The document provides an introduction to a story that is already in progress. It describes a young lady who has a special day coming up and switches to discussing different characters and events in their lives. These include a new puppy that a girl is excited about, friends getting together, adoption of a new family member, and a wedding. The summary briefly connects some of these storylines without delving into details.

1. Oh, is that how he does it! I always wondered how a man who looks like that managed to
be so successful with the ladies… (notices readers) Gah! Don’t sneak up on me like that!
(clears throat)
Hello there! Welcome back to Already in Progress! If this is your first time joining the
story, then change that to just plain welcome! I suppose that theoretically I could recap,
but I’m not very good at recaps and anyway, the story is called Already in Progress
because, well, it’s already in progress. Logical, no?
This time, let’s start with a young lady who has a very special day coming up as we
rejoin our story… Already in Progress…
Oh wait, I said that already, didn’t I? Phooey.

2. MARCEL: So who do you think will win the World Series?
ZEESHAN: Well, I have to say that the Strangetown Abductees are doing pretty well, but
once the Pleasantview Vistas get their pitcher back –
(Horn blares outside)
ROSALIE: Is it time now?
MARCEL: (tolerant sigh) Yes, it's time.

3. ROSALIE: School! School! School!
Thank goodness she’s finally off to school! You simply would not believe how much she
talks about it. Marcel, being a teacher, actually doesn’t mind too much, but it’s all poor
Zeeshan can do not to stick his fingers in his ears and turn away whenever she gets going.
Of course, as you’ll no doubt recall from last time, going off to school didn’t work out so
well for tragic Alice…

4. POLLUXA: ...I just can't believe it! Why wouldn't she tell anyone she had stomach
cancer? There are treatments, surgeries...! We would have paid...
ANDROMEDA: Alice didn't like making a fuss. I can't help feeling it's my fault,
somehow. I should have made her go to the doctor...
POLLUXA: It's not your fault. It always was impossible to make Alice do anything she
didn't want to do. But a mother shouldn’t have to outlive her child.

5. Shortly thereafter, Polluxa got the chance to catch up with Alice. Although she was a star
of stage and screen, she did not rate hula zombies.

6. Which leaves poor Jean all alone.
This is depressing. Let’s move on.

7. MARCEL: Rosalie sure was excited about starting school. It's nice to see.
ZEESHAN: I don't get it, myself. She's real focused, though, when she wants something.
MARCEL: That can be a problem, sometimes. Did you know she's started talking about
getting a puppy? Like we need a little slobber factory.

8. ZEESHAN: Um, actually, I promised her that if she got good grades, she could have one.
I guess I should have asked you first, huh?
MARCEL: (sigh) Well, if it makes my little girl happy, who am I to argue?

9. ROSALIE: A puppy! Wow! Thank you DadZee, DadMar! Her name is Snuggles.
MARCEL: Snuggles? Isn't that a bear's name?
ROSALIE: Nope, it's a dog's.

10. ROSALIE: Hi Aren! I'm glad you could come see my puppy! She's the best! When are
your dads going to get you a pet?
AREN: I already have a cat, yo.
ROSALIE: That's your Dad's cat. I have my own puppy. And I take care of her all by
myself. You have to take care of puppies. If you had one, you'd know that.

11. AREN: You talk too much about your puppy, yo.
ROSALIE: I do not! There's no such thing as talking too much about Snuggles!
AREN: Yes there is and you do it.
ROSALIE: I do not! You take that back! (produces a pillow and smacks Aren with it)
AREN: Never! (produces his own pillow and smacks Rosalie right back)
ROSALIE and AREN: (giggles)
Rosie and Aren are great friends.

12. Such good friends, in fact, that Aren often stays later than he should.
PETER: Come on, Aren. Time ta go home.
AREN: Aw, Pop! Can’t I stay just a little bit longer? I’m about to beat Uncle Marcel at
chess, yo!
PETER: No, it’s time ta go home now. C’mon – big day tomorra.
Technically, that would be Great-Uncle Marcel, actually, Aren. He’s your grandmother’s
little brother. But since he’s only in his forties, he prefers plain old “uncle.”
But what does Peter mean by “big day tomorrow”? I didn’t think they had anything
planned. While we wait for tomorrow, let’s go see what Marie and Orion have been up
to.

13. They still go out regularly. It doesn’t even slow them down when the restaurant’s heating
system is on the fritz.

14. They spend time fishing with their grandson.
MARIE: Just a flick of the wrist, dear.
AREN: Yeah, you don’t need to do a somersault in mid-air, Granddad. Hey, can we have
this for dinner?
MARIE: No, sweetie, that’s a boot.
AREN: So?

15. Both Marie and Orion love Aren, but he’s especially close to his Granddad. They get
along very well.

16. Actually, everyone gets along with Aren, including Aunt Rommy. (Don’t worry – she
was wearing that outfit on a bet. She won it, too.) And Rosie is a frequent visitor.
Which brings us back around to Aren and his big day very nicely.

17. PETER: Wait, didja just hear a car?
AREN: Uh-huh!
PETER: I wonder who it could be?

18. SOCIAL WORKER: Come on, upsadaisy. Time to go to your new home.
KITTY FUCHS: (inarticulate whimper of nervousness)

19. Awww…
Welcome home, Kitty. You’ll like it here. They’re good people.
KITTY (doubtfully): Ayahapoh…

20. KITTY: Gaa bo hoothpbth! (giggle)
AREN (slowly): Is she really mine?
HUNTER: You were asking for a little brother or sister, weren't you? Pop and I talked
about it and decided that we wanted another child, so we adopted Kitty for all of us.
AREN: Kitty? Her name is really Kitty?
HUNTER: Of course it is. I told you it was.
AREN: Can I ask Rosalie over? Right now?
HUNTER: I guess so.

21. AREN: Rosie! You have to come over right now and meet my new Kitty!

22. Meanwhile…
STACEY: Toby, let's spin!
TOBY: Um...let's not, and say we did, okay?
STACEY (to herself): Jerkface! I thought you were interested in me.

23. STACEY: (ear-splitting whistle) C'mon guys! Time to get going! Thanks for coming,
Toby.
TOBY: I had a great time.
STACEY: Uh-huh.
TOBY: So, uh, do you want to go out again sometime?
STACEY (pointedly ignoring him): Byron! Where are you?

24. YVONNE: You let her do what?
RICKY: Go skating with a friend. What's wrong with that?
YVONNE: She's too young to be dating.
RICKY: We used to go on dates all the time.
YVONNE: Yes, and I remember what we used to do on those dates!
RICKY: She's a sensible girl, Yvonne. She won't be getting into...that...yet. And anyway,
the boys were there.
YVONNE: It's not right to use children as chaperones.
RICKY: They're all growing up, Yvonne, and there's nothing we can do about it. Before
you know it, we'll have three teenagers.
YVONNE: ...I guess we will, won't we?
Any minute now, yup.

25. See?
LUCKY: Sweet!

26. BYRON: Oh no – Mr. Spock would not approve!

27. AREN: My new Kitty's better than your new puppy, isn't she? And she doesn't even need
to pee on newspapers!
ROSALIE: You talk about Kitty too much.
AREN: Nuh-uh. There's no such thing as talking too much about Kitty, yo.
There’s such as thing as talking too much about both Snuggles and Kitty, kids, and you
both do it. Let’s check in with the Coudercs.

28. MIRCEA: So are you going to ask my Aunt Hedy to marry you?
GABE: I'm sure hoping to. Do you think she'll say yes?
MIRCEA: Aunty Hedy says that only skanks don't want to get married. I asked Ba what a
skank is and he said they're a kind of lizard, so I guess that's why. But Aunt Hedy isn't a
lizard, so she probably will.

29. HEDY: Of course I will!
GABE: Oof! Heh heh...
Now that Hedy is married, she will be moving out to live with her tame werewolf. We
will not see her again. I rather suspect that she may have intended the marriage as an
insult to Francois, or perhaps a motivation for him to come and interrupt the ceremony
and take her away. Unfortunately for her, Francois has moved on.

30. FRANCOIS: …So you see, the evolution of syphilis is actually an example of natural
selection favoring the weak over the strong. That’s because in that particular case, the
weak strains kept their hosts alive longer and allowed the disease to spread to more
people.
ROBIN: That’s really interesting Mr. Daddy. But I don’t understand what it has to do
with my math homework.
FRANCOIS: Oh, right. Sorry.

31. Robin’s really fitting into the family well. He’s become friends not only with his cousins
Stacey, Byron, and Lucky, but also with his cousins Rosie and Cassie. Best friends, in the
case of Rosie. They’re always in and out of each others houses.
Cassie isn’t here today – she had a very special event to attend.

32. MITCH: Percy, I just want to say that I am the happiest man in the world right now.
Being here, with you and all our friends...I don't know how I got so lucky, but there's
never been anyone luckier than me and there never will be either. Thank you for being
my wife.

33. ANDROMEDA: Thank you for being my husband…Frannie.

34. ANDREW (to Cassie, in a low voice): Who's Frannie? I thought his name was Mitch. Do
you know what's going on?
CASSIE (to Andrew, ditto): No clue, but they sure seem happy. Just smile and clap –
that's what I'm doing.

35. As you can see, Andromeda’s wedding has some people feeling sentimental…
HUNTER (dreamily): Doesn’t it seem like only yesterday that we were in their place?
PETER: I dunno, hon…I sure don’t remember ever wearin’ anything like that little white
number Rommy’s got.
Others not so much.

36. And of course, everyone feels like dancing at a wedding. Even if they do have to wear
horrible itchy suits they threw a tantrum about earlier in the day.
AREN: Yo, Pop, it’s left-right-left, not left-right-right.

37. Now, I know I promised you some melodrama, but as you can see, there wasn’t any. Not
even any cake-stuffing. And you’re not going to get any melodrama now, either. We’re
going to visit the Littledragon family.

38. It’s ordinary day in the Littledragon household. A day like any other day in any other
house.

39. The husband going off to work.

40. The son going off to school, while the wife stays at home to take care of the house.

41. The mother’s boyfriend coming over for some mid-afternoon woohoo.
The husband coming home early and catching them in flagrante delicto.

42. The fight.
VLAD: Would you mind telling me exactly what you're doing in your underwear?
ELAINE: I happen find it comfortable.
VLAD: I see. And so you just "happen" to be walking around in your underwear while
your "friend" Warren is here?
ELAINE: His name is Wayne.
VLAD: Answer the question!
ELAINE: What do you care?
VLAD: In case you have forgotten, you are my wife.
ELAINE: And when was the last time you so much as kissed me good morning? Had a
conversation with me?
VLAD: I have kept you in the style to which you have become accustomed, have I not?
That was our bargain.
ELAINE: Well, it was a bad bargain. And I'm not going to keep it any more.
VLAD: Oh, you aren't, are you?

43. The removal of all physical evidence – traces of blood and brain and such.
The dawning realization that maybe, just maybe, killing one’s wife might not be such a
good idea, publicity-wise. Very bad for one’s image.

44. The inevitable downing of every pill in the house.

45. The return of the son from the late shift at work.

46. The discovery of the bodies.
See, completely normal. No melodrama at all. Although it is typical of Vlad and Elaine’s
marvelously functional parenting style that neither one of them thought about what effect
this might have on their children.
JONATHAN: What am I supposed to do now?
What indeed? Maybe I’ll have it figured out by Chapter 5.