The Story of Us

Chapter 20- Sibling Bonding

"Yeah, I remember. It was around Christmas time. You came back with dad. He was pissed at you, although that was pretty normal. Mom mentioned something about not doing something and how you were almost killed. Now that I think of it, she only mentioned it when you got home and then never again."

"Because I asked her not to. I told her it would only make dad angrier so she agreed. Anyway, there were two agents on the case, Harrison and someone else. The other agent felt especially guilty for what happened and got the FBI to pay for my education. Guess he had a lot of pull."

Aaron frowns. "What did Kristen mean about you going through a lot? Stuff I don't know about. This isn't the first time she's mentioned it."

"I've been through a lot, Aaron. I'm not going to lie, but I'm also not going to tell you. I tell Kristen everything because even if she can't change it or even help, just talking to her makes me feel better. Maybe if you were in my life when they happened it would be different, but you weren't. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry about your late fiancé. I meant to say it earlier, but I forgot."

Amanda smiles slightly. "Now that is part of my past that I will talk about."

"Why didn't you tell me? Or Sean?"

She sighs. "Sean and I had a sort of...falling out. When we were 16 he got into it with this bully that was picking on his friend. The bully told him that they would settle it outside of school and told him to meet him in the back of the school during summer. Sean told mom that he was going to the movies but something told me to get in my car so I did and drove until I found myself in the back parking lot of the school and there was Sean. The bully was there too with five of his friends. I, of course, got out and helped him. Sean didn't even end up fighting the bully because the bully ran away."

"Let me guess, Sean didn't take it too well."

She laughs harshly. "That's one way to put it."

"What's another?"

"He didn't know what happened in Massachusetts but he knew I almost died so after the bully ran away he yelled at me, told me he hated me, and said he wished I had died in Massachusetts because it would make everyone happier, including you because you hated me more than he did. Then he stormed off and didn't talk to me all summer so I went back to Caltech and then at the end of the year, I got the call from Harrison and joined the FBI. Didn't see Sean again until mom's funeral and haven't seen or talked to him since."

"Is that why you didn't wake us up in the hospital room? Because you didn't want to talk to him?"

"No, I didn't wake you two idiots up because I didn't want you to find me and you would've made me stay in the hospital and I hate hospitals." 

"Yeah, I know the feeling." They share a sad smile before Aaron decides to change the subject. "So how did you and Evan, that was his name right?" Upon her nod, he continues. "Well, how did you meet?"

"Remember when I said that I did do the whole lawyer thing?" He nods. "Well, when I worked for the CIA, my missions weren't like they are now with the BAU. I would be stateside for months with nothing to do and when that happens we are encouraged to do things we can leave if needed. I already had a BA in pre-law and a high score on the bar so all I had to do was go to law school and Harrison made it so I could go through the FBI. I finished at an accelerated pace and was a practicing lawyer by 19. 

"Evan was my first solo client. It was his third offense of drug possession and the prosecution was calling for jail time. I don't really believe that sending drug addicts to prison helps them so I talked to Evan. I told him that I could get him off with rehab but I would only do that if he were willing to make the effort to get clean. He told me that he wanted to for his mom and brother so I got him off and into a nice new rehab facility in Texas, where I was at the time, but the only way they would agree was if I worked at the clinic."

"Why?"

"Because I went to med school with the owner and he thought that I would be a good fit. I didn't like being a lawyer anyway. Reminded me of dad and it was boring as hell. I have no clue how you did it that long. Anyway, Evan started doing better and one of the things that they did at the clinic was have them talk with the nurses about anything and everything that wasn't drugs. Evan always managed to corner me and only talk to me. 

"We got to know each other and when he finished rehab he asked me out on a date. He was sweet and he did so well, I thought he was done with the drugs so I said yes. Everything was good for six months and then he proposed. We were still going strong for another month before I caught him high for the first time. It only got worse from there. It got to the point where I was tracking him down to awful places like where Tobias went just so I could make sure that nobody gave him anything laced. 

"I ended up having to quit the clinic because I got an assignment but Evan's brother Tyler offered to look after him. That's when I made the book. They lived in Texas so it was easy for his mom and brother to see him. We had been together for 9 months exactly when I came home from looking at wedding venues with Tyler and he was nowhere to be found. I thought he was gone but his car was in the driveway so I searched the house and found him on the bathroom floor. I called 911 and tried CPR but it had been too long."

"I'm so sorry, Amanda." She shakes her head at him, not wanting his pity.

"It was hard and I miss him. I loved him. I really did, but it was harder on his family. His brother couldn't even stand to be in Texas anymore so he moved to DC so his mom lost two sons. Then I left too. It hurt too much to go back to that house, so I moved to Virginia. I had bought that house anyway but I couldn't live there so I went to Mom. She knew about Evan and comforted me when I cried for weeks until I got another job and had to pull myself together. I still wear the engagement ring around my neck. It hurts to take off, I guess. It's almost like I'm giving up my love for him."

"I wish I could've been there for you."

Amanda smiles. "You're here now so that's something. More of an effort than Sean's made," she jokes before patting the spot next to her on the bed. "Come on, let's watch Supernatural."

"What's Supernatural?"

She gasps. "Okay, I am going to pretend you didn't just ask that and start it over from the beginning. It's amazing and kind of like our relationship except Sam ran away from his family and cut them off, he didn't just randomly get cut off by them," she jests.

"Oh, whatever. Just start the show, Ames." She smiles once more at the fact that he hadn't called her Mandy and starts the show, knowing that Aaron will be addicted by the end of the first episode.