Author's Note: This is my version of the whole "Jellyfish Accident" that occurred during the "meanwhile" of the episode "Squeeze The Day." Since the conclusion of the beach trip was pretty much ambiguous, there has been plenty of speculation about what happened exactly. All of this speculation, as well and a bit of fanart I have seen, gave me the inspiration to write a short story of what happened to lead to the so-called disaster involving Wilt and a bunch of jellyfish. Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends and related characters © Craig McCracken and Cartoon Network.

"Co co co cococo co cococo," jabbered the strange airplane-bird imaginary friend as she walked past Wilt, who was sitting on some wooden steps in a pair of green swim shorts.

"I know I'm already red, Coco, but I still need to put on sunscreen. I'll get sunburned if I don't!" Wilt explained as he lathered sunscreen onto his right arm as best as he could with his stumpy left arm. Some footsteps caused his sunscreen bottle to fall over.

"Oh, I'm sorry Wilt," a familiar, feminine voice said. It was Frankie, who, at the moment, had her arms very full of inflatable beach toys, towels, and a bunch of other random junk.

"Oh no, I'M sorry!" Wilt affirmed as he rose to his feet and quickly attempted to help her with her oversized load. "Let me help you with that."

As soon as Frankie got to the bottom of the steps, she let the conglomerate of items fall to the ground, a few toys squeaking as they made impact. "That's okay, Wilt. I made it." She wiped the sweat from her forehead with a "Whew," and turned around to address the crowd of imaginary friends that were on their way to the beach from the bus. However, something caught her eye first. "Geez, Wilt, what a mess!"

"What?" Wilt questioned, looking downwards and searching for the object of Frankie's apparent dilemma.

"Your arm! You're never gonna get that sunscreen rubbed in."

Wilt's pupil drifted over to his right arm, which was, indeed, caked with a mess of sunscreen. "Oh, that, I-"

"Here, let me get that." Before Wilt could even finish his sentence, Frankie's little hands were sliding up and down his long, red arm, dispersing the cream and rubbing it into his skin.

Wilt felt his cheeks flush, and he hoped that Frankie didn't notice. Surely she didn't; red was his natural color, after all. "Ah, Frankie, you really don't have to do that," he said, fighting to keep a modest smile from turning into a goofy, embarrassed grin.

"Here, sit down," she said with a tug on his arm, and he plopped back down on his bottom. "With one arm, you're going to wear yourself out putting all of this on," she added as she squirted out more thick sunscreen into her hand and slapped it onto Wilt's back, which made him jump in surprise. "What's with all of these goosebumps on your back?" She said as she spread the cream out with her hands.

Wilt choked out a very uncomfortable laugh. "Well, uh, it is pretty breezy!" He rocked back and forth from the pressure of Frankie's hands on his back. The fact is, she is what gave him the chills. After a while of Frankie massaging the cream into Wilt's back, his goosebumps faded, and, just as Wilt's eyes started to roll back with pleasure from the massage, Mr. Herriman's voice rang out on a loudspeaker from somewhere around where the bus was parked.

"Miss Francis! Will you please quit dawdling and assist the rest of the friends with their beach equipment!?"

The heavenly feeling of Frankie's soft hands on his back halted, and he heard her yell back at the rabbit, "All right, already! I said I would, sheesh!" She got back up from her knees, and wiped her hands on her skirt. "Sorry, Wilt. I'd help you out more, but you heard Mr. Demandy Pants."

She would have done more? Wilt thought, then shook his head out of the lull that Frankie had put him in. "Oh, it's okay, Frankie, I can do the rest myself. I really appreciate the help. Any more, and you would have had me spoiled rotten!"

"Oh, no problem," replied Frankie with a laugh, digging through the pile of toys and things in front of her, and then handing what she had picked up to one of the imaginary friends from the bus. As Wilt sat on the bottom steps of the boardwalk and rubbed sunscreen onto his spindly legs, he watched Frankie organizing and dealing out the beach supplies to the growing line of friends from Foster's. The poor girl hadn't even had the time to put on her swimsuit yet. It was her job to put the well-being of the friends first, and to make sure that everyone was accounted for, but he didn't feel right leaving her there with all of that work she had to do, especially after she helped him put on sunscreen, so he got up and decided to stick around for a while and make conversation.

"So, uh... do ya think you'll do any swimmin' in the ocean today?"

"Nah, probably not this time. Not with all of those nasty jellyfish in the shallows. It's that time of the year, again. Luckily, though, they're not washing up on the beach yet, so hopefully I'll have time to get some sun." Another friend came up, and Frankie bent down and scooped up another couple of items. "Knowing my luck, though, as soon as I'm finished with all of this, I won't even have enough time to put on my bikini!"

For some reason, the mention of a bikini took Wilt's breath away, and he just stood there with his mouth agape, looking down at her, but Frankie didn't see.

"I dunno," Frankie continued with a sigh. "I probably won't even put it on anyways. If I even have the time, I'll just lay out in my tank top and shorts. I won't be getting in the water anyways." She thought about that for a moment, and then looked back towards the bus with a smirk. "Man, if I could just have ONE day to relax. Is that really so much to ask for?"

"Well, um... Why don't I just help you make sure everyone gets their stuff, and then you can get out on the beach faster."

"Thanks, Wilt, but I can handle this on my own. Besides, you need to get out there and have some fun yourself."

"No, Frankie, I insist." Wilt stepped forward and reached like he was going to pick up something from the pile of beach things. "I don't mind at all, really!"

"Wilt, just don't worry about it, okay? It would make me happier to know that you were out there enjoying yourself."

"Well... if that's what would make you happy... are you sure?"

"Sure I'm sure."

"Man, you are such a nice and selfless person. I wish I could be that nice and selfless."

"Honestly, Wilt, you are way more selfless and nice than I am."

"Nah, I wouldn't say that..."

"Listen, I am far from being as kind as you are. I mean, I really don't want to be doing all of this. If I could tell Mr. Herriman how I really felt about going through all of this crap right now, they'd need some editors to bleep out most of my words! Trust me, Wilt, my real feelings don't always show on the outside."

"Frankie, I'm sorry, but if you dislike it that much, then why won't you let me help you?"

"I already told you. I want you to go and have fun like everyone else like you deserve to. I know you'd way rather be out on the beach than here helping me sort through all of this stuff."

"No I wouldn't. I'd rather be here with you. Uh, helping you."

"Why?"

Wilt paused for a moment, and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well... because...I..." His eyes wandered up to the clouds in the sky, in search for words. He looked back at Frankie, and replied with nothing but a speechless laugh.

"Oh yeah, duh!" She said, slapping her forehead. "How could I forget. You LOVE to help people. But still, I'd rather you go and have some time for yourself out in the sun."

Wilt had to admit that she was right about him loving to help people, but if it were anyone else besides Frankie who was helping to hand out everyone's towels and various beach items, he probably wouldn't have wanted to help out. "Well, yeah, I mean, I guess..."

"Just get out there and have fun, okay? Hey, it looks like Eduardo is out there by himself. Why don't you go and help him build a sandcastle for his toy dolls or something?"

Wilt's expression didn't change, but Frankie saw a bit of gusto fade from his eye. "Well, I... Uh..." He looked down and scratched the back of his head. Building sandcastles and playing dolls with a twenty-plus year-old crybaby wasn't exactly his idea of a fun day at the beach. After he stuttered around for some kind of response, Frankie started giggling.

"I was just kidding. You know that, right?"

Wilt's mouth opened as he was about to respond, and then he paused. He always took her commands seriously, and he had taken this one seriously, too, even if that particular errand would have taken a shot at his masculinity. Being the friend he was, he would do anything. Anything for Frankie, that is. "Oh, uh, yeah!" He said with a chuckle afterwards. "I... I knew that..."

Frankie couldn't help but laugh again, having a feeling that Wilt thought for sure that she expected him to go and play dolls with Ed. "You are really something, Wilt," she giggled, wiping her forehead. "Why don't you sneak up to the tiki bar over at that hotel's poolside and get yourself a nice cold margarita? You look like you could use one."

Wilt beamed. He was as level-headed and virtuous as an imaginary friend could be, but he still enjoyed a nice hard beverage every now and again. "You know, I think I just might. Thanks, Frankie." As soon as he turned around and made one step, he froze, and then looked back. "Um, about that..."

"I won't tell Mr. Herriman," she responded immediately. She knew that everyone in the house knew about how Mr. Herriman felt about alcohol. "Just make sure he doesn't see you with a suspicious-looking glass in your hand!"

Wilt shook his head. "Oh, no, he won't!" He chuckled in a bit of a nervous tone. "Thanks for covering for me, Frankie."

"Anytime, Wilt," The red-haired young lady said with a smile, temporarily forgetting to hand the next imaginary friend in line their beach supplies. "Hey, I'll see you, okay? Out on the beach."

Wilt froze again in his tracks, and glanced back at Frankie, whose words had made a smile spread across his face. "Um, yeah... okay." With that, he continued on his way up the boardwalk, ascending the steps that led up to the poolside tiki bar.

Wilt's big, bare feet kicked through the soft, white sand. He had made his way back onto the beach, and he was still enjoying the special little treat that he had picked up from the nearby tiki bar. He sipped from a straw the icy liquid that colored the plastic cup a pale yellow. He could have chosen a salty glass, but he wasn't going to take any chances with Mr. Herriman. Who knows what would happen if he got caught with a drink like that. He knew he had little chance of being caught, though. It could be anything in that cup; lemonade, punch. He just smiled and took another sip. He didn't have a care in the world. A few yards away, Wilt spotted an empty chair. Perfect, he thought.

"Señor Wilt!" A gruff voice shouted.

Wilt stopped in his tracks, and practically cringed, having a feeling that something undesirable was about to be asked of him. He dared to look back, and sure enough, it was Eduardo, sitting amongst piles of sand and big, white buckets.

"Señor Wilt, look at these giant sandcastles I make!" The big purple monster said with his arms spread wide in presentation.

Wilt was actually pretty surprised. "Wow, Eduardo, that's great!" He exclaimed in praise, as everyone did for Eduardo, who had the maturity of a 6-year-old. "How did you get the sandcastles to be that big?"

Eduardo turned around from his sitting position on his beach towel, and grabbed a huge, white bucket and held it up for Wilt to see. "I use these big, what you say, in-DUS-tree-AL size buckets!" He couldn't have been more proud of himself. "I no make little baby sandcastle, I make BIG, STRONG, Eduardo-size sandcastle!"

"Yes, they are pretty big and strong," Wilt agreed, and then winced a bit. "Uh, too... big and... manly for a bunch of toy dolls, right?" Wilt added with a nervous grin, hoping Eduardo wouldn't mention playing with those silly toys for little girls.

"Oh, no!" Eduardo rebutted with a smile, and then pulled a lovely blonde doll out from behind him. "Giant sandcastle make muy special beach house mansion for Darby Dream Gal! You want to play?"

"Uhm..." Wilt drew back a bit. "Are you sure you wouldn't just want to... go for a swim in the ocean? The tide is pretty calm right now."

Eduardo gasped. "No no no no no no NO!" He repeated, hugging himself in fear. "Ocean es too big and scary! And Eduardo no know how to swim! And there es...sharks... in the ocean."

"There's nothing to worry about Eduardo. That's what lifeguards are for; they keep an eye out for sharks. Just stay in the shallow water, and you'll be-"

A scream cut Wilt's reassuring words short, and a child came running past them. "Mommy, mommy! There's a bunch of yucky, scary fish in the water!"

Eduardo gasped again, even louder this time. "SEE! I TELL YOU!" Eduardo yelled as he pointed a hoofed hand at Wilt. "THERE ES SHARKS IN THE WATER!" And with that, Eduardo covered his head with his beach towel and squalled in terror.

"No, Ed, it's okay!" Wilt reassured once again, "That kid probably just saw a jellyfish, that's all, there's a bunch of them out there. They're perfectly harmless... as long as you don't touch 'em." Wilt glanced over at the big, blue ocean, where the jellyfish culprits would be, and was reminded of something. He looked the other way, towards the boardwalk, and saw Frankie. She was still there, making sure the residents of the house got what they needed to have a fun and safe day at the beach.

Eduardo sniffed, and then muttered, "Jellyfish not as bad as shark. But STILL scary!"

Wilt looked at Frankie and the long line that she still had to serve, and then looked back at the ocean. He glared at the big blue just like a sheriff in the old west would have glared at a gunslinger on the wrong side of the law. "I've GOT to do something about those jellyfish."

Eduardo looked confused. "Que?"

"Look," Wilt began to explain in a serious-sounding tone, "If I don't do something about those jellyfish, Frankie won't wear her bikini!" As soon as he finished that sentence, he bit his lip after he realized what he had just said. "I mean, uh..." He strangled a chuckle that worked its way up his throat, and he almost let loose and laughed out loud at what he had blurted out, because he knew that Ed wouldn't get what he really meant anyways. However, he managed to keep it together. "See, I'm sure Frankie's burning up in that shirt. I mean, it's hot out here, wouldn't ya say?" He fanned himself to emphasize the heat.

Eduardo pondered that for a moment, and then nodded. "Uh, si. Hace sol."

"Yeah," Wilt replied, although he wasn't exactly positive of what Eduardo had said. "Well, I'm going to go sit over there for a while, and drink my... uh... drink."

"Wait!" Shouted Eduardo. "Why don't you sit here, with us?" Ed picked up a red-headed doll and faced her towards Wilt. "And you can share your lemonade with her! Her dress matches your shorts."

Wilt laughed a bit and turned down the offer as kindly as possible. "Um, no thanks, Ed. Maybe some other time. I'm gonna go sit over in that chair for a while and think."