"Red its going to be okay." Mack assures, holding him. Monty looks at Mack confused. "don't worry kiddo, Reds okay he's just upset." Mack murmurs. Monty squirms, trying to wiggle free, and Red lets him go. he runs off to his room and Red whines, holding tighter to Mack.

"we're going to lose him. I don't want to." Red murmurs.

"we're not going to lose him. you heard Doc. we're not going to lose him, we just can't adopt him yet." Mack assures gently. "he also occasionally has to go live with Flo and Ramone, which is also fine. we go play poker once a week with Guido, Luigi, Ramone, and Sheriff anyway. so he spends the night with them once a week. we got this Red." Mack assures. Monty comes running back, little bare feet thumping against the wooden floors making a sound that Mack is actually getting used to and enjoying. Red turns to look at him and Monty holds up a paper. Red reaches down and takes it, looking it over.

"aww Monty, it's beautiful. I'll hang it on the fridge." Red smiles a little, stepping away from Mack. its a picture of a simple cartoonistic flower and its colored. he hangs the picture on the fridge beside the picture of his firetruck and Macks semi. he scoops the boy up and holds him tightly. Monty hugs him as tight as he can cuddling him. he doesn't understand whats happening, he just knows Reds upset. Red holds him and steps back, letting out a shaky sigh, before kissing the boys head.

"he's ours Red. don't worry." Mack assures. "come on. lets go to Flos for breakfast, kid needs a bath after that and we'll have to borrow clothes from her." Mack adds. Red nods and smiles, holding Monty slightly tired.

"okay. you're right. come on buddy." Red murmurs. Monty whines, squirming. "just let me carry you, okay?" Red ask. Monty grunts at him trying to push away. Red sighs a little and sets him down.

"don't worry Red he's ours. its okay." Mack assures gently. Red nods a little and sighs, he perks up a little feeling a little hand on his pants. "see he just wanted to go get Tommy." Mack smiles. Red smiles and scoops Monty up hugging him tightly. Monty shows his little bare foot to Red who laughs a little, tickling it. Monty giggles and squirms.

"you don't need shoes I'll carry you." Red murmurs, smiling. Monty gets an excited lookon his face and squirms until Red puts him down again. he comes back a moment later with more drawns, though he refuses to give them to Red or Mack. "oh are those for Flo?" Red asks. Monty nods letting Red pick him up again.

"okay come on." Mack smiles. he leads them out and towards Flos.

"did anyone ever teach you to talk Monty?" Red asks, looking at him. Monty looks up at him confused before turning back to his drawings to look them over. Red nods and carries him into Flos.

"hey Flo your man is here." Mack calls teasingly. Flo pokes her head out and grins.

"oh there he is! sweet boy." Flo coos, walking over with a cookie. "does my sweet boy want a cookie?" Flo smiles at him. he squeals at her, holding out a handful of drawings. Flo laughs a little and takes them, trading the drawings for the fresh, still warm, cookie. he takes it happily settling in Reds arms. "oh these are so good kiddo." Flo smiles, ruffling his hair gently.

"hey Flo, I know your busy cooing over the kid, but do you have any of Mables old clothing? kid really needs a bath and we don't have anything he can wear and I don't want him running around naked." Mack frowns.

"oh yeah of course. I meant to bring some to you guys yesterday and forgot. I picked out of the good stuff, nothing too girly in there." Flo says. "I have a box of them, I'll get Ramone to drop them off while you three eat." Flo assures.

"thanks Flo." Mack nods.

"can you thank her for the cookie?" Red ask, gently caressing the boys cheek. Monty grins at her quickly making a hand motion. Red smiles at him.

"you're welcome kiddo." Flo smiles, walking off. the three sit together in a booth and Monty giggles, hugging Tommy. he eats his cookie, curling against Reds side happily.

"everyone loves this little guy, he's so sweet." Red smiles, ruffling the youngers hair gently.

"hey! y'two got the kid?" Mater asks, walking over.

"yeah he's tucked up over beside Red eating a cookie." Mack chuckles. Mater looks over, Red moving out of the way a little.

"well shoot. no wonder Doc don got his age wrong. he's so damn small." Mater chuckles softly. Monty takes a bite of his cookie and looks up, freezing when he see's Mater. "'ey lil buddy." Mater grins. Monty stares at him, holding his cookie tightly.

"Mater you're scaring him, step back a little. older men make him nervous." Red murmurs softly, wrapping his arm around the boy gently..

"oh sorry." Mater says backing up a little. "did he like the fourwheeler?" Mater grins looking at them.

"oh yeah he loved it. us, not so much." Mack frowns.

"Mater, I love you, you're my friend, but he's five. you can't hook a fourwheeler up with that much battery power for a five year old. he almost got hurt." Red frowns.

"well, I didn' mean fer that t'happen." Mater says apologetically.

"I know. it's okay we'll get him a helmet and some safety pads so he can ride again. Doc won't let him until we do." Mack says. Mater nods and waves at them wondering off quickly as Sheriff comes in.

"there is no way in hell he's babysitting Monty. ever." Red frowns. Mack snorts.

"agreed." he chuckles. Monty eats his cookie happily and giggles quietly, cuddling against Red. "when we're done here, you're getting a bath buddy." Mack murmurs.

"yeah he's still dirty from the night of the wreck." Red frowns. Monty stands up in the booth and reaches for the drink Flo brought him.

"that better not be chocolate milk. he doesn't need that much sugar." Mack frowns a little.

"oh it is. its fine." Flo assures setting their plates down. "its just a little chocolate milk Mack." Flo chuckles.

"he just had a cookie and he doesn't handle sugar well." Mack frowns. he looks over at Monty, whose watching him nervously and clutching the cup to his chest, waiting. he won't take a single drink until he has permission, he won't even move. he watches man nervously, the hair on his arms is standing and he's nervous. Mack sighs a little and waves him off. "okay okay. drink it." Mack mutters. Monty immediately starts drinking it happily. Red smiles and starts eating, shaking his head.

once they're done, they head back to the house. there's a big box on the porch.

"those must be the clothes." Mack says, picking up the box. Red nods and follows him inside. he sets Monty down and watches him run off to his room.

"lets find something he can wear." Red mutters. they open the box and start going through it. a lot of clothing is pink, but there are other things. Mable wasn't the girliest of girls, so Red easily finds some shorts and a t-shirt, that he can only hope will fit Monty. the boy is so tiny, obviously malnurished.

"he's just going to have to run around without underwear until we get him some." Mack says. Red nods grabbing the clothes.

"I'll go start the water, okay? you get Monty." Red smiles, heading for their bathroom. Mack nods and heads for Montys room.

"hey buddy, come on. we're gonna get you cleaned up." Mack smiles, reaching for his hand. Monty walks over. "leave Tommy. he's okay." Mack assures. Monty seems hesitant, but puts Tommy in the chair they got for him and pats his head gently, then takes Macks hand. Mack leads him to the bathroom. "just stay here buddy." Mack smiles, letting him go next to the tub. Monty stares at the water pouring into the tub. he whimpers, backing into Macks leg.

"its okay buddy, its just a bath." Red assures. Monty stares at him, before looking att he tub again, obviously distressed. "its okay buddy." Red assures gently. he turns back to the water and Mack grabs him gently. Monty screams, terrified, and squirms free. Mack yelps, dropping him and holding his hand.

"fuck! he bit me." Mack huffs, looking his hand over. its bleeding a little. Red shuts the water off and checks Macks hand gently, then gets up.

"you'll be fine Mack, don't be a baby." Red mutters. "Monty! come back kiddo!" Red shouts, heading after him. Mack shakes his hand off and follows after him.

"its okay Monty. come on out." Mack calls.

"call Doc. he seems to do well with Doc when he's nervous like this." Red says, looking at Mack. Mack nods at him and grabs his phone to call Doc. Red looks around for the younger. "buddy? Monty? its okay kiddo. come on out. its okay. its just a bath." Red calls. Doc walks into the house.

"he hasn't left. I would've seen him." Doc mutters, locking the door. "just be gentle, we don't know exactly why he's hiding." Doc adds, heading for Montys room.

"Monty, its okay, please come out." Red calls gently. Mack looks under their bed.

"I don't see him anywhere." Mack frowns.

"well he's going to hide more from you than us, he bit you." Red frowns. "I don't get it." Red frowns. Doc walks over, looking at something. Red looks over at him.

"these could have something to do with it." Doc frowns, bringing out a small stack of papers. they're awful depictions of the abuse Monty has suffered, but the ones that have Docs attention are the ones with a big black shadowy figure standing over Monty and holding him under the water in a bathtub. the boy appears to be screaming under the water, pulling at the hand on his throat holding him down, the other is basically the same thing, only it's just from Montys view not an aerial view, with little bubbles and blurry vision.

"oh god." Red says softly.

"I'm going to go drain the water." Mack says.

"no, don't do that. it'd be best if one of you gets in with him." Doc murmurs. "just wear your swim trunks or something." Doc says.

"okay. I'll do it, like I said, he bit Mack and I'm worried he's going to be scared of you." Red says looking at Mack. Mack nods in agreement.

"hey buddy. come on out. it's okay." Doc calls softly, heading back for the boys bedroom. he's got a feeling the boy will be in there, hiding. he crouches down in front of the bed and can hear a small whine. "hey Monty, I know you're hiding. its okay. no one here's going to hurt you okay? come on out." Doc murmurs. he whimpers quietly. "I know your scared, but you know we won't let anyone hurt you. its okay. come on out. you know I won't let anyone hurt you. its okay." Doc murmurs, looking under the bed a little. he reaches for the boy a little. "its alright. come on out." Doc soothes. Monty whimpers but reaches for Docs hand trembling. "yeah its okay kiddo." Doc soothes. Monty takes his hand hesitantly and Doc pulls him out, scooping him up and holding him tightly. he walks out of the bedroom to the living room where Red is checking under the couch.

"Monty!" Red calls.

"shhh. Red I got him." Doc murmurs. Red jerks up quickly and looks over. he sighs in relief.

"h-hey buddy. there you are. thank god. its okay. are you alright?" Red ask, hesitantly walking over. Monty flinches, holding tighter to Doc. "I know Monty. I know. you're scared, but its okay. I promise. come here please." Red soothes gently, reaching for him. Monty flinches, clenching his eyes shut and clinging to Doc. he's trembling and his chest his heaving as he holds tighter to Docs neck. Doc holds him gently, rubbing his back gently.

"hey its okay. its okay. you know Red wouldn't hurt you. its okay." Doc soothes gently. he whines softly.

"I don't think he's going to let us do this." Red sighs softly.

"oh lord boy. come on. we'll go to my house. Red grab his clothes. I'll shower with him, just meet me over at my house, door will be unlocked." Doc says. Red nods and watches Doc carry Monty out. Monty whines quietly. "you and me are going to go get a shower little man and Red is going to get you dressed when we're done." Doc adds. Monty curls up more. Doc sighs to himself. he hates kids, but his heart throbs for the little boy. Doc heads into the house and Monty looks around. it's clean and organized, though its certainly not a safe place for a child to run around in. he takes the boy into his bathroom. "strip down." Doc says, placing him on the floor and heads to get himself some clothes. he comes back and looks at the boy, eye brow raised. "Monty, are you not potty trained?" Doc frowns. Monty blinks at him. that would explain why Doc hasn't seen him go to the bathroom. "okay stay here." Doc mutters, heading out of the bathroom. Reds in his livingroom.