All the Stars (Modern Ham AU / LAMS)

Chapter Twelve: Secret Birthdays and Spiderman

{AN: HOLY SHIT THANK YOU FOR 500+ VIEWS!!! I can't beleive people pay that much attention to another random fanfic, than you all so much for reading this and commenting (which I love so much, please comment!)!!!!!! Also, I was looking up people's birthdays, and I realized that Peggy, Hercules, and Lafayette all have birthdays in September and I totally forgot them!!!! I might write short scenes of their birthdays later, but from now on, I'll try to be better about that! So, now Peggy is 15, Laf is 16, and Hercules is 17. THANKS AGAIN!}

John's pov:

As I walk home, I'm feeling better and worse at the same time. I feel way better about Halloween, since Henry, Jamie, and Mary will have somewhere to be, since my father will undoubtedly be out at some bar all night. I need to talk to Mat, though, and see if she has plans, and maybe we could include Lydia a little, I would feel bad if she was completely left out of all the festivities. I feel worse, though, because of all the tension between us. Hercules doesn't know about Laf, and he's practically the only one who doesn't know, but we can't tell him. And, even though I know it's selfish, I am a little hurt that they seem to have forgotten my birthday.

As I open the door, I am hit with an amazing scent of something delicious being cooked. I know my sister loves to make us all food, but she needs to focus on herself a little more; she only thirteen and shouldn't have to sacrifice her success at school or her personal life to take care of the kids (who should be already taken care of).

"Hey, Mat. What's cookin'?" I ask, popping into the small kitchen.

"Hey, Jacky," she mutters absentmindedly while chopping something very fine on the cutting board.

"Mat, what are you doing? Do you have your homework done?" I ask, moving closer so she can hear me. "I really appreciate you cooking for us, but you still have yourself to look after, you know."

"I know, John," she sighs. "I was just really stressed about some dumb drama at school and I couldn't focus on my homework, so I decided to make dinner. Don't worry, though. I just have to dump a bunch of stuff in a crockpot and let it cook for a few hours, so I'll still have time to do my homework. I mean, I'll still have to make the rest of the meal, sides and such-" I cut her off by hugging her tightly.

"Mat, you know I love you, right?" I ask into her hair.

"I love you too, but I'm holding a knife," She tells me. I let her go and she sets the knife down, then hugs me back.

"I can make the sides and stuff, you just focus on doing homework and relaxing, okay? I know you're fast at homework, so when you're done, you can watch TV or play with Mary and Jamie or something, okay?" I may not be able to cook as well as she can, but I can follow a recipe and do basic stuff on my own. She looks uncertain, though. "Hey, just tell me what needs to be done, and I'll do it. I know you're the master, so you can plan everything, just let me help you out a little. Please?"

"Okay, fine," she sighs. "I'll finish preparing the chicken, and I'll help you find the recipes and stuff when I'm done." I smile, happy that she's agreed to take a break.

"I can help you finish the prep, okay? Do you want me to sauteé these onions?"

"Yeah. If you could pop those in a pan with the spices in that bowl over there, the chiles, and the bell peppers, that'd be great."

"Cool, I got it." We both bustle around the kitchen, prepping everything for the pot, then Mat speaks again.

"Hey, what do you want to do for your birthday?"

"Oh, uh, I don't really know. We don't have to do anything, really. I mean, we all have a lot going on."

"John, it's your sixteenth birthday. It's a very important birthday. We are celebrating it."