"There's nothing to be afraid of, sweetheart." Fred hugged his daughter where they stood in the parking lot. "And Eleanor's going to be with you if there is. Just go ahead and have fun. And remember that fun does NOT include bamfing people out over a pond and dropping them OR bamfing them until they puke."

"Dad! I only did that ONCE. To a bully." She gave him a look, then hugged him again and got into the car. "I'll be okay. And I'll bring something back for Hank if I can."

"Okay." He gave her a fond smile, wishing that both kids could go instead of one laying in his bed trying to keep his world from spinning as his secondary mutations kicked in. "God bless."

"God bless!" She took her boxes into her lap and waved through the window as Eleanor headed for the Nexus.

It was Hank's turn to sit by the window as he did his History schoolwork. His mutation was still in the process of changing, so he was feeling groggy and a little ill, but his sister's singing from the kitchen and Eleanor's sly headlight winks from the parking lot helped him smile despite the discomfort. Eyes that were now golden and catlike looked up as his father returned from the Nexus and smiled as Fred paused to ruffle his hair before disappearing into the back.

The diner was empty of customers and had been all day. Poppy sat at a table by the window working on her English essay, one ear cocked toward the murmur in the kitchen that was her father busy messing around with fancy recipes from the 'Joy of Cooking'. Hank was in there too, doing his schoolwork at the table.

She was a tiny bit worried about her brother; even though he'd been born with an active X gene as she had it seemed as though his was becoming more active, and making him feverish and lethargic in the process. It hadn't affected his appetite, though. He'd still cleaned up the morning's cooking with his typical hollow leg alacrity.

The furry red girl turned to look out the window at the empty highway, her tail twitching as she wondered if they were even in the real world right now. As far as she knew they were, though the diner itself seemed to be a world in its own self. Her dad said that it had once been part of a nexus that had closed, and it still had nexus-like qualities and attracted nexus-type beings. The Keeblers that showed up once in awhile, for instance, and the furry tribbles that lived in the apartment upstairs.

Poppy shook her head to clear it of musings and returned to her schoolwork.

Fred checked the line of orders that hung over the stove, then added a couple more sausages to the grill before turning his attention to the rice steamer. He'd had rice ready, but Hank had struck again and polished the lot off with a garnish of sweet relish and peanut butter.

Fred grimaced at memory of the combination and turned his head to see how the boy in question was doing where he sat at a table in the corner of the kitchen trying to do schoolwork. "Are you sure you don't want to go lay down, champ?"

Hank started and looked up at him through eyes that were now golden and bore slit pupils. "No. I don't like the quiet. This is more peaceful."

"Alright." Fred frowned and returned to his work, pushing the plates toward Poppy as she hurried in and filled her tray, then giving her a smile as she bustled out.

Fred hummed to himself as he wiped the counter, feeling good now that everything was ready and a bouncy Poppy had been able to finally turn on the neon sign in the bigger window. The place was open for business; food cooked, booths arranged and properly bolted down (that had been kind of embarrassing. He was glad Hank had a better idea of the right bolts to use than he had. And that it had only been him that hit the floor when the too short ones had pulled out).

"Dad, is there anything else I can do?" Poppy stuck her head out of the back where she'd been checking on the food, her tail curling with anxiety.

"No." He looked around. "I think we're good, sweetheart. Where's Hank?"

"Hanging from the ceiling by his toes." She looked over her shoulder.

"I'm studying!" came the protest of her thirteen year old brother.

"Cut it out, you two." Fred shook his head, then put down the rag. "Alright, hold down the fort till I get back. If anything happens just...."

"Yell for Eleanor, we know." Poppy grinned at him, then ducked back in the kitchen to make doubly sure that there wasn't anything else that she could do.

Fred grinned and headed for the Nexus.