When I woke up it was by the fact that Mike had kneeled down next to me. The headache was gone, instead there was a strange feeling of being completely empty. I rubbed my eyes as I sat up, Mike held a hand towards my back to support me.

"You okay?" Mike sat down next to me. I nodded. "Lunch is ready- it's kinda late for lunch but… it's been a lot. I tried making something, burned it and then George went to the store and then he made something I don't really have any idea what but it should be better then what I was making." I smiled slightly. Yep- anything would be better than what Mike did when he was cooking. "I could bring something here if you want to eat in here."

"No…" I stood up and walked slowly towards the door. "I am going to have to face the rest of them sooner or later anyway." I opened the door and walked down the hall and into the kitchen. I could hear chattering but when I stepped through the door it went all quiet. I sighed.

"Okay." I tried to talk calm but firmly. "I don't want you asking fifty thousand questions all at once but… this is just scary." I sighed again. "You can ask one question… I will answer it."

"That is one question each is it?" Carmen asked. I shook my head.

"No, that is one question all together." They leaned closer together. I sat down by the kitchen island to sit there and eat. I could hear them asking whether they should ask about the snare, or what happened before I came here. I took a deep breath and clenched my hands tightly around the fabric in my shirt. At last they all leaned further back and looked at me.

"Why did that snare hang in the cupboard?" Stan asked.

"And we want to hear- the whole story." Tyler ended. I took a deep breath.

"I received a parcel with some old stuff from my brother." I said loud enough for everyone to hear over the sound of the kitchen van. "Except for some old stuff like, photos, that jumping rope and such, he sent a map and a letter saying that he is on his way here. But the road is very long and very dangerous. I took the jumping rope he sent me and made a snare in the cupboard as I thought that if I received the news that he had been killed I would go in there and hang myself. I hid the snare on the highest shelf and really didn't think someone else would find me- it didn't cross my mind that someone would accidently hang themselves in it. So… that's the story." It went all quiet when I had silent.

"So you have a brother?" I shrugged.

"You asked your one question." The protests were wild. "EY SHUT UP." I shouted at last and it went dead quiet. "You asked your one question- I am not going to answer any more questions." I took a plate from the table and put on- whatever it was George had cooked. It looked like some sort of meat- stew. I sat down by the kitchen island and started eating- it was actually really good! And to me it seemed like everybody shared my opinion. But I could not help to notice George had a smile on his face- as if he was planning something. I just shrugged it off and continued eating.

"So…" George said when I had finished and Tyler was making himself yet another portion. "Did you all like it?" Different voices saying yes and delicious and such stuff came from every direction. "Well… it's also good for you cause it's all vegetarian." Tyler had just taken a bite and seemed to swallow it all wrong as he started coughing and choking. The others grimaced. "You just said you liked it!" George exclaimed.

"What is this then?" Tyler asked and held up a piece of something that looked like chicken.

"It's vegetarian- and don't try to fool me now- I know you liked it." George smirked and then took another bite. Tyler just shrugged and continued eating.

The next day I sat in the stairs when Gina was on her way home with Shawn. We all stood or sat around the hallway waiting. Mike sat a few stairs behind me, and held his hand on my back.

"I feel sick." I whispered.

"I know Sophia." Mike answered me. "But it's alright Shawn isn't mad at you- and no one else is." Just as he'd finished the sentence we heard the cab pull up in the driveway. I drew a deep breath to keep myself from hyperventilate. Mike stood up and jogged out in the hallway when Shawn came in.

"Hey Shawn." Mike lifted Shawn up.

"Hello Mike" Mike let Shawn down on the floor again. As he walked through the hallway he had hugs, high- fives and claps on the shoulder- and someone ruffling his hair all the way until he came to the bottom of the stairs.

"Come on guys." I heard Mike. "We'll go into the lounge and let Sophia and Shawn talk alone for a minute." I drew another deep breath as I could see Shawn coming up the stairs and sitting down next to me. The others were walking out of the room as I turned to Shawn, feeling my heart beat in my chest harder than ever before.

"I am… so, so sorry." I told Shawn. He laid his head a bit to the side while looking at me. "That snare was not meant for anyone to hang themselves in. I really am sorry."

"It was not your fault!" Shawn said. "So stop saying you're sorry. I just found the snare and wanted to look at it to see what it was- I knew what it was so I was going to tell Mike about it. Then I slipped and fell so I had that snare around my neck- it was an accident. And you were the one hearing that I kicked the door. So if you'd never found me…. You know."

"But if it wasn't for me that snare would never have been there in the first place." I said. "But it wasn't meant for you."

"I know. And it was an accident- it wasn't your fault." Shawn clung onto my arm and leaned his head against my shoulder. "I found my mum when she had hung herself- that's why I knew what it was." I almost choked when I heard Shawn telling about his mum. And I couldn't describe how much it hurt me that I had put that snare there in the first place. "Sophia, can you promise me one thing?"

"Yes Shawn. What is it you want me to promise?"

"Never do that- you know- hang yourself or something- ever." I sighed. I didn't want to keep a promise I wouldn't be able to keep. But if I received news that Luce had died I would not know what else there was to do. Yet I couldn't tell him no. At last I decided to tell him the truth.

"I don't know if I can promise you that Shawn. But I promise I will do my best not to get to the point where I see that as my only option." Shawn wrapped his arms around my waist. I laid an arm around his shoulders and sat like that for a while. At last Jody came out in the hallway.

"There's hotdogs, chocolate biscuits and ice cream in the kitchen to celebrate Shawn's back if you want."

"HOTDOGS" Shawn shouted, loosened himself from me and ran down the stairs. I stood up and walked slowly down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Mike POV

It had been two days since Shawn came back and it was late evening when there was knocking on the door. I walked to get it and found Michael Preston standing on the other side. He was bruised, had a cut on his eyebrow, his nose was bleeding. He was muddy and his clothes were ragged.

"Michael? What happened?" Michael pulled a hair through his hair.

"I kinda quit the gang." I moved so Michael could walk over the threshold. "I… I kinda need somewhere to stay. "I put a hand on Michael's shoulder and led him to the quiet room. He more or less fell down in one of the sofas and leaned his head backwards- seeming exhausted.

"I'll get the first aid kid. Do you want to see Molli?" His eyes shot open when I mentioned Molli.

"Is she here?" I nodded. He nodded back. "Yes I'd like to meet her." I walked out of the room and up the stairs and into Molli's and Carmen's room. I shook Molli's shoulder to wake her up. She opened her eyes and looked drowsily at me. "Molli- your brother Michael's here and he wants to meet you. Do you want to meet him?" Molli nodded, I lifted her up and walked downstairs, getting the first aid kit before walking into the quiet room with Molli.

Michael had pulled his backpack and coat off and now sat in the sofa, when I came in with Molli I lifted her down onto the floor.

"Mickey." She shouted, he got up of the sofa and kneeled down. He spread his arms out when Molli ran up to him and hugged her as hard as he could. "I've missed you." Molli said.

"Missed you too Molli." I could hear that Michael's voice was almost breaking. They just held each other for several minutes.

"So Molli. I think you should go to bed…"

"NO." Molli shrieked.

"Yes… I will talk to Michael and he will still be here in the morning won't he?" Molli nodded and looking to the floor and stomping in the stairs she walked upstairs, I sat down on the coffee table and opened the first aid kit.

"So you quit the gang?" Michael nodded, he seemed to be having trouble keeping his eyes open as I wiped the blood of his eyebrow.

"I quit. And they beat me up, they didn't have the time to do much because I'm so much faster though."

"Do you want me to call your dad and tell him you're here" Michael shook his head.

"I think it will have to wait 'til the morning." He said drowsily. I stood up and put the first aid kit together again.

"Okay. I'll go get something else for you to wear. The bathroom's this way." I walked upstairs and found a pair of my own sweat pants and a T- shirt that I handed to Michael, then I sat down by the table. I thought about Michael- how incredibly broken he was and how I could see it in his eyes.

When he came back I led him to the bed in the quiet room. It would do for tonight. I thought as I walked towards the staff bedroom at Elm Tree House. But- even though I felt exhausted I couldn't sleep and when I finally fell asleep it was close to three A.M.

So that's it. How many here just want to hug Michael? Yeah that's what I thought. I want to do that too.