Scorch knew that something was wrong with the babysitter as soon as he saw her. Her name was Elizabeth Trimmer. She couldn't have been older than twenty-one years old and had short brown hair. Valkyrie's parents had hired her to watch Alice while they went to a parents' night at Valkyrie's school.

"Okay Scorchie, we're leaving now!" Valkyrie called out as she walked with her parents to the front door. Elizabeth was behind them, a smile that Scorch could tell was faked on her face.

"Valkyrie," Scorch whispered. "I don't think this is a good idea. Seriously, there is something wrong with Elizabeth. I don't know what, but there is something not quite right about her."

"Oh relax," Valkyrie whispered back. They reached the door and she turned to him. He stopped and looked at her. "You'll be here too, and don't worry. We did a background check on her and she came up clean. I should know I am a detective."

Scorch sighed. "I wish you had gotten Tanith or Skulduggery. Even Sanguine would be better than this girl."

Valkyrie rolled her eyes. "Look, if it'll make you feel better we put up some nanny cams around the place so we can see what's going on the entire time."

"Does she know about the cameras?"

"Of course she doesn't."

Scorch let out another sigh then nodded. The car horn honked. "I'm coming!" Valkyrie called then waved at Scorch and got into the van. The Hellhound watched Valkyrie and her parents drive off then the door shut and he staggered back in surprise. Elizabeth glared down at him. "Get out of the way dog. I don't want you anywhere near me. Understood?"

Scorch whimpered, tucking his tail between his legs and flattening his ears against his head.

She curled a lip. "Good."

The babysitter walked off and Scorch narrowed his eyes. He needed to keep an eye on that girl. With that thought in mind, he hurried after her and peered into the living room where Elizabeth sat on the couch. Alice was on the floor playing with blocks. The TV blared out a commercial for air freshener. Scorch could see a nanny cam peeking out from the top of a bookcase. From there, the camera had a clear view of the entire room.

The Hellhound moved silently around the couch, Elizabeth was eating Desmond's cheesy puffs. He wouldn't be happy when he found those missing. Scorch stopped in front of Alice, making sure his back obscured the camera's view and, after checking that Elizabeth wasn't watching, levitated a block over to the baby.

Alice's face broke out in a big smile. No one, not even Valkyrie, knew that Scorch played with Alice like this. It was a special bond. The only thing Scorch feared was that when she started talking she would blab to everyone, telling anyone she came across that her dog could make things float with his mind. But that problem could wait.

"Block," he said in a low voice only she could hear.

She took the block happily and fiddled around with it. He snickered when she began to try to chew on it.

"HEY!"

Elizabeth swooped in, snatching the block out of Alice's hand and grabbed Scorch by the scruff. She began to drag him away into the hall and up the stairs then towards a closet. She grabbed the doorknob and wrenched it open. "Stay away from me," she snarled and shoved him in, shutting the door.

Scorch began to panic and slammed his paws against the door. He heard a click of the lock and he began to get more freaked out. He began to bark, hoping that someone would hear the commotion and come to see what was going on.

A few seconds later, Alice began to cry and he heard the babysitter begin to curse at the baby. Then a slap was heard and Alice's cry changed to one of pain.

Immediately his anger went over and the closet door blew off the hinges in a puff of smoke. He didn't even touch it. Scorch shot down the hall, jumping off the wall and clearing the stairs. His paws barely touched the ground as he shot into the living room, clearing the ten-foot space between the door way of the living room and flying over Alice.

Elizabeth didn't even have time to look up, hand still raised ready to strike another blow, when Scorch slammed into her. He smashed into the wall, a demonic snarl deep in his throat. His black and red eyes met her green ones. They widened in fear when they saw his expression.

Then, images flashed in her mind, terrible, horrible things. Such torturous things that no one except for a demon could conjure up. Then a voice echoed in her mind. If you hurt that child or anyone in any way like that again. You will face things much worse than that and more. I have power you could only dream about and I have connections to make sure you get exactly what you deserve. Understood?

Elizabeth could only stare in horror, the fear she was experiencing couldn't even be described. Scorch's lip curled up slightly in a smile. Good girl.

He smashed her into the ground, eyes changing to chocolate brown and the rush of power faded to a dull feeling that made his blood feel electric. The babysitter didn't do anything as he held her down. Alice had stopped cry and crawled over, batting at him. Scorch gently picked her up by the back of her shirt and placed her in between his forepaws.

Her cheek was still slightly red rom the blow and he gently licked it until it was better. Alice giggled and grabbed his muzzle. He sat with her on top of Elizabeth for the next hour.

Just then the door opened and Valkyrie and her parents appeared in the doorway of the living room. Valkyrie's jaw dropped open and her parents were staring.

"What happened?!" Melissa cried.

"Your dog attacked me!" Elizabeth cried from where she was still stuck under Scorch.

"SCORCH!" Valkyrie cried.

Scorch looked at her then shook his head. Valkyrie frowned. Then she remembered. "Mum, dad."

They looked at her.

"Let's look at the nanny cams."

Elizabeth paled. "N-nanny cams?"

Soon they were all situated around the computer. Melissa held Alice and Valkyrie sat at a laptop; Desmond stood next to his wife, they left Scorch on top of Elizabeth for now. Valkyrie clicked the 'replay' button and they began to watch the recording.

It showed Scorch, his back to the camera. They could hear Alice's giggling and they knew that Scorch was somehow amusing her. Elizabeth was sitting on the couch eating cheese puffs.

"Hey!" Desmond cried. "She's eating my cheese puffs!"

"Shh!" Valkyrie and her mother shushed him.

Suddenly Elizabeth jumped up and ripped a block they realized Alice had been playing with and grabbed Scorch roughly by the scruff. She drug him down the hall and up the stairs then locked him a closet.

Valkyrie felt rage well up and her eyes narrowed.

She left the room and the door of the closet began to violently shake as Scorch tried to break free. They heard Alice begin to cry and Scorch start barking. Than a loud 'slap' noise made them look down at the lower screen in horror. Elizabeth had slapped Alice.

Immediately the closet door blew off its hinges in a cloud of smoke. Scorch was a black blur as he tore off down the hall; he leaped onto a wall and launched himself over the stairs. They looked down at Alice and Elizabeth and saw the babysitter getting ready to deal another blow when Scorch leaped from the doorway over Alice and into Elizabeth, slamming her into the wall.

They could hear snarling and Scorch's fangs were visible as he growled at Elizabeth, lips pulled back. He looked like he was going to tear her apart but after a few moments he slammed her into the ground where he proudly sat down on top of her in the position they found him.

Alice had stopped crying and crawled over to Scorch, he picked her gently up then put her down in between his forepaws. He licked her cheek and she began to smile once again.

The shocked family turned to Elizabeth. "Call the Guards," Melissa said.

Twenty minutes later Elizabeth was being taken downtown to the police station and Scorch was standing with Valkyrie and her family.

"Good boy Scorchie!" Valkyrie beamed, throwing her arms around Scorch and hugging him tightly.

"I told you," Scorch whispered in her ear.

"Oh shut up." There was still a big grin on her face.

"I'm so glad you got him Steph," Melissa said smiling. "He was such a good boy protecting Alice."

Alice giggled and began to struggle. Her mother put her down and she crawled up to Scorch. Scorch leaned down when she reached up and she hugged him as best she could. "Scor-chie."

Valkyrie laughed.

Her parents beamed and a police officer walked up to them. "Elizabeth will have charges taken against her for child abuse and assault," the officer said.

"You're forgetting one thing!" Desmond called out.

"What's that?"

"She needs to be charged with cheesy puff robbery."

Valkyrie and her mother groaned. Scorch rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry sir," the officer said. "There is no such thing as 'cheesy puff robbery.'"

"There isn't? Then you need to get a new law passed."

He continued to argue with the officer about cheesy puff laws until Melissa drug him away. Valkyrie laughed and Scorch let Alice crawl onto his back.

"Hey! I want a ride!" Valkyrie pouted.

"Okay!"

She got on, holding onto Alice and Scorch carried them into the house. Melissa looked up when she saw them. "Are you sure it's smart to do that Steph?"

"Of course it is!" Desmond said walking in. "He is half pony!"

They gave him weird looks.

"No dad, he isn't." Valkyrie said.

He frowned. "He isn't?"

"No."