Disclaimer: I do not own JONAS, The Hobbit or Spongebob.
A/N: Angellwings said that she wouldn't mind seeing another Ellie/Frankie, which started me thinking that maybe he could use a partner in crime for one more story. I can't believe I'm starting another chapter fic without finishing Range of Emotions first. I've never done that. Oh, and I'm going on vacation again, so I probably won't be able to beta for the next week and a half. Are you rolling your eyes and wondering if I'm ever home? I am.
"I bet you're wondering why we built this pillow fort," Frankie said to his friend Ellie as they huddled under a mountain of pillows and blankets in the middle of the family room.
"Cause pillow forts are fun?"
"No. Well, yes, but no. I mean, they are fun, but that's not why."
"You want to be bandits and this is our hideout?" She asked hopefully.
"No-" he began before she cut him off.
"You're finally going to play The Hobbit with me and this is Smaug's cave?"
"No! I told you I'm not pretending to be some guy with hairy feet. And I still don't get why you're mom reads you The Hobbit which is scary and violent but won't let you watch Spongebob."
"I told you she's weird. Bat cave?"
"Stop! Ellie, you weren't supposed to guess," he whined. "You were just supposed to ask me why."
"Oh," she said sounding surprised. "Okay. Start over."
"What?"
"I didn't know there was a script. Start over, and I'll say my line."
He wasn't sure if she was making fun of him or if she was serious, but he played along. "I bet you're wondering why we built this pillow fort."
"Why yes, Frankie. Why did we build this pillow fort?" Ellie asked with exaggerated interest.
Rolling his eyes, a trick he had picked up from Nick, he said, "So we could have a headquarters for our new secret club."
"Cool!" she exclaimed, this time with real excitement. "What kind of club? A pirate club? Video game club?"
"A club to get my brothers girlfriends."
Ellie gave him a look of disgust. "My pirate idea was way better."
"No. It'll be good. We can sneak around and spy and come up with awesome plans."
"Why do you care if they have girlfriends anyway?" She asked, clearly not impressed with the concept.
"Because when my brothers are happy, I'm happy," Frankie replied magnanimously. When Ellie gave him a skeptical look, he added, "Because when they have girlfriends, I benefit. Take Nick - some girl he likes breaks up with her boyfriend, I get to play his drums. Girl gets back together with ex-boyfriend, no drums for Frankie. Joe gets a date with orchestra girl-"
"Do these girls have names?" She asked curiously.
"When one of them is around for more than a week, I'm sure I'll remember a name. Anyway, Joe dates orchestra girl and takes me to the movies to show he's sensitive. As soon as he loses interest, I'm back at home watching reruns of Scooby Doo."
"What about Kevin? Is he the guitar guy or the one with straight hair?" Ellie asked.
"Guitar." It cracked him up that she still couldn't keep his three brothers straight. "Actually, Kevin's pretty nice to me most of the time. But if he's anything like the other two, think how much nicer he could be."
"Fair enough. So what exactly are we doing in this matchmakers' club?"
"Wait? Aren't you going to ask me what's in it for you?" He had figured that she would agree eventually because she was cool that way, but he had prepared a bribe just in case.
"Nope. If you really want to do this lame club thing, I'll go along," she said wearily. "Besides, Mom says I need to let other people be in charge sometimes and play what my friends want to play. Even when my friends want to do dumb things." She paused a second before adding, "Do you think you can mention to my mom how I let you play your game today?"
Brushing off the fact that he was pretty sure she had just called his idea dumb and lame, he nodded. She had forgiven him for the black eye he gave her when they were playing swords with sticks and had gotten the other girls in his class to stop chasing him at recess, so he could live with the occasional insult.
"Find them all girlfriends."
"But how?"
Frankie shrugged. "I thought I'd wait and let you help me make the plan cause we're a team."
She looked doubtful. "Do you even know if they like anyone?"
"Well, Joe and Stella like each other. No doubt about that. And Stella's friend Macy can throw a mean curveball, so I figured maybe she'd work for one of the other two. So we just need to find one other girl, and we'll be good."
"Isn't there usually a crowd of girls outside? Can't we just close our eyes and grab one?"
"Ellie, be serious. Whoever it is will probably be over here a lot, so we need to make sure she's someone we like."
"Good point. How about we figure out who Macy should go with and then we'll worry about getting someone for the leftover."
"See. We're a good team," Frankie said smiling.
"So how do we find out who Macy likes?"
They both sat silently under the blankets, neither of them sure what to do. At that moment, they heard the front door open and a girls' voice call, "Hey Joe! Macy and I are here. You ready to go yet?"
The two eight-year-olds' eyes went wide.
"Not yet," Joe yelled back. "Can you give me fifteen minutes?"
Frankie grinned at his friend. "Well that's amazingly convenient. How about I take Stella and you interrogate Macy?"
"Frankie, I don't even know her. How am I…"
But he didn't let her finish the question. Instead he threw back the blankets and stood up, ready to begin "Operation Matchmaker".