It was a Sunday morning and Taylor Hebert had a mission. Sorta.

She extricated herself from Cheshire’s grip, gingerly stepped over the blankets Crochet used as a makeshift bed right next to hers, and padded downstairs on slippered feet while covering up a yawn.

Her two eldest little sisters were still sleeping peacefully, which meant she had a few minutes to get breakfast ready and prepare for the long day ahead. If her little sisters wanted to play at being heroes, then there were things they would need. After the fight with Oni Lee - and hadn’t that cut a few years off her life - she was prepared, somewhat, to acknowledge that maybe her sisters could handle themselves.

Maybe. With supervision. And some training.

Frankly, the Wards were starting to sound like a good idea. Maybe. If they swore not to cut open her little sisters to see how they worked.

“Hello, Onee-sama,” came Pop’s voice as Taylor slid into the kitchen.

The littlest sister was moving a chair away from the pantry, a still-sealed cup of ramen sitting on it as she brought the chair back to the table.

“Hey there, Pop,” Taylor said as she slid past. She placed a hand on the girl’s head and gave it a ruffle before moving on. “You’re up early?” she asked, turning the statement into a question.

Pop reached up to her head and blinked a few times before rearranging her hair. She was probably miffed that Taylor had messed up her ponytail. “Yes, Onee-sama. I do not need much sleep.”

“Uh-huh,” Taylor said. She covered another yawn and began filling a carafe full of water from the sink before placing it in the coffee machine. The device started gurgling and sweet dark ambrosia began to sputter out while Taylor found her favourite woodstock mug.

Tea was well and good, but she wanted to wake up properly. Her dad would like some too, when he finally got down.

“So, Pop,” she said. She had to get to know her sisters better, all of them, but especially Pop who was otherwise so quiet. “What do you like to do for fun?”

“Ninja things,” Pop said.

“Ninja... things?”

“Yes, Onee-sama.”

“Right,” Taylor said. Maybe she could learn about Pop some other way. Grabbing the jug of coffee from the machine, she brought it over to the table, poured herself a mug, then set it down on the wooden board in the middle of the table where the scent of fresh coffee could spread across the house.

Pop climbed onto her seat, opened cup ramen before her, grabbed the coffee and under Taylor’s wide-eyed stare, poured some into the cup full of noodles. She carefully replaced the now lighter jug in the middle of the table, pulled out two chopsticks and laid them atop the steaming styrofoam cup.

Taylor brought her mug to her lips and took a long sip while Pop just stared at her cup and waited. After a little while, she opened the pack of chicken broth that came with the noodles, poured it in, then mixed it all with a chopstick. “Itadakimasu,” Pop said before digging in.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

With the kind of detachment only possible before eight A.M.on a weekend, Taylor decided not to comment on anything she had seen. “So, we have all day to prepare for things, and our shopping yesterday was interrupted. I was thinking the thr- four of us could go out again, maybe grab you guys some casual clothes and materials for Crochet. We’ll need to find another shop for it, though.”

“If Onee-sama goes, then I will protect her,” Pop said.

“I don’t need protecting, and it’s just some shopping,” Taylor argued.

Pop’s eyes narrowed. “My research into the ninja ways suggest that my Onee-sama will be in danger when I am not there to protect her. So I will always be there to protect her.”

“Uh-huh, and what about when I’m in school?” Taylor asked.

Pop nodded. “I will need to be discreet.”

Before Taylor could start poking holes into that idea, two pairs of footsteps trampled into the kitchen. Cheshire took one look at Pop and grimaced. “Thought you’d’ve left in the night,” she grumbled. “Popped outta existence, you know?”

“I could remove your existence,” Pop suggested.

They glared at each other while Taylor poured herself another mug. “Coffee, Big Sis?” Crochet asked. She sounded a little disappointed at that.

“I need it,” Taylor said. She reached out and placed a hand over Pop’s just as the girl was reaching for the knife tucked into her sleeping shorts. “No stabbing in the kitchen. Or elsewhere in the house. In fact, no trying to kill your sisters. That goes for all of you.”

“What ‘bout maimin’?” Cheshire asked with the most innocent of smiles.

"I have an electric fly swatter and I'm not afraid to use it," Taylor pointed out easily. She had to hide her enjoyment at seeing Cheshire’s grin fade and her face go pale.

Cheshire’s cheeks puffed way out. “Ya wouldn’t.”

“I will pull you onto my knee and spank you until your tush is red. Right in front of your sisters too,” Taylor added. She narrowed her eyes a little. “Behave. It’s too early for all of this... thisness.”

“Hrm, fine,” Cheshire said, but not before giving Pop a look that threatened mischief as soon as Taylor’s back was turned.

Sighing, Taylor placed a hand on Crochet’s head and gave it a good pat. “At least you’re well behaved,” she said. “One out of three isn’t bad.” Standing up, Taylor brought her mug to the sink then made her way back towards the stairs. “I’ll be getting changed. You girls get breakfast done and do the same, okay?”

As she left, she failed to notice the absolute deluge of smugness emanating from Crochet, or the looks she was receiving from her sisters.