A/N: Michael is 23 Christine is 18
"MOM!"
Brennan looked up to see Michael standing at the bottom of the platform. "Hi Michael, why are you here?"
"Time go home…."
"It's not…" Brennan looked at her watch and saw that it was 5:22. "Where's dad?"
"I not know…"
"Okay, go in my office and wait for me…"
"K." Michael headed for Brennan's office. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and called Booth.
"Hey Bones, got the cause of death?"
"No, we forgot to make arrangements for Michael… he walked down here by himself to tell me it was time to go home…"
"Crap.. Do we trust our almost eighteen-year-old to pick him up and spend the night with him?"
"Yes, I think so…Christine has never been alone with him, but I think it will be fine. Michael has been doing well anxiety wise for over a year."
"Yeah, if they have a problem I can be home in ten minutes…"
"I'll call Christine and ask her to come pick up Michael."
"Great."
Brennan hung up and called Christine.
"Hey mom."
"Hello Christine. Your dad and I have to work late can you come to my office and pick Michael up and spend the night with him? We'll be home well after he goes to bed."
"Yeah, I just got home. I'll be there in 20 minutes."
"Okay, thanks."
"Sure."
Brennan went to her office and found Michael sitting on the couch." MOM! Home now?"
"Michael, dad and I have to work still, Christine is coming to pick you up soon."
"Okay. I hungry."
"Christine will take you to get dinner."
"Tacos?"
Brennan smiled, 'you'll have to ask Christine. She might want something besides tacos…"
Michael pouted a little, Brennan chuckled a little and kissed his forehead. "I'm going to go back to work.
"K."
Fifteen minutes later Brennan and Christine walked into her office.
"CWISTINE! I hungry!'
"What do you want to get for dinner?"
"Tacos!"
"How about we get a taco pizza and go home and watch a movie. You can pick. I'll make peanut butter popcorn."
"Okay."
"You'll need to go to the store and get popcorn and peanut butter. Dad and I are going shopping while Michael is at his art class tomorrow." Brennan got her wallet and handed Christine some money.
"Ready to stop at the store for popcorn, peanut butter, and mini chocolate chips. Then to the pizza place to get our pizza? You can order it on my phone."
"Uh-huh."
"Can you get coffee and creamer for the morning?"
"Yeah. Do you want us to go shopping?"
"No, Michael won't be able to handle it tonight. Make sure he takes his night time meds by 8. He can stay up until 10. If you think he needs his sleep meds call me before you give them to him."
"If he needs sleep meds, you or dad can come home and give them to him. I'm not doing it I'll give him his other ones though."
"Okay. Thanks."
"Sure. Let's go Mikey, I want taco pizza."
"K."
"I'll text you when we get home."
"Okay." Brennan watched Michael take Christine's hand and leave the lab. Twenty minutes later Michael was holding Christine's hand as they quickly made their way through the store getting the peanut butter, popcorn, mini chocolate chips, coffee, creamer, bagels and cream cheese. Fifteen minutes later Christine was sitting in the backseat of her car helping Michael order a taco pizza and mozzarella sticks from her phone. "Good job, buddy. It'll be ready to pick up by the time we get there. what movie are we going to watch?"
"Fantasia!"
"I should have known…"
When they got home forty-five minutes later Christine sent a text to Brennan letting her know they were home and their grocery stop went well. Then she sat the food plates and napkins on the coffee table and put the movie in. "Let's eat our pizza while it's hot then I'll make popcorn and we can watch another movie if you want."
"Okay. Mom, dad?"
Christine put a slice of pizza and a couple mozzarella sticks on a plate and handed it to Michael. "Mom and dad will be home later, after we go to bed…"
"NO!"
"Mikey, it'll be fun we can stay up late and watch movies. I got M&M's to put in the popcorn instead of chocolate chips. You can call mom before you go to bed."
"K."
"Are you ready to watch the movie and eat your pizza now?"
"Uh-huh."
"Okay." Christine smiled and hit play as Michael took a big bite of pizza. Half way through the movie Christine breathed a sigh of relief Michael took his medicine without any issues.
"I'm gonna go make the popcorn, pick another movie to watch…"
"K."
B&B
It was almost midnight when Booth and Brennan walked in the kitchen through the garage, they weren't surprised to see every light in the kitchen and living room on, they were surprised to see Michael pacing the kitchen.
"Mikey?"
"DAD! MOM!"
"Michael, what's wrong?"
"Cwristine!"
"Bones go take Michael and take care of his thumb. I'll check on Christine."
Brennan nodded and put her arm around Michael and headed for the bathroom, Booth walked into the living room and smiled, Christine was sound asleep on the couch. He walked over and kissed her forehead.
"Daddy?"
"Yeah. Did you enjoy your nap?"
"Yeah... Where's Mikey?"
"Mom took him to put a Band-Aid on his thumb, when we got home he was picking his thumb and pacing the kitchen."
"What time is it?"
"Midnight."
Christine groaned, "mom said Mikey had to be in bed by 10…"
"Relax, you're not in trouble…"
"K." she sat up.
"Cwristine! You awake!" Michael walked into the living room.
"Yep, next time mom and dad aren't here and I fall asleep poke me and wake me up before you pick your thumbs."
"K."
"Michael, tell dad and Christine goodnight then go to bed, it's late…"
"Night dad, Cwristine!"
"Good night Mikey."
Booth walked to Michael and gave him a hug. "Good night, buddy…" When Brennan got back from tucking Michael in she found Booth and Christine in the kitchen.
"Michael went right to sleep. Did you have a good evening with Michael Christine?"'
"Yeah, he asked when you and dad were going to be home. I told him that you'd be home after he went to bed, he started to freak out a little, but I told him we'd have fun watching movies and that I'd make peanut butter popcorn after we ate our pizza. I also told him he could call you before he went to bed….he didn't do that… I'm sorry I fell asleep. I made the popcorn and popped in the first Toy Story and I fell asleep."
"It's fine, Christine, Michael is fine."
"Why didn't he wake me up? He wakes me up all the time…"
"Christine, Mikey has never woken you up without mom or me asking him to. He's only woken me up once on his own. We actually tried teaching him to wake us up, but he never would do it." Booth grabbed a handful of leftover peanut butter popcorn
"Oh."
"There are many normal things your brother still doesn't understand how to do by himself without prompting…"
"Yeah… I had to help him order the pizza. He did it, but I tell him what to choose. They redid the app and it doesn't have a picture for everything anymore…"
"That's not good for us and Mikey…"
"It's not but he'll hopefully adapt. Christine, dad and I have to work tomorrow, we were wondering if you'd be willing to take Michael to his art classes tomorrow. The first one is at 9 until noon then the second one is 1 until 3. We usually go to the diner between classes."
"Sure, but can you tell him in the morning so he hopefully won't freak out a lot."
"Of course."
"He knows how to get to his class right?"
"Yes, but he likes it if you walk with him to class. "
"Okay. Do you want me to go to the grocery store when I drop him off for the first class?"
"If you want to, we should be home by 5."
"Okay. I'm gonna go to bed…"
"Goodnight, Sweetheart."
"Night."
B&B
The next morning Michael made his way into the kitchen. "Good morning sweetheart. Did you sleep well?"
"Uh-huh."
"That's good. we're having bagels and fruit salad for breakfast. Do you want strawberry or pineapple cream cheese?" Michael pointed to the tub of strawberry cream cheese. Brennan handed Michael a plate with a split plain bagel on it. "Do you remember how to put your bagel in the toaster?"
"Uh-huh…" Michael turned and put his bagel in the toaster and pushed it down.
"Good job, buddy!'
By the time Michael finished breakfast Booth and Christine were in the kitchen.
"Michael, dad and I have to work today so Christine is going to take you to your art classes today…"
"NO!"
"Mikey, remember how much fun we had last night?"
"Uh-huh."
"We can watch a movie when we get home if you want…We can come back here and have leftover pizza for lunch between your classes instead of going to the diner."
"K."
"Bones, we need to get going…"
"Okay. Christine you need to leave in twenty minutes. Here's the grocery list, use your debit card, I'll reimburse you."
"Okay."
"Michael, enjoy your art classes and have fun with Christine today."
"K."
"Chop, chop, Bones!" Booth picked up his and Brennan's coffee mugs and headed for the door. Brennan rolled her eyes and smiled at the kids before giving them both a kiss goodbye. A half hour later Christine went to the grocery store and got everything on the list plus a few extras. At noon Christine was waiting for Michael outside the art studio.
"Cwristine!"
"Hey buddy, did you have a good class?"
"Uh-huh."
"That's good. Do you want to go to the diner or go home and have leftover pizza for lunch?"
"Home!"
"Okay."
They headed home and when they got there Christine put the leftover pizza on plates and popped in the next Toy Story. They watched for a few minutes before they headed back to Georgetown for Michael's second class. Christine went to the bookstore and browsed picking up a few books for Michael's upcoming birthday. She chuckled as she added a Mickey Mouse sticker book. After checking out Christine went to a coffee shop and got a hot chocolate and set the alarm on her phone and picked up her new book.
B&B
Later that afternoon Michael walked in the house and looked at Christine "Mom, Dad?"
"They'll beg home in a couple hours. Let's finish Toy Story, then you can help me make spaghetti for dinner."
"Noodles?"
'We're not gonna make noodles like mom does or the sauce like dad does. We're having spaghetti like Parker makes."
"Okay. Watch movie now ?"
"Okay."
A little while later Booth and Brennan came home. "MOM! DAD! We make dinner. I make…" Michael looked down at the salad bowl and all the ingredients he was adding to the lettuce inside it. Booth walked over to the table and smiled as he picked up a grape tomato, "You're doing a good job with the salad, bud." Michael nodded as Booth walked over to the stove . "Something smells good."
"I'm making spaghetti with sauce from a jar and noodles from a box. I added stuff to the sauce though and I made meatballs….."
"I'm sure it'll be good. I need to make sauce meatballs and noodles to freeze for quick dinners. I'll do it next weekend; you and Mikey can help…"
"Okay. I got pie from the bakery too."
"You are my favorite… Need help?" Booth kissed the top of Christine's head.
"You can check the garlic bread if you want…"
"Okay."
Fifteen minutes they were all sitting down to dinner, "the spaghetti is good, Christine."
"Thanks. I was getting other stuff and I just wanted some…" Christine shrugged and ate more spaghetti.
"The salad is good too, Michael. Did you have good art classes today?"
"Uh-huh. Need stuff for art."
"Okay, we'll go tomorrow."
"Get donut?"
Brennan laughed, "We'll stop for a donut on the way home."
"K. had fun with Cwristine!"
"That's good, I'm glad you had fun with Christine today."
Later Christine was helping Booth and Brennan in the kitchen. "Thank you for going shopping today and making dinner. Also thank you for taking Michael to his art classes."
"You're welcome. It was weird dropping him off for the second class with other people there…"
"I know. It was odd for your dad and I to drop him off there for the first time, but I'm thankful that he has the opportunity to take the classes and be successful."
''Yeah, it was cool to see him in his element, I stood by the door and watched for a few minutes…"
"Dad and I do the same every week when we drop him off for the second class. I still can't believe he's taking a college class every Saturday afternoon…. Even if he's a non-degree seeking student."
"Yeah, I'm gonna wait until after we get back from the beach for the fourth to tell him I'm moving out to go to college…"
"I think that would be best…"
"I don't understand why Mikey said he had fun with me, we didn't do anything. I just drove him to his classes and home. We had leftover cold taco pizza for lunch and watched ten minutes of Toy Story 2."
"He had fun with you because it wasn't something he normally does so it was fun for him. Usually, dad and I drop him off and we go to the diner between classes.
'B&B
Two weeks later Booth and Brennan had just gotten home with Michael when Booth's phone rang, he answered and looked at Brennan. "We've got a case, Bones."
"Text me the address and I'll meet you there as soon as Christine gets home and can stay with Michael."
"Cam wants us both there NOW… "
"She's going to have to wait. Ange is at the forensic computer science conference so she can't stay with him. Adi is due any day and you know as soon as we took Michael to Parker's she'd need to go to the hospital…"
"Bones, I think we should let Michael stay here by himself… "
"NO!"
"Yes, it's only for a little over an hour . I'll put Fantasia in and he'll stay in the living room, you can watch him on the camera. He can do this. He won't leave the couch you know that."
"I know. I'm worried about him getting stressed and loosing control by the time Christine gets here.."
"I don't think he'll do that. He might like being by himself for a little bit even. I'll go ask and if he says no or starts to pace or do any of his other behaviors that are a sign he's starting to lose it we'll both stay home until Christine gets here…okay?"
"All right. I'll call Christine and tell her so she's not worried when she gets home."
"And I'll go talk to Mikey." Booth headed for the living room. "Mikey, mom and I have to go to work again in few minutes. Christine will be home soon, mom and I thought you could stay here by yourself and wait for her to come home."
"Cwristine gone a long time?"
"No, she'll be home soon." Booth picked up Michael's wrist and pointed to his watch, "Christine will be home when both of mickey's hands are on the six."
"K."
"Okay, you'll stay by yourself?"
"Uh-huh."
"Good. Do you want to watch Fantasia while you wait for Christine to come home?"
"Uh-huh."
"Okay." Booth went over to the tv and put the movie in, then he went kitchen and gave Brennan a thumbs up as he got Michael a glass of water. He and Brennan walked into the living room.
"Michael, Christine will be home soon."
"Okay."
"Are you sure you want to stay here by yourself while dad and I go back to work?"
"Uh-huh."
"Okay. If you need something before Christine gets home you can call me or dad."
"K."
"Is your phone in your pocket?"
"Uh-huh." Michael pulled out his phone and showed it to Brennan.
Booth sat the water on the end table and covered Michael with his Mickey throw blanket. He handed Michael money, "You can take Christine to dinner when she gets home."
"Okay." Michael put the money in his wallet.
"Are you sure you don't need anything before we go?"
"I watch Fantasia now.."
Booth chuckled slightly and put his hand on Brennan's back and started walking them both toward the door. "Bye buddy, see you later."
"Bye."
Booth and Brennan left the house and got in the SUV. "I feel like Michael dismissed me…"
"That's because he kinda did, but that's a good thing. It shows he's not scared to be alone."
'But he might not have realized what was going to happen…."
"Just watch him on the camera app…."
Brennan opened the camera app on her phone and brought up the living room feed to full screen. "He's watching the movie; he looks happy and relaxed."
"That's good. he'll be fine. You can go look at the body and I'll watch him until Christine gets home."
"Okay."
B&B
A little under an hour later Christine carefully opened the front door, not knowing if Michael would be up pacing and come at her when he saw her or if he'd be calm and watching a movie.
"CWRISTINE! You home now!'
"Yeah, did you have fun staying here by yourself and watching your movie?"
"Uh-huh. I hurgray."
"Okay. Let me put my backpack in my room then we can go get dinner. What do you want?"
"Tacos! Dad gave money…"
"Okay." Christine headed to her room and dropped her backpack on her desk and sent Booth and Brennan the same text:
I'm home. Mikey's fine, he was laying on the couch watching Fantasia. We're going out for tacos! We'll watch a movie or something when we get back. I'll give Mikey his meds when we get home.
"You ready to go, Mikey?"
"Uh-huh."
B&B
Michael was headed for his room to get ready for bed when Booth and Brennan came home. "MOM! DAD! You home now!" He quickly walked to Brennan an hugged her.
"Yes sweetheart. Did you have a good time staying by yourself?"
"Uh-huh. Cwristine an I had tacos!"
"That's good, buddy. I'm proud of you for staying home by yourself while dad and I went to work."
Michael nodded, "I go bed now…"
"Okay. I'll be there in a few minutes."
"K."
After Michael was asleep Brennan found Booth and Christine in the kitchen.
"Thank you for staying with Michael tonight, Christine."
"You're welcome. I think Mikey had the best hour of his life saying here by himself. I think if I'd been five minutes later he'd been asleep. We had tacos and he watched the rest of Fantasia while I finished my homework when we got back. I got a burrito bowl for my lunch tomorrow. Michael got a taco bowl; he says he'll take it in his lunch. There is salsa, queso and guacamole in the fridge. Chips are on the counter. I'm going to bed."
"Goodnight angel. I'm making pancakes for breakfast in the morning."
"Yum! Can't wait. Night dad. Night mom."
"Good night Christine."
Booth got the salsa, queso and guacamole out of the fridge and two small plates out of the cabinet and put everything on the counter. "What are you doing, Booth?"
"I'm having salsa, queso and guacamole and chips for dinner at 10:15pm. Are you going to join me or not?"
Brennan shook her head, "would you like a beer?"
"Yes."'
Brennan got Booth's beer, set it on the counter then climbed on a stool next to him. "Can you warn the queso for a minute?"
"Sure." Booth got up and scooped most of the cheese dip in a small bowl and put it in the microwave.
"I think Michael liked staying here by himself tonight. I expected him to be a little agitated and maybe have a hard time falling asleep, but he didn't. He told me about taking the taco bowl for lunch tomorrow and that he had fun with Christine tonight. Then he fell right to sleep."
"Of course, Mikey liked staying home by himself all kids do."
"It's not something I want to do often, but on occasion I'd be comfortable leaving him by himself for short periods of time."
"Yeah, so we can grab a quick dinner alone at the diner once Christine goes to college…"
"She'll only be 30 minutes away; we can ask her to come back and stay with him…"
"We could, but we're not, at lest not every time we need someone to be with him…"
"I know."
"Ready to go to bed?"
"Yes…" Booth stood up and put the lids back on the containers of salsa, queso and guacamole and put everything back in the refrigerator and finished his beer. Brennan leaned on him a little as they left the kitchen. "Ever think about retiring, Bones?"
"No…"
Booth chuckled and kissed the top of Brennan's head, "I love you, Bones."
"I love you too, Booth."
B&B
Two months later it was the night before Christine's high school graduation. "I can't believe Christine graduates tomorrow and is moving to the University of Maryland the middle of August."
"Me either, all three of our kids have officially grown up…."
"Yeah, it's a wonderful thing, but I'm a little sad the kids aren't little anymore…"
"Me too."
"At least we have Matt to spoil now…"
"Yes, maybe we should see if Adi would be willing to have Michael over since she's not going to be at the ceremony. I'm worried that the noise and all the people will be too much for Michael to handle. Plus sitting and being quiet for at least three hours…"
"We'll sit in the back in case we need to make a fast exit. Take his earbuds and a book on tape and after Christine's name is called give it to him. "
"Okay."
The next afternoon Michael tightly held Brennan's hand as they sat in the high school auditorium waiting for the ceremony to start.
"You're doing great, sweetheart."
"Cwristine…" Michael blew out a breath and looked at Brennan, she kissed his cheek.
"Christine is going to graduate from high school today, just like you did a few years ago, remember?"
"Uh-huh."
"After Christine's name is called and she walks across the stage and receives her diploma you can listen to a book until it's time to go home. I brought your earbuds and I recorded a new book for you.."
"K."
An hour and a half later Michael was holding Brennan's hand and listening to his book. At the ceremony's end everyone headed back to Booth and 'Brennan's for Christine's graduation party. An hour in to the party the backyard was over ran with Christine's friends and family Michael was barely holding it together when Parker walked over to him. "Mikey, I'm going to go home to Adi and Matt. Do you want to go to my house and get away from all the people and noise? I'll bring you back here tonight before bed"
"Uh-huh."
"Go get your drawing stuff if you want to bring it while I tell mom we're going to my house." Michael nodded and headed for the house. Parker headed for Brennan.
"He's getting his drawing stuff…"
"Thank you for taking him, Parker."
"You're welcome, Bones. I don't think he would've lasted much longer without a major meltdown."
"I don't either." Brennan handed Parker a travel pill organizer. "The AM side has pills for now if he needs them when he gets to your house. The PM side has his night meds if he stays at your house past 8."
"Okay.'"
"Go now, Parker?"
"Yeah, tell mom bye.."
"Bye mom!"
"Bye sweetheart, have fun at Parker's."
A half hour later Michael waked into Parker's house. "ADI!'"
Adison smiled and sat on the couch with Matthew in her arms. "Hey Mikey!" Michael came over and sat on the couch next to Adison. "Do you want to hold Matt?" Michael shrugged. "You can, I'll help you." Adison stood up, grabbed a pillow and placed it in Michael's lap and laid Matthew in his lap and sat down keeping her hand on Matthew.
"Ad, Mikey look at me…" Parker snapped a picture.
A few minutes later Michael looked at Adison, "I done…" she quickly picked Matthew up.
"Mikey do you need your meds?"
"No."
"Okay. You can go hang out in the man cave if you want."
"K." Michael grabbed his backpack and headed for the basement.
It was a little after 7 when Parker brought Michael back home. "MOM!"
"Hi sweetheart, did you have fun at Parker's?"
"Uh-huh. I hold Matt. I draw and I take nap."
Brennan smiled and kissed the top of Michael's head, "That sounds like a good afternoon, buddy. If you're hungry we have leftovers. You can have whatever you want. Parker take some of this stuff home for you and Adison, we won't be able to eat all of it before it spoils."
"K."
"Thanks, Bones."
B&B
A few days before Christine's eighteenth birthday on the twenty seventh of June Booth, Brennan, Michael and Christine headed to their beach house until after the fourth of July. Parker, Adison and Matthew weren't far behind. The beach vacation was spent like all the others, everybody relaxed on the beach and spent time in the pool. On the fourth the family roasted hotdogs and marshmallows and watched the fireworks on the beach.
A few days after they got home from the beech Christine knocked on Michael's bedroom doorframe, he looked up. "Cwristine!"
"Hey buddy, I gotta tell you something…" Michael nodded as Christine walked over to his bed and sat down.
"I'm going to college in a few weeks-"
"School?"
"Yeah, College is school. The thing is I'm moving out, I won't live here anymore. I'll visit on some weekends though, kinda like Parker used to do when we were little…"
"Why you not live here?"
"Because it's just easier to live at school then live here and drive to school every day…"
"NO!"
"Mikey my school isn't that far away. Mom and dad can bring you to visit me after your art classes sometimes. We can facetime whenever you want…"
"NO!" Michael started pacing around his room. Christine got up and blocked the door, yelling for Brennan.
"MOM!'
Brennan quickly made her way to Michael's room. "What?"
"Cwristine not leave!"
'"Christine, go. Everything will be fine, just give me a little while…"
"Okay." Christine left the room.
"Michael, calm down. It's okay."
"NO! I not want Cwristine to leave."
Brennan smiled and kissed Michael's forehead, "Let's go sit down and talk about it." Brennan walked over to Michael's bed and sat down, he sat next to her.
"I not want Cwristine to leave! I miss her!"
"Oh Sweetheart, Christine will miss you and everyone else too when she moves out. Dad and I don't want her to move out either…"
"Why move out?"
"Because she's done with high school and wants to go to college now. It will be better for her to live there instead of living here and driving to college every day."
"Why?"
"Because even though the college isn't that far away the traffic is bad. Basically, it could take a long time for her to get to school everyday and if she lives there she can just walk to class. You know sometimes the other cars make you a little late for your art classes…"
"I not like that…"
"I know. If Christine lives at college the other cars won't make her late."
"Oh, I still not want Cwristine to leave…"
"I know. She'll come home some weekends and holidays. She's not going to leave for a few weeks." Brennan got up and got the calendar off the wall above Michael's drawing table and took a marker from the cup and sat back on the bed and turned the page to August. "Christine is going to move to college on the 26th. Let's count how many days that is from today, okay?"
"K."
Brennan pointed to the next day, '1 "a few minutes later Brennan poi to the last square, "50. Christine doesn't have to go to school for 50 days. We'll do a lot of things together before she leaves. We might go to the beech again." Brennan wrote 'Christine goes to school ' on the 26th
"K."
"Are you okay?"
"Uh-huh I draw now."
"Okay." Brennan kissed the top of Michael's head as she left his room.
Brennan found Christine in the kitchen eating spoonful's of peanut butter.
"We have celery and apples or bread and crackers.."
"I like it strait out of the jar…"
Brennan smiled, "Michael is fine, he just doesn't want you to move out…"
"I can live here and still go to college; it isn't that far of a drive…"
"No, Michael will adjust to you not being here like we all will. Things will be fine; he might call you a lot at first."
"That's okay."
"I also told him we'd do lots of things as a family before you leave in 50 days…"
"I only have 50 days until I go to college?"
"Yes."
"That's gonna fly by…"
"Yes. Is there anything you'd like to do?"
"I want to hang out with you like we did when we were little and school was out for the summer…"
"I'll take the two weeks off before you leave and we can do whatever you'd like."
"With Mikey too?"
"Yes…"
"Cool."
The night before Christine left for College Parker, Adison, and Matthew came over for dinner. Brennan made her famous macaroni and cheese with salad and garlic bread. Booth got a triple chocolate cake from his favorite bakery to celebrate.
"Do you have everything packed, Christine?"
"Yeah I think so. If I forgot something important I can come back and get it fast."
'Yeah, that was nice when I went to Georgetown, I could run home and get stuff I needed.."
"I not want you to go, Cwristine!"
"I know Mikey, but I have to. Remember I told you can facetime me whenever you want. Like we've practiced."
"Uh-huh." Michael tore up a slice of garlic bread.
"Mikey, do you want to spend the night at our house? We can watch movies, hang out, and stay up late . Then tomorrow while dad and mom take Christine to school you, me and Adi can take Matt to the zoo."
"Uh-huh."
"Finish your dinner and I'll help you pack."
"K." Michael forked some macaroni and cheese.
B&B
Moat of the next day was spent getting Christine moved into her dorm. When they were done Booth and Brennan went by Parker and Adison's and got Michael. "MOM! DAD!"
"Hey buddy, did you have fun at Parker's house?"
"Uh-huh. Cwristine?"
"That's good. She's at school, remember? You can facetime her when we get home.."
"K."
Christine's roommate came in as she was disconnecting from Michael's facetime.
"I go bed now."
"Okay buddy. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
Michael nodded, "bye."
"Bye buddy."
"Who was that?"
"That was my brother, Michael."
"Is he retarded or something?"
"No, he has intellectual differences according to my mom. He doesn't have a diagnosis, after my parents found out he had severe speech and developmental delay mom wouldn't let them test him anymore to see if he had something they could label him with. He's a super talented artist who is obsessed with Mickey Mouse and tacos. He's a ticket scanner at the Jeffersonian Institute, he also takes art classes as a non-degree seeking student at Georgetown."
"Cool."
"Yeah, Michael is pretty cool."
A/N2: only two more chapters to go…