A/N: After banging your head against that brick wall known to many as writer's block, it's amazing the kind of inspiration you can get when forced to babysit little demon children from hell.
Warning: There's some language in this chapter but I don't think it's too bad.
Ch. Summary: The older kids are on babysitting duty.
"Dookie slow down already and tell us what the hell is going on!" Aria demanded her little brother. Aria and Casey had been in the middle of a typical 15 year old girls gossip session when Duke, dragging a confused and peeved looking Xander behind him, busted into her room ranting and raving about…well she wasn't sure what he was going off about, because he was talking a mile a minute.
Completely ignoring his sister Duke continued pacing around the room talking frantically until Xander finally had enough and grabbed him by the shoulders forcibly stopping him.
"Damnit! Man just spit it out already." Xander was a little upset with Duke for pulling him away from the movie he'd been watching. Xander had been waiting for over a month for the movie to be delivered along with the other supplies that arrived from earth every other month. It had finally arrived the night before and Xander had been ecstatic that he was finally going to get to watch it, but no Duke had, had to come along and drag him away.
"AR-1's shipping out on a mission today." That was the first intelligible thing Duke had said since bursting into the room.
"That's it that's what has you so riled up?" Casey stared at Duke in disbelief as did the other two. "They're always going out on missions, that's nothing new."
"No you don't understand. All of AR-1 is going and Uncle Carson and Aunt Liz are going to the mainland at the same time and my mom and Aunt Valerie are working all day which means-."
"Babysitting duty!" The three other occupants in the room groaned out at the same time cutting Duke off.
Babysitting wasn't exactly anything new to the four kids; they'd babysat Carrie and Jessie Beckett as well as Marshall and Danik Ford lots of times before, just rarely all four at the same time. It was usually just one or two of them at a time. Individually they weren't really all that bad but get them into groups of two or more and they suddenly turned into little holy terrors. How such decent people had wound up with such little hellions for kids was anyone's guess.
"Wait, wait, wait…let's not get a head of ourselves here." Xander spoke up. "Maybe it won't be so bad this time. Carrie's eleven and Marshall's eight so they should be pretty well able to look out for and entertain themselves right? So really all we'd have to do is keep an eye on Jessie and Danik, how hard could that be? I mean Jessie's what six and Danik's four, we should be able to handle that right?"
The others just stared at Xander wearing equal looks of doubt, but knowing they didn't really have a choice in the matter gladly held onto any hope they could grasp. It was decided that Duke would cover Danik, Casey would cover Jessie, Aria would cover Marshall, and Xander would cover Carrie.
It was four hours into their babysitting duty and things had started out pretty well, Carrie and Marshall had been more than willing to go off to some corner or another and do their own thing and Jessie and Danik had been content with playing whatever game the older kids had come up with for them to play. Then naptime had come and all hell broke lose it seemed.
After a tantrum –at least seven on the tantrum scale – and some bribery – stories, candy, and those kinds of things – Casey was able to finally get Jessie to at least settle down and rest, it may not have been a nap per-say but Casey would take what she could get.
Danik on the other hand was a whole other story. No matter what Duke tried he couldn't get Danik to corporate with him. Duke had, had Danik cornered at one point, but some how the kid had managed to elude Duke and make a mad dash out the door with Duke hot on his tail. That had been the last anyone had seen of the two for the last hour.
Getting a little worried that they hadn't heard from Duke and Danik it was decided that Xander and Aria should go out looking for him while Casey kept an eye on their three remaining charges. Reaching the end of the corridor Aria and Xander jumped slightly when seemingly out of nowhere Duke appeared around the corner.
The two older kids nearly burst out laughing when they saw Duke. He was wearing one of those vests the off world teams always wear and had a make shift tail of what looked like bungee cords – lots of bungee cords – securely attached to the back with an abundance of duck tape. The only thing that kept the kids from laughing was the fact that at the end of Duke's tail was a duck tape covered Danik.
Since a vest like Duke was wearing would obviously have been too big for Danik, Duke had swiped one of the smaller life jackets the adults made the younger kids wear every time they went to the mainland to play on the beach and in the ocean, and put Danik it that. The end of the bungee cord tail was secured to the back of the life jacket with yet more duck tape and duck tape had been wrapped all the way around the life jacket to keep Danik from trying to undo the buckles holding the life jacket closed. Between the two of them they had to be covered in at least four of five rolls of duck tape.
With a determined stride Duke walked up to the stunned looking Xander and Aria, stopping only long enough to give the bungee cords a good tug, making sure Danik made it the rest of the way around the corner with out hitting the wall.
"I am a genius. And as such I will not be out done by any little snot nosed four year old who thinks otherwise." Duke stated as he passed the two teens, continuing into the room the two teens had just exited dragging Danik behind him.
Entering into hour number six things had started to settle back down. Duke – still securely fastened to his leash – and Jessie were off to one side of the room content with playing whatever little games their minds could come up with and forcing their babysitters to play along. And not having heard a peep out of Carrie or Marshall for a while, Aria had dragged Xander to the other side of the room deciding – much to Xander's annoyance – that it was as good a time as any to get started on their homework.
"Don't you two think you should find out where Marshall and Carrie ran off to and check on them?" Casey spoke up after a while, getting an easy feeling at not having heard from the two kids for a while.
"You know she's probably right." Aria spoke looking at Xander. "I mean you do remember what happened the last time those two were left to their own devices for too long?"
"Ah yes the Easy Bake Oven incident. How could anyone forget?" Xander responded. "Who would have thought something like an Easy Bake Oven could cause such mass destruction?"
For Carrie's last birthday someone had gotten her an Easy Bake Oven and with in days she and Marshall had some how managed to blow it up along with a large chunk of the rec room they'd been in. To this day nobody was really able to figure out how they'd managed that and it would probably remain a mystery forever.
"Do you really think this will work?" Marshall questioned as he and Carrie stood in the deserted commissary.
"Of course it will." Carrie replied after a moment of thinking. "I mean it worked for my dad and Uncle Rodney when they did it to prank your dad and Uncle John."
With out another word the girl quickly disappeared into the kitchen, returning shortly with some bottles of liquid detergent. Handing a bottle to Marshall the two quickly emptied the bottles into the buckets of warm water at their feet. Once that was done they dropped the pieces of dry ice they'd carefully swiped from the big freezer in the back of the kitchen – the one the kids were supposed to stay away from for their own safety – and watched as bubbles quickly began to fill the room. Once the room was sufficiently covered in bubbles the two friends immediately dived in, having fun.
Having looked everywhere else they could think of Xander and Aria, trailed by Duke and Danik since they had nothing better to do with Casey and Jessie having decided to go for a walk around the city, headed towards the commissary hoping their two wayward charges would be there. Nearing the room the group became aware of loud laughing and shouting coming from their intended destination. Quickening their pace they entered the room and stopped short.
"What the fu—" Xander never finished his sentence as he took a step into the room only to wind up slipping on the extremely slippery floor, headed straight towards the fold up tables that had been stacked against the far wall.
"Xander watch out for—" 'CRASH' "—the tables." Aria tried to warn Xander.
"Ah shit…" Xander moaned as he carefully rubbed the back of his head.
"You all right?" Aria cautiously made her way over to where Xander laid in a pile of bubbles at the base of the tables.
"Just leave me to die in peace." As Xander spoke a clump of bubbles landed on his face causing him to frantically swipe at his face trying to get the offending bubbles off. This of course caused Aria to fall over laughing.
Getting an evil smirk on his face Xander scoop up a large hand full of bubbles and proceeded to stuff it down the back of Aria's shirt. Quickly wiping around Aria was about to whack Xander only to have a light bulb go off in her head.
"You know Xander I think you would make the perfect Santa Claus." Aria stated as she grabbed a handful of bubbles.
"Oh no you don't. Don't you even think about it." Xander attempted, unsuccessfully, to right him self. "You're a complete psycho."
"You say that like it's a bad thing." Aria continued to advance towards Xander. "Hey pipsqueak, half-pint get over here and hold him down." Aria motioned Carrie and Marshall over.
"Oh hells no get away from me you little hellions." Xander shouted as the two younger kids doggie piled him. "Wait you know I think Dookie over there would be a much better Santa." Xander attempted a last ditch effort.
"No way I'm not getting dragged into this." Duke protested. Quickly pulling his vest off Duke secured it – so that Danik couldn't run off again – around the leg of one of the few tables that hadn't been folded up and set aside – just incase any stragglers like the scientist that kept odd hours came looking for food – getting ready to bolt if he had to.
"Come on the Santa job would be perfect for you."
"I'll show you Santa." Duke growled as he leapt fully into the room, sliding at top speed towards the downed older boy.
"Incoming!" Aria hollered as she dove off to one side, Carrie and Marshall doing the same.
"Ah! Help insane genius on the lose!" Xander yelped as Duke barreled into him, bubbles spraying everywhere. Before long the two boys were rolling around on the floor trying to cover the other in bubbles.
"Fight, fight, fight, fight." Became a steady chant from Marshall.
"In the eyes!" Carrie added in. "Put in the eyes!"
While all this was going on Aria just sat back enjoying the entertainment, maybe babysitting wasn't such a bad thing after all.
Kate, heading in the direction of the commissary, knew it was well past lunch time and still a little too early for dinner, still hoped there was something in the kitchen she could snack on. She'd been so busy with work all day that she'd worked right through lunch and was now starving.
"Aunt Kate?" Kate about to step onto the transporter stopped when she heard small voice and felt a hesitant pull on her shirt. Looking down she spotted Jessie.
"Jessie?"
"I think I'm lost." Jessie had a shy smile on her face.
"Lost huh?" Kate playfully frowned, rubbing her chin with slender fingers as she regarded the little girl. "And just how did that happen?"
"Casey lost me." A familiar mischievous look filtered across Jessie's face.
"She lost you huh?" Kate smiled knowingly as she crouched down to be at eye level with Jessie. "Between the two of us, she didn't really loose you did she?"
An impish grin appeared on Jessie's face and she shook her head no.
"That's what I thought." Kate laughed. "So seeing as how you're lost, what do you say you hang with me for a bit, just 'til we find Casey?"
"Sure!"
"Kate, wait up!" once again stopping, Kate looked over her shoulder seeing Valerie jogging down the corridor to catch up with her.
"Mom!" Jessie let go of Kate's hand and latched onto her mom's leg.
"Hey sweetie." Valerie greeted a hint of confusion in her voice. "What are you doing with Aunt Kate, I thought you were supposed to be with Casey and the others?"
"Apparently Casey lost here." Kate answered a bit sarcastically.
"She did, did she?" Looking down at her daughter, Valerie got the same knowing smile on her face that Kate had, had when Jessie had told her the same thing.
"Yes she did. But that's ok cause know I get to go to the commissary with Aunt Kate and have some ice cream if I'm good."
"Is that so? Well do you mind if I tag along? I could use something to eat, I worked right through lunch."
"Sure come on." Jessie grabbed one of her mom's hands and one of Kate's dragging them both towards the transporter.
"Jessie!" Casey called out, worry filtering into her voice. "Come on Jessie this isn't funny!"
When the others had gone looking for Carrie and Marshall, Jessie had decided she wanted to go for a walk around the city instead and Casey had volunteered to take her. They'd wound up on one of the many balconies over looking the ocean and Casey had turned her back for a moment to take in the view only to turn back and find Jessie gone.
"You lost her!" Aria couldn't believe what Casey had just told her. When Casey had come rushing up to her, Aria – still leaning in the commissary doorway watching the guys still going at it – hadn't been expecting to hear that Casey had lost Jessie.
"I didn't mean to!" Casey stated defensively. "I couldn't have had my back turned for more than a second, but when I turned back she was gone."
"Great now there's another one on the loose. You know I'm starting to think Dookie had a good idea with his homemade leash thing. Come on let's go find her."
At that moment the sound of someone clearing their throat got the girls' attention. Wiping around the girls came face to face with Kate, Jessie, and Valerie. Surprised by the sudden appearance of the adults the two girls jumped back slightly. Suddenly finding the floor under them very slippery both girls went down, sliding into the still wrestling Duke and Xander.
The addition of two new bodies to their little competition got Xander and Duke's attention. Looking around to find out what was going on they noticed for the first time the two adults standing in the door way. For a moment nobody said a word even the chanting Marshall and Carrie had gone quiet, all waiting to see what would happen next.
"Well I see you four had fun today." Valerie broke the deafening, silence a devious grin spreading across her face. "Don't you agree Kate?"
"Certainly." Kate agreed. "And seeing as how they spent their whole day having fun and we had to work, I thinks it's only fair they did a little work by cleaning this whole place up before dinner time while we sit back and have fun watching them."
At hearing this, the four older kids as one looked up at the clock on the wall – they only had two hours until people started coming in for dinner. In that moment Aria, Xander, Casey and Duke were almost certain they knew exactly what the passengers of the Titanic had felt like as the boat sank.
A/N: Brownie points if any of you can identify the small reference I made to one of my other stories 'The Prank War'.