"You do realize its two in the morning right?"Micah said picking the boy up and taking him into the other room,laying him in his bed "Sleep,we will be at the compound befkre you wake up" he said softly "Im sorry about your parents kid....they try and keep...deaths....to a minimum...but accidents happen"

Brandon looked at Micah confused. Two AM? The little boy suddenly yawned as if on cue...it was very late. He still didn't really know how to react...it was as if everything was a blur. In a way he was almost taking things well just because well...it was too fast to even realize what was going on. It felt like a dream.

That was until Micah said the D-word: "Death."

Suddenly Brandon rolled over, the little boy's face looking terrified. "Where's my Mommy....? where's my Daddy...?" he whined in a high-pitched voice....hoping that he hadn't heard what he thought.

Micah kicked himself....he wasn very good at this and picked the boy up,setting him in his lap
"Im sorry bud....they didn't make it....you are lucky you were so far from the explosion otherwise tou wouldn't be sitting here either" he said softly

Brandon just stared. He didn't care that he was in a pirate's lap...that wasn't the pressing issue. he wanted his Mother, and Micah was saying.....it couldn't be....Brandon was only six years old, and couldn't grasp the concept that his parents could ever dissappear. "Where are theyyyyy?" he wailed, beginning to cry.

Micah sighed,rocking the boy in his arms "Im sorry son but they aren't coming...." he said softly trying to calm the boy down the best he could.

Brandon continued to sob. It was just too much. He was stuck on a boat with scary pirates, he was clad in a diaper that even Micah had seen and put him in, and his parents aren't coming "BUt I want themmmmmmm" Brandon whined, tears continuing to stream down his cheeks.

"Im sorry...I'm all you got..." Micah said walking around the room with the boy in his arms,bouncing him lightly,trying to get the boy to calm down so he would go to sleep but it didn't seem like he would ever stop.

Brandon sniffled...he didn't know why but somehow this pirate's arms were comforting, even if he was being held and rocked like he was a younger boy than he was. He couldn't help but lean his head lightly into Micah...but still....it wasn't his parents. "But...I don't want you....." Brandon said through his tears, thinking once again of his mother.

"I know....this must be terrifying for you" Micah said rubbing the boys back softly as he bounced and rocked the boy "But I promise...I won't let anything bad happen to you....I will raise you like you were my own till I can find someone who can take care of you and get you away from these bad men"

"But...but...you're a bad man too....you're a pirate......." Brandon said...his eyes drooping slowly. The boy was exhausted despite how homesick he already was and how much he wanted his Mom. The boy was light in Micah's arms, the extra bit of padding around his bottom making him seem younger than he was. Carrying him was easy, and luckily he didn't resist or squirm.