�Now, turn that frown upside-down, Molly! We�re havin� a party here for yer sister.�

Wiping her eyes with her napkin, Molly giggled at the funny face that Kit made at her across the table.

Between bites of a jellybean omelet, Wildcat said, �Wouldn�t it make more sense to have a party for Cassie when she�s here?�

�You mean like a welcome home party, Wildcat?� Kit said, taking a sip of his chocolate milkshake.

�Yeah, just to say, �Hey, how are ya doing?� and �Here�s where we live and where you live� and �Here�s the refrigerator if you get hungry, man�.�

�Daddy?� Molly said, her forehead creased in thought as she spooned a bite of Frosty Pep into her mouth.

�Yeah?� Baloo mumbled, intent on wolfing down his dessert.

�Of course, she isn�t a man,� Wildcat said to himself. �She�s a little, tiny-winy, itsy-bitsy, teensy-weensy girl.�

�Where do babies come from?� Molly asked innocently.

This time, Baloo did spit out his pudding. It sprayed all over Wildcat�s face.

�Was it supposed to rain today?� the mechanic wondered, looking up at the ceiling.

Napkin in hand, Kit assisted Wildcat in cleaning up.

Baloo choked out, �Oh...hey...well...uh, about that party, Wildcat. Great idea! Super idea! We�ll hafta plan a coupla things. Get some food an� gifts.�

But Molly wasn�t to be deterred that easily. �Did Cassie come from Mommy�s tummy?�

�Yeah,� Baloo mumbled, hoping that Molly would stop there. His face turned bright red.

�How did she get in there?�

�Um...well...Kit, what were you sayin� earlier about Boang�s new plane?� He kicked the boy under the table and his look clearly said, �play along�.

�About the wingspan modifications?�

�What about �em?� Baloo said, kicking Kit again.

Kit grinned. He was used to getting his Papa Bear out of jams, but he wished that Baloo wouldn�t kick so hard. �From what I read in Flyboy Magazine...�

Wildcat interjected with, �I can tell you where babies come from.�

�You can?� Molly sat up straighter, all ears.

�First of all, there�s, like, a white stork who zooms around way up high in the sky. Eeerr, honk, honk. And he dives into a cabbage patch and picks the biggest pumpkin that he can find. He goes knock, knock. It pops open and, oh, boy! - or girl! - a baby comes out. The stork puts the baby into a glass slipper and flies aaaaaallll over looking for the baby�s mommy and daddy. When he finds them, he puts a twinkle in the daddy�s eye and puts the baby in the mommy�s tummy. After a long, long time, the baby wants to come out of its mommy�s tummy, �cause there�s a big, wide world to explore. The mommy goes to the doctor, and the doctor says, �abra cadabra� and poof! The baby appears in his black bag. And that�s it.�

Baloo and Kit had to use all of their self-control to keep from guffawing.

Trusting Molly accepted the story without a single thought. �Oh...so that�s how it works. I gotta go to the bathroom.�

�I�ll take you, Molly.� Kit slid out of the booth, took his sister by the hand, and walked her to the bathroom in the rear of the diner.

�Whew!� Baloo sighed, clapping the mechanic on the shoulder. �Thanks for savin� my bacon, Wildcat.�

�I did? But you went chomp, chomp, gulp, and the bacon went bye-bye.� Wildcat stared at the pilot in confusion.

Baloo smacked his forehead. �Never mind.�

Higher for Hire
Two Days Later

�Hurry, Wildcat! Mommy and Cassie will be here any second,� Molly said to the mechanic, who was stringing a banner reading WELCOME HOME across the ceiling of the office/living room.

On the other side of the room, Kit stepped back to admire his handiwork. He had arranged a bunch of helium-filled balloons and a bouquet of flowers around the pile of presents on the desk.

Hearing the car pull up, Molly exclaimed, �They�re here!� and let go of the ladder she was holding to run to the window.

Losing his balance, Wildcat clutched desperately at the banner. �Whoa-oh-oh!�

Kit lunged for the swaying ladder and steadied it.

A dizzy Wildcat slowly descended the ladder, murmuring, �I wanna ride the bumper cars next.�

�Surprise! Surprise!� the cubs shouted as Rebecca holding a sleeping Cassie stepped through the door.

�Merry Christmas!� added Wildcat cheerfully.

�My goodness! What�s all this?� Rebecca�s twinkling eyes traveled from the cub�s beaming faces to the slightly crooked banner to the presents on her desk.

�A little somethin� we cooked up for you an� Cassie,� Baloo replied, wrapping an arm around his wife�s shoulders. �Welcome home, honey.�

�It was Wildcat�s idea,� Molly piped up, hopping up and down with excitement. �When can we eat the cake?�

�Whoa, feather yer props, Button-nose. Let yer mama get in the door first.�

Rebecca laid the slumbering Cassie in the bassinet beside her desk. Everyone gathered around it.

Baloo looked down at the baby and then over at his wife. One question burned in his mind. �Now whatta we do?�

�Eat cake!� Molly shouted.

�Shh...� Rebecca admonished quietly, putting a finger to her lips. �Don�t wake the baby.�

�Sorry, Mommy. Let�s eat cake,� Molly whispered.

A few minutes later, Kit remarked, �Too bad Cassie can�t eat any of her own birthday cake.� He dug into his second piece. �It�s really good.�

�More for us,� Molly said happily, licking pink frosting off her lips with her pink tongue.

Baloo glanced across the table at Rebecca, who was picking at her cake. She�d barely tasted a morsel. �Whattsa matter, Beckers?�

�I�m not very hungry,� she said quietly. All she wanted to do was take a nap, but work - housework and paperwork - loomed in the back of her mind. She had a lot of catching up to do.

�Ya wanna open presents instead?� he asked gently.

�Okay.� She flashed him a tired smile.

The group trooped into the office and clustered around Rebecca seated at the desk.

�This one�s from Wildcat.� Rebecca tore off the newspaper to reveal a mobile with miniature yellow airplanes and blue clouds. �Oh, it�s lovely, Wildcat. Thank you.�

�Push the button on top, Ree-becca.�

A tinkling lullaby emanated from a little speaker box on top of the mobile. The airplanes and clouds revolved around a bright orange sun.

�It�s just beautiful! How do you do that, Wildcat?�

He shrugged. �Comes and goes,� was his enigmatical answer. Whistling, he whipped a screwdriver from one of his bottomless pockets and began installing the mobile over the bassinet.

Molly eagerly plopped a light, lumpy package into her mother�s lap. �Open this one next. It�s from me and Kit.�

Inside the wrapping paper was a white, fuzzy stuffed bear with a pink ribbon tied around its neck.

�Shake it. It rattles,� Kit said. �And the flowers are for you, Mom. Those are from everybody.�

�How thoughtful, kids. She�s going to love the bear, I love the flowers,� Rebecca pulled her older children into her arms, �and I love both of you.�

�It�s bigger�n she is,� Baloo said, propping the teddy bear in a corner of the bassinet.

�This one must be from her daddy,� Rebecca said, picking up the last package. Inside was a tiny pink romper with the words �Daddy�s Little Angel� on the front.

�Oh, Baloo, it�s adorable!� Rebecca gushed.

�Cute, Papa Bear.� Kit playfully nudged his father in the stomach with his elbow, causing Baloo�s cheeks to turn the same shade as the romper.

Molly stared at the white lettering on the romper, frowning. �I thought I was your little angel, Daddy.�

�Yer my big little angel now, Pigtails.�

Molly wasn�t satisfied with that answer. She fixed her skeptical gaze on her father, but he wasn�t paying attention to her. In fact, he was staring at Cassie.

In her bassinet, Cassie coughed and spit up. Baloo, Rebecca, Wildcat, and Kit immediately leaned over the infant, exclaiming, �How cute!�

However Molly didn�t see what was so cute about it. Screwing up her nose, she cried indignantly, �She threw up! That�s yucky!� Somehow, something had changed and Molly didn�t like it one bit!

End of part 2

Baby Baloos
Part 3

Louie�s Place
One Week Later

A soft, warm rain was falling when the Sea Ducklanded in front of Louie�s and taxied up to the docks. After the Superflight 100 engines stopped, the cockpit door opened and Baloo and Kit disembarked.

�Man, Kit, deliverin� bananas to the Banana Republic sure works up a thirst.� The large grey bear stuck out his tongue to catch a few raindrops.

�And an appetite,� Kit added. Since his growth spurt had begun, the fourteen-year-old was constantly hungry.

Pushing open the door, Baloo growled, �Dang Becky an� her diet. A Krakatoa Special would really hit the spot.�

�Go ahead and eat one. How�s she ever gonna know?�

�She knows! Somehow yer mama can sense if I�ve been within a hundred miles of a single chip - chocolate or potato.�

�How�s the new big daddy?� Louie asked jovially from behind the bar.

�Fantabulous, innkeeper, but,� Baloo yawned, heavily plopping down on a bar stool, �I could do with a few more �zzzs�.�

�Cassie�s two o�clock feedings,� Kit clarified, hopping on a bar stool and plunking down fifty cents. �Can I have a Mango Shake, Louie? Extra thick.�

�Comin� right up, navigator.� The big ape slung ice cream, milk, and chunks of fresh mango into a canister, popped the lid on, and vigorously shook it in time to his scat singing. �Do we do bop bwa bwa bo oh bo...� He stuck a straw in the shake and put it on the bar in front of Kit. �What�s yer pleasure, cuz?�

As he eyed his son�s shake,

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