Chapter Fourty-Two
Spinelli looked at his brother in silence for a while. He had a question, but he wasn't quite sure how to word it. Finally, he decided to just get it over with. "Little Dude, did ... when you were shot ... did you have any warning? I mean to say ... do you remember anything between walking away and waking up?" he asked. Michael looked a little sad for a moment before he answered. "No, I don't remember anything. I didn't hear it, I didn't feel it, I didn't see it coming. And I'm very glad I didn't see it. I never want to experience that again." the little boy declared.
His older brother was shocked. "What do you mean by 'again', Little Dude?" he asked. Michael sighed, "I thought you knew. When ... when I was kidnapped and they thought I was dead, it was because Faith pointed a gun at my head and pulled the trigger while I was on the phone with my dad. Not just that awful picture.". Spinelli sucked in a breath. "The Vile Villainess did what?" he managed to ask. The red-haired teen looked down at his hands. "She shot at me. I - I really thought I was going to die. I'll never forget what she said just before she pulled the trigger either - 'Little boys never learn, that was your last mistake.", then there was a boom, I was so scared. But then I opened my eyes - I hadn't even realized I'd shut them - and I was alive. It just barely missed me. Then Kristina and Morgan were crying and they started yelling..." he trailed off.
Spinelli pulled himself out of his state of shock long enough to pull his little brother to his side for a one armed hug. They sat in silence for a while, sitting side-by-side on Michael's bed with the game still pulled up on the child's computer. The older boy finally broke the silence by declaring "It seems I do not know as much about the previous experiences of my new-found siblings as I had assumed.". Michael pulled away and scooted up to the top of the bed before pulling his knees to his chest. "Sometimes ... I still have nightmares. But now they're all mixed up. Like, Faith is at the warehouse or something." he admitted. "Nightmares can be difficult to deal with." Spinelli replied in an attempt to comfort his brother.
After another small pause Michael slowly uncurled himself and spoke up. "Kristina has them too. Mixed-up like that. She told me she would dream I was the one shot on the docks where she saw Diego shot. I hope nobody told her where it happened this time. It might have made her dreams worse." he declared in a mix of concern for his sister and an attempt to get the subject off of himself. Spinelli suddenly found himself wondering if Michael had opened up to anyone else about this time and so, while try to absorb what he had already been told, he gently pushed the boy to keep talking. "What happened after that?" he asked. That was all it took for Michael curl himself back into a ball - confirming even more Spinelli's suspicions that nobody had ever really talked to him about this. "I ... I couldn't move at first. I was still so scared. Kristina and Morgan were too and they were all mad. Kristina and Morgan wouldn't stop crying and then one of them tried to hit Kristina! I stopped him so ... he hit me. I didn't even say anything, I just tried to calm them down. Then Faith pulled them aside and started talking to them. I finally got Kristina and Morgan calmed down and they pulled me outside..." the little boy admitted in a voice so quite his brother could barely hear him before trailing off again. Spinelli felt a sudden need to go ask Jason if all the people involved in this had been ... 'dealt with' as Jason used to say, but he stayed calm for his brother.
"What happened outside, Little Dude?" Spinelli asked. Michael didn't even look up as he continued his story in that quite voice. "I was afraid of one of them already... he ... punished me for running off before. But I didn't try to get away. After that, I was afraid they would really kill me. I knew I had to stay alive to protect Kristina and Morgan until we were found or until ... maybe I found another way to escape with them. It - it hurt. But I was ok. Kristina didn't understand why I had so many 'boo-boos' afterwards though." Spinelli closed his eyes in horror. This kid had definitely been through more then his fair share of pain. Michael kept talking. "They tied me up after that, they really didn't trust me anymore. I didn't eat much and they made sure I was very obedient. It went on a while, then ... I shouldn't have trusted it ... but I was just so hungry. They brought me food - a lot of food. And then I woke up on a plane." he finished.
Spinelli was horrified, but felt almost relieved at the last words. The plane crash he knew about and he was hoping that meant no more surprises. When Michael looked up he motioned for him to continue. "I tried to tell the pilot I'd been kidnapped ... then the plane started shaking and I didn't know what to do. It was so ... scary. I just remember closing my eyes and this awful jerk and then I woke up on the ground. Someone was yelling and my leg hurt really bad but I found them and got them out before the plane exploded. It was AJ. He started right in, telling me mom and dad didn't want me anymore. Said they took Kristina and Morgan back but would take me, when I asked about them. I was scared of him at first, I ran. But there was nobody else there, and he had fire and blankets. I went back. I had a nightmare that what he said was true that night." the child said.
"I am truly sorry, Michael." Spinelli whispered. Michael looked up at him. "It wasn't your fault." he said before going on with his story, this time without prompting. It was as though he needed to get it out now. "He just kept going on and on and I didn't believe him. Then something bit me or stung me. I think it was a scorpion. It hurt a lot but I told him it didn't. He left to try to find something to help it and I stayed. It got worse and worse and ... I guess I passed out. When I woke up he said I had almost died. Again. When the guy came to get us he said stuff about dad not wanting me too .. I guess AJ paid him. That's when I kinda started to believe it. When we got to AJ's house I started believing him more and more and every time I come up with somebody that might still care he shoot it down. He never even asked about the bruises. Just assumed they were all from the crash." he said in a slightly stronger voice, until the end.
Spinelli looked a little puzzled and more then a little shocked. A scorpion!?!. "How did you get back?" he asked. A hint of a smile appeared on the child face for second. "Jason and Sam. They knew I wasn't dead and they started looking for me. They found the house. AJ said 'bad guys' were after him. He went straight to the Quartermaines house and told Grandpa Alan about us. Then we hid in the attic. I heard Dillon and Georgie talking one night and I figured out they thought I was dead. AJ had a lie for that too. I ran off to the park they'd had a memorial service for me at. Mom saw me but I ran and AJ wouldn't let her follow. They found me really soon after that, but I was so mad at them. Then Jason and AJ fell and we went to the hospital. Everyone kept saying how much they loved me and how they'd missed me and I was so confused. The Reese showed me stuff that proved AJ was lying." he said.
Michael began to look more uncomfortable and Spinelli know what was coming. Michael took a deep breath. "I - I heard mom talking to Reese. I thought she was saying it was my fault Kristina and Morgan were involved. So ... I went to AJ's room to tell him to leave my brother and sister alone. He tried to start in again and I put the pillow over his face to shut him up. It was only a couple seconds before I heard someone coming. I realized what I was doing and I got scared, so I hid. ... I never did fully remember what happened next. Just bits and pieces in dreams ... nightmares. Something in me froze ... again. Then mom came in a picked up the pillow, but he was already dead and she ran. I don't really remember going back to my room. Then it was just so awful." he told his brother.
Spinelli knew from experience that Michael needed to finish his story. "What was?" he simply asked, choosing his word carefully. "Everything. I didn't want to remember, but it was right there, ... just barely hidden. Then I though mom did it. Then they thought I did it. That's when they decided I needed a shrink. When I saw Dr. Thomas I felt really scared, but I didn't know why. That was when Jodie showed up. Do you know about her?" the young teen asked. Spinelli nodded. "Good, because she's hard to explain. She was ... like a really, really real imaginary friend. I mean, I could see her, hear her, touch her. Then ... then Durant had me arrested and Jason and Sam ran with me. I was so scared when I found out Jodie wasn't real on the boat. But she knew. Jodie knew all along. When I thought it was me, she told me it wasn't. When they figured out who really killed AJ and he died, they told me. Then Jodie went away. That still kinda creeps me out." he admitted.
Spinelli had to admit as well that Jodie confused him, she confused everybody and because of that was a closely kept secret. It was really an accident that he had found out at all. "Did you ever discuss this with someone else, Little Dude?" he asked. Michael looked almost embarrassed. "Not really. After Dr. Thomas, everyone was scared to send me to someone else and I think they all thought I talked to everyone else about it." he said. Spinelli looked confused. "Why did you decide to tell me then?" he asked. Michael was silent for a minute before he answered. "Because you told me all that and I kinda wanted to tell someone but I ... didn't know how to just tell mom or dad, or really anybody. It just sorta came up and well, you're my brother." he explained. Spinelli hugged him.
Author's Note: I hope you guys like this chapter!
Average Everyday Sane Psycho: Thanks so much for the wonderful review as always!
darkorangecat: Oh, I am SO glad you like it!!! Don't think your suggestions were ignored, I just had this planned out already. In the last three chapters, you'll get your wishes. As well as in the sequel when that starts.