"Are you completely out of your mind?" Jack asked his wife.

Ani walked through the kitchen of their modest home and sat on her husband's lap. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she kissed him.

"I'm serious," Ani said. "I want another baby." Jack just laughed and wrapped his arms around her. "I mean Jackie's almost four… it's perfect timing."

Jack had to admit that she was right about that. Since his son's birth nearly four years ago, he and Ani had jointly opened up three shelters and a thrift shop in the city to help the homeless and orphaned. Ani was still working in the lab at the SPD academy as were the rest of the B-Squad.

Sky and Sydney had welcomed another child into their family; a son that they named Andrew Schuyler, or Drew for short. Z and Bridge were finished having children, and Danny and Lina were more than enough to keep them occupied.

"I know it's good timing, but do you remember what we went through to get Jackie? If we really honestly want another baby of our own, then that would require one of us to lose our powers."

Ani sighed. She had a plan, but she knew Jack would be skeptical. "Well… I may have a solution to that."

"What are you talking about?"

"There's a serum that Bridge and I have been developing… it's used on dangerous criminals that are in containment… it takes away their powers so in case they get released they can't cause any more problems."

"Absolutely not," Jack said. "Z told me about that stuff. It's supposed to take powers away permanently. Are you willing to risk that?" Ani had thought about this for a long time, though Jack already knew that. She never rushed into anything without thinking it through to the last detail.

"Hi!"

Jack and Ani both turned when they saw their three-year-old come into the kitchen rubbing his sleepy eyes.

Ani got off Jack and quickly scooped up her son. Jackie was literally a small version of his father, right down to the braids in his hair. Ani kissed his cheek.

"I'm hungry," he announced as he wiggled out of her arms and into his father's.

Ani laughed. "What do you want to eat?"

Jackie thought for a second. "Um… I want… butter toast," he said smiling. "Like Unc'a Bridge has!"

Both Ani and Jack laughed. Jackie was best friends with Danny and spent a lot of time with his Uncle Bridge and Auntie Z.

Jack bounced his son for a few moments before he turned his attention back to his wife. He knew she was willing to risk anything in order to have another child. Sure they had spoken of adoption, but they both wanted to try one more time for a child of their own. After seeing his son born and watching him grow, he too wanted another one…

"Ani," he said. Ani turned and placed the toast in front of her son as well as a cup of juice. "Are you sure you want to try this?"

Ani sat next to her two men and grinned. "Absolutely. We wouldn't use the full dosage, and I'd be sure to go over the formula again…"

Jack placed his hand over hers and sighed. "Before we do anything I think we need to ask this little guy."

Jackie turned his attention to his parents. "What I do?" he asked.

Jack kissed his temple. "Nothing… mommy and I have a question to ask you… how would you like a little brother or sister?"

"Like Danny and Lina?"

Ani nodded. "Yup… like Mia and Drew, too," she said gently. "What do you think?"

Jackie put his toast down and acted like he was thinking, something his uncle Sky did when he wanted to figure something out. Jack laughed at this gesture and Ani just shook her head. Her brother definitely had an influence over her son.

"I want one," he said after a few moments. After he said that, he returned back to his toast and Jack grinned.

"Well, if it's ok with him… I say we try it."

Ani's face lit up as she leaned over and kissed her husband hotly on the lips. When they broke away, Ani just about danced up to their room to change for work…

Later that night Ani was sitting on her bed with a covered syringe in her hands. Jack would be home from the shelter offices any minute, and she had already put Jackie to bed…

"Well, here's hoping," she said as she uncovered the needle and injected the clear colored liquid into her arm.

After a few moments, she felt perfectly fine and decided to try it out…

She lifted her hand towards a glass of water sitting on her dresser across the room. She concentrated and… nothing happened. Trying it again… she got the same result.

She sighed with relief when she discovered the serum had worked, but at the same time she felt… off. She had never been without her powers before and the realization that they were gone for the moment frightened her a bit. She was missing a part of herself…

"Are you alright?" Jack asked as he entered the darkened room. Ani looked up from where she was sitting and nodded after a moment.

"I… I just took the serum." Jack stripped down to his nightclothes and sat with her.

"Did it work?" Ani nodded a bit before Jack saw tears in her eyes. He knew all too well what she was going thorough, as he had done when he discovered that his powers were stalled. Without another word, Jack brought her into his arms and kissed her gently.

"I didn't realize how weird it would feel without them," she said softly. Jack tilted her head towards his.

"Well, seeing as it did work, I think I should try to make you feel better," he said as he trailed kisses along her collarbone.

Ani sighed contently as she lay back and remembered why she was doing all this in the first place. Soon all other thoughts were gone…

Weeks later, Ani once again found herself sitting on the edge of her bathtub counting down the seconds…

"Anything yet?" Jack called from downstairs. Ani looked at the test on the sink and sighed.

"Be patient!" she called back. After a few more moments she glanced again and felt her heartbeat increase. "Jack!"

Moments later Jack was in the doorway. Ani was in tears as he took her into his arms.

"It worked," she whispered. Jack's eyes widened and she showed him the test. Overjoyed, Jack spun her around and kissed her passionately.

A/N: ONE MORE CHAPTER TO GO!