"David!" Alexis howled.

"What?" he screeched back. "What are you screaming about now?"

She burst into the room. "David!" tears laced her voice, and he sat up straighter at the harpsichord.

"What?" he said, suddenly serious. "What happened?"

"I can't find him!"

"Find who?"

"Worthington! David, Worthington is missing!"

"Your bear?" he said in disbelief. "You're freaking out because you can't find your bear?"

"Daddy gave him to me", she almost wailed. "And I can't find him!"

"He's a bear! He is just a stuffed animal".

"He's my best friend, David!" Her bottom lip quivered and David rolled his eyes, knowing that she'd successfully sucked him into the situation.

"Let's go and find Worthington", he mumbled, slipping off the bench (knowing full well that he risked facing the wrath of Adelina- "I have asked you thrice, David Rose"). She reached for his hand and he took it gently, all but dragging her out of the room.

"Ouch, David!"

"Shush, Alexis!"

"OUCH, David!"

"Shush, Alexis!"

He didn't know how his sister managed to drag him into all of her problems, but she did. Their parents weren't around much, and Alexis knew better than to involve their nanny. And at the end of the day, he knew that he'd be the one up half the night with his little sister when things went wrong. She'd slept with that teddy every night since she was born, and while he was disgusting and disfigured, he knew it was her best friend.

"Where did you look?" he said after a moment, and Alexis looked up at him with her big, aqua eyes.

"Everywhere!" she said emphatically.

"I'll help you find him".

"Thank you David".

Sometimes David forgot how huge their house really was. In the daylight, with Adelina there, it didn't seem as big. But there were just so many hiding spots where Alexis could have stowed her stupid teddy.

"He's my best friend, David", Alexis insisted, as David opened yet another closest. "Daddy gave him to me".

"I know, I was there". He rolled his eyes.

"Are we gonna find him?"

"I'm TRYING!"

"David, have you finished your practice?" Adelina's voice rang down the hallway and he stiffened, dropping his sister's hand.

"Adelina!" Alexis ran towards the nanny and Adelina put her arm around her.

"David", she said suspiciously, "What's going on?"

"I'm helping her!" he protested (granted, the whole situation did seem a little suspicious).

"Worthington is missing!"

"She lost Worthington", David repeated.

"I didn't LOSE Worthington, David! I have never lost Worthington ever!"

"Where is he then?"

"He is MISSING!"

"Children, children", Adelina hushed. "Alexis, Worthington is in the washer".

"What?" her eyes widened in horror. "Why?"

"Because he's disgusting", David filled in. "Have you ever looked at him? He's gross, Alexis".

"David". Adelina raised an eyebrow at him and he snapped his mouth shut.

"He's my best friend and you put him in the washer?" her voice rose dramatically.

"Alexis-"

"David, he's gonna be so scared!" her eyes were as round as saucers. "He doesn't like getting wet! Remember when he fell in the pool?"

He did, with absolute clarity. Because his sister had fallen in too and he'd never moved so fast in his life.

"He's gonna be so scared, David!"

He didn't know how his sister did it, but he found himself sitting on the laundry room floor, watching the bear tumble round and round in the dryer, Alexis babbling away at how scared the bear must be.

As soon as the cycle finished, he yanked the door open, shoving the warm, fluffy teddy at his sister.

"Worthington!" she squealed, hugging it tight. "Thank you David". And she threw her arms around her brother, startling him. He stood still, before awkwardly patting her shoulder.

"You're welcome", he mumbled.