Hello everyone.

In series 9 we found out that Mike won Jeff for Harry at a fun fair. I decided to write a new chapter for him and add it. Do you know these at fun fairs? Where you pull a rope and randomly get a stuffed animal hanging onto it? I used to do that all the time when I was little, so that's what I decided on.

I hope everyone had a nice spring, summer and fall while I didn't update. Meanwhile, I posted three Oneshots. One for Tracy Beaker, and two for Harry Potter (one of the ones for Harry Potter is in Swedish so most people reading this won't have to care for that one though) and I also finished the story "Game on!" That was for the dumping ground and for Epilepsy awareness.

I'm sorry for all of these long author's notes…

A bit ago I was talking to my mum about writing for Epilepsy awareness, I wanted to start a new one and write something for a new fandom. And I told her that when I started writing I never had a plan with what I was writing, I was always "I want to write this and this and this" and never had a plan. Which is why I ended up with random, long stories. Nowadays when I start new stories I always have a plan… So then, I started another story for awareness which is written for Virgin River and is called "I could hate it as much as I want (but that wouldn't make it go away)".

September the 16th I was four years seizure- free. And I decided to write something more again. This will be 3-4 chapters. It's a Cobra Kai- fic called "Leaving the past behind to make room for the future"

So with new stories and stories I have finished. I have seven stories going on. Five of them that are almost finished. As well as this one and riding on the wings of a dove that are nowhere near finished.

The teacher in this chapter, Miss Lila looks like Courtney Henggeler.

TRIGGER WARNING- This chapter briefly mentions suicide.

Harry Jones again

It was a Monday in August that Harry Jones was on his way to first year in primary school. Harry had just turned five a few days ago. And it was now he was in "Big boys' school" that his mum, Imogen Jones, had given him a secondhand lion backpack for him, and told him now he was old enough to go to the school they could see from their kitchen window and find his own way there.

First when he came out from the gate to the driveway of his and Imogen's house he walked down the block, then he had to make a turn. And right before it, that first day Harry turned around. Sure enough he could see right through Imogen's bedroom window…

It was only thanks to the fact that the was eight floors high they could see the school from the kitchen, it was on the other side of the house than he was at now but he had to go around.

Imogen had promised she'd stay up and come to the corner so she could watch as her son made it safely to the school.

But when Harry reached the corner and turned back, his mother wasn't anywhere to be seen. He only had to take a few steps back to see her through her bedroom window. And he saw her there, sleeping like she usually did.

Harry's shoulders slumped, just like he had maybe known he shouldn't be hoping for too much…. Maybe he had just hoped with all of him that Imogen was going to keep a promise now.

As he turned, he saw the long way towards the school. It seemed miles and miles long right now, despite all the times he had tried it out only to make sure he knew how long it would take.

As he walked, now back around his house and up the street. He could see the sign of the school reading "Oakleaf River Primary School". He had learnt to read last year, when he was four and in another, smaller school. And he didn't take his eyes away from the sign before he was by this school's gate. While he opened it and went through to the school yard he looked around to see a lot of children his own tender age.

It didn't take Harry more than a few seconds to notice that all kids here, about twenty of them. Had an adult with them. That was all kids except for himself.

And all kids seemed to be playing, laughing and chattering around the school yard. None seemed to want to come over and talk to Harry, and Harry didn't really have any idea about how to go over and talk to them.

At last Harry went over to a big Elm Tree in the middle of the yard, he sat down with his legs crossed and played with some gravel on the ground without looking up.

"Hi…"

Harry flinched when there was suddenly a voice right over his head, and he looked up to see another blonde-haired boy, not all too different from himself was standing right in front of him.

"Hey…"

"My name is Noah." The blonde boy said, and gestured to a girl with the same color hair next to him. "This is my twin sister Olivia… What is yours?"

"I'm Harry."

"I saw your backpack. It has Simba from The Lion King on it. Do you like lions? Or the movie, The Lion King? It is a very nice backpack. I wish I had a backpack just like that instead of this boring, black one I got from my grandma." He was holding his own backpack in his hand. In difference from Harry's that was ragged and from a secondhand thrift shop, it was brand new, almost shining black and clean.

"You're being very rude and ungrateful Noah." Olivia scolded. "Grandma spent a lot of time to pick out the right backpacks for us. And then a lot of money and you want… that! Only because it has an animal on it… and…" She sniffed in the air. "And you smell."

Harry didn't answer to Olivia or said anything about any backpack. All he could do was to within his own mind wish that he had a grandmother, or anyone who would care what he wanted and buy him new things.

But what did Olivia or Noah know about that?

"That's a rude thing to say Olivia." Noah scolded back. "And I do know that you happen to love Simba and the Lion King. You watch it almost every week at least once. And last year you had a pink backpack with him and Nala on it."

"But that was when we were small. I don't want that backpack now anymore. And this boy…"

"He just said his name is Harry."

"Harry still smells. Our mum…" She gestured towards a woman who stood with some other adults almost by the school's doors. "…always makes sure we have each bath in the evening before we go to bed so that we don't smell. But you don't smell as if you've ever had one."

"That's…"

Noah and Olivia did seem as if they were about to fight. Harry cringed, the fact was that when Imogen forced him to take a bath, it was burning hot or freezing cold. And she pushed him down underneath the surface, the water turned brown from all the filth on him and he couldn't breathe at all.

But Noah and Olivia didn't have to know that. Harry knew that both Imogen and himself would be in trouble if other people found out she did such things. He knew that that might mean the social services turned up on their porch steps one day and that might mean they took him far away from everything he'd ever known. To maybe take him to something way worse.

Harry didn't have time to worry much though, all of a sudden, among all children and adults on the school yard were joined by a woman in her thirties, with dark hair, pale white skin, a purple knitted shirt and a bell that she held in her hand and tipped back and forth to make a noise for them all to hear it.

"People going into year one come with me… year one, students and parents…"

There was a rush of people towards the door and the woman with the purple, knitted shirt when everyone wanted to get in at once. But Harry stayed a bit behind, and Noah stayed with him as well as Olivia who glared at the two boys but still waited with them.

"NOAH…." Suddenly a woman called, with a disgusted look on her face when looking towards Harry as she shouted for her kids. "OLIVIA… come! It's time to go inside now…" Harry took a few steps closer to her and she turned more and more tense as she smelled him. "Come on…" Both of his new friends turned away from Harry and towards their mother. "Come on now…" As her children came closer, she lowered her voice, but Harry still heard what she said. "…you don't have to act like friends to that smelly boy."

Harry looked down on his clothes, his sweater had yet not dried after Imogen had tried to wash it in the tub, he could as good as feel the filth in his hair and from everything he wore. As he came closer to his teacher, he knew she could see a bruise that was only half- healed by the side of his eye. That Imogen had tried to cover up with makeup as good as she could.

"My name is Lila Johnson..." All children followed her into a classroom right to the left from where they came inside. "And you may all call me Miss Lila. I'm your teacher this year. And I can already tell this is the best class I've ever had since I started teaching just about fifteen years ago. Now… for getting to know everyone. Why don't you all stand up one by one, along with your parent. And you tell the rest of us something you like? Let's start with…" She went through the class list, then closed her eyes and chose one student randomly. "…Is Harry Jones here today?" Harry nodded and stood, but of course no parent came with him. "Didn't your mummy or your daddy come with you here? For your first day?"

Harry thought quickly, once again he thought about how the social services might come and take him away if they knew his mum. Then he thought of his dad, whom he had never even met.

"Ehrm… no…" Harry stuttered a bit. "…My dad travels a lot for work. And my mum works night shifts because she's a nurse and sleeps during the days. But she still said that she likes hugging me… And I like hugging her too." Miss Lila smiled slightly, but only a few of the parents could see the distressed look in her eyes.

Because Miss Lila had a feeling of distress inside of her. That she had never been so certain that a child she had in her class might not be treated right. She had learnt about it when she studied to a teacher and that they, as teachers should always report it to the headmaster and the social service. But now here things just didn't feel so simple.

What if Harry spoke the truth? And his parents really were only working…

Lila made a mental note to keep an eye on Harry. But she couldn't do that without seeing in front of her, a blonde boy not very different from Harry himself, but by the name of David Thomas, whom had been in Miss Lila's class in one of the first classes she had ever had as a new teacher. How she had thought she'd done the right thing when she contacted the social services when it didn't seem his parents were what parents were supposed to be.

She had thought so until only earlier this year, when David had searched her up- having found out who was the cause that he had been taken away from his perfectly fine and loving, as well as hard- working parents, into a spiral of group homes and foster homes year after year after year until he was old enough for the social services had let him go.

And he had never been taken away in the first place hadn't Miss Lila made sure he was.

He had only come back to let Miss Lila know all of this. She had to know it, and she had to know all of the abuse he had been through. She had to know about depression, sleepless nights and how fine his real parents had been…

The night after she had finally known, David had taken his own life. Long before he even reached the age of twenty.

None of the people in the classroom here today knew about David. And none of them knew about how Miss Lila would wake up with nightmares almost every night of that little boy she had once known. How she had just wanted what was best for him. And how she might never again just expect that families were more than what they told.

But at this moment, when Harry Jones stood and told her where his parents were. She just had that feeling she had had when she first met David. Even though what had happened then, along with what had only happened last spring when David came to see her and tell her about his childhood in the social services, made Lila insecure about what to do or who to talk to. Maybe she shouldn't at all…

"Well…" Miss Lila said at last, forcing to keep her voice loud and steady. "Why don't you start over? Tell us your name and something you like?"

"My name is Harry." Harry said after hesitating, only barely loud enough for anyone to hear. "And I like… ehrm… I like… ehrm… I like…"

"Sometimes it can be a bit hard to come up with something just like that." Miss Lila said with a slight smile. "Do you want me to go on with some others. And maybe you can come up with something later?" Harry nodded. "Okay then…" She checked her class list. "Is Noah Turner here?"

Harry had lost sight of Noah when they went into the school, now he saw how the other boy had sat down on the other side of the classroom. Maybe he didn't want to be Harry's friend at all now he was so smelly.

"My name is Noah. And I like the movie The Lion King."

Harry had never even watched it. He just knew that the lion on his backpack came from it. While the teacher called out for Olivia, Harry looked down on his desk while he listened to the other students and parents. And he just felt like he was in his own bubble with people all around him, him having told the lie that his mum always told him to tell.

And Harry Jones had never felt so alone.

XxXxX

It was a December day, right before Christmas when Mrs. Lila was handing out each little Christmas gift for each of her kids to take with them. None of the kids knew it, but each and every wrapped package had a stuffed animal of different kinds. The children couldn't see what they were yet but they were different kinds of animals that lived on the savannah. There were giraffe's, zebra's, leopard's, hyena's and lion. But Miss Lila didn't care to check which one was in each parcel before she handed each of them out.

"And Harry…." She came to the one in the back corner of the classroom first, one who had a bruise along the side of his neck and face, and seemed, if possible, even smaller and dirtier than he had the first day of the school year almost four months ago. "I hope you like this one. And I hope you can all wait until Christmas morning with opening it… Which I can see Noah hasn't been able to do already…" Noah had ripped his wrapped gift open, and found a stuffed lion in the moment he was given it. "Time to go, kids. Are you okay Harry?"

Miss Lila, who had been keeping an eye on Harry ever since that first day no parent had come with him. Kept seeing more and more signs that something at home might not be like Harry kept explaining. Still, the thought of what had happened to David years before, kept her from picking up her phone and calling for social services. Where she would have to explain she was a teacher, and there was a boy in her class she thought seemed as if he wasn't treated right. And in a small notebook in a drawer in her desk, she kept a list where she noted the things that seemed like red flags of abuse.

-He keeps having bruises, loads of them. Trying to cover them up with clothes and cheap makeup.

-He was so dirty he might not have had a shower for the whole term and his smell was making other children and even adults stay away from him. It doesn't seem his clothes are washed either. On colder days he barely wears a coat and nonetheless any mittens or cap.

-He seemed so shy. Being asked a question, which he was every now and again he only barely whispered the answers- As if he was thinking something would break if he talked too loudly. He neither interacted with any of the other kids much, and didn't seem to give any sort of reaction when he was being picked on and bullied.

-Once, he had dropped a porcelain cup. There was nothing special about it. But it broke and dirty water with paint spread across the floor before he could move his feet not to get wet. Harry had seemed so devastated and afraid when he apologized. And no matter what he said, he had had that "Please don't hurt me" look on his face.

-There were so many times he had explained things, about where his bruises came from or about why his parents didn't come with him when other kids' parents always did. He had fallen in the stairs, he had stood in the way when someone swung a baseball bat, he had walked into a door- it was an accident. He was such a clutz! His dad was travelling for work, mum was working nights and he didn't want to wake her up. All the while while his whole body language spoke the exact opposite about what he tried to lie about.

-And then at last, Miss Lila had the same feeling in the pit of her stomach that David Thomas had given her before, all of that time ago. And it happened more than once she had her phone in front of her, about to make the call. But the thought about the day David had come to see her and what happened to him afterwards stopped her…

She just kept hoping that Harry would speak out loud and confirm the thoughts she had….

But he never did.

And there was another thing Miss Lila noticed more than ever on the final afternoon before the Christmas holidays. She had noticed it on Fri… well, on all afternoons really. Something wasn't right about the way Harry was acting. And it was like he didn't want to go home at all.

"Harry…" always at the end of the day them two were the last ones left. And the last day before Christmas was no different. "Are you okay? The others couldn't wait to go home."

"I'm just checking my backpack." Harry quickly lied. "So that maybe I don't have to carry everything with me home. It's quite heavy but the teachers also gave us a lot of work to do during the holidays so I think I'll have to bring it all anyway." Miss Lila frowned, while Harry pulled his coat on him and then his backpack that was so heavy, he almost fell backwards. "Thank you for the Christmas gift. I won't open it before Christmas morning."

At least that would be the first time Harry, such as all other children it seemed, had a gift to unwrap first thing in the morning of December the 25th.

"You're very welcome." Miss Lila said with a smile. But maybe someone older and wiser than Harry was would have been able to notice how her voice was shivering- she just didn't know how to fix this. But still… "Should I drive you home Harry? That way you won't carry your backpack so long." Harry thought for a second. But as usual he thought he would have gotten there. He didn't want to be a burden and Miss Lila probably only to suggest it and to make Harry happy.

"I'm fine." Harry put his backpack properly onto his back, it felt lighter that way and then he took his gift and left the room before Miss Lila had had the time to ask any more questions of the kind that Harry didn't want to answer. Of the kind that Imogen would hit him if he ever dared to tell anyone at all the truth.

Harry didn't get what there was about the truth that might upset people, or that Imogen would say that if he told people would take him away from the only person he had ever known for real. The only person he loved and couldn't leave without.

Harry left the school before Miss Lila had the time to worry about him. At least he thought he did. And at least he wanted to because Miss Lila had always been nice to him and he didn't want to worry her or make her drive him home.

The Lion King- backpack seemed to be more and more broken with every day that passed by. Nonetheless while he walked home today feeling the heaviness…

There were some different places in the flat that Imogen could be when Harry came home from school, if she was home at all. She could be lying on her bed, she could be by the toilet, she could be lying on the couch watching tv-shows she had watched a hundred times over and over. Or she could be in the kitchen, eating SpaghettiOs's or tesco sandwiches.

No matter where she was, she was usually accompanied by a brown glass bottle… And in the mornings. When by the toilet and expelling everything and anything she had drunk or eaten the day before, it wasn't far away as the only thing that could help her feel just a tiny bit better for another day. And so the circle begun again.

The day that Harry came home for the Christmas holidays was no different. And he quickly found his mother sitting on the living room couch with a half-empty bottle in her hand. He could also smell from the bathroom that this was yet another day Imogen had gotten sick but not flushed the toilet after her.

"Hi mum." He said with a child's innocence, pulled his backpack off and laid it by the corner of the hallway like he usually did. Imogen didn't make any intention that she had at all noticed him but he continued anyway. "Today was the last day before the Christmas holidays. Some people were really happy about it and some were not. I think it will be sad not to go to school for so long. Miss Lila gave us each gift." Harry held up his gift and looked into the corner of the room. They didn't have a real Christmas tree. But he had drawn a picture of one and put up. He now laid the wrapped gift by it so it would be as if they had a real Christmas tree to put the gift beneath. Imogen didn't say anything more, at least not until Harry sat on the floor drawing.

"What is in that gift?"

Her voice just always sounded so raspy, dark and angry…

"I don't know. I can't wait to open it on Christmas day."

"Open it now."

Harry froze where he sat, he didn't want to open the gift now. He wanted to wait and open it on Christmas day. But then he knew also that when Imogen told him to do something he better listen, or she might hurt him. And with that thought Harry put his drawing things to the side and went to get the gift from his drawn Christmas tree. He then sat down by Imogen on the couch and carefully started unwrapping it.

"Oh come on." Imogen didn't let wait for many seconds before she took the gift from him and ripped the wrapping off to reveal a soft, stuffed giraffe. "Oh. A stuffed animal!"

"A litaffe!"

"Giraffe." Imogen scolded, to Harry who couldn't quite know what they were called yet. "Giraffe are what they're called. And you are certainly way too big for a stuffed animal…" With that, she ripped off all four legs and at last the giraffe's neck. "You must know that stuffed animals are for little girls and not big boys like you." She got up, stumbled slightly to the side, threw all of the pieces of what should have been Harry's first real Christmas gift on the couch and then left the room while Harry was left, picking up the pieces and stroking the soft fabric towards his face and towards his hand. It just felt so soft! It just felt almost warm towards his skin, and he sat there for hours. All until his mum came back into the room when day had turned into evening and saw that Harry still had the pieces of a stuffed giraffe.

"Don't tell me you saved that stupid giraffe's pieces… Now, brat. Some of my friends are coming over. And you need to go." Harry quickly grabbed all of the pieces of the giraffe. "Oh come on! Not that stupid giraffe. You're a big boy and you don't need a stupid, stuffed animal." Imogen whined but still didn't make any intention of trying to grip for what Harry held in his hands or put in his pockets.

"NOW COME ON! GO!"

Harry barely had the time to grab a thin coat from a shelf before Imogen practically pushed him outside, he fell and scraped his knees and hands outside the door.

"AND DON'T YOU DARE EVEN COME AND KNOCK THE DOOR BEFORE I COME AND GET YOU. JUST… GET LOST… WHEREVER EXCEPT FOR HERE."

Harry shakily got onto his feet and pulled his coat on. This coat was just as too little and dirty as everything he'd ever owned. But at least it could help at least a little bit against the cold, and it had some reflexes around the sleeves and on the back.

In the dark, in the rain Harry walked down the street. Maybe he should have stayed by his house. But it was like seeing through the windows, on families and maybe even small children like him, starting of their Christmas breaks. It gave Harry some little piece of comfort and warmth where he stood.

At last, by the bottom off the block he stopped by Noah and Olivia's house. He could see their whole family, two little sisters, Alice and Grace, and their older sister Emma along with their parents. They were so many kids, Noah had so many sisters he knew always had his back. Harry on the other hand, was all alone in a big world.

As at last, he turned before anyone had had the time to spot him and wonder what he was doing outside. Harry turned and walked back up the street towards his house. In difference from all the houses he'd passed it just seemed quiet, dark and cold. And Harry shivered cold and could feel tears rolling down his cheeks while he sat down on the porch steps and picked up the pieces of what had been his stuffed giraffe from Miss Lila.

At school, there was the only place that someone at all seemed to see him. And saw him for something else than he was to his mum. Now in his cold evening, with only pieces left of what could have been his only friend he felt more invisible than he had ever done before. Especially trying to count how many days were left until he could go back to school.

And Harry Jones had never felt so alone

XxXxX

It was the middle, almost the end of July when the spring term ended with a graduation for every student finishing first grade.

And by now Miss Lila had guessed which student wouldn't bringing any parent with him. What he would say about his mum and dad working with different circumstances. And his mum worked nights, and dad travelled. Those were the only things Harry said about his parents, as if he was afraid to say too much if he ever said anything more.

She hadn't yet dared to call up the social services, but made up her mind that if nothing ever changed with how Harry acted, she would pick up the phone and call the first thing she did when students and teachers had left on graduation day. And there were things, there were signs and things changing all through the year Harry had been in her class.

"...I've loved getting to know you all this year…" Miss Lila said to them all. "And I hope that now you go into second class. You will have all spent a nice summer, with sunshine and with friends and your family and making happy memories every day… Now. Who thinks I should just stop talking so you can all go home and on vacation.

All around Harry people were cheering, sharing plans about eating ice cream and travelling, relatives they'd meet. But he just couldn't join in, he already knew Imogen would be no different during the summer days as the rest of the year. And all he could do was to smile, swallow the lump in his throat and seem as happy as the others were.

And then, just as Miss Lila said goodbye and watched them all go outside, Harry was more or less hiding himself in the rush. She didn't get a chance to talk to him- what would she have said then? And when she heard the door outside closing behind the last parent she sunk back on her teacher's chair, put her elbows on the table and her head in her hands before she let the tears flow down her cheeks, chin and drip down on the desk.

She cried for this whole year, everything she had seen on Harry. That she had seen so much but told no one. That she had seen so little all those years ago in David and told too much. That it was unfair, unfair, unfair how such bad people had their own children while she couldn't ever have any no matter how much she wanted them. She cried at how afraid she was for Harry's sake. What if he met the same future as David Thomas?

She cried and cried and cried for hours, the whole school was empty, and no one could know how she was crying.

Harry was crying too.

"I like going to school. I wish I could go to school all the time."

Miss Lila had finally stopped crying hours later, there were no more tears left. But she didn't even know what was happening a block away and how Imogen took a blow and kicked and another blow until Harry laid on a window seal as the afternoon turned into evening, he was in too much pain to keep upright.

Maybe if she had known such things, she would have made that call months ago. Long before Harry had made that happy statement to his mum that he hoped would make Imogen happy as well. If it made her happy then Harry could finally be good enough for once. And Imogen could tell him that…

Imogen had never told Harry he did anything good. And she didn't do it this summer's day neither. With poison running through her body she fell into a bed with dirty sheets while she hoped that Harry could know how much she hated him. And how much she regretted ever having him.

If Harry ever had known how hated he was at home, he would have told Miss Lila- or anyone about what he was going through at home. About all the terrible things that came from her and every scream and whimper from him while she hurt him…

He never did…

Harry had never known anything else than this one life. Maybe if he had known that it wasn't right for parents to treat him like Imogen treated him, or for a child's life to hurt this bad then he could have told anyone at all months ago.

Before everyone hated him for being smelly and shy and dirty. Imogen could have told Harry this wasn't normal. She could have told him that she was supposed to love him and care for him like all parents did except for her. How she hadn't done it once since that extra blue line on a stick or even since she held a newborn Harry, screaming and with thick, blonde Harry in her arms. She knew she was alone with a life and someone she hated…

If Harry only knew how hated he was. If anyone knew at all. Maybe anyone of them would know why she wasn't afraid of ever hurting him. Or maybe they would know that the only reason Imogen wanted Harry with her was so she could hurt him. So that she could have something, or someone to hurt that wasn't important to her that she had to feel bad for.

Still, Harry had never known any other life….

Maybe if he had. He would have told Miss Lila- or anyone at all, about what was happening at his home already at the beginning of the year. Or already last year. And maybe then Miss lila wouldn't have had to be so nervous while she lifted her phone to make a call- a very important call. Still, after all of the months that had passed by worrying that she was wrong and Harry might only have a similar story as David Thomas.

If Harry had known he could tell her at any time…

He was now through the first year of big boys' school, and he knew he was the best in all of his classes, he had never had a math problem that felt as hard to solve as when he now tried to count the days that were left of the summer holidays that were barely only started. And counted how long there would be left until at last he could go to school and be away for Imogen and the pain she'd caused for a few hours every day.

The afternoon after the graduation, meanwhile Lila Johnson made the call Imogen had beat Harry up so to the point he was in so much pain he couldn't even sit up. And therefore, laid in a window seal watching the rain pouring down outside just like the tears along his cheeks. Imogen had fallen asleep with a half- empty, stinking bottle as usual and Harry could feel himself drifting off into unconsciousness. Maybe if he'd known about the call he wouldn't have felt exactly like he did that afternoon…

And Harry Jones had never felt so alone.

XxXxX

"WHAT DID YOU DO YOU LITTLE BRAT?"

There hadn't been long since Miss Lila had called the social services, a social worker was standing right outside Imogen and Harry's flat. Imogen had already seen them through the peep hole in the door and she had to take the chance to yell at her son. Just like she did there was another ring on the doorbell and Harry, waking up from the night sat up while every piece of his body hurt.

"I didn't tell anyone."

"YOU MUST HAVE. OR THEY WOULDN'T BE HERE. NOW, WHEN THEY HAVE LEFT, I WILL LET YOU KNOW YOU ARE ALIVE DO YOU HEAR ME? Yes?" She opened the door and while Harry couldn't see any of them, he could tear them talking. And there was something in him that had him standing from the window seal and on shaky, weak and aching legs he limped from where he was just as the social worker asked a question.

Seeing as cars and asphalt and people passed by outside of the car he sat in thoughts were spinning in his mind and caused confusion like never before.

It felt like he lived another life now than yesterday when he came home from school.

"Mrs. Jones? Have you been drinking?"

Sure Mrs. Jones had been drinking. She drank every day of her life. Shouldn't she? Harry had learnt in school that humans were mostly water. He drank too every day, water or milk or juice. He had tried cola once and it tasted lovelier than anything else he had ever had in his mouth.

But he couldn't understand why today, it seemed as such a bad thing if she had.

Harry just couldn't understand one single thing that whole day. And it seemed like a billion questions were being asked, it felt like nothing worse could happen than him and Imogen being apart. But all of a sudden, they were, and even though they had told that he might be going back to her. And Harry knew that was what he wanted…

Or did he? Everything from yesterday hurt so bad and he didn't even know what he knew anymore. Were these people coming and taking him away really meaning to help him?

At last, in the afternoon Harry was so little he fit into a booster seat in the back seat of a woman named Sarah's car. He had told he would be taken away. But where was away? Harry couldn't figure. And after a long while in the car he was quietly hyperventilating where he sat. He just couldn't understand what was going on! And he couldn't understand why he couldn't just have stayed with his mum. She was the only person Harry had ever known that hadn't turned her back and left him at some point.

Just like Noah and Olivia did when their mum had called Harry smelly. Even though it seemed Noah might want to be friends with Harry he couldn't be so without being scolded and yelled at for it, and at last he'd given up and never spoken another word to the lighter- haired he had once promised he'd called friend.

Just like his dad did. Harry had never met his dad, he didn't even know his name. not knowing how babies were made Harry wasn't sure if he had a dad at all.

Just like everyone else…

Harry liked Miss Lila. But he did know that teachers weren't caring about children who weren't in their class anymore. Harry and his classroom had met their teacher, but Harry wasn't sure if he liked him. Not as much as Miss Lila anyway.

…" Nobody loves you. I hate you; I wish I never had you. You ruined my life" …

Everything his mum had ever said and said only the past few hours. Then all the thoughts in his mind, all the confusion in him, along with the movement of the car was making Harry feel nauseas. And for every turn the car made, Harry pressed his lips hard together. If he threw up all over the floor, himself and the back of the seat in front of him Sarah would be so mad at him.

It was just that the worry that she might caused Harry to feel even more like he was going to get sick… And that was when the car drove over a rock, jumped and Harry just couldn't help it as he threw up once, twice, three times before he could catch his breath.

"Oh… oh sweetie." Just as Harry wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, Sarah turned the car and drove into the side of the street where she could stop. Then got out of the car and hurried around it and opened the door by Harry. "Come here, it's okay. It's okay." Harry shakily got out of the car where he leaned against the car and threw up twice more. "Oh sweetie." Sarah rubbed his back. "It's okay. Just relax and you'll feel better."

Harry hugged his still rumbling stomach. But all day, today and yesterday he hadn't eaten at all except for a piece of cake at school. And now there was nothing left to throw up.

"I'm sorry." Harry whimpered. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

"No sweetie. You're just a bit car sick. And I should have seen it coming… hmmm… I don't have any extra clothes for you, and we can't stop. But I have a blanket so you can get those clothes off you. And a plastic bag you can get sick in if there's more. We still have a bit left… I'm sorry." Harry sniveled and looked away. "Harry? There's no reason for you to be sad… I know the ride is making your tummy feel all weird. But if you look on the road, as far as you can see it. You might feel a bit better and then I will try and drive a bit more carefully. Okay?" Harry sniveled again and a tear rolled down his cheek. "Don't cry…" she could have kicked herself for what she said she noticed what she had said- Harry had all reasons in the world to cry!

Harry wasn't the first kid Sarah had taken care of, far from. But when she helped Harry get his shirt off she couldn't help but gasp at all the bruises and scars there were on such a little boy.

"I'm so sorry Harry." Sarah thought to herself without saying anything out loud. "I'm so sorry this world is such a cruel place this was done to you."

Harry still didn't say anything at all. Even though Sarah had to figure how she was supposed to do her job for the rest of the day, because this kind of cruel world caused things like these to happen at all to little kids like Harry. And with them having to stop when Harry was car sick, Sarah knew that once Harry was with Mike she had to rush back to her office for another meeting.

But there was just something, a feeling when she found a towel in the back of her car and as good as possible tried to wipe off the back seat from vomit.

"Okay then." She said carefully and led Harry to sit back down on the other side of the seat. "Just tell me if you have to get sick again." Harry nodded barely noticeable. "We have about half an hour left to go…" Another nod. "Oh sweetie." Sarah leaned down so that she could look Harry in the eyes. "I know that there is so much happening right now. And I can't even imagine how confusing and stressful everything must be for you. She looked down just a little, Harry was now wrapped in a big blanket but it would be a long time before the sight of all of his bruises and scars. And now it would take a complete blind person not to notice the ones his neck and face. "But from now on- I, and some other people I know will make sure no one can hurt you anymore… Do you understand what I mean?" Harry nodded carefully once again. "I know you don't really… But what's most important that from now on, when you're asked questions- and we'll have to ask a lot of them. You must always answer the truth, or we might not be able to help you." Harry hesitated, but then he nodded ever so little. "Okay? Now! We're in a place called Pottiswood- that's a fun name, isn't it? And there's a man named Mike who lives here, he works at a place called Elm Tree House. And he and his children- some of them are just about your age. He's at a fun fair with all of those kids. Would you like to go there or would you like to go straight to the house where you will live and we can wait there?"

Harry's tummy was still grumbling with nausea, but now the car had stopped he didn't feel as sick anymore, he was terribly tried- but all of the bright lights and music around him made him feel good. He had heard about fun fairs and had always dreamt of going to one.

"I've never been at a fun fair…" He almost whispered. "I'd like to go there…"

"That's the way we'll do it then. I think the fair has some souvenirs. So I can buy you a T-shirt there and then I can buy you a cola and it will do good for your tummy… Do you think like you can go again?" Harry nodded. "Okay then. Let's go."

Sarah helped Harry back into the car, and Harry sat the rest of the way and did as he was told. Sarah had opened the windows to get rid of some of the smell. But still, it felt like hours until Sarah could at last pull over by a big fun fair that sounded loud of chattering voices, music and happy kids.

"It's good it's a warm night… I'll get you a big T-shirt and you can do without those stained jeans." Sarah said. "Now, don't worry. You will meet Mike and some of the kids right away. But they are all really nice and there's nothing for you to worry about. Come here…" She took Harry's hand and went to buy a T-shirt at first. And now we'll find Mike."

It didn't take long for them to find Mike. He was standing by a chocolate wheel and tried to win something for two young girls who were about to leave for another, all girls- home soon, Sheila and Suzie.

"Hello Sarah…. And you must be Harry…" Mike had kind, brown eyes but Harry still sort of hid behind Sarah's leg in a way that always broke Mike's heart. "It's okay. I won't hurt you. Some of the girls asked me to win some chocolate for them. Have you ever seen such big pieces of chocolate? Do you like chocolate? I could try and win some for you too."

"He got a bit car sick on the way here." Sarah explained. "I bought him that cola to settle his tummy a bit. But I don't think he's up for a big piece of chocolate just yet. Or what do you say Harry? Is there something else here you would like one of us to win for you?" Harry didn't answer out loud, but Sarah noticed him looking away, and followed his vision. "Oh… a stuffed animal! I love those. Of course, you can have one… I put his clothes in a plastic bag and laid it by the van" Mike had gone back to try and win some huge pieces of chocolate for the youngest girls while Sarah turned to one of the oldest girls and pulled up a bill from her pocket.

"Sapphire? This is Harry. Harry this is Sapphire and she's really nice. Look! I'm really in such a rush. Or I would stay and do it myself but please tell Mike I'll come see him tomorrow. Right now I'm just in such a rush. You're an angel!"

Without explaining anything more to Sapphire Fox Sarah turned and jogged back to her car, turned it on and then skid out of the parking lot. For a little while Harry and Sapphire only stood there. And Sapphire would, and maybe should have been angry at Sarah. But looking at him she was just such a feeling that she wanted to protect him, make all of those bruises go away…

"Well…" There was so much that Sapphire could have saved Sarah's money for that she'd probably want more than to win a stuffed animal for any kid. But right now, she wanted nothing else. While she took Harry by the hand carefully, and went over to where she would pull a rope and get one of the stuffed animals that were in a line behind the man that owned it. "One please." She handed the man the bill, he gave her some change. In front of him were about fifty ropes of green, yellow and red. "Now. Which one do you think I should pull?"

Sapphire didn't know what Harry was thinking about right then. Neither did Mike nor Sarah nor anyone else. But right then Harry remembered all of those times he had felt so lonely. Maybe, if he could only win one single stuffed animal he wouldn't have to be alone ever again. At least not like he had been before.

"Hello." Harry suddenly heard a voice from the lines of stuffed animals. "My name is Jeff and I've been so lonely."

"Can you see some special one you like?" Sapphire asked, Harry hesitated, then his lips moved but barely any noise came from his throat. "What did you say? You have to speak out loud. It's okay. If you want a certain one I'll try and win it for you."

"Jeff…"

Harry said it out loud, but under his breath so when Sapphire turned her back against him there could have been no way for her to know what Harry had actually said before she grabbed one of the ropes. And Harry held his breath in suspense, there was just one he wanted to win. And that was the giraffe.

The one Sapphire pulled up was a stuffed cat.

"Here…" The man in front of them handed her a cat that looked like the one she had just pulled up, then she handed it to Harry. "It's a nice and very soft one isn't it?"

It was a very nice and soft one, but it wasn't a giraffe. And even more important, it wasn't Jeff.

"Thank you, Sapphire."

Harry tried to act gratefully, but she could see it as a light went out in his eyes and his shoulders went down.

"Hey…." Mike had come over just as Harry's shoulder slumped and he sadly looked down. "Was there a special one you wanted? You're allowed to say if it was. I won't be mad. I'll just try and win again." Harry nodded barely noticeable, and they turned towards the man behind the counter and the line of stuffed animals that could be won. "Which one do you want?"

"Jeff."

"You need to speak out a bit louder if you want me to hear it. I'm quite an old man and my hearing isn't that good."

"Jeff" Harry whispered again, only slightly louder. "The giraffe."

"Oh, a giraffe. That's my favorite too." Mike handed the man a bill and pulled a rope, Harry's shoulders slumped against when he saw Mike had pulled up another cat. "Oh. It's okay Harry. I'll just keep doing this until I win your giraffe." Mike handed the man another bill. Then tried again, and again, and again…

For each time Harry looked so excited he slumped again and looked so disappointed when Mike didn't pull up Jeff. The man behind the counter was starting to look annoyed, but picked out animal after animal from the boxes behind him and handed them to Sapphire who had a plastic bag to store them in.

"How much do you want for only buying a stuffed giraffe?" Mike asked at last, but the man only glared back at him and then glared towards the ropes. "Well then. If I so have to pull each and every one of them…" Mike handed the man another bill. "Now, Harry… Which one should I pull?"

Harry had watched a bit too many of the ropes being pulled, Mike had lifted him to sit on the counter but he now sat sulked with tears slowly rolling down his cheeks.

"I swear if I so have to pull each and every one of these…" He said again while Mike looked towards his van where a woman and a group of children were waiting. And then turned back and pulled another rope.

…Another cat!

The man behind the counter took a cat from one of the boxes behind him…

"Come on…" Mike was getting tired of this but a promise was a promise. "Come on, please…" He handed the man another bill. "Come on…" He was looking back on his group of kids that were all waiting to go. "…I don't care if I have to follow you to every town to win a Jeff. I will…" At last Mike grabbed one of the ropes furthest to the right and pulled it harder than he had ever pulled any rope before.

Harry was now very nervous. He wanted Jeff just as much as ever but he felt bad for crying and Sapphire and Mike and all the stuffed animals he wasn't happy with. Still he looked towards the rope currently pulled up.

"Jeff!"

Harry tiredly lit up when seeing Mike had won the giraffe he had wanted so badly. And there was a relief too in the eyes of the man behind the counter when he picked out a giraffe from a box and handed it to Mike, that handed it to Harry, that hugged the little, soft animal close to his chest while softly, tiredly mumbling to him.

"Jeff, Jeff, Jeff… I'm Harry…"

"Are you happy now?" Mike asked, his daddy- expression shining with that feeling only his children's happiness could bring him. "Now you finally have Jeff?"

"Yes. I've never been this happy. Thank you, Mike. Thank you, thank you."

Neither Mike nor Sapphire had heard Harry speak so loud before. Maybe no one at all had ever done.

"Thank Sapphire too." Mike patted her shoulder. "She did try to win you Jeff loads of times."

To be able to reach Sapphire Harry crawled up to stand on the counter. The man behind it looked less than happy but didn't say anything while the little, blonde boy hugged the more dark-skinned teenage girl as if they had been sister and brother.

"Thank you so much Sapphire."

Sapphire didn't answer, maybe she knew that this was more than words could speak.

And she wasn't sure Harry would be able to hear her anyway, because he was already half asleep and easy for her to lift down and didn't react while they walked after Mike up to the others who held onto the bag with a total of nineteen different stuffed animals.

"How about each going away gift for you girls?" Mike asked, Sheila excitedly looked down into the bag but Suzie just did what he'd expected and rolled her eyes at him. "Most animals will be left at Elm Tree House anyway. Sapphire, if she wants to you can give one to Sheila." Sapphire held the younger girl the big bag with stuffed animals of all different kinds.

"Hey." Murray, the older of the siblings leaving said with a smirk. "I want one too…. I need someone to live with or I won't be able to fall asleep and you must know that Mike."

"Of course you need one." Mike held the opened bag to the teenage boy. "You can have three if you like."

"I think one will be enough…"

Murray searched through the bag for the exact right one before they started moving towards their van to take them back to what would be Harry and Jeff's new home.

Letting the younger of the siblings choose her own new stuffed animal, Mike glanced towards Sapphire who was standing a bit at the edge of the group, while waiting for the others to finish so they could go home. And the blonde little boy she held in her arms…

For the moment Harry was holding tightly onto Jeff and wasn't planning to let go of him any time soon. Just as tightly Sapphire was holding onto Harry such as real a mum would, even though her arms were starting to hurt.

And Harry Jones wasn't alone any more.

Random fact

Those were what I used to do at fun fair's when I was little. Pulled a rope and got a stuffed animal. I was mildly p*ssed off when I wanted nothing but a tiger. My brother won two and I won two bear.

On the second tries I made for Marco and Louise's chapter their chapters had two parts. Just at the same time as putting this chapter up I will go back to their chapters and sort it out so they only have one part each.