*The Pacifier*

Chapter 11

"Red 1!"

The door opened right when I was about to throw another dart and I sighed in annoyance, wiping the tears of my face

"What?" I snapped at Shane. He furrowed his eyebrows at my red puffy eyes before shaking his head

"Lexi, I'm going out so you're in charge. Anyone gets within 40 clicks of the perimeter, signal me" he ordered while walking out of my room. The curiosity got the best of me and I followed after putting the darts on my nightstand and I found myself startled seeing Shane waiting outside my door and after seeing me, he smirked a little before continuing his way going to the stairs "Keep all doors sealed, do your homework, preheat the oven and don't let Lulu in the cookie jar" he instructed me while going downstairs, I frowned to myself in confusion before he looked up at me at the middle of the stairs "I'm trusting you all of that, Red 1" he told me seriously, debating to say something else before running down the stairs and out of the house

All the while, a small smile playing trough my lips at the thought of being in charge for once. Of someone trusting me to do something and not the other way around.

It was a nice change from when either mom or dad put someone else, like Zoe or Seth in charge of me.

It was nice to know Shane trusted me to keep the house up when he wasn't over here.

~8~

Getting my siblings in line wasn't that hard. I was smiling, feeling for the first time in days not anger at all

I was tucking Peter on his bed after sleeping Tyler. I chuckled to myself hearing Shane over the silent hallway on Lulu's room telling her a weird bed story

"Is he serious?" I giggled at Peter, tickling at his sides as he laughed childishly loud as I tried to make him go to sleep "We have a bad ass nanny who works on the military, a bed story teller and somehow now a performance director" I laughed to myself quietly after having Seth tell me what had happened.

Apparently, the director of the musical performance he's playing at quit and Shane took charge and now he's gonna help Seth and all the group to get it done. First letting me in charge after knowing mom recently didn't so and now helping Seth with his musical?

That was a nice gesture. He may have a heart after all.

"I know right?" Seth peeked his head inside the kiddies' room once he heard me talking. It was taking me a lot to put Peter to bed and I huffed my hair out of my face turning to face Seth over my shoulder as he was getting inside and making a face at the hyperactive Peter "You have to sing to him, Lex"

"I'm tired" I whined before cringing at Peter's loud giggle as he started jumping on his bed again "I can't keep singing and dancing every night" I pouted at Seth before he looked up with a smirk

"Don't worry, sis" he reassured me backing away and going outside of the room

"No, Seth! At least keep me company!" I exclaimed with a sigh going to the door and keeping half up my body facing the hallway and the half down on the room.

Seth raised a finger at me gesturing me to wait as he peeked his head inside Lulu's room where Shane was telling her a bed story. I furrowed my eyebrows, slowly smirking in amusement

"You're gonna have to do the Panda song or he won't stop" Seth informed Shane over Peter's childish giggles as he continued jumping on his bed behind me "Lexi would do it tonight but she's kinda tired" he told him with a shrug, waiting a few seconds hearing Shane saying something. Seth then looked over his shoulder at me and flashed me a grin with thumbs up "Don't worry, I'll write it down for you and Lexi can teach you how to do it" he told him reassuringly.

I leaned against the door, smiling slightly

Oh this is gonna be fun

~8~

Peter knowing it was time for the Panda song stayed quiet on his bed, thumb on his mouth as Shane told him to get to sleep. The written Panda song on his hands. I was looking at him cross armed as Seth leaned against the doorway with a bag of chips

"Close your eyes. Go to sleep. I'll be right back" Shane sighed turning around to leave but I stopped right before him, between him and the 'exit' door, holding my hand up to him in a stop signal

"Stop right there, soldier" I spoke with an amused grin "You gotta do the dance" I told him raising my eyebrows, Seth behind me chuckling in agreement while munching a handful of chips on his mouth

"Yeah, like dad used to do" Seth added after swallowing making me roll my eyes which didn't go unnoticed by Shane who furrowed his eyebrows at me "He made it up for him" Seth added not seeing my reaction towards dad's mention. "You have to do the dance to make him sleep. Like Lexi has done every night since Helga left"

I nodded in agreement "Come on. I'll help you out. My curfew already passed" I said chuckling making him sigh as I turned him around, which as he was stronger than me he didn't have to, but he did "I'm gonna teach it to you and then you can dance it tomorrow night and I'll get to sleep earlier for the first time this week" I said grinning

"When you're down and low. Lower than the floor" I began singing softly, slowly hunching down smiling over at Peter, frowning when I didn't hear Shane with me. I looked up sharply narrowing my eyes making him and Seth flinch startled at my harsh look "Am I singing alone? Come on, use your military brain to keep up the pace with me. Seth wrote the lyrics for you and I am teaching you the choreography, at least make the effort of learning it"

Seth and Shane exchanged a look to the which I crossed my arms, expectantly. "Well...?"

Shane took a small step forward and looked at me in slight defeat, I smiled smugly "Alright! Let's start from the top" I clapped and looked at my little brother again starting to sing, this time Shane singing along with me

"When you're down and low. Lower than the floor" I crouched slowly down, Shane doing the same, making me grin "And you feel like you ain't got a chance, bum bum" We both shook our heads, before standing up, "Don't make a move til your in the groove, and do the peter panda dance" we sang taking a step forward pointing down, Shane following my instructions, raising my hands up hovering side to side, smiling at my brother clapping twice. Shane singing it hesitantly, making my grin growing with each passing second "Just hop three times like a kangaroo" I forced Shane jumping three times, grabbing his arm mimicking a kangaroo and then a crab, taking two side steps, all while singing.

Three steps forward and then one back. All while with Shane's arm linked with mine "Side-step twice just like the crabs do, three steps forward one step back" I grinned at the next dropping Shane's arm and throwing myself on the floor and rolling on my back.

Seth laughing quietly in amusement as we both watched Shane doing that as well "Quick like a turtle lie on your on your back, roll like a log til you...can't roll no more" I stood up with a jump, acting like I was gonna fall.

I flashed both guys a grin, pressing my hand on my nose and jumped to the left, my voice sounding weird on that moment "Better jump quick like there ain't no floor, hold your breath, jump to the left" I grinned taking a full turn, facing my brother again, hair hitting my face as I did so, raising my hands up to my sides. Shane doing the same "And thats the peter panda dance"

I smiled brightly at my brother as he giggled grabbing the blanket and putting on top of him, knowing it was bed time already. I breathed heavily smiling before turning to face Shane and Seth

"And that's what you are going to do tomorrow night, alone" I said placing my hands on my hips "Easy right?"

I flashed Shane a grin