Look, Margaret, I figured out how I could put Matty and Olivia in the same story! I also added Einstein from 'Dog Days' to keep an eye on them. Janet still owns Ranger and Stephanie. These two, the dog, and any mistakes, are mine.

Chapter 1

Matty's POV

"We're not really supposed to be in the same story," my sister told me.

"Why not? We do share a set of parents."

"Yeah, but we blessed them with our presences at different times in their lives."

"But this is our dream ... so we can play together in it if we want to. Mom and Dad can tell us what to do and who we can be around any other time, but not when we're both asleep. Us 'oops' babies have to stick together," I said to Olive.

"Matty," she said in exasperation, "you know they don't like us being called that."

"I know, but it is the truth. Neither of us were planned."

"But we're loved ... and that's all that matters."

My sister may be younger than me, but she's obviously smart for her age. Our parents have never made us feel like they had to sacrifice their lives for ours. They did the opposite. They made us feel as if theirs became so much better because we came into them.

"Woof!"

We both jumped and then turned around at the exact same time to see that a big, all black German Shepherd had crept up silently behind us while we'd been talking.

"He yours?" I asked.

Olivia shook the curls that remind me so much of Mom's. My hair is thick and dark like theirs, but as straight as our dad's. I'm secretly glad. Curly hair seems like a lot of work. I have better things to do than untangle it from stuff all the time.

"I've never seen this dog before," she said.

She bent at the waist to read the tag on the all black collar around the dog's neck, which made her purple-flowered dress move back and forth against her legs like she's the clapper inside a bell. She could just wear comfy pj's like I do, but noooo ... my sister has to show up like she's been invited to a garden party. On her feet were teeny white ballet slipper-style shoes with a satin flower perched on the toe of each one, despite me telling her last time that we'd be playing outside.

"His name's Einstein," she told me. "Mommy's listed as the owner."

I sighed. "Figures."

Her big, brown eyes locked onto my blue ones, and her eyebrows went up just like Mom's do when she's not sure about something.

"What do you mean by 'figures', Matty?"

"Think about it. Mom and Dad must know we've been meeting like this every night since you were born, and told him to come keep an eye on us."

"How can they know?"

I shrugged. "Mom says Dad knows everything and can do anything ... and I believe her."

"Daddy is pretty great," she said on an adoring sigh.

Guess that explains her having the middle name 'Adora'. I'm just glad our parents gave me a normal one.

I couldn't stop the familiar response to the obvious devotion she has towards our father. "Daddy's girl," I teased.

Though I knew it was coming, I still smiled when she immediately shot back. "Mama's boy."

"But you're a Mama's girl, too."

"Yep, I am. Mommy loves the heck out of me. She says so everyday."

I waited, but when she didn't say anything else, I nudged her ... gently of course in case our parents somehow got wind of it. Einstein moved in closer, like he might have to intervene. I grinned, making the dimples in my cheeks flash briefly as I thought of how unnecessary that would be. I love my little sister to death, even when she's being a huge pain in the butt like she is right now.

"And?" I said, prodding her.

"Jeez. I thought I was the baby of the family. Fine ... you know Daddy would do anything for his only son."

I nodded in agreement. I do know that, but I also like hearing it.

"What should we do this time?" Olive asked me, wrapping her tiny arms around the dog's neck like she's known him her whole life.

Olivia's technically only a few months old, so her knowing something/someone for all of her life, doesn't mean the same thing as it does when grown-ups say it. Einstein does feel familiar, though this is the first time he's appeared here with us. I bet that means he's another member of our little family.

I'm just about to turn one myself, yet I've always felt much older than I actually am. Mom says I take after Dad in looks, temperament, and smarts, but I know things. And I'm a lot like she was as a kid. There's nothing wrong with her wanting to take over a galaxy instead of staying on earth baking cookies for some guy who won't even notice she went through the trouble for him. That's how our Grandpa Plum acts sometimes, and I love Dad even more for not being at all like that. Mom, Olivia, and I are all our dad sees when we're around him.

She let go of Einstein and I got poked in the ribs this time. Olive wasn't nearly as gentle as I was about it, either.

"You don't have to worry about Mommy. She's beyond happy now," she said. "She has her own version of Prince Charming ... and she got Daddy her way, too."

I choked back a disgusted groan at the fairy tale stuff she never fails to add to any conversation we have involving our parents. Sure, it's obvious, really obvious, that they love each other, but we don't have to talk about knights in shining armor, Princes, or happily ever afters, every single time. Having to witness how touchy-feely Mom and Dad are is enough for me. I checked on them just before I 'left' to come see my sister. Even in sleep, Dad's body was curled protectively around Mom's. He also had an arm lying across her waist to keep her from going anywhere.

"I think Dad would be just as grossed out by that comparison as I am," I told my little sister.

One of her dark eyebrows lifted. I half expected Dad's deep voice to come out of her mouth. It didn't. When she spoke, her voice was cute, girly, and amused, just like it always is. Mom says I'm ... 'so handsome, I should be illegal in all 50 states ... plus Canada and Mexico', but Olivia is absolutely beautiful. She's like a walking, talking, mischievous yet still perfect, little doll. I'm going to have to figure out how I can protect her outside of our shared dreams, because our MerryUncles will need reinforcements to keep all the horndogs, as Uncle Lester calls them, far away from her.

"You wouldn't call Mommy a princess even when she's all dressed up to go someplace fancy with Daddy?" She asked, planting a small hand on her hip as she waited for my answer.

That single eyebrow was daring me to find something in her question to argue with.

"That's different," I said.

That was the only answer I could come up with. Mom is a stunner ... from her looks, to her personality, to what she does for a job, just like all fairy tale princesses should be. If you ask any of our RangeUncles, though, they'd say she's more of the Queen-type, calling the shots even outside the Rangeman building. Great, now Olivia's got me thinking stupid storybook thoughts, too.

"No, it's not different," she said in a superior tone.

But I smiled in victory, since her response wasn't any better than mine.

"Let's just say we're pretty lucky to have parents like ours," I told her.

"Agreed."

"'Ruff'," Einstein added in one clear, no-nonsense bark.

"I guess our play group has grown by one," she said, giving him a kiss between the eyes that have been pretty much glued to us. "I wonder when Mommy and Daddy got a dog?"

I don't know when they did, but I'd say he's a recent addition or he would've joined us a long time ago.

"We've only got Rex," I told her.

"Us, too. He's really cute, but hamsters don't seem to do much except eat, sleep, and run around in circles on a wheel."

Yep, she's Dad's daughter alright. And I swear "Einstein ... aka Steiny" - which is actually what his dog tag said when I decided to check it myself - gave us a 'tell me about it' look when Olivia mentioned Rex's limitations.

"I thought Mom could see and hear everything," I said to her, "but this dog may be even worse."

"We're not doing anything wrong. We're all family, so we should get to see each other any time we want to. Mommy even lets Grandma Plum visit us, and I know sometimes she's questioned whether or not she should because she's not like our Abuelita."

"Do you think one day we'll be able to reach Julie and convince her to come play with us, too?" I asked.

"I don't know. She's much older and might not want to."

"How can she not? We're cool to hang out with. GodUncle Tank says that all the time."

"And GodUncle Tank is always right," she finished. "That's what he thinks, anyway."

"Dad would disagree, but not when he's saying nice stuff about us. Now come on ... last one to the swings has to push the other."

"I'm a baby," she said, trying to play the infant card again. "I can't walk yet."

"Yeah, just like you couldn't climb up and then go down the slide last time we met at my playground? Did you forget that I only started walking recently? And neither of us should be able to form full sentences, or read, or run around, but we've been walking, talking, and reading each other stuff all along, haven't we?"

"Shit."

That made me laugh so hard, she quickly joined in. It feels good that I can make my sister happy so easily. It's almost like how Dad makes Mom smile even when it seems like he's not doing anything but looking at her.

"You sound just like Mom when you say 'shit' like that," I told Olive.

"I know. And thank you. Daddy is my hero, but Mommy is who I want to be when I grow up."

Having Stephanie Plum and Carlos "Ranger" Manoso as parents is challenging at times. They have eyes and ears everywhere, and their noses in everything concerning us, but we love them as much as they have always loved us.

We took off towards the playground our 'uncles' built, and Einstein was running right beside us as we raced hand in hand to the swings. Just like we do every time we meet here, we fought over who got the 'special' swing. There was one time Olivia showed up with a little bow barrette in her hair, and we used the edge of it to carve both of our initials in that swing's seat ... small enough so only the two of us could see them.