Basil ran into his and Pips room, preparing for the worst. Right as he got inside he saw Pip put something in the drawer of his dresser. Ms. Ruth came in not long after Basil. She was fast for such an old woman.

"Pip" Ms. Ruth gasped out, "Are you alright? We heard a scream"

Pip cleared his throat rubbing his hands on his pants. That's when basil noticed that his hands were covered in something red. "Uhh, yeah everything's fine. I just fell and hurt my ankle. But I don't think it's broken."

Basil Frowned, why was Pip lying to Ms. Ruth, hed never did it before, he never had a reason to.Ms. Rush looked so relieved, "Thank god, if anything had happened to you on my watch, I would never forgive myself." She brushes her hair down and sighed, " Well now that that little fiasco is over lets come down and finish opening presents. You still haven't opened your's Pip."Pip nods along to what she's saying, "I'll be down in a minute. I just have to get ready."Just don't take too long, Basil made you a plate and you don't want it to get cold."

Ms. Ruth starts to leave and that's when Basil notices about ten kids sitting outside their bedroom door, trying to see what had caused Pip to scream like that.

"What are you doing standing around, go downstairs," Almost at once the kids disperse running off in all different types of directions, "And it's not okay to eavesdrop."

Once Ms. Ruth leaves Basil closes the door and walks over to Pip. "Alright what is it?"Pip looks up at him feigning confusion, but Basil wasn't buying it.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't scream as if you've just seen the devil himself over what, falling out the bed. So tell me," Basil backs Pip into the wall and corners him with his arms, leaving no room for escape, "What really had you screaming bloody mary?"

Pip seemed determined to not break for all of two seconds before his resolve broke when he looked into Basil's eyes. He seemed to have that effect on him. Pip was never able to keep things from Basil, not when they first met and not now.

"Phillip," Basil only used his full name when he was being extremely serious and didn't want to play any games.

"Okay okay, I'll tell you. Just back up a little bit, I need some space," Pip couldn't think with Basil standing so close to him.

Basil did as he said and backed off, crossing his arms and waiting for Pip's explanation. Pip inhaled slowly before saying, "Just promise not to freak out okay?"

Basil just stared, he would make no such promise, not when it came to Pip and his well being. Pip grew agitated with Basil's unresponsiveness, "Fine, have it your way."

Basil always did.

Pip walked over to his dresser and pulled out a box, with red and white striped wrapping paper ripped down the side.

Basil frowned, "What does this have to do with that?"

Pip didn't say anything just walked over and handed the opened gift to Basil.

Basil didn't do anything for a long while, he hadn't opened up a present from his mom for years. He just stared at it before looking up at Pip.

Pip nudged his hand holding the box, "Well go on, we don't have all day here."

Basil looked back down at the gift and pushed back the paper and taking off the lid. What he saw inside was nothing short of disgusting, he dropped the box on the floor before running over to a wastebasket in the corner and throwing up his just eaten breakfast.

"Danm Basil, it's just a finger," Pip said nonchalantly bending down to pick up the box with the finger inside. Basil couldn't help but stare at his backside as he did so. He walked over to Basil and held out the box to him.

Basil pushed his hand away from him, "Get that thing away from me."

Pip shook his head and looked back inside the box, "There's more inside," Basil looked at him warily, "A note," he clarified, "Read it."

Basil looked at him incredulously, "What? Are you insane?" Basil shook his head, "Let's just get rid of it, throw it away or burn it, and act like we never saw it."

Pip grew tired of waiting for Basil to make the first move so he did it himself. He pulled the finger wrapped in clothing outside of the box and then pulled out the note and gave it to Basil, "Can you just read it, for me?" Pip looked at him with his hopeful big round brown eyes.

Basil grabbed the slip of paper, "Fine," He looked at the paper for a few seconds, "It's an address."

This intrigued Pip, "An address to where?"

"I don't know, somewhere in Minnesota."

Pip walked up to Basil and looked down at the paper in confusion," Its just numbers, how do you know its Minnesota?"

"They're coordinates"

Pips mouth formed an O and he nodded. "Let's go"

Basil looked up at him, dumbfounded, "Someone sends an amputated finger and GPS coordinates and you think it's a good idea to go to that place. With the people who severed someone's finger?"

Looked at him and nodded his head, "Yeah, why not?"

"Why not? Are you insane? Hey, don't pick up the thing, that's gross." Pip ignored Basil and kept examining the finger prodding it and rolling it around in his hand.

"That's just gross Pip."

"Yeah Yeah, hey look at this," Pip brought the finger up to Basil's face before he leaned back. "What, you find another note or something?"

Pip frowns still groping the finger, "It's been frozen."

"Who cares? It was still cut off someone's hand."

"No, it wasn't"

Basil frowned, "What do you mean?"

Pip brought the finger to Basil's face, "You see that?" Pip pointed to the skin on the severed side of the finger, "The skin was ripped or torn, probably in an accident."

Basil was extremely freaked out by how Pip knew that, and he asked just that. But all he got in response was a shrug.

"Has anyone ever told you how creepy you are?"

"It looks like a child's finger," Pip said, ignoring Basil's comment. "The index or middle finger judging by its length," Pip looked at Basil's hand, and up at his face. Basil caught on to what he was saying.

"You can't possibly think that that finger is mine?"

Pip shrugs, "It kind of makes sense. You lost your index finger when you were a child of your left hand, this is a child's left index finger, "Pip held up the finger to show Basil what he meant and continued, "And the gift is from your mom, what if she's trying to send you a message to come and help her or something?"

"She could've sent a regular letter, like a normal person. Besides, why do you want to go so bad anyway?"

"Do you have any plans for when you graduate high school?"Basil thought about it, "No I don't"

"Right, neither do I, once we turn eighteen we'll age out of foster care and then what will we do?" Pip waited for Basil to say something. When he didn't Pip continued on saying, "We'll go and we'll live boring lives that will eventually amount to nothing but us dying alone."

"Wow, I didn't realize you were such a pessimist."

"Not a pessimist," Pip argued, "A realist"

"And what if we die?"Basil countered.

"Then we die."

"It doesn't work like that what about-"

"What about what? It's not like anyone's going to miss us. Why not live a little, you know, have a story to tell your future kids. If we make it out alive, that is."

"It's not about tha-" Pip interrupted him once again.

"Listen, if you don't want to go, I understand."

Basils shoulders sagged in relief.

"I'll just go without you." And with that Pip set down the finger and walked out of the room to go eat breakfast downstairs.

Basil didn't want to go on a manhunt to chase his own demise, but he couldn't let Pip go alone either. And he wasn't going to convince Pip to stay either, he'd already made up his mind. With that thought Basil walked downstairs, cursing Pip and whatever God who decided to play games with him every step the way down.

Walking back into the den Basil looks around finding Pip eating the plate he'd made him at the loveseat he was last sitting in.

He walked over and plopped himself between Pip and the armrest."I'll go," Basil whispered.

Pips eyes lit up, and he started bouncing up and down. Basil put his hand on his shoulder to stop him," Uh Uh Uh, on one condition," Basil pause to make sure Pip was listening, he tended to space out a lot, "The second I deem this little adventure too dangerous we call it quits," the light in Pips eyes dimmed a little. He was not happy about this, but if it meant Basil was coming with him then they had a deal," And then we can go back to living our boring, meaningless lives. Deal?"

Pip nodded excitedly, "Deal."

And so it was settled. And with that the planning began, they didn't have a car so Basil had to figure out how to get a car and Pip counted up all the money he saved working at the convenience store down the street. Turns out it was enough for two bus tickets to the city near where the coordinates were, but they would have to hike the rest of the way, as it was in the middle of the forest.

"So it's settled, we leave next week."

"Yeah." Basil could already tell how much of a headache this whole thing was going to be. He'd much rather stay home and read. But he couldn't -no, wouldn't- leave Pip to go risk his life all on his own. He cared about his friend too much to do that.

So he resigned himself to his fate, "I need to go lie down,"

Ms. Ruth gave Pip his present, "Alright, see you later. And don't sleep too long, it's unhealthy."

Basil smiled to himself, he'll never get used to other people caring about him and his wellbeing.