Dr. Henry McCoy, A.K.A Hank, A.K.A The Beast, A.K.A Daddy, was having one of those days. They did not come often, but when they did, they were trying. It was not easy for the man, being the smartest, most powerful mutant in all of existence, but he tried his best to muddle through. He owed it to the X-Men to be there for him, when they needed him. He did not know what they would ever do without him.
"Hank? Hank, I need to talk to you."
He looked up from the computer, where he was busy writing down the cure for the legacy virus. "Yes, Scott, what is it?"
The X-Men team leader looked at him, frowning. "Can you come help me with a danger room session? I know you're busy, but no one is working together. It's not very good. Can you please give us some help so we will fight as a team?"
Hank thought for a moment. "Well, right now I'm curing the legacy virus. Can it wait?"
"Yes, of course it can wait," Scott said. "I understand how important your work is."
Hank nodded and looked at his list of things to do. Picking up a pen, he added, "Help my fellow teammates in the Danger room," to the already huge list. He thought it was a nice touch to put "fellow teammates." In truth, he was far above them.
"Wow, thanks Hank!" Scott exclaimed, looking visibly relieved. "I don't know what we'd do without you!"
"I don't either," Hank said, turning his attention back to his computer.
Scott was only gone from the room for a minute when Jean came in. "Hank, I know you're busy, but I really need to talk to you."
"What is it, Jean?" Hank asked. Jean was pregnant, so he knew he had to give special allowances to her. "You're not worried about the baby, are you? I'm your doctor, you know your baby will be just fine."
"Oh, I'm aware of that," Jean said, sitting down. "I know you're the best doctor in the whole wide world. But I'm worried about after my baby is born. Scott and I are good people, but we will never be as good a parent as you. I'm worried our baby will be upset that you are not her father."
"Well, she will be a little jealous, that can't be helped," Hank said. "But don't worry. She'll love you and Scott; you're her parents. And I'll be her uncle."
"That's true!" Jean said, her eyes lighting up. "I forgot about that. She's going to be a very lucky girl to have you for an uncle."
"Yes. Almost as lucky as Sikudhani is to have me for a father." Hank smiled at the woman, glad to see she was cheering up. "Of course, I'm the luckiest person of all to have such a wonderful daughter."
"Yes, you are," Jean agreed. "Well, thanks for helping me with my problems. I'll leave you to your work now. I don't know what we X-Men would do without you."
Hank chuckled. "I don't know either. But it doesn't matter. I'm here for everyone who needs me."
As Jean was leaving the room, Sam came in. "Hank, Ah need t'talk to you."
"What is it, Sam?" Hank asked.
"Uhm, I was wondering if you could... uhm..." The X-Man paused, blushing considerably.
"Sam, I haven't got all day. I'm on the verge of curing the legacy virus. Can you hurry it up?"
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Hank. I didn't mean to keep you from something that important. It's just that... well, I-I've been feeling kind of... lonely lately. I was wondering if you could give me advice on how to get a girlfriend." Sam looked at him, his eyes wide with hope. "I asked Remy, but he told me I needed to talk t'you. That you taught him everything he knows about women."
"Well, yes, I did," Hank said, managing to look modest. "He was a very fast learner too. But Sam, I don't think you want every woman, you just want one special one in your life, am I right?"
"Well, yeah, you are," Sam agreed. "But I figured if a lot of different women found me wonderful, I could take my pick."
"That's true, but I think I have a better idea." Hank opened his desk drawer and took out a thick phonebook. "I know someone who would be perfect for you. She's everything you could ever want in a woman. Why don't I call her later and fix you up with her? I'm sure the two of you will be very happy together."
"Golly Gee, you'd be willin' t'do that fer me?" Sam asked, unable to believe what he was hearing.
"Of course I would. We're teammates." Hank smiled. "There is nothing I won't do to help my fellow teammates."
"Gosh, Hank, but we all owe you so much!"
"It's all part of being an X-Man," Hank said, wisely.
When Sam left the room, Hank went back to his work. He barely had time to type in three words, when Joseph came in. "Hank, I need to talk to you?"
Joseph's problem was that he knew that at one point in his life he had been Magneto, an enemy of the X-Men. He was afraid he might someday change and become a bad man. As patiently as possible, Hank assured him he would not. If he ever showed signs of such a thing, Hank would stop it.
"How can you stop it?" Joseph asked.
"I will tell you to stop. And I won't be your friend," Hank said. "I can't be friends with someone who would harm the X-Men."
"That's true!" Joseph nodded. "And I would hate to lose your friendship. I think that will work."
"You think?" Hank said, his brows arching under his glasses.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't question you." Joseph's face flushed with shame. "I know it will work. "
"That's better." Hank nodded.
After Joseph came Remy, who needed help because it was his turn to cook that night. Hank gave him careful instructions on how to make Jambalaya and sent him on his way. Bishop came next, needing help on how to take apart his gun to clean it. Hank showed him how. Then Storm needed advice for her plants. Hank gave her a special plant food he had designed just for Storm. She was very grateful.
It was a very busy morning for poor Hank. He wished he could just lock the door and spend some time with his wonderful, special daughter, but he knew he could not just leave the X-Men stranded.
Betsy was the next person to come in. "Sometimes my costume is uncomfortable," she confessed, looking slightly embarrassed. "The bottom kinda.. bunches up in my butt and it makes it hard to concentrate when I'm fighting."
"I thought that might be happening," Hank said, opening his desk drawer. "So I designed you a new costume last night." He pulled out a bag. "I think you'll find this much better. It will cover your whole butt, rather than just the part in the middle."
"What a good idea!" Betsy pulled the costume out of the bag and looked at it. "Purple, red and yellow, what lovely colors!"
"I thought you would like them," Hank said.
"Hank you are so wonderful," Betsy said. "I don't know what we'd do without you."
Hank hoped Betsy would be the last person to need him for awhile. It was getting close to lunch and he promised Siku, his wonderful and special daughter he would take her to McDonalds for a Happy Meal.
"Hank, Ah really need t'speak t'you."
He looked up, seeing Rogue in the doorway. "I'm never too busy for a fellow X-Man," he said, kindly. "What can I do for you?"
"Ah... Ah'm really getting tired of not bein' able to control my powers," Rogue confessed. "Ah know it's hopeless, but can Ah at least talk to you about it?"
"Who said it was hopeless?" Hank said, pulling open a desk drawer and taking out a bottle of jellybeans. "I invented these last night. They're magical Jellybeans. Eat one before you touch someone and then you can't hurt them."
Rogue's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Of course, I wouldn't lie to you."
She opened the bottle, her hands shaking and popped one in her mouth. "Cherry, my favorite," she said.
Hank rose from his desk and walked over to her. "Now, why don't you touch me, just to see if it works?"
Hesitantly, Rogue removed her glove and reached out, gently touching Hank's face. When nothing happened, she threw her arms around him, giving him a big hug and kiss on the cheek. "Hank McCoy, you are the smartest, bestest person in the whole wide world!"
"I'm glad I can help," Hank said, smiling brightly. "Now, why don't you run off and see what Gambit is up to? Maybe the two of you can get married now."
"What a good idea!" Rogue said. "Ah know Ah've sort-of been seeing Joseph, but Ah'm really do love Remy. Ah just didn't want to hurt him. But now Ah don't have to worry about it!"
When Rogue left the room, Hank smiled. It was ten minutes before noon and he had solved so many problems. Lesser men might have thought they had accomplished a lot, but for Hank McCoy, it was almost typical. "What would the X-Men do without me?" He started went back to typing on the computer. He knew he only needed five more minutes and he would have the legacy virus cured.
"Siku? Siku honey, where are you?" Hank called out, walking into the recreation room. "It's time for lunch and I'm making one of your favorites, a chicken salad sandwich."
Siku looked up from the corner, where she had been playing all morning. "I'm over here, Daddy!" She started to gather up the toys she had been playing with.
"Have you been playing with these all morning?" Hank asked, looking at the figures she was holding in her hands. They were tiny replicas of all the X-Men, action figures, custom made for her by Forge, for her last A-Day.
Siku nodded holding up the Beast figure and smiling brightly. "I was playing that the X-Men were havin' problems and talking t'you."
Beast chuckled. "Well, I hope I was able to help them."
Siku smiled. "Of course you were. You're the best Daddy in the world!"
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