Chapter Text
Mike had gotten Michael a cheap flip phone. It wasn’t much, but Mike wanted him to be able to reach him while he was at work- and it gave Mike more comfort with leaving Michael home alone when he went to hang out with Jeremy.
Though, it was a little annoying how Michael would send frequent texts while he was out, asking when he’d be done and what he was doing. And the nagging to bring him back another puzzle- which he’d taken too like a fish to water. Mike wasn't sure exactly how much of the puzzles he enjoyed doing, though, because he seemed to get more enjoyment in forcing Mike to help him and figure out pieces on his own- watching him with barely restrained amusement the longer it took Mike.
It was a bit too domestic for Mike, but he didn’t want to mute his phone in the case of an emergency. And, unfortunately for Mike, he’d had to withstand the heavy teasing from Jeremy when he picked up on Mike smiling a little at his phone.
He’d asked Mike a few times if it was a girl, if he’d started seeing someone else. Mike had answered vaguely because it would be a lot better if Jeremy assumed that was who Mike was texting instead of the guy who’d tried to kill him. Plus, it got Jeremy off the topic of Vanessa, which he had occasionally brought up before in an attempt to urge Mike to at least check on her after it became public that Vanessa was missing. Mike had told him he’d tried, but Jeremy didn’t seem convinced. Which was fair, because Mike had lied about it before- eyes shifting to the side and giving a half assed try at getting Jeremy off his back about it.
He’d definitely be convinced now, though, Mike mused.
It was a Sunday night when Vanessa showed up on his doorstep. Michael was upstairs, already turning in for the night, and Abby was sat in the living room watching some conspiracy theory channel, her knees tucked under her chin.
When Mike had opened the door, Vanessa was soaked in rain. Her coat was tugged tight around her, and she looked like she hadn’t slept or eaten in days.
“Vanessa?” Mike asked, voice dropped low as he let her slip past him into the house like she had hundreds of times before.
“Hi Mike.” She offered weakly, looking at him over her shoulder as she toed her boots off. “Sorry I missed your call. Thought it’d be better if we talked in person.”
“Where have you been?”
Mike hesitates, glancing towards the stairs. Vanessa follows his line of sight curiously, but the sound of the tv draws her attention towards the living room instead- where she sees Abby poke her head over the side of the couch with wide eyes.
“It’s a long story.”
“Vanessa!” Abby gasped, leaping from the couch to run to her. Vanessa welcomed her in her arms, hugging her tight with a breathless laugh. It brought something warm to his chest, aching at the sight, as the two girls held each other and Vanessa pressed a kiss to her forehead. Even as much as Vanessa had hurt him, he couldn't help but feel like this was right. More right then what he was doing.
“Abby,” She cooed, “I missed you. How’ve you been?”
“Fine.” Abby glances at Mike with a questioning look. Mike shook his head, and she chewed her lip. “What about you? Mike said he couldn’t get ahold of you.”
“A lot of stuff.” Vanessa smiled tiredly, petting Abby’s head. “Could I wash off, first? Then we can catch up. I haven't had a shower in weeks.” Abby giggles, muttering something about being able to tell, and ducking when Vanessa playfully swats at her head.
“Yeah, of course.” Mike nods, hesitating before stepping towards the stairs. There was a rock in his chest. “You know where the bathroom is. I’ll get you some clothes.”
“Thanks, Mike.” Vanessa watches Mike, and he can feel her eyes on him as he disappears down the hall. Abby’s voice fills the quiet as soon as he’s gone, too far for Mike to make out the words, but comforting to hear anyway.
Mike knocks on Michaels door.
“No.” Michael’s voice comes immediately, strained like he was forcing the words out. It wasn't the first time Michael had heard that tone, but it was a little startling anyway.
“What? Michael.” Mike unlocks the door, pushing it open to find Michael sitting on his bed. His head was hung, hands clasped together as he stared blankly down at them. When he hears Mike enter, he lifts his head- icy blue eyes staring past Mike.
“I can’t see her.” Michael says quietly, staring out at the hall as it disappears behind Mike when he closes the door. “She can’t see me.” There was an edge of panic in his voice, desperate for Mike to listen to him. It hurt to hear, just a little too raw. Mike couldn't figure out why Michael was hiding- he hadn't seemed to care that Vanessa hadn't wanted to see him, before.
“Michael, I’m not going to lie to her. That isn’t fair.” Especially since lying had been the entire reason they’d stopped speaking.
“You have too.” Michael scowled, waving a dismissive hand, “Isn’t it cute?” His lips quirked, but didn’t quite reach a smile. “You’ll both have lied about me, now.”
“It’s not cute, it’s fucked.” Mike scoffs, making his way to stand in front of Michael, placing a hand on his shoulder and pushing him back. Michael jerks with the movement, but doesn’t pull away. “Let me talk to her, and then you can come down.”
“You’re an idiot.” Michael reaches up to loosely grab Mike’s hand, lowering his gaze. “If you can't understand this, I don't know what to tell you. I don’t want to see her, and she doesn’t want to see me.”
“If that was true you wouldn’t have begged me to call her.”
“I don’t beg.” Michael scoffed, shoving Mike’s hand away from him like it burned. “Get out.”
“Michael.”
“Get out, Mike.”
Mike takes a step back, staring at Michael as he glared up at him bitterly.
“You don’t know anything about me and my sister.” Michael continued, voice low. “It should stay that way.”
When Mike returns downstairs, he’d forgotten about the clothes. Abby gives him a weird look, looking past him towards the stairs.
“She’s in the shower.” She says briefly, “Where’s Michael? And the clothes?”
Mike looks down, like he expected the clothes to magically appear in hand, before turning to go back upstairs.
“He doesn’t want to see her.”
“What? But he said-“
“I know.” Mike groaned, rubbing his head. He pauses. “They’ve got issues.” As if Abby and he hadn't plenty of their own.
Abby giggles a bit at that. “That’s an understatement. So, we're not telling Vanessa?”
"Not yet."
Mike and Vanessa sat at the dining room table after Abby had gone to bed. She’d argued, insisted she was old enough to have a ‘grown up’ talk- but Mike had just laughed and told her if she was calling it a 'grown up' talk, she wasn’t old enough to be there for it. He promised to tell her everything after, though.
Vanessa had been quiet for a long time before speaking. She told him how Charlotte had briefly possessed her, had taken her god knows where, and then ditched her for a different ride. She’d been hunting her down the entire time she’d been gone, when Mike called her. She thought it might’ve been a trap, or that Charlotte had gone back to them.
“-I was wrong, thankfully.” Vanessa laughs a little, rubbing her arms. Mike could tell there were goosebumps all along her skin, hair raised at just the memory. “I’m glad you and Abby are okay.”
“Yeah.” Mike breathes, the guilt weighing on him like a ton. “What about your nightmares?”
“They’re better.” Vanessa sounds wary of the topic, but she smiles in a way that’s genuine. “I mean it. I think I’ve been too busy worrying about Charlotte to have dreams about anything else.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Mike asks, lowering his gaze to the table. Vanessa thinks for a second, before shaking her head.
“No,” She says slowly, “But I did have a question.”
“Shoot.”
“Why did you call me?”
Mike gives her a confused look. “What do you mean? You were missing.”
“Yeah, but-“ Vanessa sighs, looking away. “A text would’ve been fine. ‘Hey, just checking up on you.’ Or something. I thought you wanted...”
Mike shrugged, looking away. “I wanted…” Mike chews his lip, pressing his hands together tightly. It was only fair, right? “I wanted to work things out. I think you deserve a second- or third- chance.”
Vanessa looked at Mike like he’d just offered her a winning lottery ticket. Wide eyed, confused, but hopeful. Not quite smiling like she didn't want to ruin her chance being too eager. The look in her eye falls short of desperate, but it's just close enough that it startlingly reminds Mike of Michael. “Really? What- I mean- Why change your mind?”
“You’re a good person.” Way better than Michael, and he was giving Michael a second chance- so it’d be a bit fucked if he didn’t give his sister one, too. When she was definitely leagues better than him. “And I missed you. Abby did too. And Jeremy.”
Vanessa’s lips quirked at the mention of the man. “Did he? I thought he said I had crazy in my eyes.”
“He still thinks that.”
“But he misses me anyway.” Vanessa smiles down at her hands. “I was going to go see him, after visiting with you.”
“I think he’d like that.” Mike said genuinely, reaching across the table to squeeze Vanessa’s hand. “You should come over again. I know Abby will appreciate seeing you more, and I want to hang out.”
And maybe Michael will get over whatever his issue is, and Mike can come clean.
“I’d like that.” Vanessa turns her hand over, squeezing Mike’s hand back. “I should get going before it gets too late. I’ll see you, Mike.”