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"Allison, was it?"

Usually I'd know much about the kids. Including where they came from and their family members. But it had been chaos the night Derek had arrived, and since then it was like neither I, nor anybody else had had the time to sit down at all. Let alone read everybody's files and so it had gone that I didn't know more of Michael's story than of what it must have been for him to be the child- like personality he had ended up.

"Yes… I saw on… on the TV… and on Facebook, on Missing People. I barely even read it. I just saw those pictures and I knew it was Michael…. And then I saw his name and I saw… This is where he lives… lived… have you found him?"

"No." I gave a deep sigh. "It's like he ran away and then fell off the face of the earth. But, we can't lose hope yet. Can we? Anyway, you do know, that whether Michael is actually here for you to meet him or not, you cannot just show up like this. Michael and every other child here is under the protection of the social services and…"

"I know, I know." Allison interrupted me. "Of course, its' only common sense. But my intention here was never to meet Michael nor anyone else. But I…. I'm going to get straight to it so I'm not here for hours. I could be if I started talking. I have a letter." Alison pulled up an envelope out of her pocket. "I wrote it… I wrote it earlier today. I just knew that wherever my oldest son will be in the future- I must tell his… parents… about who he is. And who I am and… I'm not a monster. I know it might seem like it to you but I'm really not. I'm just a regular woman, a regular mum who hade to make some choices. And I think I made some wrong and terrible ones but… I was really just trying to protect him. To protect both of my sons and… and I have this letter, because I wish that wherever Michael will be. He will know that I do love him… So. If Michael comes back. And if he ever has parents, foster or adoptive parents. Will you then give this letter to them? And will you make sure that nobody else but them reads this?"

Sincerely, Michael's mum

Of course there was more to it in the envelope and the letter. But only that, short sentence seemed way too short and simple.

"I'm going to have to read it to make sure you haven't written something you shouldn't have though. Like trying to manipulate the possible foster parents into something they otherwise wouldn't."

"Of course."

"And if… when he comes back I'm going to have to tell him you were here. He might be upset that you were here and he didn't get the chance to see you."

In fact, he would for sure.

"I never wanted to stay. I never wanted to take him back under my wing and care for him. I have his brother- Lavernius who's five, and I've got my hands full. I don't want to know him. I just can't… But there's nothing I want more than for my two boys to be safe. So just promise me, will you? That when… if my son comes back here you'll do your very best for him to have the best future possible."

"I do that for all of my kids."

"It makes me happy at least Michael is somewhere he has friends and someone… a lot of people who cares for him." Allison stood up and pulled her scarf tighter around to make herself ready to leave. "But still, I would give anything to go back in time and make other decisions. But I can't, and now… I don't even know who he is… But take good care of him, will you? And if he ever is fostered or adopted." She nodded to the letter.

She had only been here for five minutes.

Something clenched in my stomach when the thought hit me that after being away for five years in total, Allison only came here when she must have known that the chance was little Michael would.

After all of the kids I had cared for for the last thirty years I had never been able to understand how a parent could leave a child, how they could abuse or something much worse. How they did it themselves and even let other people do it. I reminded myself to look through the files for all the kids that had come with Derek that night that seemed like a lifetime ago…

With a sigh I saw Allison back to the door and outside. Then suddenly remembered the phone call I had had right before she showed up. I then only had to wonder for one second…

Trenton hadn't moved much from the kitchen since Michael had disappeared, and seeing the way he sat with his head lowered and fingers wrapped in his hair, absolutely sure that Michael's disappearance absolutely broke my heart.

Kenny POV

(This starts where the last chapter ended when Mike had told Trenton that Matt called)

The silence that had been after Mike had told me and Trenton passed… and passed… and went on again.

We must have sat there for at least an hour until Trenton at last broke the silence, and around the house it seemed quieter than ever the more voices and movement we heard from the others.

"…I guess. I guess I want to talk to Matt too. But I don't know… I have to think and I have to…"

"IT'S MICHAEL."

"MICHAEL'S BACK."

"MICHAEL."

Both I, Trenton and Mike turned and looked up when we heard shouting and the front door to the house opening…

Then all of us shot up at once, and as well as everybody else in the house hurried to the front door where a police man had for sure led the one and only Michael Caboose inside. His round face dirty, his blonde hair tousled, wrapped in a blanket…

But very much safe and seeming unhurt.

"Where have you been?" Mike was the first one over to him and wrapped him in a hug. "You scared us half to death…. Where have you been?" Michael shrugged tiredly.

"I just kept walking and running… a bit of everywhere."

"We found him at a bus station about an hour's drive from here." The police man said. "And as far as we have seen. You're safe and unhurt and you were just lost." Michael shrugged again. "I and one of my colleagues will be here in the morning and talk some. But for now I think what you need is a hot bath and a soft bed to sleep in. Am I right?"

Michael nodded, then there were more hugs and greetings shared, from me too before I backed towards the living room door with Trenton who stood quietly with his hands shoved in his pockets.

"Michael." Trenton raised from having stood leaned against the doorway when everybody had gotten each hug and greeting- including Minnie who had had at least three. "I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it in a mean way and… I shouldn't have said what I said. I hope you can forgive me."

"Forgive you for what?" Michael looked confused. "You only stated the fact. You're not mean… Kim had been mean to me earlier that day and people at school. Even a teacher who thinks I'm just stupid. But you weren't mean. You only stated the facts and I shouldn't have run away like that. I missed this every day but I didn't know how to get back…"

"See?" I patted Trenton's shoulder. "Told you it wasn't your fault… And if nothing else. I think you should make sure you talk to Matt. Because, why wouldn't he want to foster a kind, sweet boy like you."

"I still shouldn't have said what I said that day. And everyone wants younger kids… Not me."

"Matthew Dunn wants you. And if you can't see that I will become seriously angry with you. And do you know how angry a woman can get with all the hormones running in the body when I'm pregnant."

Michael was just staring at me, he started to look quite amused a me before he frowned at Trenton and put it together piece by piece to realize what was going on…

"Maybe there will sometime be someone out there in this whole wide world who wants me and wants me to stay with them… I can't know that now and neither can you. But what I know is that Matthew seems to want you and wants you to stay with him. And I think that after everything you have done here for everybody, you deserve… What is it they say in the fairy tales? To live happily ever after?"

"Now come on," before Trenton had answered Mike came into the room. "Duke, can you fill up the bath tub for him. With as warm water and as much bubbles as possible, all of you. Bed, now."

Mike led Michael up the stairs and finally I could breathe out in relief that Michael was back. And that when the thought struck me that this must have been something of what my mum and the others at Sunshine had felt when I disappeared…

Trying to ignore what I had done I turned to Trenton again.

"Michael's right you know!"

I was wondering about what the title of this chapter should be when I started it. I hope you think "Who is Michael?" suits. It comes from the fact that the name Michael means "Who is God?"

Random fact

I had some real trouble coming up with how Michael was going to be brought back into this story. I sort of wanted to leave a cliffhanger

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