Author's Notes: If you haven't read One Dangerous Game and Cheating Fate, this will probably be slightly confusing to say the least. Read, review, and enjoy!

BETTER THAN KNITTING, AT LEAST

At least she wasn't knitting.

Here was Susan, Duchess of Sto-Helit, sitting in a rocking chair while her children played in the other room. She'd sworn to herself that this would never happen. She'd never 'settle down' and raise 'little ones'. And she never, ever would ever, ever lounge in a rocking chair.

But at least she wasn't knitting.

The twins ran out down the hall, eyes wide. Edward's blond curls bobbed around his head, while he and his black and slick haired brother ran up to their mother. They tugged her dark skirt, looking terrified.

"Mommy, Mommy," Edward managed, his voice dripping with panic. "Mommy, you must help us!" he called.

"What is it?" Susan asked, sighing inwardly.

At least she wasn't knitting.

"Charlotte's coming!" Johnny replied. "Charlotte, Mother Dearest, and she is not happy," the black-haired boy said, shaking his head gravely.

The sound of heavy footsteps came down the hall, and both boys dashed behind Susan's rocking chair before she could blink – faster than she could see, even. The duchess of Sto-Helit sighed, pursing her lips. They were right little Teatimes, those boys.

Charlotte came down the hall, a huge, deceptively sweet grin plastered to her face. Her fists were clenched, and her hair a huge, curly, black and white mass floating about her pale face.

"Hi, Mommy!" she called. "Would you please point me in the direction of my dear, sweet brothers?"

Susan narrowed her eyes.

"What did they do?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing, Mommy. I just want to see them and talk to them."

Charlotte smiled brightly.

"Charlotte, what did I tell you about lying?"

Her grin faltered.

"I'm not, Mommy," she answered as innocently as she could (which was pretty darn).

"Charlotte Ysabell Teatime," Susan said warningly in a stern voice as she dipped her head.

The nine-year-old girl stomped her foot angrily, scowling.

"I just want to use the Voice on them, Mommy!" she whined. "I want to use the Voice and scare them to bits and bits!"

"Don't whine. Whining – "

Two heads poked out from either side of the rocking chair, one curly and gold, the other slick and black.

"...is for annoying little babies," they finished in unison, Johnny chiming it charmingly with an eery grin and Edward reciting it from memory like the golden rule.

"You!" Charlotte called as she lunged at her brothers, who scattered in fear.

HALT! Susan yelled. There was silence as all three children looked up at their mother, worry flashing through their faces for half a second.

The duchess sighed.

"Alright. What happened here?"

Everyone started talking at once.

Susan shook her head with a sad sigh.

At least she wasn't knitting.