- KNOCK – KNOCK – KNOCK

"I got it!" Evan said loudly. He could sense who it was and knew his mom was a little busy with his little siblings. He opened the door and a smile spread across his face immediately.

"Hello Evan! How are you doing this day?" Hank asked him happy to see the young man.

"Hey Uncle Hank, Forge." he greeted the two men who stood side by side at the door.

"We heard… that there's a little man here with a birthday today, and we decided to stop by and make the day a little brighter."

"Yeah, Ayo's growing fast man. He's a little rascal." The two men smiled at his statement,

"Give it time, we all have that stage." Evan tilted his head for a moment then raised it again.

"Come on in, you guys want anything?"

"We are fine at the moment."

"Mom, it's Uncle Hank and Forge." He announced to her, she looked up seeing the two men behind her son and rose to her feet from the couch.

"Hello Henry, Forge. How are you two?"

"UNCLE HANK!" Ayotunde shouted as he ran towards one of his favorite people.

"There he is!" Hank said loudly stooping down and catching the boy mid-stride, the boy squealed joyfully as he was tossed into the air and then caught just as quick.

"I heard that it's a special day for you." The blue mutant said to him, his smile grew brighter.

"Tell me, how old are you today?" The boy held up his hand all his fingers out.

"Five!" He stated proudly.

"Wow! You are getting to be a little man aren't you." He said, the boy chuckled.

"Five is a big deal, you're at one of the big five's."

"Big five's?" He asked his uncle nodded proudly.

"What's that?"

"It means you're at a milestone age." Forge piped in, the boy looked at him still not understanding.

"When you go from walking to running, that's a big milestone, then diapers to underwear that's another big one, and when you go from babbling to talking which means people can understand you better that's one. And when you go from four to five it means there are a lot more things available to you. You gain more responsibility and more freedom after that… and you're one step closer to getting your powers." The little boy grinned at that now understanding a little more what that meant.

"He is right, baby." Ororo added looking to him lovingly.

"Speaking of getting gifts… I have a little something here for the birthday boy." Hank announced, his face lit up with the news. The two men were ecstatic seeing the boy smile as wide as he was.

"Oh, and… so do I." Said the fixer getting it out from behind him and giving it to the now 5 year old who opened both at happy boy speed. He couldn't wait to play with both of them as he ran around the house now.

"Ayo, baby remember." His mom told him, he then turned around facing the two men, Forge specifically.

"Thank you Uncle Forge!" He said loudly going and throwing his arms around his legs in a tight hug.

"You're welcome kido." He responded. He then laughed as he ran off. Kendall ran after Ayotunde, wanting to play with him and his new toy as well.

"How are you doing Ororo?" Hank asked her. She smiled to him.

"I am alright, thank you." She said without skipping a beat. Hank gave her back a soft smile, understanding…

She was ok as she could be. She was putting on a tough front for her children, especially it being little Ayo's fifth birthday they didn't need to see her anything but happy… No one, except for Jessica and Evan had known that she'd spent an hour in the bathroom that morning crying… knowing that today was the first birthday that any of her children would have to deal with without their father.

"We were thinking that if you were ok with it, we'd take the kids to the trampoline park today." Forge offered, Hank smiled beside him, Ororo looked back to the kids seeing them happy, she saw Jessie and Evan looking to her curiously, knowing they had heard what their visitors had offered, and thankful that the little ones weren't born with their powers like Jessie was.

"That's a wonderful idea." Ororo said, the two older siblings smiled happily to each other and their little brother and sister.

Three Hours Later:

Jessie and Evan walked alongside their mother who held Ayotunde's and Kendall's hands as they walked back to the car. The kids would've begged to stay longer had their Uncle Hank not offered to take them to the water-park after that. Hank had driven ahead to meet them there while Forge stayed back to wait for the family. They all got into the car and drove off.

The next day:

Hank and Jessie were at the local Costco, Ororo and the kids had needed to restock some supplies and when she'd brought it up Hank had caught her halfway and surprised her by offering to go and get some of the things for her. She originally refused until Jessica stepped in saying she'd go with him as well. Her mother agreed then letting them go together.

At Costco:

Jessica weaved through the crowd of people, she didn't really like crowds, but she was willing to withstand them for her mom like this. She was more of a loner like her dad, but the diplomatic side of her from her mom shown through like a charm, shocking people speechless when she got angry…

"Ugh, why can't there ever be a slow day at Costco." She said silently. Though his hearing may not have been as fine tuned as hers he heard the utterance. As her uncle he had an idea.

"Jessie, slow down a moment." He said to her, she turned her face toward him and did as he asked.

"What is it?" She asked, her head swiveled as she watched him get ahead of her, standing to his full height walking confidently in front of her.

"If I walk ahead of you the people will not surround you as much." He filled her in.

"Smart." She replied.

Hank hated being ridiculed, even through the looks of others, but he'd stand it to make something easier for someone that he cared for, and Jessica was someone that he did indeed care for like family. He lead to what she'd told him they needed to get and eventually the crowd died down some. It wasn't all that much, but it was some. A few minutes had passed and Jessica was now walking beside Henry at a leisurely pace.

"Hey Uncle Hank..."

"Hmm?"

"D' you want anything here?" She asked looking at him questioningly.

"Well, I could use some more gadgets for my office, and not to mention I do love the cookies here." He added a little shyly. She went over to one of the possible gadgets he was talking about and asked.

"Is this something that you like?" She asked, he nodded.

"Yes, that would do well." She put it in the basket, he was a little surprised at her action.

"You don't have to do that Jess, I'm perfectly capable of coming another time and getting it myself."

"I know, but then you wouldn't have me, and I wouldn't be able to protect you if there was someone trying to attack you for being a mutant."

"I'd be able to protect myself against one person."

"You know what I mean."

"Oh yes."

"Besides I can save you some money on it to!" She added excitedly, at this point the blue man's facial expression changed slightly.

"Jessie, why do you want to do this?" He asked her. She looked at him seemingly unsure of what to say. Then said,

"It's a nice thing to do… and besides I know there's a special day for you coming up soon to." She smiled to him slyly, he smiled back.

"Well, if you insist."

They went around the warehouse getting things that were both for the family and for him. And when it came time to check out he offered to pay for his things that she'd gotten him, but was refused.

"I said I got it." She told him not letting him near that card reader.

"You're sure?" he asked one eyebrow raised, she nodded raising both eyebrows back to him.

"Alright if you insist." He backed off for her to pay.

They later loaded up the vehicle and left the parking lot. When they got back to the house Hank put his hand over Jessica's wrist before she opened the car door, she looked at him unsure of what he was going to say.

"You know I forgave you already, right?" He asked, she looked at him for a solid 10 seconds. She didn't know how to respond to that, so she turned her head.

"It's alright. You weren't in the right frame of mind. It is over and done, and for me to hold onto something like that is barbaric." She dipped her head in shame, still not wanting to believe that she'd do something like that, but she did.

"I am very sorry..." She said, knowing to what he was eluding.

"I – I could've killed you!" She rushed out.

"But you didn't! Remember who pulled you out of that haze Jessica." She wasn't sure who he was meaning, him? Jean? Her mom?

"Who?" She asked.

"You! You pulled yourself out of it Jessie! The young woman who I watched become who she is today came into the forefront and took control… just like your father taught you to do." At that she ducked her head, letting a few tears out. He reached over to her side opposite him and pulled her over into his arms, hugging her like he used to do when she was just a little girl and would fall asleep in his arms. She always tried not to cry, she was the leader of the family now besides her mom. She had to be strong, but she knew one thing, he was safe to cry with, or even on.

Not too long after this they stepped out of the car and Jessica gave the sky a long look. Rain was pouring down as a result of her tears, she was about to attempt to calm it, when the two littles ran outside and started jumping and playing in the rain, the joy that they gave her made the sun peak through the clouds, and it became a beautiful anomaly of a rainstorm.

"Come on, let's get this stuff inside!" Hank said to her, and she helped him to take everything but what was for him inside the house.