Mike groaned as he awoke, glancing at his clock. Nine o'clock, good, Briggs would be gone. He glanced at the bus schedule he'd snuck in yesterday, studying it. It looked like he could take bus #1 towards downtown, then take bus #5 towards the library. He went to grab his phone and groaned, looking at the pieces that were in the trash can.

Well, never mind that.

He frowned. If Briggs could and would smash his phone that easily….He needed to figure this out. He had Charlie's number memorized-she'd forced him to memorize it before the case starts. Damn he was glad she did.

Mike frowned, realizing he needed to start thinking like a domestic violence victim. If Briggs had easily smashed his phone to look more authentic… what else could he do? Grabbing his falsified birth certificate and social security card, he headed out the door.

He frowned. Wait, where was he supposed to copy this and where was he supposed to get the twenty cents it would take? He grabbed his ID, and grabbed a backpack. This would be a long day.

# break ##

Mike's first stop was his bank. He withdrew a hundred dollars, cash, praying that Briggs wasn't tracing his back account. He used $25 of that to open a new bank in his name that Briggs wouldn't know about so he would have some emergency cash.

He took $3.00 and brought himself lunch.

He used .50 cents to call himself a replacement food stamps card, explaining his situation to his caseworker. He said he'd been fired. They'd talked about him looking for work; Mike had lied and said he would.

He had to be there when the mail got there, because Briggs couldn't find out about either of his cards, or he was so fucked. Why did everything have to get mailed to your house? He decided not to worry about that now.

Calling Charlie was going to be hard. He looked around, making sure nobody was watching. He decided not too, because he didn't know who Briggs would have watching him. He took another bus that was heading towards the library.

The bus stopped to let a police crew on, and Mike groaned, trying to curl up on himself. Fuck, what was Nathaniel's partner - what the hell was his name - doing there?

"What are you doing here?" Ryan snapped. "You're coming with me."

"Hey, what - I didn't do anything wrong!" Mike protested.

"Yeah, you did. You need to come with me, we've got people looking for you. Come on, don't make a scene."

Mike clenched his fist. "Tell me what I did wrong. Y-you have to do a r-reason for my arrest."

"You're wanted for questioning about an abusive relationship. Let's go," Ryan pulled him up by his wrist. Mike slumped, not struggling. Once he was off the bus, though, he started prostesting. "R-ryan, wh-what did I do?"

"Where's your partner?"

"He said I could go, he got me the bus pass," Mike said, devestated.

Ryan flipped open his phone. "Hey, Braxton. It's Ryan. I've got Levi here. Did you say he could be on the bus?"

"I'm not five!" Mike protested.

"Shut up," Ryan said.

"What's going on?" Nathaniel said, getting out of his car.

"Your partner is insane! I'm a legal adult, and I can do what I want!" Mike said. "What did he say?"

"He said as long as you were back by three," Ryan begrudgingly admitted.

"See! You had no reason to -"

"I suggest you shut up and go about your way."

"No," Nathaniel said. "I want to hear what Mike has to say."

"No...I don't want to talk to you. Look, please. Just let me get on the bus."

"Let him go, Ryan. We can't legally detain him, and we have no reason to do so. Ryan, you leave him alone, you understand?" Nathaniel snapped.

Mike was too busy flagging down his next bus to the library to care.

## break ##

At the library, he made a copy of his vital documents before going online and looking at some information in the area. He knew he wouldn't be able to research these things on Briggs' computer, since Briggs was so insistant he be dependent on him.

Although Mike didn't get the impression that Briggs was guilty - he was too damn good an agent to do that - he didn't like the control.

Within an hour, Mike had found some area food pantries. He had also found some places that offered a free hot lunch. He understood the soup kitchens were usually for extreme need, and right now, he felt like his situation qualified. He sighed as he wondered what he could do to protect his vital documents. Briggs could still technically shred the copy. Then Levi would be screwed.

He decided to mail a copy to Charlie. He went to the post office, got some paper and pen, and wrote a letter.

Clarissa,

It's Levi.

I really, really miss you. I want to talk to you so bad, but I can't. Braxton doesn't want me to talk to anyone with him, and with the way some of the cops in the area are, I can really understand. Someone detained me today just because I was Braxton's boyfriend, and they said I couldn't be on the bus without Braxton's position. I know that's their right, though, as cops.

Personally, Mike thought that sentence was bullshit, but he had to play his role. What if the letter was intercepted?

I'm sending you these copies so that you have them. Please keep them safe.

Please, I can't call you right now. My phone was smashed. I can't afford a new one. I don't know if I'd be allowed to have a new phone. I wonder if I could hide it.

My new address is

Mike frowned, putting in in his address.

If you send anything please have Johnny send it. Braxton likes Johnny.

Clarissa, Braxton is scaring me. But I know he's doing what's right, and I have to listen to him.

Your loving little brother

Levi

Mike rolled his eyes at how it sounded, sealed it in an envelope with how it sounded, and mailed it off.

He realized with a stunning realization that the letter was exactly how it was- except, of course, there was no love between him and Briggs. And he really didn't like even rooming with him.

And he couldn't leave until the case let him.

Well, this was fucked up.

## break ##

Two days later

Charlie yawned as she opened the mail. "Hey, Johnny! We got something from Levi!"

"Yeah?"

"Hey, what are these?" Charlie frowned. "Hey, why are we getting copies of his ID's?"

"He's starting to think ahead," Johnny muttered, "Probably thinking like...he's a victim now. Damn. I didn't think of the fact that if Braxton wanted too, he could destroy Levi's stuff…" they always used the code names for the two.

"I really, really miss you. I want to talk to you so bad, but I can't. Braxton doesn't want me to talk to anyone with him, and with the way some of the cops in the area are, I can really understand. Someone detained me today just because I was Braxton's boyfriend, and they said I couldn't be on the bus without Braxton's position. I know that's their right, though, as cops."

"What the hell?" Charlie asked as she looked at Johnny. "What the fuck. They stopped him because he was Braxton's boyfriend?"

"It gets worse."

"What?"

"He can't call. Braxton smashed his phone. He gives his address, but he can't get mail."

"I'm going to go over there and give him a piece of my mind."

"Charlie, I understand. I want too, too. But we don't want to make things worse for Levi," Johnny reminded her as he said in the house.

"Yeah...I just, damn. I feel so helpless."

"Yeah, but imagine how he feels."

"Why the hell did we take this case?"

"Because it'll get us closer to Bello and we have no choice?"

"I fucking hate the government."

"Charlie, we are the government."

Charlie glared at him before stomping off to find Paige.

Johnny shook his head.

There was no way in hell this case could be wrapped up in a week.

## break ##

"Levi, you did good," Briggs said as he came in. "I'm really proud of you."

"W-why?"

"Ryan said you were compliant when he stopped you, answered his questions and didn't cause a scene. That's good."

Mike stared at the senior agent.

"I want to let you know something," Biggs said.

"Oh?"

"My friend is watching us, too, baby."

"W-what? W-why?"

"Because you're mine, baby. And I don't want you to leave me."

"I'd never do that, please. I love you - why do you have to watch me?"

"If you love me, then why do you mind being watched?"

Mike sighed, closing his eyes. Why was it that Briggs could twist everything around that h said? He didn't know how he was going to handle this.

He wanted out.

But he couldn't get out.

Feeling more in tune with his character than ever, Mike allowed a few tears to prickle from his eyes as he hugged his legs.

He just wanted to eat and sleep like everyone else. Was this really to much to ask for?

## break ##

What do you think?

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