A/N: this took forever :PPP

but its up now. Yay.

Please enjoy :)

After eating the bread Mal had given him, Mike crept down the stairs towards the door, wincing every other step. He didn't want to burden this nice...family? Though none of them looked alike they had that sort of dynamic but he wouldn't make any assumptions...any longer. He was worried about what might happen to him if he stayed and then went back where he'd come from tomorrow.

He felt something wrap around his torso and pull him to a stop. "Now where do ya think you're going?" Manitoba asked, holding tight to his lasso.

Mike sighed in defeat.

Manitoba unroped him and put a hand on his own hip.

"I was going," Mike said.

"Going where?"

"Back to my house..."

"And why can't you stay a time longer, mate? Ya just got here."

"I can't be out overnight, I-I have to go back."

"...what'll they do if you don't?" Chester had entered the room.

Mike looked down at him and swallowed dryly. "...I-I can't tell you that..." he replied, shivering.

Chester sighed to himself. "Kids these days..." he muttered before gaining volume in his voice. "You're stayin here for now, it's not that late."

Mike shook his head. "Th-they'll come find me..." he tried to explain quietly, trailing off. "...they always find me..." He sniffled.

"What is the thing going on in here?" Svetlana asked as she entered the room.

"Mike here thinks it's time to make an exit," Manitoba explained.

"What?" Svetlana looked at Mike.

Mike was looking at the floor.

"Maybe they should barricade the door if they don't want you going out," Mal said bitterly. He was back at the wall, having followed Svetlana upstairs again. "If they didn't there's no reason you can't stay the night."

Mike looked at Mal, still confused by him.

"You're injured, mate, you gotta stay til you're better," Manitoba said.

Mike had to think about it. "...fine...but I'm leaving when I wake up in the morning."

"Yeah yeah," Chester replied, rolling his good eye. "Get comfortable." He left the room to go finish dinner, as did Mani. Svetlana left to go to her bedroom. That left just Mal and Mike in the living room.

Mike was about to say something but then Mal walked over and opened the door. "Do you really want to go back out there?" he asked, his voice low.

Mike shook his head. "N-no..." he replied shakily. Mal still scared him. He wasn't sure why.

Mal nodded slowly and closed the exit again. He then pushed past Mike and went to his bedroom, leaving him to stand alone in a suddenly quiet house