There is an author's note I'm going to write in the beginning of each and every one of my next chapters for my stories, after I've uploaded this chapter it's two down and six to go so… if you think this is nothing but self- pitying and seeking for attention and feel very free to think so but I need to get it out and let you know how much you mean to me.

When I'm looking back, ten, fifteen years from now and look at the six months between the end of July 2013 to January 2014. I'm not going to be able to say it was all a good time, I'm not gonna be able to say it was easy because it simply wasn't. Things were getting really hard and as soon as I had just a little bit of control of things something new happened and knocked me right over again. Right by New Year I think I cried a thousand times in one week, out of different reasons but mostly because I felt… like I wasn't enough for anything or for anybody.

My point is, things have been really rough these last months but no matter how bad it got I had always something to- you can call it fall back to. You can call it- whatever but that something is fanfiction. I knew that whenever I was down or not good at anything. Here- for you I would always be enough. And that has really meant a lot, and it would never have been possible without each and every one of my readers.

So to you- yeah, you who are reading this. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Because there is no way I would have done it and gotten through things if it wasn't for you.

Michael POV

I groaned, turned around and slowly opened my eyes. Every part of my body ached with moving and it was when I tried to remember why every part of my body ached I remembered what had happened the day before. How I had walked up to Spice and Dell and told them how I wasn't going to be a part of the gang anymore, and still said that I wouldn't no matter what the two other said- both bigger and older than me.

Then I remembered how they had beat me up, and how I at last had loosened myself from Dell to run all the way to Elm Tree House. And then I remembered how Mike had walked away and brought Molli into the room, how I had held her in my arms for the first time in so long and felt exactly how much I loved my sister and felt that from this moment on I would protect and love her with all that I've got.

I sat up and leaned against the wall. Leaned my head back to crack my neck, then straightened it again when there was a knock on the door and Mike came in with a tray.

"All the others are in the kitchen, if you want you can eat in here and then meet them later." I nodded and grabbed the sandwich. I didn't know how long it was since I had eaten last, one day, two. I didn't really know but I was really hungry.

"Hey… slow down." Mike chuckled. "No one's gonna take that sandwich alright son." He clapped my shoulder when I tried to eat slower. "I'll go and tell the others you're here… do you want me to call your dad?" I choked on the bite I swallowed.

I hesitated for a little while. My first intention was answering him no. That I wasn't ready yet. That I needed more time to think of what I would say to him. More time to think of how to apologize. More time to… yet there wasn't really a reason to pull out on it. I'd have to speak to him sooner or later anyway.

I took a deep breath and before I had the time to change my mind I answered Mike yes. He smiled, asked me if I wanted him to tell dad I was here, I shook my head. He'd might as well be angry and refuse to come then. It was the safest only to tell him he needed to come. I threw the sandwich back at the tray- I didn't feel hungry anymore. I laid down and waited for Mike to come back. When he did he told me that dad couldn't get away from work so he'd be here about four P.M.

I forced myself to eat the rest of that sandwich. There was really no use not eating, Mike had walked out telling the others I was here so after eating the sandwich and realizing I really couldn't eat anymore. I took the tray and followed the sound of voices through a hallway and into a kitchen.

"MICKEY." Molli shrieked when I came through the door- opening, she came running over to me and threw her arms around my legs. I moaned, I loved Molli and it was great having her hugging me again, but the sudden movement caused my whole body to ache and I was about to drop the tray when Mike came up and took it from my hands.

I kneeled down and hugged Molli back, just held her close to me to never let go- well, that would be if I could hold her forever. Tears started rolling down my cheeks when I started crying again. "Don't cry Mickey." Molli said. "We are together again now." I cleared my throat, let go of Molli, then stroke away the tears then stood up. "This is my brother- his name is Michael."

There were people greeting me from around that table, I looked around, twins- two black haired boys maybe about my age, a blonde boy maybe seven or eight, another blonde boy maybe nine or ten, a dark girl with pink clothes and at last- a black- haired pale girl with eyes that was looking at me as if she was looking right in my eyes as if… she knew all of my secrets. I looked away from her, and when I looked back the dark- haired girl had gathered her things and was on her way out of the room- and I realized this was the girl we had been beating up.

Sophia POV

"Sophia" Mike came after me. "Sophia what is it?" I stomped up the stairs and towards my room without a word. "Sophia… what is it?" Mike caught up with me. I took a deep breath, there wasn't really any meaning with breaking it down to him. He wouldn't understand anyway. And he'd probably be mad. I turned around and gestured to Mike to follow me, I closed the door after he came in so that no one would hear.

"Listen Mike- you're gonna be angry now… I… Do you know what? I know I was gone for a while, but when I've been here- do you know who's been there for Molli when she's wet the bed? Or been crying for her dad or her brother?" Mike started stuttering something about how he didn't even know Molli used to wet the bed but I interrupted.

"No I know you didn't- because I was the one helping her. Molli have told me what that boy have said and how he left them barely a week after their mum died. You don't leave family like that without a reason, especially not in times like that. So no- I don't like Michael. And yes- I'm angry at him because Molli's my friend and no one hurts my friends and gets away with it."

To my surprise Mike actually smiled and pressed my shoulders to make me sit down on the bed behind me, he sat down next to me. "Sophia. I am not going to be angry at you. And I'm not going to say you're wrong. But I'm not going to say you're right either. When Michael ran away, the Preston's had quite a lot of problems at home. Michael wasn't good- neither anyone else so he turned to where he knew- the streets. And got in a gang that made him do things he shouldn't have- I'm actually not supposed to tell you this but about the streets and that you already knew."

"That isn't an excuse to just leave your family like that."

"Sophia… your brother ran away too didn't he?" Oh at that moment I could have punched Mike right in the face. That was a whole other thing. Michael ran away from his problems. Luce ran away because if he hadn't he would have been caught and then killed.

"You don't know anything about that Mike- Luce ran away because if he hadn't he would have been found and killed. Michael ran away because he was being a jerk and a coward. That are two very different things."

Johnny POV

I had seen Sophia storm into her bedroom, Mike after her and I didn't know why. But I had a feeling but I just knew there were going to talk about something important so I tip- toed closer to the door and held my ear to it so I could hear what was said. And after some while- I knew I had heard enough.

"Hey guys." I half ran into the kitchen. "I've managed to find out some new things about Sophia. Michael- she thinks you're a jerk and a coward for leaving your family. Molli- she only cares for you because she has too and as well- before she was here she had a brother- his name was Luke and he had to run away because if he hadn't he'd have gotten caught and then gotten killed."

There was a loud bang when Carmen dropped her spoon into her bowl. "Killed?" All the people around the table were sitting with their mouths open, Molli was crying and Michael looked really angry. He hit his palm in the table, making the whole table tremble and then stood up and asked me if I could show me where he could find Sophia. I hesitated, started to have a feeling maybe I shouldn't have done this, but I just shook the feeling off and walked in front of Michael towards Sophia's room where he ripped the door open and stomped in.

"Do you have a problem with me?" Michael fizzled. Slowly- even though Michael hadn't been shouting the residents of Elm Tree House started gathering in the hallway. Carmen told Tee what was going on when she came and she angrily looked to me.

"Johnny, what have you done?" She asked me. I tried my best to defend myself but I knew I had done wrong. "We barely know anything about Sophia, we don't know her reasons to be saying those things." I tried to still act like her words didn't matter- but it got harder and harder. She was right- I hadn't heard what Sophia had for reason to say what she had said- and I was starting to realize what I had done.

"Hey." George came into the hallway and looked around. "What's going on?" Carmen explained to him what had happened and he immediately pushed his way through the crowd and into Sophia's room where he closed the door after him.

Sophia POV

Michael really was angry with me- I couldn't blame him though. But he didn't know the whole story and I did some failed attempts to try to explain it to him but he just interrupted every time. Mike did succeed to keep him at least a meter or two away from me so he wouldn't be able to do any harm, and then George came into the room Mike went with Michael to the office after George was given a short summary of what had happened and then pulled out my desk chair- but didn't sit down on it.

"Sophia…" he closed the door. "Of course- I am pretty sure that what you think of Michael comes from that your brother left so I want you to imagine… Luke…" I corrected him. "Luce sitting on this chair, and say whatever you want. If you're angry then say something angry, if you're disappointed or whatever then just let it out." I just sat there quietly for several seconds then I took a stern look towards the chair imagining Luce being there and opened my mouth.

"I hate you." I fizzled. "I hate you because you helped and got us all in trouble. I hate you for leaving without us. I hate you, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU!" I felt warm, salt tears starting to roll down my cheeks- and that's when I knew how to continue, I stood up and sat down on my knees in front of the chair.

"But I love you. I love you so much it hurts in the chest. And I am so scared I'll never see you again- or that you're already dead. So please Luce. If you can find a way- let me know if you're dead or alive."

Naw, poor Sophia. Poor Michael and poor Molli… and so it goes. But well, my goal was to have this up today and it's now twenty minutes to midnight