Here is the next part of the Christine/Michael drama. Takes place after Heartache and Parent's Discussion. Thanks to dharmamonkey for helping me out :-)
Also, I dont know if I've ever said it in this collection so I'll say it now. If you recognize something in my writing, I dont own it
Separation
One day at a time, her mother told her. It didn't seem so hard at the time but now, three days later, it seems an impossible task. Her eyes are tired from crying and her nose is becoming raw from being rubbed by tissue. She looks around her room, her little world for the past three days. Her lips curve slightly as she looks at the jar of assorted M&M's that Zack and Hank had made for her. It's a silly gesture that only the siblings fully understand but it did cheer her up for a few moments.
"Chrissy?" her father says through the door as he knocks.
"Come in, Dad," she calls, sitting on her bed and brushing her long hair. She smiles weakly at him as he enters, walking over to sit next to her on the bed.
"Did you get any sleep last night?" he asks in concern, running a hand down the back of her head.
"Not really," she shrugs, leaning into him, her hands playing with the brush in her hands.
"You don't have to see him if you don't want to," he tells her, looking into her eyes seriously when she tilts her head up. "You can stay up here or you can come with me and the boys."
"Thanks, Dad," she smiles, kissing him on the cheek. "But I…I think I should stay. It…I don't want things to stay that way between us."
"You don't owe him anything Christine," Booth says in a hard tone, his anger at the boy rising to the surface.
"Oh, I think I do," she says with a look on her face that makes him think of Max. "But I'm a bigger person than that."
"That's my girl," he chuckles, kissing her head before standing up. "The boys and I are leaving to meet up with Parker. We'll be back in a few hours. Unless you call us to be back before that."
"I love you, Daddy," she says quietly, standing and giving him a hug.
"I love you, too," he kisses her head, hugging her tightly.
"Come on, Dad," Hank says from the doorway. "The game's going to start soon."
"Alright, alright, relax," Booth says, walking to the door with a smile over his shoulder to Chrissy. "Bye, princess."
"You okay?" Hank asks as he lingers in the doorway, his eyebrows furrowed and his hands in his pockets. At her nod he gives her a half smile and turns away. "Later, sis."
Looking out her window a half-hour later she sees Hodgins' car pull up in front of the house. The three members of the Hodgins family climb out and her breath catches at the sight of Michael. Tears sting her eyes and she turns away just as his head tilts up to her window. She takes deep breaths, blinking furiously to stop the tears and not ruin the make up she had just finished putting on.
"Hi Bren," Angela smiles slightly awkwardly to her best friend as they enter the house.
"Dr. B" Hodgins nods, looking around to make sure Booth had really left and he wouldn't be called upon to get his ass kicked defending his son.
"Hello," Brennan says her eyes on Michael as he stares morosely at the stairs. "Where's Will?"
"At his friend's, probably knee deep in music sheets," Angela says, smiling fondly at the thought of her younger son as they walk into the living room. "He's going to write the perfect song if it kills him."
"It'll probably kill us first," Hodgins says as they sit. They sit in an awkward silence, not sure what to say or not say.
"I'll be right back with some drinks," Brennan finally says, standing to walk into the kitchen.
"I don't think I've ever felt so uncomfortable in this house before," Hodgins mumbles, rubbing his hands together.
"Jack," Angela scolds as Michael gets up and walks into the kitchen.
"I'm sorry," Michael says to Brennan's back as he enters the kitchen.
Brennan turns around and leans back against the counter, letting him speak. He slowly walks forward, placing his hands in his pockets. For the first time in his life he sees why everyone has always said she was cold. Her face and her eyes are hard and the warmth that he usually feels from her is gone, as if a shield has come down around her. Her piercing eyes stare at him, making him feel like one of the skeletons that he has seen her examine at the lab.
"I know that you probably hate me," he continues, fidgeting. "I can only imagine what Uncle Booth and Parker and the boys think of me. But I…I didn't want to hurt her. I swear that was the last thing I wanted to do. I might have…no I know that I went about it the wrong way. That I really messed up."
"You think?" Christine says from behind him.
He spins around and sucks in a breath at how beautiful she looks to him. Brennan grabs the sodas she had gotten from the fridge and walks out, giving Christine what she hopes is an encouraging smile. Alone the two teens stare at each other, the tension thick between them. A part of her smiles smugly inside at how tired and stressed he looks, feeling that he deserves it and more for what he did.
"Hi," he says softly, taking a step forward.
"So, big day," she says with as little emotion as possible, mentally putting her heart in a box so she doesn't break down in front of him. "Excited?"
"Christine," he says sounding miserable and she feels her resolve crumble just a little. "I'm sorry I hurt you. You know I would never intentionally do that. I still…I still care about you—"
"Don't—" she stops him, her voice thick with tears. She takes a deep breath, crossing her arms and stepping forward. "I was…I was thinking and maybe you're right. Maybe breaking up is a go-good thing."
"Yeah?" he says in a low voice, feeling a part of his heart break though he tries to ignore it.
"We've known each other our whole lives," she says, moving to sit at the table, waiting until he sits across from her. "And we should have a chance to see what…other people are like. How do we…how do I know that what I feel isn't just because you've always been there?"
"Right," he whispers, looking down at his hands.
"This is affecting more than just us. Our families are so intertwined and I…I don't want to add tension to that. I mean, our parents are best friends." She releases a breathy and sad chuckle. "Our little brothers are friends. We're going to be seeing each other even when we're not seeing each other. We owe it to them to not make them take sides."
"We're friends too, Christine," he says hopefully. "Best friends. We told each other everything."
"I don't know if we'll ever get back to that place, Michael," she says honestly, tears coming to her eyes at the loss. "I—I really…felt something for you and right now, we're nowhere near okay. But I do think that we might be able to be friends again."
"God, I really fucked up," he chuckles humorously. "How—how do I get my friend back?"
"You need to leave me alone," she says, taking a shuddering breath at his sad eyes. "Just give me some space and some time. Don't—don't hold back from talking to the rest of the family, I don't want that. But when I'm ready…when I'm not so angry I'll write or something."
"And… Thanksgiving?" he asks hesitantly.
She takes a long breath, having forgotten the Booth-Hodgins Thanksgiving tradition. She inclines her head towards the living room, towards the murmurs of the adults' voices, knowing the hurt between she and Michael is straining that friendship. She closes her eyes briefly, her hands gripping tightly under the table.
"I'll be there," she says quietly, not sure what else to say.
"Okay. I um…okay," he nods, wiping his hands over his face.
"We should go back out there so you can say bye to my mom," she says, after a long pause. She clears her throat as she stands up from the table, brushing back her hair with both hands.
"She only let me come here because of my parents" he sighs, also standing. "She'd kick my ass if she had her way."
"Don't be stupid. She's mad but she won't hurt you." Slowly a small smile crosses her face and she tilts her head. "My dad, on the other hand…"
