TITLE: The Little Princesses

CHAPTER/TITLE: Chapter One/Babysitting Blues

RATING: T (language and mature content)

A/N: I started writing this last year but never posted it as by the time I got around to thinking about finishing it, it was way past Halloween. I had already posted other belated Halloween stories. So I figure maybe if I start posting my Halloween stories early enough this year that will not happen again. Of course, as the holiday draws closer I usually get hit with more and more ideas…..

****For more Four Brothers Halloween fun, check out my other stories: Burn it Down, Curious & Devil's Night. Stay tuned for more FB Halloween stories! Maybe this year I will post my Charmed Halloween story for once….maybe….

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Four Brothers ...or Princess Barbie (I almost wrote "Princess Bobby"…..now THAT would be an interesting story…*is tempted to change chapter title to "Princess Bobby"…..*)

Chapter One: Babysitting Blues

Bobby hadn't even killed the engine before the front door of his brother's house burst open and two small puffs of pink and purple bounded out towards them. Bobby was out of the car and scooping a laughing Amelia up mid-run. She leapt up eagerly into his embrace, wrapping small eager arms around her uncle's neck.

In the passenger seat, Jack struggled to climb out from the car, his leg giving slight protest. He had grown used to the extra pain and time it took to do once simple and everyday movements. Reflecting her mother in every way, Daniela proudly helped her uncle.

"How are you feeling, Uncle Jack?" His niece asked, sounding like a miniature version of Camille.

"Girls," Jeremiah's voice floated from inside of the house, "come back inside."

The sisters obeyed, Amelia bravely jumping down from Bobby's arms. He smiled a crooked smile as he mumbled something about her being a Mercer. The brothers followed their nieces. Jack was barely through the door when Amelia stopped in front of him, twirling around, tufts of pink fabric spinning around her.

"Like my dress, Uncle Jack?"

"Well, hey," Jack grinned and leaned down to his nieces' level on his good knee, "what are you all dressed up for?"

"Don't you know?" Daniela crossed her arms suspiciously.

"It's Halloween!" Amelia threw up her hands.

"Halloween?" Bobby sauntered through the front door. "Nah."

"Yes it is," Amelia shot back defiantly.

"What's Halloween?" Jack snickered.

"Are you crazy?" Daniela huffed.

"It's where you dress up and gets a ton 'a candy," Daniela informed him seriously.

"Do uncles get any of this candy?" Bobby played along perfectly.

"No!" They both giggled.

"Girls, why don't you go play outside," Jerry laughed. "Stay in the backyard and no getting' your dresses dirty or your mother will never forgive me."

The little princesses eagerly obeyed.

"What's up, Jer'?" Bobby asked, all kidding replaced by a knowing and serious tone.

"Camille's mother isn't doin' good," Jerry sighed solemnly. "She's back in the hospital. Camille's already there. I'm heading there now."

"What about –" Jack nodded towards the back door.

"Girls don't know yet. Camille doesn't want them to. They lost one grandmother last year."

They three were silent for a moment as the thought of Evelyn and memories of the past year's events washed over them.

"So you want us to munchkin-sit?" Bobby nodded. "No problem, Jer'. I babysit this girl enough. What's two more?"

Jack shot his eldest brother a hard stare before muttering an insult under his breath.

"I want you take them trick-or-treating," Jerry explained carefully.

"What?" Bobby's face fell. "You serious? No way."

"I'll do it," Jack sighed.

"Like hell your white ass is goin' out there alone," Jeremiah shook his head, his fatherly vocabulary suddenly shifting. "Not while you still got that limp, man. I was askin' both of ya'll."

"You've gotta be kidding me," Bobby groaned. "They can chill out here."

"Bobby, please. The girls have been lookin' forward to this for weeks. Camille made those dresses. Please, just this once –"

"Alright, alright. Fine. Don't beg, man. Makes you look bad. But you owe me, brother."

"Yeah, yeah," Jerry scoffed and then turned serious. "No scary movies, either."

"What?" Bobby shook his head. "You sure know how to suck all the fun outta this holiday."

"I mean it, Bobby. No horror movies. Remember when you watched Halloween with Jack and he wouldn't sleep for a week?"

"I was eight," Jack mumbled in defense.

"Well, what the hell can we do?" Bobby huffed.

"You can take them trick-or-treating, bring them back here. Go through the candy. Don't let them eat any of it until you've gone through –"

"You sound like Ma –"

" –and don't steal it, Bobby. Don't let them have a lot. I put out some movies you can watch. Put them to bed –"

"By eight. Yeah, yeah. I know the drill, Jerry." Bobby waved for Jeremiah to leave.

"Stay in the neighborhood, Bobby," Jerry warned as he grabbed his coat. "Don't be taking them where we used to go on Halloween. This is a safe neighborhood and –"

"Go," Bobby huffed, "before I drag you out to your car in front of your own kids."

"Alright, alright," Jeremiah finally surrendered.

Bobby and Jack followed Jerry out the door and waved him off beside his daughters. After he was out of sight, Bobby abruptly spun around and stalked back inside. Jack curiously followed, ushering the girls along with him.

"Uh – Bobby," Jack started as he watched his brother drop onto the couch cushions, "isn't there something you're forgetting?"

"Aren't we going trick-or-treating, Uncle Bobby?" Daniela pulled her face into a pout.

"It ain't even dark out yet," Bobby rolled his eyes. "What's the fun of goin' now? Let's look at these movies."

Bobby began pawing through the stack of cases on the coffee table, his features falling farther with each title.

"'It's the Great Pumpkin'? 'Garfield'? 'Casper the Friendly –'what the hell – 'Hocus Pocus' – I'm bored already."

"Bobby," Jack whispered in a low voice.

"Here," Amelia shoved a DVD into Bobby's hands. "This one's my favorite!"

"Barbie?" Bobby blanched. "What does that even have to do with – no way."

"She's a princess," Amelia explained, an edge of sadness to her small voice, "like us."

Bobby stared down at the cheerless child and internally and sighed. Picking up the movie again after having tossed it aside, Bobby made a show of studying the cover.

"You know? You're right. I didn't even notice." He smiled as he spoke and Amelia gleefully grinned back.

It took some persuading, but finally Bobby agreed to watch 'The Great Pumpkin' and the Barbie movie when they returned from trick-or-treating. He offered to make them supper, which in Bobby-babysitting, that meant ordering a pizza. Jack offered to cook something. The proposal turned into an argument until Daniela remarked that Bobby and Jack sounded like "mommy and daddy." That swiftly silenced all sides and Jack slunk into the kitchen. Daniela eagerly joined him and together they made grilled cheese. In the living room, Amelia drew pictures for Bobby. After dinner, the girls played in front of their uncles, pretending to be real princesses. Bobby and Jack even were given roles in their production, even if it was begrudgingly.

"Now," Daniela instructed firmly, "the evil witch locks us up! And you have to save us!"

"Us?" Bobby balked. "Why?"

"Because," Amelia sounded like an exasperated teenager, "the prince always saves the princess!"

Bobby quickly had quite enough of playing prince and suddenly announced that trick-or-treating in the daylight hours was permissible. Jack caged a laugh. Amelia disappeared diligently and reappeared with a plastic pumpkin pale. Bobby shook his head and then was distracted from her antics by his other niece discreetly tapping his arm. Bobby bent down and allowed Daniela to whisper in his ear.

"Well, where is it?" Bobby hid his amusement.

"I forgot it at school," Daniela stared at the carpeting. "I didn't want to tell daddy."

"Come on," Bobby took Daniela's hand and led her up the stairs.

They stopped once inside the girl's bedroom and Bobby began pulling a pink case from one of Daniela's pillow. He handed it to her and she merely mumbled in confusion.

"Take it," Bobby chuckled. "It's what me and my brothers and your daddy used to use. More room for candy."

Daniela smiled again for the first time since Amelia had appeared with her pale. The two took hands again and descended the stairs. Jack and Bobby retrieved their niece's coats and assisted in fitting them over the dress sleeves before braving the night.

The boys hung happily back on the sidewalk at each house and the girls gleefully rushed up to each doorstep. Jack had to restrain Bobby surprisingly only once when a miniature mummy had run into him. Bobby swung around to face the preteen when Jack bravely held out his hand. Only Jack could get away with something like that. Bobby would never hurt the kid, but Jack knew Bobby could scare the toughest tikes with just a glare.

"Robert Mercer." A coarse voice caught them off guard nearly halfway through the night. "I'll be damned."

Bobby and Jack glanced up at the house their nieces were currently plundering. A slender siren stood in the doorway. She wore a trifling amount of fabric as a witch's dress, showing more skin, and other things, Jack wasn't sure he wanted his nieces seeing.

"Caroline Doyle." Bobby whistled as he sauntered up the walkway.

Jack neglected to pay any attention to the exchange. He wasn't sure if they were flirting or fighting. Bobby got around with women almost as much as Angel, even in neighborhoods such as the one Jeremiah had graduated to. There was something to said about the Mercer charm. There was also something to be said about Mercer cheating, chauvinism and crime. Whoever this woman was to Bobby, Jack would bet it probably hadn't lasted long.

"Uncle Jack," Amelia pawed at his leather jacket.

"Let's go," Daniela whined, walking on before Jack had wielded a response.

Amelia was quick to follow her sister, and Jack was quick to follow them. Darkness had fallen over the holiday and even in this side of town, Jack wasn't about to let his nieces out of his sight for one second.

With his back turned, Bobby neglected to notice as the three youngest members of the Mercer family disappeared into the night alone.