Friday 10th February

''I'm a ninja!"

''No, you're not.''

''Did you see me do that?''

''Do what?''

''Exactly.''

Alexa pinched the bridge of her nose, taking a deep breath as she counted to ten in her head. She had agreed to look after the kids for the evening so he and Jess could have the night to themselves. She was only a few hours in and she was already regretting it. ''Why don't you go and watch your sisters while I make us something to eat?'' She suggested, swinging open her fridge to see what food she had in.

Ash shook his head, closing the door and standing in front of it with his arms crossed. ''Dad said not to let you cook. Ever.''

She narrowed her eyes. ''Why not?''

''Bacuse the last time he ate something you made, he was pooping for two whole days.''

Letting out a quiet snort, she pulled her phone out of her pocket. ''I can order us a pizza?''

''Okay.'' He shot her a toothy grin, before rushing off into the living room to join his sisters in their game of hide-and-seek.

After giving the pizza place a quick call and ordering their food, she opened up her messages to find a new one from Joe.

We're bored...

Alexa frowned, her fingers swiping over the screen as she replied.

Who do you mean, we?

Me & Jon.

Okay... what do you expect me to do about it?

Come to the bar and entertain us.

You're both big boys. I'm sure you're perfectly capable of entertaining yourselves.

Jon said something crude, which I won't repeat... see what I have to put up with!

I would come and save you from his company if I could, but I'm busy.

Busy doing what?

''LEXI!''

Alexa's head snapped towards the doorway, Ash's sudden panicked yell making her jump. ''What's up, kiddo?''

''Um, Si's stuck in the bathroom...''

''Lexi!" Sierra cried, banging on the bathroom door. "Let me out!''

''Why won't this stupid fucking door open?'' Alexa muttered under her breath, frantically turning the doorknob and pushing in. She tried again, using more force but the door wouldn't budge. ''SiSi, did you lock the door? Look… look at the doorknob. Did you turn the little lock on the door?''

''Lexi!''

''You have got to be kidding me." She murmured. ''Si, just turn the lock.''

''What's the lock?''

''The thing on the…'' She trailed off, realizing that she didn't know how to describe a lock to a five-year old. ''Fuck, I'm never getting her out of there.'' She raised her voice slightly before addressing the door. ''SiSi, everything's going to be okay! I'm going to call someone to help!''

Alexa quickly walked into her bedroom and pulled her phone from her pocket, dialling Joe's number and waiting impatiently for him to answer. He picked up just before it went to voicemail and she sighed. ''Jesus, could you have taken any longer to answer? Seriously, what if this was an emergency?''

''Hello to you to, Lex.''

''Actually, this is an emergency." She said quickly. ''For some reason, Chris thought it would be a good idea to have me watch his demon-spawn kids for the night. Which, let me tell you, is not a shining parenting moment for him and-''

''Lex, calm down. What happened?''

Alexa turned to glance at the bathroom and exhaled sharply before admitting. ''Sierra's locked in my bathroom.''

''What?''

''Please, don't make me say it again.''

''Are you drunk, Lex? You do realize 'Sierra' is just a character, you're 'Sierra'...''

Her face screwed up in confusion. ''What the fuck are you talking about? I... not me, you idiot! One of Chris' girls is called Sierra!"

''Oh! Yeah, that actually makes a lot more sense...''

She rolled her eyes. ''Look, I know you're out with Jon but... I kind of need you to come over here and help me open my bathroom door.''

''Why don't you just have her unlock the door?''

''You think I haven't tried that? Apparently she can manage locking it, but not unlocking it.'' She said in exasperation. ''And my attempt to describe a lock went nowhere, and… could you please just help me?''

''Alright, alright. We'll be right over.''

Ash and Cheyenne were settled in front of the television watching a movie when Joe and Jon showed up about twenty minutes later. Alexa practically pulled them through the doorway before leading them upstairs. ''Thank God you're here. She hasn't been making any noise, I think she might have passed out from excitement.''

''She's probably just sleeping.'' Joe told her reassuringly, running his hand down the seam of the door.

''But she was freaking out before.''

''She probably worked herself up and then got tired.'' At her look, he added. ''I have a daughter, remember?"

Jon leaned against the wall, raising an eyebrow at her. ''You are the worst babysitter in the history of babysitters.''

''Fuck you.''

''Lex. Do you have the key for this?'' Joe asked her, pointing at the keyhole in the centre of the knob.

Alexa leaned forward, staring at the small keyhole. ''Huh, I didn't even know that was there.''

''That's a no then.'' He muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. ''Unless you want me to barge the door down, I don't know-''

''Got any bobbypins?" Jon cut in.

''That, I do have. They're in…'' She trailed off when she realized what she was going to finish that sentence with.

''They're in the bathroom.'' Jon finished for her. He glanced around, trying to find something useful before looking back at her, his eyes moving to her hair. He smirked, shaking his head.

''What?'' She asked, starting to pat her hair, grinning when she felt the pins there.

''Hand them over.''

Pulling them out of her hair, she dropped them into his palm. He stepped over to the door and Alexa and Joe watched him crouch down and insert the pins into the keyhole. ''No way, you're jimmying the lock?''

''Very observant, sweetheart.'' He replied, his tongue poking out as he concentrated.

''Cool.'' She enthused, watching him intently as he worked.

''Where'd you learn to do that?' Joe asked.

He shrugged, adjusting the angle of the pins. ''When I was little I guess... I got into trouble a lot.''

''Who would've thought; Jonathan Good, the street thug.''

''I was not a street thug.''

''Um, you're picking a lock right now.'' She reminded him. ''That seems pretty street thug to me.''

''I'm picking a lock because you got a five-year old locked in your bathroom.''

''This totally could have happened to anyone. Kids are unpredictable.'' She crossed her arms over her chest. ''Are you almost in?''

''Not yet.''

''Jon-''

''Give me a break, it's been a while since I've done this.''

Joe laughed and stepped towards the stairs. ''Jon seems like he has this under control, I'll got sit with the other two, keep an eye on them for you.''

''You don't have to do that.'' Alexa told him quickly, not really wanting to be left alone with Jon. She still felt a little awkward around him since calling off their arrangement.

''It's cool, you two are giving me a headache anyway.''

She flipped him the bird before he disappeared down the steps, turning back to Jon and leaning against the wall. ''So, uh... sorry that I ruined your night.''

''It's cool.'' He shrugged, glancing over at her. ''How did she get in here anyway?''

''We were playing hide-and-seek. That kid has some mad hide-and-seek skills. Like, she hid in my kitchen cabinets. Freaking ingenious.''

''That doesn't sound very safe...''

She waved off his concern. ''She was fine. Until me and Ash stopped to order some food and she ended up locked in there.''

''Did they name her after you?''

''What?''

''Sierra. Was she named after you?''

''Oh, yeah, she was.'' Alexa smiled fondly.

Jon cast a surprised glance at her, raising his eyebrows. ''I didn't realize you guys were that close.''

''He's like my brother, I love him to death. Jess too. I don't know what I'd do without them.''

''It's... ah, I got it.'' He said as the lock suddenly made a soft, clicking noise.

He opened the door and she peered over him to find Sierra curled up on the floor, her thumb in her mouth. ''Oh thank God, she's alive.''