Nicholas Lucas, Jr. and his younger sister, Ellie, were up to no good.

"Don't worry, Ellie," 5 year old Nicholas patted his little sister on the back. "This'll work."

"No, it won't." Ellie shook her head.

"Yeah, it will."

"No, it won't."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"DAD—"

Ellie was silenced as Nicholas's hand clamped over her mouth. Using the only defense tactic she could think of, she licked the palm of her brother's hand.

"Gross, Ellie!" Nicholas wiped his hand on his Superman cape. " Now, shhh. Don't call Dad. We'll get in trouble."

Ellie gasped. She'd never gotten in trouble with Daddy before. Well, not real trouble. There was the one time she stepped on his guitar, and he gave her that look. And then there was the other time when she pulled on Mommy's hair by total accident, and he made her sit in the corner. But she had never called it trouble before. Plus, Nicholas was older than her. She was only 4. And if Nick said they would get in trouble, they would get in TROUBLE.

"Oh. Ok." Ellie readjusted her princess tiara, okay with being quiet for a while. "Now, what do I do again."

"You have to climb up in the treehouse, and then I come and save you," Nicholas rolled his eyes, savoring the "duh" moment. Usually, he was the one asking the questions all the time.

"But the prince saves the princess, not Superman," Ellie wrinkled her little nose, eyeing her brother with slight suspicion. She didn't like this game one bit.

"Well, now it's Superman's turn," Nicholas stuck out his bottom lip, signifying the end of the conversation. Ellie sighed, unsatisfied, and looked out the bedroom window at the treehouse.

"But it's so far," Ellie whined. "And Mommy's not here. Or Daddy. And Daddy says that—"

"Mommy's upstairs. It's two with a three and a five at the end," Nicholas pointed at the clock. "If we're not back home before two with a four and a zero at the end, then Mommy will notice. Or Daddy. Or Uncle Joe."

"Uncle Joe's here?" Ellie's nose wrinkled. Uncle Joe was gross. He burped and stuff, and watched TV all day. But not good TV, like Word Girl or Dora or something. According to Mommy, it was bad TV because all the boys did was throw each other around and hit each other in the faces. Of course, Mommy did a lot of the same things, like kick balls at nets and swim in the pool and stuff, but when Mommy says bad TV, it's bad TV.

"I dunno. But he always comes when we're having fun." Nicholas stuck out his bottom lip again, forbidding Ellie to continue on with the subject.

"Well, can we play already?" Ellie pouted. Nicholas sighed with relief. Finally, his little sister was ready to play the game he had wanted to play for so long. Well, he wanted to play by himself, because it was his idea, but then Ellie came in and ruined the whole thing.

"Okay. Go first." Nicholas looked for somewhere to sit, avoiding the pink princess furniture.

"Okay, I'm a princess!" Ellie started running at amazing speed through the house, hoping that the treehouse was nearby. Her little legs could only take her so far, and she hadn't eaten her snack yet. She figured a short detour to the kitchen wouldn't cause any problems, as long as there were chocolate cookies there.

Quickly, she skidded to a stop on her socks and turned towards the kitchen. Suddenly, as she was standing on her tippy-toes to reach the cookies, she was aware of two shadows looming over her. Ellie turned. Uncle Kevin and Uncle Joe stood over her, with raised eyebrows. She gulped. Cornered.

"Well, what do we have here?" Uncle Joe laughed, and snatched the cookie jar just out of her reach. Ellie pouted. So mean.

"Oh, come on, Joe, give her back her cookies," Uncle Kevin snatched the cookie jar back.

"Nope, not until she tells us why she's in here," Uncle Joe took the cookies right back.

"This is my house." Ellie stomped her foot. "I'm allowed."

"Oh, my God, it's Nick as a girl," Uncle Joe laughed.

"Give the cookies BACK!" Uncle Kevin took the cookies and ran away to living room with them, while Uncle Joe followed close behind.

While they were preoccupied, Ellie started running again, towards the front door. Suddenly, the door opened, and a tall figure stopped her from making it to her treehouse.

"Daddy, I have to—" Ellie tried to wrestle out of Nick's grasp, but couldn't.

"Not until you tell me where you're going," Strong arms hoisted her way above her dad's head, twirling her around and around.

"Stop, stop!" Ellie said, laughing. "Put me…put me DOWN!"

"Okay, fine."

Ellie sighed with relief as her feet touched the ground again. Knowing what her dad was going to ask next, she tried to change the subject.

"Look, I'm wearing my giraffe socks." Ellie wiggled her toes. Daddy wouldn't laugh. Darn.

"Where. Were. You. Going." Nick raised his eyebrows on the last word, signaling he wasn't that mad. Ellie sighed again. Good. At least he wasn't giving her that look again.

"To the treehouse." She said weakly, forcing a tear to fall out of her eye(for added cuteness). Nick's face softened. He kneeled down to her level.

"Why?"

"Because—because I—it was Nick's fault!"

Nick rolled his eyes(he knew this was coming), and stood up. Ellie gulped. There was only one thing left that Daddy could do.

Call Mommy.

Nick walked upstairs, and Ellie watched with wide brown eyes as he knocked on the bedroom door.

"Macy," Nick said, after the door opened a crack, "We have a situation."