'So. . . can she stay?' I asked Mom, after I told her the situation.

'Is there. . . any other options for her?' she asked.

'Honestly. . . there isn't, she doesn't like to live with that Knight and honestly she is way to rigid around Star.' I told her, 'I can't-don't want her to stay like that. Please Mom, can she stay?'

'Well. . . Shell need to stay in your room.' She answered with a smile.

'What, why can't she stay in the guest room?' I question her as she stood up.

'Come on and I'll show you.' She mused as she lead me upstairs.

I followed her up the stairs, she stood outside the guest room and waited for me to arrive.

'Go on, open it!' she encouraged.

'Alright. . .' I grabbed the handle and pushed the door inward.

I almost didn't recognize it: the walls were painted light blue, the bed was missing and in its place was my old cradle. All this. . . its was obvious.

'MOM!?' I shrieked.

'Surprise!' she mused.

'Wha-! Since when?!' I questioned.

'A few weeks, we were hoping you would come back for the baby shower.' I put my hand on her belly and felt.

'Whoa. . .' I said, 'I just, didn't think. . . I wouldn't have guessed. . . I wouldn't have been here. . .'

'Well just think, with the little one here, and your friend she will have plenty of company.' She assured me.

'Or he.' I corrected, feeling her hand run through my hair.

'Or he.' She said, I retracted my arm and closed the door, 'Its late, why don't you and your friend stay for tonight.'

'Sounds good, I need to. . . hide a few things.' I said with a smile, hiding my realization or all the junk I had to hide.

All of my posters were torn down, all of my action figures were thrown into a box and I fixed the rugs I had on the floor. I packed away all of my other effects before I hid some. . . personal items at the bottom of the box. After I did that I picked up the box and headed for the door to see Higgs standing there.

'What're you doing?' she asked.

'Just-eh, just uh-cleaning your new room!' I said as I set the box down, kicking it to the side.

'. . . My. . . room?' she asked.

I grabbed her hand and pulled her to the middle of the room.

'See, you get your own bed, my old rugs and-and. . .' I said.

'What's that?' she asked, pointing at the fabric blob by my bed.

'It's a Bean Bag, it's a chair.' I jumped on top of it, and I sunk into the bag, 'Its. . . kinda comfortable.'

I looked up and saw she wasn't paying attention, she was going through my box.

'No, no! out of it!' I yelled as I tried to scramble to my feet, only to fall as I headed towards her.

'Whoa, look at this knight!' she exclaimed as she pulled out my toy robot.

'That's Mechorian, a robot warrior from Pallora, now please-'

'And, wait are. . . are these monster wanted posters? Neat!' she admired my The Creeper poster before she dug deeper.

'No, wait!' I screamed as she pulled out a magazine.

'Kar-Karrata?' she said, trying to read it.

'Its pronounced Kara-te, now don't-'

'What the- are these dancers?' she asked as she went through another magazine, I ran up and snatched the mag from her hand, 'I'm just asking, they weren't wearing any cloth-'

'Shut up!' I shouted at her, I stuffed the magazine back into the box and carried it off, 'make yourself at home.'

I walked up to my room doorway, sleeping bag under my arm, I looked inside to see Higgs sitting on the floor, playing with Mechorian. She reminded me of. . . well me, when I was younger.

'Take that, Slicer!' she said, throwing aside my desk lamp.

'I don't think my lamp deserves that.' I mused as I walked in.

'What's a lamp?' she asked.

'Sorry, eh-lantern, I guess.' I said as I sat beside her.

'Did you, not have toys growing up?' I asked.

'I. . . had a lizard I played with.' She told me.

'What happened to it?' I asked.

'Some. . . other street urchin ate him.' She told me, 'It sucked. . . if I got hungry I would have eaten him, but still. . .'

'Oh. . . kay.' I mused, I looked on the wall to see the poster she was looking at.

'This Mechorian, I would have put in the fire if I needed to.' She said as she played.

After a while, she kept playing along, like a kid on Christmas. After a while, I looked around to find something to start a conversation on.

'I. . . want to ask. . .' she began.

'Its not mine, I'm holding it for a friend.' I answered, not hearing the question.

'What were you-oh, the books ok-' she mused.

'Shut up.'

'No, I was going to ask, that girl. . . whats her story?'

'Violation, perversion, harassment, annoyance, theft-there are a lot of stories.' I said, almost instantly.

'It sounds like you knew I was here.' We both looked to the doorway to see Janna standing there.

'Janna.' I said sternly.

'Hey, I came for dinner.' She mused.

'Uninvited.' I said as I stood up.

'Really, well your mother invited me.' She said as she marched up to me.

'Yeah, it's been a while since I've been in here. . . while you're awake.' I walked past her and headed to the doorway.

'Come on Higgs, well. . . set the table or something.' I almost demanded, but as Higgs got up, Janna pushed me out and shut the door on me.

'Janna!' I barked, 'Open this door!'

'In a bit, were just gonna have a little "Girl Time!"' she yelled back.

'Janna, you conniving sneaking little-!' I yelled as I thrashed the door.

'Marco!' I heard Higgs shout, 'Were. . . fine, go. . . set the table.'

'What, I don't think-' I began.

'Just chill Marco.' Janna yelled.

'No, you. . .' I began, but I turned my back on the door and sighed, '. . .Chill.'