Scott would rather be anywhere else on a Saturday afternoon than stuck indoors babysitting Gordon and Alan.

But this is an emergency. Virgil and John have been packed off to friends houses for the day, while their mom and dad are visiting a friend who was rushed into hospital.

He had plans to go out with his own friends and a steady stream of resentment is building up inside him as he watches his parents drive off and leave him with a five year old and a nine year old who he has no idea how to keep entertained until bedtime.

"Scotty?" Alan pulls on his T-shirt to get his attention.

Scott looks down at the little wide-eyed blonde who has his thumb in his mouth and tears in his eyes.

"Gordy said they aren't coming back and it's just us now. Forever! And I don't want to be stuck with you forever. You're old and grumpy and you don't want to look after me" He tells him, his voice full of fear, having picked up on Scott's negativity.

Scott groans inwardly, Gordon is pure evil!

Picking Alan up, he takes him back inside. To where Gordon is lying on his back on the kitchen table eating his way through the contents of the fridge. Throwing the wrappers from individually wrapped cheese slices on the floor.

"Right Gordo, you listen to me!" Scott tells him. "You do not torment Alan, get down from the table and get this mess cleaned up"

Gordon jumps down from the table and walks out the room leaving the rubbish strewn on the floor, without a word. He had plans this afternoon too, their father promised him a trip to the water park and he is angry and fed up of having his life disrupted.

"Get. Back. Here Brat. Or I'm calling grandma!" Scott tells him.

Gordon knows this is no empty threat!

"Okay okay. Sheesh, get a sense of humour big bro"

The afternoon passes painfully slowly Gordon is sulking at being told off, and Alan is terrified his parents aren't coming back.

Scott knows his babysitting job is a disaster and he is determined to turn things around. Only they can't agree on anything. Alan doesn't want to go swimming, or to the local aquarium, Gordon won't be seen dead at the park with a five year old and Scott is just about ready to tear his hair out, when the phone rings.

"I will get it!" Gordon cries. Grabbing the handset from the sofa where his mom threw it in her haste to get out.

"Good afternoon, Tracy children's home, would you like to adopt an Alan?" He asks the person on the other side.

Alan wails loudly at that, and Scott smacks Gordon round the back of the head.

"No thank you, I already have one!" His dad replies laughing.

"Put Scotty on please Gordo".

"SCOTT!" He yells, even though he is in the same room "PHONE"

"Thanks brat" Scott replies plucking the phone out of his hand.

"Hello?"

"Scott it's dad, how is it going?" Jeff asks.

"Badly. Gordon is sulking, Alan is miserable. They're both bored and I have no idea how to entertain them. How is uncle Lee?" He asks.

"Not too bad, his leg is broken and he has a headache but he was lucky. This time. As for the terrible two, there is money in the cookie jar in the kitchen cupboard. Take them for pizza, you can't go wrong with pizza".

"Tell him to feel better soon, and I will speak to you later."

They both ring off. Scott turning his attention back to his brothers.

"Pizza?" He asks hopefully.

But the promised money in the jar is not there.

"Yeah about that, I had a business opportunity" Gordon tells him.

"What kind of business opportunity" Scott asks him wearily.

"How do you think I afforded the stink bomb I put in your car?" Gordon tells him grinning

"That was you?" Scott is horrified.

"Of course it was." Gordon tells him proudly.

"Now what? Scotty I want pizza" Alan whines.

Scott is beyond furious now. His whole day has been ruined, and now this. He knows that unless Alan gets pizza he will whinge for hours but he has no money.

"Gordon how much money do you have?" Scott asks

Gordon empties his pockets. "75 cents and a button" He replies shrugging

"Why don't you just order it online with dads credit card?" Gordon suggests.

"Because I don't have dads credit card he took it with him"

"That's okay I know the number! I have it memorised"

"Okay fine. Order it for delivery. I want one with everything apart from anchovies and you can share one with Alan. Just get plain cheese. Alan doesn't like anything on it and you don't deserve it!"

An hour later thirty five pizzas arrive being carried into the house by five delivery men.

"GORDON!" Scott yells.

"Yes Scotty" he replies eyes on the pizza boxes

"I said two pizzas!" Covering his face with his hand in exasperation.

"No you said you wanted one with everything on it so I got thirty five, each with its own topping just for you" Gordon tells him.

"Go to your room brat" Scott tells him

Gordon grabs a box and heads upstairs.

This whole day has been a disaster, and has cost him nearly 500 dollars and he hasn't even left the house! He knows his dad is going to kill him, but if he's lucky he will never be made to babysit the gruesome twosome ever again!

"Scotty? What's going to happen to Gordy?" Alan asks.

"Probably grounded for a month" Scott tells him unconcerned.

Scott knows he is in way over his head now, and his last resort is to call in outside help.

Gordon does not see what the big deal is! He is sitting on the window sill in his bedroom looking out at the front yard, he chokes on his pizza when his grandmas car pulls up.

Now he knows he's in trouble! He watches in nervous anticipation, as his Grandma matches through the front door and he hears her footsteps on the stairs before he flings open his bedroom door.

"Scott told me what happened Gordon. Would you like to tell me why you have made it so hard for him?" She asks him seriously.

"Because it was fun and besides Scott ruined my plans so I was just returning the favour" not a hint of remorse in his voice.

"How about we donate the excess pizza to the homeless shelter downtown then I will take the three of you bowling." She suggests.

"Really? You're not mad?" He can't believe his luck.

"I didn't say that, and your parents will deal with you when they get home, but I'm not going to ruin your Saturday night!" She tells him, running her fingers through his hair. Smiling at him.

The shelter is grateful for the donation and the three boys stay to help divide it up. There is a journalist from a local newspaper there. And he takes photos of the three heroes and interviews them for a story.

Scott allows Gordon to take the credit as ordering 35 pizzas was his idea after all!

"You must be so proud of them" someone asks grandma.

Looking over at the three boys now happily working together to help those less fortunate than themselves, she can't help but agree.

She's very very proud of them all.

*TB*

All three boys are fast asleep in Scott's bed when Jeff and Lucille finally make it home.

It has been one of the longest days of Scott's life, but he wouldn't swap his littlest brothers for the world.