Heimat AU: Mikey's Rescue

Chapter Eleven- I'm Sending You a Mind Message

"So...you know I could buy it, right?" Collum asked seriously. Lauren gave him a sharp look. He shrugged. "I need a house...we could all, uh, stay together."

"Cee. This is so fast."

"The house is next door to Maia's and Mikey's friend...and near the beach. She loves the beach...and you said yourself you need stability." Collum said. "And I don't need to stay there...I can just buy it...and it will be for my daughter..."

Lauren stopped in the middle of the store and tried to control her growing panic. "I don't just want you to buy us a house."

"I...I just want to do something."

Lauren placed her hand on one of Collum's arms. "You are doing something." Maia came running up with cookies.

"Ma can I get these?"

Lauren nodded smiled. Mikey was in the front of the cart. He was watching Collum warily. Maia has asked if Collum could come shopping for the dessert of whatever Thanksgiving was. He had nodded when she asked if he was okay with that.

He wanted to be.

He didn't want to be scared of Collum.

They were shopping for the ingredients to make a pecan pie. Mikey had picked it out and Lauren had been elated. After getting some dinner in him and the second dosage of pain medication, he seemed to be feeling better.

Maia was skipping beside the cart and chattering away. Collum was deeply amused and chuckling often at his daughter's nonstop talking.

Mikey was overwhelmed, but Lauren noticed he was getting better in stores now. She knew that growing attached to his blanket was providing a sense of security. Anything that could help him was golden to Lauren.

"Hey, helpless human!" Maia called and Collum snorted.

Lauren walked a few steps away to retrieve the pecans and Mikey's eyes followed her. Collum was chatting with Maia about zombies and if zombies could eat turkey. No one paid attention as a girl pointed at Mikey and laughed.

Mikey turned around and felt a sharp terror as his blanket started to get tugged away. The girl was pulling it out of his grasp and laughing. "My daddy said you're too big to be sitting in a baby seat!" She taunted. "Too big to have a blanket!"

Collum stopped, turned to stare at the child and Mikey's whimpers as he tried to clutch onto his blanket. He quickly was around the cart. Mikey's eyes snapped to him in even more fear but Collum grabbed the blanket and pulled it out of both children's hands.

Mikey bit his lip so as to not cry. He should have known. He had done something wrong again and now the large man was taking away his blanket.

Collum looked down at the girl. "Go back to your father, child." He said in a dangerous voice. She looked fearful and then ran to her father. Collum turned to see Mikey trying as hard as he could to hold in his tears and fear.

It went through Collum. He looked down and realized he had ripped the blanket away from Mikey as well. And could see what that had done to him. He approached Mikey slowly and held his blanket out. Mikey's bottom lip quivered.

"I-I c-can have it back?" He whispered.

It broke Collum's heart. After everything Mikey had been through why did little shits in grocery stores have to make it worse?