Note : Sorry I took so long to update ! I've been really busy and this story will be so full of events that I have to be really careful about the way I put the plot in place, along with all the psychological parts.
I've updated Et Cetera some days ago because I needed to write some yaoi hehe (because I can't write yaoi for this story now, they're too young !!).
Hope you enjoy !
BTW, I've updated my profile page with my future work, if you wanna take a look at what will be coming next (more MxM !!), and don't forget to add me to your author alerts, so you don't miss more MxM craziness !


"Mr Keehl,

I've never been a good mother, I'm perfectly aware of that. My weakness has been to be unable to say no all my life. No to my father when he forced me to marry Mike, no to alcohol... and I've pulled Mail down with me in my fall.
I love him, you know, even if all proves are against me. It's true that I didn't want him, but I was happy having him, I was so lonely here... I was just not aware of what I was doing to him anymore.
That's why I stopped drinking, I need to get away from this horrible life, I want to be able to stand in front of Mail one day, and tell myself I did something for his good, at least once.
I'm leaving tomorrow, Mike doesn't know yet but I will tell him tonight when he goes back home. Whatever happens, please protect Mail, don't let Mike approach him. He would kill him like he killed our little girl two years ago. It was the first time he started molesting Mail, and as I opposed when he tried to hit our baby girl too, because she was crying, he beat me too then killed her. That's why I never opposed anymore after that...
My father hushed up everything, like always, he has too many interests with Mike.
I am grateful for all you did for Mail... I don't know what would have happened without you...
Tell Mail that I love him and that I am sorry, even if nothing can erase what I did to him.

Linda MacKenzie"

Daniel Keehl could hardly believe it, his mind had difficulties to go from the abusive and non-caring mother to these apologies from a loving and lost mother. Something ticked his sense of sincerity but he couldn't put a finger on it.
He decided to ignore it, it didn't matter anyway, Linda was dead as well as her husband. All that mattered now was how he would tell this to Mail.

February 5th, 1995
After getting confirmation about the latest events, Mr Keehl decided it was time to tell Mail.
He called the kid in the kitchen, leaving Mihael in the office, in the evening. He had told Mihael about the Coles' death a little earlier, because he knew Mail would probably need to talk about it with his friend and Mihael would be a great support to the small redhead. Often enough, when Mail was anxious, they exchanged a look and Mail would calm down immediately.
Sitting the kid on a stool at the counter, and holding his little hand, Daniel Keehl began.
"Mail, I have to tell you something about your mother and Mike..."
"They are dead." the kid simply stated.
"You know ?" the man was perplex.
"Mihael and me heard you talk to Taka yesterday. I'm sorry..." the redhead bowed his head.
"You don't have to be sorry, I just hope you weren't too much in shock when you heard ? How do you feel Mail ?"
"I don't know... I don't feel nothing..." he blushed. "Is it bad if I'm... relieved ? Am I a bad child ?" Mail's lip trembled as he looked up in Mr Keehl's eyes.
"Of course not Mail. Your reaction is normal after all they put you through. But that raises another matter that we have to deal with. I am not your legal guardian, and your mother being dead, the persons that could claim you are your grandfather and your biological father. I won't hide it to you Mail because it is important, but don't hesitate to question me about what you don't understand, and rest assured that I will do my best to keep you here."
"My... biological father ? Mum said he was dead... and I don't know my grandfather, I don't want to go with him !" the child started to shake.
"Shhhh Mail, it's ok, don't be afraid, no one's going to force you, I promise." the man said, stroking the child's head soothingly.
"I want to stay with you..." Mail was ready to cry.
Mihael appeared in the doorframe, an alarmed look in the gaze he directed to his friend.
"Come here Mihael" his father whispered.
The blond child ran to them as Mail let himself slide off the stool. Mihael took his hand with a worried look.
"Mail, I will need to bring you to a judge, because I want you to stay here with us as much as you do, and we need to start a procedure for that. Don't worry, it's nothing bad. You will just have to tell the judge that you want to stay here, he will ask you a few questions, and that's all. Your father will most certainly agree with that, he always cared for you, you know. And the rest is up to me. Really, don't worry, everything's going to be ok. It's just going to take some time, that's all." Mr Keehl tried to simplify things as the child had already many informations to process in his mind. The procedure wouldn't be that difficult considering Mrs Cole's letter and the proof it would be in the case.
"When will I have to go see the judge ?" Mail asked. "And when will I see my father ?"
"I don't know Mail, but I'll tell you as soon as I know." Mr Keehl replied, not sure if Andy would agree to meet Mail one day.

February 10th, 1995
"Daniel, the judge." Marty stated as he handed the phone to Mr Keehl, who was pacing in the huge office he occupied when he was not working at home. He had used all his influences to quicken the procedure, hoping that MacKenzie wouldn't step in and claim the child as a revenge for their rivalry.
"Hello, Mr Keehl" the voice in the phone said, "I'm calling you back concerning Mail and your worries about the issue of the procedure. We have authenticated the letter from Mail's mother and verified the fact of a dead child, which is true. Considering that the grandfather, Mr MacKenzie, is third in line after you for guardianship, the first being his biological father, that we excluded for the reasons you know, there won't be any problem with this affair. The letter is valuable enough to ensure that the issue of the procedure is in your favor. We won't contact Mr MacKenzie, as he is not concerned, I guess you'd prefer him to be out of this affair."
"Yes, it would be better, I'm not particularly on good terms with him and his associates, you're very well aware of that as you already helped me with him in the past. Anyway, thank you for calling and giving me those details. Now let's just hope he doesn't get interested in Mail in any way."
"I know how stressful those situations can be. Now, I guess there won't be a problem with Mail visiting the judge for children, I believe he's happy to stay with you."
"Yes, I'm happy too, to tell the truth."
"I know that. Well, I can arrange that meeting next week, I'll have Mr Jeevas here to sign the forms he has to, so let's do it after that, what do you think of wednesday, 3pm ? I guess Mail doesn't have school ?"
"No, he hasn't, that will be perfect. See you on wednesday."
"Goodbye Mr Keehl".

February 15th, 1995
Mail was overly nervous, squirming on his seat, between Mr Keehl and Mihael, in the waiting room of the judge for children's office. The door opened, and Mail froze. Exiting the office, a man was standing, stopping, shocked, face to Mail. The man had red hair, falling around his pale face and on his deep blue eyes in straight locks, some of them retained by the goggles sitting on his head. He wore jeans and a black and white striped sweat shirt, and black boots.
Mail stared at him, unable to unlock his eyes from the man's, who was staring as well.
"Hello Mail" the man said with a smile, crouching. Mail approached shyly until he was in front of his father. They didn't exchange a word, they just looked at each other, the child raising a hand to touch the goggles, intrigued.
Andy pulled his goggles off, and gave them to Mail, before leaving the waiting room, smiling to his son again before passing the doorframe and disappearing.

Later, that day, once they were back home, Mail approached Mr Keehl who was reading some mails in his office.
"Mail ? Are you ok ?" the man asked, motioning his hand to get the child closer.
"I was wondering... why my mum and my dad were not together ? And why my dad doesn't want me ? I mean... not that I don't want to live here but, are dads not supposed to take care of their children ?" the redhead asked genuinely.
Daniel Keehl explained everything to Mail, he chose words suitable for a 5 years old genius, but he preferred to tell him the truth. A child can grow better on a solid knowledge of his background, he thought.
When it came to the last question, the answer was a lot more difficult to express.
"It's not that your dad doesn't want to have you with him Mail, but he has some personal problems and taking care of a child is difficult for him. He has always cared for you, and now that you know about him, I should tell you that the present you got, you know, the key, card and such, well..." he then realised he was about to destroy the belief in Santa the child had, "he asked Santa to bring it to you, it was his idea, so I guess that when you will be 16, your dad will ask Santa to bring you a surprise related to this." That was close, but the child didn't seem to have doubts. "He also offered you the Gameboy from your birthday."
"Oh, that was him ?" the child opened wide eyes.
"Yes, and you look so much like him, it's incredible. He loves you, never doubt that. He just can't take care of you, but that doesn't mean he doesn't want to, so don't be mad at him. Give him time, maybe one day he will be ready to see you, sometimes." Mr Keehl added.
The child nodded and smiled, and left, going back to play with Mihael in the living room.

March 2nd, 1995
Mr Keehl's guardianship had been made official the day before, and so they all celebrated it that evening. Mail radiated joy, as well as Mihael, who kept on yelling "I'm so happy !" on and on, making everyone laugh.

February 1st, 1996
Mail's birthday had been celebrated. It was late in the evening, the children were in bed.
The phone suddenly rang. Mr Keehl picked it up even before the first ring ended, afraid the children would wake up.
"Hey Keehl" a chuckling voice said, "I have someone here you probably care enough for, to want to get him alive of this... say hello, Jeevas." the voice addressed to someone who only growled in reply. The sound of it made it obvious that the growling came from a gagged person. "Ok, ungag and untie him now that he's there, he won't go very far" the voice talked, away from the phone.
"MacKenzie, what do you want ?" Daniel Keehl asked, a pool of panick forming in his stomach.
"Well, Jeevas had the bad luck to be on his way to your house when my men picked him up, we were planning something else to get to you but that's quite fun actually, we'll get to the something else later. So, do you want him alive or not ? Your choice..." MacKenzie laughed.
"Keehl, don't care about me ! Don't listen to him !" Andy's voice raised from far away, followed by a slap.
"What do you want ?" Mr Keehl spat again.
"You know what I want. I have this little problem I'd like to solve, I mean, it seems you had a word about me with many of the societies I was about to buy, and I didn't get the markets. And worse, it seems they're working for you now. You understand that I'm quite angry about that, and that we have to find an agreement so I can go on like I originally planned, or I think I'm going to redirect my anger toward anyone near me, beginning by this junkie I just... oh shit !" the voice made itself distant and shouts were heard in the background...


Note : Just a quick explanation. The judge is corrupted by the Mafia, that's why things are going faster than usual/the judge and Daniel Keehl talk freely about MacKenzie, who is, quick reminder, head of a society with similar illegal activities to the Mafia, but working against the Mafia for their own interests. And MacKenzie is way less powerful than the Mafia, although he'd like to gain power.
Mr Keehl is the legal guardian of Mail, but he didn't adopt him, so Mail didn't have a name change, and is not considered as Mihael's brother. Just wanted to make things clear so I don't get anonymous comments about how unrealistic my plot is ;)
I made that guardianship chapter because I needed Mail and Mihael to be related legally for future events.
And if you think that MacKenzie just not showing up against the guardianship is too easy, just wait for the next chapters damnit ! *lol* (everything, yes, everything's on purpose, just wait and see !)