Chapter Three
An awkward silence prevailed as Mick considered the small but trusting figure dwarfed by the leather couch. The boy- Michael, Mick reminded himself, which should be easy enough to remember- stared back at him with a clear and expectant gaze.
Mick groped for something to say just to fill the silence. “How old are you?” he finally came up with.
That was good, he decided. Snap out of it, get the basic information.
“Six.”
Mick nodded but didn't reply to the bit of information. He'd guessed the child to be between five to seven, and Michael's answer had confirmed it.
“Where did you say your mother went?”
“You asked me that already.”
“I know. But I want to make sure I have all the facts straight.” Mick stood awkwardly in the middle of his living room as he spoke to Michael. What was he supposed to do with a child? Dealing with children had never been required of him and wasn't exactly his forte. In fact, he'd never dealt with a child at all beyond the rescuing of Beth twenty years before, and the situation had not lent itself to uncertainty or hesitation. She'd been immediately returned to her mother, and though he'd followed her childhood and maturity from that moment on, it had remained hidden and from a distance.
This was a new situation entirely.
Of course, he was neither qualified nor capable of taking care of a kid. Mick knew that much about himself. He'd have to turn the little guy over to the proper authorities. He'd be fine with them. That's what they were there for, after all. They had agencies for this sort of thing. You couldn't just drop a child off on a stranger's doorstep and expect him to be there when you chose to return. And a mother that would do that didn't really need the kid back in her care, anyway.
Mick continually reminded himself of those facts to assuage the ill-feelings that turning Michael over to Child Services brought forth.
“Are you a cop?” Michael gave his short legs a small kick and his heels bounced against the end of the seat cushion, which was as far as they reached. “Mama says you're kind of a cop, but not really.”
“What else did your mother tell you about me?”
“That you're a good guy and you'll take care of me until she comes back for me. She said you'll protect me from the bad guys.”
A worried prickle made the hairs on the back of Mick's neck stand up.
“What bad guys?”
“The ones that try to hurt us.”
“Who are they?”
A shrug. “The bad guys.”
Mick moved slowly over to the couch and sat next to Michael, his interest piqued. “How many bad guys?”
“A hundred,” Michael answered with conviction. “Maybe even a thousand!”
Mick let that one go as the obvious exaggeration it was.
“Are you sure they're bad guys?” Mick asked, wondering if Michael could be confusing reality with imagination.
“Yep. Mama said they are. And they try to get us. And they have guns.”
Guns. That couldn't be good.
“Why would bad guys try to hurt you or your mom?”
“I don't know. But I don't like them.” Michael's voice had taken on a fearful tone and he cast a glance around the room. It was a look Mick recognized. It was the look of one being hunted or in hiding, that look of fear that said being found was inevitable. Only one thing could put such a look in a child's eyes; experience.
Mick felt a sudden rush of tenderness for the boy that was a stranger to him, and he reached out and pulled Michael into a one-armed hug. Mick was surprised when Michael encircled Mick's waist without hesitation, eager for the comfort of any good-guy adult that was willing to offer it.
Child Services would have to wait, Mick decided. He was intrigued now, and a little worried. He wanted to find out more before he handed the boy over to anyone.
Surely it's more imagination that reality, Mick thought to himself. But remembering the look of fear in Michael's eyes seconds ago, Mick decided he'd better find out just how little of it was childish misinformation, and how much of it might be based in truth. And it couldn't hurt to conduct a token search for Michael's mother either, just in case there was, in fact, some kind of trouble. She could be in need of help rather than a babysitter, and Mick was just the person for that.
But he couldn't search for a missing person and be a child's keeper at the same time.
Mick was going to need help.
“Josef, I need a favor,” Mick said into his cell phone. He tried to hide the desperation in his voice and he sent a strained smile Michael's way. If the smile was less than reassuring, the little guy gave him no sign.
“Of course you do,” Josef returned in his usual dry manner. “What's up?”
“Uh....can I meet you somewhere? Your place would be best.” Mick knew that making his request would be harder to refuse face to face. He knew his friend well enough to expect the initial refusal, but the trick was to change his mind after the fact.
“Yeah, okay,” Josef agreed, but his sudden suspicion was easy to hear, even before he asked, “am I going like this favor you need?” He knew Mick as well as Mick knew him and it wasn't always a good thing, in Mick's opinion.
“I'll see you in an hour,” was Mick's hasty response before he terminated his own end of the phone call.
“Have you lost your mind?” Josef asked in disbelief.
“Josef, I can't drag him along on a missing person's case, especially since it's his own mother. How am I supposed to do the job and look after him at the same time?”
“No. Forget it. Do I look like Mrs. Doubtfire?”
“C'mon. Look at him, he's a good kid.” Mick gestured to the far side of Josef's parlor where Michael sat on a cushioned chair, engrossed in some kind of a hand held device. A game, judging from the cartoonish sound effects that could be heard emanating from it.
Both vampires' eyes settled on the oblivious Michael for a few seconds before Josef moved his own eyes back to Mick.
“I'm not a babysitter, Mick.”
“He's quiet. He won't bother you a bit.”
“Then why can't you take him?”
“We've been over that.”
“I don't do kids.”
“He's in danger, Josef.”
“Who says he's not in danger if you leave him with me? I could do with a bite-sized snack.” The tips of Josef's fangs made an appearance for a quick moment before retracting and he smirked.
Mick didn't respond to Josef's obvious attempt at ruffling his feathers.
“You're the only one I can trust to protect him while I find out what's going on.”
Flattering Josef with the truth was always a good move.
Josef didn't speak for a moment. Then he asked, “What kind of danger?”
“Some people are after him and his mom,” Mick summarized. “Michael says they have guns. I'm guessing he's in real danger. And I'd like to find his mother, if I can.”
“Michael? His name is Michael?” Josef lifted an eyebrow, apparently reading something into the fact that his friend's new charge had the same given name as Mick.
Mick said nothing, simply waiting for Josef's to continue.
Josef studied Michael from the distance that separated them. “I don't like kids, Mick.”
But this time, the edict held a shade less conviction, and Mick had to stifle a burst of triumph. That was the sign that Josef would waver soon, but he might need just a little more work.
“If you do this for me now, I won't ask again,” Mick negotiated.
“You really should just forget the whole thing and take the kid to the police. This could end in trouble for you.”
“I want to try to find his mother first. If I can't find her-”
“What?” Josef interrupted. “You'll back off of this new white knight quest?”
“I'll have to, won't I?” Mick asked reasonably. “He can't stay with me forever. But I can't just not make the effort.” Mick waited for a response but Josef remained silent. Mick could not decipher his expression. “Please, Josef. I need you to do this for me. I'll owe you.”
“Oh, you will. You'll owe me big.”
Josef had caved. Mick couldn't help but grin. “Fine, I'll owe you big. I'll pick him up this evening.”
“Don't be too long,” Josef said, almost nervously.
“I won't,” Mick promised. “But remember, Josef, he's a child. You can't leave him alone to crawl into your freezer for a nap or to run off to a meeting. And don't bring any of your female companions here while he's here......he's too young to be exposed to your level of entertainment. And for god sake, don't feed in front of him.”
“What do I look like, an imbecile? Go. The faster you leave, the sooner you'll get back to take him off my hands. And remember..... this is not a small favor. You'll be paying dearly for this one.”
“Alright, alright,” Mick groused as he stepped around Josef and crossed the room. He stopped in front of the chair and crouched down to Michael's level.
Michael's attention lifted from his game to Mick's face.
“Michael, this is my friend Josef. You're gonna stay here with him for a few hours, okay? I'll be back later to pick you up.”
Michael's bottom lip was pulled between his teeth uncertainly. “I don't know if that's okay. Mama said I was supposed to stay with you.”
“I know, but I have something to take care of. And Josef, he's a good guy. He's my best friend in the whole world, and he can protect you from the bad guys while I'm not here.”
Michael moved his head an inch to peer across at Josef over Mick's shoulder, then looked back to Mick.
“You'll come back and get me?” he asked softly.
“In a few hours.”
“Promise?”
“I promise,” Mick answered sincerely.
“Okay,” Michael acquiesced. “But don't forget to come back.”
“I'll be here,” Mick promised Michael as he stood up. He gave Josef a quick nod as he headed for the door.
The pang Mick felt as he left Michael reluctantly in Josef's care was as surprising to him as it was unexplainable.
Mick groped for something to say just to fill the silence. “How old are you?” he finally came up with.
That was good, he decided. Snap out of it, get the basic information.
“Six.”
Mick nodded but didn't reply to the bit of information. He'd guessed the child to be between five to seven, and Michael's answer had confirmed it.
“Where did you say your mother went?”
“You asked me that already.”
“I know. But I want to make sure I have all the facts straight.” Mick stood awkwardly in the middle of his living room as he spoke to Michael. What was he supposed to do with a child? Dealing with children had never been required of him and wasn't exactly his forte. In fact, he'd never dealt with a child at all beyond the rescuing of Beth twenty years before, and the situation had not lent itself to uncertainty or hesitation. She'd been immediately returned to her mother, and though he'd followed her childhood and maturity from that moment on, it had remained hidden and from a distance.
This was a new situation entirely.
Of course, he was neither qualified nor capable of taking care of a kid. Mick knew that much about himself. He'd have to turn the little guy over to the proper authorities. He'd be fine with them. That's what they were there for, after all. They had agencies for this sort of thing. You couldn't just drop a child off on a stranger's doorstep and expect him to be there when you chose to return. And a mother that would do that didn't really need the kid back in her care, anyway.
Mick continually reminded himself of those facts to assuage the ill-feelings that turning Michael over to Child Services brought forth.
“Are you a cop?” Michael gave his short legs a small kick and his heels bounced against the end of the seat cushion, which was as far as they reached. “Mama says you're kind of a cop, but not really.”
“What else did your mother tell you about me?”
“That you're a good guy and you'll take care of me until she comes back for me. She said you'll protect me from the bad guys.”
A worried prickle made the hairs on the back of Mick's neck stand up.
“What bad guys?”
“The ones that try to hurt us.”
“Who are they?”
A shrug. “The bad guys.”
Mick moved slowly over to the couch and sat next to Michael, his interest piqued. “How many bad guys?”
“A hundred,” Michael answered with conviction. “Maybe even a thousand!”
Mick let that one go as the obvious exaggeration it was.
“Are you sure they're bad guys?” Mick asked, wondering if Michael could be confusing reality with imagination.
“Yep. Mama said they are. And they try to get us. And they have guns.”
Guns. That couldn't be good.
“Why would bad guys try to hurt you or your mom?”
“I don't know. But I don't like them.” Michael's voice had taken on a fearful tone and he cast a glance around the room. It was a look Mick recognized. It was the look of one being hunted or in hiding, that look of fear that said being found was inevitable. Only one thing could put such a look in a child's eyes; experience.
Mick felt a sudden rush of tenderness for the boy that was a stranger to him, and he reached out and pulled Michael into a one-armed hug. Mick was surprised when Michael encircled Mick's waist without hesitation, eager for the comfort of any good-guy adult that was willing to offer it.
Child Services would have to wait, Mick decided. He was intrigued now, and a little worried. He wanted to find out more before he handed the boy over to anyone.
Surely it's more imagination that reality, Mick thought to himself. But remembering the look of fear in Michael's eyes seconds ago, Mick decided he'd better find out just how little of it was childish misinformation, and how much of it might be based in truth. And it couldn't hurt to conduct a token search for Michael's mother either, just in case there was, in fact, some kind of trouble. She could be in need of help rather than a babysitter, and Mick was just the person for that.
But he couldn't search for a missing person and be a child's keeper at the same time.
Mick was going to need help.
“Josef, I need a favor,” Mick said into his cell phone. He tried to hide the desperation in his voice and he sent a strained smile Michael's way. If the smile was less than reassuring, the little guy gave him no sign.
“Of course you do,” Josef returned in his usual dry manner. “What's up?”
“Uh....can I meet you somewhere? Your place would be best.” Mick knew that making his request would be harder to refuse face to face. He knew his friend well enough to expect the initial refusal, but the trick was to change his mind after the fact.
“Yeah, okay,” Josef agreed, but his sudden suspicion was easy to hear, even before he asked, “am I going like this favor you need?” He knew Mick as well as Mick knew him and it wasn't always a good thing, in Mick's opinion.
“I'll see you in an hour,” was Mick's hasty response before he terminated his own end of the phone call.
“Have you lost your mind?” Josef asked in disbelief.
“Josef, I can't drag him along on a missing person's case, especially since it's his own mother. How am I supposed to do the job and look after him at the same time?”
“No. Forget it. Do I look like Mrs. Doubtfire?”
“C'mon. Look at him, he's a good kid.” Mick gestured to the far side of Josef's parlor where Michael sat on a cushioned chair, engrossed in some kind of a hand held device. A game, judging from the cartoonish sound effects that could be heard emanating from it.
Both vampires' eyes settled on the oblivious Michael for a few seconds before Josef moved his own eyes back to Mick.
“I'm not a babysitter, Mick.”
“He's quiet. He won't bother you a bit.”
“Then why can't you take him?”
“We've been over that.”
“I don't do kids.”
“He's in danger, Josef.”
“Who says he's not in danger if you leave him with me? I could do with a bite-sized snack.” The tips of Josef's fangs made an appearance for a quick moment before retracting and he smirked.
Mick didn't respond to Josef's obvious attempt at ruffling his feathers.
“You're the only one I can trust to protect him while I find out what's going on.”
Flattering Josef with the truth was always a good move.
Josef didn't speak for a moment. Then he asked, “What kind of danger?”
“Some people are after him and his mom,” Mick summarized. “Michael says they have guns. I'm guessing he's in real danger. And I'd like to find his mother, if I can.”
“Michael? His name is Michael?” Josef lifted an eyebrow, apparently reading something into the fact that his friend's new charge had the same given name as Mick.
Mick said nothing, simply waiting for Josef's to continue.
Josef studied Michael from the distance that separated them. “I don't like kids, Mick.”
But this time, the edict held a shade less conviction, and Mick had to stifle a burst of triumph. That was the sign that Josef would waver soon, but he might need just a little more work.
“If you do this for me now, I won't ask again,” Mick negotiated.
“You really should just forget the whole thing and take the kid to the police. This could end in trouble for you.”
“I want to try to find his mother first. If I can't find her-”
“What?” Josef interrupted. “You'll back off of this new white knight quest?”
“I'll have to, won't I?” Mick asked reasonably. “He can't stay with me forever. But I can't just not make the effort.” Mick waited for a response but Josef remained silent. Mick could not decipher his expression. “Please, Josef. I need you to do this for me. I'll owe you.”
“Oh, you will. You'll owe me big.”
Josef had caved. Mick couldn't help but grin. “Fine, I'll owe you big. I'll pick him up this evening.”
“Don't be too long,” Josef said, almost nervously.
“I won't,” Mick promised. “But remember, Josef, he's a child. You can't leave him alone to crawl into your freezer for a nap or to run off to a meeting. And don't bring any of your female companions here while he's here......he's too young to be exposed to your level of entertainment. And for god sake, don't feed in front of him.”
“What do I look like, an imbecile? Go. The faster you leave, the sooner you'll get back to take him off my hands. And remember..... this is not a small favor. You'll be paying dearly for this one.”
“Alright, alright,” Mick groused as he stepped around Josef and crossed the room. He stopped in front of the chair and crouched down to Michael's level.
Michael's attention lifted from his game to Mick's face.
“Michael, this is my friend Josef. You're gonna stay here with him for a few hours, okay? I'll be back later to pick you up.”
Michael's bottom lip was pulled between his teeth uncertainly. “I don't know if that's okay. Mama said I was supposed to stay with you.”
“I know, but I have something to take care of. And Josef, he's a good guy. He's my best friend in the whole world, and he can protect you from the bad guys while I'm not here.”
Michael moved his head an inch to peer across at Josef over Mick's shoulder, then looked back to Mick.
“You'll come back and get me?” he asked softly.
“In a few hours.”
“Promise?”
“I promise,” Mick answered sincerely.
“Okay,” Michael acquiesced. “But don't forget to come back.”
“I'll be here,” Mick promised Michael as he stood up. He gave Josef a quick nod as he headed for the door.
The pang Mick felt as he left Michael reluctantly in Josef's care was as surprising to him as it was unexplainable.
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