Now you have the result! :D I hope you voted!

      Wally barges through the front dooor with his usual huge grin. Arianna and Jocelynn look up from their chess game and Dallan turns from his conversation with Loli. I put down a plate of freshly-made chocolate chip cookies. He speeds over, picks me up by my waist, and spins me around.

     "What is it?" He puts me down with a peck on the cheek and grabs a cookie.

      "I chose!" Kid takes a bite of the cookie, swallowing before he elaborates. "I chose to be a jack of all trades."

     "I need further elaboration..."

     "You like architecture, right?"

     "Um, yeah, but what does it have to do-"

     "I'm helping an engineer by volunteering you to be his draft-editor, but I'm going to be a psychiatrist."

     "Your patients will die laughing. We will get sued," I tell him. Kid laughs.

     "Nah, they'd live for your pretty face. Isn't that right, kids?"

     "Yeah! Even Loli says so!" Dallan says as the others nod in agreement.

     "I think a certain someone taught her to say that some years ago..." I cast a look at Wally, who grins innocently.

     "But it's the truth, Mommy," Jocelynn defends.

      "Well, she's right..." Arianna backs her up. Wally drapes an arm over my shoulders.

      "Yep. All the confirmation you need."

     "Looks like Daddy will be helping depressed people and bringing Mommy blueprints."

     "I decided to be a comedian everywhere, 'cause I'm so good at making people laugh," he declares, winking at me.

     "You didn't want it?"

     "Nah, too much of a chance there would be an accident and I'd expose myself by saving people. I also, uh, don't like stages. People? No big deal. Harsh lights and screens projecting my face while grumpy guys and angry managers glare at me from offstage and point at watches? No. Huge deal. Unacceptable working conditions."

      "But that is totally disappointing!" I act distressed. "And what are the chances of you needing speed to save someone?"

      "It's not that bad, Luckster." Wally pulls me into a comforting hug. The kids giggle, most likely because Wally pulled out my nickname, and the fact that he fell for my theatrics (they know). "And anything could happen!"

     "You are so right! Aren't you darling children glad your father thinks of everything?" I wink at them.

     "Yes!" They chorus faithfully. Wally gives everyone a weird look. Arianna pulls the "sweet little angel" look as Jocelynn smiles winningly and bats her eyelashes comically while Dallan grins. Wally looks disconcerted by all the innocence in the room, even though he's full of the stuff.

     "I have work to do elsewhere," I say, hurrying into the kitchen. I am shadowed by three younger people. Wally, confused as ever, wanders into the kitchen after us. He has his "something is up" expression plastered across his face as he studies us closely. I giggle, cracking under the pressure, and burst out laughing. [1. What literary device is "cracking under the pressure?" A. Onamatapoeia B. Idiom C. Alliteration.] Now Wally is absolutely bewildered at my outburst. The kids can't take it anymore, either. Our kitchen is filled with laughter.

     "Um... Anyone want to give me a hint or something?"

     "Mommy is the best actress ever!"

     "I can't believe you still fall for the helpless damsel-in-distress act. As if you didn't learn the first time," I smile a little and pat him on the cheek. "There, there. You have great luck with handling people. You always do the nice thing. It's not wrong to expect people to ask you for help."

     "I try..."

      "You also enjoy cooking."

     "Especially yours..."

     "So you'll eat the cake I just baked."

     "Of cour- what cake?" Arianna and Dallan fling a hotpad onto the table just in time for Jocelynn to put down the cake. Wally throws his hands up in the air dramatically, nearly side-swiping me. "I surrender! I can't take anymore!"

     "Of course you can, silly. This one is for desert. Jocelynn will be guarding it." Jocelynn salutes. "Arianna will decorate." Arianna is already poised to ice the cake. "Dallan will ensure that you are kept busy, and I will prepare dinner."

     "You guys are really fast workers," Wally says proudly as Dallan leads him out of the kitchen. "We should all soak up some Californian sun again sometime." I look a little confused, so he adds, "the park, beach, or maybe just a nice walk."

     "Have fun with your game, Daddy!" Jocelynn calls cheerfully.

     "I will, I will."

Dallan's POV

     "I love the apartment," I tell Daddy.

     "Random statement, but I do, too. Great place."

     "Mother said you have to play a game with me. What game are we going to play?"

     "A guessing game."

     "Mother says everything is a guessing game. She also said that you cheated on a guessing game."

     "Hey, that was a trivia! She asked me how to spell... um... what was the word..."

     "Czechoslovakia?" Mom calls. Dad jumps a little.

     "Um, I think so?" Dad winks at me. An exaggerated sigh is heard from the kitchen. "At least someone in this household knows their words and countries and can remember stuff, eh, kiddo?" I laugh, because we all know Daddy is super-smart, even if he pretends not to be. It's part of the game he plays with bad guys. He gets underestimated a lot, but that's what he wants. Even Mommy plays along, but a smile always hovers on her lips, and an entertained expression crosses her face. Dad playfully ruffles my hair and grins. He loves to make us laugh, but he's never hurt anyone's feelings by doing it.

     "Will you tell me a story?"

     "Sure! How about the one about the Chaotic Cookout, as your Mother dear so rightly named it? It was when Jo and Ari were six years old, and you were around three. There was this frog, and Jo caught it. Then, she chased Arianna with it, screaming about how it was going to kiss her and turn her into a princess. Jinx was just innocently walking towards the picnic table with a plate of burger buns, and then they ran across her path and tripped her. Luckily, I was holding you and sitting at the table. The buns weren't so lucky. They landed on the grill and burst into flames. I was laughing, your sisters were yelling, you were clapping and shouting, "again! Again!" while your mother was face-palming. It was great."

     "Whoa. Any more stories?" Dad starts laughing all over again.

Arianna's POV

     I managed to finish the icing on the cake in time for dinner. Mother smiles at us and gets my brother and sister to pose with me behind the cake and takes a picture. After dinner, we all eat ice cream and cake. Dad takes a picture. He also sets up a video camera and captures Dallan hex the ice cream by mistake.

     Of course, it manages to spatter everywhere and poor Dallan is coated in it. Mother marches him off to clean him up. The rest of us clean the kitchen for Mum. Dad shuts off the video camera and carries it off to who knows where. He returns a little later with a double-photo frame and a CD, just in time to hear Jocelynn complain about cleaning up Dallan's mess.

     "Jo-o," he sighs as he roots through the supply closet, "we all help each other, it's part of our particular line of work."

     "Which one," Jocelynn mumbles.

     "Don't be that way, Jocelynn Bay," Dad scolds.

      "Will Dallan ever get control of his powers?"

     "Jocelynn, we've been over this many times. I don't know. Your mother doesn't know. None of us know. But it's our job to make sure he's safe, even if they are out of control for awhile." Dad pulls a hammer and a nail out of the closet. "Ah-ha!"

     "But what if... What if Dallan's powers never get under control?" Dad freezes and Jocelynn tenses, biting her lip. I hold my breath. Uh-oh, that was too far.

     "We'll figure something out," he says, sounding stressed. He escapes the room with the nail, hammer, and photo frame. Jocelynn looks at me worriedly.

     "I hope Dallan does get his powers under control."

     "Me too," I say quietly. Dad's hammer blows briefly fill the apartment with reverberating noise.

     "Wally, what are you doing?" Mom calls.

     "Hanging a picture," he answers.

     "In the apartment wall?"

     "There used to be a landscape portrait nailed in the wall, but I took it down and took out the nail."

     "Oh. Alright."

     "Yeah. The other nail wasn't in there very deep, though. I'm amazed it never fell out of the wall."

     "Some things just defy explanation," Mother states as we all go to the hallway to view the new addition to our photo wall. We haven't moved to a house yet because we don't really see the sense in it. Mum and Dad want us to be able to go outside whenever we'd like and be able to play with other children. Most of the other apartment owners here are college students or young adults, and a few young couples. If we had to move, I would want a small house, or at the most a medium-sized one, because we have such a close family.

     "Yup, they sure do." Dad side-hugs Mum and pecks her on the cheek.

     "Like Fortuna carrying kittens?"

     "What?!"

     "I thought she was too old to have kittens, Mum?" Dallan asks.

     "Jocelynn Bay West, how long have you known this?"

     "Um, since just now, Mum, honest."

     "How many?!"

     "I dunno, Fortuna carried one to the basket. There's already one there, and she's going out again."

     "I had her spayed when I took her to get shots after I found her!" Mother leans against Dad, reeling from shock.

     "She probably rescued a litter?"

     "Yes, yes, of course. We'll have to take them to the vet. Maybe Star will want one for Silverfire or something. I guess Dallan or the twins could keep one..."

     "Why don't we keep two of them?"

     "That's too many cats, Kid."

     "There's four kittens, Mum." Fortuna brought one of the kittens to Mother. "I guess that one's her favorite."

      "It's a black kitty with white socks and underside. And a white stripe on its nose." Dad reports.

      "I see that," Mother says.

      "There's a white one, a tortoise-shell, and a gray one. Want me to call Robin and ask who wants what?"

      "Yes, we have to do something about them right away." Dad pulls out his communicator and contacts Mr. Richard, telling him about the kittens. He wanders off, still engaged in explanation. "Well," Mother says to me, "there are worse things than a litter of kittens showing up out of the blue."

      "He wants the tort," Dad informs us. "Should I give it to him now?" Mum nods. "Yeah, I'll bring it right over," he says into the communicator before clicking off and putting it away. "Alright, be right back everyone! Love-" Dad's communicator beeps and he pulls it out. "NIGHTHAWK? Hi... You want the gray one? How did you- oh, I see. Hi, Raven, Star, Ashley. Okay, I'll grab that one, too. Bye!" Dad puts his communicator up and smiles sheepishly at us. "Sorry. Anyway, love you guys!"

      "Love you, too!" We chorus as the door shuts. Mum looks at the two remaining kittens.

      "Thankfully, they're big enough to eat cat food drowned in kitten formula. No worries there. Names? Well, we're keeping the black and white one for sure, so name that one."

      "Lucky!"

      "Very funny."

      "No, really!"

      "Well, she is for you three. I guess that's alright, then. We'll get collars and tags for Lucky at the veterinarian office. Right now, it's time to get ready for bed." I go to brush my teeth and put on pajamas, and the others follow. Dallan and I brush our teeth in our respective bathrooms, while Mom and Jocelynn change into their pajamas in their respective rooms, and then we switch tasks. After we're ready for bed we sit on the couch and watch Courage the Cowardly Dog [property of Cartoon Network; all rights reserved]. After an episode, Dad breezes back.

      "Costume change! I have something to show you guys after I get ready. Then I'll blend in." Dad zooms off and comes back all ready for bed five minutes later. "I brought collars for the other two!" He collars the kittens. "Ta-dah! Ooh, Courage!" Dad plops down to watch it with us, transfixed. We giggle and adjust ourselves around him. Jocelynn and I sit on either side of Dad, and Dallan sits in his lap. "Looks like I've been monopolized."

      "Smile!" Mother snaps a picture. "It's not every day someone captures our former Kid Flash, even if he isn't such a kid anymore."

      "It's okay, Mommy, he'll always be a kid on the inside."

      "Thanks, Dallan." Dad mumbles while Mum giggles. "Now your Mother dear is throwing a giggling fit. Darling, do you agree with Dallan, or not?"

Jinx's POV

       I collapse onto the floor laughing, causing everyone to stand and surround me, and I can't bring myself to be upset at Kid for it. After all, Dallan had caused it. But Kid had finished it off... Maybe a little bad luck... Well, it would be cruel... Alright, I guess I won't... for now... I force myself off of the floor, clear my throat, and throw myself at Wally. He, the perfect dance partner, catches me as if we had planned it. He was the "catch now; ask questions later" type.

      That had worked out for a number of missions. I would know, I kept count until I lost track. Wally would probably remember, though, if anyone asked him. We'd had to resort to Wally's hit-and-run style quite often. At first, I had been loathe to admit to its usefulness. Grudgingly, I slowly warmed to the idea, and even added my own twists. The villains who hit our sector always have such rotten luck. Wally only gets hexed if he jokes too much for my liking. It's all part of the fun, though, and I always make sure it's a hex he can laugh at.

      I will not jinx or hex my children. I have never done that, and it certainly is not a good idea. I also have not lain a hand on them in anger, for the record. Anyway, using my bad luck powers against them could be disasterous, besides being mean. My powers could converge with theirs, causing a powerful reaction. The effect would slam us back like a tantrum-throwing child tossing a toy, and could cause considerable damage to the area.

      "Oof!" Kid sprawls out on the floor and groans. "Awh, Jinxie, that's just cruel." I bend and pat him on the head fondly.

      "It could be worse."

      "I don't even want to think about it."

      "Of course not," I scoff. Why would it have that effect? Well, Kid and I figure either one of two things: the powers would clash, forming something like a shield between the separate powers, releasing a massive amount of energy, like a shockwave. Or the other's power would magnify the hex, becoming a brutal sentence, elongating its duration and seriously hurting my child. We think Arianna's powers would react defensively and throw the shield, and Jocelynn's would magnify the hex's effects. We have no idea what would happen if it hit Dallan, and I have no intentions of experimenting. Result: no jinxing children. Not that I would have, anyway.

      "So... Is the bad luck over?"

      "I think so."

      "So says the caster."

      "Hey, you brought it on yourself."

      "Will that always be your response?"

      "Absolutely. Unless I have another one."

       "Poor Daddy."

      "I think Daddy doesn't have any more bad luck."

      "I don't know, Jocelynn, Dad just tripped again."

      "Right..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

       Merry Christmas! I feel awful for keeping everyone waiting! Terribly sorry! You guys had fantastic feedback last chapter, and I wish I could have used all of your ideas! You guys are brilliant, intelligent people and it's an honor to write for you! Thank you for reading! I'll be sure to attempt to update quicker. I know I hate it, you guys must loathe it. Merry Christmas!

       Like giving your input? What are your ideas for names for the white kitten? Comment away, and remember, your opinions are valuable! (And I mean it.)