Hell to the Uh Oh

Mike

Mike waited for a doctor to see him impatiently. He'd told Mercedes that he didn't need anyone with him but he'd been mistaken. Now he was alone and thoughts of Marcy raced through his mind.

He thought back to when they'd first met and smirked. Even back then she'd been a menace. As their nannies had rushed into the park's river to fish out Marcy and Mal, everyone had stood stupefied and speechless. Then he'd started laughing. His grasp of English was poor and he hadn't learned Italian yet so he didn't know what she had told her mother but when she'd stripped his brother and raced into the water, he found it funny beyond belief. Who did that?! Answer: Marcy.

After their mothers reamed her out (with her looking equal parts confused and uncaring), they'd been introduced. She peered into his face and said something before taking his hand. He'd been thrown off because she didn't do anything but hold it. He'd looked to his dad, who told him to greet her properly. So he bowed and kissed her hand. She burst out in giggles then kissed Mal on the cheek, which made both boys flush.

Her mother had told her to be ladylike. He didn't know what that meant but Marcy had pouted and eyed the dirt angrily. He was still holding her hand so he squeezed it and pointed to the swings. She'd brightened immediately and he pushed her on the swings until Mal took over. He went to get a camera and took a picture of her. Marcus was sitting close to him so he turned and asked why her eyes were dark green. Since Marcus had known enough Japanese, he'd answered that she was different and special. Mike had liked that. She looked nearly identical to one of his three favorite people in the world so that was a plus in his book. But her eyes and personality was a change of pace.

He had his moments when he wanted to be naughty but it was frowned upon. Mal was still only a year old, two months before his second birthday so he was good without trying. Mike was a whole three years old; nearly four. He didn't always want to follow the rules. Eat his dinner. Watch his brother. Be nice to the nanny. Bribes only went so far when he just wanted to misbehave.

But here was this little two year old, who dove headfirst into trouble with a smile. He loved Quinn and Mercedes already but they were as good as Mal. Mercedes wouldn't know how to be naughty if the idea presented itself with a big purple ribbon. Quinn had inklings but in the end, she wouldn't do it. Mal was like Mercedes through and through. He wasn't getting in trouble for nothing.

Mike wanted someone to get in trouble with and he'd found his partner in crime. Boy, had they gotten in trouble over the years!

The families weren't really all that used to having their children around all the time.

Laura was born in Sweden and they'd lived there until Judy was pregnant with Quinn. Russell wanted his second child born in his home country so they'd travelled to England, where they lived for three years before moving to Lima.

Marc was used to Germany and America but the Joneses globe hopped a lot before Marcy was born. When Mercedes was born, he was living with his paternal grandparents more often than not. When Marcy was born, they'd been together in Greece but Marcus had work so he took Marc back to the Germany with him. He worked while Marc was with his grandparents.

Rose hadn't wanted to be alone with two babies so she'd gone to Italy so her mother could baby her and left the two with caregivers in Greece. When Mercedes' second birthday rolled around, Rose took her to France with her for nearly a year while Marcy was with a convent in Ireland. When the summer before preschool started, the Jones clan moved to Lima together.

Mike and his family had been in Japan until the summer before preschool. His parents had married there and wanted to continue being there but hated being around their families. When they found out they had went to the same college (and enjoyed fond memories), they decided to move to Lima.