The kid knocked and then stood back, waiting patiently. He was the one fidgeting, rocking back and forth on his feet, like a child.

The door was flung wide and a woman stared at them for the space of a heartbeat and then flung her arms around the kid with a cry of delight. The woman was perhaps in her forty's with dark auburn hair and deep green eyes. For perhaps one second he entertained the thought that this was the kid's mother. Then the kid opened his mouth.

"Hi Gamma."

"Oh my dear, I've been so worried about you."

"I know. I'm sorry." The kid grinned.

"Who's you're friend?" She asked looking up at him over the kid's shoulder.

"This is Skittery."

"Oh, dear. What?"

"Youse can call me Michael if youse want, ma'am."

The kid glanced up at him and grinned. He shot the kid and exasperated look back.

"Well, come in. Come in. And straight into the kitchen. You both look like you haven't eaten in weeks. Don't they feed you?"

As she bustled ahead of them, he pointed a finger at the kid as he shut the door behind them.

"Youse tell anyone dat and I'll kill ya." He said lowly.

The kid grinned knowingly.

Over a hot bowl of some kind of vegetable soup he found Gamma did not have cats and that she was thoroughly pleasant. He wondered vaguely what made the kid leave his house in the first place, until the front door slammed and both the kid and Gamma's faces paled.

A young woman, probably only a few years older than himself walked into the kitchen. Her auburn hair and green eyes were an exact match to her mother's. The difference was the look on her face. Upon seeing the kid, her face dropped into a plain and ugly scowl.

"Sam, dear. I didn't know you'd be dropping by."

"Yes, well, I'll come back another time, shall I?"

She turned and left as quickly as she had come, but the effect was devastating. The kitchen had gone from warm and welcoming to cold and silent in seconds. His brain reeled to catch up. Gamma had sunk into a chair. The kid stared down at his shoes and kicked at the floor with the toe of his boot.

"Sometimes I wish I hadn't been born. Then maybe Ma wouldn't have to frown like that."

The kid hadn't said it to be dramatic. It was simply a whispered wish, childish but sincere. The look on the kid's face, more than the look that had been on his mother's face made him get to his feet.

Gamma looked up at him from where she had knelt by the kid and pulled him into a hug.

"Don't." She warned.

He attempted a smile and soothing words, but neither worked out as he planned. The words wouldn't leave his throat and his smile must have looked more like a grimace, because she raised her eyebrows at him. Before she could open her mouth to persuade him to stay put, he swept out the kitchen door.

She had a minute's head start on him though and was halfway down the street when he caught up to hailing distance.

"Hey!"

She didn't react at first. She either did not realize he was calling her or purposely ignored him at first. He jogged slightly and caught her by the shoulder. She spun on her heel, throwing off his hand in one fluid motion. The frown had not left her face and her green eyes were dark. Her expression was almost dangerous.

"It ain't the kid's fault."

"I never said it was." She threw back at him.

"You treat him like it is."

Her eyes dropped from his and her eyebrows relaxed on her forehead. For a split second her expression was admonitory and perhaps apologetic. Though, it was gone so quickly he wasn't sure he hadn't imagined it.

"I suppose you noticed that he doesn't look anything like me or my mother? Do you know who he does look like?"

He swallowed hard.

"He looks like the man who promised me the world, promised to take me away from this place." Her eyes challenged him. "He was the man who saved me from myself, promised nothing would ever hurt me again. All I had to do was hold onto his arm, do what he told me and he fixed everything."

He found he had no words.

"I don't suppose you know what it's like to trust someone completely and have them betray that trust?"

"Maybe not the way you do." He admitted.

"It's like your whole world gets turned backwards and you're just lost."

For some reason her words annoyed him.

"So what? You're just gonna stay lost until the next man comes along and promises to fix you?"

Her eyes widened.

"You're mocking me?"

He had not really meant to sound so blunt and he regretted it. He stared around wildly and shook his head.

"No. I'm jus' sayin', youse gotta learn ta walk on your own." He sighed. "And tha kid- he jus' wants ya ta love him. And no matter what he looks like, tha kid ain't him and it ain't his fault."

"You're suggesting I just hug him and tell him I love him even if it's a lie?"

"No." He said and shook his head slowly.

"Then what?"

"I ain't gonna tell you what ta do." He shrugged. "You have ya own brain and voice. Use dem."

"Skittery?"

The kid's voice broke the silent spell between them and he turned from her to see the kid standing a ways down the street. His eyebrows were knit as he glanced back and forth between them.

He left her standing there without a backward glance and moved toward the kid.

"You didn't say anything mean to her didja? I don't wanna make her feel bad." The kid said softly as he approached.

Something in the pit of his stomach clenched tightly at the concern the kid showed for a woman who didn't deserve his care. He grabbed the kid by the back of his neck and crushed him to his stomach in a fond, one-armed embrace.

"Listen ta me real careful for a second kid,"

The kid's big brown eyes stared up at him questioningly, his attention more focused than any eight-year-old's should have been.

"I ain't patient and I ain't exactly a happy-go-lucky kind a person."

The kid grinned slightly. It was rather an understatement and even he saw the humor in it.

"I neva had any little brothers or sisters or anything, so when it comes to kids, it's like rolling dice in the dark for me alrigh'?"

He glanced up to see her turn and walk away down the street.

"But no matter what I say, no matter how annoyed I might seem wit'cha, I want'cha ta stick around, okay? I'll always look out for ya."

The kid smiled and, as it always did, it made him feel better.