We took the groceries into the kitchen and put them away except for the ingredients for the different sauces. Maggie's and Mum each had a pot and a cutting board as well as an array of spices. Helen and Daddy went into the den where Daddy tended to his work and Helen sorted out our clothes for Sunday.

* * *

Normally, we as a family don't attend church as a rule. We do believe in God, but I for one can't stand all of the pomp and circumstance of a church service.As a family, we go to a few services a year, but until the church relaxes its silly rules, I'll not be a going.

* * *

The kitchen was beginning to get warm, especially me as I was the one doing the cooking. Following their instructions, I had both sauces on simmer and had the pasta drained and ready when I heard a bell sound off.

"OK, Maddy. you should be finished with both sauces. Ready to taste test them?"

"Almost, Maggie. I want to wash up and cool down," I said as I wiped my brow.

"I'll take care of the pasta for you while you tend to your ablutions," offered Maggie.

"Thanks, but why isn't Helen helping with her sauce?"

"Because it was burnt and watery after we'd tried to salvage it. But she does have a sauce to make with you."

"Oh?"

"Yes, together, you two will make her sauce as it should have been made."

"But Maggie. Isn't it simply yours with double the spices?"

"Yes, but now you two will perfect it."

Thin it dawned on me what was happening. the olds were using past mistakes to teach both of us girls.

"I see what you two are doing," I giggled.

"And what is that, Pet?"

"Simple, Mummy. Helen and I are making the sauce, but those that I made under your guidance are to be stored nd used as a back up in case Helen and I fail."

Mummy smiled, "Yes. we feel that since you two have had a bad experience with the sauce, that you two need to have positive experience."

"And what better way than to win this bet with your very own sauce?"

"But what if I DON'T win, Maggie?"

She hugged me seeing that I was getting distraught, "Maddy, Carol and I are making sure that your sauce is the best that it can be. Now who do you want to impress, Seth and hid dad, or yours?"

"Daddy," I sniffed.

"Then let him tell you how much he likes your pasta, OK?"

"OK."

* * *

After Mummy and Maggie had taken their aces to the dining room and I had drained the pasta and dished it out onto eight plates. with silverware and our tea. Maggie had brewed some excellent Earl Grey tea, which was a favorite of me with a bit of sugar.

"Maddy, call them to lunch. you and Helen will be doing either afternoon tea or dinner."

After I called them to lunch, we had a scrumptious meal with a pudding for afters. It was agreed that we would not vote or discuss the meal during the meal, we talked about the OLDs school days instead.

* * *

Like me, Mummy attended secondary school with her cousin. She and Aunt Jen were a part of a group of girls who did pretty much what I did with the gang, except that their group didn't have a Drew to dress as Gaby. They had John Peters, my dad, instead.

Unca Dave was really into archeology and wanted to be a modern day Indiana Jones, but when he met Auntie Jen, his plans changed because they fell in love and when Jen had my cousins, Unca Dave gave up his love for archeology, but found that he had a knack for repairing bikes.

Daddy liked dressing up as different people at cos-plays and when he found that Mummy liked to as well, he began courting her at the uni. They found that they had a lot in common, too; Daddy took mechanical engineering while Mummy took medieval history. That's why she makes realistic costumes.

Mummy knew that she and Daddy would marry and wanted to be a mummy to their children, like Gran Peters was to hers. She chose to learn everything that she could from Gran about cooking and sewing.

* * *

"Well, both sauces were excellent. Unfortunately, Carol has so many different recipes for sauce that I can't tell the difference. Is there a way to tell which is which?"

"John, we used two different plate designs, one was on a red rose, the other on a white lily," answered Mum.

"And you ladies know which is which. Only Helen and I don't know, right?"

"Right, Unca John."

"Helen, I thought that you could tell which is mine," pouted Maggie.

Helen shrugged her shoulders, "Sorry Mummy. But both sauces taste about the same to me."

"Me too."

"Then I guess that we go with the sauce that Helen and I will make," I giggled.

"HOW?"

Maggie went over to her daughter, "Pet, since both of you have had a bad experience with sauce. you and Maddy can use this challenge to make a good memory."

"Thanks, Mummy. I neer thought of that."

* * *

After cleaning up the dishes, Helen and I chose to get in a bit of biking before we went back to fix our sauce for dinner.

We changed into our bike kits and took off on a tour of Warsop while our olds chose to watch on old romance on B.B.C. They asked us to stay, but we needed to get in some practice and work off all of the carbs from lunch.

Our route took us by Warsop College, then onto Sylvie's salon. We didn't stop as she's closed for the day, then onto Helen's old place so that she could gather up her spare school uniforms and Girl Guides kit, then we headed back to Chez Peters.

This was the first time that I'd been over here since Drew had moved to Germany without any qualms about being here. I guess that I now saw it has Helen's house instead of Drew's.

* * *

We returned and showered and put on tennis kits in order to stay cool for our time in the kitchen. There were some frilly knickers, that Helen wanted to wear, but opted for plain white bloomers, instead after I reminded her of Gaby's time when wearing them last Sports Day.

It was fun being able to recall one of Gaby's misadventures. Gaby and I looked like twins wearing our tennis kits so that nobody could tell who was who, unless they checked our ears to find Gaby's extra piercing thanks to Sylvie.

We went up to Helen's room which used to be Drew's. Maggie had taken over the olds room, leaving Julie's as a spare room and the basement full of her dad's stuff and Maggie's. It was mainly his tools and rare books stored behind glass shelves and Maggie's sewing room with space for the car and Helen's bike.

After Helen got through with her business, we headed back, but my time there reminded me of Drew's absence like nothing else could.

* * *

When we got back, Helen and I showered separately and donned my tennis dress kits since it would keep us cool while in the kitchen. On the way there, Helen gathered up our dirties and put them in the dirty clothes piles.

Mummy has baskets for our clothes sorted out by type to make washing less hectic for everybody. Even Daddy helps with the laundry by by sorting his own dirties in the basket, but it's easy for him as his suits are dry clean only.

* * *

WE got into the kitchen and found the pots and ingredients waiting, but no olds.

"Where's Auntie Carol and Mummy?' asked Helen as we surveyed the empty kitchen.

"They're here, Hel. Read this," I said, passing her a note.

HELEN AND MADDY,

LISTED BELOW IS MY SAUCE WITH DOUBLE THE SPICES REQUIRED AS WELL AS MY ORIGINAL WITH OTHER SPICES ADDED IN. WE THINK THAT YOU TWO CAN DO THIS WITHOUT OUR SUPERVISION, BUT WE WILL BE KEEPING OUR EYES ON YOU FROM THE DINING ROOM.

LOVE MAGGIE.

"You think we can do it, Mads?"

"Sure! Our mums are here, Besides, we get to taste test the sauces as their being made. Good thing that we got in a bit of time on our bikes our the sauce'd go to our waists."

"Which one you want to try?"

"Doesn't matter to me, Hel."

"Then I'll do the sauce that I messed up. And if we have enough stuff, we can switch sauces."

"OK by me."

Helen and I succeeded in making both sauces without burning anything and got a full from all of the tasting. Now I know why at times Mum has no appetite, she's been cooking that day and put what she made up for later consumption.

"Well girls, something smells delicious," smirked Daddy.

"EEEP!" exclaimed Hel as she dropped the salad in the sink.

"GREAT MOVE DADDY!" I scolded as I helped a frightened Helen.

"Sorry about that. I didn't mean to scare you, Helen."

"That's OK, Papa John. I was concentrating on the salad and wasn't paying attention," she admitted tearfully.

"What's wrong?"

Maggie came in and hugged Helen, "Helen and her dad used to have fun making our salads."

Mummy went over to Helen, "And John reminds you of your daddy, right?"

Helen nodded her head.

"Are you jealous of me because I have a daddy?"

Helen shook her head, "Not at all, Maddy! I'd NEVER wish that anybody lose their daddy. I just want my daddy back!"

Daddy hugged her, "Helen, I know that I can't replace your daddy in your heart. But if you remember, I said that I'd be honored to be your adopted daddy."

Helen blushed, "Thanks, Papa John. I kinda forgot or a bit," she blushed.

"Don't worry about that Hel, Daddy will remind you every time that you orget," I turned to Daddy,

"Right?"

"Right you are, Princess," he chuckled.

* * *

We sat down to our Spag bol dinner and ate a very scrummy meal. Everybody liked both sauces and couldn't choose which one was better. Helen and I knew that we'd each found our signature sauce. Because it was me that'd be doing the challenge, I chose to go with my sauce, knowing that Helen would be rooting for me as they say across the pond.

* * *

Helen and I were in the kitchen, eating a brekkie of toast and porridge with our tea when Daddy come in and kissed Mummy, "EW! GROSS!" Helen giggled.

"Remember, there are children present," I tittered.

"Well, considering that one is my daughter who has snogged her cousin Drew, I see no problem," Daddy chuckled.

I teared up, "Yes, and now he's in Germany with Bernie!" I cried as I rushed to my room.

Daddy yelled, "MADDY! WAIT!" , but I couldn't simply return with me feeling as I did.

I still loved Drew and wondered if he still loved me. Thanks to Doctor Who, I knew that we were destined to be together in one way or another, but what if in this reality, I lost Drew?

Mummy scolded Daddy, "JOHN! YOU KNOW HOW MUCH SHE LOVES DREW!"

"I know, Carol," he sighed. It's just with Helen here, I forgot about that since those two have become so close.

Mummy smiled at him, "John, you were never a girl who had lost her best friend like Maddy has. Right now, she is having to deal with the possibility of losing him to strangers because she isn't there for him."

"Is there anything that you or Maggie can do to help my Princess?"

She kissed him, "I think that we can help Maddy. Just don't get Helen riled, OK?"

"How can I get her riled?"

"Papa John, I think that she is funning you," added Helen as she led him to the dinning room.

"Oh."

Mummy came up to my room and sat by me as I lay on my bed, crying, "It hurts, doesn't it, Pet?"

I turned over, "Yes, Mummy! How do I compete with those girls in Germany?"

"Maddy, is losing Drew as a boyfriend or missing Gaby what's bothering you?"

"BOTH! I miss Drew and miss him being Gaby as well."

"You're afraid that he's doing what he did here in Germany."

"How do you know that?"

"Mother's intuition."

"OK, I see you're here. Where's Maggie?"

"She's waiting for you just outside the door."

Daddy hugged me, "Princess, I'm sorry for upsetting you. Can you forgive me?"

"Yes, Daddy. [sniff] I dreamed about Drew last night. [sniff] Guess I'm a bit silly to get mad at you, huh?"

"Not at all! In fact, Your Mum was doing the same thing before we got married."

I looked at Mum who was blushing, so I knew that he wasn't 'fibbing' as the Americans say, "Mummy, did you dream of Daddy?"

"Yes, John was quite handsome in his swim costume, and I was unfortunately a bit pudgy at the time. So I had to wear a bathing costume instead of a bikini, like the other girls."

"YOU? PUDGY?"

"Maddy, unlike you, I had no boyfriend, nor cousin other than Jenny to get me involved in sports, and I didn't want to bike, like your Aunt Jen."

"Poppet, it was only after Drew started getting into biking that we got you your bike," added Daddy.

"Why?"

"Because we knew that you couldn't let him get away since you two got along so well."

"So, it's OK if I snog my cousin?"

Daddy hugged me, "Pumpkin, Dave, Jen, and your Mum and I have seen how much it is that you two care for one another. If you two do marry, you have our Blessing, same if he chooses one of the other girls."

To Be Continued...