-CeCe's POV-

It is official, I never want kids, this little epiphany came to me moments ago when I for the third time since their arrival had to break up a fight between Maddie and Ellie. Both girls are in rare form tonight and have taken every opportunity to bicker about every little thing, my final resolution was to sit them both in a time out on opposite ends of my room.

"I don't want to sit here," Maddie whined from her corner. "Me either," Ellie added.

"Well, you should have thought of that before," I said as I sat on my bed still trying to finish up my homework. "I'm starting both of your times over for talking."

"That's not fair!" Maddie said crossing her arms across her chest in a pout.

"What isn't fair is that I am still working on homework because you two can't stop fighting long enough for me to finish," I said frustrated. "Zip it or I'll add to your time."

"I don't like you anymore," Ellie said furrowing her tiny brows.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," I said "Now hush."

"Time outs are stupid," Maddie mumbled scratching a spot on the wall absentmindedly to pass the time.

"Don't say things are stupid," I said correcting her as I desperately tried to finish my homework, "It sounds ugly."

"Fine," Maddie countered with sass, "Time outs are dumb."

"That's no better," I said raising my eyes to meet hers, "we don't call people or things dumb or stupid, it's not nice and you don't have to sit in time out, I can go get your dad and let him handle it if you would rather."

"No!" piped Ellie, "Daddy will spank us...spanks are dumber than time outs."

"It's MORE dumb, not dumber," I corrected, "And don't say dumb. I'm starting time over for both of you for talking."

"Way to go Stupid," Maddie said now leaning back in the beanbag chair to prop her feet up on the wall. "Shut up Maddie!" retorted Ellie.

"THAT'S IT!" I said throwing my pencil down onto my notebook before heading for the door. Both girls pleading for me not to tell as I walked out and headed down the stairs to find Kevin.

"Hey baby girl," Kevin said as I walked into the kitchen to find all three brothers and Dani hanging out and having a glass of wine. "Where are the girls?"

"Upstairs in timeout," I spat frustrated. "I can't finish my homework because they won't stop fighting over every little thing, even in timeout they are yelling at each other across the room calling the other stupid or telling the other to shut up."

Kevin sighed in frustration setting down his glass of wine. "Alright, I will go handle it," he said patting me on the shoulder and heading upstairs.

"Ah, the joys of parenting," teased Nick. "Since when do the girls call each other stupid?"

Dani took a drink of her wine and sighed. "This is a new development," she said explaining, "Ellie started preschool part time and she has picked up quite a few colorful habits from the other kids including telling people to shut up which I just cannot stand."

Joe chuckled. "Yea, I remember when CeCe started preschool, she came home calling us all "Suckers", it aggravated Mom to no end."

"Suckers?" I questioned confused, "like the candy?"

"No," Nick replied. "It was your five year old way of calling someone a tool."

I couldn't help but giggle. "Five year old me sounds awesome."

"It was annoying," Nick replied. "And Mom and Dad didn't think it was so awesome."

"It's not like it's a bad word," I said defending five year old me.

"Sometimes you don't realize how bad something sounds until you hear it come out of your child's mouth," Said Dani. "Like 'Shut up', It's not a curse word but then I hear it come out of Ellie's mouth and it makes me cringe."

"Yea, or 'Oh my God', you came home saying that too and Dad about had a fit," Joe said.

"Well, I hardly think it's fair that I got in trouble for saying those things when I learned them at school," I argued. "I probably had no idea that I shouldn't say them."

"You didn't get into trouble when you came home saying them," Nick corrected. "It was the dozens of times after you were told not to do it and you did it anyway that got you spanked."

"Wow," I said shocked. "As Maddie would say, five year old me was stupid." Dani giggled.

"Kids just form habits really easily," Joe said. "You knew not to say it, it would just slip out."

"Yea well, they better break this habit real soon," Dani said taking another drink of her wine. "I've about had it."

"How much more homework do you have to do?" questioned Nick as he took the garlic bread out of the oven.

"Too much," I grumbled.

"Dinner is ready," Nick said. "You can finish your homework after you eat, go round up Kevin and the girls."

I ran upstairs and entered my room to find Kevin sitting on my bed little Ellie cuddled in his lap. "Dinner is ready" I said suddenly feeling bad that I had gotten the girls into trouble.

Sure they were being little shits but it broke my heart knowing they were getting spanked because of me.

"You go on down with CeCe," Kevin instructed giving Ellie a hug before standing her from his lap. "Maddie and I will be down in a few minutes." Ellie gave Kevin a nod before turning to me and taking my hand as I led her out of the room.

"CeCe," Ellie's little voice rang out as we reached the stairs. I turned and knelt down so I was face to face with her, her little eyes puffy from recent crying. "I'm sorry I made you mad."

I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into a hug. "You didn't make me mad," I explained pulling out of the hug to look her in the eyes. "I just don't like it when you guys act like that, and you shouldn't be saying those things."

"I know," she said her little lip jutting into a pout. "I'm gunna try real real hard not to say them again."

I smiled. Man she is so stinkin' cute, I better never have kids or they will be hellions. No way I could spank someone so frickin' adorable. "Let's go eat" I said as she grabbed hold of my finger and we headed down the stairs.

"Kevin and Maddie will be down in a few minutes," I said as we walked into the dining room and took a seat at the table.

"So how did the big come to Jesus meeting go with Mr. and Mrs. Chase this morning?" Dani asked as we waited for Kevin and Maddie to join us.

Nick smirked. "Dr. Chase is a real piece of work, it's no wonder Samantha acts the way she does," He said remembering his encounter with Dr. Chase that morning. "She was adamant that it was CeCe that stole the paper, because Samantha was so smart and would have no need to steal from a lesser student." I rolled my eyes, that sounds about right.

"Did she actually say that??" Dani questioned appalled.

"Yep," Nick Said popping his P, "I made sure to point out the fact that CeCelia's grades were actually quite a bit higher than Samantha's, she didn't care for that." I smirked in satisfaction. "At this point Samantha has had so many infractions against the conduct code that if she steps out of line one more time she will be expelled."

"Is it wrong to hope she bullies me just one more time so she will be gone?" I questioned being totally honest.

"Yes," Joe said cocking a brow. "I don't think that Samantha is a bad kid, she just has bad parenting."

"She IS a bad kid!" I argued, "She's a bad kid with bad parents, who threatened to throw me in jail by the way."

"CeCe is going to jail?" Ellie asked her eyes wide.

"No baby, CeCe is not going to jail," Dani assured her. "Her parents threatened you?" she said turning to me her tone concerned.

"Yup," I said popping my P for emphasis. "She said that my brothers might be able to cover up my bad behavior at Chilton but that they couldn't stop her from taking legal action."

"Oh no she did NOT threaten my baby sister in law like that," Dani said her Jersey attitude shining brightly. "I'd like to give her a matching nose to her daughter." I giggled wildly as Kevin and Maddie joined us at the table.

"Uh-oh," Kevin said with a smirk, "Who has you all fired up?"

"Dr. Chase," spat Dani. "The nerve of that woman threatening CeCe."

"Wait, what?" Kevin asked surprised, "She threatened you?"

"She threatened to take legal action," Joe clarified, "I threatened her right back don't worry." We all looked at Joe waiting for him to give us details.

"What did you say to her?" Kevin said asking the question on all our minds.

"I told her that taking legal action wouldn't be necessary because like we had previously stated, CeCe never laid a hand on Samantha," Joe explained, "And I also told her that if she ever threatened CeCe or any other student that I would make sure no decent college ever touched Samantha."

My eyes widened, "You can do that?"

"Oh yea," piped Nick, "Being blacklisted by Chilton is like the kiss of death. She would be lucky to get into anything besides community college."

"Can we do that anyway," I suggested "ya know, for funzies."

"You are being awfully spiteful today," noted Joe cocking a brow.

"I was just joking...sort of," I said hoping to pry Joe's disapproving eye daggers from me with no luck. "Nick has a date on Wednesday with a girl who owns a candy shop." All eyes turned to Nick and I smiled celebrating my victory. Italians could gab for days when it came to relationships, I was in the clear.