Okay, so, new chapter. This is an AU I've been playing around with in which Paul and Charlie are married parents of four. Mike's the youngest, a high school senior. As always, read and review.

The words on the page in front of him were blurring in and out of focus. Equations were dancing around and swirling with his work, the symbols twisting and turning. He'd only managed to complete three problems in twenty minutes, and at this rate, Mike wouldn't even finish the test, let alone pass it.

Maybe he should just go home - tell the teacher he felt ill and check himself out. He'd vetoed the idea last hour when he'd only had a slightly nauseous stomach and a headache, but now he was so dizzy he felt like he would pass out. He was cold and hot simultaneously and things seemed to only be getting worse. He knew he needed to leave.

Resolved, he stood up with his test and his books, shuffling towards his calculus teacher.

"Mrs. Meyers?" The teacher looked up from the papers she was grading.

"Yes, Mike?" She spoke quietly, mirroring his volume.

"I'm not feeling well. Could you write me a pass to the office?" Mrs. Meyers gave him a once over, noticing his pale face and shaking hands. Two fever spots had begun to form on his cheeks and there was no doubt in her mind the boy was legitimately ill. It wasn't uncommon for students to feign illness to get out of a test they were unprepared for, but Mike was a good student, one of the best in her class.

"Sure, absolutely. What's wrong?" She asked, pulling a blue slip out of her desk drawer.

"I'm really dizzy, my head hurts. I feel nauseous." Mike mumbled lowly. He paused for a moment. "I didn't finish my test."

Mrs. Meyers didn't miss the twinge of shame in his tone and how he looked at his shoes when he said it. "Oh, Mike, don't worry about that. You can make it up when you get back." She ripped the pass off the pad and handed it to him in exchange for the test. "Just feel better, okay?"

Mike nodded and left the classroom, making a quick stop at his locker to grab his backpack and throw on his hoodie. He'd shed it this morning in first block when he'd started feeling warm, leaving him in only a tight red tee and a pair of cargo shorts. He felt immensely better just putting the extra layer on. He slung the bag over his shoulder and wandered to the office, giving the pass to the secretary and signing himself out – a perk of being newly eighteen.

Mike drove home carefully. He only lived a few miles from the school, but in his condition, he doubted very much that he could drive safely. He parked the jeep in the garage when he got home to Graceland, wishing that he wasn't here all alone. His mom and dad wouldn't be out of work until later and all three of his siblings were off at college until tomorrow when they got out for Christmas.

He dropped his backpack by the shoe rack and hung up his keys before going up to his room and throwing on his favorite pair of track pants. He schlepped to the bathroom and took his temperature. The device read 101.3 and Mike sighed. Midterms were next week, he couldn't be sick.

With a blanket and his wastebasket in hand, Mike went down to the living room and settled on the couch, flipping on the television and surfing through the crappy daytime shows. After about a half hour with no luck, Mike turned to Netflix and cued up one of his favorite foreign films, Torrente. His eyelids drooped more and more every minute, and within ten, he was asleep.

When Charlie came home around 2:30, it was not to an empty home. Mike's car was in the garage, which surprised her. He wasn't supposed to get out of school until three.

"Mike?" She called as soon as she was inside. A soft moan was the only reply she received, prompting her to follow the sound into the living room. Her son was huddled up on the couch, looking utterly miserable. "Oh, honey," Charlie cooed, sitting on the coffee table across from him.

"Hi Mom," Mike sighed as she placed a cool hand against his forehead and carded her fingers through his hair.

"You feeling sick, Mikey?" She asked, feeling heat from his forehead.

"Yeah," Mike's eyes closed lightly as she massaged his scalp, easing the pain in his head. "Headache, dizziness, nausea. Starting to feel stuffed up."

"Oh, baby. When did you come home? Why didn't you call?" Charlie asks gently, concern apparent in her tone.

"Left during my third block, around 10:30. I didn't want to worry you so I didn't call."

"Have you taken anything?" Mike shivered and shook his head, snuggling deeper into his blanket. "I'll get you something then," Charlie spoke and disappeared. She returned with a couple of pills and a glass of water which Mike readily swallowed.

"Where's dad?" Mike asked, looking up at her with innocent eyes.

"He's still at work, Babe. And I actually have to go back. I was just stopping by to pick up some overnight bags for us. I'm so sorry Mikey, but this is gonna be a long one." Mike averted his gaze and nodded in understanding. His parents often had to stay away from home for multiple days at a time in order to finish a case. He was used to having the house to himself.

"It's okay," He almost whispers it, not sure he trusts his voice to hide his disappointment. He usually just wanted companionship when he was sick, but now he was going to be all alone.

Charlie smiled softly. "That's my boy. Do you need anything before I go, baby?" Mike shook his head no, and as soon as she came, his mother was gone again. A quick 'I love you" and a kiss to his forehead and Charlie was out the door with the two bags that were already packed.

The remainder of the day was spent sucking on cough drops, sipping ginger ale, and blowing his nose. He was miserable, sick, and lonely. He went to bed at eight thirty, unable to watch another movie or focus enough to read.

By the time the next morning came around, Mike was feeling a little better. His nose wasn't stuffed up and the world wasn't tilting, but his headache still lingered and the nausea had yet to abate. He was dead tired and knew that going to school today was not even remotely an option. At least it was a Friday and he'd have the weekend to recuperate.

Mike was just finishing pouring himself a bowl of Cheerio's when the door creaked open and in walked his siblings. Johnny, Paige, and Dale were all laughing as they rounded the corner to the kitchen, but all stopped abruptly when they saw him. Paige was the first to snap out of her surprise and come to greet him.

"Mikey!" She called, enveloping him in a tight hug. "What are you doing home?"

"Water main break at the school," He lied easily, without thinking. The last thing he wanted to do was spoil his time with his siblings because of a little flu bug.

"Nice, extra day off school," Johnny whistled as he grabbed the OJ from the fridge. Jakes just snatched the bottle from his hands and poured his own glass. Johnny laughed as he grabbed the apple instead. Old habits die hard.

"So what do you want to do on your day off?" Paige asked, resting her elbows on the island across from her younger brother.

Mike shrugged casually. "I'm good with anything. It's up to you guys."

"I really just want to go to the beach," Paige interjected. "It's so snowy at Quantico." Johnny and Dale quickly agreed and soon enough they were all playing football out in the sand.

They played for about an hour and then they just kind of hung out. Paige tanned and the boys exchanged stories. Around noon they walked up the beach to Hector's and ordered lunch. Mike only had one taco, but no one questioned it. They changed into their wetsuits when they got back to catch some waves. Everyone was surfing and having an amazing time.

Well, almost everyone. Mike was just kind of floating, hoping he didn't throw up. Being tossed by the waves was not the best idea for someone who was already nauseous enough. He closed his eyes and swallowed against the bile rising in the back of his throat. The dizziness was back at full force and his entire equilibrium was being thrown off. Mike was almost positive he was going to either vomit or faint.

That was when Paige paddled up next to him. "You good, Mike?" She asked, her voice tinged with concern.

"Jus' dizzy," Mike slurred, not opening his eyes. He didn't have the presence of mind to lie to his sister at the moment.

"Wanna go back in?" Mike nodded lightly, allowing her to take hold of his board and paddle them back in. Luckily Mike had stayed close to shore, so Paige could touch the bottom and walk them to the sand.

Mike took his board once they were on steady ground and they walked up to Graceland together. Paige waved at Johnny and Dale before they went in. Mike stripped off his wetsuit and threw on a pair of sweats and a long sleeved tee before coming to sit next to Paige on the couch downstairs.

"Feeling better?" She asked as he sat down. He didn't respond, instead choosing to lay his head down on her shoulder. He was most certainly not feeling better. "No?" Paige turned towards him, displacing his head from her shoulder. "Still dizzy?"

"Yeah," he mumbled, before a tickle caught in his nose and he sneezed loudly into the crook of his elbow. Paige's brows furrowed at this and she reached her hand out to rest on his forehead.

"Mike, you're burning up!" She marveled, resting her hands on his cheeks and finally noticing how drained her sibling looked. His face was sunken and pail and his eyelids drooped. "How long have you felt sick?"

"Since yesterday morning," Mike mumbled apologetically.

"So there wasn't a water main break at school and you were just home sick?" Paige asked, sweeping fallen hairs out of his face. Mike slowly nodded and Paige sighed. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Didn't wanna ruin our time together. You're not exactly home all the time."

Paige grabbed the throw from behind the couch and draped it over both of them, maneuvering Mike to lay down snuggled closely to her. "How about we watch something? That sound good?" Mike nodded and nuzzled into her.

When Johnny and Dale came in fifteen minutes later, Mike was already asleep.

"He's sick," Paige explained in a whisper. "Has been for two days. Just wanted to hang out with us."

Johnny immediately transformed into the concerned older brother. Dale snorted but there was concern on his face.

"Idiot," Dale mumbled. "We're not that cool."

"What's wrong with him?" Johnny asked.

"He's got a fever. He was really dizzy when we were out in the water so we came in, but then he had this epic sneeze. So I'm assuming a tough cold or the flu, but I can't be sure either way." Paige was carding her fingers gently through Mike's thick hair, unintentionally rousing the teen.

"Hey sleeping beauty," Dale greets from behind the couch. "Heard you're sick." Mike just groans and shuts his eyes again.

"Shut up," Mike mutters eloquently.

"We love you too, Mikey."