(Trip is 25, Lance is 22, Grant is 21, Leo is 19, Jemma is 19), Skye is 17, Avalyn is 11 and Liam & Juliet are 4. + Avri is 7.

Trip was sitting on the edge of the couch, methodically pressing the buttons of his game controller, eyes focused on the TV screen. Skye was sitting next to him, sunk on the couch. She was frenetically pressing the buttons of her controller, hissing curse words that only made Trip smile.

With a despising full-teeth grin, Trip leaned back on the couch saying, "So, if we're keeping scores I thinking I'm winning 10 to 1, right?"

Skye pressed her lips and smacked him on the upper arm, "This is your fault. You're a terrible teacher."

"What? I've taught you about all the buttons –"

"Rambling for ten minutes about how this one button makes my guy squat and that this other button makes him roll over isn't exactly helpful!"

"I taught you basic defensive tactics," Trip explained.

"I don't care about defensive tactics. I wanna know the button to shoot you dead!"

Trip laughed so hard he thought he'd die out of breath.

"I want a rematch," Skye said. "But this time you either teach me how to shoot or I'll try all the buttons and break the controller."

"Break the controller if you want. The PlayStation is still Lance's," he grinned.

"Ugh, fine, you win," Skye admitted, defeated, throwing the controller over the couch.

"Thanks a lot for lending a hand today. Painting walls is not really my forte."

Skye smiled, "No problem. I think it's really sweet of you to buy a house for your mother."

"I promised her that when she sent me to live with my grandparents."

"Weren't you, like, four when that happened?"

"Yes, so?"

"Nothing," she mumbled, stretching her body. "It just, when I was four I picked my nose and you promised your mother you'd buy her a house."

"Not everyone is as good as me," Trip chimed.

"You boastful prick," Skye picked up a pillow and threw it at Trip. "I'm gonna check on Mimi. I'm starving."

"Can I play with you now, Trip?" Avalyn asked, putting down the book she was reading.

He grabbed the controller that Skye was using and hand it to Avalyn, "Let's see if you're better than Skye."

"Everyone is better than Skye."

Trip laughed again, "I don't remember laughing this much before. Thank God I got two weeks off work."

"No peeking," Trip said, grabbing his mother's hand as he guided to the entrance door.

Elodie chuckled, "I'm not."

"Careful, steps," he warned.

"How many?"

"Three." Once the two were on the house's porch, Trip let go of his mother's hand, to pull the keys out his jeans' pocket, "No peeking."

"I am not peeking."

He held her hand again and warned, "Small step."

"My goodness, how many steps are there?"

"No more steps," he grinned. "You can open your eyes now."

The house seemed small on the outer side, but inside, it was quite roomy. After passing through the red front door there was a hall with a staircase and two divisions, one on the left, one on the right. Peeking to both sides, Elodie saw that the living room was situated through the left door and the dining room to her right. The open kitchen linked both dining and living rooms, and had a door to the backyard. Except for the kitchen, where the floor consisted of white tiles, wooden boards floored the rest of the house. The majority of the house was mustard colored. Upstairs there were two bedrooms and a bathroom that was conveniently placed in front of the stairs.

"This house is beautiful, Antoine. It isn't furnished yet, but it's so good. It's small and cozy."

"I'm glad you like because this house is yours."

Elodie swirled on her heels, "I'm sorry?"

"This house is yours, mother."

"No, this is your house. You said –"

"I said I was going to show you my house, I know, but I couldn't really tell you the truth earlier. The house is yours, mother. Now you don't have to live in that horrible place in Harlem anymore."

"Antoine," Elodie's filled with tears. "I don't want – I don't deserve this."

"Yes, you do. I promised I'd get you a house once I'd get my own money. It took me a bit to save up enough money, but I've made it. You deserve this house."

Elodie hugged her son, crying, "My goodness, what did I do to deserve a son like you? You are nothing like your father, Antoine."

"If I'm not anything like him is because of you. He was the idiot one for leaving you," Trip caressed her back, "for leaving us. You are everything that matters to me the most in the whole world. This is just a little thank you for what you've done for me."

"I did nothing, my little boy. I sent you to live with your grandparents, let you be adopted –"

Trip parted the hug to look into his mother's eyes, "Because you wanted me to have a better life. And I do. Now let me make your life a little bit better too."

"I love this house," Elodie hugged Trip again.

"I'm glad," he chuckled. "I can't wait to help you moving in."

This was short, but I think it was sweet. To me, Trip seems like the kind of person who'd buy his mother a nice house as a thank you.

Next chapter will bring up some people from the MCU.