It was still early that morning when the doorbell rang. Around 7 in the morning. And on a Sunday no less. And yet 5 years old Sikudhani McCoy was already awake, and rapidly heading for the door, much in front of her father, who was still fighting the clumsiness of sleep. Other residents still awake that morning was Charles, in his office, and Logan, somewhere on the mansion grounds. And that doorbell had probably wakened a few of them too.
"Daddy, hurry! Guests are at the door, " an overexcited Siku pleaded.
Hank McCoy grumbled something about early meetings and sleep, but Siku dismissed it completely. Someone her age was coming to the mansion today. Today she was going to play with someone her age!
"Hello, anyone here," came an impatient man on the other side of the door.
"I’m coming, Peter, I’m coming," Hank replied.
Peter, Siku knew, was a good friend of her aunts and uncles. He had already come to the mansion a few times in the past. Siku hadn’t known until last night that Peter had a daughter her age.
"Hurry, Daddy, " Siku pleaded again.
Hank nodded and finally reached the door. Siku stood beside him as he opened the door. Peter was there, and beside him, holding his hand, was a small girl, about Siku’s height, with red hair and brown eyes. She looked shy, and held her head down.
"Hi Hank, " Peter said. He then bent down to look at Siku. "Hello Siku!"
"Hello Mr. Parker, " Siku responded politely.
Peter looked at his daughter.
"Well, May, won’t you say hi?"
May didn’t raise her head and only mumbled a small, barely audible, response.
"Hi," she simply said.
Siku examined the shy girl, a bit disappointed. She had expected a very friendly new friend.
"Well, come in, both of you," Hank said, moving from the door to let the two in. May looked up then to take a good look at her surroundings. She noticed Hank’s fur, as well as Siku’s, and her eyes grew wide in amazement. Siku didn’t mind. Neither did Hank.
"The professor is waiting for us in his office, Peter."
Peter nodded, and talked a bit with Hank for a few minutes. Siku moved a little closer to May, who was still looking around, impressed by the huge mansion. She had been used to living in their small house in Forest Hills.
"Hi ! I’m Sikudhani McCoy! What’s your name?"
Siku was asking, but she already knew the answer. She was just trying to make her talk.
"May... My name is May."
The response was uncertain, as if telling Siku her name was a big offense. Hank turned to talk to Siku just as Sam arrived in the living room, yawning. He reconsidered, and instead called Sam.
"Sam, can I ask you to keep an eye on the two ladies here while Peter and I talk with Charles?"
Sam quickly assessed the situation. An early Sunday morning. Two young girls. One completely new to the mansion...
"Sure no problem. You two go and have your private talk, me and the two ladies here will have our own private fun! "
Siku giggled, and May smiled. Siku noticed it. This might work out after all.
"And this here is the Mansion’s main kitchen, where everyday..."
Sam suddenly stopped his tour of the mansion he’d been giving the girls for the last half-hour when he noticed that there were no more whispers and giggles behind him. Only silence. Not good. He turned around, only to realize he was alone in the kitchen.
"Uh oh. Ah’m in trouble now... "
"Are you sure it’s okay to be down here," May asked her partner in crime.
Siku nodded. "My daddy lets me come down here all the time ! He won’t mind," Siku responded.
The two 5 years old girls stood in the middle of Beast’s laboratory. They had escaped Sam’s attention easily enough, and Siku had brought May here, where they could play in peace for a while.
"Come on, " Siku said, taking May’s arm and bringing her to two lab coats. "Let’s put these on and pretend we’re doctors ! Just like my daddy !"
May smiled at the idea.
"My daddy has these too where he works at the ...U...ni...ver...sity... " May said, having trouble with the complicated word.
"Really ? Your daddy must be smart," Siku said. But she still thought her daddy was the smartest.
May nodded as she put the coat on. It was way too long for her, and too large also, but she managed to put her two arms in. The rest of the coat rested on the floor behind her. Siku was dressed about the same way. They then put on protective goggles, just like their respective fathers did.
"Well, Dr. May, what do you think we can do first," Siku asked, taking a very serious tone while trying not to laugh.
"Well, Dr. Siku, I think we can first see what we can play... I mean, work, with, "May said, also taking on a very serious attitude.
The two girls smiled at each other and started to search the lab.
Peter sat in front of Charles’s desk, with Hank beside him. The three had been talking for around 45 minutes now.
"I’m really glad you chose to bring May today, Peter. That way we can do the tests right away," Charles said.
"I don’t know if we should do these tests. I don’t want May to feel like a lab rat or something. I am aware she could very well be a mutant, as much as I am aware that fact alone might also mean she could have the Legacy Virus, and that these tests are necessary to discover just that. But I think I should talk about it with Mary Jane first."
Hank nodded.
"A wise decision," Henry approved. "Why didn’t you bring her too, today ?"
"She’s working."
"Well then, now that this matter is concluded, will you stay around a little ? Siku and May might not want to part just yet," Charles said, assuming the two girls were having fun together.
Henry and Peter looked at each other. Maybe they should go check on them.
"Dr. Siku, do you think putting these together could be dangerous," May asked, looking at two empty vials.
"I think we should try, Dr. May."
"I believe not, " a sudden voice said.
"Uncle Sam," Siku said, surprised.
Both girls suddenly looked at the door. Sam stood there, an angry expression on his face. He had been searching for these two for the last 15 minutes. May took a step backwards in surprise, and tripped in the lab coat. She fell on Siku, who stood behind her, and both girls went tumbling to the floor. Sam rushed to the fallen girls.
"Are you two all right ?"
After a few silent seconds, a small giggle emerged from under the pile of lab coats, then a second. And then all out laughter echoed through the lab as both Siku and May laughed at their predicament. None of them noticed how lucky they were the vials May was holding didn’t break.
"All right, girls, enough fun down here... Why don’t you two go play in your room, Siku ?"
He replaced the goggles, vials and lab coats at their respective places, then took each girl by the hand and led them to Siku’s room.
"All right, you two stay here ! I’ll go get you some juice to drink, and maybe a snack. That okay with you two? "
The two girls nodded. Sam smiled and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Siku and May were playing with some dolls when May asked.
"Sam is your uncle ?"
"Yes, " Siku said. "And so is Uncle Remy, Uncle Logan, Uncle Scott, Uncle Charles... I also have aunt Rogue, aunts..."
May cut her short.
"You’re lucky to have a big family. I have only mommy and daddy. "
"You don’t have any uncles ? Aunts ? "
May shook her head in negative response.
"I had an uncle, but he...went away before I came," May said.
"I don’t have a...mommy," Siku said.
"You don’t," May said, surprised.
Siku took a plush dog she had, and held it close to her.
"You have aunts, but I don’t. But I have a mommy, and you don’t. So that makes us the same," May said.
Siku smiled happily and nodded. She let go of the dog and rejoined May in a circle of dolls she had formed around herself. The two hugged each other just as Sam was returning with some juice.
"Awww...Ain’t that the cutest... "
When Peter came to get Siku in her room, alongside Hank later that day, the two were having a nap, sleeping side by side on Siku’s bed. It was almost painful to wake them up. But it had to be done. The two girls said good-bye to each other, then both of them went on to tell their respective dads about their wonderful day, and the new friend they’d just made.