Family of two

Friends

Teddy had just changed into his brand new pink pjs and climbed under the blanket, when a loud banging at the door startled them both.

"Eric, mate, 'you there?"

'Damn. Mike.'

Mike was the head of the patrol guards who usually teamed up with Jack while on patrol. In the beginning of Eric's career in leadership he had shadowed them to learn the ropes since he was now in charge of the patrols inside the city. To say that they had a rough beginning would be an understatement. Eric realized later that he had tried too hard to prove himself, which hadn't gone down good. Mike and Jack were some years older than him and damn good at their job, which Eric had learned when one day they walked right into a riot in the fractionless sector. Eric had pulled his weight too that day, covered Jack after he got injured and shielding him, which had been the turning point. Mutual respect grew slowly into friendship. Mike and Jack had made space for him in there tight nod friendship.

Eric had totally forgotten that they had agreed to meet at the bar today.

" It's a friend of mine, Mike." He told Teddy. "Stay here."

Opening the door Eric was greeted by a curious Mike.

"Hey, what's up? Thought we meet at the bar?"

"Something came up, come in."

Mike walked over to the sofa while Eric closed the door.

"So what is it?" Mike asked getting comfortable.

"Just give me a minute." Eric glanced towards his bedroom where he knew Teddy was waiting.

Following his glance Mike exclaimed:

"You got some chick over?"

"What? No!" Eric was surprised by Mike's line of thinking, especially since he wasn't someone to pick up random girls and his friends knew that. He would fell cheap doing so and he wasn't one for cheap.

"Well, then why are you looking to your bed room?"

Before Eric could say anything Teddy appeared in the doorway, looking shy and curious at the same time. At loss if he was to reprimand the boy – he had told him to stay in the bedroom after all – Eric decided against it, it seemed exaggerated even to him. So walking over to Teddy, Eric simply introduced them: "Mike this is Teddy. Teddy this is Mike, I told you he is a friend."

After he had picked him up he turned around to find his friend looking at him stunned.

'Okay that was to be expected.' Nonetheless wouldn't he have his friend staring any longer so Eric quirked an eyebrow at Mike to snap him out of it. It seemed to do the trick since he got up and said:

"Nice to meet you Teddy."

At which he was answered with a shy: "Hi."

Feeling how tense Teddy was, Eric decided quickly to allow him to sit on his lab and tried to get them both comfortable on the couch while Mike eyed them with an astonished curiosity.

Teddy tucked lightly at his sleeve: "Eric?" He whispered.

"Yeah?"

"What is a chick?"

Eric blinked at the question before he looked at his friend enraged. This wasn't a conversation he wanted to have with Teddy. Mike returned his look slightly apologetic.

"A chick is a baby bird." Eric tried as an explanation.

Teddy looked confused.

"You have birds? Can I see them?"