/I don't own anything you recognize in this story. /

Chapter Six

Michael sat looking up at the stars, contemplating. He was wondering why he had been harsh to Charlie, he never did anything wrong to his son—or him as a matter of fact. Walt—Michael needed to spend more time with the boy. After all, Walt WAS his son and Michael wasn't being a very good father, he realized that he hadn't been in Walt's life very much in the past few years.

He could remember his own childhood. His own father wasn't around much and Michael never knew when his father was coming back. Michael was told that leaving was for everybody's good, that Michael would have a future if his father left to do his business. But as Michael thought back to his childhood days, he realized that it wasn't the money that he had really wanted, it didn't matter that whether they were rich or barely making it to make scratch. It was his father that he wanted and nothing in the world could replace the father.

"Michael?"

Michael glanced up to see Kate standing above him. Michael smiled and motioned her to sit next to him. Any company was welcome.

"You doing alright?" Kate asked as she sat down.

"Yeah, I'm doing great. How about you?" Michael said.

"Doing ok. Are you sure you're OK? That wasn't too good earlier with your bout with Charlie," Kate stated.

"No, it wasn't. I don't know what had gotten into me. I've never been sharp to anybody so much as I did to Charlie," Michael said.

"You do to Walt sometimes."

Michael sighed. "I know and I'm sorry for that. I'm going to try and be a better father towards him. I wasn't around much when he was younger. And if I don't become a part of his life now, he'll grow up and leave before I know it."

"That's the way to go, Michael," Kate said, smiling.

Michael smiled back. "You always look on the bright side. You and Claire do, always."

Kate shrugged. "It helps boost everybody's morale. Anything to help."

"That's a might tough job that you're trying to run."

Kate smiled. "Yeah, I guess so. But I can manage it. And it helps me keep up my own morale because it makes me happy to see the others smile when I help them."

The silence between them soon elapsed and nothing was heard except for a couple of people snoring, the crickets chirping, and all the normal night sounds. Michael never felt so much at peace than right now, but he knew that it wouldn't last long because he knew that tomorrow would be back to the old grind. Trying to survive with little supplies to survive on. Now he knew that he took everything back home for granted and never realized how much he depended on everything. Just then, Michael thought of something.

"Do you like Charlie?" Michael asked.

Kate glanced at Michael, surprised. "Why do you ask that for?"

Michael shrugged. "He's always hanging around you. I thought you two might have something going on between you."

"No. I don't like him like that. I like—" Kate trailed off.

"You like...?" Michael insisted.

"Nobody. I don't like anybody here more than a friend. That's all. I don't know why Charlie's hanging around me. I think he likes me, but I don't like him like that. I'll have to talk to him about that," Kate said.

"Whatever floats your boat," Michael stated.

"Yeah, well. We better get some sleep; we have a long day ahead of tomorrow. We have to gather food and find water, remember?" Kate said.

"Sure," Michael said and he fell back and soon he fell into a dreamless sleep.