((Tw: mentions of fire and smoke.))

The first thing Cameron remembered was the two big brown eyes looking at her with such joy and excitement. Those eyes belonging to her older brother. Archer.

The four year old pulling his mother's arm down so he could look at the newborn that was nestled in her arms more clearly. He smiled widely as he saw her brown eyes look up at him and her mouth form into a little grin.

"She's so pretty!" He exclaimed, though at his age it sounded a little gibberish, but still understandable.

"Do you like your new baby sister, Archer?" His mother asked him, swiping some of his brown hair out of his eyes.

"Mhm!"

"Would you like to hold her?" His mother asked, watching Archer nod eagerly, holding out his arms for his mother to put the small child in.

"Are you Sure that's a good idea, Laura?" Archers father asked, looking at his wife questionably.

"Of course I'm sure, Andrew. He's sitting on the bed, plus I'll be close. He won't drop her." Laura stated, looking to her husband. She glanced back over at Archer, setting the small baby girl in his arms.

Archer held her gently, making sure he didn't hurt her, nor lose grip of her. He smiled widely watching as the baby clasped her hand around his, the size difference noticable.

"Hi, Cameron! I'm your big brother!" Archer said, hugging onto her softly. "And I'll always protect you!"

• • • • • •

Archer stuck our his tongue in concentration, the nine year old very fixated on what he was doing.

He was putting his mother's make up on his little sister. The make-up that his mother was currently looking for.

"What shade of eye shadow do you want, Cami?" Archer asked, putting down the messy foundation sponge next to him as he picked up the eye shadow palette, showing all the colors to his sister.

"Uhhhh- that one." The five year old responded, pointing to the bold red color on the pallette.

"Nice choice. It will go well with your brown hair." Archer mumbled, picking up the eyeshadow brush and applying the dust onto his sister's eyelids messily. He stopped as he heard a gasp come from his bedroom door.

Archer turned around to see his mother standing in the doorway, blinking as she looked at her two children. One holding onto her expensive makeup and the other with makeup all over her face.

"... What- What are you two doing?" She asked, her voice not holding an angry tone, but instead one filled with amusement. She snickered as he saw her children.

"I'm doing Cam's makeup!" Archer exclaimed happily. "We were almost done, would you like to see the fashion show we are going to do?" He asked smiling widely, showing off his missing tooth.

"Fashion show?" Laura asked, walking into the room and sitting on Archer's bed.

"Mhm! Cameron was just about to strut on the catwalk we made, like on TV!" Archer exclaimed, pointing to the messily strown bedsheets that were on the floor, supposedly their 'catwalk'.

"Why sure." Laura answered, snorting a bit at her children's antics.

"Okay Cam, Go show off the look!" Archer said as his sister stood up, now letting their mother get a good look at what she was wearing. One of Laura's dresses were hanging loosely from Cameron's shoulders, though Cameron didn't seem to mind it as she struts dramatically on the bedsheets.

Laura laughed, clapping her hands. "That was a beautiful fashion show.. but- Don't get into mommy's make-up anymore. Alright, Ducklings?"

"Okay!"

• • • • •

The ten year old seemed to be the only one that noticed the small Yelp that came from his sister's room as the storm raged on outside.

Archer listened again, hearing another Yelp as the thunder blasted loudly outside. He stood up, slipping on his dinosaur house shoes and walked to his sister's room, opening the door a smidge to peek inside.

Under the covers was Cameron, hiding away from the storm as if it would make her feel safer.

Archer walked into the room and closed the door, stepping up to his sister's bed. He held the sheets and slid them off of her, blinking as he saw the six year old huddled into a small ball.

"What's wrong?" Archer asked, his eyebrows knitted in confusion and worry.

Cameron pointed to the pouring rain outside her window, hugging her knees closer to her chest. "The storm.."

"Your scared of thunder?" Archer asked, raising a brow in question as he couldn't help but snicker.

"It's not funny, Archie!" Cameron exclaimed, hitting his arm as she yelped at the sound of thunder yet again.

Archer sighed, climbing into the bed. "Hush up and scoot over, you big cry baby." He mumbled, sliding under the covers as Cameron moved over to make room for him.

"Now go to sleep. Nothing will hurt you as long as I'm here." Archer stated, sighing as his little sister hugged onto him, feeling safer by the minute.

He glanced down at her, taking notice of how she was already starting to doze off the sleep. He wrapped his arm around her,  he sighed again, closing his eyes as the storm raged on.

"Cry baby.."

• • • • •

Archer watched as his Seven year old little sister came into his room, plopping down on his abed and sighing dramatically.

"What's got you so down in the dumps?" Archer asked, setting down his comic book and scooting closer to his sister.

"I want to take dance lessons.." she groaned lifting her head to speak before face planting it right back into the bed.

"Yeah, and?" Archer asked, shrugging a bit, not quite understanding what she was trying to say.

"And I don't want to do it alone.." she mumbled.

"Why not?"

"Because! I won't know anybody there! Mom and Dad won't be there! I'll be alone in a room full of people that I don't even know! With complete strangers!" She grumbled, raising her head up yet again only to drop it back down on the foam.

"There is an obvious solution to this." Archer said, rolling his eyes as he laid back down on his bed, propping his legs up on his sister's back, since she was in the way.

"What is it?"

"Just don't take dance lessons." Archer suggested, saying it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"But I want to take dance lessons! I could learn a lot from it! You know how much I love dance!" Cameron argued, turning over onto her back so she could look at her brother, causing him to have to move his legs.

He sat up again. "Then think of the pros and cons."

"The what what's?"

"The pros and cons."

"What's the pros and cons?"

"The goods and the bads."

"Which one is the goods and which one is the bads?"

"Will you shut up and let me get on with what I was saying?"

"FiNe- FiNe-"

"Now-" Archer started, sighing exasperatedly. "If you take dance lessons you'll learn more about dancing, that's a pro."

"Oh so the pros are the goods and the-"

"ShuT uP-"

"FIne-!"

"As I wAs SaYiNg-" Archer exclaimed. "But, you'll be in a room full of people you don't know, for the amount of time you take the dance lessons. That a con."

"...Then what should I do?" She asked, looking up at him for the answer.

"That's for you to decide." Archer said, shrugging.

"Well your stupid pros and cons didn't do anything! I'm still confused and stuck!" Cameron exclaimed, crossing her arms and groaning.

Archer sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose under his glasses. "Look how about this. You take dance lessons-"

"But-"

"LEt mE FiniSh-!" Archer said, putting a finger to his sister's mouth to shush her. "And I'll take them with you. That why you won't be alone and you'll have someone there with you that you know."

"Wait- really??" Cameron asked, excitedly, jumping up on the bed, standing over Archer.

"Yes. Really." Archer said.

Cameron squealed, hugging onto Archer tightly. "Eeeeeee! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Archer blinking, trying to push his sister off. "Cant- breathe-"

"Oh! I gotta go tell Mom and Dad! Thank you Archer! You're the best brother ever!" Cameron said, squealing as she jumped off the bed, running out the room to go inform her parents.

Archer sighed watching her leave. "Yeah. Yeah.. I know."

• • • •

"Laura! You can't be serious! Did you hear her?? She said that Archer wants to take dance lessons with her! Dance! Ballet!!" Andrew shouted, not knowing that there was an eavesdropper listening in on their argument.

"I heard her, Andrew and I don't really think this is something you should get so upset about! He just wants to take dance! That's it!" Laura retorted, crossing her arms.

"Are you listening to yourself?? He's a boy! He shouldn't be concerned with dance! He should be wanting to do sports or go into business! You know we need someone to take over the company when I retire!"

"So what if he's a boy? If he wants to take dance then we will let him! He doesn't have to be concerned with sports! Or your stupid company! We didn't have children just so they could watch over your company when you get old, Andrew!" Laura yelled, her brows furrowed in anger.

Cameron watched from the doorway, the door was open a crack. It was enough to let her hear what her parents were fighting about.

"What do you mean 'stupid company'??? This company is what has put a roof over your head, and bought your expensive clothes!"

"If you're so concerned with the expensive clothes you can take them back! I don't care about them! I never cared about the money, that was always you!!" Laura snapped, her husband remaining silent.

Cameron herself had never seen her mother so angry before, she was always so gentle. Never judgemental. She was never a violent or angry person so this was new to her.

"What's happened to you, Andrew? You weren't like this before this company thing took off. You weren't so obsessed with money that you would try to control your own children's lives. Hell! Even when I told you I was pregnant with Archer you had already had his future planned out!! He and Cameron are their own person. And they get to decide what they want to do with their life! Not you!! Be it, Dance. Or your filthy company! They decide! So don't you dare try to control my children's lives ever again!!" Laura yelled at him, scoffing as she turned away from him, towards the door.

Cameron panicked, seeing her mother come her way she quickly hid so she wouldn't get caught.

Laura opened the door, turning back to say one last thing to her husband before walking away. "I never saw just how greedy you were until now.."

• • • • •

Cameron walked over to the door, watching her brother come back home from school. "Hellooooo, Archie!" She greeted only now noticing the black haired boy behind him.

"Hey, Cam. I brought a friend home for dinner." Archer stated, holding the door open so his said friend could walk inside.

Cameron fake gasped, holding onto her cheeks to add dramatic effect. "WhA- Youuu? You have a friend?? Who would've guessed."

"WhA- hEy-! I'm a very likable person!" Archer argued, Slapping her arm.

Cameron laughed, rubbing her arm as she looked at Archer's friend. He was a very quiet boy, with jet black hair and eyes that were completely black except for his irises. Which were a bright ocean blue.

"...If he's forcing you to be his friend blink twice." Cameron whispered to him, though it was loud enough for Archer to hear.

"I'm not forcing him to do anything!! He's my friend willingly! Isn't that right K?" Archer asked, looking over to his friend who just looked at him and smiled.

"Yeah."

"See!"

Cameron snickered. "Good luck, being friends with this dork." Cameron said to K, pointing at Archer with her thumb. "He's a bit coocoo for coco puffs."

"Coocoo for what now??"

K watched the two bicker, laughing to himself as he got the feeling that he was amongst two people he'd know for a while.

• • • • •

Cameron and Archer were sitting on Archers bed underneath the covers, a flashlight as their only light source in the pitch black room.

"So- what's the plan for when we get older?" Archer asked, looking at the map that was in between them.

"Okay- Okay- here it is- we get older- get out of school- complete college- take some of dad's money and travel across the world giving all the sad people puppies so we can cure world depression, then we get elected as president of the united states, I'm the president and you're the vice president. Obviously- then we give everyone in America a hundred lollipops and that with solve world hunger- then we settle down in Hawaii, and get a pet bird and live off of coconuts and pineapples.-" Cameron rambled, dragging her finger across the map.

"...First of all. That unrealistic. And second of all, Why do you get to be president and I'm just the vice president??"

"Because I'm cuter-"

"WhA- that's not true!"

"It is true, I'm cuter- and mom loves me more-"

"StoP LyInG, CaMerOn BaIlEy-! And maKe uP a mOre reAlIStIc pLan-!"

"Fine! You Debby downer." Cameron huffed crossing her arms. "He finish school and then go to Paris."

"Why Paris?" Archer asked.

"Because, Paris is pretty and I've always wanted to see the Eiffel tower at night." Cameron said, clasping her hands together.

"Wha- that's it?"

"Of course that's not it. I meant what I said about traveling the world. We just go to Paris First." Cameron said, smiling widely as she giggled a bit.

"Fine, fine. We'll go to Paris First." Archer stated waving her off.

"Pinky Promise?" Cameron asked, looking at him with wide eyes as she held out her pinky for him to link his with.

Archer smiled at his sister as he clasped his pinky with hers.

"Pinky promise."

• • • • •

Archer started coughing in his sleep, smoke filling his lungs as he breathed, he couldn't help but wake up, taking notice of the smoke sliding under his bedroom door.

His eyes widened as he jumped out of bed, the sleepiness seeming to fade away from his body as the adrenaline took over.

He ran out of his room, watching as the flaming fire spread all around the house, lighting it up with it's bright heat.

He ran to his sister's room, quickly opening the door and screaming at her to get up. He pulled her out of bed, running out of the room. "C'mon Cameron! The house is on fire!! We got to get out of here!!"

He didn't bother to worry about his parents, considering they were out of the house, out on a date, trusting the Archer to take care of his sister, considering he was a teenager now and was mature enough to babysit.

"Shouldn't we call the fire department??" She asked, blinking as she saw the flame rise as well, she started to cough the smoke being the only thing that went into her lungs as the oxygen started to thin.

"I will! You go and get out of here while I find the phone!" Archer said, coughing as well, he covered his mouth with his arms, hoping that would stop the smoke from going through his nostrils.

"No! I'm coming with you! I'm not leaving you in here alone!" Cameron said, clasping her hand over her mouth and nose.

"No! You just get out of here! You hear me?? We need to hurry!!" Archer argued, pointing to the door. He didn't notice the roof that was already starting to collapse due to the flame engulfing it.

"No- I'm not doing it! I'm not going to just abandon you!!"

"Cam we really do not have time to argue!!"

"Then don't argue with me!! Just listen!!"

"No!! Cam you need to get out of here right n-"

"Archer! Watch out!!" Cameron yelled as she looked up at the collapsing roof, she pushed her brother out of the way, towards the door as the flaming wood fell down and separated the two.

Cam and Archer coughed violently, not taking notice of the sound of sirens in the distance. The neighbors must have called them as they had noticed the house had caught on fire.

Archer looked at his sister, seeing her collapse as his vision blurred. He coughed, trying to get a breathe of oxygen but the only thing he breathed in was smoke as he blacked out and collapsed as well, the sirens nearing the house with every second.

That was the day Archer had lost his best friend. And little sister. Cameron Bailey.

((2,831 words in total.))