OUR COMMON BOND
AUTHOR'S NOTE\DISCLAIMER
Hey, all! I know I don't usually put up stories during the school semester, but I just aced a test today and I felt the need to celebrate. This is a crossover between Higher Ground which belongs to Fox Family, and the movie, The Unsaid, which belongs to Universal Pictures. For those of you have never seen The Unsaid, it's a movie with Andy Garcia and Vincent Kartheiser, who played Conner in Angel. The movie was about a psychiatrist trying to help a boy overcome his past while coming to terms with his son's suicide three years prior. For those of you have seen the movie, this starts off where Michael is talking to Kyle after Shelly left the room. AU in that Kyle doesn't kill himself. And---I know this is messing up the time continuum in The Unsaid, sorry---but this takes place after "Because I Love You" and is not related to "Fighting To Be Heard", so Kat's still at Horizon. However, she has graduated and is now working as a counselor-in-training. What can I say? I always thought she'd make a great counselor. I also don't own the song Shelly sings. I think it might have been made for the movie and I'm only gonna put in what I know from the scenes. And I only added the ages of the Hunter family, we all know how old the Cliffhangers are.
CHAPTER ONE: ADMITTING THE TRUTH
Sixteen-year old Kyle Hunter tossed the handball from one hand to the other.
"I'll save you a seat just in case you change your mind," his father, Dr. Michael Hunter, stated.
"Yep," Kyle acknowledged.
"Any chance of that happening?" Dr. Hunter queried.
"Nope," Kyle replied. Dr. Hunter reached down and ruffled Kyle's hair.
"I love you partner," he said, giving his son a kiss on the head. The man didn't seem to notice when his son tensed. Then, he walked to the door.
"Hey, Dad?" Kyle called. Dr. Hunter turned.
"Yes, son?" he queried.
"Could I---could I talk to you? A---after Shelly's show?" the boy asked.
"Why not now?" was his father's question.
"It's Shelly's night. I don't wanna ruin it," came the reply.
"Okay," Dr. Hunter accepted. With that, he walked out. At the recital, thirteen-year old Shelly Hunter took her place on stage.
There ain't nothin' I can do, no nothin' I can say where folks don't criticize me.
Back at home, Kyle went to the refrigerator and got himself a glass of milk.
But I'm gonna do just what I wanna anyway and don't care if they all despise me.
After he had finished his milk, Kyle washed the glass and sighed. He didn't know what to do. Maybe he should've gone after all. It wasn't like he had anything better to do, and he certainly didn't need to be alone with his memories.
If I should take a notion to jump into the ocean, 'taint nobody's business if I do.
Kyle went to the window and watched as the rain fell. He breathed heavily as everything came back. Oh, man. How am I gonna tell Mom and Dad? he wondered. He had to think of how to word it, to tell them---especially his dad---that they had all been betrayed. His chin trembled and the tears began to fall.
If I should go into church on Sunday, or cabaret all day Monday, 'taint nobody's business if I do.
Shelly finished with a flourish to wild applause. But nobody was louder than Dr. Hunter.
"Yes! Yes!" the man cheered. He and his wife, Penny Hunter, came up and gave Shelly a bouquet of flowers. Michael got a laugh from the audience when he took a bow with the cast. Minutes later, the threesome came home. Penny and Shelly hurried into the house and Michael opened up the garage door and drove the car in. Kyle's stomach knotted as he heard the rest of his family come in. Well, I guess it's now or never, he thought. He blew out a breath as Penny, Michael, and Shelly came into view.
"Mom, Dad? May I talk to you in private?" he requested.
"Kyle, I'm a big girl. Whatever you say to them, you can say in front of me," Shelly stated. Well, here goes nothing, thought Kyle, blowing out another breath.
"Mom, Dad, I don't want to see Dr. Quinlan anymore," the boy announced.
"Now Kyle, Harry says you've been making some real breakthroughs---" Michael began.
"I'll continue therapy, I will. Just not with Dr. Quinlan. Please," Kyle insisted.
"Why, Kyle? Why don't you want to see Harry anymore?" Michael questioned. The boy sank to his knees.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," he sobbed.
"Didn't mean to what, Kyle?" his father asked, kneeling beside him.
"Didn't mean to, Dad. Didn't want to," the boy insisted.
"You didn't want to what, Kyle?" Michael prodded.
"He makes me feel so dirty, Dad. And no matter how hard I try, I can't get clean," Kyle cried. Shelly looked to her parents, confused.
"What's he talking about?" she wondered. Dr. and Mrs. Hunter however, had realized what their eldest child was telling them.
"Oh, baby. It's okay. It wasn't your fault. It's not your fault," Mrs. Hunter soothed, taking a spot beside her husband. The two held their weeping teen. Michael's eyes flashed angrily. He wanted to kill Harry. He wanted to kill that monster for hurting his son.