Mako looked across at Raleigh, who was attempting to flip a pancake. It was Luca's third birthday and when asked what she had wanted, she had replied with "Pancakes from Raleigh!" Mako had found out later that Beatrice Hansen had made pancakes for her children and James had fed one to Luca when she had enquired what it was.

So that was how Raleigh had come to be in the Shatterdome kitchen, trying to make a pancake, whilst Luca watched on disapprovingly. He eventually flipped it over, in the pan.

"No Raleigh." Luca said. Raleigh sighed.

"What did I do now?"

"James says his Mommy flips it in the air, not in the pan." Mako attempted to hide a smile. Raleigh would never admit it, but he was completely under her thumb. She could have told him to dance on Gipsy Danger's head in a ballet tutu and Mako was certain he would have done it. She snorted with laughter. Raleigh looked at her.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing." She replied, trying to get the image out of her head. Then he smiled in a way that Mako didn't like.

"Maybe women are better at flipping pancakes in the air so maybe Mako should try?" he said.

"Yes, Yes!" Luca sang.

Mako shot Raleigh a dirty look then stepped over and took the pan from him. It couldn't be that hard to flip a pancake could it? She brought the pan down then tossed it up quite hard…. Only it was a little bit too hard and the pancake flew up in the air and landed right on top of her head. Mako dropped the pan and tried to get the horrible mess out her hair. Raleigh had collapsed on the floor laughing, with Luca looking crestfallen.

"No pancakes?" Luca asked sadly. Mako hissed through her teeth and glared at Raleigh. How dare he laugh at her! Then a plan came to mind.

"Fine, I will flip the pancakes if Raleigh does something for Mako." The smile was wiped off his face in an instant.

"What?"

"Get Beatrice Hansen." He went off, relived that he had escaped but little did he know that much worse was coming.

"Luca, you know that I heard Raleigh say that he would never wear a ballet tutu and dance on Gipsy's head, even if you asked him too." The three-year-old looked angry.

"Raleigh would."

"Ask him too, and if he does, I will learn how to flip pancakes like Beatrice and cook them whenever you want."

"Yes!"

"But you can't tell him I told you about it."

"Ok Mako!" came the answer. Mako smiled. She was going to film this. No, she was going to wire up the TV screens so the whole base saw, including Marshall Hopcroft and film it so Raleigh could never deny it. Raleigh came back in with Beatrice, who saw Mako's hair and shook her head.

"I'll make the pancakes." She said.

"Raleigh." Came Luca's voice.

"Yes Luca?"

"Would you do anything for me?"

"Yes" said the unsuspecting Raleigh.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Can you get a ballet tutu and dance in Gipsy's head?" Raleigh's mouth dropped while Beatrice Hansen cracked up laughing.

"What?!" he exclaimed.

"Please Raleigh, you said you would do anything for me." Mako noticed that she was doing her pleading face. When this didn't work she went up to him and starting pounding on his leg, saying, "You promised!" Mako knew he was going to give in soon.

"Alright." He said and dejectedly left the kitchen to look for a ballet tutu, Luca prancing along and smiling all the while.

"I'm guessing this is payback." Beatrice said.

"Oh yes." Mako replied. "Oh yes."

Later that day, Marshall Hopcroft was walking through the base to the control room. All was peaceful, for once. But when he entered the room he saw everyone was either crowded around a TV screen or the window overlooking the hangar. He went to the window and he saw why. On top of Gipsy Danger, Raleigh Beckett was wearing a ballet tutu whilst dancing. He looked round for an explanation and saw Mako Mori looking satisfied, despite the strange mess in her hair. He quickly put two and two together.

"What do we do sir?" his assistant Summer asked. A rare smile twitched across his face.

"I think we will let Mr. Beckett stay up there a little bit longer, just to make sure he has learnt his lesson."

"And what lesson would that be Marshall?" she asked.

"Not to annoy women." And with that he quickly made his way out of his room and into his office. He wasn't going to miss filming this for all the Jaegers in Russia.