Norah is sweet and adorable. That's what Boboiboy knows for sure.

And at the same time, his little bundle of joy can be VERY stubborn, and fierce. After all, Norah inherited traits from both Yaya and him, all good and bad sides. Boboiboy just wishes she wouldn't take after him too much sometime. That girl, aside from her mother's hair and eyes, is a nearly perfect carbon copy of him. Norah is her father's daughter, through and through—

—Which is enough to spell her knack for getting into trouble.

Boboiboy swears he almost has a heart attack the moment his little star returns home with a nasty bruise on her forehead, and on the back of Ying and Fang's eldest son, Zhen. Norah's usually neat hair has turned into a mess, the star-shaped clip he gifted her barely hanging on the bang. Fai, Ying and Fang's youngest daughter, walks beside them while clutching a stuffed toy and is on the verge of crying. Her once white dress is covered in dirt.

It has taken Boboiboy all of his self-control to not drop the cup in his hands. The mothers of the gang have already jumped on their feet.

"NORA!?!" "KIDS?! What happened!?!"

Yaya and Ying rush to the children's sides. Their husbands are just a minuscule second slower. Upon their approach, Fai almost bursts into tears as Ying crouches to check the kid's scraped knees. Norah, on the other hand, seems to flinch much to her parents' confusion. She hides behind Zhen's back, shying away from her mother's hands.

Yaya immediately withdraws them back. Panic writes her feature. Boboiboy places a hand on his wife's shoulder in the hope it would calm her down before she's flipped out by the strange antics of their daughter.

"Who did this?" Boboiboy asks the children, keeping his voice in check. Yaya has already freaked out for both of them. One ought to be calm lest would be... casualties. At that moment, Zhen bounces Norah slightly to adjust his hold on her, unintentionally brushing his shoulder to her forehead and drawing out a whimper. It reminds the adults what should be prioritized right now.

"Let's just sit down first."

Ying and Yaya, who overcame her initial shock, usher the kids down to the nearest empty table. Fang already goes to fetch a first aid kit box from under the shop's counter. Boboiboy watches his daughter worriedly. Her injuries don't look serious, save for her forehead. But for whatever reason, Norah is adamant to avoid both him and Yaya. In fact, she hasn't looked at anyone and even goes as far as refusing to let go of Zhen when he tries to set her down on an empty stool, to the point they almost keel over.

(It's not like Boboiboy is giving the boy a dirty look for the close approximation or something.)

Clearing his throat, he repeats the question once more. "So, what happened?"

"Or better. Whose ass I gotta kick?" rings a voice behind him.

"Mechabot!" Exclaiming, Boboiboy turns his head over his shoulder. "There's such a thing as a place and a time. And we have children here!" He hisses.

"Meh, they'll grow up eventually. Just like you lot." The power sphere shrugs him off, totally immune to the stink eye he's receiving. As much as Boboiboy loves his uncle, sometimes, he just wants to punch that smug face for once.

Norah fidgets further on her chair, seeming to grow more uncomfortable as time passes. It doesn't escape Yaya, but she isn't sure how to address the matter, with her daughter rejecting them all. She has taken quite a trouble just to get close enough to be able to examine the gash on Norah's forehead.

Zhen spares a glance between the mother and daughter for a while before releasing an impatient sigh.

"This chibi was brawling with some gremlins, bigger than her." He speaks up, grabbing everyone's attention. Ignoring the gasp and betrayed look from Norah, Zhen quickly snatches his shirt out of her grip, which instantly earns him a swift kick to the butt in retaliation. He sends a death glare at the culprit who swipes her head away, both cheeks puffed.

"Norah got into a fight?" Yaya repeats out of trance more than anything. At once, Norah flinches, either due to her mother beginning to clean the bruise, or the mention of her real name. The little girl averts her gaze, only letting out a few small sounds when a gauze is applied to her forehead. Her lips remain sealed.

Yaya bites inside her own cheek. She admits the whole deal is unsettling her nerves. Licking her dry lips, she forces the anxiety down and takes Norah's tight fists into her hands.

"Sweetie, If you won't talk, mama and papa can't know what is wrong. Are you still hurt somewhere?" Gently, Yaya untangles the little fingers so that she can hold them. Her daughter jolts a bit when she then gives her hand a light squeeze. Otherwise, her little girl stubbornly keeps her silence despite the coaxing. Her head hangs low, letting her hair obscured her expression.

"Star, please," Yaya's voice is no less gentle than before. "I need you to talk to me. What happened?"

And still yield no results. If anything, Norah seems to cow further. Her lips are trembling slightly while water begins to gather at the corners of her eyes.

For the first time, Yaya feels her years of taking after her younger brother are useless. Her ideas are running low and the stress isn't helping here. Boboiboy shifts his weight under her pleading eyes, his mind racing. He opens his mouth—

"Did she win or lose?"

Everyone's faces immediately reduce into blank looks. Boboiboy throws his hands up to punctuate his rising frustration.

"Are you for real, Mechabot?!" He faces the powersphere who has the gall to appear as though he was being wronged.

"What?! What's done is done! It's not like you can undo anything." Mechabot reasons, crossing his arms. "So may as well see the result."

Boboiboy pinches the bridge of his nose, sensing a migraine forming. Seriously, why did his father have to whoosh in and take Ochobot to an unknown mission and leave them babysitting this meat— sorry, metalhead?

The children, however, took his scowl for something else.

"P-Please don't be mad. It wasn't her fault!" Fai stares up at him through a thin veil of tears that easily makes Boboiboy feel like he just kicked a puppy. "They laughed at me and tried to steal Poro away. Star just helped me take him back."

Now that Ying shifts away to discard the dirty cotton wool, Boboiboy can see aside from the scraped knees, there is a large, red mark on the kid's left cheek. The tender skin is painful to look at. Meanwhile, the said Poro, a penguin plush in Fai's death grip, appears as though it just passed through a hurricane. The seam connecting its body parts almost comes off, revealing the white stuff inside.

A new frown finds its way to Boboiboy's face.

This was supposed to be a yearly gathering among the kokotiam for old time's sake, and for Fang to show off his kids. Gopal excused himself since he and his daughter had followed his model wife on a world tour.

This was barely an hour after two little children bonded and ran off to play with each other. Zhen chose to linger behind because he was "too grown up to join the kiddies", which Boboiboy doubted actually had been more because of the fact he was the only boy in the group. But soon, he got bored with listening to the adults' chit-chat and went searching for the girls.

And this is how they returned.

If anything, Boboiboy blames himself for his neglect. He's well aware he isn't the only one possessing the line of thoughts, based on the grim expression of his friends and wife. They've done a splendid job to hide it from the children. Then again, this isn't time for self-loathing. His daughter needs him right now, much more than she's willing to show.

Boboiboy wacks his brain. Norah is like him, what a blessing in disguise, he ironically muses. So the question is, what would he act... no, feel if he came home with a nasty bruise from a fight, and the weight of knowing he would have to face his parents and Atok—

"Yaya, hon. Can you prepare some Tok Aba's Special Iced Chocolates?" Boboiboy voices up. "It seems like the kids had a rough afternoon."

His wife instantly moves to protest. Her maternal instinct elicits her refusal to leave her daughter's side, especially with Norah's current state. But with a soft pat of his hand on her shoulder, Yaya's mouth closes. Her eyes meet his for a brief moment and fall back to Norah, lips pursed into a thin line.

Eventually, Yaya nods. She doesn't forget to give their daughter's hands a last squeeze before letting go and entering the shop. Catching a whiff of what is going on, Fang gathers the scattered items and picks up the first aid kit box. 

"I will put this back. Does anyone want to come?"

"Me. Yaya can use some help in the kitchen. " Ying stands up. "...And maybe I can quickly wipe up something nice for all of us." 

Fang turns to his children. Fai is a bit hesitant but the kid remains on the seat after sneaking a worried glance at Norah. Meanwhile, Zhen simply shakes his head. Fang arches an eyebrow but leaves without saying.

Mechabot rubs his hands together, grinning in glee. "Make popcorn. This's far too entertaining to miss out—"

"Oh, not so fast, mister. You are coming, too." Ying says singsong, at once grabbing one of his shoulder caps. "An extra hand is always welcome."

Boboiboy watches her dragging the power sphere away, unfazed by his loud wail of protest before slapping a tape over his mouth once Mechabot begins to curse. He makes a mental note to thank her later.

With the coast clear, Boboiboy pulls a chair. He sits down next to Norah, trying his best to ignore how her body tense at his presence. He flashes a smile to the other kids who are watching him curiously. After a few minutes of sober silence, he clears his throat.

"You know, little star." Boboiboy states casually. "When papa was your age, papa used to be rather... mischievous."

His daughter peeks up at him through the gap of her bang, listening though still wary. His lips curl up into a grin. Good, he had her attention.

"Papa would, you know, try to sneak out when it was pouring, rolling on the dirt when your grandmother just changed my clothes, stealing food before everyone sat down... Mechabot initiated it so well, quarreling with him more than once." He chuckles slightly at the memories. "And many many other things. Let's say your grandparents and Atok weren't amused a bit."

"Really? I didn't know Captain was so..." Fai pipes up, eyes squinting as he tries to recall the word. "Mi-schi-vos?"

"Mischievous." Zhen corrects from his side.

"That's what I said!"

"Heh, every man has their moment." Boboiboy grins, tussling Fai's purple locks, turning the kid's pout into a giggle. Norah has fully focused on him now. Her eyebrows knit cutely as to guess what her father's intention is. His daughter jolts when he gently brushes the dirt off her hair. Relief washes over Boboiboy when she doesn't duck away. Clear brow eyes blink up at him.

"What papa is saying is papa knows how hard it is when you have to tell someone your... not-so-good deed." Boboiboy words. "It's really scary, and awful because you feel like you screwed things up... but hey, even a brave hero makes mistakes. Papa wants you to know that no matter what happens, papa won't get upset. Papa will always be proud of you, and I'm sure your mama feels the same. It really worries us whenever you keep silent, so speak up, okay? We are always here for you."

Norah follows his gaze to the park nearby, mulling it over. Boboiboy wills his nervousness to not show up while waiting. After a pregnant pause, his daughter finally faces him, raising her head high enough just to see his eyes.

"Papa isn't upset...?" She asks timidly, wriggling her fingers on her lap.

"Yep. I'm not upset. Pinky promise." Boboiboy waggles his pinky finger. "Papa can even talk to mama if Norah wants. All in all, Norah can count papa as your partner in crime!"

A giggle finally cracks from Norah as she twirls her small finger with his. "It's [partner in justice]— Ah, but... Norah was bad today."

"May papa know why?"

Immediately, her lips are pressed into a thin line. As Boboiboy fears she's retreated back to her shell, she speaks up.

"They were... They laughed at Norah, so Norah—" She trails off with a grumble. Although her head is downward, Boboiboy can make out the pout on her cheeks.

"You hit them because they teased you?" He explicates whilst his daughter refuses to look up. He let out a breath. That has confirmed a lot of things, he guesses.

"N– No! That was not it!" Fai's sudden exclamation startles them both. The kid clutches the stuffed penguin. "Star hit them because they hit me and... and tried to steal Poro a-and...! They... threw rocks at S– tar first... made her head bleed..."

Boboiboy's mind goes blank in an instant. He heard the first part, but the last part is news. And he would have comforted Fai, seeing the kid begins the waterworks again if his head isn't busy attempting to piece everything together now.

"So you're saying those kids hit you then tried to steal err... Poro, and Nora hit them so they threw rocks at her?"

Fai shakes his head. After a lot of sniffing, stuttering, and Zhen's help to translate the whole thing over the hiccups, Boboiboy finally grabs a clear image of what truly happened. And he admits he nearly loses it.

Apparently, when Norah and Fai were playing, some brats showed up. They teased Fai and Norah just had none of that. Shunning them, she led her friend away, which irked the other kids for their lack of reaction. So one of them threw a rock at them, somehow thinking it was a good idea. It hit Norah's forehead, accidentally or not, drawing out blood. Fai and the brats immediately panicked.

While Fai fussed over her injury, those nasty brats tried to shift the blame, stating it had been Norah's fault for ignoring them first. They then picked on Fai and attempted to take the stuffed penguin. And when the kid protested, the brats pushed Fai falling to the ground, scraping the kid's knees in the process. Thus, all hell broke loose once Norah decided enough was enough.

Boboiboy exhales through his nose to calm down. He can't say he didn't see it coming. It's rare for Norah to initiate a fight. His daughter is generally a mild-tempered child, and smart enough to avoid trouble unless it involves her family.

Or friends in this case. Boboiboy watches as his daughter tenderly pats the other kid on the back. The corners of his mouth tug up a bit. She inherits Yaya's caring heart.

"I'm sorry. It was because of my weird eye colors..." Fai mutters between his hiccups, rubbing his eyes. Norah shakes her head.

"They aren't weird." She says offhandedly then blinking. "Well, they are weird. Norah never saw anyone's eyes have two colors before, but Fai's eyes are pretty. Nora like red and blue. They look super-duper awesome!"

A breathless laugh slides from the other kid's lips. As Fai tries to wipe his tears with the back of his arm before Zhen pulls out a handkerchief and helps him.

"I like Norah's eyes too. They are beautiful."

For the first time since she returns, Norah beams up. Boboiboy smiles despite his eyebrow suddenly twitching, for some reason.

At that moment, something collides with the back of his head.

"I left my kids to you for a few minutes and you managed to make them bawl their eyes out! You better have a good excuse for this, Mister."

"Geez, give me a breath!" Boboiboy grumbles, massaging the sore spot while shooting an exasperated look at the short woman sneaking up on him. "Do you know how tough Yaya's limited plate collections are?!"

Ying just sticks her tongue to him. "That was for making my kids cry."

"It wasn't me!" Boboiboy exclaims but the Chinese woman already skips away. She passes the puff pastries to the kids, ignoring him grumbling incoherently under his breath. A hand is placed on his shoulder.

"Give up. You can't win against women." Fang states sympathetically. "So what did you gather?"

From the corners of his eyes, Boboiboy notices Yaya and Mechabot have returned with trays of hot cacao in their hands and Ying is diverting the children. In a hushed tone, he reiterates the story. Yaya's face instantly darkens while Fang clenches his jaws. More or less, Boboiboy understands what they are thinking right now.

Once he gets them, he will murder those brats— wait, that came out wrong.

"Mama!"

He has his needed distraction when Norah sprints into her mother, easing herself into her embrace. She breaks into sobs. "Nora's sorry-y. Nora made m-mama sad."

"Shh, It's okay. As long as Nora is fine, it's okay." Yaya whispers. She kisses their daughter's crown head, gently rocking her. Boboiboy smiles and gives his wife a thumbs-up as she regards him, relief flowing into her.

"Alright, kid. Just state their name and they will be out of your spawn's hair soon enough."

Here comes the overprotective uncle of the family, Boboiboy grimaces inwardly, remembering exactly why he can't be impulsive. They already have someone else filling that role.

"No, Mechabot. No one is killed, alright." He stops the power sphere from winding his guns. "It's illegal. And a bit extreme. I'm going to have a rather long, nice talk with their parents."

His daughter giggles from Yaya's arms as Mechabot rolls his eyes in the most dramatic way possible.

"Blegh. Earthlings. Always a bunch of pushy." He sneers with a fake disgusted face. At least the power sphere has recalled his weapon. Boboiboy counts it as a win.

"Guess mister high and almighty Mechabot won't tolerate food from those pushy Earthlings then...?" Ying says, waving a pastry in front of Mechabot's face that he's flipped.

"NO! WHO SAID THAT?! GIMME SOME NOW!!" The power sphere yells, chasing after her like a mad lad around the park. Everyone bursts into laughter.

"Oh, right, Zhen. You should let Yaya check on your cheek. Although, unlike your sister, it's still a shame if those scratches leave a mark. Did you get them while protecting Nora and Fai?" Boboiboy gestures to the boy when he comes to take his share of cacao who then looks at him oddly.

He also fails to realize everything suddenly quietens down.

"Your daughter did this when I tried to stop her from beating those brats to a pulp." Zhen jabs his thumb to Norah whose mouth hangs agape for being sold out for the second time of the day. "And Fai isn't—"

"Boboiboy was r-right, Zhen! C'mon boy, let's have your wound checked!" Fang quickly covers his eldest son's mouth and drags him away despite his protest. Boboiboy narrows his eyes suspiciously. Fang's shoulders are shaking under the clear attempt to hold back laughter. Boboiboy turns to his wife though Yaya only gives him a rather... blank look, confusing him further. 

Eventually, he shrugs. He has long learned to accept all of his friends can be weirdos sometimes so let's not dwell on it.

The gathering had ended without another fuss, much to everyone's relief. Before Ying and Fang's family depart from Earth, Fai suddenly leaves his parents and runs back. He ropes Norah into a tight hug.

"I– I will be stronger." The kid says, pulling back slightly to look at his friend's face. "As strong as brother and dad. I will protect you next time!"

Norah smiles and returns the hug in kind. "If it's Fai, Nora believes you can do it."

Yaya and Ying secretly swoon at the adorable sight while Fang arches an amused eyebrow. Zhen is much less amused, but his face does soften slightly. Mechabot is... just being Mechabot. Boboiboy wears his own smile, but something keeps nagging at the back of his head, namely, his overprotective father's sensor is tingling. It feels like he is overlooking a very important, very critical factor...

Just what possibly is it?

Watching the two little girls again, Boboiboy's eyebrows furrow. He titles his head, rubbing his chin before snapping his fingers.

Right, he has yet to tell Norah violence wasn't a solution to everything!

::::::::::

"Yiessh! Those kids were nasty. I hope Boboiboy and Yaya will teach them and their parents a stern lesson. Or I will come back here and do it myself." Ying grumps, fastening her seatbelt.

"Please. You know how your best friend is." Fang rolls his eyes while starting the ship's motor. "She will chew out the brats, their parents and Boboiboy if he fails to finish his job. Gods have mercy on them."

Ying instantly chortles, recalling their younger days when Yaya was still a school prefect. It had been one hell of a period for all the delinquents, including three guys in their gang.

"Well, serve them right! I still think it's luck that Zhen managed to find them quickly... How did you know where they were anyway?" She asks her son who takes the seat behind her. The young boy shrugs.

"It ain't that hard. They were being very loud. Only the deaf would have missed." Zhen then adds with a smaller voice. "Besides, I promise auntie Yaya. I won't let her chibi out of my sight."

At his faint blush, Ying arches an eyebrow. A sly smirk slowly makes its way onto her face.

"Gosh. Ying, no." Fang deadpans.

"What?! I haven't said a thing yet!"

"I know what you are thinking— planning." He groans out loud. "And no, they are still too young for your matchmaking game."

"But you saw how adorable they are!" His wife pouts. "And didn't you always wish to have a daughter? Imagine all the fun you can do with that sweet little sunshine!"

Fang actually pauses for a second. However, he shakes his head. "As tempting as it sounds, I don't want our kids to have to do anything against their will."

"So do I! You make it sound like I force them together or something." Ying huffs, can't believe her husband say that to her. She cups Fai's cheeks and squeezes them playfully with her palms. "I'm just saying I don't mind Norah becoming my daughter-in-law, if either of my boys ends up with her... Which I dearly hope so."

She grins as the little boy giggles under his mother's attention. "Cutie, do you like it if one day, Nora becomes our family?"

"Yes! Star is nice. I like her a lot!" Fai exclaims, bouncing his head excitedly. His mismatched eyes brighten up that Ying can't help but envelopes him in a tight hug, rubbing their cheek together.

"See! Even Fai agreed with me!"

"Quit infecting your nonsense into my son's head, woman." Fang scoffs mockingly whilst his wife sticks his tongue to him. They remain in a comfortable silence until Ying speaks up again.

"... You know. It seemed Boboiboy still hasn't got it."

"Right. He called Fai as Zhen's [sister]!" Fang snorts. "Sometimes, I forgot how dense our so-called hero could be."

"Fang, you dressed your son in a lace dress!  You can't entirely blame him." His wife nudges him, despite barely containing her laugh. Unlike her, Fang guffaws.

"Nah, he's forever an idiot!"

He just can't wait to see Boboiboy's face the day the truth is come out.