Sorry about any grammar/spelling issues, it was hot as Hades while I was writing this and it was just too much of an effort to go over this while dealing with the heat. Enjoy!

Mike had packed the majority of his things days ago, he was eager to leave the McGarry household for Yale even if the first day of the semester was months away. He dragged the canvas military surplus duffel bag from under his bed and tossed it on top, causing the mattress to dip slightly, he then added a leather portfolio and a small satchel to the pile on his bed. Mike proceeded to collect a few articles of clothing from his dresser and shoved them into the duffel.

He was leaving a fair amount of clothes behind, not because he intended to leave hand-me-downs for Leo; his little brother was so much younger than him that Mike's clothes were bound to be far too out of fashion by the time they'd fit Leo. Mike was only taking the best of what he had, whatever he'd need to fit in better with the other young men at Yale, limiting himself to what he could carry. After finishing up with his duffle he pulled the drawer of his bedside table open, taking two photographs out of it. One photograph was of twelve year-old Mike holding baby Leo outside of church after his christening. Both boys were squinting, the sun was in their eyes because whoever had taken the photograph, an uncle if Mike remembered correctly, was more concerned about the boys showing up properly on film than their expressions. Mike had tried his best to smile regardless but it looked more like a grimace than a grin; he was rather fond of the photograph even if it wasn't flattering, he liked the nearly matching expressions he and baby Leo had.

The other photograph was of Mike at 15, sitting cross-legged on the living room floor with one year old Josie on his lap and Leo and Birdie (she still refused to be called Elizabeth) on either side of him. Leo's smile was so big that his eyes were about as visible as they were in the christening photograph and Birdie was leaning over Mike's leg and holding onto the baby's chubby fist. He remembered his mother kneeling down in front of them to take the photograph so that she could get them at eye level, the skirt of her dress falling neatly in a circle around her. Mike was even more fond of the memory of her mother than of the photograph itself.

Things had gotten easier for everyone when his siblings had come along. Frank had eased up considerably on his eldest and that meant Rose spent less time trying to defend and protect Mike, but in the three years that had passed since that photograph had been taken Frank's drinking had still managed to continue slowly draining the life out of his wife. Rose McGarry was still a beautiful woman, her face and hair reminding nearly everyone that saw her of Rita Hayworth, but it was impossible to hide the exhaustion in her eyes or the roundness of her tired shoulders.

Mike tucked the photographs into the portfolio that contained his sketches and drafts with inordinate care, as if they were delicate ornaments made of spun glass and not images on paper. After he snapped the portfolio closed Mike shouldered his duffel bag and gathered up the rest of his things.

The commotion that Frank and Mike had caused had not escaped the notice of the rest of the household, it never did; even sleepy-eyed Josie was sitting up in her cot hoping that someone would appear and comfort her after being startled awake by the shouting.

"Frank? What's going on, what's Mike doing?" Rose asked as she entered the living room. She pulled her robe tighter around herself, a nervous gesture and not an attempt at modesty.

"Damned if I know," Frank snapped back at his wife.

Rose tugged at her robe again, hoping that they hadn't come to blows. Her husband hadn't struck Mike in quite some time but Rose knew better than to expect men to change for good, Frank was drunk and anything was possible.

Just as Rose began looking for signs that Frank had been violent and that Mike had fought back she saw her son descending the stairs. Her boy gave her a sad crooked smile as their eyes met; both of her sons had gotten that smile from Frank but Mike's lopsided grin still had little Leo's sweetness.

"Michael?"

"I'm sorry, Ma, I've gotta go."

Rose bit her lip as it began to tremble and nodded her understanding, she looked over at Frank and saw him angrily cross his arms across his chest then she turned back to look at Mike when she felt her eyes begin to burn.

"Please don't cry, Ma," Mike whispered. "I promise I'll write."

Finding herself unable to speak Rose nodded again and tried to smile at Mike, she didn't want his last memory of her before he left to be of her sobbing.

Mike kissed his mother's forehead gently and as a result of his kiss she managed to give him a smile, she was certain was a pathetic little smile but given the circumstances it was the best she could manage.

"Be careful out there," whispered through the tightness in her throat as she smoothed the collar of Mike's shirt.

Mike nodded and turned away when his mother removed her fussing hands.

The tenderness of the moment with his mother evaporated when Mike caught sight of Frank and his angry expression.

Mike would be lying to himself if he told himself that he wasn't concerned that by leaving and removing himself as the source and target of Frank McGarry's ire his father would take out his aggression on his three siblings, who thus far had only had to suffer the secondary effects of Frank's wrath: overhearing him berate Mike whenever the opportunity presented itself for Frank to do so.

Because of his concern over removing himself as a buffer Mike decided to issue a warning.

As Mike closed the distance between himself and his father he felt that he needed to adjust the weight of his duffel on his shoulder but he decided to wait until after his own display of dominance was over, it wouldn't do to start fussing over the strap the way his mother had fussed over his collar just now.

Frank's angry expression remained unchanged as Mike stopped directly in front of him.

"If I EVER find out that you've laid a hand on ANY of them I'll come back and fucking kill you," Mike growled at Frank, the tone frighteningly similar to Frank's earlier that evening.

Mike's rage was enough to remove the scowl on his father's face. That anger frightened Frank and left him too startled to ask how his son would find out if he did to his youngest children what he used to do to Mike when there would be hundreds of miles between them. In that moment he was certain that what Mike would make good on his promise.

Mike turned away, letting his father stew in the fear his warning had filled the room with.

Once he was outside of the house Mike let out a tired sigh and adjusted the strap that had had been digging uncomfortably into his shoulder.

As soon as Mike made it past the fence surrounding the house he saw a light flicker on from one of the bedroom windows.

"Mike don't go, please don't go!" he heard Birdie screaming from her window.

The scream and the sobbing that followed immediately after were primal and made him feel something deep in the pit of his stomach that spread with astonishing speed through his whole body, making the hair on his body stand and causing him to curl inward as if he'd been struck a blow to his chest.

"Mike, please!" She begged between sobs, her hysteria building. "Mike!"

Mike made the mistake of turning back, perhaps to get a last look at his sister for god only knew how long, or maybe to convey some sort of non-verbal apology. He hadn't expected to see Leo standing beside Birdie, looking groggy and confused, woken up by the all the shouting and clearly startled by Birdie's shrill and terrifying screams.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Mike chanted as he continued forward, trying desperately not to let his sister's sobs and his brother's face make him turn back.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," with every single step of the way to Central Station.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," to the rhythm of the North Shore Limited bound for New York.

Series extras can be found at the Tumblr url "thegodshaveconspired"