Thanks to everyone who read and to tomfeltonlover1991 for reviewing.

He was probably an idiot. Hell, he was definitely an idiot. But he wasn't soaked to the skin this time, and if Alex had meant what he'd said, Jamie could get dinner here and curl up in the spare bedroom and it would be warm. And there would be no drunks anywhere. He couldn't actually imagine Alex drunk.

That assumed that Alex had meant what he'd said, though, and Jamie pushed himself warily to his feet as Alex pulled up the driveway. If he was wrong and Alex hadn't meant, it there was still enough time to catch a bus back down to Kenny's. He'd just…deal. An echo of rough laughter rang in his ears and he shivered a little.

From what Jamie could tell from his expression, Alex didn't look upset at his presence, though, gesturing for him to enter the garage ahead of the car.

"Hey," Alex greeted as he climbed out, shutting the main door behind them with the press of a button.

"Hey." Jamie had no idea how to ask 'Did you mean it?' when he was almost already basically in someone's house, so he didn't say anything.

Alex waved him aside so he could get to the inner door, unlocking it and letting them in. "No luck with your friends, I take it?"

"Micah's family came back with some kind of flu, and Tom's not back at all yet. Bad weather and cancelled flight or whatever, I guess. Catie is, but…." He shrugged. Given how crowded her place was, it would never be an option overnight even if it wasn't not an option for other reasons. And Faustus had looked uncomfortable enough when he'd asked that Jamie had taken the question back immediately. He hadn't meant to stay so often last summer that he'd reached the point of being unwelcome, but clearly it had happened. "Went down to Kenny's, but his mom's boyfriend has some friends over and Kenny wasn't around." He hesitated a minute. "It's not…I can go back and wait for him if that's better." Kenny wouldn't stay out all night any more than Jamie would in this weather, even if Jamie wasn't sure he'd care for the state he'd be in when he did get back.

"If it was a problem I wouldn't have offered," Alex said. "I didn't get around to going to the grocery store, but there are still a few hamburgers left for dinner if you don't might using bread for a bun."

Jamie shook his head immediately. He'd saved a few things from lunch just in case, but actual food was part of the reason that he'd come here.

"Okay. Why don't you drop your stuff in the spare room?"

Jamie did as he said and then headed for the kitchen. "Can I help with something?" That much had stayed true, when Alex wanted something done he was pretty clear about how. Or if he just said 'yes', he didn't get upset with whatever way Jamie picked.

"Set the table," Alex said. "And the vegetables should be about done."

Vegetables generally meant a bag of something steaming in the microwave, but once you added butter they were actually pretty good, and he put out the plates and silverware quickly and then went to retrieve a bowl.

"Napkins too, please."

Jamie tensed automatically, but it was a request—or an order phrased as a request, anyway—not a reprimand. He finished with the vegetables and was setting the napkins on the table when Alex pulled the burgers off the grill plate. Four, and if Alex might not eat two, he wouldn't object if Jamie did. Hell, if the past couple days had been anything to go by, he'd expect Jamie to.

Alex wasn't one for a lot of talking while he was eating, and Jamie was pretty okay with the silence. The last thing he wanted to do was answer questions. And the hamburgers were tasty, sandwich bread or not, especially when he added cheese. Way better than school food.

Unfortunately it was too good to last, and Alex nodded to the living room as they finished loading the dishwasher. "Go have a seat. I want to talk to you for a few minutes."

Jamie wished that he hadn't put his backpack away, at least then he'd have something to fiddle with. He didn't, though, so he settled for taking a seat on the far end of the couch and flexing his hands against the cushions. He was still at it when Alex joined him.

"Jamie, calm down. You aren't in trouble."

Jamie shrugged and kept his focus on the carpet.

"Jamie?"

He kept his mouth shut, and after a minute Alex took a seat on the opposite end of the couch.

"I'm not angry, and you're not in trouble," Alex repeated. "I just wanted to talk to you for a minute. I assume that your social worker is still working on a new placement?"

Jamie nodded. Not that he'd talked to her, but he knew the routine. He didn't expect to hear anything for at least a couple weeks, maybe longer with Christmas coming up—no one wanted a new kid around this time of year, especially not a boy his age—but she'd show up at school for him eventually.

"Words, please," Alex prompted.

"Yeah," Jamie managed.

"Well, I don't know where exactly you were planning to stay until then, but if you were thinking about bouncing between friends' houses, why don't you just stay here instead?"

Jamie's head jerked up. "What?" He hadn't expected Alex to offer what he had this morning, and he definitely hadn't planned on taking him up on it. It was just a lack of other options that had landed him back here. His best hope was that Tom would be back tomorrow. Or that half of the people in Micah's house wouldn't be puking their guts up anymore. Or that things at Kenny's would get better. Somehow. For Alex to offer more than one more night….

Alex shrugged, looking awkward for a moment. "I've got the room, and bouncing from house to house isn't good for anyone."

Someone should probably tell social services that, Jamie couldn't help but think, but his string of foster homes weren't their fault and he knew it.

"You know me well enough to know that I'm not going to put up with crap, but we've gotten along okay the past couple days, haven't we?" Alex continued.

Jamie nodded slowly. He'd watched himself over the long weekend—he'd learned pretty quick at the station that Alex wouldn't put up with much, and he sure as hell had better sense than to pull anything when there was nowhere to go but out into cold and snow—and he'd never be able to keep out of trouble for more than a few more days, but even a solid place to sleep until next weekend would help. He'd screw up or Alex would get sick of him or both soon enough, but by then Tom would definitely be back and Micah's family would be on the mend and he'd have some other options anyway. "I don't eat too much or anything like that?" he checked. That was one of the biggest complaints. Well, that and messes, but with his bikes and guitar stored, all he had was a duffel and backpack anyway. He could keep his clothes and crap contained for a few more days.

Alex frowned. "Of course not. You eat like a teenage boy. Did someone tell you that it wasn't?"

Jamie returned his focus to the carpet and shrugged. "What are the rules? If I stay here, I mean."

"Well, I can't say that I've thought about it too much, but you know me well enough to know most of what I won't tolerate. Go to school, stay out of trouble, all of the usual stuff. My schedule's not particularly regular, but I expect you in at a reasonable hour; say ten on school nights, eleven on weekends, unless you're working or we talk about it first. I'm generally in by the same. You're welcome to join me for dinner when I'm around, otherwise you can help yourself." He paused. "I mean that, Jamie. There's no reason for you to go hungry. If you eat the last of something, write it on the list on the fridge so I know to pick up more, same as I do, but it's not something that you need to worry about." He paused again for a moment and then continued. "Generally speaking, pick up after yourself, keep the main area of the house reasonable, and try not to let your bedroom turn into a hazard zone. If something else comes up, on either of our parts, we can talk about it. Think you can manage that?"

Jamie nodded again. It was a better offer than he usually got from foster parents. And Alex had yelled at him plenty at the station when he'd messed up one thing or another; that wouldn't be anything new. Alex had never done anything that actually hurt him.

"Oh. You do not smoke," Alex said sternly. "Ever, understood? Leaving aside the fact that it's a nasty habit, you're too young to have cigarettes in the first place."

"I mostly only do that if I'm hungry," Jamie admitted. "It's easier to bum a cigarette than a sandwich." The rest of the time it was when he was shook, and if it came to that he wouldn't be doing it here anyway.

Alex didn't exactly look pleased with the admission, but he didn't comment on it beyond, "Then it shouldn't be an issue." He frowned. "You have more stuff than fits in your backpack, right?"

"My duffel is stashed at school," Jamie said. It wasn't something that anyone would look too close at as long as he didn't leave it there for more than a few nights.

"Do you need to go get it tonight?"

"No, I've got a change of clothes in my backpack." And his usual overnight gear. Alex already knew that he carried that, no sense in bringing it up again.

"Okay. You bring it back with you tomorrow." He pushed himself to his feet. "I'll get you a key."