Michael's Pov

I stood in my bedroom, buttoning up my black shirt as I stood in front of the long mirror. Today was Saturday, marking a week since Darius had been killed by someone I'd known, and it was also Darius' funeral. Part of me didn't want to go to the funeral today, but I knew if I didn't, Darius would be cursing my name from the afterlife. I was going to pick up Christine soon, because both her parents and mine were going to meet us at the funeral later on because they had something they had to do, and we were going to go together. Katherine hadn't wanted to go, so she was staying with Lana and her parents, even though Ford was going to be at the funeral.

I went over to my bed and grabbed my phone and wallet, before heading out of my room and through the house. It was still hard to believe that I had lost my best friend only a week ago – I couldn't get past it. Not only that, but it had been my football coach who had done it. I had never once thought that he was the one who had done it until I heard what the evidence said, but it was hard to deny when the evidence pointed straight to him. Also, the basted had tried to kill my girlfriend – he literally chased her around the school with a baseball bat and would have killed her if she hadn't hit him with a fire extinguisher.

That was also something I was worried about. Christine was trying her best to act like she was okay, but I could tell she wasn't – how could she be? She was shaken by what had happened at the school and I couldn't blame her. She'd been faced with Darius' killer, by accident, and might not have gotten away with only a lump on her head and a few bruises if it hadn't been for Darius fighting back before he was killed. She didn't want to go today, I knew that, but she was pushing through so she could be there for Kate.

Christine's Pov

I stood in front of my bedroom mirror, slipping the second medium sized silver tear drop earring into my right ear. I was dressed in a knee length, jewel neck black dress with black heels. My hair was hanging loose because of the bump on my head, which would hurt even more if my hair was tied up. I didn't want to go to the funeral, but I knew that Kate needed me there and so did Michael. He was more worried about me right now and how I was feeling, but I knew he wasn't coping either. He'd lost his best friend and that was a lot to take in, especially in only a week. Yes, death is a part of life, but when your friend is murdered, that's harder to accept – especially when it's by someone you trust.

A knock at the door took me out of my thoughts and I turned to see Michael standing there, looking ready for a funeral. "You ready to go?" He asked. I knew how he'd gotten in here, he'd used his parent's keys to the house.

"Not really." I said and he came over to me, grabbing my small bag off my bed as he did. "I guess it's time."

"Yeah." He said and I hugged him tightly.

"It's okay to be sad Michael." I said.

"I know sweetheart, but I don't want to admit he's gone. He's my best friend – I told him everything, including that I loved you. He was the first person I admitted that to, because I needed someone to know my feelings had changed." He said as he hugged me back and I smiled sadly against his shoulder, before I pulled away and placed my right hand softly against his left cheek. I was still shocked though, because that was one of the first times he'd called me sweetheart.

"I know that, but we have to let ourselves admit it and we have to accept it for what it is, because Darius isn't going to come back." I said sadly, trying to force back my tears so I didn't cry. "All we can do know is say goodbye to him and mourn him."

"How are you staying so strong right now?" He asked me and I sighed, before looking him in the eyes.

"It's because I know that no matter what I'm feeling right now, it's nothing compared to what Kate is feeling and going through." I said, because that was how I was doing it. "Now, we should get to the funeral, because I don't want her there alone."

"I agree with you on that." He said, placing my bag on my shoulder, and I took his hand in mine. As long as he was by my side, I could be there for Kate like I needed to be. He might not be able to keep it together right now, but him being there would be enough.

At the funeral

As Michael and I walked through the cemetery, our parents walking behind us because they had turned up only a minute after we had, I saw that Kate, our friends and all of Darius' family were already here – along with other people, some I knew and some I didn't. Darius' parents were talking to the priest right now.

When Kate saw me she came over to me and hugged me tightly. I could tell that she was barely keeping it together right now, but somehow, she was. She had every right to break down, but she wasn't. From what I knew, she'd been keeping it together this whole time. She'd cried of course, I mean how couldn't she, but she hadn't had a break down.

I looked up as our other friends came over to where we were standing, while our parents walked past us and went over to Darius' parents, minus Angela who came to me side and hugged Kate. Kate and Angela actually got along quite well, which wasn't strange since she'd grown up around Angela too, though not as long as I had. That was why this was hard for our parents too – they had known both Darius and Kate since they were children because Michael and I had been friends with them since then. Michael had gone to school with Darius to begin with and I'd gone to school with Kate.

"I'm sorry this happened Kate." Angela said and I saw Kate smile as she pulled away from her.

"Thank you, Angela." Kate said, before Angela left and left us alone to talk. "I'm glad you all came."

"We wouldn't dare be anywhere else Kate." Ford said and I saw Kate smile.

"We're friends, and we stick by each other no matter what." Layla said. She was actually pretty calm considering she'd been suspended from school for two days, not that she cared.

"The funeral's starting." Faith, Darius' older sister, said as she came over to us.

Michael's Pov

I didn't let go of Christine's hand once through the funeral, and she squeezed my hand tightly to comfort me, even though she was comforting Kate at the same time. Christine and I were standing right in front of Darius' casket with both Kate and Darius' family, as we were the closest people in Darius' life. There were others beside our friends and our families here, but I didn't know who most of them were, though I knew some as Darius' uncles, aunts and cousins.

Christine was incredibly strong through the entire funeral, only small tears in her eyes as she was there for Kate and I. Kate had been keeping it together to begin with, but once she said her speech and she put a photo of herself and Darius on his casket, she came back and broke down, causing Christine to pull Kate close to her and let her cry on her shoulder. Christine loved Kate like a sister, everyone knew it, and Kate loved her just as much.

The funeral went as well as a funeral could go, but I knew that while we were here to say goodbye, the pain of Darius' death would linger for a while to come. Especially for his family and his little brother. Nathan idolized Darius and had been rooting for him, hoping his brother would get scouted by a collage football team next year – he had cried as he put Darius' prized signed football on the casket. It was hard to believe that Darius wouldn't get to live out his dream of being a collage quarterback, and then a quarterback on a professional team. All Darius had even wanted when he got older was to play football professionally, marry a great girl and be a dad one day – he'd always had his life sorted out, even though he was barely seventeen. He had turned seventeen when they were in Hawaii.

When the funeral ended Darius' parents had said goodbye to us, telling us that all three of us had to come over and visit when they got back from Hawaii in two weeks. They'd decided they wanted to spend time away from the house that reminded them of their son and be with their daughter, so they were going away again. Christine had offered to go home with Kate, but Kate had declined and said that she wanted to be alone today. I knew that Christine had wanted to protest, but she'd let it go and just hugged Kate.

Christine and I were now back at her house. We had just gotten up the stairs, while our parents were all downstairs with Katherine, who was slowly recovering from the shock of knowing that someone she knew was dead – she might be getting close to turning twelve, but it still wasn't easy on her. I walked into Christine's room behind her and watched as she walked around me and shut the door.

"Didn't your dad say that you're no longer allowed to shut the door if I'm in here with you?" I asked and she shrugged as she walked over to her bed, plopping down on the edge of it and dumping her bag next to her bedside table. Booth had made that rule the moment he'd learnt that Christine and I were dating – the fact that he'd think I'd try something, especially when they were in the house, was insulting.

"I don't really care right now." She said and I smiled a little as I knelt down in front of her, grabbing her ankle in my hand. "I can take off my heels myself."

"How about you just let me do it for today? You've been there for everyone else, so let someone be there for you." I said, because I knew she would exhaust herself if I didn't do my best to stop her. It's not hard to work out what your girlfriends like when you've known her since birth. Hell, I used to hold her hand in the playground.

She just nodded and I took both her heels off as she took out her earrings, placing them on her bedside table. She looked tired as I watched her place her head in her hands as she slumped forward.

"Are you okay?" I asked her and she shook her head, making me stand up and sit on the bed beside her, which made her take her head out of her hands and her to look at me. I took her hand in mine, intertwining out fingers.

"I just feel tired. I'm tired of bad things happening to us and I'm sad that we lost someone we loved, and the only thing that's keeping me together is the fact that I know what my parents and your parents are doing is great. It's just, so many things have happened to us lately and I want it to stop." She said and I looked at her sadly. She was right – we had gone through three horrible experiences this year that made me tired as well. "Will you lie with me?" She said and she looked so vulnerable then that I was saddened.

I nodded and got up, walking around to the other side of her bed. I took off my shoes and got onto the bed, before I pulled her down too and pulled her closely to me. Her back was to me, so I was able to wrap my arms around her waist and hold her to me, which made her wrap her arms around mine.

I don't know how long we laid there in silence, with me holding Christine, but soon enough Christine fell asleep in my arms and I started to get drowsy also, so I let myself drift off to sleep.

Booth's Pov

I knocked softly on Christine's door, but when I didn't get a reply I went to open it, only to stop when I heard someone coming up the stairs. I turned to see Angela come into view.

"Booth, I was just coming to talk to Michael. Hodgins and I are going to take Katherine home now." Angela said and I nodded as I opened the door all the way, only to see Christine asleep in Michael's arms. "They seem peaceful."

"They deserve a little bit of peace after everything that's happened." I said as I smiled at the sight. Any other time, I might have been mad about Christine closing the door while Michael was in her room. I knew she needed him right now. "Let Michael stay here tonight."

"Are you sure you're alright with that?" Angela asked and I nodded as I slowly shut the door, making sure to be quiet about it. The last thing I wanted was to wake them up when I knew they both needed sleep, which had been obvious. I knew my daughter hadn't been sleeping and Angela had said Michael hadn't been either.

"Today, yes. They were friends before they were dating, and even though I have rules in place now, I know all he's doing is being there for her. I trust Michael with her." I said, because that's all that matters. I couldn't be the overprotective father when my daughter was dating someone I'd watched grow up, but that doesn't mean I would allow everything. "They need each other."

"Well, I better tell Hodgins our son isn't coming home tonight." Angela said and we walked back downstairs together, leaving Michael and Christine to sleep. It was six now, so they might actually sleep till tomorrow morning.

"Hey, is Michael staying longer?" Hodgins asked as we walked into the lounge.

"No, he's staying the night. He's asleep with Christine upstairs." I said, because for once I was fine with it. I could be an overprotective father all I wanted, but I knew that Michael would never hurt Christine on purpose.

"I'm glad. Christine needs him right now, because she won't talk to us about what she's feeling because she doesn't want us to worry about her." Bones said, because she knew Christine as well as I did. Unless something was really wrong, she refused to worry us about it because our jobs were already stressful enough, but I wanted her to tell us because she was our daughter.

"She tells Michael everything – anytime she comes to our place they play games and talk about whatever." Katherine said and I looked at her. "I'm glad Michael's sleeping, he hasn't been lately. When he does sleep he only sleeps for a few hours."

"Yeah, well it's time we get you home so we can have dinner." Hodgins said as he got up, taking her hand in his. "Thanks Booth, for letting him stay."

"Don't worry about it." I said, because as long as I lived, the only thing I wanted was for Christine was to be happy and to have the support she needed. I wanted to support her and so did Bones, and we were in every way we could, but she could show Michael what she was feeling right now because he was feeling it too.