Title: Career Day
Rating: T
Genre: Family/Hurt/Comfort
Pairing: Michael/Chrissie (father/daughter)
Author notes: Hey…This is the first Prison Break fic I have EVER written…so be kind and please let me know what you think, comments are always welcomed…just not too harsh :D
Summary: AU. Michael and Sara have a daughter Chrissie and it is Career Day at school :D
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Prison Break characters, they all belong to FOX…unfortunately, what I wouldn't give to own Michael sigh…
Career Day
"Well thank you Mr Seward for that interesting talk about dentistry…moving on, next up we have Chrissie and her father Mr Scofield" The teacher announced stood at the head of the class, smiling pleasantly as the children before her clapped as Chrissie and her father made their way to the front of the class.
Chrissie was beaming with excitement, all week she had to put up with all the other kids boasting about their parents and how brilliant their jobs were, but now it was her chance to show off and she was loving every minute of it.
Michael positioned himself confidently at the front of the class room, Chrissie stood just in front of him, her back pressed against his legs, his hands lovingly squeezing her shoulders. Looking out onto the many small faces crammed into the small classroom, his eyes falling onto the many other parents, noting their uncomfortable shift as he assumed they recognised who he was.
"This is my Daddy and he is an Archa…Archum…Arch-" Chrissie started, feeling secure with her Daddy's hands firmly placed on her small shoulders, though her age leaving her unable to pronounce the word she was looking for.
"Architect…" Michael finished chuckling slightly at her childish dialect, deciding to ignore the other parents stares of uncertainty, earning a slight scoff from a father placed to the back of the room.
"That's the one" Chrissie laughed, looking up at her father with glistening brown eyes, washing away any of his anxieties in that one stare, a stare that much reminded him of her mother, those eyes held such love and he happily returned that love.
Lost in their own moment, Michael was suddenly drawn back to the class when one of the children asked him a question. "What is that?" a small boy curiously asked towards the front.
"Well you know all the houses you live in and the buildings you see everyday, well its my job to design them" Michael explained, feeling that describing his life's job as an architect purely underrated to the many other 'jobs' he has performed over the years, smirking slightly before looking out to the crowd.
"What you mean like with building blocks, cos I do that all the time" another child piped up, a stunning smile covering the young girls face.
"No not quite, I draw them, but not like you would draw a house…like here this picture, my boss wouldn't be too happy if I came back with a sketch like this, he wouldn't be able to build anything looking at this, I have to draw it flat and a lot more complex" Michael was getting the hang of this, he smiled a small smile to Chrissie as he moved away and stood to refer to a picture that had obviously been drawn by one of the children, pinned ot the wall.
"He designed this school" Chrissie proudly stated to the rest of her class and friends. Her smile growing wider as the entire class burst into a spur of gasps and excitement.
"Bet he's got the blueprints to the school on his leg somewhere" one of the mothers to the back whispered to another, causing them both to snigger under their breath.
Michael had promised himself he would ignore any comments that were passed today for Chrissie's sake; he couldn't believe that even after this many years he was still the talk of the people. Unsure just how much longer he could keep to his word, he choose move back to his daughter and ask the only question he could think of "Anymore questions?"
"Did you really break out of prison?" one of the rougher looking boys hiding in the back asked, causing Michael to double think, what should he say, he knew that Chrissie knew but how would she feel of him telling her whole class, all her friends, he wouldn't forgive himself for doing that to her.
"Err…well I can't really see what that has to do with my job" Michael saved himself, trying to keep up the smile he had playing on his now nervous lips.
Chrissie looked stunned, her face fell, she knew this would happen, she knew that this question would come up, but no matter how much she had prepared herself for it, she never realised just how deflating it would really feel, how bad she felt ,though not for herself, not in a million years would she ever feel ashamed of her Daddy's choices, but for him, her heart broke for him, even at her age she could tell that such a subject was sore for her father, he still carried with him the anxieties he held so long ago. She knew all he wanted was a normal life for her and every time someone drags the past up again, he gets thrown right back to the start.
"Do you have a tattoo?" Another child asked, the room now bussing from the previous question.
"Can we see it?" the girl from before asked excitedly, unaware of the intensity of the situation.
"I…no, I mean…" Michael stood speechless, he wasn't prepared for this, but somehow he felt his daughter was, he looked back at her with a sorry smile, watching her solemn face rise from its permanent fixing on the floor tiles.
Chrissie saw the pain behind his eyes as she found it hard to refrain from crying there and then, but she wasn't ashamed of her father and why should she be, he done a great and courageous thing for her uncle and he should be proud.
"Yes he did break out of prison and if he hadn't my uncle would have been killed and my cousin wouldn't have had a Daddy like I do! So I think what he done was the bravest thing ever. I think he is the best Dad in the world…his job, not as an arche-whatever, but as a Daddy and a brother beat all of your parents jobs by far, so I don't care what you think! I love my Daddy and that is all that matters" Chrissie had convinced herself that she wouldn't cry, but when the first tear slid down her cheek, she was surprised not to feel embarrassed but relieved…relieved that she had finally built up the courage to say what she had wanted to say for years.
Michael felt his throat constrict at the cue of his daughters words, a sense of pride emanating from him, he sheepishly thought over all things, if Sara was here today to hear this, how she would be saying just how alike Chrissie was to him, she had a way with words when she said so little yet meant so much, she was wiser beyond her years and for that Michael feel the proudest father in the room.
The class began to cheer and the once sniggering mothers at the back sat back in their chairs aghast, giving Michael a look of regret, ashamed to have caused such a disruption between his child, he was a person just as they are, he deserves the same respect as anyone, especially given what he had done for his family.
Michael lowered himself to Chrissie's level and cupped her porcelain face in his palm, a knowing smile curving his lips.
"I love you Daddy" Chrissie leant forward and tightly wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling him return the hug with just as much love, the tears from before now willingly escaping her tightly hut eyes, wetting her Daddy's shirt.
"I love you too baby" Michael held his daughter, a proud smile not once leaving his face, the teacher nodding sympathetically from behind. He knew he wasn't the most normal Dad in the world, but he often finds himself thinking…what's so great about being normal?
Well? What did you think? I luv to hear wot u think, so please dnt be shy, leave a comment, i live from my comments hehe
Anything to make me a better writer :D
