Authors note - okay, so I wanted to put a death warning in this chapter as a character will die. Not a major one, but still a character. Still, considering this is Bones and it's a show about death, I feel the need to say that more characters might die as this goes on, but I'm not going to say what I mean or whether it will be a character from the show or a character that I created. Still, this chapter is a mixture of sad and good.


Christine's Pov

I sat in my bedroom, strumming away at my guitar casually as I rested crossed legged on my bed. I had just gotten a call from Alice's mother, who had told me that Alice had passed away today. I had known that is was coming, but it didn't make things easier. I had been planning on seeing her tomorrow because of how bad she had looked last Wednesday and the fact that I saw her every Wednesday, but I guess that wasn't going to happen now. I wasn't going to the hospital tomorrow now, that just wouldn't be something I could handle. I had promised that Michael and I would be at the funeral, because her mother was definitely going to need some support and we had cared for Alice.

I knew how death worked: One moment you're here and the next you're gone; it was just that horrifically simple. It was part of life, not the good part, but the part we all face in the end, and from what I saw I really don't think knowing you're going to die is any easier. I mean, Alice had a strength to her that I loved about her and smiled brightly every day even though she knew she was going to die – her way of seeing it was that she wanted to live every day she had left with joy instead of sadness. I could still remember when she found out Michael and I were dating.

(Flashback)

"So, you and Mikey are dating?" She asked me curiously as I sat across from her as we drew together and I tried not to sigh. We were leaving for Paris soon and this was the last time I could see her before then, why Michael had to kiss me on the cheek before walking off I'll never know.

"Yes, Michael and I are dating." I replied and I saw Alice's mother smiling.

"So he's your prince then." She said and I smiled too at that. Right, Alice and her love for fairy-tales. I couldn't blame her really, not with her condition – she liked happy ending and the fairy-tales we read to her and the Disney movies she watched all had happy endings.

"Well, I wouldn't call him my prince exactly since he doesn't have many princely qualities, but since he can be a royal pain in the ass I guess you can call him that." I said casually and she started giggling.

"Do you love him?" She asked me and now her mother laughed as I blushed.

"She won't give up until you answer her." Alice's mother said and I sighed. "

Yes, I love him, even though he can annoy the hell out of me." I said and Alice giggled again.

"I like Mikey, he's funny and fun the play with. Plus, he treats you like a princess." She said and now I started laughing.

"That's only because you've never seen Michael and I when we're not here. Trust me, growing up and even till a short while ago we used to bicker all the time and fight, mainly about him changing my computer password, but still. I still don't know how our friendship since birth turned into love, but it did and now here we are." I said and she smiled.

"It sounds like a fairytale." She said and I chuckled.

"I guess it kinda does." I said, only to look over Alice's head and see Michael standing in the doorway, a smile on his face as he looked at me. Maybe he was my version of a prince, as long as prince equals perfect guy for me.

(Flashback end)

That was one of the last times she had been incredibly bright and happy, though she had been happy last week when I had seen her even though she had taken a sudden turn for the worse. She was brave right up until the end because she didn't want her mother to know how afraid she really was, even though her mother knew.

I started playing a song that I really couldn't remember the name of right now, I just remembered where I needed to place my fingers to make the music. I was far better at piano than guitar, but I was decent at guitar thanks to Michael. We both had the same sorts of thoughts when it came to music, one of them being that music could ease the mind in times of hardship.

A knocking at my door stopped my playing however moments later and I looked up to see dad standing there, since my door was only halfway shut. "Hey sweetheart, is everything okay up here? You haven't left your room since you came home and that didn't exactly sound like a happy tune." He asked and I sighed.

"I got a call from Alice's mom – she's the girl I bonded most with at the hospital, the one with leukemia – she passed away early this morning." I said to dad and he came into the room, sitting on the end of my bed. "I knew it was coming, I mean her condition had worsened lately, but it doesn't make things any easier."

"I'm sorry Christine, I know you were close with her." He said and I smiled lightly.

"I told her mom that Michael and I would be at the funeral. Her mother, she doesn't have anyone else, the only person she had was Alice, so I don't want her going through that alone." I said because this was really important to me and he nodded.

"Your mom and I can come with you if you want." He offered and I smiled. "When's the funeral?"

"I'd like that dad. The funeral is going to be on Sunday, but I don't know the time yet. Her mom is going to call me." I explained to him and he nodded, before wrapping his arm around my shoulder and hugging me as he pulled me closer to him, making me rest my head against his shoulder.

XFriday

Despite having the worst first two days at school I could possibly have, the rest of the week went by rather quietly. Today was my soccer tryouts, to see if I could make the soccer team or not, and despite the fact that Alice's funeral was on Sunday, I was going to focus on this and do my best. I was currently standing on the soccer field with a bunch of girls I didn't know, only knowing that there was actually a new soccer couch.

A woman in her thirties walked out, she was black with jet black hair that was cut pretty short but looked good.

"Okay, all of you listen up. I'm Coach Haven and as you all know, when I posted the sign-up sheet I said I was looking for a new team Captain. Some of you seemed to not get what I meant by that, and by some of you I mean the girls who were on the team last year. What I meant is that there are no girls currently on my team." Coach Haven said and some of the girls started murmuring, but I got it. She was cutting all of the old girls off the team and starting fresh; everyone was on the same level in her eyes.

"But Coach, what do you mean?" One girl asked and the Coach looked at her.

"I mean every girl that was on the team last year is cut and starting at the same level as the girls trying out today. What position you get and who becomes team captain will solely depend on how well you do today, and I'll be deciding who is team captain by the end of today, as well as who will make the team and who will not." She said and I heard some of the girls say things that made Coach Haven glare at them. "Anyone who doesn't like it can leave, because I only want people on this team who intend to be team players, have fun and win matches. Those of you who do, ten laps around the field."

I took off running, since I fully intended to make it onto the team.

X

It was by the last lap the I was starting to get tired since I was running at the head of the group, but when I heard a startled yelp and saw a girl on the ground while another had a smirk on her face, I turned and ran back to her as she started pushing herself up, brushing the dirt off her knees.

"Hey, need a hand?" I asked, offering her my hand and she took it after only a second. I easily pulled her to her feet.

"Thanks. You gave up your position of first just to help me up after one of the others tripped me." She smiled and I shrugged.

"I'd rather help you than be first. Now let's finish." I said and we both took off in a steady jog. "I'm Christine by the way."

"I'm Danika." She smiled. Danika had long straight blonde hair that was currently in a ponytail, hazel eyes and small freckles dusting her cheeks. "So, were you on the soccer team last year?"

"No. I was considering joining, but I never did since my mom wanted me to focus more on academics, but since I only have two years left, I thought I'd do something I like." I said, then I realized I was over sharing to someone I'd just met. "Sorry about that, I don't normally talk so much."

"It's okay. My mom wanted me to be a cheerleader when I came here last year, but that's too girly for me – no offense to cheerleaders – so I decided to try out for soccer like my dad." She said as we reached were our bags were, which happened to be side by side, and I smiled.

"Yeah, you can't always please your parents. Sometimes you just have to do what you want to do." I said and she laughed lightly.

"Isn't that the truth. They just don't like it sometimes." She said and I laughed, because I definitely knew that was the truth.

"Okay ladies, now it's time we ran some drills. Now all of you with boyfriends on the football team or who have played soccer before should know what drills are if you pay attention, so I expect to see success." Coach Haven said as she stood in front of us with her arms crossed and I let out a low breath as I put down my water bottle.

We went through the drills Coach Haven set for us, which I found quite easy and so did Danika, and by the end of the tryouts only three girls had been cut. Mainly because not many girls tried out, so we had the right amount for a team with the three girls who didn't make it – I hated saying it, but they didn't make it because they had no skill in soccer, despite trying.

"Alright ladies, this is the new girls' soccer team. Now, as for the role of captain and vice-captain, I actually had quite the easy decision." She said and then she looked at me. "Booth."

"Yes Coach." I said and she smiled at me.

"You're the captain of the team, so do your best." She said and I nodded, as some of the girls came and patted me on the back, including Danika who was grinning. "Valentine." Coach said, making Danika look at her.

"Yes Coach?" She asked.

"You're the vice-captain, so I guess it's a good thing you and Booth get along." She said and this time I smiled at Danika. "Okay, so I'll explain everything in more detail on Tuesday at practice, so for now just remember when practice is and don't give me bullshit that you forgot because you all have schedules. That means if any of you are late Tuesday and it isn't for a good reason, you're going to pay for it, but I suggest you arrive on time because I'll be explaining everything then. For now, head home." Coach Haven said and let's just say all of us were quick to get our stuff. She is a great coach, but her tryouts were exhausting.

"I can't believe it, your team captain and I'm vice-captain." Danika said as we headed for the locker rooms and I nodded. I was in the same state of mind right now.

"Neither can I, but we are." I said.

We made it to the locker room and I grabbed my bag out, before waving a quick goodbye to Danika because practice went ten minutes longer than planned and I had to meet Michael. I didn't even change, I just ran out in my soccer uniform, running around the outside of the school to the parking lot instead of going straight through it. I found him easily enough, he was standing with Kate and Darius in his football clothes, just without all the gear. Darius was also in his and Kate was still in her cheerleading uniform.

"Hey guys." I called as I ran across to them, my bag on my back and Michael smiled at me, but before he could say a word Kate was standing in front of me, gripping my hands.

"Well, how did it go?" She demanded and I sighed.

"Well, we had a new Coach, so we were all starting off fresh. I made the team…" Kate squealed at that. "And I was made team captain."

"Are you serious, that's so amazing Christine!" Kate laughed as she hugged me, nearly choking me in the process.

"Okay Kate, let's not crush her before she can lead a team." Darius said, pulling Kate off of me carefully. "You have to get home anyway, don't you?"

"Yeah, our parents are having a joint dinner tonight, so I was told to be home right after practice." I said, making Darius laugh.

"Well then we'll let you go, because you both look like you need a shower, Michael more than you." He said and I took a look at Michael, who was in deed covered in dirt. Darius lead Kate away, who said something to him that made him chase after her as she started running.

"So, my girlfriend is the captain of the girls' soccer team. I guess no one can call you a total nerd now." Michael grinned as we got into his truck and I smacked him across the arm.

"Since when have I been a total nerd." I demanded. Yes, I knew that I was nerdy, there was no helping that after how much I knew and how I grew up, but I wouldn't classify myself as a total nerd.

"You never have been, but most people here at school think you are because of A) how smart you are and B) the extra-curricular clubs you were in. Admit it Chris, it made you look like a nerd." Michael said and I gave him a hard look.

"Yeah, yeah, well we both know I'm more than that." I said and he smirked.

"That's for damn sure." He said and I just shook my head at him.

We made it to my house, easily talking as we drove, and saw that Michael's parents were already there, obviously with Katherine. Michael and I got out of his truck and head to the door, which I unlocked, but before we went inside we both took off our cleats because they were covered in mud and left them by the door.

"Hey kiddo, welcome home." Dad called from the kitchen.

"Hey dad." I called back, taking off my bag but keeping it in hand.

"So, how did your practices go? You both look exhausted and filthy." Angela said and Michael smiled.

"Well, Coach Jackman turned into the devil Coach today to make sure he only got the best on the team, which made half of the guys trying out leave in the first ten minutes. Then he wiped our asses back into shape – seriously, Darius and I got off easy. I feel sorry for the new guys." Michael explained and I cringed. I remembered Michael's try-outs, I had wanted to hit the Coach for being such a hard ass, but I had been impressed that Michael had made it through and onto the team.

"That sounds like your Coach. How about you Christine?" Angela and I smiled.

"Well, the girls team got a new Coach, so there was basically no team until today. I got onto the team and Coach Haven made me team captain." I explained and dad grinned from the kitchen. "That's my girl, just like her dad." He said and I shook my head.

"One day you are going to have to stop saying that." I laughed, before turning to Michael. "Come on, you should go for a shower first. There's no way we're having dinner with you looking and smelling like that." I said, before dragging him upstairs.

X

After Michael finished with his shower I went for one and then, clean and in clean clothes – Michael putting back on the clothes he wore to school – we went downstairs. Michael went to sit with Katherine, who was playing a game and couldn't pass a level, and I went to cook with my father.

"So did you enjoy being out on the field today?" Dad asked me, talking loud enough so I could hear him over mom and Angela's conversation at the table.

"Yeah, it was a lot of fun. Sure it was only try-outs and it was tiring, but despite that I had a fun time. Danika, the girl that's the vice-captain, we seem to get along well and the rest of the girls on the team seem okay. Obviously we don't know a lot yet, but we'll learn that next practice." I said and dad happily listened to me.

"So when are your practices?" He asked.

"Same day and time's as Michael's does, so that's a plus." I said, because it kinda would have been inconvenient if they were on different days.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself Christine." Dad said and I smiled. From now on I really was going to make my own choices towards my schooling, because I was happier when I did and apparently even dad could see that.

XSunday

I stood in my bedroom, slipping on black flats to go with the simple black dress I was wearing. I walked over to my dresser and brushed out my hair, before heading out of my room and heading downstairs. Mom and dad were already waiting for me by the door, dressed and ready to go. We were going to go pick Michael up and then head to the cemetery. We walked silently to the car and got in, and then we remained silent until we got to Michael's, and even when we got to Michael's nothing much changed speaking wise, he just got in the car.

X

The funeral went the way most funerals do, that at least is how I see it. There weren't many people there. Just us, Alice's mom and a few nurses and a doctor from the hospital that had known Alice on a personal level and wanted to pay their respects. Alice's mother was a mess, but honestly who can blame her. The one person she had in the world, her little girl, had died and now she was burying her. Even though she had known it was coming, there was no way that that was easy. Still, she had thanked Michael and I for coming and my parents for joining us – she said it saved her the heartache of having to go through this alone. I had cried through it silently, which had made Michael say by my side the entire time. It hurt knowing she was gone, but I was glad that she was no longer in pain.