A/N: Obviously, this is going to be a bit A/U now, since on the show things have taken a different turn. Hope you like it anyway!


Mike had been sitting in his truck, watching the same house for the last 15 minutes. He had watched a woman pile her kids into a minivan, and he had watched a man climb into his own car and drive away. After waiting for five more minutes, he finally decided it would be safe to enter. Grabbing his screw driver to open the lock on the door, he quietly slipped out of the truck and crept around the back of the house. Carefully sliding the head of the screw driver into the lock, he expertly maneuvered it until he heard a click, and the knob turned in his hand.

Still unsure that the house was empty, Mike paused for a moment, waiting for any sign of someone in the house. He was satisfied when all he heard was silence. Glancing around, he noticed a door ajar that revealed an office, and he quickly decided the best place to begin looking for anything suspicious would be there. He placed the screw driver in his back pocket and quietly walked into the office, headed for the desk. Sitting in the desk chair, he pulled open the first drawer and sorted through it's contents, sighing when he found nothing suspicious. He did the same with each of the drawers in the desk, as well as the shelves that lined the walls.

"Damnit," Mike whispered to himself as he realized there was nothing there. He leaned against the wall briefly, then determinedly walked back into the hallway and into the dining room. He hurriedly searched through the compartments of the large cabinet, but found nothing. Amongst his perusing of the cabinets contents, Mike never heard the quiet footsteps of the man behind him, nor did he sense any sign of warning until he felt something slam into the side of his head, knocking him to the ground.

"I don't know who you are, or what you're doing here, but I'm calling the cops," said a voice above him.

Mike's vision blurred as he heard his attacker drop his weapon and hurry away, most likely to call the police. Knowing he had little time, Mike quickly stood up, wincing as he felt the cut on the side of his head, and glanced around to find his closest exit. Deciding the back door was his best chance, he crept down the hall, but glanced back and spotted a golf club lying on the floor. Wincing again as his head throbbed, he slipped out the back door and ran as quickly as he could back to his truck.

Shifting the truck in drive, Mike attempted to appear calm as he pulled away from the curb, then accelerated slightly as the drove down the street. He prayed whoever had hit him had not seen his face, nor returned in time to witness his escape. He drove quickly back toward his house, but slowed down as his head spun. He realized he should not be driving as he felt himself beginning to drift out of consciousness. He pulled his truck over to the side of the road and put it in park, then gently ran his fingers over his head. For a moment he was nauseous as he felt the large lump that was forming, then his eyes rolled back in his head as he finally lost consciousness, slumping against the steering wheel.


"I can't believe you sent him out at 2:30 in the morning for ice cream," Bree said to Susan she dealt cards. She, Susan, Lynette, and Gabby had gathered for their weekly poker game, and Susan had just told them the story of her late night craving.

"What? I was hungry," Susan said meekly, blushing.

"Yes, but in the middle of the night? Poor Mike," Gabby said, chuckling.

"I say nice going, Susan," Lynette added, laughing as well. "The man got you pregnant, the least he can do is cater to your every whim." Susan laughed, nudging Lynette playfully with her elbow.

"I know," she said. "I can't help it, though. My morning sickness is finally over, so I have an appetite again. But I do feel bad, especially since he stayed up with me every single night when I was sick," she added, frowning guiltily.

"Yeah, I have to admit, that was sweet of him," Lynette grumbled.

"It was amazing of him," Susan sighed.

"Tom always said I handled morning sickness so well, I didn't need him."

"Nice," Gabby said, smirking.

"Yeah, I always made sure I 'accidentally' woke him up each time I dragged myself back to bed." Lynette replied, smirking as well.

"Rex was always pretty good with the morning sickness," Bree contributed, smiling fondly.

"How wonderful for you." All four of the women laughed.

"Hey, where is Mike?" Gabby asked, sipping her juice and frowning. All of the women had promised they would not drink coffee or wine in front of Susan, and Gabby personally hated it.

"He had an appointment today, I think he'll be back for dinner," Susan explained.

"Does he ever go home?" Bree laughed, looking at Susan. "I swear, he is always at your house."

"Yeah, he's pretty much there all the time," Susan said thoughtfully.

"Why doesn't he just move in?"

"Hm…we've never discussed it. It's just been a given that he stays. I wonder if he'd want to move in."

"You know he'd love it," Lynette said.

"I'd love it too," Susan said, smiling. "But is it too soon?" The other three women gaped at her.

"Honey, you're having a baby together. It's not too soon," Gabby chuckled, patting Susan's hand. Susan blushed and looked down at the table.

"I should talk to him about it," she said as her cell phone started ringing. "Oh, hang on," she said, flipping open the phone and raising it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Is this Susan Mayer?" came the voice on the other end of the line.

"Yes this is, can I help you?"

"This is Brad Lowen from Mercy Hospital, I'm calling about Mike Delfino."

"Mike? Is something wrong with him?" Susan asked, her voice breaking slightly as Gabby, Bree, and Lynette looked up at her, concerned.

"What is your relationship to Mr. Delfino?"

"I'm his girlfriend. What's happened to him?"

"He's suffered a head injury, but he says he doesn't remember how," Lowen said. "He was found in his truck parked on the side of a street, unconscious."

"Oh my God," Susan said, her voice shaking. Bree placed her hand on her shoulder comfortingly, and Susan grasped it gratefully.

"He's conscious now, which is good since he has a concussion. He's been asking for you."

"Oh my God," Susan said again. "I'll be right there."

"He's in room 218, just inform the nurse at the desk when you arrive," Lowen said.

"I will," Susan replied before snapping her phone closed, then she put her head in her hands. The other three women glanced at each other worriedly.

"What happened, Susan?" Bree asked.

"It's Mike. Something about a head injury, they found him in his truck, and oh my God, I have to go," Susan stuttered, standing up quickly as her eyes started to tear.

"Do you need one of us to take you?" Lynette asked, standing up as well.

"No, guys, but thanks, I just…I have to go," Susan replied, grabbing her bag and heading for the door.

"Drive safely, then, Susan," Bree called as the women followed her to the door.

"And call us when you find out what happened," Gabby added, pulling a distraught Susan into a hug. Bree and Lynette also hugged Susan briefly.

"Thanks, I will," Susan said before she slipped out the door and dashed across the street to her car. She climbed into it and wiped her eyes before carefully backing down her driveway and tearing down the street.


"Unbelievable," Susan said, shaking her head as she glared at Mike, who was laying in a hospital bed, a bandage wrapped around this head. "Truly unbelievable. I cannot believe you."

"Ok, I get it, you can't believe me," Mike growled. He was not in a very good mood. He knew he couldn't afford to keep making these mistakes, or he'd never find out the truth about Deirdre.

"Now is not the time for you to be a jackass," Susan snapped. "You were searching through someone's house? What on earth happened?"

"Nothing," Mike sighed, but changed his mind when he saw Susan's face. "I was just searching for something in the house, and I wasn't alone. Guy came up and hit me in the head with a golf club. I'm fine, though a golf club hurts more than you'd think it would."

"You're fine," Susan laughed flatly. "Yeah, I can see that. Lying in the hospital with a concussion, and you're fine."

"Look, Susan," Mike sighed, but she cut him off.

"How did you not get arrested?"

"I told you, I got out when the guy was calling the cops, then drove away," Mike sighed.

"This has to stop." "What has to stop?" Mike asked, confused.

"This. You cannot keep investigating people like this, it's illegal. How many houses are you going to break into before someone manages to do some real damage to you? How many houses before you get killed?" Susan asked, her eyes tearing.

"You cannot tell me to stop. I need to do this, you don't understand."

"Don't tell me what I don't understand!" Susan shouted angrily. "You need to be here for your child. Though that doesn't seem as important to you as this does."

"It is, Susan. It's more important to me than anything. You are more important to me than anything. This is just something I have to do. I'm not going anywhere," Mike said softly.

"So this is how it's going to be? You breaking into people's houses, chasing a ghost. Then one day you'll break into the wrong house, and our child will say to me: 'Where's Daddy?' And I'll say, 'I'm sorry, kiddo, Daddy got himself killed searching through dresser drawers!'" Susan ranted, crying now.

"That's not how it will be, Susan. I'll be there, I promise."

"You can't promise me that, don't you dare promise me that while you're out there doing this. And I won't stand by and watch you do it."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you stop this investigation now, and start preparing to be a father, or accept the fact that you won't be a father at all," Susan said softly, but firmly.

"You wouldn't do that," Mike protested nervously.

"Don't think I wouldn't," Susan warned. "I love you, but I will not stand by and watch you kill yourself. I'll walk away, Mike, I swear I will."

"I can't just quit."

"Fine. Just don't expect me to be waiting for you the next time you land yourself in the hospital," Susan said. "Don't expect me to be waiting for you at all." With that, she turned around and walked quickly out of the room. Mike sighed and rested his throbbing head against the pillows as the beginnings of tears gathered at the corners of his eyes.

TBC...


Boone