I Hate Mondays

Chapter 8: Mondays

By

Anything but ordinary

And

The Uncanny R-Man

Disclaimer- We don't own anything, all familiar characters belong to Marvel.


Shout Outs-

Potter-Phenix- Glad you liked it. Thanks for the A, that's the first one ever for me.

Agent-G- I agree with you on that point about Tigra, I wouldn't moan about a lady dressed like that. Heh.

Hank's room-

Hank's day started like no other, he woke up to feel an unfamiliar weight on his chest and something tugging at his fur.

"Wake up" Came a childlike demand.

Hank cracked an eye open and reached for his glasses from his nightstand "Helia?"

"Mommy's gone, go find her."

Hank's eyes flew open "Oh my stars and garters."

Helia giggled, "You're strange."

"Helia why don't you go back to your room and get dressed then we can go and find your mommy together?"

"Ok." Helia said bouncing off, not overly worried by her mother's disappearance more annoyed by the inconvenience of it.

Hank got out of bed quicker than Northstar at the possibility of showering with Bobby and threw on some clothes haphazardly; hoping it wasn't too late and she hadn't already left.


Manhattan-

Synthia hadn't been too hard to find, she was wandering around the grounds biting at her thumbnail nervously.

"Synthia..."

"Hank, Helia...I...I'm going back today, soon. I thought you were still asleep." Synthia stammered

"You weren't going to leave without saying goodbye to Helia were you?" Hank asked, angered somewhat at the thought.

"Don't be angry. I...I thought it would be easier for us both." Synthia blushed

Hank set Helia down from where she was perched on his shoulder "Easier for you perhaps, she would resent you forever if you just went without so much as a goodbye."

"Mommy, where are you going?" Helia asked tugging at her mother's skirt.

"I'm going home darling." Synthia said softly sweeping her small daughter into her arms.

"Can I come too?"

"No sweetie...it's not safe for you there."

Tears began to brim in Helia's eyes, tugging at Hanks heartstrings.

"But mommy I don't want you to leave. Can't you stay here?" She pleaded

Synthia hugged her close "I don't expect you to understand now, but one day you will understand why I had to do this."

The tears began to overflow from Helia's cerulean blue eyes.

"Shush, it will all be fine." Synthia soothed; tears of her own filling her eyes.

"Will you come back soon?" Helia sniffed wretchedly.

Hank couldn't help but let a few tears of his own brim over, he dabbed at them quickly with his handkerchief.

"I don't know." Synthia said sadly. "Now you be a good girl for your daddy. Teach him how to make your bed properly and don't forget me okay?"

"I won't, never ever." Came the small sob in reply.

Hank decided it was time to step in when a blinding light flashed dazzling him momentarily before he could observe the tear in the fabric of space and time.

Synthia handed Helia to Hank who clung to his neck sobbing into his shirt.

"Take care of her Henry." Synthia said kissing him lightly on the cheek.

Hank nodded in assent, not trusting his voice.

"Goodbye sweetheart, mommy loves you." Synthia said stroking Helia's hair before turning and walking into the portal.

Helia didn't even lift her head from Hanks shoulder to watch her mother leave.


Xavier's, the med bay-

"Where is she now?"

"In bed, sleeping." Hank said grimly having described the whole thing so Tigra. "The poor child, I can only imagine what it is like for her to be left alone in a new environment with a bunch of strangers. Even I am unknown to her."

Hanks sigh was heartfelt and Tigra felt it right down to her toes, she put her hand on his arm softly.

"I don't know what to do." Hank admitted, "I hate that feeling, the powerlessness of it all. I think on the scale of the world's greatest fathers I am going to be right down the bottom."

"Don't be so stupid you are a kind, caring, brave man who will do his best to bring up his young daughter." Tigra said firmly

"What if my best isn't good enough?"

"It will be."

Hank opened his mouth to protest but Tigra cut him off.

"Look, worrying and self depreciation has never been your most attractive trait so you might want to cut it out. Yes life sucks, but everything will work out fine, I promise. Where's all Bouncy blue's optimism gone?"

Hank smiled "You are right, of course. Everything will be fine, I have a daughter to look after now, I have to be fine."

"That's the attitude." Tigra paused "Not that I am complaining or anything but when am I going to get out of here?"

"Well, you can move into a guest room this evening and venture outside in a day or so, you will have to be accompanied though just to check you are ok and have no adverse reactions to the medication." Hank turned professional, propping his glasses on his nose.

"Oh good. Don't suppose you fancy accompanying me on a date."

"I'm sure your date would be more than adequate at watching over you, no need for me to play gooseberry."

"No silly, just you and me." A smile played across Tigra's lips.

"Oh...erm...in that case...what about Helia?"

"We could go after you have put her to bed, I'm sure Jean would look after her."

"Ok." Hank smiled broadly "It's a date."


The park-

"I've got to admit Hank, I'm hurt you didn't think of me."

"Come now Robert, you can take your turn to look after Helia at the first appropriate occasion."

Hank soothed his best friend of years as he watched Helia climb the steps of a slide.

Bobby had proposed a trip to the park as a way to cheer the three of them up and so far it was resounding success, in so much as it was distracting Helia from her morose mood momentarily.

"Anyway, don't you think you are focusing on the wrong part of this conversation?" Hank asked as Helia came to a stop at the bottom of the slide.

Bobby smiled as he saw the little girl run over "Really? What was I meant to focus on?"

"The fact I have a date with the hottest woman the Avengers ever had the good fortune to number among their establishment."

"I thought you said you were going on a date with Tigra not the Scarlet Witch." Bobby teased mischievously.

Helia tugged at Hanks shirt pointing at the swing "Can I go on that?"

"Of course you can, you can do anything you want." He said scooping her up "I'll push you."

"If we can do anything we want, will you buy me an ice cream?" Bobby grinned hopefully

"If you want an Ice cream, Bobby you are old enough to buy your own." Hank said putting Helia on the swing and pushing her lightly

"What's an ice cream?" Helia asked holding on to the swing seat.

"I think it would be best to show you." Bobby beamed, holding his hand out for Hank to give him some money. "I'll be right back angel, you want anything Hankster?"

"I'm fine thank you Robert, wouldn't want to waste your money." Hank said somewhat dryly

"Well you know. I'm not tight like some people."

Hank shot him a look.

"I meant Scott, sheesh." Bobby muttered before sauntering off to the ice cream stand and waited in line.

"Is that your little girl over there?" Came a female voice from behind him.

Hank was going to say no when she continued to talk.

"You know you seem like a really doting dad, you can always tell how a guy will treat his partner by the way he looks after his kids."

Bobby smiled "Really?"

"Sure. Oh you're next." The woman indicated the ice cream man waiting to take his order.

Bobby ordered quickly and handed over Hanks money, he waited for a few minutes for the woman to make her order, pretending to fiddle with the change.

"I admire what you are doing you know." The woman said once she had been served.

"What's that?" Bobby asked slightly confused.

"You know, coming out with your partner and showing that gay couples are as capable of bringing up children as straight ones."

"Wait...I'm not gay...Hank's my friend." He protested weakly as the woman patted his arm lightly before making her way back to her family.


Later-

"I'm telling you Hank, babes dig the single father." Bobby said, slightly ticked off by his friend's reaction.

Hank tried to subdue his laughter wiping the tears from his eyes. "But she thought you were gay."

Helia laughed along with her dad although she didn't know what the joke was.

"Yeah, well that's your fault. If it was just me and Helia I would have a date tonight, right angel?" Bobby smiled at Helia "You would like to go out with just your uncle Bobster and help him attract the ladies, wouldn't you?"

Helia stopped laughed and looked up at Hank with wide eyes. "Is he going to run away and make me go with him?"

Hank patted her head comfortingly "No of course not, Uncle Bobby's having a moment."

Helia licked her ice cream thoughtfully "A moment?"

"Hank don't poison her against me, I thought you were my best friend. Don't you want to see me happy?"

"I just don't want you to use my daughter to lie so can get a date, not only is it sad, it's...."

Hank didn't get any further as a delicate hand touched his shoulder. "That you blue?"

Hank turned around with a small intake of breath.

"Look what the trash man left behind." Bobby muttered.

"Trish...I...er...fancy you being here?" Hank spluttered in surprise.

"And who's this little cutie?" Trish said bending down to Helia's level, making the girl hide behind Bobby's legs.

"That's my daughter, Helia." Hank said uncomfortably.

"Well either nature works quickly now a day's or there is something you didn't tell me." She said, frowning slightly.

Hank cleared his throat puffing his chest out slightly getting ready to retort, but he seemed to lack the courage. Bobby always ready to help elbowed him in the ribs.

"I really...er...don't see how it's any of your concern anymore. Besides I don't want to wake up tomorrow morning to find another aspect of my life slandered across the news, especially when it concerns my family." He had started hesitantly but his voice was soon tinged with bitterness and if Trish's face was anything to go by it had had the desired effect.

Her mouth opened and closed slightly, like a fish out of water, before her it could finally form words. "I guess you're right, I really don't care."

With that she strode off swinging her briefcase.

"Ouch!" Bobby winced

"Who was that lady? She smelt like that stuff the cat lady eats." Helia spoke up before Hank could reply to Bobby

"What? Tuna?" Bobby asked trying to stifle a giggle.

Hank looked down at his child proudly "My daughter is very observant."


Back at Xavier's-

Hank and Bobby got back to the mansion each holding Helia's hands, occasionally 'swinging' her along causing giggles, making their way down to Hanks lab and his Twinkie stash.

Hank knew her cheery disposition wouldn't last the week, as the days would pass Helia would become more and more aware of her mom's absence and miss her all the more. He sighed, it's always hard to lose your mother no matter your age, but when you have relied on her so wholly for your short life the pain of separation must be unbearable.

Hank's musing was cut short as Emma slammed her way up from the med bay, looking slightly frosty. (Excuse the pun.)

"Ah. Drake." Emma growled, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him off.

"Emma!" Bobby squeaked in surprise before mouthing 'Help me' in Hank's direction.

Hank took the only wise course of action in the situation. "So, still up for Twinkies?"

TBC...


Next: Argument

Why was Emma so annoyed and why did she drag Bobby away like that? Could it have something to do with the fact that Hank has a date with Tigra?