Ciara looked up at him and froze for a good min before slowly getting off her tippy toes. She turned around and looked down at the floor, playing with a bit of her shirt. She knew she wasn't suppose to be in here.

"I...I just wanted a peck...I I Ummm. Book." She pointed up at the big pretty red book, all wrapped in red binding.

Hank looked at her, then at the book and sighed, "That book is a bit advanced for you" he told her gently, "why don't you go look in the library for something?"

Ciara pouted, "But... pretty pictures with words..." She pointed at the photo paper in the book. She wanted to look at that book. She'd gone through a good amount of the books in the library... that were at her height. "Die-o-grams." She said trying to say the word, "I wanna look at the die-o-grims."

Hank ran a hand through his hair, "I'm not really sure now is the right time to be teaching you about... err, those... things. Ah, perhaps when you're older" he assured her, adding under his breath, "and when there's a woman in the house"

Ciara tilted her head to the side, confused and frustrated, "But I can't reach any of the book I wanna read-" Ciara paused as she saw the flashing lights on the computer screen. "OOH! What's that?" She asked, hurrying over, climbing up onto the chair to take a closer look.

Hank face-palmed a little, "I thought you were afraid of this room" he commented as he walked over to take a look at the screen as well.

Ciara looked up at him, "Am I?" Ciara had no memory of the scientists that had put her through tests and poked her with needles and such. "Well, it's ok cause I have a big friendly giant with me.... Ohhhhhh... DNA molecules." She commented as the computer displayed molecules as it scanned for things.

Hank looked at her curiously a moment. then he shrugged it off for now and smiled at her, "Yes, each of those represents a different part of our DNA" he began to explain. Eventually he brought the large book over and showed her a few select things in it.

Ciara eyes lit up as he explained things to her. She had lots of questions, some silly like why does the tummy have to look like that and others more serious. She was picking up on the information rather quickly.

A big grin was on her face as she sat on his lap as he pointed things out. Even when her eyes began to grow heavy, the grin remained. "But why do people eat Liver if it gets rid of all the bad things in a person's body? Wouldn't you just get sick or take all the toxins into your own body?" She asked, resting her head against him.

Hank explained these things to her late into to the night, finally he carried her up to bed when he realized just how late it had gotten.
"that's enough questions for tonight" he whispered to her as he tucked her in bed, "We can talk more tomorrow"

Ciara tugged on his arm, "Promise?" She asked, a lazy smile on her face. She'd really enjoyed the time with him. "I like you Hankie. <3"

"I promise" Hank smiled and pet her head, "I like you to little droplet"

She giggled, "I like that name..." She whispered, curling up and drifting to sleep.

Hank smiled and left her to sleep.

The Park
 

http://www.instablogsimages.com/imag...y_IuH1W_69.jpg

In the future...

It was a bright sunny day like most days on the continent of Genosha. It was half past 9 when they arrived at the park gates. The park was a large circular area filled with plant and wildlife and lots and lots of hidden cameras.

Over the years, more and more parks had become privatized. Man had continued to build more and more and providing nature at a price had become a new way of making money...

Not only was nature a good way to make money but also providing a safe place for mutant children to play and use their powers without the fear of being abducted. As the mutant population was now the majority, more and more children were going missing... Kidnapped and treated like lab rats. But not all children had their powers right away. Mutants who had not yet developed their powers were being snatched as well.

In a way to protect the young, a GPS device would be planned in children with consent from parents and at the age of 16 the child would have the option of getting it removed. 9/10 parents were for it. And the number of missing kid reports went down dramatically.

This particular park had a field around it to prevent any child from wandering out after being checked in. So if a child started flying around, they could only go so far. Colourful robots kept an eye on the children as they played; allowing parents to go off and do things.
The little girl clung to her father's arms. Not wanting to go.

"I wanna go with Daddy!" She protested.
He brushed her hair back gently, "Daddy has a lot of important meetings today. Besides, don't you want to go play with other children?"

"No. I'll be nice and quite I promise!" She started bluntly, tightening her grip around his neck. Ever since she'd been released from the hospital after birth she'd been rather clinging. She was nowhere near the average size of kids her age and felt much safer in his arms... But it was time she interacted with people her own age.

He placed her hand on a floating tablet just inside the gate. The tablet beeped and a wide screen appeared as Phil filled out the options for her stay. And once he was done a orange robot materialized in front of them.

"Hello Princess Ciara. Welcome to Crystal Glass Park." Ciara turned her head away from the robot and hid behind her father when he put her down. "First time away from Daddy?" The girlish voice asked.

Ciara pecked out from behind her father's leg and nodded.

"Well Princess, your Daddy has an important job to do today. Won't you come and play with us?" It held it's hand out and slowly after Phil nodded that it was ok, she took it.

"See that big blue building over there? That's where your Daddy will be. So he's not too far away." The robot stated. "Would you like to go to the pond and see all the frogs?"

"FROGS?" Ciara gasped with excitement and looked back up at her Dad. "Just for a little while right, King Daddy?" She asked.

Phil chuckled and nodded, "Just for a little while" he agreed, giving her a kiss on the forehead, "I'll be back before you know it princess. Be a good girl now"

"Okay!" She grinned, "Princess' honour!" She said putting her hand over her heart before being led off by the cute little robot.

Near the pond, sitting on a bench was a dark skinned boy with red tipped black hair and strange blue eyes. His hands were running over the pages of a book that had no pictures or words, only bumps.

Ciara played around the pong, giggling and laughing with the other children but she kept noticing the boy out of the corner of her eye. All the other kids were running around having fun but he just sat there.

She wandered over, as the group of kids she was playing with decided to go play else where. She floated up so she was the same height as he was and looked over his shoulder at the book or whatever it was, "Why are you sitting alone?" She asked suddenly when he didn't notice her.

"AH!" the boy yelped, falling over and causing his book to go flying to the ground. His eyes seemed to search for her without seeing but finally he turned his head in her general direction, "What was that for?!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to st-startle you." She said picking up the book. She floated in front of him, not quite sure why he wasn't looking directly at her. "Why aren't you playing with everyone else?" She asked placing the book back into his lap as he didn't reach for it when she offered it.

He got himself back up and in his seat, running his hands over the book before turning it right side up, "because... I am not like them" he replied quietly, his words were very articulate, as though he had spent a lot of time working on his pronunciation-or just read a LOT of books, "you would think that in days so advanced, with so many different types of people, that some may understand a difference such as mine. They do not."

Ciara watched him, "Oooooh." She said realizing something, "I get it... You're SHY AREN'T YOU?" She ask with a wide grin. "That's ok. I'm a little shy too." She sat down on her knees, "Let's play together!"

Horatio blinked, then smiled and straight out laughed, "wow! I have never had someone so oblivious to my condition before. Very well, but you have to promise not to throw anything at me, and do not let me forget where I put my book" he set his book carefully on the bench and hopped to his feet.

Ciara blushed, embarrassed that he was laughing at her. A little pout on her face. "Okie Dokie! I promise. You have a condition? Are you sick?" She asked slipping down from the bench. She was far too little for the bench.