Keeper

Chapter 18

"LORD HATER!"

The scream echoed waking Sylvia up instantly. She looked around thinking that Hater was there but only found Peepers was the only one up. And Wander wasn't even up, he still slept close to Sylvia while sucking on his thumb. Sniffling came from Peepers's direction and Sylvia turned to find the teenaged boy curled up and his back towards Sylvia.

"Peepers?" Sylvia scooted closer to Peepers. "Hey, it's okay, it's okay."

"I-If s-she a-actually h-hurt h-him..." Sylvia pulled Peepers closer to her. "I'll kill her! I swear to grop I'll kill her if she hurt Hater!"

Sylvia let Peepers cling to her. She looked back just to make sure no animal had snatched it when they were sleeping and right now in their current situation. Sylvia brushed back Peepers's bangs causing him to look at her with his teary eye.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry for waking you up!" Peepers apologized.

"It's alright, you're scared. You don't want to lose your boss." Sylvia reassured him.

"I shouldn't be letting you deal with somebody like me. Not when you have a little brother you're raising." Peepers sniffled. Sylvia had nearly forgotten that she had made it clear to Peepers that Wander was her adopted little brother.

"Hey look at me Peepers." The teen did as he was told. "I'm not going to let her lay a hand on Hater, okay?"

"But what if she already has? I'm supposed to protect him! He's my leader and I'm his commander!" Peepers shouted, a little too loud for Sylvia's liking.

Wander woke up at that time. "Sissy? Peepers?"

Sylvia pulled Wander over using just one arm. The baby boy crawled over his older sister and over to the boy who was older than him by 16 years. Reaching his arms up, Wander waited, and eventually, Peepers pulled him into his arms. Wander pulled himself up to Peepers's right shoulder and rest his head on it.

"See? Even my baby bro doesn't mind that you woke him up!" Sylvia smiled.

Peepers tearfully looked up at Sylvia with a smile of his own and gave the same smile to Wander. "Thank you, both of you."

"You're welcome, Peepers."

"Welcome!"

Peepers giggled at the one-year-old who he held in his arms.

The two oldest sat on the ground while the youngest stayed in Peepers's arms. And one by one, they fell back to sleep.