Disclaimer: Not my characters. I make no profit.
A.N.: please remember to read and review, but most of all enjoy!
"Booth, you look very handsome this evening." Brennan said, turned in the passenger seat of the SUV, to face Booth. He had both hands on the wheel of the parked car, staring ahead as people passed. The parking lot was moderately full with laughing couples or those not speaking. Brennan found it interesting to study the mating habits of the human species, but they had been in the car for close to fifteen minutes and she had to use the ladies room.
"Thanks Bones," he said smiling, "You do to." He reached across the patted her exposed knee. Her red maternity dress fit her well, showing off her small but round stomach. The dark red material matched his red tie. She'd bought it for him when she'd bought the dress. His happiness at her coordinating their outfits had led to a rather vigorous afternoon and Brennan now sat annoyed having rushed to get to the school, only to sit in the parking lot. She would have much preferred having stayed at home. Her nausea hadn't yet dissipated as much she would have appreciated and she was finding it difficult to adjust to her ever changing physical size. Placing her hand atop Booth's on her knee, she linked fingers and pressed his fist gently.
"I need the ladies room Booth." She said quietly, yet urgently. Her plea wasn't a ploy to get him out of the car, it was a genuine. But she knew it would work. Booth nodded slowly and took the key from the ignition, all the lights in the car shutting down. Brennan smiled, and went to open her door before Booth protested. "Oh no. Bones this is my night, my rules." He said tersely, before exiting the car and coming around to open her door. "Booth that was unnecessary. I may be pregnant but I am not incapable of exiting a vehicle." He silenced her by quickly pressing his lips to hers, smiling. "I know Bones, but I just wanted to do that. For the sake of it."
She smoothed the lapels of his smoky gray suit and kissed him once as well. "I suppose I didn't mind that much."
He smiled broadly and draped an arm across her hips, shutting the door with his other hand and locking it over his shoulder as they walked away. They reached the Gymnasium doors and he stopped suddenly. Just beyond them they could hear the chatter of conversation, as a hazy yellow light seemed to ooze from the propped open doors. A sharp laugh echoed out into the parking lot and Booth grimaced.
"Booth what is it?" Brennan asked him, concerned. He looked to the ground before looking into her concerned eyes.
"I don't want you to think I'm still the kid I was back then." He said softly, brushing a curl back behind her ear. "I don't know what you're going to think of me after this." He admitted.
"I'll still love you, because you became the man who's standing right here. You're the bravest person I've ever known. Now can we please go inside? I'm about to burst." Brennan said, taking a step forward. Booth chuckled as he followed, arm still linked around her waist. "What a lovely sentiment, followed by you having to pee."
"I don't think you want me to be meeting your friends having not made it to the restroom in time." Brennan said dryly, causing Booth to laugh loudly as they entered the gym.
It was simply decorated, a few banners and a disco ball. Booth took a deep breath and steered Brennan towards where he remembered the locker rooms being. The woman's door was closer than he remembered and he kissed her once on the cheek, saying "I'll be here when you get back" before she gracefully entered.
The ladies locker room was large and mostly empty. Brennan made her way to a stall and when she'd finished, approached the sink. Turning the handles she began to wash her hands when a woman came to stand beside her. Brennan felt the woman glance at her several times as she washed own hands, and when she dried them the woman spoke, "Hello there! I'm terrible with names. Do you remember me? I'm Jackie O'Hara." Jackie O'Hara had short blonde hair and big brown eyes. Brennan smiled politely explained "I'm sorry Ms. O'Hara. I didn't go here; I'm with someone who did."
Jackie smiled embarrassedly and said "Oh who? I'm really a fish out of water here. I'm trying to remember people and I just can't!" Brennan smiled understandingly and took her purse from out under her arm. She leant into the mirror to apply another coat of lipstick, her stomach pressing into the counter.
"Whoever he is, he's a lucky man to be here with you! How far along are you?" Jackie said happily, and Brennan smiled. She didn't care much for people asking about the pregnancy. She found it difficult to provide them with adequate answers. Angela had been coaching her that when someone asked "how far along are you" they were not asking for conception date.
"I'm about five months." Brennan said happily, replacing her lipstick and running her hands thru her hair once before starting for the door.
"Oh congratulations. I remember when I was pregnant with my son Carter. It was amazing! I can't remember, did you say who you were here with?" Jackie asked, following Brennan to the door.
As they re-entered the gym, Booth straightened from where he stood leaning against the wall and called out "Bones! There you are!" before molding her to his side.
Brennan, not having paid attention to Jackie, smiled at him and turned to the confused woman. "Ms. O'Hara this is my partner…" but before she could finish, Jackie had said the name. "Seeley Booth."
Booth straightened, "Jackie Smithson." He smiled uncomfortably as Jackie stared at him, and then Brennan. "It's O'Hara now. I married Jimmy." She said curtly, fiddling with her necklace. As if he'd heard his name, a portly man in his late thirties came to stand next to Jackie and he nodded to Booth, before taking a sip from his over-full punch cup.
"Jimmy, Jackie," Booth said politely "This is my girlfriend, Dr. Temperance Brennan."
Brennan, sensing the tension between the couples, smiled and added "It's very nice to meet you." Jackie smiled coldly and looked at Jimmy, who begrudgingly said his goodbyes and left Brennan and Booth standing entirely alone by the bathrooms.
"Well that is just perfect." Booth growled under his breath, stalking off to a table in the far back, leaving Brennan to catch up.
Sitting beside him, she sat and waited for his temper to cool down before asking him quietly "What's wrong Booth?" He looked at her sadly and took one of her hands in his. "I knew this would happen Bones. I knew I wouldn't be welcome here."
Brennan stroked his hand soothingly as he brooded. "But you were so excited when you got the invitation. You said you couldn't wait to get back here and show them what you'd become. I don't understand."
"They won't give me a chance to tell them Bones, because I didn't give them a chance back then." He said sourly and she suddenly understood. This was what he had been afraid of, coming into a room full of those he had teased and mocked, even twenty years later. He wasn't the same boy they'd been treated badly by; he was a man who fought every day to keep them safe from the cruel and unjust things of the world. And suddenly, Brennan was angry. She was disappointed in Booth for the way he'd acted back then, but she was angry at the way they acted now. The way the bankers and insurance salesmen looked down on him with disgust, didn't even give him a chance to say what he had every right to say.
And she was up. Booth, confused at her abrupt departure barely had the time to register the direction she was heading. He didn't realize it until she had taken the microphone from the band and cleared her throat loud enough for the entire gym to go silent. Bones could do that, he thought to himself. Command a room, simply by being confident.
"My name is Dr. Temperance Brennan. You don't know me, I didn't attend school here. But I came with someone who did, someone who at this very moment wishes he could go back and change all the things he did during the four years he came here. Because he's that kind of a man. For years, Seeley Booth served as a sniper in the Military. Since then, he has helped catch over hundreds of killers and criminals in this country. He has gotten himself shot and wounded to keep you safe. He's a hero. So yes, he wasn't perfect in high school. None of us were," Brennan paused and looked around the room. "But he's changed. Clearly, none of you have."
And then the room was silent. Brennan returned the microphone to its stand and walked slowly back to Booth. He stood, and hugged her tightly before releasing her. "You wanna go for a beer?" he asked, tipping her chin up so her eyes met his. "You know I can't drink Booth." Brennan chided, but smiled. He nodded and took her hand. The room had begun to fill with sound again and as Booth and Brennan walked from the small and dingy gym, a single man approached Booth.
"Thank you Seeley." He said, clapping Booth once on the shoulder before walking on. Another, a woman, stepped toward Bones and Booth and went to shake Booth's hand. "My brother was killed in Iraq. Thank you for your service."
Booth, frozen in time, stood a dozen or so men and woman approached him and thanked him, wished him well, wished Brennan and the baby well. When they had stopped, he walked slowly to the car. In the quiet darkness of the car, Brennan rubbed his back and he rested his head on the steering wheel.
"I hope you're not angry with me for having done that." Brennan said her voice timid and soft. He sniffed, rubbing a hand across his eyes and under his nose before turning to face her. His eyes, she could see, were red rimmed and glassy. "Bones I could never be angry at you for what you did tonight. I love you. You shouldn't have said all those things though. I'm not this big great guy. I'm a guy trying to get something out of life. I'm no hero."
"Booth," she said honestly,"You will always be my hero."