Moonlight Mirage

The last year had been kind of Bob Parr, otherwise widely known as Mr. Incredible. After 15 years kept in hiding, he was finally able to stretch his powerful legs and give the forces of evil more black eyes than any other hero in recorded history. Of course, he needed to since quite a lot of the old heroes had been hunted down and murdered like dogs as part of Syndrome's sick obsession with being a Super.

He'd fought for a long time. He was used to death, destruction, and carnage, but the events one year ago had rattled him more than he'd known at the time. Seeing Gazerbeam's decayed corpse underneath the island, then seeing the list of exterminated Supers in Syndrome's database. He knew the old days could never return after that... but he still had a job to do.

So he ran along the rooftops, wearing his flashy red, black and gold superhero suit. He jumped easily between the buildings, keeping an eye and an ear out for any sign of trouble. What troubled him most perhaps, was that while Syndrome was undisputedly dead and gone, they'd never been able to track down his assistant Mirage. The woman who'd called him out to the damned island... the woman who'd ultimately set him free.

He leapt past the final street to land on the roof of the home he shared with his wife and three children. He jumped down in the back of the building and walked inside, pulling his mask off as he walked toward his bedroom to get changed out of his Superhero suit. He walked back downstairs and into the living room to find his wife Helen sitting on the couch with their youngest son Jack-Jack, reading to him from a small book.

"Anything exciting happen honey?" Helen looked up from her book to ask. Jack-Jack looked up as well, more out of annoyance that she'd stopped reading than because he was interested in his father.

"Not today. Things have gotten quiet lately." Bob stretched his back out, sighing. He loved fighting crime. Though he knew he shouldn't be HOPING for a crime to be committed, it was certainly a guilty pleasure to go out and bust some bad guy heads.

"Well maybe some vicious mobster will convince an innocent youth to go out and commit a crime tomorrow." Helen smirked, knowing full well her husband's feelings.

"We can only hope." Bob smiled back jokingly and walked over to look down at his youngest child. Man, he's getting pretty big." Bob commented. The baby had grown a lot over the last year, with a head full of teeth and a curiously wandering gaze. A pair of broad shoulders and strong looking legs were definitely inherited from Bob.

"Well, one of them had to take after you." Helen smiled slightly. Violet was skinnier than either of them, and Dash was short for his age, with a somewhat unremarkable build.

"Fooood!" Jack-Jack screamed demandingly. It had been his first word a while back, and he repeated it every single chance he got.

"DEFINITELY takes after you." Helen chuckled and stood up, wrapping the child up in her arms and carrying him into the kitchen. Bob watched her go, then turned on the TV and plopped down on the couch heavily. The news reports of the day mostly talked about various events being held around the city. Not much had happened that was actually worth talking about that day.

The phone rang, so Bob absently reached over and grabbed the receiver, raising it to his ear. "Parr residence. This is Bob."

"Hello Bob." A faintly familiar voice said. "I hear life has been treating you and your family well. I'm glad to hear it." Bob's eyes went wide and he looked toward the kitchen to make sure his wife was still out of earshot before replying.

"Mirage?" He asked. "Where have you been? You just vanished."

The woman on the other end of the line just laughed. "Please Bob, I'm a wanted woman. What did you expect me to do?"

"Serve your time and repay your debt to society." Bob replied simply. Mirage laughed again.

"You are a piece of work." The woman chuckled. "No, I have no intention of rotting in prison for the next 50 years for the genocide Syndrome committed."

"You committed it too. You helped him." Bob pointed out darkly.

"But I redeemed myself, I've seen the error of my ways. But I wouldn't be treated any differently than Syndrome himself would. We both know it Bob. Either I live in hiding peacefully, or I rot in prison peacefully." Mirage countered. Bob remained silent, hating it, but knowing she was right. She'd freed Mr. Incredible from Syndrome's clutches, and assisted his family's escape from the island. Still, that didn't erase the murders she helped commit... "Personally, I'd rather at least have more than one room to myself."

"Why are you calling me?" Bob asked softly, careful not to let his wife hear him. "I could have the police trace this call and find you."

"Good luck, I'm on a payphone, and would be long gone by the time even your son could get here." Mirage replied. "And I called you because... well... I don't know. I suppose I just wanted to hear a friendly voice. Someone I can trust, who knows who I am."

"What made you think you could trust me?" Bob asked.

"Because I helped save your family... and your family means more to you than the law, Mr. Incredible." Mirage said. "Or am I wrong?" Bob considered that for a minute, running one hand through his short hair.

"You're right..." Bob replied. "I won't tell anyone where you are... but if I hear you've committed one crime, I will personally testify that you need to be locked in the deepest, darkest dungeon there is."

"Fair enough." Mirage didn't sound worried. "Now that we've got that settled, would you like to go do something? To catch up on the last year mind you." Bob thought about that. Why would she want to see him? Well, could it really hurt anything? Besides, it would be the responsible thing to at least check out whether she really has reformed or not.

"Alright." Bob said.

"Wonderful. Does Chinese sound good to you?" Mirage asked.

"Fine."

"Okay. Meet me at 7:30 at the Fortune Cookie on Rose and Pine." Mirage said. "I expect that you will keep your word as a superhero, Mr. Incredible, not to have a squad of police officers waiting for me there. I'll see you tonight." Mirage hung up, leaving him listening to the steady ring tone. He hung up the phone, looking up to see his wife in the kitchen with Jack-Jack in a high chair, watching him throw pieces of cereal all over the room.

Bob looked at the nearby clock. It was already 6:30, and the restaurant she named was at least a 45-minute drive. He had to get going if he wanted to make it in time.

"I'm going to head out for a while honey." Bob called toward the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" Helen called back.

"To meet an old friend I haven't seen in a while." Bob called back semi-truthfully.

"Well, be back soon." Helen called.

"I'll try." Bob grabbed his jacket and keys from the couch before turning to leave. It was getting on into Winter, and it was getting colder by the day. He was thankful that their Superhero suits were well insulated against both heat and cold.

He made the long drive to the restaurant and climbed out of his sleek black car, approaching the entrance and pausing to wait. He was only waiting for a few minutes when he heard a voice behind him.

"I knew it wasn't a mistake to trust you." Bob turned around to see Mirage standing behind him in a sleek black, form fitting dress that looked nice, but obviously wasn't top quality. In fact, she generally looked like she'd been having a rough time of it. Her face was devoid of makeup and she looked, if possible, scrawnier than she had a year ago. There were also dark circles under her eyes and a generally lifeless expression on her face, showing only approximations of the woman he'd known before.

"Mirage... you look good." Bob said dumbly.

"Please, save the flattery for someone who wouldn't know you're lying through your teeth." Mirage gave him a grateful smile nonetheless. "Let's go in before we catch up, I really am hungry."

"Sure, it's my treat." Bob said.

"Always the hero." Mirage chuckled, but didn't complain as she walked inside. Bob followed, and they were soon seated at one of the tables with comfortable padded chairs, one on each side of the table. "So, I understand your family has been making quite a name for themselves in the old superhero circles."

"We've been doing alright. Violet's still a bit timid about the whole thing, but Dash took to it like a rat on cheese." Bob reported.

Mirage laughed. "He must be exactly like his father."

"Some people say that." Bob nodded slowly, studying Mirage's face. "So tell me, what have you been doing for the last year?"

"Well, as you've probably guessed by now, I've been eking my way along somehow. Nothing glamorous or fun, but I'm still alive." Mirage replied. "Been working as a waitress at a local diner. Get pawed at least twice a day." She smirked. "I suppose this is karmic retribution for what I helped Syndrome do... go from the top of the food chain, to crawling along the very bottom."

"As you said, you're still alive at least. And you still have your freedom... I think you deserve that much. You took a big risk turning against Syndrome. If he'd won, who knows what he would have done to you?"

"I do know what he would've done, as a matter of fact..." Mirage said softly. Then she smiled. "That's what I like about you Bob. You believe in justice more than the law. A lot of superheroes would've sent the police here to capture me, but not you. Because you truly believe in justice. A lot of heroes don't know the meaning of the word. They follow what their governments tell them to do mindlessly without ever thinking an independent thought."

Bob didn't respond, waiting instead for their previously ordered food to arrive so they could begin eating. Mirage dug into her food with gusto, obviously enjoying having a nice warm meal for a change. Bob just watched her, amazed at how the dignified if slightly manipulative woman could be reduced to this. She was like a beggar on the street.

"Is something wrong?" Mirage asked, taking a break from savoring the food in front of her.

"No, nothing wrong." Bob shook his head. "You know, if you need anything, we have plenty. If you need a few bucks or something..."

"I don't believe in charity." Mirage replied. Bob looked down at her plate ironically, and she followed her gaze, then blushed slightly and looked away from him.

"Don't think of it as charity, think of it as a thank you. For what you did for me and my family... and really, the whole world." Bob told her. Mirage looked at him again thoughtfully, then nodded.

"Alright... I'll accept it." She said. "And of course, if you need anything, just ask. Though I have no idea what I could possibly do for you."

"Don't worry about it." Bob turned back to eating his meal, which really was quite tasty. They ate in companionable silence for a little while until they had both eaten their fill, which for Bob took a while compared to Mirage, who was full after a small plate. At last the long-time superhero leaned back in his seat, patting his full stomach.

"Well, this has certainly been a treat." Mirage stood up from the table. Bob looked outside, and saw that the night had come while they were eating. And this wasn't the best part of town.

"Maybe I should drive you home." Bob stood up with her.

"Always the hero huh?" Mirage smirked. "Alright." She nodded and turned to leave the restaurant, climbing in the passenger's seat of Bob's car. Bob climbed in the driver's seat and moved on down the road, with Mirage giving him directions to her home.

When they arrived they both climbed out of the car. They were at a large apartment complex, with small homes each the size of the Parr's living room side-by-side with incredibly thin walls between them. Mirage approached the stairs and turned back to him. "I would ask you to come inside and have some coffee, but I'm afraid you're a married man."

"That I am." Bob smirked slightly. Not that it wasn't a tempting thought, but the thought of his loving wife at home was more tempting.

"Then take my phone number, and we'll set up our future relations later." Mirage drew a small notepad out of her dress, scrawled her number on it and handed it to him.

"I'll be seeing you around, Mirage." Bob nodded and turned to leave, sticking the note in one of his pockets. On the drive back home he couldn't help but feel a little bit guilty, but he wasn't doing anything wrong. He was helping a former criminal with her second chance at life. That was a worthy cause, there was nothing more to it...

Bob's day at work several days later was tough, but he was still pleased with himself. He was working a bit of overtime at his day job to make enough to help pay Mirage's bills without alarming Helen. Alarming? Who was he kidding? He didn't want Helen to know Mirage still existed. He felt like an unfaithful cheater, but it was nothing like that.

The first snowfall had begun to come down that day as he worked, blanketing the city in purifying white powder. It was peaceful, nd he was feeling pretty good as he walked in the door to see his lovely wife taking care of their youngest baby boy.

"Honey, I'm home!" Bob shouted from the front door, dropping his suitcase on the floor.

"Good, come carry your son to his bed." Helen unwrapped her arms from the baby and stood up, stretching her back painfully. "I'm going to need a chiropractor from this one..." It looked like she'd been trying to pick up the little bundle of steel for the last ten minutes at least.

"I love you too honey." Bob walked up and gave her a peck on the lips before bending down to lift the steel baby with ease. "Whoa. You're getting pretty big there. That's my boy." Bob poked the child's stomach, prompting a series of giggles.

"Don't encourage this, I have a hard enough time as it is." Helen said sharply.

"He's just experimenting with his powers." Bob replied calmly as he walked toward the bedroom. Jack-Jack howled in fury that his attempt to avoid naptime had been thwarted by his father's great strength, but Bob just smiled and let him fall on the bed. It creaked dangerously as the heavy steel body landed on it, but the baby soon resumed his natural substance.

"Mooooom!" Jack-Jack screamed angrily.

"Just get some sleep kiddo, you know you want to." Bob patted the toddler's head lightly, giving him a loving smile. The baby protested loudly for a few minutes, but finally Bob managed to lull him to sleep. He turned to walk back out to the living room to hear his wife sounding frantic.

"Oh my God..." Helen's frantic voice was soft and harsh with panic. "Okay... we'll get someone to help look for her, thank you." Bob heard the phone being placed on the hook as he emerged from the hallway and his wife whirled on him. "Bob, Violet ran away from school an hour ago." Helen said.

"What?" Bob asked worriedly. This wasn't like their eldest child at all. "We have to go look for her."

"I'll go look, you stay with Jack-Jack." Helen said.

"But, I should be the one to..." Bob began.

"I can move faster than you, I'm going to look." Helen said sternly. Bob nodded quickly.

"Okay... I'll watch Jack-Jack. I'll send Dash out when he gets home too." Bob said.

"Good idea... I'll let you know the second I find her." Helen turned to walk into her room, leaving Bob standing in the living room, dumbfounded. What on Earth would possess Violet to run away from her school? She was always so calm and rational... did something happen to her? Was she involved in something she never told them about?

Bob collapsed onto the couch, feeling completely helpless. He wasn't used to this even after almost 13 years of being a father. He could control himself, he could control the city and save it daily... but he just couldn't control or save his children the same way. It crushed him more than anything. Man, he was shaking he was so nervous...

Without even thinking he grabbed the phone and dialed, just not wanting to sit here dwelling on thoughts of Violet's possible fate. There was only one person he knew who he considered a friend and knew his secret identity... and maybe there was something unconscious in his choice as well.

"Yes?" Mirage's voice came back over the receiver.

"Hey..." Bob said dumbly, not really having a cover story for this call. "I was... wondering how life's been."

"Oh, lots better thanks to you hero." Mirage replied. "I haven't been able to afford bubble bath in ages. It's amazing how much you miss the little things in life when you lose them."

"Yeah, that's true..." Bob agreed.

"Hey, is something wrong? I don't think I've ever heard you so down before." Mirage asked worriedly.

"It's... it's nothing really." Bob wanted to talk, so why wasn't he? "It's just... Violet's missing."

"Missing?" Mirage asked.

"They said she ran away from school and hasn't been seen since." Bob said. Why was she telling Mirage this? Why did he want to? He just had to talk to someone... that was it.

"I'm sorry to hear that. That can't be easy." Mirage said. "Is there anything I can do to help?" She asked. Bob remained silent. She could be with him, comfort him while his wife was out searching for their only daughter... God how sick those very thoughts sounded. Why was he having them? What was happening to him? "Bob? Are you still there?"

"Yeah... I don't know, I'm sorry for bothering you. I've got to go." He hung up quickly, keeping his hand on the receiver. Not now, Not after 16 long wonderful years of marriage. He couldn't let it happen, he had to fight this... fight what? What exactly was happening? Did he even know? He was helping her... and he went to a friend when he was in need. There was nothing unfaithful about that...

He looked up when the front door finally opened after what felt like an eternity. His wife gently guided their oldest child into the house with her hands on her shoulders. There would be time for those concerns later... now his daughter needed him.

It turned out Violet was okay... just an unexpected power-shift at an inopportune moment. Truth be told he was very proud of his eldest child. She'd stood up for her friend against pretty bad odds and didn't use her powers to give herself an edge... consciously anyway. That showed a lot of self-restraint, more than he himself probably would've shown in the same situation.

Oddly, he found himself spending more time with Mirage over the next while. She was very sympathetic to his wrecked nerves after Violet had disappeared. Helen was obviously wracked as well, but she was busy with trying to keep order in the house, too busy to show much sympathy to Bob... man that sounded as selfish as could be. But he couldn't help his feelings.

So somehow, two weeks later, he found himself sitting in Mirage's small kitchen, with a home-cooked lunch sitting in front of him, and the woman herself sitting across from him. She wasn't wearing anything fancy, a turtleneck sweater with two layers of sweat pants and socks to guard against the cold since the heat in this run-down place didn't work very well.

"I hope you enjoy it." Mirage told him. "I got the recipe from the library."

"It tastes great." Bob replied with a reassuring smile. She smiled back and they both resumed eating, casting each other furtive glances. He felt like a teenager again... but he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. It certainly was exhilarating though.

"They say Mr. Incredible's been doing more than his fair share of crime-fighting lately." Mirage commented, staring at him. "Any particular reason he might do that?" Bob thought about it. He always went out when he was feeling confused, and he'd been very confused very often lately.

"Just have responsibilities." Bob half-lied. Mirage didn't look convinced, but she didn't press the issue either.

"I've always wondered... is it like a game?" She asked. "Is going out and saving the day just something you do because you like it? Or is it something more? Something unidentifiable that tells you it's right..."

"I... don't really know." Bob replied. "I guess it just... feels right..."

"Does that extend to other areas...?" Mirage asked. "The feeling I mean... does it tell you what's right in love, for instance?" Her eyes bore into his. Bob remained silent, at once uncomfortable with this change of topic, and somewhat excited about what it could mean. His feelings were returned...? No, he had no feelings for her. He loved Helen... he loved Helen, and Violet, and Dash and...

"Dash!" Bob shot up suddenly. "I just remembered, I was supposed to pick Dash up from soccer practice half an hour ago!" He turned to leave quickly, accidentally jarring the table. It slammed into Mirage's stomach, knocking the breath out of her with a 'puff'. "Sorry, I'll call you later and we'll decide on... things... and what to do." Bob quickly hustled out of the small apartment, rushing to his car.

What kind of deadbeat father was he? Forgetting to pick up his own son while he was flirting with a woman other than his wife. He felt like such a heel. It took him another 45 minutes to reach his son's school, and when he did he found the small boy standing outside an empty soccer field, shivering in the deep snow that surrounded him.

Bob popped the door open quickly. "I'm so sorry Dash, I didn't mean to leave you out here. I was just... occupied with work."

"H-h-hey, don't worry about-t-t it dad." Dash shivered through his speech, giving his father a weak smile. "I'm t-tough enough." Bob turned up the heater to let the boy thaw out while he drove toward home.

Suddenly a small earthquake rocked the car they were in, sending it hurtling about the street randomly until the rocking stopped. "What was that!?" Dash exclaimed in surprise, looking around for the source of the shockwave.

"There." Bob pointed to where plumes of black smoke were billowing into the sky. "It looks like a fire. Come on son, you up for a little rescue mission?"

"If it's warm, I'm there." Dash shivered. Bob sighed and drove quickly in the direction toward the flames, which were strangely in the direction of their house. They pulled up out front of their house, spotting a mountainous demonic fireball howling furiously just a few blocks away.

"There you are, get suited up so we can go!" Helen marched out of the house quickly, wearing her red, black, and gold Elastigirl suit.

"Yes ma'am!" Dash dashed inside the house and emerged moments later in his own superhero outfit. The boy had yet to choose a superhero identity for himself. He wanted to call himself The Dash, but that was too much of a dead giveaway to his real name. His second choice was Incrediboy, but Bob shot that one down instantly. Too many bad memories.

"Where's Violet?" Bob asked.

"I don't know, she's not home and we can't wait for her." Helen replied. "Now come on, we have to stop whatever this thing is." So the three heroes turned to run toward the disturbance. Jack-Jack, as usual, was staying with one of the neighbors. The fire was, literally, a massive demon that looked like molten rock that had burst into flames and emerged straight form the mouth of a volcano. A fearsome sight that set even the veteran Mr. Incredible aback.

The sound that floated out from the demon was even worse. A scream of anguish and pain, coming from one of the demon's hands. All three family members saw her at once, and all of them screamed in unison. "INVISIGIRL!"

Bob charged up to the demon with a furious yell, plunging his fist forward with all the strength he could bring to bear. But the demon merely stumbled. It looked over at them, then turned back to the teenage girl clutched tightly in one fiery fist.

"Your death will come another time... when I choose." It told her before flinging her body carelessly over it shoulder. Violet's small frame flew through the air, slamming into the ground like someone had just tossed a rag doll carelessly to the floor.

"No!" Helen screamed in fear as her daughter rolled to a stop in front of the crowd of people beyond the demon. She didn't have any more time to worry however. The demon was turning on them, bringing one fist down right on top of her. She threw herself out of the way just in time before the fist embedded itself in the street.

"You leave my family alone!" Bob hurled himself at the demon again, leaping into the air and slamming straight into its stomach. The full force of his body had more impact, driving the demon back.

"I got it!" Dash vanished in a red blur, slamming the full force of his body into the creature's ankle. He didn't have much weight, but with that much speed his momentum more than made up for it. Its foot flew out from under it, collapsing to its back.

"You... YOU!..." Helen's eyes were glowing with fire as she leapt into the air, sailing up over the demon. Her fists lashed out well ahead of her, aiming straight for the creature's eyes, but the demon raised one hand and swatted her aside, sending her flying into a nearby building.

"RAAAAAGH!" Bob let out a scream as he leapt into the air, coming down on top of the demon. The living fireball grinned and clenched its own fist, slamming it into him. He flew back into the ruined burning building, collapsing into it. He grunted and shook his head. Looking down, he was surprised to see Violet's mask lying beside him.

He grabbed the mask and finally burst his way out of the burning building... to find that the demon was gone. He paused and looked around in amazement, but though the ground was scorched there was no sign of the monster itself. Dash was standing in the middle of the black circle on the ground, looking disturbed by something.

"Dash? What happened? Where did it go?" Bob asked. He noticed Helen out of the corner of his eye rushing over to the crowd, where a circle was forming around the spot where Violet had landed.

"It... it just disappeared." Dash said. His tone was surprisingly morose, but left no room for argument from his father. What the Hell happened here that the boy wouldn't talk about? Bob hadn't been buried all that long... there had to be something more. But for now, he turned to help his wife take care of his precious, wounded daughter...

Violet had lost her mask, but her friend Lisa had removed her jacket and placed it over Violet's face to hide her identity. That helped avert a major disaster, so Bob had no problem taking the girl with them to see Edna, who would undoubtedly be able to fix up their daughter like nothing ever happened.

That didn't stop the nervous waiting though. Hours on end, Bob sat on one of Edna's comfortable lounge chairs while his wife paced around the room. Dash refused to leave Violet's side, showing a side of himself Bob had never seen before. It made him happy though to know that they really were a close-knit family, despite what Bob himself had been thinking lately...

"Why, why, why would she try to fight something like that without waiting for us?" Helen stuttered, her voice cracking slightly in near panic. "She knows better than that, she can't handle it on her own." She shook her head, her pace around the room quickening. "Did we do something wrong? What did we do? Maybe... when I said her power was more defensive than offensive she thought that meant-"

"Hey, breathe." Bob stood up and approached his wife, grabbing her shoulders to stop her mad dash around the room. Helen's eyes turned to his, brimming with tears and fear. "You didn't do anything. She a Super, Helen, she's a hero. She was doing what comes naturally for her. And that Lisa girl said she saved everyone on the block. We didn't do anything wrong... we did something right. And so did she."

"But... but she was..." Helen stuttered incomprehensibly.

"I know..." Bob pulled her into a gentle hug, pulling her head up against his massive, strong chest. "But we should be proud of what she did, not angry that she got hurt." His wife rested against him, putting her arms around his waist and closing her eyes, nesting her head up against his chest. Bob held onto her, letting her body lie against his.

In a moment she pulled back, looking up at her husband with her hands resting on his chest. Her eyes, free of the mask and wet with tears, reminded him of the day they'd gotten married. She gave him a small smile through her tears. "I love you, Bob." She told him softly.

"I love you too, Helen." Bob replied. Helen stared up at him until a small red, black, and gold blur rushed into the room.

"She's awake! She's awake!" As quickly as he'd appeared Dash was gone again into another room to let Edna and Lisa know the good news. Helen and Bob looked over at the door, then at each other for a moment before Helen turned to run away from him. She slipped out of his grasp, disappearing into the hallway that led to Violet's room. Bob watched her go for a few moments before shaking his head and moving to follow after her.

Bob felt terrible. And worse still, he felt terrible about feeling terrible. Helen was busy trying to be there for their only daughter, and he was upset that they didn't have any time alone together. When Helen wasn't worrying about Violet, Dash was going through his own problems, or Jack-Jack was awake and needed her full attention. Leaving the man of the house growing increasingly frustrated over the next few weeks.

But Mirage was always there when he needed someone to spend time with. Her door was always open to him, and she would spend hours talking with him, listening to his problems, his concerns. He opened up more and more until it felt like they were old friends... no, he was fooling himself there. He knew what he felt like, and that only made him feel worse.

Even Christmas morning couldn't lighten his spirits. He climbed out of bed with his wife, neither of them saying anything, and marched their way downstairs so their children could rip open the presents underneath the tree. Bob noted that several presents had already been opened and hastily rewrapped, but he didn't really mind. He sat down on his comfortable chair while his wife sat down on the floor with Jack-Jack to help him open his present.

He felt distant, even though Dash literally threw himself on his father with glee. "Thank you thank you!" He dashed off again to go figure out how his new toy worked. Violet was more subdued as she smiled up at her father, then over at his mother, who was dangling a small stuffed bear in front of their third born son. Jack-Jack laughed in glee, batting at it like a piñata.

When the opening of the presents was over, Bob stood up, but Helen stood up as well, letting the toddler play with his toy. "Bob, we need to talk. In our room." Her voice was sweet, but he knew Violet and Dash were within earshot. So he turned silently to follow her into their room, where she shut and locked the door.

"Is something wrong honey?" When Bob turned around he saw his wife holding up the note Mirage had given her with her phone number on it. He'd thought he lost it weeks ago...

"I called this." Helen said stiffly. "I know that voice." Bob remained silent, just staring at his wife numbly. "Bob... I trust you. Tell me what's going on." Bob remained silent. "Tell me it's not what it looks like... tell me you're not fraternizing with another woman... let alone the woman who murdered all of our old friends. Well?" Bob didn't respond. "Answer me damnit!" Helen demanded. "Just tell me it's not what it looks like."

"I have to go..." Bob said numbly. His wife's eyes narrowed, and he knew he'd just made a mistake. But he wouldn't do it... he wouldn't lie now, of all times. He didn't think it was what she thought it was... but somehow he knew he was always thinking what she was. He moved past her silently, pushing the door open and walking out to the living room where his kids were still playing.

"Kids, I'm going out for a little while on patrol. I just need to make sure nobody's committing any crimes during the holiday celebrations." He told them.

"Can I come!?" Dash asked excitedly.

"No, Dash, you stay here and play with your presents." He leaned down and pulled the boy into a hug. "I'll be back when I finish my patrol." He said.

"When will that be?" Dash asked.

"I don't know..." Bob smiled slightly and patted his head. "You're the man of the house until I get back, okay?"

"O... kay..." Dash sounded unsure, but Bob just smiled and stood up, turning to head towards the door. He passed Lisa on his way out toward his car. Where would he go now that Helen had figured him out? Surely he wouldn't run to the woman Helen was accusing him of being unfaithful with... yes soon he found himself sitting on her couch.

"Wine, Mr. Incredible?" Mirage walked up to him, holding out a small glass of liquid. She still lived in the same apartment, but the money Bob had given her greatly improved her way of life over the last few weeks. The heat now worked, she had several new pieces of furniture, and Bob had even helped her repaint her home with a fresh coat, so that it was now solid deep purple.

"Thank you." Bob took the glass and sipped at it, leaning back on the couch. Mirage sat down beside him, watching the liquid in her glass turn as she spun it around. "I really wanted to thank you. You've been a great help to me over the last few weeks... it just feels like..."

"Like you're being forgotten by the one you love..." Mirage said softly. Bob looked over at her, and she looked back. "I'm no inexperienced young woman... I've been around the block a few times. I know how you've been feeling... I've been there before." She smiled slightly and reached out to pat his broad, muscular shoulder. "It hurts... but you're strong..."

"What hurts most is that I... I'm betraying her..." He told her.

"Are you... or did she push you away?" Mirage asked rhetorically. "Would you be here if she were doing her duties as a wife...?"

"But I-"

"Ssshhhh..." Mirage put her hand over his lips lightly, staring at his eyes. "It's okay... you don't have to feel guilty. Everyone needs love... even Mr. Incredible." She leaned in slowly... and he didn't fight her. Her lips pressed against his, her lithe, increasingly fleshed out body moving up against his pleasantly. It had been weeks... maybe even months since Bob and Helen had made love. The stress of everything happening to their children was taking its toll on their relationship. He couldn't stand it anymore... he couldn't fight the urges.

That evening, Bob was a ball of conflicting emotions, until he just wanted to feel completely numb. He could feel Mirage lying in the bed beside him, her body still pressed up against his underneath the sheets. She'd fallen asleep after a day full of Christmas celebrations. A small gift exchange, lunch, dinner, and more lovemaking than Bob had seen in a very, very long time.

He sat up, watching the moonlight filter in through the window in Mirage's bedroom. Mirage stirred as he moved, looking up at him from the bed. "What's on your mind?" She asked curiously.

"I need to get out of here..." He stood up from the bed, looking about for his clothes. Mirage watched from the bed as he got dressed, sitting up and holding the blanket up over her chest.

"You regret this, don't you?" Mirage asked. Bob remained silent. "Well don't... you have nothing to be guilty about. Love is give and take... if she's not giving, what are you supposed to do?"

"Not this..." Bob finished getting dressed and looked back at her. "I'm sorry... but I can't do this anymore."

"I understand." Mirage nodded. "You do what you feel you have to do. Whether it includes me or not." She didn't look all that upset about it.

"Thanks for everything..." Bob turned to leave through the front door, running out to his car and hopping in to drive himself home quickly. The dark Winter night didn't help his heavy conscience heal as he drove. He'd done it... he'd gone that extra step toward being the worst person on the face of the planet. Worst of all, he'd enjoyed every second of it.

He reached his home in short order, surprised to find the front door hanging wide open. "Honey?" He walked inside and looked around, but the only people he saw were Lisa and Jack-Jack, sitting in the middle of the floor. "Lisa? What's going on?"

"Violet's out there, we ran into that big fire thing while we were walking to my house. It attacked her." She said frantically. Bob was fixing to rush out after them, but before he could move Violet walked in the door with Helen and Dash behind her, walking shakily, but still under her own power. "Violet!" Lisa jumped up and ran to hug her friend tightly. "Oh my God, are you okay!?"

"I'm okay... I got rid of it..." Violet's voice was shaking in weakness, but there was a tinge of pride contained within it. "He won't come back again..." She leaned against her friend tiredly, holding onto her. Bob smiled slightly in relief and looked up at his wife, but Helen refused to look at him, instead focusing on their daughter.

"Come on honey, I'll help you get ready for bed. You should get home before you get in trouble Lisa." Helen told Violet's young friend. Lisa nodded.

"I'll see you at school tomorrow Violet. You just rest up... and thank you for saving me." She smiled and squeezed Violet one last time before turning to leave. Then Helen ushered Dash into the back to get him into bed while she helped take care of Violet, once again leaving Bob alone as it seemed like she had been for a long time now.

Bob sighed and rubbed his head as he walked into the bedroom he and his wife shared. He pulled his clothes off down to his boxers and climbed into it, curling up into a helpless little ball. He didn't deserve her now... she would never accept him again. Maybe he should go back to Mirage... she wouldn't leave him like he was sure Helen would when she found out...

These disturbing thoughts lulled him into a furtive, and restless sleep. One plagued by images, thoughts... they almost felt like memories, but he was sure he'd never seen them before. He saw Mirage standing as she had a year ago... and his wife staring at him. Her face was so full of fear and pain... she was crying... horrified to see him...

He was hurting her... stalking her, hunting her. She desperately tried to avoid him, but he wouldn't stop. His fists flew, slamming into her, sending her flying, throwing her. She was in so much pain... he was hurting her, why was he doing this? He wanted to stop... stop hurting the woman he loved... but no matter how much he wanted to he just couldn't.

Finally he shot up in bed, screaming in fear. "STOP!" He screamed as he sat up. He felt his entire body shaking uncontrollably, and tears were streaming down his face. What time was it? It was almost 5:00 AM the next morning. Looking up, he saw Helen standing over her in her bathrobe, lifting one hand to run it across his cheek. There were tear-streaks under her eyes.

"Bob..." She said softly before her voice caught in her throat.

"What...?" Bob gulped, then looked down and lifted one hand to wipe at his eyes. "I had... the worst dream." As hard as he tried, he couldn't stop his body was shivering. "I dreamed I was... hurting you..." He tried to stop them, but a fresh wave of tears flowed down his cheeks. "Helen, I'm so sorry... I did... I know I can't excuse it but..."

"Ssshhhh..." Helen grabbed him and held him tightly, resting his head against her chest and stroking the back of his head. "I know honey... I know everything..." She sniffled. "You're not the only one to blame... I'm sorry I made you feel that way..." Her hands ran through his hair and over his muscular back. He was still shivering in her arms. "I promise, I won't do it again..."

"You know what I did... and you don't... hate me...?" Bob asked. "I mean the dream... it just felt like I was hurting you so bad..." He shook his head. "It must've been how I felt... I didn't want to Helen..."

"I know you didn't..." Helen said softly. "Don't worry, it was just a dream..." She kissed the top of his head tenderly. "You didn't hurt me... it was just a dream..." Bob couldn't shake the feeling that there was something in her voice... something that she wasn't about to tell him. He wanted to ask, but he didn't have any right to question her right now after what he did. At least it seemed like things were better now... he wouldn't have to worry about losing his wife, and he would never, ever, be unfaithful to her again...

THE END