Disclaimer: I do not own Talespin.

Chapter Two

That evening, Kit's keen sense of smell was leading him to the kitchen as his nose had detected a wonderful smell. He could not remember ever inhaling a smell that wonderful at Higher for Hire. He floated down the stairs and glide over to the kitchen, the steam of the wonderful smell pulling his nose along the way.

Kit hovered above a chair at the table before dropping into it. The moment he fell into the chair, he snapped out of his dreamy trance, looked around and saw his Dad pulling something out of the oven.

Mathew straightened up and turned, holding a lasagna pan in his hands. Kit had to suppress a laugh with difficulties as his Dad was wearing a pink, flowery apron over his pilot jacket, he covered his mouth with a hand, but a few giggles still managed to escape his lips.

Mathew looked at Kit with an understanding smile. "Yes, this apron is rather girly, but it's the only one I found, so I had no choice."

"I don't care, you're still my Dad." Kit said with a smile. He moved over to Mathew as he set the lasagna on the table and hugged his Dad. "I love you, Dad."

"Back at ya, kiddo," said Mathew with a smile, stroking Kit's head affectionately. "I hope you like lasagna, sports."

Kit exclaimed happily. "That's my favorite meal!"

"I had a feeling that it might be." Mathew said with a grin. "It's my favorite too. Now, go tell Baloo and Wildcat to come in for dinner."

"Knowing Baloo, there won't be any of this left after tonight." Kit said, gesturing at the lasagna.

Mathew chuckles. "Don't worry; I came prepared," he said, walking over to the stove and opening the oven, revealing a second pan of lasagna in there. "He can have this whole thing while you, me and Wildcat have the first one."

Kit chuckles. "That'll work." And he dashed off to tell the others that dinner was ready.

A moment later, Baloo came floating toward the table with a dreamy look on his face just as Kit has done a few minutes ago.

"Mm-mm, what is that wonderful smell?"

"Lasagna," Mathew replied, setting the garlic breadsticks on the table along with a bowl of salad. "Uh-uh." He smacked Baloo's hand as he made a grab for the lasagna on the table. "That's for me, Kit and Wildcat. Yours is in the oven." Just then, the timer dinged. "Hmm, perfect timing, Baloo, yours is ready…Heh-heh."

Baloo just gave him a resentful look as he rubbed the back of his hand.

Fifteen minutes later, they had finished eating a delicious meal.

"Hmm…" said Baloo, smacking his lips as he ate the last bite. "That was great and you're not bad of cook, where did you learn to cook like that?"

"It's one of my many talents, along with flying and cloud-surfing, I guess." Mathew shrugged. "I was a chef in the navy at one time."

Kit's eyes grew wide. "You were in the navy?"

Mathew laughed and rubbed Kit's head, causing his cap to slide down to his eyes.

"Yeah, kiddo. I learned to fly like I do from the navy, although part of how I fly comes from having a great plane and talent."

"Wow…" Kit said in awe, pushing his cap back into position.

"When were you in the navy?" asked Baloo, patting his great belly.

"I joined the navy in the hopes of improving my piloting skills when I was nineteen and I served three years there." Mathew said. "I was a pilot, I cleaned the decks and I was a chef."

"Did anything exciting happen when you were in the navy?" Kit asked eagerly.

"Of course, I've had a lot of excitements in my days in the navy." Mathew said with a smile of pride. "I even had the pleasure—or should I say the misfortunate of meeting Don Carnage."

"You've met Don Carnage?" Kit was hanging onto his Dad's every words.

"Yeah," said Mathew, there was a glare in his eyes as he continues: "Met him on the first mission, which was before I learned to fly like an ace, he and his pirates shot both of the engines and brought me down. Carnage then got onboard and held me against the wall with that sword of his, and his pirates took all the cargos while he stood there, telling me about his 'wonderful self', still pointing his sword at me."

"The Phoenix got shot down?" asked Kit, he like that plane as well as the Sea Duck and he hates the thought of either planes being shot down.

"Oh no, that was before I brought the Phoenix, although the encounter with the Air Pirates is the reason why I customized the Phoenix with Super flight one hundred engines along with a turbo engine I call 'overdrive.' I brought the Phoenix two years after you were born, before then I've flown something similar to Shere Khan's aircrafts."

"Was the Phoenix red when you brought it?" asked Baloo.

"Yes it was, the flaming stickers are something I added to it to make it look more like the Phoenix."

"Ah, there you are, Mathew," said a voice; Rebecca came into the kitchen, holding a clipboard in her hand. "Good, ready for your first time on the job?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Mathew replied, grinning. He stood up from his chair. "What's my first assignment?"

"You will be delivering the jewels to Buffy's Jewelry Store, the assignment which Baloo has failed…" Rebecca said, casting Baloo a glare.

"That's not fair, Rebecca," Mathew said, seeing her glaring pointedly at Baloo. "It's not his fault Don Carnage went after him, forcing him to abandon his assignment…"

"Baloo's a great pilot; he could've flown circles around those Air Pirates." Rebecca argued.

"Yes, he could've, but didn't and do you know why?" when Rebecca shook her head, Mathew continued: "Because he was concerned for Kit's safety, those pirates were shooting at them from every direction, one false move and Kit might have been shot! Baloo just could not let that happen, he cares so much for Kit, he loves him and I do not think he would have been able to live with himself if something happens to Kit under his watch. Their lives are more important then any shipments."

Rebecca sighed and her face softened. "Yes, they are more important then any cargo shipments, I'm sorry guys, I'm just so stubborn and headstrong when it comes to business…"

"Pinch me, I must be dreaming," Baloo said, a little shocked. "Beckers just admitted she is so stubborn!—OW!" he cried out as Kit pinched his arm. "I didn't mean that literally, Lil Britches."

Kit just grinned and chuckled. "You should say what you mean, Papa Bear." Then he turned his attention to his Dad. "Can I go with you?"

Mathew scooped Kit up his arms. "I don't see why not."

Kit was about to exclaim in joy when Rebecca cleared her throat pointedly.

"I can see why not," she said firmly. "Kit has school tomorrow, it's not exactly the weekends, you know."

Mathew leaned sideway toward Baloo. "Is she always like this?"

"Yeah and worst," Baloo groaned.

"Aw Miss Cunningham…" Kit moaned, much like any kid would do to their mothers at being denied of any fun.

"Don't you 'Miss Cunningham' me, mister!" Rebecca retorted, much like a mother would do. "You've got school tomorrow." Spotting the mixture of disappointment and annoyance on Kit's face, she softens her face and bent down to his level, with a hand on his shoulder. "Listen, Kit, I'm not trying to pull you away from having fun, or from being with your Dad." She sighed. "Look, tomorrow's Friday, you can go with him then, okay?"

"Okay, Miss Cunningham." Kit said, smiling. He then hugged Rebecca around the neck, something he has always wanted to do since she sang Home Is Where the Heart Is to him through the window (though he was hiding at the time) and gave him a cookie on the first night she and Molly stayed at Higher for Hire. Rebecca smiled warmly as she hugged Kit back. "I love you, Miss Cunningham," he said, full of the emotion. Then as realization of what he just said hit him, he turned brick red with embarrassment and he pulled away from Rebecca, looking down at the floor. "Sorry."

Rebecca covered her mouth as she giggled. "Don't be, Kit," she said, playfully pushing Kit's cap down to his eyes. "I love you, too."

Mathew looks on this scene with an emotion welling up in his heart.

He is so happy here, Mathew thought. Baloo is his father figure, Rebecca is filling the mother figure, and he loves both of them dearly and they love and care for him in return, this is his surrogate family. I think I made the right choice when I made the decision to move here, rather then to take him back home with me.

"Well, I'm off," Mathew announced, heading for the door.

Rebecca followed him to the Phoenix. She caught up with him as he untied the plane's pontoon from the dock.

"Here's the map, I circled the places where you will go tonight. Louie's Place is on the way there; you can stop there for refueling and have a drink before continuing your assignment."

"Okay, thanks Rebecca." Mathew said before taking the map and climbing into the Phoenix. He rolled the window down. "I'll try to be back before dawn." He said before he turned on the engines and the blades started spinning as the Phoenix moved away from the dock and taking flight, moving toward the gap of the Cape Suzette's cliffs and out of sight.

Mathew looked back before he reach the gap in the cliffs and saw Kit at the highest window inside Higher for Hire, waving his baseball cap in farewell

"Be careful, Dad." Kit whispered as he watched the Phoenix disappear through the gap.

Author's Note:

Sorry it took awhile to update, I've been busy and had a major case of writer's block but here it is! I hope you like it.