It was his first time home in almost a year and he was spending it here in the park, instead of at home with his family. His family had changed over the months he had been gone. He didn't feel like part of them anymore. He gazed across the green at the families that were there. He had come here to try and regain some of the faith he had lost while over in the war. He wanted to see normal happy families and this was the first place he had thought of. He looked at the family nearest him. A mother, a father ,a son who looked only a few years younger then him, and a young girl of about fifteen. He had overheard them saying to another family that they were on a day trip. He just watched them. As they messed around and just enjoyed themselves, it calmed him. After all the broken families he had seen this was just what he needed. But then the gloom set in. he thought about what might happen to them in the future. Would both, apparently loving, parents survive to see their beautiful young daughter married? Would their son grow up to have a good job? Would they remain this happy? Or would something happen to tear them apart. Shaking his head, at his failed attempt to forget the sadness he had left behind, he stood up. When he did, a ball flew at his face and after his Ranger training his reflexes immediately reacted and caught it. The young girl came up to him and said
"Sorry Russ tends to kick too hard." She took the ball from him and smiled. He smiled back, and slowly tore himself away from those icy-blue eyes that were so full of life.
He remembered that day as if it had been yesterday, but in truth it had been nearly eighteen years ago. He placed a photo of that same family back on the windowsill. He had often wondered what had happened the four of them. It had never clicked with him until now, until he had seen that photo, that they had been her and her family. It was such a coincidence. And he knew just what had happened. Their happiness had been brutally destroyed and they had been separated and had only recently found each other. That beautiful young girl had been completely changed. Now she was slowly piecing herself back together and he liked to think that he had done a great deal to help her along.
"Are you going through my things?" came a sleepy voice from the bed behind him.
"No just looking at your photos. I thought you were still asleep." He turned giving her a full blown charm smile.
"I was. Are you coming back to bed?"
"I thought you'd never ask." He lay in beside her.
"I can't believe this happened Booth."
"Me neither Bones. Me neither" As he held her he became conscious for the first time just how different her life had been before her parents disappeared and Russ had left. He then realized that even to this day he had never seen her laugh as much as she had on that day years ago. And her eyes weren't as bright as they had been when she had smiled at him on that chance meeting in the park.