Elijah's eyes widened and he laughed lightly. "I-I told you not to say that. People might get the wrong ..idea.." They'd get the exactly right idea was the problem.

He immediately turned to the man and chuckled softly,"I have a friend staying with me.. the boy doesn't know what sort of ideas calling him that brings. It's horribly embarrassing to correct..." He tried to turn Noah away to walk with him.

"I suppose you can stay with me, since now you're a matter for the court. But please behave and stop saying that or I won't let you. And a good foster home is very hard to find."