Hey guys. Welcome to my new story. As you've already seen it's called hiding place and without any further ado. I hope you like it.

Mike POV

"How far left until we go to the swimming pool Mike?"

I suppressed a sigh. For the last fourteen days, ever since I had mentioned we would go, Floss would ask that at least five times a day. And so even today, even though she knew perfectly well it was exactly a week to what the children referred to as 'swimming pool day'.

"Floss." I decided to change the subject. "Can you go and find the twins and then come back here. I need to speak to you all." Floss nodded and ran off. And this time I didn't even try to suppress my sigh while I leaned back against the kitchen island and rubbed my forehead. I had dreaded that I wouldn't be able to come to another decision than this. But this was it- we didn't have time now for moving around people all around and fix it in any other way.

"There is a new girl arriving today…" I told them when they had sat on each high chair on the other side of the kitchen island. "…And… during… some circumstances it's very important that she has her own space… her own room and…" I couldn't help to sigh and rub my forehead again. "..I have come to the decision that the best decision is to let you Floss, move into the same room as you two."

"WHAT?"

Three voices at once… really?

"Why can't Jody move in with Carmen and Kazima or something? Or Jody and Sacha and Tee."

"Yeah, they would be better with sharing."

"Or Mo with Harry and Finn."

"Or Ryan with Tyler."

"Or we can just kick out Ryan."

"Yeah, nobody likes him anyway."

"GUYS." I held up both of my hands and shouted. "I'm sorry. But it's the best decision. And I've gone through every single opportunity. And we won't be kicking out nobody. I have already gotten a bunk bed, Toni and Billie you can decide whom of you can have what bunk. And Floss you can have just a single bed as you do now. And I promise you I'll find a way of how we can store everyone's stuff but please cooperate right now… please." I put my hands together. "Please." The doorbell rang. "Here she is. I'll help you guys later…" I was backing towards the hallway. "You just go and watch TV or whatever so long."

"Hey Sarah." I greeted the care worker. "And hey…"

"Mike." Sarah interrupted. "There's been an emergency. I don't want to just leave Milly here and go but…" I waved at her. "Thank you." She disappeared out into the pouring rain and I looked down on the scrawny red- haired girl.

"Hi." The young girl said with a bright smile while she shook my hand. "I'm Milly Halls. You must be Mr. Milligan- Michael, whatever you like to be called."

"Oh wow, we don't often meet such polite children here." I smirked and blinked at her. "But please, just call me Mike- everybody does."

"Alright… Mike" She smiled back at me and fingered with the shoulder strap of her backpack. "Is there somewhere I can put my things?" I was still smiling and led her up the stairs and to Floss's old room. "Cool… So… I can just…" She walked into the room and dropped the backpack on her bed. "Cool! Can I meet the others?"

"Yes, certainly." I dropped the big trunk on the bed next to her backpack and then led our way downstairs and into the living room. "Everyone. This is Milly Ha…" I didn't have the time to finish the sentence before I could hear the phone ring in the office and I sighed and patted Milly's shoulder. "You can say hello to everybody. Everyone be nice." I turned and hurried to the office. "Ashdene Ridge, Mike Milligan speaking."

"Mike!"

"Hey." I froze- Sarah? She had just been here. "There was an emergency. A boy, around ten, twelve. He's here with me now but we haven't gotten him to say much. We need to find a placement as soon as possible and… I know you already got one kid today but I can't think of anywhere else to send him…"

I didn't hesitate for a second. I never did when it came to being able to help a child.

"Take him here." I said calmly, trying to calm Sarah down for she sounded very stressed up. "Don't worry about it. Drive carefully, see you in a second" I hung up again and hurried into the living room to get to talk to the children at all before Sarah would come back. "There's another kid coming in a minute. I don't know much- he's about the same age as you Milly. That's about all I know for now…" I sighed and slumped down in the sofa next to Milly. "So, Milly Halls… anything you'd like to tell me about yourself?"

"Well…" She shrugged and hesitated. "My name is Milly Halls." She looked around at the others who had also gathered around her. "I'm eleven years old… I like penguins." She looked down on her shirt, printed with a big penguin on the front. "Obviously! I like tennis as well… Oh and I have… I have something called cystic fibrosis." I nodded- Sarah had told me about this when we spoke earlier. "I have loads of medicines. Should I go get them now?" I looked up, then shook my head when the doorbell rang again.

"That can wait until later. I gotta go now."

I quickly got onto my feet to meet and greet. While coming through the hallway Sarah came in with the boy whom I glanced up and down while coming closer. He was completely dressed in black and white with white shoes, black jeans, black hoodie that despite the weather was opened and had the sleeves rolled up over a white T shirt, then both beanie and backpack, black with white prints. The beanie's reading 'whatever' and the backpack's 'nothing but trouble'

Well, that was everything except for rainbow colored shoelaces and bracelet. And in his hand I could see a phone with a case with white background and rainbow pattern- there was something up with this style that wouldn't let me let go or keep fascinated by it. But the style didn't matter much for the moment being when I looked up and met the boy's cold glare.

The boy had brown eyes, but they seemed so very cold. Only in the way they could of someone that had started pushing just everybody away after being hurt way too many times. And certainly didn't seem like the eyes of a boy his age. Those were the eyes of someone who seemed even more broken trying to shut the rest of the world out. And while not everybody might see that- well, when you'd worked with broken children as long as I had…

"And this is… Well… Ehrm…" Sarah hesitated. "Well… why don't you tell Mike your name honey?"

"Don't call me honey." The boy in front of me, next to Sarah said now eyeing me up and down. I tried to smile, but something in the boy made me feel so uneasy. "So… Mike…" He dropped the backpack by his feet and crossed the arms over his chest. "Here's the deal. What you would be pretty sure you already know about me- the thing you think you know. It's what I won't tell you and what you'd never expect. As long as nobody asks about that, as long as everybody leaves me the heck alone- I'm cool with this. And when I'm cool with it I guess you will be too. Any questions?"

"Ehrm…"

"And don't ask about my name? I won't be answering it until I know I can trust you… So, where are the other losers stuck in this care home? Can I meet them?"

Normally I'd scold anyone who referred to the children as losers- or anything else meant in an insulting way. But I was still kind of surprised and uneasy by the boy. So while I still couldn't get one word out I gestured towards the living room and turned to Sarah. The boy looked around, and without any further ado lifted his backpack up, threw it over one shoulder and walked into the living room.

"Cheerio losers." The boy greeted and threw himself down in the corner of the sofa. "Gimme." He grabbed the remote from Floss's hand and switched the channel to where the theme to big bang theory was playing. "My favorite's on right now." There were loud complaints from Floss, not so much from Tyler who liked big bang theory as much as this boy must. But I knew that I should step in, give the remote back to Floss and scold the boy for… whatever he was playing at!

But I still couldn't scold- or say a single thing to or about the boy that had just barged into the lives of me and the residents of the dumping ground. And while I tried to find the right words to say or things to do there was only one question spinning in my head. Because I must have already known that something was going to turn out like nothing I had ever seen before.

What on earth was I supposed to do now?

So, the boy is pretty sure that there's something about him that neither Mike nor the others would guess. Something they would think they knew- huh? Weird… He also won't tell anyone neither his name nor anything else about himself, and is the complete opposite of the new girl who seems all happy and bright and… what on earth does cystic fibrosis mean? As well it seems like Mike is more or less frightened of this new kid. What on earth is going on?

Well… more of that- next time.

Milly is a character made by x snow- pony x and she is portrayed by Taylor Richardson. The boy is my character and portrayed by JJ Totah. There are polyvores made for them added to my collection 'other stories'

Random fact

The title is actually referring to a hymn with the same title. Why I've chosen this will come out later in the story but I will NEVER EVER try and shove down either my beliefs or the beliefs of the characters down anyone's throat. It will (probably) not have a big part of the story either. It will however be a part and there'll be mentions of the bible and such stuff. If you don't like it, you do not have to read it.

Well, back to the title and that hymn. Well, I didn't choose it just because it's a great song and I liked the title. But sitting and wondering about the title I was also remembering this time when I was in church and we sang it. And I couldn't sing along- even though I love singing, because I wasn't feeling that great. But that however- is another story.