be small, but a baby can take you down. Getting through the day in one piece— that, my friend is job done."

"I know." Izzy sighed in defeat. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I'm doing. I try and I try, but all I want to do is take a nap."

"Yeah, I know." Bonnie nodded in agreement.

"A really really long nap." Isabelle explained, and sighed once again as she dropped her head onto Bonnie's shoulder. "This kid is sucking the life out of me."

"Oh, I feel you, Lizzy."

"Izzy."

"Whatever."

"Not that anybody seems to care," Riley chuckled slightly. "but, um, where's Ben?" As soon as she asked this, they heard a noise that echoed.

"Help! Can anybody hear me? We're stuck in the laundry room." The voice that matched Tucker's, called for help, that may have come from the air vent.

"I guess one of us should go." Bonnie sighed.

"Anyone! We're desperate!" Tucker cried. "And I really need to use the bathroom."

"Always the hero." Charlotte chuckled, before she looked down at her brother. "Come on, Tommy. Let's go save your uncle Tuck."

"What am I gonna do? I'm short!"

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

megan speaks!

i hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! sorry for the long wait, but i struggled on slightly on where i should write charlotte in the chapter, hence why i have missed an episode.

don't forget to comment if you would like! i love to know if you guys are enjoying my book, and it makes me more inspired. thanks for reading, i love you all!! <33