Don't own 'em, just like to play in other people's universes.

AN: This story is going to be a bit long, and it's going to be a few chapters in before we get to the "present time", and I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this, but I'm going to take it wherever my mind decides it wants to go.

The boy walked slowly down the narrow dirt road. Most of the other children had ran off the school bus, laughing gleefully. He hadn't. Three weeks until his aunt could get him. The people from the protective services or whatever it was called had told Mrs. MacAllister last night that she was having to find a bigger house than the one-bedroom she currently had, plus get a bunch of other stuff squared away. He kind of shrugged. It couldn't be any worse than his life up to this point. At nine, he had already seen and experienced things that no child should ever have had to.

Lost in his thoughts as he trudged down the road, he didn't hear the two older boys taunting him until he felt a rock hit his side. "I SAID you don't belong here!" One of the boys rounded in front of him and shoved him roughly down onto the ground. The other started kicking at him. Both of them were shouting taunts and insults as the boy beneath their fists and feet struggled not to cry out. Crying out usually only got him hit harder. He'd learned that before he could walk.

"GEORGE FOSTER!!!! GARY ALLEN!!!! WHAT IN BLAZES DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!!!!!" It wasn't an adult's voice, but another child, a young girl, judging by the pitch. The boy could hear his tormenters cry out as something hit them both.

"Nothing, Gerry. Nothing at all." The boy on the ground could have sworn he heard his voice tremble slightly.

"Doesn't look like nothing to me. Looks like you were beating the crap out of him. Which you're not going to finish." The boy on the ground looked up though teary eyes as he saw the girl brandish a slingshot.

"Ummm...just a misunderstanding. Wrong kid. Come on Gar, let's get over to your house and get ready for the game." George knew how accurate Gerry was with that slingshot, and knew that in a fistfight, she didn't pull her punches either. He'd seen her knock another boy who had decided it would be a good idea to lock little Peter Marcus in the trunk of his daddy's car a flip. By the time the boy had decided to let Peter out, he sported two black eyes, a busted lip, a bloody nose, and a few other bruises as well.

"Well, don't let it happen again." She glared at the two boy's retreating forms, then turned her attention to the boy lying on the ground. She knelt down beside him. "Hey. You alright?" She offered him a hand at his nod and helped him up. "Gerry Carter. You're Johnny, right? I saw Tweedledum and Tweedledee bring you in last night." At his puzzled look, she laughed. "Alice In Wonderland. You'll have to read it sometime. Come on. Let's get you to the house and cleaned up before Mrs. MacAllister has a fit.

Johnny paled, visible even under all of the dust. "Will she be mad at me?" He was already preparing for the inevitable blows. His stomach was already churning with fear and anxiety and he thought he was going to be sick. Not just from the anxiety, but from where one of the boys had kicked him in the stomach.

"At you, no. At George and Gary, yes. She'll probably be calling down curses on them and their seed, even down to the fourth generation. She always does that when somebody picks on one of 'her' kids. " She frowned at how pale her companion was getting. And how green around the gills. He was going to be sick soon. "You all right?"

He gulped audibly, then gave a shaky smile."Yeah." He was lying. He just didn't want to throw up in front of this girl. As tough-as-nails as she was, she'd probably laugh at him.

"Bull." She took his arm and led him behind a shed. He just barely made it. He threw up everything in his stomach, plus retched and dry-heaved for several minutes for good measure. The whole time, Gerry had one hand on his arm, supporting him, and another rubbing his back, offering comfort. When he finally stopped, she wordlessly handed him one of the napkins she kept in her pocket at all times. Her eyes stung at the memory of her mother, who had had the same habit. Even after almost two years it still hurt to think of her parents. She was luckier than most that came to the MacAllisters and was keenly aware of it. She had had good parents who loved her and would have done anything for her. She just had the misfortune of seeing them both die before her eyes and having no other living relatives that could, or would take her. So she was fiercely protective of the other foster children that Bill and Kate MacAllister looked after.

"Thanks," he said shakily, jerking Gerry back to reality.

"Don't mention it." She gave a half smile, then changed the subject. "How old are you?"

"Nine."

"Me too. Let's get to the house. Mrs. MacAllister will be worried about you. I think you did a good job of redecorating the back of her shed. As it is, I think you'll be having broth and crackers tonight for supper."

Sure enough, Mrs. MacAllister had seen everything. Her concern over Johnny was disconcerting to him, since he had only been used to shouting and blows. Sure enough she called down the aforementioned curses after she had settled him into his room. He wasn't used to having this much space. Though it was a small room, it was still bigger than anything he had had before. The MacAllisters had no children of their own but had tried to ensure when they had built their house that all of the children they took in would either have their own room or only have to share it with one other child.

A little while later, Gerry brought up a tray of the broth and crackers. But instead of one bowl, there were two. "Umm. I don't think I'll be able to finish all that."

"Silly. The other bowl's for me. Didn't think I was going to let you eat by yourself, did you?"

He hadn't really thought anything. He still couldn't get it completely into his head that he wasn't going to be punished for the fight and for getting sick. So he smiled wanly as Gerry settled in beside him, chattering about anything other than parents, family, or the fight.

Downstairs, Kate MacAllister smiled as she heard Gerry elicit another laugh out out of Johnny with some outrageous tale or antic. Poor boy deserved some laughter after what Mark and Jill had told her today about the life he had had up to this point. She shook her head sadly. Even after twenty years of this, she still could not understand how people treated their children so badly. She and Bill would have given anything to be able to have children of their own, but that had not been meant to be. This one would only be her about three weeks. Mark and Jill had found an aunt that had left the family some years ago that was willing to take him, but she had to get her life better situated to where she could take on a young child first. So here he was, and Kate and Bill MacAllister were determined that he was going to leave here a somewhat happier child than he was when he came.