During the afternoon, both Rad and Lyon were in the living room playing on the old game console; the game appeared to be a racing game and Lyon is ahead of his father in first place. He was concentrating on making the final lap in the game. "Almost there," he said with a focused mind. "I'm going to beat ya," said Rad playfully. Rad's character was tailgating behind Lyon's character, and Lyon managed to skid along the road, making a speedy boost towards the finish line. "Yes, I win," exclaimed Lyon while wagging his tail.
"Oh, almost had you. You're good at this game now," complimented Rad. "I just did what you told me. Skid along the road to gain a turbo boost, and I managed to beat you for the first time," boasted the wolf dog. "Another race?"
"Not right now, mate. Remember we must be at your Uncle Bandit's house around 5 PM. He asked me to do a babysitter night for your cousins," said Rad. "Ah, yes. Babysitter night, and sleepover night at the same time," recalled Lyon. "Correct. Let's get your things packed up and be on our way." Both father and son stood up from the floor. Lyon raced upstairs to his room to pack up a few things in his backpack along with his sleeping bag. He packed a couple of books along with his stuffed penguin, toothbrush, and inhaler. Rad grabbed his keys from the key hanger next to the door with Lyon behind him. "Got everything for the night," inquired Rad. "Yeah, I'm good to go," said Lyon. "Perfect. Let's head out now."
At the Heeler house, Bluey and Bingo were with their parents in their bedroom while the parents were preparing for the night out. "But how come you are going out," asked Bluey. "Your dad and I want to spend some time at a dinner restaurant," said Chilli. "I don't want you two to go out," complained Bluey. "Remember your Uncle Rad and Lyon are coming over tonight. It'll be both a putdown and sleepover," said Bandit. "Hooray. A putdown and sleepover. Does this mean we get to stay up late," asked Bingo. "No, you kids still need to go to bed on time. You remember the last time with your cousin Muffin when she skipped her sleep," said Chilli reminding the girls of the last time they had a sleepover with Muffin. "Oh, yeah. That was a funny night," giggled Bluey. "Not really," muttered Bandit while rolling his eyes.
They arrived at Bandit's house; both approached the entrance. When Rad rang the doorbell, he entered stealthily and hid behind the chair with his son next to him. Meanwhile, Bingo ran towards the door. "Uncle Rad and Lyon are here," she shouted as she opened the door. "Hi, Uncle Ra-? Where are they," she asked while mystified by the absence of Rad and Lyon, but at the moment, Rad sprang out behind his niece and scoops her up, tickling her. "How ya doin, Bingo?" He held his niece to his arm.
"You're here," she giggled. Lyon smiled softly at the four-year-old heeler; Bluey, Bandit, and Chilli appeared with Bluey holding her mother's hand with Bandit waving hello at his eldest brother. "Are you putting us to bed, Uncle Rad," asked Bingo. "You bet," answered the red, blue heeler with a thumbs up. "Don't forget it's a sleepover too," added Lyon. "Hooray," exclaimed Bingo.
Bluey, however, had a dismayed face. "Not hooray," muttered Bluey with a sad tone. Lyon heard the sad tone of voice from his cousin. He was surprised since Bluey is eager for almost anything. "Bluey isn't sure about babysitter putdowns, Uncle Rad," added Chilli. Rad set Bingo down and kneeled at Bluey's level. "Don't worry, Bluey! Who better to do a babysitter putdown than your Uncle Rad," reassured Rad. "I'm here too, remember? It's a sleepover as well," said Lyon. "Well, I guess it won't be so bad," said Bluey with a tentative smile. "Hello," said an unfamiliar feminine voice. From the door stood a Cocker Spaniel with white, cream, and light orange fur. She seemed to have her hair tied into a ponytail held with a blue band. "Frisky," both Bluey and Bingo added while running up to the adult female dog. "Hey girls," replied the female spaniel, hugging the girls tightly in a warm embrace. After that, both heeler girls turned to Rad with both dogs facing each other. "This is Uncle Rad," introduced Bingo to the Cocker Spaniel. There was a brief silence between both dogs as they both exchanged a simple "Hi," to each other. Rad stunned by the dog, whose name was Frisky, was silent. Frisky was the same as she exchanged a warm smile. Lyon was curious about who she was.
"Frisky, have you met Bandit's brother, Radley, before?" Chilli asked breaking the silence. Frisky was unsure at first then recalled a memory. "Umm, yeah. Didn't you fall in the pool at the wedding," asked while raising a brow.
"Probably," shrugged Rad. "Frisky is Bluey's fairy godmother," said Bingo to her uncle. Lyon blinked, confused by the sudden introductions. "Sorry, Frisky. Uncle Rad got in touch last minute and said he'd babysit. You mustn't got my message," Chilli explained, as she was trying to rectify the situation. Frisky reached out to her phone. "Oh! No, I didn't get it," she added as she looked at her phone. "That's fine. Um, I'll just go," she said hastily while putting her phone in her bag. However, both Bluey and Bingo hugged the adult Cocker Spaniel, preventing her from leaving. "No! Not go! Both babysit," pleaded Bingo. Frisky was surprised by the sudden turn of events and thought it was too late to turn back. "Oh, well. As long as it's okay with Uncle Rad," she added, changing her mind. "Fine by me," said Rad casually. Bingo shouted a hooray, pleased to know that both Rad and Frisky would babysit along with Lyon staying over for the night. Frisky then noticed Lyon shortly with him looking at her straight. "Oh, and who is this," asked Frisky. "Ah, this is my son, Lyon. I brought him along for the night to spend time with the girls," said Rad while reaching his arm to his son's shoulder. Frisky exchanged a warm smile towards the wolf dog with Lyon smiling back. "Nice to meet you," said Frisky politely. "Nice to meet you too," exchanged Lyon with a soft voice.
Outside, both Bandit and Chilli hugged their daughter's goodbye. "Be good to Uncle Rad, your cousin, and Frisky, alright," said Bandit. "We will," said both the girls. "Please don't be out long," pleaded Bluey with a somewhat sad face. "Everything will be fine, Bluey." reassured Chilli to her eldest daughter. Both parents got in the jeep and drove from the house with all five dogs waving bye. Lyon stood next to his father, then took notice of her cousin Bluey with a dejected expression. "Bye," said Bluey silently. Rad knelt to Bluey. "Now, Bluey, tell me why you're not keen on babysitter putdowns." The six year old twiddled her hands. "Well, I had one before and I didn't like it," she explained. Lyon was curious to know the reason behind his cousin's reluctance to a babysitter putdown. "Aw, why not," Frisky asked. "It's just…too different," said Bluey vaguely. "Different," inquired Lyon with a confused expression.
"Well, your fairy godmother, I, and your cousin will make this exactly the same as a mum and dad putdown," reassured the blue red heeler adult. Bluey was still reluctant to the idea. "But I don't know you well as mum and dad."
"Oh yeah, good point. Well, you just need to get to know us better," said Rad.
"I know. Why don't we play Twenty Questions," suggested Frisky with a grin. "Yeah," replied Bingo with an approval. The group went inside the playroom, with Bingo confused by the game. "Wait, what's Twenty Questions," wondered Bingo with the three children sitting on the kiwi rug on one side, and the adults on the other side.
"It's a game where someone asks questions to that someone, and they respond back to an answer. I remembered because that was the game dad played when we met at the foster home," explained Lyon. Rad smiled at his son; he seemed to have a sharp memory from the day they met again. "Exactly what Lyon has explained. This is a good way to understand each other," added Frisky. "It's easy. Go," encouraged Rad to his nieces.
Bluey was the first to ask the question to her uncle. "Why don't you have a wife," she asked. Ugh, not this again, thought Rad with a uncomfortable look on his face. The exact same question Lyon asked when they played this game. "How do you know I don't have one," asked Rad. "Do you have a wife," asked Bluey.
"Well, no," muttered Rad looking down. "So why don't you have a wife," insisted Bluey with her arms crossed. Rad tried to avoid the question to his best ability by shifting the next question to Frisky. Lyon then decided to ask Frisky a good question. "How did you meet my cousins," he asked to the adult female dog. "Well, me and her mother are close friends. I've met both girls when they were slightly younger," said Frisky. "How many friends do you got," asked Bingo. "Oh, um…three," added Frisky with an awkward smile. "That's not many," said Bingo. "Why do you only have three friends," asked Bluey. Frisky, unsure what to say, scratched the back of her head. "Well, um… back to him," she added shifting the attention back to Rad. "Why did you fall in the pool at the wedding," asked Lyon, intrigued by the subject. Rad with a slightly red face. "Ah, well…sometimes grown-ups can make mistakes and get carried away with them," explained Rad sheepishly as he tried to sugar coat the real reason behind his mistake. "How come we only see you at Christmas," asked Bluey. "'Cause I work in an oil rig, remember? I wasn't in town often since I used to be far away before transferring here."
"Is that why you don't have a wife," asked Bluey with the same question about no wife. "Oh, maybe," said Rad as he pondered. "What's an oil rig," asked Bingo. "Why is your hair so pretty," asked Bluey.
"Almond milk shampoo," replied both adults in union as they pat their heads and exchanged glances at each other. "Do you want to have children," Bluey then asked. The silence between both heeler and Cocker Spaniel glanced at each other and both answered with an assured "Yes!", leading the blue heeler girl to another question. "Will Bosco be the daddy?"
"Ummm…no. Bosco and I are no longer friends," Frisky explained with a nervous smile. "Who's Bosco," asked Lyon as the subject was brought up. "No one. Next question," said Frisky while changing the subject hastily.
"Bosco's her true love," said Bluey to Lyon with a grin. "Not anymore," affirmed Frisky to Bluey. "But true love is forever," insisted Bluey. "Well, ah..," hesitated Frisky as she struggled to find the right words to Bluey's answer. "Is true love not forever," asked Bingo worryingly. "It is. I mean, I thought it was," said Frisky with an upset look. She looked away, not staring at either the girls, Lyon, nor Rad. Lyon felt Frisky's hesitation about this 'Bosco' character; he was mildly curious about him, but he knew it wasn't his place to keep asking her about him. Rad noticed the Cocker Spaniel's silence and then distracted the kids from the game, which turned out to be a disaster for both adults. "Ah, let's play in the backyard," he said pointing outside. All three kids cheered in unison.
All three kids rushed to the backyard with Rad following them. "Can you play the exact, same games as Mum and Dad," asked Bluey. "Okay, what do they play," responded Rad. "Chickenrat," added Bingo.
"Chickenwhat?"
"Come Here and Go Away!"
"Come and go where now?" Rad, despite his eagerness to the girls' request, was still unfamiliar with the games they usually play with Bandit and Chilli. Frisky joined in as she grabbed Rad's keys from him without him noticing. "You don't need the same games, Bluey. You need Torchmouse," she suggested as she turned on the mini torch from Rad's keys. Bluey, Bingo, and Lyon were controlling the light as both adults pretended to be cats and tried to catch the light like a mouse. "Can I have a go," asked Lyon to Bluey, who was controlling the torchmouse light. "Sure, go right ahead," said Bluey handing over the torch. Lyon controlled the light in a rapid movement. Rad followed the light in a hurry with Frisky following as well. He hid the light behind the bush, with Rad trying to find the missing torchmouse. He then lit the light on his father's chest, as the adult heeler meowed with a puzzled look. Frisky then pounced on Rad as she attempted to capture the torch's light with Rad underneath her.
After the torchmouse game, everyone was in the bathroom; the children were preparing for bedtime. Bingo was brushing her teeth Frisky was brushing her fur hair and Lyon was brushing his teeth as well. Bluey was next to Rad, brushing her teeth as well. "Torchmouse was fun, but I don't want to do anything else that's different, please," said Bluey while still hesitant for the babysitter to putdown. Meanwhile Rad scooped his niece to the ceiling. "What about this," he added. Bluey suddenly saw the hallway in an upside down view "Whee. This is weird," she added. "Yeah. But before you know it, you get used to it," said Rad. Bluey dropped her toothbrush, and giggled, enjoying the view from the ceiling. "Hey, you're doing the thing," said Lyon to his father. "Do me," said Bingo eagerly.
"Oh, boy. I'll give it a crack," said Frisky. She attempted to raise the four year old red heeler to the ceiling with her sister. "How's the view up there," asked Lyon. "Very upside downsy," said Bingo. "Bingo. You've gotten…heavy," grunted Frisky as she struggled to keep Bingo up in the ceiling. "Come and sit by the campfire," said Bluey pretending that the ceiling's light was a campfire as she placed her hands over the light. "I'm trying," said Bingo as she was elevating to the ground. The Cocker Spaniel couldn't hold Bingo up any longer, and they both descended to the ground with Bingo sitting on top of Frisky. Thankfully, the four-year-old was left unharmed. "Are you alright," asked Lyon. "Yeah, I'm okay. How about a story," huffed Frisky.
The three kids were sitting down on Lyon's sleeping bag; Frisky was sitting on the window ledge watching Rad tell the story to the little ones. "And then the prince knocked the dragon out with a big prince punch. Boom," Rad exclaimed before leaping off Bluey's bed and striking a first down to the edge of a book. The book appeared to have a toy dragon, which catapulted into the air. The three cheered, and Rad then climbed up the small ladder to the window ledge where Frisky was sitting. "Princess, I have rescued you! Now we shall marry," said Rad with a boisterous attitude as he held his hand out to her. "And the princess replied, "No thanks!"." Frisky added before turning away from Rad, which made Bluey and Bingo giggle. Even Lyon can't help but let out a smirk, and a chuckle. "What," said Rad with both a confused and playful smile.
"She didn't like the look of him."
"Why not," asked Rad, raising his brow.
"Well, his hair was a bit messy, and he was a bit too muscly. You know what I mean, kids," asked Frisky as she teased the male red blue heeler mix. The three giggled over Frisky's joke over Rad; Lyon couldn't imagine his adoptive father too muscly. "Hang on. I prince-punched the dragon, took you back to my castle and we get married. That's business," stated Rad with a grin.
"Hey, I didn't ask to be rescued," protested Frisky.
"You'd rather stay here with a stinky dragon," said Rad with a somewhat annoyed face.
"I'm getting used to him." The Cocker Spaniel crossed her arms and legs at the statement. Radley thought for a minute and then decided to give Frisky a taste of her own joke by playfully going along with the stinky dragon. "Okay, I'll wake him up," he added while he rolled his eyes, and reached for the the dragon plushie. "Wait, no," said Frisky urging Rad to reconsider. "Yeah, didn't think so," said Rad smugly. Frisky brushed off her hair fur with a light scoff. "Ugh, princes are all the same, she thought."
"No we're not. There's good princes and bad princes, m'lady. Everyone knows that," argued Rad.
"He does have a point. I've read plenty of stories, and there are both good and bad ones," said Lyon.
"You see? Even Lyon agrees," added Rad. "And this one rescued the princess."
"Only because he likes prince-punching dragons. Tomorrow, he'll be in search of another princess," said Frisky with a smug face as well.
"Man, this princess is hard to rescue," said Rad while rubbing his neck, pondering what to do to keep the story going. Again, the children giggled at how the scene was being played. "Well, while the prince figures it all out, she grabs a nice book and lives happily ever after. The end," said Frisky as she grabbed a book, and laid down flat on the window edge.
"What," both Bluey and Bingo said loudly in disbelief as they sprang up from the sleeping bag. "That is NOT the end," added Bingo firmly. "In mum and dad's stories, they get married at the end," insisted Bluey. "Actually, I don't think I remember a story where the princess refuses to marry the prince. Maybe this is the first," said Lyon as he pondered. Rad felt a bit unsure of how to handle this situation with both girls upset. "Er, princess," added Rad, eyeing Frisky with concern.
"OK, fine! For the sake of children, they get married. The end," admitted Frisky as she finally decided to play along with the marriage for the children's enjoyment. All three cheered hooray with Frisky taking Rad's arm. "I'll take it," said Rad with a smile on his face.
"One more story," asked Lyon. "I wish mate, but it's getting late," said Rad. Lyon then noticed Bluey with a somewhat uncomfortable look. "Are you okay, Bluey? You look like you've seen a ghost," asked Lyon to his worried cousin. "Um, it's nothing, really," insisted the blue heeler. "You know you can tell us. Are you still not sure about a putdown," questioned Frisky. Both adults sat down to hear Bluey's reluctance. "You won't watch TV while I fall asleep, will you," asked Bluey anxiously.
"Oh, no we don't have to," replied Frisky. Suddenly, Rad then recalled something. "Oh, hang on a moment. Was your last babysitter putdown with Nana," asked Rad. Bluey nodded yes quietly. "And let me guess, you woke up, and the TV was loud."
"Yes, she was watching something scary," replied Bluey with a dejected face. "That explains why you don't like putdowns. It is true, Nana does turn on the television at high volume," said Lyon, realizing the cause behind his cousin's refusal for babysitter night. "What should we do?" Lyon looked directly at both his father and Frisky. Rad decided the best course of action was to assure his niece that this putdown wouldn't be the same as the last one. "Look, you just had a bad one, kid. This one will be different," he added. "We promise," said Frisky while supporting Rad's answer.
"How will I know this won't happen again," asked the blue heeler.
"You can't. But you have to give it a go anyway or you'll be stuck with a stinky dragon forever," insisted Frisky while patting Bluey's head. Bluey thought carefully about the advice and looked down. Lyon then reached out his hand on her shoulder. "Everything will be alright, remember? Just as you guys have always told me before when I first became a part of your family," spoke Lyon silently. Bingo smiled at her cousin for providing morale support. "Okay, I'll give it a go," said Bluey, agreeing to go with the plan.
"That's my girl," praised Frisky. Eventually, everyone managed to calm down the anxious Bluey, and the babysitters tucked in the three kids to bed. Radley tucked Bingo into bed while the four-year-old was fast asleep. Frisky comforted Bluey until her eyes slowly closed as she drifted to sleep. Lyon, however, was secretly reading one of his books without his father catching him. Just as Rad turned around, he spotted his son suspiciously hiding underneath his bed sheet. He grabbed the sheet and saw Lyon who was still awake reading a book. "Didn't I say it's time for bed," said Rad. "Sorry, I just can't help myself. I'm not even tired," added Lyon. "Come on, mate. It really is time for bed," insisted Rad. Lyon sighed. "Oh, alright." He placed the book aside to the sleeping bag; Rad patted Lyon in the head and said good night. With Bluey, Bingo, and Lyon tucked in bed, both Rad turned off the lamp. Both he and Frisky silently walked to the veranda, making sure they did not wake up the children. The two sat next to each other.
"Well, that went well," whispered Frisky. "Yup. I didn't think Bluey would be able to fall asleep. The same goes for Lyon," added Rad. Both dogs looked at each other; they were silent for a moment. They then stared up at the starry night sky. It was a pleasant, cool evening for them to bask in the moonlight. "So, how long have you had Lyon," asked Frisky. Rad places his hand over his knee while sitting in a casual pose. "For several months now," he added bluntly. "You mentioned he was your son, but you two look completely different. Is he adopted?" Rad clears his throat. "Yes, it's a long story. To put it simply, he was placed in the foster care home when his parents had an unfortunate accident. I was friends with both of them since I and his father were close friends."
"Ah, I see," said Frisky sympathetically. She strokes her hair gently and looks down. "He seems so meek, yet I can sense a positive energy in him."
"Yes, he is an amazing kid. But can be somewhat stubborn. Must have gotten it from his father's side," added Rad with a smirk. The smirk then changed to a serious expression. "He wasn't always like this. After the accident, he was disturbed and distant. It was hard for him to speak to others. I don't blame him. It was a trying time for him, especially at a young age. It took a while to win his trust each time I visited the foster home."
Frisky listens intently to Rad's story about Lyon. She was mildly intrigued for someone like Rad to take in an orphan. "Don't get me wrong. Taking him in wasn't just because of pity alone. I figured he needed someone in his life to take care of him, I thought it may have been me. He didn't have any family to take him in, and I figured it was a good excuse for me to live closer to home now to spend more time with my family."
"I think that's a lovely gesture," said Frisky. "Well, it has its perks and challenges. I didn't think parenting was something I would do," replied Rad while stretching his arms casually. "You seem to be doing a fine job," complimented Frisky. "I sometimes wonder if I might have the chance as well. But after my time with my…former boyfriend, I don't know if that will happen anytime soon." She looked down with a regretful frown. "Oh?" Rad raised his brown, noticing the dark expressive Frisky. "It's nothing," Frisky brushed off the subject about Bosco. Both dogs were once again silent. They looked away, not sure how to carry on the conversation. Then Rad decided to attempt to change the subject from Bosco. "I'm sure you'll get your chance. Just because something didn't work the first time, doesn't mean things won't work out again in the future." The Cocker Spaniel let out a soft smile, appreciating Rad's sense of comfort. "Yeah, I should hope so," she added. "I didn't think I'd meet someone who uses almond milk shampoo."
"Oh, really? I guess this is my first as well," said Rad. "I usually do repetitive rinses and lathers to get the right outcome. Out of all the shampoo brands, I find this one to be the best option."
"Absolutely," agreed Frisky.
"Yeah, that's right. Natural oils in the shampoo make a huge difference in quality."
"No, I never thought of it that way."
"It's the only shampoo I like."
"The shampoo is great, but the conditioner, I don't rate the conditioner."
"Nah, me neither. But you know, you can't get around with open follicles."
The two adults kept on conversing over various topics from almond milk shampoo to favorite TV shows. They chatted for about an hour. Lyon heard distant muffled conversations and peeked out from the veranda. He saw his father chatting with Frisky; they seemed to be getting along very well. They must have been fast friends, he thought. He smiled and then tipped toed back to his sleeping bag, hoping he didn't let his father catch a glimpse of him sneaking away from bed.
Back to the adults, they kept chatting. "I didn't think I'd find someone who liked the same drama series," said Frisky.
"Yeah, but the season is just getting started," said Rad. They were talking about their favorite medical drama show, Greyhound's Anatomy. Frisky wouldn't imagine they shared some common interests. "You know, you're not so bad for a prince-punching dragon tamer," said Frisky playfully. "This prince can do more than punching dragons, ya know," said Rad boastfully. "Just don't let that go over your head." Frisky chuckled as she kept teasing Rad.
Both Bandit and Chilli arrived from their night out. They entered the hallway and went upstairs to check on both the babysitters and the children. Frisky and Rad heard some footsteps and stepped out of the bedroom.
"How was tonight's putdown," asked Bandit. "It went swell. We had a good time tonight," added Rad. "It took a bit of effort, but we managed to pull it off successfully," said Frisky. "That's great. I was worried for a moment about Bluey. She really didn't want us to go out for the night," said Chilli.
"Well, I can explain why. Mum scared her unintentionally the last time she babysat. She had the TV on some scary program," explained Rad. "Well, that explains why," said Bandit with a sigh. "But I know she didn't mean to. She doesn't have the best hearing as of late."
"Other than that, I think you two managed just fine," said Chilli. Both Frisky and Rad smiled at each other. They were content that tonight's babysitter putdown was a success. "I assume you two got along as well," asked Bandit, mostly eyeing at his older brother. "Oh yes, we pretty much got to know each other," said Frisky. "I should probably head out now." Frisky grabbed her bag and was about to head out. "I'll pick up Lyon tomorrow morning. He's sleeping like a log right now," said Rad.
Both Frisky and Rad said their goodbyes to Bandit and Chilli, and just as Frisky was about to enter her Suzuki Swift, Rad decided to ask Frisky something first. "Hey, before you go. I was thinking…if by any chance you want to meet again…well," he said nervously. Frisky took out her phone from her bag. "That's fine with me," she said, getting straight to the point.
"I wasn't done with my sentence. Man, you seem to understand things quickly," added Rad. Frisky giggled at Rad. There's something about him that has a certain charm. Rad was slightly embarrassed, but he did want to meet up with her some other time when they were both free. He took out his phone as well and exchanged contacts with each other. "Anytime you want to meet up, feel free to reach out. I'm also looking forward to seeing you and Lyon more," said Frisky with a smile.
"Yeah, of course," said Rad who was still struggling to say a full sentence. Frisky drove away from the Heeler house, and Rad stood watching the car driving away until it was no longer visible. For some reason, he seems to want to see Frisky again when they have the chance. There is something about her that truly intrigues the red-blue heeler dog. He then drove back to his house as the night went on.
Note: Finally, I have included Frisky in this story. It took a while, but I think I'm glad how this chapter turned out with a bit of a tweak in the story. I just love the episode Double Babysitter so it's no suprise I had to include the event with Lyon in it. Here's hoping for more chapters. I just started school a couple of weeks ago so I can't guarantee how long the next chapter will take.