SPOV

I sighed as the little runt dragged me to, yet again, another corner of his room to play with his toys.

The parents have been gone for almost an hour.

An hour of pure Bitchie and Baby.

I glanced down at what he had settled for.

Thomas the Tank Engine train tracks.

Wow…they still have these?! Sheesh…Jason used to play with these…like, forever ago.

They really can't come up with new toys, can they? Are people of America really that stupid? I sighed, settling down opposite the little table of train tracks, watching Travis quietly putting tracks together. I picked up a piece and started to put it into place.

"No!" Travis screamed suddenly, grabbing the piece away from me. I blinked.

"But I was going to-"

"NO!"

And he threw the piece across the floor.

"Travis!" I scolded. He scowled at me.

I suddenly wished I had a muzzle for the kid. I retrieved the piece and started to put it where I had wanted to. Travis knocked my hand away and tried to replace the piece with a piece that was too big to fit. His face crumpled as he angrily tried to shove it into place.

"Travis," I sighed, taking the piece. "It's not going to fit. It's too big, see?" I grabbed a different piece, one that would actually work, and offered it to him. Travis whimpered and grabbed the other one, the one that was too big, and tried to shove it into place.

"It's not going to work!" I said again, trying to take it from him.

Travis suddenly snatched it and burst into tears, hopping up and running into the kitchen. I ran after him.

"MIITTCHHHIIEEE!!!"

"MIMI!"

She looked up from the dinner she was trying to make to see us racing down the hall. Travis ran to her and wrapped his arms around her legs, holding up the railroad piece. She picked him up.

"What did you do to him?!" she demanded, stroking his back. My mouth hung open.

WHAT?! What did I do?!'

"Nothing!" I protested. "He started it! He tried to make the piece fit when it wouldn't and then he decided to come crying to you and-"

"Mimi," Travis whimpered. "Shay meanie!"

"I am not!" I protested. "Mitch-ee…"

"Shut up," she snapped. "We both know you don't want to be here but that's no reason to be cruel to a baby. A baby, Shane! Leave Travis alone."

"But I-"

"Put on Thomas the Tank Engine on in the living room," she continued. "It's On Demand. Channel 1 under recordings. Maybe that's something you can do together."

"But-"

"NOW."

I groaned. "Mitchie, come on! It's going to knock down my IQ by-"

"What IQ?"

I growled angrily. "Let's just knock the kid out, please?!"

She stared at me. "You better hope to God you did not just say that. Now PUT ON THE DAMN CHILDRENS TV SHOW OR SO HELP ME SHANIAL…."

I blanched and backed slowly away.

The woman and her moods…Bitchie and Baby.

Evil Baby.

I turned on the TV and flipped through before finding the TV show. Travis arrived in the living room with a juice box in hand and a cracker in the other. He, for some odd reason, plopped on the couch beside me and snuggled against my side, cheerfully eating the cracker and sipping his juice. I stared at him.

Was this kid bipolar or something?

He looked up at me and gave me a little kid smile before watching the TV when the too-cheerful theme music came on.

I sighed and tried not to concentrate on it. I need all the IQ I had left for the history test on Wednesday.

MPOV

I stirred the pasta thoughtfully while the sauce simmered in the pan on the other end of the stove, listening to Thomas in the other room.

"Thomas looked at Percy. 'Are you all right?' he asked. 'No!' Percy replied. 'I'm cross.'"

Ah…the simplicity of little kid's shows.

I was really listening for Travis. I didn't want Shane murdering him, or something.

I looked at the clock on the microwave. I couldn't believe what I saw.

My aunt and uncle had left barely an hour ago! Is that possible? It feels like forever.

After my little episode, I'd sent Shane to amuse Travis until dinner was ready, trying to fend off his pervert-ness. Ever since, I've slaved away in the kitchen.

Someone came behind me. I turned to see Shane moseying in like he owned the place. He glanced at me, then opened the refrigerator.

"Uh, hello?" I asked. "That's not yours."

He ignored me. "Don't they have any Coors?"

My eyes widened. "You drink?" I asked incredulously. Who IS this guy??

He snorted. "Chill, I was kidding. Ugh…what the hell is this?" He pulled out a bottle of club soda. "Are these people health freaks or something?"

My jaw clenched. "Don't insult them," I growled. "And as a matter of fact, they aren't health freaks, they just enjoy healthy food. There's Coke in the 'fridge downstairs if you want it but otherwise, go back into the living room and-" I gasped. "YOU LEFT TRAVIS IN THERE ALONE?!!!"

WTF is this guy's problem????

I dropped my spoon and darted into the living room. Travis was sitting on the couch, sipping the last of his juice. He looked up at me and grinned, spilling juice on his shirt.

"Mimi!" he called. "I watch Tamas!"

I smiled and nodded. "I see that." I turned around to face Shane, who was standing closely (very…very…closely) behind me. I stepped back.

"You never leave a child alone!" I scolded. "Seriously, are you beyond stupid? He could have fallen or something! You need to learn to be responsible."

"I am responsible," Shane protested, then grinned in a very, unfortunately, sexy way. "In more ways than one." He stepped closer, our chests touching. "See the connection?"

My eyes widened and I smacked him across the face. It didn't make sense but I could tell what he was implying. His head jerked to the side and he let out a hiss of pain. Slowly, he reached up to touch his red cheek, and I realized I'd really laid one on him. Slowly, he looked at me angrily, then strode away downstairs, to grab his soda or do whatever.

I sighed. "Come on, Travis," I called. "Your dinner is ready. Are you hungry?"

"Hungee!" Travis hopped off the couch and willingly followed me to the table. I placed him in his chair and turned around to get the food. Travis cooed and ran his fingers along the table cloth as he waited.

I poured his food into the bowl, handed him a fork and let him dig in.

"Shane!" I called. "Dinner's ready and if you don't eat it I will personally shove it in your throat and make you eat!"

He appeared from the stair way and made his way over to the table. He eyed the plate of pasta and marinara sauce and sighed.

"Thanks," I thought I heard him mumble. I didn't reply, only got a bottle of milk for Travis and gave it to him.

Suddenly, Shane handed me a cold can of Coke. I blinked.

"I got it for you," he mumbled, cracking his own open and taking a swig. I eyed mine carefully. It wasn't opened yet, so I cautiously opened it and took at sip.

It was just Coke.

What, no drugs to make me fall asleep? No vodka to make me loopy and unsuspecting?

Nope.

Just Coke.

I sighed and ate my own plate of spaghetti, just waiting for my aunt and uncle to come home.

It was going to be a long…long…long night.

--

SPOV.

"Are you done kiddo?" Mitchie asked Travis.

He nodded and Mitchie took his plate and dropped it in the sink.

"Are you done Shane?"

I simply nodded and she took away the plate.

"I'll just clean up in here," she mumbled.

"I'll take Travis, so you can do whatever in peace,"

"Thanks,"

I took the kid from his seat and put him down in the living room. Travis sat infront of the coffee table and began doing some easy puzzle that would take him like an hour.

After five minutes of watching Travis try to put together a six piece puzzle I got bored. I took out my phone to text Nate. Asking him how Becca Dawson's party was going. Yes, the Becca Dawson...yup, boys locker room Becca Dawson.

Until...

"My toy," the brat said, swiping my phone and running away.

"Come back here, that's mine!" I yelled as I got up and chased him.

We circled the coffee table several times before he made a dash for the kitchen, pushing over a round table with an ugly purple speckled vase on top.

It was like watching the table fall in slow motion. The vase hit the floor and shattered into hundereds of

pieces.

"Mimi! Shay broke mommy's vase," Travis squealed with a giant grin plastered on his face.

"HE WHAT?!"

Oh. Shit.

*maria: Looks like Travis had a plan up his sleeve. He's almost as cute as Caleb. 'cept, Caleb's mine. So...you guys can fight over Travis. REVIEW.

Angie!: -cough- caleb is mine -cough- REVIEW!

Alyssa: BTW I came up with Shanial! Yay me! Review?