As we drove off, Tony was shaking and upset. "You took down Mitch like it was nothing. Where did you learn to fight like that? Can you teach me? Mitch is connected to some powerful people. They are not going to forget this. I will never forgive myself if they hurt you because of me."

I had dealt with way worse people than Mitch, "Let them try. I have my own connections. I predict they won't want the trouble. I like you, kid. I know what it is like to have nobody when you're young. To have to take care of yourself. Let me help you. I want to. You are a good kid. I know it. My late wife taught me a thing or two about reading people. I know you're worth it, kid. I am going to help you whether you want me to or not. My wife taught me how to do that too."

Tony smiled sadly at me, "Thank you, mate. I will do whatever you need. I will never be able to repay you for all this."

I nodded at him, "You just repay me by letting me help you. Alright? When you finish school. Maybe you can fix my computer for me for free once in a while and give me some free lessons on how to use it when the stupid thing updates. Maybe do my typing for me? The papers you have handed in are pretty good. I can tell you can type."

Tony nodded, "Yeah mate. I can do more than just type. I can take care of Matty for you too. I think nanny work may be more my speed than yard work. Whatever you want me to do. I owe you."

We pulled into the estate and I carried Rosa to the guest house. I called Sven and Irene to come to the guest house. I laid Tony's mom on the couch. My grandfather came in too. I told them everything that happened.

My grandfather pulled me into the bedroom to talk to me alone.
"This is quite the mess you have brought us into. Isn't it? What makes you think I will help this boy? You barely even know him."

I looked at him, "He is a good kid. It is not his fault he is from East London. It was the right thing to do to help him. He is a smart and very nice young man. He reminds me of my older boys. Please, sir. If we don't help him. Nobody will. The system doesn't work. I know what it is like to be in the system. My uncle didn't take me until a year after my grandmother died. You didn't want me."

Grandfather sighed, "I know, Boyo. I thought I was doing you a favor keeping you away. I really am sorry about all that. But you are bringing attention to yourself. They might start looking into Michael Winthrope deeper. This East Side gang, they are low level, but they will still want revenge for this."

I gave him a defiant look,"Let them try. Look Matty & I can go. I understand if you want us gone for this."

My grandfather laughed, "Nonsense, Boyo. Of course, I don't want Matty & you to leave. It has been a pleasure having you both here. I am not angry with you. Far from it. I am seeing now how much like my Jenny you are. She liked to bring home the strays too. I will help the young man. But he stays in the guest house with you. He will be your responsibility. I will call Doctor Williams to see if he can come over and check her out. Recommend a good facility to put the boy's mother in. I will pay for it. I just hope for your sake the boy appreciates what a big risk you just took for him."

He patted my shoulder. Then we went back to the other room. Irene had her arm around Matty. Matty saw me and came over to me. I picked him up. He just snuggled into me. I knew he did not understand what was going on.

Doctor Williams came a few minutes later and examined Tony's mother Rosa. Doctor Williams then made some phone calls, and we got Tony's mother Rosa an emergency placement at The Priory in London. With my grandfather's connections and money. We were able to get her in right away.

That was the time, Rosa got to do rehab with one of the royal family and Johnny Depp. She still talks about that. And one of these days your grandmother is going to finally get it out of Rosa which royal family member she went to rehab with.

Sven volunteered to drive her to the rehab facility. It was late and my grandfather went back to the main house.

Irene and Tony stayed behind. We were all wound up. Now I know Irene was just 20 and Tony was 18. But the drinking age in England is 18. I offered them each a scotch to relax. I did not give a scotch to Matty. Don't worry, Amanda.

Matty was on my lap in the recliner just cuddling into me. Irene and Tony were on the couch.

When Tony broke the silence that had settled, "Thanks for everything. I can never repay you for what you just done for me, mate. This scotch is stellar. I will just stay here tonight. I will find a sofa to kip on from one of my mates tomorrow. Sunshine can have his bed back."

Irene smiled at Tony, "I like that nickname for Matty. It fits him. He is a little ray of sunshine. Matty never sleeps in that bed anyway. These two are always together. Has Matty ever even laid down on his bed, Lee?"

Irene was terrible at remembering to call me Michael or Mike. "Look, Tony. Just stay here. There is plenty of room. You're welcome to stay as long as you need. Alright, kid?"

Tony smiled at me, "Thanks, Mike. Should I call you Lee too? Is that your middle name or something? I noticed the doctor called you that too."

I just said, "Yeah, it's a childhood nickname. Just call me Mike, professor, or mate. Whatever you want. But if you don't mind, I would prefer if you didn't call me, Lee."

Tony nodded in understanding but I could tell he knew something funny was going on, "Oh say no more, mate. I won't ask any questions. I can keep my mouth shut. You can trust me."

About two weeks later, I caught Tony snooping through my stuff. He found my duffel bag and was looking at the fake passports. He looked terrified that I had caught him snooping. God, he is so much like the boys, Amanda. They liked to snoop through my stuff too.

"Look, mate. I'm sorry for nosing through your stuff. I just was... There is no excuse. I'm sorry, mate. I can keep my trap shut. Honest I can. Just if you chuck me out. Just promise me you will let my mum finish her stay at the posh rehab. I will find a way to pay you back."

I raised my eyebrow, "I am not going to chuck you out, kid. I wish you had not snooped through my stuff, though. Look I will tell you some of it. Not everything. I am not Michael Winthrope. There is a real Michael Winthrope but he is most likely dead."

Tony wanted to tell me what he figured out, "Your real name is Leon Steadman. That's why Irene and your father keep calling you Lee."

I smiled, "My real first name is Lee. Look, kid. If I tell you my real story. It just puts you in danger."

Tony smiled, "You can trust me. You took a huge risk for me. I can take a risk for you. I owe you everything. I can help protect you and Matty."

I sighed, "Jonathon is not my father. He's my grandfather. I am not from Canada. I am from the United States. Matty was kidnapped by some very bad men, and I had to do some not quite legal things to rescue him."

Tony looked at me, "Matty is one of the warehouse kids from America. Isn't he? The explosion that was on the news. I watched a news special on it. Matty has a mark on his wrist like some of the other kids. I noticed it even though he tries to wear an armband all the time. You were there?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I was there. I am one of the casualties. That is how Matty's mother died and he lost his hearing."

Tony looked at me, "The kids from the warehouse. They are supposedly dangerous. Except Sunshine has to be one of the sweetest gentlest kids I have ever met."

I nodded, "Matty is not dangerous. He is gentle, sweet, smart, and brave like his mother. He has been through a lot. Look kid, just pretend you never saw any of this. If anyone finds out we are alive. We will just have to disappear again."

Tony looked at me, "I saw nothing. Whatever you need, mate. I will help you. I don't want you and Matty to go anywhere. I know we have not known each other that long. But I never had much family and well you both feel like family to me."

He was such a sweet kid, "That's how I feel about you as well, kid. You are so much like my older boys. When Matty is a little older, I am going to have them come here. You will get to meet them one day, I hope. I know you'll get along with them."

Tony looked surprised, "You got more kids? Do they think you're dead? That's horrible, mate."

I sighed, "Yeah, but it's just for right now. Matty is too little right now. I will get them over here when he's older. I'll make it up to them. It is just safer right now. I don't want my son to grow up an orphan. It's bad enough everything that already happened to him. I need to be the one that protects him. I promised him that I would never let anyone hurt him again and I promised my wife I would take care of him. He is all I have left of her."

Tony nodded, "I'll help you protect him, mate. Seriously anything you need. What you done for my mum and me. Anything, I am serious. You need me to help hide a body. I am your bloke."

I smiled at him, "I appreciate it, kid. But I really just want someone to type up my lesson plans for me."

Tony stayed with us for the next month. It was great. He was not as good at typing as you are, Amanda. But it was nice not having to type things up. You can read my handwriting better than him or just know what to say to sound like me when you can't read it. Tony is not as good as you at that.

Irene ended up using him more for stuff than I ever did. My grandfather was getting older and weaker, so it was getting harder for him to manage his own business affairs. As he had Irene to more and more of his business dealings. She ended up recruiting Tony to help her manage it. It ended up he had a real knack for it. I mean he still runs the estate for us since he still lives in England. I am glad we finally convinced him and Rosa to move into the estate while none of us are living over there. Helping that kid is one of the best decisions I ever made."

Notes:

So I looked up the poshest rehabs in London. The Priory is a real place, and Johnny Depp did go to that rehab more than once. It doesn't say when, but I figured he has had drug problems for years and he could have been there in the mid-nineties.

Next chapter I am debating over skipping. So not giving a synopsis until I make my decision. If there are two England chapters before I go back to the sequel then I did not skip it. If there is just one, then I did.