Ciaran was indeed up bright and early, but then, he'd gone to bed right after dinner.

The young lad still hadn't said much other than to tell everybody when he was hungry but seemed more relaxed than he had been yesterday. He had lost a lot of his wariness around the adults and that was a good thing.

During breakfast, Shonda and Aaron begin questioning him.

"So what's your last name Ciaran?" Shonda the young lad. "We can't find your parents if we don't know your surname."

"Blakelock," Ciaran answered.

"That's a rather uncommon surname so it shouldn't be too hard to locate his parents," Aaron said, as he watched Ciaran eat his breakfast enthusiastically.

"His first name is also uncommon, which should make finding his parents rather easy," Shonda commented.

"I'll check the public records," Aaron said. "See if we can trace his family without involving you know who."

Shonda knew Aaron meant child protection services, but didn't want to say so in front of Ciaran.

"So what are your parents names?" Shonda asked the boy.

"Nailah and Keegan," Ciaran supplied then added, "Their dead."

"Well, I guess we won't need to check public records," Aaron said after a few moments of shocked silence.

"How did they die?" Shonda asked Ciaran.

"Dad died several years ago. I overheard mom talking about it with some of her friends. I don't really remember him," Ciaran answered.

"It's rude to eavesdrop," Shonda playfully scolded him.

"It might be rude, but it's what kids do," Aaron said smiling. "Ours certainly do. Children are often not seen and listen at keyholes when curious. Most adults don't even realize that their children are anywhere near. So what happened to your mother?"

"She took some kind of pills, fell asleep and died," Ciaran said.

Shonda and Aaron looked at each other each thinking the same thing was that the mother had probably started taking illegal drugs or possibly sleeping pills and had overdosed likely not on purpose since she had Ciaran to look after. They said nothing however, as they didn't want to upset Ciaran.

"So how old are you Ciaran?" Aaron asked. "I mean we can guess and probably be pretty accurate, but it's easier if you would just tell us."

"I'm six," Ciaran said proudly.

"So you don't have any relatives to take you in?" Shonda inquired.

"Both my parents were only children at least as far as I know. Mom never did mention having siblings," Ciaran said.

"Is anyone looking for you?" asked Aaron thinking that Ciaran's speech was pretty clear considering he was only six. "Like CPS?"

"What's CPS?" Ciaran asked seeming to have no idea who that was.

"Child protection services," Shonda supplied. "They do their best to place children into foster homes when they don't have any relatives or someone else assigned as guardian for children underage."

"Ah, child care," Ciaran said seeming to understand. "I didn't know they were also called child protection services which is why I was confused. I've heard bad things about them."

"Well, your speech and mannerisms sure are rather advanced," Aaron said with a twitch of his lips to show he was amused. "For a six year old I mean."

"He probably has a genius level intellect," Shonda said. "Much like Spencer."

"We'll have to introduce them at some point," Aaron said. "So Ciaran, ready to meet our children?"

"Unless you want something else to eat, though considering you plowed through a whole stack of pancakes you shouldn't be hungry anymore," Shonda said.

"I'm full and I figured you had children," Ciaran said gesturing at his outfit. "Unless you just keep old clothes for when you have another child."

"No we don't. We usually just buy new when we have a baby in the house at they grow from a baby, to a toddler and then to a young child. Children outgrow their clothes quickly until a certain age," Aaron said.

"We'll buy you some new clothes though sometime in the next few days. So is child services looking for you, as you never did answer Aaron's question," Shonda said.

"I don't believe so," Ciaran said. "People in the neighborhood in which we lived just went on with their lives and basically ignored everybody else. I doubt anyone noticed when my mother didn't emerge from her home for days on end or care what happened to her son. We lived in a poor area where people minded their own business."

"Somebody would've eventually noticed, because the body would have started to stink from decomposition," Aaron said.

"And they probably found things for Ciaran like clothes and toys for a young child in the home, but probably not the name," Shonda said.

"Not unless the mother was the type to write names on the back of photographs," Aaron pointed out.

"There weren't any pictures. My mother wasn't the type to waste money on things that she considered unnecessary. She didn't even own a camera as far as I know, as we didn't have much money. She could barely afford food for the two of us and buy clothes for me."

"Not to mention things like rent for where you were living," Aaron said.

"So did your mother rent the place you were living in or did she own a house."

"It was an apartment with two small bedrooms and not much of a kitchen. The bathroom was tiny," Ciaran said.

"Having two bedrooms would've put the rent up quite a bit," Shonda said. "If your mother had never had you renting a one bedroom would've been much cheaper. So Ciaran what brought you into my shop?" Shonda asked the boy. "You seemed rather confused when I first saw you."

"Most people would have chased me out of their shops the minute they saw me as they would've been sure I was a thief and yet you did no such thing," Ciaran said.

"That's certainly true enough," Aaron agreed his lips quirking up in an almost smile. "They also might've called the police."

That a six-year-old understood such a concept as to how most people would react to someone who was obviously homeless, even a kid, was pretty amazing. Most people would assume from his former appearance that he was living on the street as he was extremely dirty and was wearing clothes much too small for him. He'd since had a bath and Shonda had washed his rather long hair three times to make sure she got all the dirt out of it. Ciaran was still very thin and could definitely use a lot more meat on his bones but that would come with time.

"I don't know what drew me into your store," Ciaran said.

"Maybe you sensed I could help you," Shonda suggested. "That I wouldn't just chase you away like most people would."

The boy shrugged as he didn't have an answer for the adults questions.

Shonda and Aaron then looked each other and a message seemed to pass between them.

"We'll figure it out but later, as it's time for you to meet our kids," Aaron said.

"Yes it is. They've been very good about staying out of the way while we dealt with you," Shonda said.

"So how many kids do you have?" asked Ciaran.

"Four," Aaron answered, "and one of them is around your age."

"Yeah our son Blake is just a year or so older."

"Why would you take me in when you already have four kids?" Ciaran asked confused.

It was a serious question despite the fact that Ciaran was only six. It was clear that the boy was struggling to understand why they had been so kind to him considering they had their own kids to look after.

"For one thing, it's the right thing to do," Shonda answered truthfully.

"You have no one apparently to look after you until you're grown and since you believe that no one is looking for you..." Aaron added.

"But you could turn me over to child services not take me into your home," Ciaran said.

"That's what most people would've done if they'd even done that much," Shonda acknowledged. "Aaron and I have always been different in that regard."

Neither adult gave the boy a reason they were different from most people as they thought that the boy had enough to absorb for right now and didn't need to learn they were immortal at least until he had a chance to settle in.

"If we had tried to turn you into CPS I can predict that you would've disappeared back onto the street at first opportunity," Aaron told the boy. "I doubt you would've survived much longer, as the streets are more dangerous in winter and it's going to be here before we know it."

"Your clothes, not only should be in the ragbag, they were hardly suitable for snowy and icy weather," Shonda added. "Winters here in Michigan can be brutal and not having a way to really keep warm, even if you managed to find shelter, could see you die from being frozen to death, which is not a very pleasant way to go. I can't really imagine that most ways to die are pleasant other then in your own bed at the end of your life."

"Also, food is scarcer in the winter and you could very well starve instead of freeze," Aaron added.

Ciaran had seen five winters before his mother had died and had to agree with what Aaron and Shonda were saying. He knew that as young as he was normally he wouldn't understand what the adults concerns, but he was way more intelligent than most kids his age. It had been hard for him and his mother to stay warm in the winter, because they couldn't run the heat as high as they wanted to and it didn't work half the time anyway. His mother had worked a minimum wage job, which didn't allow for luxuries not with all the bills that had to be paid.

They had barely been able to afford food after all and a roof over their heads, even if the roof had leaked when it rained, much less anything else. He and his mother had basically lived in the slums, which was was way cheaper than other parts of the city that were better maintained. He had lived with liquor stores on every corner and drug dealers visible in a lot of alleys. It was the type of neighborhood where there were bars on the lower windows and the little convenience store on one corner had bars that came over the door at night to prevent thieves. It was the type of area where you could find yourself at gunpoint or knifed in the street for no other reason then you were there. It was a neighborhood of broken down cars where most people didn't drive, but took the bus and they were definitely no air cars.

His hostesses shop was only a few blocks from where he had grown up, but the area was high end. There couldn't have been more difference between his old neighborhood and the one where Shonda's shop was. It was like walking into another world. There were no rusted out cars on the street, no broken windows and no bars on the doors and windows of shops. Places of business had alarm systems that would go off if anyone tried to break in. There were no drug dealers in the alleys or prostitutes wondering around looking for a mark like in his own neighborhood. The building looked freshly painted and the windows were clean displaying their merchandise.

He was now at the home of the Hotchners who had rescued him was also totally different from where he had lived while his mother had been alive. He hadn't had a chance to see the outside yet, but he could imagine it was in terrific shape, as he could just tell from his surroundings that he was in a wealthy neighborhood.

A neighborhood where and windows were unbroken and the houses and lawns were kept up. A neighborhood where there were things like nannies for the children and dog walkers and where the homes had butlers, cooks, gardener and maids or at least a cleaning service.

"You're actually really lucky that you survived for several months on the street," Shonda told the boy. "There are dangers other than the weather out there."

"You could've been scooped up by people that sold you into child slavery and you wouldn't have a choice in the matter," Aaron added. "They're also other dangers."

Aaron didn't bother to list those dangers, as Ciaran was still a young lad and he didn't need to know about some things that evil people would do to a young boy like him. One without an adult anywhere around.

"We want you to stay with us until you're old enough to be on your own," Shonda added just in case Ciaran wasn't sure of his welcome. "I believe you wandered into my antique store for a reason."

"What reason is that?" Ciaran asked.

"Let's just say both Aaron and I believe in fate and leave it at that for now," Shonda said.

"We believe that you wandered into my wife's shop for a reason, though we don't know what that reason is right now," Aaron added.

Ciaran didn't admit he'd had a feeling that the lady in the antiquate store could help him, even though he hadn't known Shonda's name at the time. He wasn't entirely sure where these feelings had come from but he'd always been able to tell if someone was a danger to him. These feelings had helped him avoid being taken against his will as he just hid until those feelings passed.

He'd been on the street for four months as that's when his mother had died. He had left what had been his home within a few hours not taking much with him at all. He wasn't entirely sure what had made him come into the section of town where Shonda's antique shop was as the people in that area of the city would notice how he was dressed and how filthy he was. Ciaran, even as young as he was, knew that he would be shooed away until he disappeared or the authorities would be contacted and then's he'd be turned over to child services. How he had made it to Shonda's antique shop without anyone making a comment about his appearance was a miracle, even though he tried to stick to the shadows as he walked. He had found all the objects inside the store fascinating, but had somehow instinctively known not to touch anything.

He had been expected to be ordered to leave just because of his appearance but the owner had been kind and had even fed him. He really hadn't had much pizza before because it wasn't something that he and his mother could usually afford. Oh, he had it a few times in his six years but not very many. He had it perhaps three times in his whole life and pizza he'd had with his mother wasn't near as good as the pizza that he'd eaten in the antique store.

The meat on the pizza that Shonda fed him had been real while the other times he'd eaten pizza the meat had been fake as real meat was expensive. Also, the cheese hadn't hardly been real either just a fake diary substitute. Fake meat and cheese may nourish the body, but it was hardly as good as the real thing, though it was far cheaper.

"I was only on the street for a few months and I'm not sure why I went into your store," Ciaran admitted somewhat shyly.

"It doesn't really matter right now," Aaron said clapping Ciaran on the shoulders in a friendly manner. "We are going to introduce you to our four kids. The oldest is only 13."

"As for new clothes we can go shopping on the weekend," Shonda said. "Really, you need a whole new wardrobe and we can't do all that in one day it's gonna take multiple shopping trips. We'll start with the basics. Perhaps I'll even invite Jazz along. It'll go faster if there's two of us."

Ciaran didn't object as he knew he really needed new clothes. It would actually be nice to have something new instead of secondhand.

Shonda and Aaron took Ciaran to meet their four children who were gathered in the den watching the vid screen. They'd already had their breakfasts.

~~~Aaron and Shonda~~~

"So you think no one is looking for him," Dave asked his friend as he and Aaron discussed Ciaran. Both of them were in the Rossi home enjoying a beer while the ladies were shopping for Ciaran.

They'd already gotten the boy the basics and this was the second shopping trip to get more, as he still needed many items of clothing and also a few toys.

"That's what Ciaran believes anyway," Aaron said. "Apparently, he and the mother lived in what was basically one of the slum neighborhoods and could barely afford a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs."

"In that kind of neighborhood people mostly mind their own business," Dave said in understanding.

"Exactly, which means that the mother's death likely wouldn't have been reported until the body started to stink," Aaron said. "Ciaran said they're weren't any pictures as his mother didn't even own a camera. Apparently, she couldn't afford one."

"That's not unusual though, especially for that type of people. The type that just eke a bare minimal existence. Not everyone has a lot of money or even just enough money to make their lives more comfortable, to have at least a few thing that would be considered luxuries to them. Some people just don't have the skills to make more than the bare minimum needed to sustain life."

"That's good for us though. It means that likely no one's looking for him, at least not seriously," Aaron said. "I know that's not a sure thing, but it's is a very likely possibility. If anybody asks Shonda and I who he is we'll just say he's our nephew."

"You and Shonda will need documentation for him. Birth certificate, Social Security number, all those bothersome little documents that make up our lives."

"That's true," Aaron said. "Luckily, we both know people that can get him a new Social Security number and birth certificate under the table. It'll cost, but it's not like me and Shonda can't afford it. Besides, we all have to do the same thing every generation so it's not like it's unusual."

"You'll have to change his name if you do get him a new Social Security number as there's already a Ciaran Blakelock in the system."

"We'll just change his last name to Hotchner so long as he's agreeable. While Ciaran is a rather unusual name I doubt anybody will connect him with the boy that disappeared not once we have the proper documentation."

"It might be wise to change the first name anyway just as Jazz suggested a week ago. For extra security if nothing else. If he had a more common first name like David or Aaron for a example then it wouldn't be a problem."

Aaron knew that was true so nodded. "I just hate for him to change his first name as well as his last. He's already been through so much and a name change seems like there's one more burden on such a young boy's shoulders."

"Well, find out what his middle name is and use that. At least it's something he's familiar with," Dave suggested.

"That's a good idea," Aaron decided. "Hopefully, it's something that's more normal than his first. I'll discuss it with Shonda and if she agrees then we'll bring it up with Ciaran."

"You could even change it to something like Cian, which is similar enough to his old name but also very different.

"We'll see what Shonda says, though Ciaran will have to agree with it too. He might want something more normal. Having a nice normal name means he'll stick out less and in this case that's a good thing."

"True that, though he might not want to be like every Tom, Dick and Harry on the planet," Dave said using a well known saying to get his point across.

"Also, he seems very intelligent much like Spencer told us he was when he was a child. He seems to understand concepts that the more normal children at his age wouldn't and his speech is clear and structured. He understands concepts that most children would not until they were older. He really opened up to Shonda and me during breakfast on that first morning," Aaron said.

"So did he give the reason why he ended up in Shonda's antique store?" Dave asked.

"No, all he's said was he felt drawn to it or at least the person inside," Aaron said.

"That's rather interesting isn't it?" Dave asked his friend. "He could be slightly empathic, which would mean he had some witch in his heritage."

Since both Dave and Aaron were married to witches they had learned a lot about magic and magical abilities in the intervening decades.

"That's possible," Aaron said thoughtfully. "I'll have to ask Shonda what she thinks. I certainly know more about magic now than I did centuries ago."

"I might've known about magic before Jazz revealed she was a witch, but I've also learned quite a bit," Dave said. "Ciaran might not know why he entered Shonda's store, but he could have been sensing her emotions though I'm sure he would've had to be relatively close to where Shonda was in order to sense what she was feeling."

"We'll see," Aaron said thoughtfully, even as he finished his beer. Dave always had excellent alcohol from the best name brands, but then, so did he and Shonda, though their taste did differ slightly. The two men had become very good friends ever the centuries since they had met. It was always nice to have somebody exactly like you were to talk to and spend time with.

The two families always decided together what city to move to next and always moved to the same place, though they had separate residences. This was partly because Jazz and Shonda were like sisters. They spent a lot of time together. When Jazz had heard Shonda had met her mate and that he was also immortal she had been ecstatic, as that meant that her best friend wouldn't die in a few decades.

The two women had taken a magical oath back when they had both been young to be best friends forever and nothing as far as anyone knew could break that bond. That bond had only become stronger over time. It also might be why both women had mates that were immortal because of that long ago oath. That oath had connected the two women even closer than they had before it.

Dave and Aaron on the other hand, were now just as close as their wives were, though that bond had taken time to develop and they hadn't taken a magical oath to always be friends. As their friendship had developed over the years they realized that they were more similar then they had known when they met as they shared many of the same views on many subjects and had the same morals and ethics.

For example, neither man believed in killing unless they had no other choice and that usually meant that either their lives or their families lives were in danger or somebody had found out they were immortal and was spreading rumors or tried to blackmail them the keep their secret. Such a decision to kill someone was never made lightly without a consideration of the possible consequences. Both men preferred to take care of their problems another way, but also knew sometimes that killing someone was necessary. Luckily, it wasn't something they had to do very often.

~~~Aaron and Shonda~~~