First things first: Thank you for the wonderful feedback. It warms my heart and makes me write more. Second, I will try to update this regularly, maybe once a week on Friday, but I won't promise anything. It's depending on my ideas and the progress of my other stories. If you have suggestions or something feel free to contact me.
Anyway, have fun and don't forget to review please :3

Ice Cream

Rachel is happy. Somehow James had talked Mommy into going out and eat ice cream with them. Daddy carries her on her bidding as they ride the elevator down to the garage.

She heard her parents argue a little as she stood on the top stair to wait to ask if they were truly going. Fortunately they didn't yell. Rachel hates it when they fight because Mommy would stay in her laboratory all day and Daddy would pretend that nothing happened. Both of them are no fun then.

They reach the garage and head past Daddy's motor cycle and most of the cars to the end where one of Mommy's more inconspicuous cars, dark blue van with tinged windows, stands.

Daddy puts her in the backseat and buckles her up. 'I can do that myself.', Rachel says when James gets in next to her and fixes his seatbelt himself. She is just as able and grown up as her brother.

'I know, princess.' Her father smiles and kisses her forehead when he leans over to buckle her up. 'You're my big girl.' He ruffles her blond hair before closing the door and sliding into the passenger seat next to Mommy. She doesn't even has to ask to which ice cream parlor they want to go, their mother knows their favorite places.

Jarvis opens the doors and the engine begins to purr underneath them. The streets are rather full on this nice day but they soon leave the crowded midtown and head a little further away. The sun is shining brightly, almost no clouds hide the clear blue sky. It is rather warm for March though the wind still blows rather viciously, making it impossible to wear dresses or skirts just yet. The jacket would really be necessary.

'What happened?' Rachel leans a little to the right and whispers so their parents won't hear it.

James has to stifle a giggle. He conspiratorially leans in as well, keeping his eyes fixed on the back of the two adults' heads. 'Nothing, really.'

She raises one of her eyebrows as she has seen Mommy do, seeing right through his mock seriousness.

He giggles again, his face breaking into a grin. 'We blew a hole into the wall.', James admits. Rachel quickly has to cover her mouth to not laugh out loud.

'How big is it?', she asks in a low voice.

'Not too big, Mommy says. But big enough to get us ice cream.', he deduces.

'You never invite me for all the fun.', she complains without real malice. She likes the lab but not as much as James. She only joins him and Mommy when they experiment or do other more interesting things than just fixing or building Mommy's tech. Rachel prefers to spend her time with her dad and with books and drawings or playing with James.

James merely grins at her.

'What are you two conspiring back there, hmm?' Rachel catches her mother's eye in the rearview mirror.

'Nothing!' James and her say at the same time and jump apart, pretending to not have said anything.

'I'll show you later.', James quietly promises her. Rachel has to suppress an excited grin because Mommy is still watching her.

'Can we get a sundae?', Rachel asks to distract her.

The dark brown eyes look back on the street when their mother laughs and the traffic light turns green again.

'Can we go to the park later?', James gets her hint and chimes in when the car starts to move.

Their dad turns around. 'If you want, champ.', he agrees with a smile.

James punches the air in victory and Rachel grins happily. The park next to their favorite ice cream parlor is big and spacious and has a great playground. She wishes it would be a bit closer to home so they could walk there with their dad.

Mommy park the car and Dad helps her out of the booster seat. Rachel wiggles until she is put down but she keeps a firm hold of her father's hand so she wouldn't lose him. She would never admit it but crowds frighten her. James is never afraid, neither are their father or their mother, so she cannot let them and especially her brother know though Rachel suspects her dad understands. It's their little secret and he always holds her hand in public or carries her to keep her safe.

The wind is cold, making Rachel shiver despite the jacket.

Mommy groans when she sees that the shop is almost overrun. Her dad puts an arm around her shoulder as they look for a table and find one in the far end corner. Their mom still hadn't taken of her glasses and glances around the room. But James and Rachel are used to that. Though she refuses to explain it to her entire satisfaction, Rachel knows that she has a big company and that Mommy's last name is known everywhere they go. But what that has to do with the sunglasses, she doesn't understand.

They need to wait for a long time before they can finally place their order but James and Rachel use the time to argue what best to eat to make their stay worth it. Their father admonishes them, telling them that they shouldn't eat too much for then they would have nightmares tonight and not be hungry anymore for dinner. They agree on a small sundae for each.

'I want strawberries.', James proclaims as soon as he gets a hold of the menu card. Rachel struggles in her seat to reach for another until her mother reaches to the middle of the table to hand her one when it becomes apparent that Rachel can't reach the holder, and looks over her shoulder to study it as well.

'You always take the same!', Rachel complains, turning the pages and looking at the colorful big pictures of the delicious treats.

'I don't!', her brother huffs and pouts over his menu at her.

'Yes, you do!', she insists, knowing that she's right.

'Kids.', her father stops them with a smile.

'What will you take, Daddy?', Rachel asks with a smile, taking her eyes from the menu. He sees through her distraction, she fears he would deny them a visit to the park if they don't behave.

'I don't know. I guess I'll just take a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I'm not very hungry.'

'No, you can't. We're all taking a sundae.' The two kids start to argue and reason with their dad until he finally gives in laughing and promises to also take one.

'And you, Mommy?', James asks, still trying to find something though they all know he will take his usual.

'I wouldn't mind something with chocolate.' Rachel finds her a page with a nice ice cream with a lot of chocolate. She nods and agrees.

'Can I have the same?', she asks, not having been able to decide yet.

After their parents paid more than half an hour and four delicious icy treats later, they walk out of the shop. It had gotten a little colder but not enough as that the kids wouldn't still insist on the park visit. Some clouds had almost veiled the sun, they move fast with the wind. Rachel still tastes the chocolate in her mouth. James had taken a strawberry sundae with whipped cream as usual. Maybe she'd try that one the next time they will come here. It had looked almost as good as her chocolate chip coated ice cream.

The park is just around the corner and not many people are there despite the wonderful weather. The trees aren't green yet but at the tips of the branches some bright green leaves already shine, they are glowing in the afternoon sun and create a beautiful halo around the trees whenever the sun breaks through the clouds, though even in the shade they are perfect. The grass is already green and growing, light patches flitting over the green sea. The short few warm days had been enough to let the plants begin to blossom. A few yellow flowers show their little heads in infrequent intervals all over the lawn, trying to compete with the sun. They walk in the shadow of the trees which form a tunnel over the path and go to a part of the playground consisting of swings, slide and a climbing contraption.

'Can we go?' Rachel already tugs at her mother's hand still holding hers.

'Sure, sweetheart.' Mommy smiles and lets go. Rachel runs, closely followed by James, to the playground, heading for the swings.

The white plum blossoms glow in the sunlight and when the kids run past the tree, a gust of wind blows a few of the white petals off and they drift through the air, letting it look like snow. Giggling Rachel runs into the blossom rain, the little white petals sticking in her hair. James and her try to catch some of them. Summer may still need a little to take a hold of the nature but the small blonde had never seen something so beautiful.

'First!', the little girl proclaims when her hand touches the swing first after the blossoms had stopped falling and she had broken away from the spectacle.

'I let you win.', James says laughing, panting a little.

'Can you help me?', Rachel asks jumping onto the high seat so her feet don't even touch the ground. She rocks back and forth but the swing refuses to move.

James pushes her on the swing a few times before taking the seat next to her. She tries to keep it in motion and use the momentum but it starts to slow again. Frustrated Rachel kicks her legs.

Mommy and Daddy walk hand in hand over to them and watch them with a smile, they laugh when Rachel demands to be pushed again and James refuses.

'Daddy? Can you give me a push? Please?', she pleads, making big doe eyes in their direction. Laughing her father kisses Mommy's cheek and comes over, giving her a little push.

Mommy sits down on the third swing next to them and starts to swing as well. 'Higher, Daddy!', Rachel squeals when she sees how high James swings.

Later they talk their mother into a round of catch. She is a dedicated, resolute player when she runs after the children, tickling them mercilessly when she finally manages to grab a hold of one of them.

The sun begins to set when their dad tells them it's time to go home. The first rain drops begin to fall shortly before they reach the car. Mommy draws the hoodie over Rachel's head and they run back to the can before the rain gets worse. When the clouds had fully covered the sky Rachel can't remember but the sun peaks out on the horizon, creating a rainbow. The wind picks up and it makes the trees on the side stripe wave. When they are back at home the rain drums against the windows.

Mommy looks out of the garage windows, worry creasing her forehead. 'Looks pretty bad.'

While their parents prepare dinner, they sneak down to the workshop, begging Jarvis not to give them away. There is a big hole in the wall with black soot covering the rest of it. The black dust is on the floor and tables though Dum-E already has a broom and tries to sweep the room.

'You're really just doing the funny things when I am not around.', Rachel sulks.

'Mommy wants to cover it with a picture.', James informs her, not reacting to her pout. Rachel looks around to find a lot of Daddy's pictures hanging on the walls and wonders if they all hide the effects of some secret experiments. She just wants to push one of a little house in the mountains to the side when Jarvis informs them that dinner is ready.

'Next time I'll call you.', James promises solemnly when they ride up with the elevator.