I'm not going to talk much today guys, I'm a bit sick and I've got to work today, so please excuse my fever-induced craziness for any mistakes you find. Many thanks to Shadowfang14 for being reviewer #100!

Chapter 10

The mother and son duo had been embracing for a long time…when it was rudely interrupted by someone calling the boy's cell phone. Five of the spirits jumped like they'd been stung while Mike gave a sigh and released her son while little Robby dug through his pocket and pulled out the phone.

"What is that?" Sam asked, curious, as the living boy answered the call.

"That's a cellphone," Mike told him.

"A…what?" her brother blinked.

"Ah, that's right…cellphones were after your time," Mike teased, making her brother glare at her.

"Actually, they were invented in 1973," Amanda corrected, "It's just…we've never seen one like that…"

"And the fact that they were expensive!" Matt nodded.

"I…am completely lost," Spring admitted, "What is a 'cell phone'?"

The blond shuddered violently as Scott took control, glaring at the ceiling.

"It's a phone you carry around in your pocket you bucket of bolts," the former human snapped, "Not that you would know because you never used one!"

He twitched again as Spring snatched control back.

"I could have gone without your nastiness, thank you very much!" Spring growled.

Mike shook her head as her son gave a nod.

"Right…ok, I'll be there in a few minutes. Thanks, Max," little Robby finished, hanging up, "Sorry, I've got to go. I'm going to be late for practice,"

"Practice? What practice?" Mike asked, curious.

"Oh, yeah…forgot…you don't know," the boy mumbled before clearing his throat, "I um…I've got Summer League. I'm captain of the football team,"

"You're WHAT!?" Mike screeched, immediately hugging her son again, "Captain of the football team!? I'm so proud of you!"

"Ow! Mama!" the living boy whined, "Can't…breathe…again!"

"Ooops," Mike grinned sheepishly, "Sorry, lil' Capt'n…I mean football Capt'n,"

"Mama…you're embarrassing me!" little Robby hissed as Sam, his uncle and Matt started snickering.

"I'm your mother, it's my job," Mike told him, grinning, "And I've got ten years of catching up to do,"

"At least they're not coming with me…" little Robby thought before speaking aloud, "Mama, I've got to go…Max is going to kick my butt if I'm late…"

"Max? Who's Max?" Mike asked.

"She's just a friend…"

The ghosts all cast knowing looks at one another, grinning slyly.

"A friend," the boy repeated, irked.

"That's a girl," his uncle grinned, jabbing his hook towards the boy, "So she's a girlfriend!"

"Wha…no!" little Robby sputtered, just for the others to laugh.

"Aw, look!" Amanda cooed, "He's blushing!"

"Yeah, she's totally his girlfriend," Sam grinned.

"NO SHE'S NOT!" the boy yelled, just for Matt to clap a large hand on his shoulder.

"Ah, don't worry 'bout it, Robby…we teased your mother too when we found out about Charlie," he started, "Mike threw a wrench at your uncle when he pestered her about Prom,"

"It was a screwdriver," Mike corrected, "I just threatened him with a wrench,"

"Why on earth did you have that?!" her son demanded.

"I was removing a glitchy chip," Mike mumbled, rubbing the back of her own neck, "The one that made them really go crazy at night and try to kill me,"

She bowed her head.

"Turns out I've got one too," she sighed, "And it makes me a really easy target,"

"Why not take it out?" the boy asked, "I mean…the bear's right there…"

"Because I don't remember what it looked like," Mike sighed, "Scott knows…but he's not telling. If I had the blueprints…but Andrew said they were destroyed by me on accident,"

She flinched as she remembered.

"He beat me so badly that day that Mama nearly took me to the hospital," she shuddered.

"Grandpa beat you?" little Robby blinked, "And why won't you call him Dad?"

"That man is not my dad," Mike growled, eyes flashing black for an instant, "He may have fathered your uncle and me…but he's as much a dad to us as Charlie is to you,"

She shook her head, sighing.

"But you better go," she told him, "Your girlfriend's probably waiting on you,"

"She's not my girlfriend!" the boy yelled as he walked out, but not before hugging his mother one last time.

"We are following him, right?" the red spirit asked as he walked up to his sister.

"Course we will," Mike snorted, "What else will we be doing all day?"

The ghosts all stood under the bleachers, watching as little Robby dashed down the football field at lightning speed. Mike smiled as she watched her son run. He was just as fast as she and her brother were…if not faster.

"You should be proud," Robby whispered, tugging his sleeves down even further to try and disguise his prosthetic.

"I am," Mike smiled, "I just…"

She sighed, shaking her head as dark, oily tears started streaming down her fair cheeks.

"I wish I wasn't dead," she whispered.

Her brother leaned his head on hers as he pulled her closer.

"I wish you weren't either," he told her, "I should have stayed with you and Jeremy instead of wandering off with the others…"

"I should have sealed the vent faster," Mike shook her head, "It's all in the past now, Robby,"

"Yeah! Touchdown Schmidt!" Sam cheered as little Robby shot into the endzone with the football tucked under his arm, "Wooo!"

"It's too bad Matt's not here to see this," Amanda sighed, "He was the big football person with Dad,"

"He's got the Stooges to worry about," Mike reminded her, "They're a little too obvious,"

"He coulda had Spring watch them," Sam suggested.

"Spring can't tell them apart and there's the chance that Scott would hurt them," Robby told him, "And let's face it, we don't want Shadow Matt on the loose,"

The four spirits all shuddered. They were lucky that only Matt and Sam had shadow forms. Sam wasn't as bad as Matt, but still, he was scary.

Mike peered through the gaps in the bleachers, watching as her son leaped high over one of the defensive linemen, ball tucked firmly under his arm as he sprinted…almost flying over the field.

"That Schmidt kid is pretty good," a male voice said from above the ghosts.

"Hmph, if you ask me, Greg made a better captain," a female voice sniffed, "This guy's a ball-hog,"

"She did not just say that about my son…" Mike growled, eyes flicking black, "How about I go up there and give her the ball…then we'll really have a ball hog,"

"Now Mrs. Baum," another male voice said, "You know that they're just running the plays that have Robby running the ball. They want to make sure he's ready for this season…They nearly made it to State last year because of him. And just because Greg's your son, doesn't mean that he's going to be made Captain. Robby's got a lot of raw talent,"

"But he's just a sophomore!" Mrs. Baum protested, "Greg's a junior! He should be captain, not that orphan who lives with a cripple!"

"Ugh, God, please, just shut up lady!" Sam groaned, "Her voice is annoying!"

"Um…where'd Mike go?" Amanda asked.

The red spirit looked around…just to see a booted foot clomp on the stairwell.

"Well, this is going to end well," he muttered.

"Hey!"

Little Robby was stopping to catch his breath after that run. He looked up to see Max waving from the student area of the bleachers. He waved back, giving a slight smile…

"Hey!"

The voice wasn't loud…but the boy could most definitely hear it…

He gave a groan as he saw the golden form of his mother stomping up to Greg's loudmouth of a mother.

"What are you doing here?!" little Robby thought in panic as his mother stopped mere inches from Greg's mother.

"Alright boys!" the couch yelled, "That's a wrap! See you tomorrow!"

And with that, little Robby dashed towards the bleachers, still in full football gear.

"And you are?" Mrs. Baum sneered as Mike crossed her arms.

"I'm the mother of that 'ball hog'," Mike growled, eyes flickering darkly.

The shorter, stockier woman glared at the slender spirit, scanning her up and down.

"You're Mrs. Schmidt?" the woman snorted.

"That's Ms. Schmidt," Mike rumbled, "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about my only child that way,"

"I'm sorry," the woman smiled, poison dripping from her words, "that he has such a deadbeat mother that he has to live with a cripple,"

"At least my son doesn't look like a pig in tights," Mike snarled.

"You take that back!" the other woman snapped.

"Oh I'm sorry, did I say that aloud?" Mike snarked, "Then again…I can see where he gets his looks from…"

Mike made a couple snorting sounds before spinning around on her heel…only to get grabbed by the shoulder.

"It'd be a good idea if you let me go," Mike warned, "You wouldn't like me when I'm mad,"

"What are you, the Hulk?" the woman snarled, forcing Mike to turn around, "You couldn't even bruise me you worthless, cowardly, deadbeat piece of…"

SMACK!

The woman stumbled, falling to the bleacher seats once again, a scarlet handprint starting to form on her cheek.

"I may be many things," Mike snarled, shaking in cold fury as her eyes flared black and shadows and lightning flickered around her fingers, "But I am not a deadbeat,"

"Mama!" little Robby yelled, grabbing his mother's arm, "What's going on?"

"Just teaching a pig some new tricks," Mike deadpanned, "But it looks like my teaching skills need a little work…"

"C'mon, Mama," little Robby started, "Let's go home…"

He turned to Mrs. Baum.

"Sorry," he apologized, "She's…a little protective,"

"What were you thinking!?" little Robby demanded as they walked back into the house.

"Do I want to know?" Matt asked as the four ghosts and living boy walked by him.

"Long story short…" Sam started, "Watched little Fox play football, some pig-lady poked fun at him…Mike didn't take it well,"

Matt gave a sigh.

"Why does that not surprise me?" he mumbled.

"Daddy? When we gonna go outside?" Larry asked, tugging on Matt's shirt with a paw.

"Maybe some other time," Matt reassured him before turning back to the arguing mother and son.

"Did you think I was going to let that…that pig talk about you that way?" Mike growled.

"Lots of people do, Mama!" little Robby shouted, "It's been like that since I was little! Right after you died I got a lot of crap about Dad and you…but you know what? I kept my temper and let it go! They're just words! They can't hurt me!"

Mike gave a sigh and grabbed her son's arm.

"Let's take this somewhere more private," she told him before the both of them disappeared in a burst of shadow.

They reappeared in Mike's old room and Mike sat on the bed, groaning slightly as the world spun around her.

"I'm still mad at you," little Robby huffed, "…No matter how cool that was,"

"I'd expect that from you," Mike sighed, "When you become a parent, you'll understand. But…"

She jabbed a finger at his chest.

"That had better not happen for a long time!" she growled, "I'm too young to be a grandma!"

"You're always going to be too young to be a grandma," little Robby teased.

"Ha, funny," Mike shook her head, "Anyway…she is really pretty,"

"You saw Max?" the living boy asked.

Mike nodded.

"I like her so far…" Mike told him, "But I've only met her once…and even then I was hiding under the bleachers so no one could see me,"

The boy gave a smile and Mike hugged him.

"You are my only child, my son," she whispered, "I don't want to lose you again,"

"I don't want to lose you either, Mama," he replied.

Hours passed and aside from the Stooges pulling Spring's ears and making Scott rear his head to snap at them, everything was normal. Mike stood in her old room with her son, waiting with him until midnight.

"I'll protect you from the others," Mike promised, nuzzling her taller son.

"Who'll protect me if she gets you?" the boy asked, "Just…trying to be realistic,"

"If she gets me, then there's really no one who will be able to help you, lil' Capt'n," Mike admitted, "You'll know if its me or not,"

"'Cause when you're not you you're going to try and eat me,"

Mike shot her son a glare as he grinned.

"She'll taunt you…you'll know if its her, that's for sure,"

"Taunt me how?"

"I…" Mike stopped as she groaned, her knees hitting the floor as she held her arms, "It's time…get ready!"

And his mother burst into smoke, breezing out the door as the bells finished ringing.

"Ok, Robby," the boy sighed, picking up his flashlight, "Time to play Night Guard,"

The boy quickly ran to the left door and shone his light down the hall. He shuddered as he saw a faded violet form slide back behind the corner with a soft hiss.

"Looks like Bonnie's out tonight…" he thought before running to the other side of the room and opening the door.

A thin, raspy moan came from the door.

"What is that?" Robby wondered, bringing up the flashlight and getting ready to shine it…right as something gold flashed and yanked the door shut.

"Don't open that door," Mike instructed, "She's right out side,"

The boy looked up at his mother, for the first time really taking in her midnight form. Even though she looked absolutely terrifying…the weariness that her golden eyes held was heartbreaking. Mike's golden paw released the doorknob and she opened the door.

"Flash the light," she instructed.

Little Robby did as told, thankfully, whatever was on the other side was gone.

"Who…?" the boy started.

"Chica," Mike told him, "She snuck up here when you were looking down the hall at Bonnie,"

"Are we going to get any help tonight?" he asked.

Mike shook her golden head.

"Scott, Bonnie, Freddy, Foxy and Chica are all coming out," she told him, "It's just you and me,"

Next up is night 3 with everyone gunning for Robby except his mother...or am I just lulling you all into a false sense of security? *insert Nightmare's laughter here*.

I hope you guys liked it, if you did send in the reviews! (Along with ideas because I will need them eventually!) :)

Qui vállë tóquetë, ván tecë (If no review comes from y'all; no story comes from me)

Máriessë ar mára tecië

Farewell and fair writing

Elhini Prime signing off.