Jericho had many times seen the outside of the apartment building where Marko lived. The seedy building fit right in with the seedy neighborhood. As he parked the SUV, he spotted one of Roman's people idly leaning against a deserted storefront, smoking a cigarette. Yesterday, Roman had ordered the man to keep an eye on Marko's building. The man's partner was a supposed wino in the alley behind the building allegedly sleeping off the previous night's binge drinking.

Roman decided to take no chances with Marko's safety if Jericho had been observed either picking up or delivering Marko to the building. Fate could be a capricious bitch at times.

Jericho's opinion of the building didn't get any better when he walked inside. The floor was filthy, paint was peeling from the walls, and he wouldn't have trusted the safety of a puppy on the dilapidated stairs. The few lights in the corridor couldn't have been more than 25 watts.

Marko had said his small studio apartment was on the ground floor towards the back of the building. Jericho wasn't more than halfway down the hall when he heard a woman's angry screeching voice. As he got closer, he heard her demanding more money from Marko.

Casually, he twisted the doorknob, not surprised when the door opened. As he stepped inside, he saw Marko with his back to the wall and a middle-aged woman in a dirty housedress in front of him, shaking her finger in his face.

"If you've got the money for this fancy computer shit, you've got money to pay more in rent!" she accused.

Jericho knew Marko didn't handle confrontation well and expected to see the younger man reach into his pocket to give her more money. He was surprised when Marko hesitated, then shook his head.

"I've paid you what the lease says is due," he shakily replied. "And the lease is month-to-month so I don't owe you any more money."

"You thieving brat," the woman hissed as she raised her hand to slap Marko.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Jericho calmly said as he stepped into the room. He glanced around at the shabby furnishings and inwardly shuddered.

"Who do you think you are? Coming onto my property and giving me orders?"

"I'm his attorney," Jericho smiled. "And you were about to commit assault. If I hadn't interfered, then I would've been legally and ethically bound to call the police and have you arrested."

Marko's wide eyes moved back and forth between Jericho and his landlord like a spectator's head moved during a tennis match.

"Now, my client is moving out," Jericho smoothly continued. "And I hope we don't have to involve the police."

Marko slid his oversized backpack over his shoulders and picked up the duffel bag at his feet. As he did, Jericho looked around the small room. "I wonder how many health code violations there are in this building?" he mused.

"GET OUT! OUT!"

Jericho smiled at the screaming woman and motioned for Marko to precede him out of the building. He ignored the screeching woman as they put Marko's backpack and duffel bag into the back of the SUV. Walking to the driver's side of the SUV, he gave a slight nod to the man across the street who was lighting up another cigarette.

As they drove away, Jericho glanced at Marko. "Would you have given her more money?" he quietly asked.

Marko hesitated, then nodded. "She would've started trying to break my stuff." He hesitated, then asked, "Are you an attorney?"

Jericho smirked. "No, but she took one look at my clothes and believe it." He then activated the voice command for the phone. "Call Black."

"Umm…" Marko hesitated then shut his mouth.

"Black."

"It's Jericho. I need a favor. Can you do a quick check on the property at 409 West Smith Street? Ownership, code violations, and financials? I'll pick it up when Marko and I are done."

"It will be ready."

Jericho chuckled under his breath when Black abruptly terminated the call.

"What…why are you doing that?" Marko quietly asked.

"I'm gonna review the information Black gets for me, and then propose to Roman that he buy the building from that crazy-assed woman," Jericho explained. "He'll fix it up so it's a better place for people to live and still be affordable."

Marko stared out the window for a few minutes. Then he glanced at Jericho. "People lie about Mr. Reigns, don't they?"

Jericho shrugged. "That depends on the people and what they say."

Marko frowned in thought then nodded. "He's a better man than some people say," he concluded.

Jericho smiled to himself. "Okay. Bank's next."

When they arrived at the bank, Marko told himself he shouldn't have been surprised when they were ushered into the office of a vice-president. Jericho and the man obviously knew each other as they casually talked while paperwork was prepared.

"Okay, you have a bank account set up," the VP finally spoke to Marko. "This packet tells you about the different levels of service. We've set you up at the opening level, but you can change that at any time. I just need your signature on the signature card and your identification."

"Marko doesn't have a driver's license. But he'll be getting one soon," Jericho spoke up. "How about his social security card?"

"A little unorthodox, but not a problem," the VP smiled. "Just bring your license in when you get it."

Marko signed the signature card then slid it back across the desk.

"All I need now is your deposit, and I'll have one of the tellers process it."

Marko reached into his pocket and pulled out a rolled stack of bills. "It's $3,750."

'How has this child managed to survive this long?'

Jericho remembered Black's comment and silently agreed with that question. "Do you still have some cash?" he quietly asked.

Marko nodded. "About $15."

Jericho sighed. "Take back $50 so you'll have it until you get your debit card."

"Oh." Marko nodded and took back the $50.

"I'll be right back," the VP promised.

As Marko replaced the money in his wallet, Jericho quietly spoke. "The hidden world of the hacker is a lot different from this world. It'll take time to get adjusted, but you will."

"I feel stupid sometimes," Marko admitted, shoving his walled into his jeans pocket.

"Well, you're not," Jericho pointed out. "You've survived a horrible childhood and then survived on the streets by yourself. Because of what you do, you had to fly under the radar and not leave paper trails." When Marko looked at him, he smiled. "Now you're gainfully employed and can live in the open." He glanced at his watch. "We're making good time. Once we're done here, we'll get you some clothes." He saw the embarrassment on Marko's face, and patted his arm. "When I got brought in, I had two pairs of jeans…not exactly clean either and three t-shirts, one with a hole in it. One pair of ratty sneakers with a rubber band holding the sole of one of them in place."

When Marko relaxed, Jericho continued. "A couple pairs of new jeans. Some shirts and t-shirts. Couple of pairs of sneakers. A pair of dress shoes and a suit." He didn't mention underwear. Time for that when they were shopping.

"A suit?" Marko looked confused.

Jericho nodded. "There are times when it's called for. Like, for instance, Mox's wedding this weekend. Even though the invitation said dress was casual, I think most of the guys are wearing a suit even if they don't include a tie." He saw Marko still looked confused. "I'm sure Mox would be happy for you to be there."

Marko decided the best thing was go with the flow and nodded.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As they approached Roman's property, Jericho managed to keep himself from grinning. Once Marko had gotten over the confusion of needing new clothes, it was like watching a kid in a candy store. 'Wonder when the last time he actually had new clothes?' Jericho wondered.

Each item had to be carefully considered before agreeing to buy it. When he saw the total, however, he reached for the stack of clothing to decide what to return. Jericho put a hand on his arm, and handed the clerk his credit card. When Marko started to protest, Jericho held up a finger. "Roman's orders," he quietly spoke.

As they approached the gates to the property, Jericho brought the SUV to a halt. "Hey, Frank. Marko's moving into 1512."

The security guard pleasantly nodded. "Nice to see you again, Marko. Have a nice day, gentlemen." He stepped back as the gates opened.

As Jericho slowly drove up the driveway, he nodded over his shoulder. "You may have seen the mailbox kiosk across from the guard shack. All mail is delivered there. When it's delivered, one of the guards will use their keys to collect the mail and take it up to Roman's house. It'll be separated and put on the table just inside the front door. At some point, usually after dinner, we pick up the mail from the table. Any outgoing mail is placed in the slots at the mailbox kiosk. Any packages that are ordered are left at the guard shack and given to whoever ordered them when they come through the gates or delivered up to Roman's house."

Marko curiously watched as they passed Roman's house and continued up the narrow drive.

"All cars go into the garage," Jericho continued. "But if you have stuff that you've bought, extra groceries or whatever, you can drive it up to your house and then return the car to the garage." He finally stopped in front of a small one-story cottage with white siding and dark green shutters. Three wooden steps led to a wooden porch that spanned the width of the house. On each side of the dark green door, were two rocking chairs with a small table between them.

Almost in a daze, Marko stared at the cottage until Jericho nudged him to get out. The two men took the bags of clothing from the back of the SUV and walked up to the door. Jericho reach out a hand with a keyring and two keys dangling from it. "Key to the mailbox. Key to the front and back door." He grinned. "It's your house. Open the door, man."

Hand barely shaking, Marko slid the key into the lock then opened the door. He stopped just inside the door, forcing Jericho so squeeze past him. "Feel free to redecorate as you want. Roman had all the walls painted white, but you can get some paint and change it if you want. Put up pictures or whatever."

Marko stared around him and dropped his bags to the floor.

Jericho masked a grin and helped Marko remove his oversized backpack.

"Okay. Living room. Eat-in kitchen with pantry. Two bedrooms and two baths. But I figured you could use the smaller bedroom for an office and set up your equipment there so you can work here. Oh, and laundry room."

"Laundry room?"

Jericho had the idea that Marko was used to a laundromat when he had the money. When he didn't, he probably washed his clothes in a sink with a bar of soap. He grinned, "Yeah, and there are enough buttons on both the washer and dryer that would probably pilot the Starship Enterprise." He patted Marko's arm. "I'll have Naomi or Zelina come over and show you how to operate them."

He guided Marko into the kitchen, waiting at the island while the younger man took in the gleaming double ovens, refrigerator, stove and exhibited the sheer glee of having a dishwasher. Then Marko carefully opened the pantry, surprised to see items neatly stacked on the shelves.

"That's just the basics," Jericho explained. "The refrigerator and freezer also have the basics." He pointed to a piece of paper on the island top. "Groceries are delivered on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Here's the information for the website to order." He grinned. "I set it up so it's easy to use. Set up an account and password. Go to the menu and just click on what you need. When it's delivered, the guards will see the stuff is delivered to the correct house. They've got a master key, so they'll bring it in and put the stuff in the freezer or refrigerator that needs to go there.

'Home…home?'

"They'll leave the rest out, and you can arrange it how you want when you get home. The cost will be deducted from your salary. Oh, and you'll be paid every two weeks. You'll need to sign all the Federal forms when you're in the office at Roman's." Jericho tapped the island top. "C'mere. Some stuff to go over."

Marko nodded and closed the pantry door. When he joined Jericho at the island, Jericho began. "Okay, first of all, the house has a security system. This explains it along with the programmed passcode." He pointed at the ceiling where Marko noted what looked like a recessed speaker. "If, for any time, there's an emergency…you know, like a tornado warning or whatever…you'll hear the warning over the speaker." He grinned. "It's pretty loud so be prepared to jump when it goes off. Depending on what you'll be told…shelter in place or get to Roman's house, act as if the house is on fire and follow instructions to the letter. Got it?"

Marko's head bobbed up and down.

"Roman's got a landscaping service to keep the grounds looking sharp." Jericho pointed at another piece of paper. "If you want to some landscaping around the house…bushes…flowers…vegetable garden and stuff…call them to coordinate the work." He tapped a third piece of paper. "If you've got a problem with the plumbing or electricity or one of the appliances stop working, call this number. Somebody will be out to take care of it."

Marko swallowed hard and nodded.

"Okay, you're set up with water, electricity, and cable," Jericho continued. "Here are the instructions for setting up an online account with each of them so you can check the bills and pay online. My suggestion is you see what date the bill is due and pay it maybe a week in advance. Or set up auto withdrawal, then check to make sure the bill's been paid. The cable's basic so if you want to upgrade, this brochure will show you what you get with the different levels and cost."

Jericho saw Marko's eyes start to glaze over and figured the kid had been put through enough changes for one day. He put his hands on Marko's shoulders and softly spoke. "I know this is a lot to take in. So, tell me if you've got a problem or call me. If you need advice, just ask." When Marko nodded, Jericho smiled and stepped back. "Take time to go over things. I'll see you at Roman's for breakfast day after tomorrow."

"Not dinner tonight? Or tomorrow?" Marko asked.

Jericho paused. "Up to you. I figured you'd need…time to get settled in."

Marko squared his shoulders. "I'll be there for dinner tonight…and breakfast and dinner tomorrow."

Jericho grinned in approval. "See you at dinner."

Marko watched as Jericho walked out, got into the SUV, and drove back to the garage. He stared down at the papers and brochures on the island then began walking through the cottage.

The smaller bedroom had empty bookcases, an L-shaped desk with two monitors and a desktop computer. Desk lamps were sitting on the desk, ready to be used.

One glance at the washer and drying in the laundry room convinced him he'd need help figuring it out. 'And how do I sort clothes? Do I need to sort the new ones?'

Shaking his head, he walked into the master bedroom and stared at the king-sized bed and dresser. A television sat on a sturdy table with a DVR connected to it. Marko peeked in to the bathroom and saw it was the size of the studio apartment he'd just vacated. He opened another door and saw a large walk-in closet with empty hangers.

'You'll never amount to a hill of beans! You are completely pathetically worthless! Look at you…cryin' like a little baby because of a slap on the face! You're nothing and will never be anything but an embarrassment and a failure! NOW GET OUT AND DON'T COME BACK!'

Slowly he slid down one wall of the closet to the floor. 'I have a home…a home.' He looked out the open door to the bedroom and wiped tears from his cheeks. He took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders. 'I have a bank account. I have a home. Fuck you Father…I have a home!'