Chapter 24: I wish, I wish, Upon a Fish

[Third Person's PoV] 

As they continued discussing Claire's ability, she approached with her tongue slightly to the side, concentrating as she carefully carried a plate in her hands.

"Here you go, Uncle Nate," Claire said, interrupting their conversation as she held up a piece of cake for him.

"Thank you," Nathan replied with a smile, taking the plate and gently patting her hand. As he patted her head, his eyes glowed slightly.

Claire beamed and happily went back to get the others their pieces of cake. To ensure no one overheard their conversation, Nathan created a mental link between all of them.

*"I saw your eyes just now. What did you find out?"* Klaus asked curiously.

The others turned toward Nathan, their expressions full of curiosity. *"Well, for starters, she's incredibly powerful, no doubt about that. She has the ability to manipulate reality through her wishes,"* Nathan informed them.

*"Alright, but are there any catches? Any side effects?"* Allison asked, her worry evident.

*"Yeah, there are a few limitations. She can make small wishes, like 'I wish I had this' or 'I wish I had that'—simple wants and things like that. But she needs to say them aloud, just like how Allison has to say, 'I heard a rumor...' Claire has to say, 'I wish...'

She can't just wish for something catastrophic, like the world exploding. For major, world-ending wishes, she would need a symbol—almost like a ritual. Something as simple as blowing out a candle on a cupcake would be enough, and it doesn't even have to be her birthday.

This is actually why she was able to summon me, even when I was millions of light years away."* Nathan explained.

Klaus let out a low whistle. *"Talk about serious power. One thing's for sure—we can't let our dear old daddy know about this."*

Allison and Vanya both shot Klaus a sharp glare.

*"Don't even joke about that, Klaus,"* Vanya warned.

*"This also means I expect all of you to keep this a secret from Luther. Honestly, for once, I'm glad he's not here and stuck on the moon,"* Allison sighed.

*"That's a bit harsh, isn't it, Allison?"* Diego asked.

*"Don't get me wrong, I love Luther like any brother would, but I'm with Allison on this. I have no doubt that Luther would snitch to the old man about little Claire's power,"* Ben added, shaking his head with a sigh.

Klaus nodded in agreement. *"I mean, sure, we all have strong daddy issues, but Luther has it the worst out of all of us."*

*"Can we please move on from our dad and talk more about Claire's abilities? I'm still a little worried here,"* Allison said, her voice tinged with concern. *"What do you mean by small wishes? What's considered a small wish? What if she wishes for someone to disappear? Would that be considered small?"*

*"She wouldn't be able to make someone disappear—that would require the wishing ritual. But she can find ways around it with small wishes, like saying, 'I wish you would just go away.' The effects of these wishes are random, a luck of the draw, if you will. The person might either teleport to the other side of the world or just walk away until they're miles from her. So, while she can't wish for anything big directly, she could wish for things that could lead to something big,"* Nathan explained further.

"Just great," Allison muttered aloud.

*"Oh cool, so she could just wish for someone to hit a nuke button, and it would be the same as wishing for a nuke to explode,"* Klaus said, his tone disturbingly casual.

*"How is that in any way cool?!"* Vanya snapped, glaring at Klaus like he was an idiot.

Klaus suddenly gasped and let out an excited squeal. *"Do you think I can get her to wish for beer or drugs, and they'd just pop out?!"* he asked excitedly.

That earned him a swift slap on the back of the head from Allison.

"OWW!! What is up with everyone suddenly hitting me?! I'm frail, you know!!" Klaus whined.

"No one here is going to exploit my daughter or use her as your personal wish machine! Do I make myself clear?" Allison said, her voice low and threatening, promising pain.

*"That goes for you too, you know,"* Nathan added with a serious expression.

*"Of course, I know that. She's my daughter. I would never do anything that would cause her harm,"* Allison scoffed, her protective nature evident.

*"Allison, I'm not saying I don't trust Patrick, but keep an eye on him as well. I know he loves Claire as any father would. But the allure of having their wishes granted without cost is too tempting for any normal human to resist."* Nathan cautioned, his voice tinged with seriousness.

*"Thanks, Nathan. You just had to make me even more worried. Now I'm supposed to question my own husband?"* Allison responded, her frustration evident.

*"I never said not to trust him. I just said to keep an eye on him, that's all."* Nathan clarified.

*"You keep talking about us, but what about you? What if you suddenly want a wish granted? Who's going to stop you?"* Diego asked, finishing the soda he had been sipping. He tossed the can into the air, watching as it arced and landed perfectly in a trash bag.

Nathan couldn't help but snort in amusement at the question. *"What could I possibly wish for that I don't already have? Power? I'm possibly the freaking strongest being in the universe in terms of power. Wealth? I have no need for wealth; I could rearrange the molecules in the air and create anything I ever need. Fame? I'm an intergalactic superhero. Women? Can any of you name a woman more beautiful than Phoebe? I'm set for life with that woman. If I need a wish, the world better be ending."* Nathan said, his tone light but confident.

*"And who would keep me in check in case I go back on my word? The answer is obvious,"* Nathan added, tapping his forehead with his thumb. *"She will."* 

Ben, who had been quiet, spoke up, his voice tinged with a deep-seated fear. *"Honestly, this is also why Jen and I don't have children... we're... I'm scared of what their powers might be like. I don't want to bring a child into this world if they're only going to suffer…"* Memories of his own troubled childhood seemed to weigh heavily on him.

*"Your powers and abilities aren't what made your childhood terrible, Ben; it was our father. And I'm 100 percent certain you are nothing like him. If and when you decide to have a child, I know you'll be a great father,"* Vanya said, looking at Ben with reassurance, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Jennifer, sitting beside Ben, put a hand on his thigh, offering a supportive smile.

Ben smiled awkwardly at the outpouring of support, coughing into his fist to change the subject. 

Nathan then felt a slight weight on his lap and looked down to see a plate of cake on one side and Claire trying to climb onto his other knee, her face scrunched up in concentration. 

"Come here, big girl," Nathan said warmly as he picked her up and settled her on his lap. He then started feeding her small bites of the cake.

Klaus, leaning back with a mischievous grin, teased, "You're so good with kids. I wonder when you and 'Phobe' are going to have little chicks running around."

Nathan's face remained expressionless as he wiped Claire's mouth. "We can't..." he said flatly, his tone almost emotionless. "She's a cosmic entity. She isn't allowed to have children, as it would upset the balance of the universe, leading to its destruction."

Klaus's grin vanished, replaced by a look of horror. He glanced around at everyone else, who exchanged worried looks, unsure of how to respond.

 A smirk slowly appeared, tugging at the corners of his mouth. "You should see the expressions on your faces. I'm messing with you. She's literally the cosmic entity of life—it would be stupid if she couldn't have children."

Klaus collapsed back into his chair, clutching his chest in relief. "I thought I messed up!" he yelled, half-laughing, half-terrified.

"Why would you even joke about that?" Vanya asked, shaking her head in disapproval.

"To make Klaus think before being nosy," Nathan replied with a scoff. "But seriously, we're not in any rush to have kids. They'll come when they come."

**********************************

+15 advance Chapters on: patreon.com/Shadow_D_Monarch3