Hey everyone! So I'm planning on making this a two shot. It's very loosely based on the Promo for: "The Body In The Bag."
Written by "Her," AKA Amanda :D
I own nothing, absolutely NO copyright infringement intended. All Bones characters belong to Hart Hanson and Co.
She sat with her hands folded in her lap. The ice blue eyes weren't focused on anything in particular. They stared straight ahead in a kind of flabbergasted stupor. She sat there in deep thought, trying to make sense of what had just taken place in her office only moments ago. She vowed not to let the tears fall, but try as she may, she was unable to prevent them from spilling down her face. The walls that she had spent years building were now weak and crumbling. She no longer had the strength to rebuild them. This vulnerability was alarming and she unable to stifle the sob that tore from her throat.
"Hannah? This is a pleasant surprise." Brennan was startled to find the blonde woman standing in her office doorway, but offered her a pleasant smile. The other woman was wearing an expression of irritation which she was masking with politeness. "Hello."
It was early this Monday morning; Brennan had expected to be alone in the solitude of the lab for a few peaceful hours. It seemed unlikely to cross paths with Hannah at such a time.
"Dr. Brennan." The use of her formal title was an indicator to Brennan that Hannah was not here for small talk. Brennan was surprised by Hannah addressing her in this manner. She adapted and tried to assume a professional tone.
"Can I help you?" She didn't get up from her chair, but motioned to a seat sitting opposite her. Hannah's smile vanished as she sat down. She placed her bag beside her.
"I think we need to have a chat." Hannah said pulling her blonde tresses to the side.
"About?"
"Seeley."
"Is there any particular reason you want to talk about Booth?"
"Yes there is." When nothing but silence followed Hannah's statement, Brennan looked into her eyes expecting her to continue. Trying her best to remain polite and demure Brennan continued: "And?"
"Listen…Dr. Brennan, Seeley has been acting odd these past couple of weeks." It felt as if all the warmth was sucked from the room with these words. The sound of screeching tires and rain reverberated in the air around them. Brennan's throat tightened and out of nervousness she reached up to brush her cheek, half expecting to find tears there as she remembered that night so clearly. 'And Hannah, she's not a consolation prize…I love her.'
Never before had he openly told her, Dr. Temperance Brennan that he loved her. "I love you…"
"Temperance?" Hannah's voice had softened because of the troubled look that assaulted Brennan. Brennan decided that the less Hannah knew, the better. That way everyone could go on with their lives. Everyone could pretend none of this had happened. She could pretend and swallow the truth. She would trick herself into believing that the feelings that existed between her partner and herself were chemical induced and short lived…nothing more. The pain of regret would melt away with time. She would drown all these emotions so living would be less painful.
"I'm sorry Hannah, but I have no idea why Booth would be acting strangely."
"You don't?"
"I-no I do not."
"I think you do."
"What are you implying?"
"Seeley told me what happened that night. He told me that you confessed your feelings to him that night in the SUV."
Brennan looked into the light blue eyes and tried to remain unaffected by her words.
"Yes, that is true…Booth and I did have a discussion that night." She didn't know what else to say, except to state the obvious. She was not indebted to this woman in any way. She had no reason to feel guilty. When she had told Booth that she made a mistake, she was not asking him to commit an infidelity. She did not ask anything of him, she just needed him to know what she felt. She hoped with all her heart that he had been living a lie these months with this new woman. In her deepest desires he would have made the next move that would have made them possible. But he didn't. He didn't choose her.
"Temperance, is there anything else you would like to say to me?"
This caused Brennan's temper to rise, her pent up emotions flying into an outward frenzy.
"Excuse me?"
"That night what did you expect him to say to you? Did you expect him to break up with me to be with you? Did you expect him to ditch everything we have to be with you?"
Brennan sat at her desk, her mouth opening in horror. This woman knew nothing and her accusations of Brennan encouraging Booth to be unfaithful was not helping the situation. Brennan stood from her desk and pointed a finger at Hannah.
"How dare you. I have been partners with Booth for years, we have been friends for years and your relationship is built on nothing but lust and his need to 'move on.' You have no foundation!"
She wanted Hannah to see reason. She wanted her to understand that her fling with Booth could not compete with a partnership built on love and undying trust. But that was before. There it was, the thing that had been haunting Brennan for months...the nagging doubt.
Maybe Booth and Hannah's relationship was stronger. Booth had ignored Brennan for months. Maybe Brennan had interpreted this as his attempt to forget her completely, to make his 'new' life more livable. He was in pain and he was hiding it. Or so she thought. Maybe it hadn't been that at all. Maybe he was honestly happier without her as an integral part of his life.
"You don't have a clue what the strength of our relationship is!" Hannah was now standing too, which was a less impressive move as Brennan towered over her. The women's voices were growing steadily louder.
Despite her doubtful thoughts, Brennan pushed them aside, deeper within herself.
"You have known Booth for a few goddamn months! You have no idea what we have been through together, what we have seen! I was not asking him to abandon you, I was asking him to look inside his heart and to truly listen to it. I feel like he has been lying to himself. That being with you is a mistake. Mistakes, just like what I've been doing for years."
"I don't care that you've been partners for years, I don't care! I am his girlfriend and that personal part of his life does not belong to you! He does not want to be with you! Seeley made his choice Temperance…and it was not you! It has never been you!"
That was when the metaphorical dagger was forced into Brennan's chest and twisted.
"Get out of my office." Hannah looked like she wanted to take back what she just said.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I came here, wanting to clear the air between us. It can't be like this Temperance. We can't live like this-"
"Get out of my office." Brennan uttered slowly…it seemed unwise to ignore such a request.
Hannah grabbed her bag and left Brennan's office quickly, looking alarmed at having pushed Brennan to a dangerous point. But Brennan didn't break down immediately.
She didn't let it go until she heard the automatic doors of the Jeffersonian close with a resounding thud. Then she couldn't hold back the tears.
Her eyes were red and puffy…she responded to emails and fulfilled other menial tasks until the rest of the crew arrived in the early daylight. She ignored Angela's offer to get her coffee. Angela brushed it off as a sign that Brennan was swamped with work. Brennan hoped that somehow she could get through the day without anyone else darkening her office door. Twenty minutes after that thought, the person who was responsible for all this pain was standing against the doorframe awkwardly.
It was the first time they had seen one another since that rainy night.
"Bones, we have a case." His voice was business like, but there was a slight kindness that graced his words.
She looked up at him. He must have seen her puffy, tired looking eyes, but said nothing. She walked to the coat rack beside her desk with her purse in hand. She snatched her black trench coat and walked past him without as much as a glance. It took him a minute to register what had happened.
"Bones wait!" He had to run to catch up with her. They were in the parking garage as she headed towards her car, heels severely clicking on the pavement
"Wait! Where are you going?"
"Leave me alone Booth." She continued to walk away from him. The gap between them became greater with each stride.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm leaving." Her voice was devoid of emotion. Stony.
"We have a case! We are still partners you know, this is our job Bones."
"I am not obligated to do anything Booth. And the fact that we are still partners can be easily changed." This was painful to hear. Throughout this emotional rollercoaster it had been she who fought to keep them partners. And now she was hinting that she wanted to dissolve the partnership.
"You don't want to work together anymore?"
With this she finally turned to face him; her hair wild, eyes on fire.
"I am not to be pitied Booth."
"Bones what are you talking about? Look, I'm very sorry what's happened between us. I am. But we are still friends, partners, it's something for us to work on"-
"I am not a charity case either."
"I've never thought such a thing."
"I am not a woman who gravels at a man's feet. I am not one that begs. That night I was only opening up to you to realize that I had the strength to. So I could finally let you know the truth. I was doing what you've told me I should do all these years. I was finally honest with my heart. I looked inside myself, I listened to the signals from the universe, I felt something, I looked beyond the science of life. I wanted you to have the chance to make a decision of what to do next…and you did. "
"Where is this coming from?"
"Why don't you go ask your girlfriend." She turned towards her car and was a step away from opening the driver's seat door. Booth grabbed her arm.
"What do you mean?"
"Let me go Booth."
"Did something happen to you?"
"Let me go."
"What did Hannah say to you?"
Brennan pushed his arm away and dropped her bag next to her. She felt dizzy with rage and frustration and felt unable to keep it all in.
"She told me that you told her what I said to you that night. Did you both have good talk about me Booth? Did you talk about the delusional Temperance and laugh about her ridiculous pleading? Did you tell her about when I rejected you? When you were the one in my place? Did you tell her how I was a foster child? Or about my parents? What else did you say?"
"Bones, I would never ever think or say such things about you. And all of that other stuff is no one else's business, you know that!" He felt pained to think that she thought he would unveil the darkest secrets of her past.
"Does she know who you are Booth? Does she know you've done in the past? Does she know how many lives you've taken? Does she know how you used to shield Jared from your Father's beatings? Does she know that you used to play baseball with Hank every Sunday after Church? Does she know how he calls you 'shrimp?' Does she know how you told me you would love me for 30 or 40 or 50 years? Does she know that you told me you knew right from the beginning? Does she know all your fears and dreams? Does she know?"
"Bones"- He was struck speechless.
"I would never think that the man who was my partner for six years would betray my trust in this way. That you would reveal a private moment we had to her."
"I had a lot on my mind after our talk Bones. She noticed and asked me about it. I should be able to confide in her. She has the right to know and she is my girlfriend."
"Yes, she is. And what am I Booth? What am I to you? Because where I'm standing, it seems like I mean nothing."
"How can you say that?" She seemed unsatisfied with his answer because she picked up her bag and yanked her keys out.
"That's all you've got to say after all this? You're supposed to be the one that makes sense of human emotions-" She ripped her purse open and threw an object that chipped and broke at Booth's feet.
"Come on Bones, stop!" But she was already one foot inside her car.
"Goodbye Booth."
And she sped off leaving Booth standing there defeated. Here he was again, feeling lost. He kicked himself for feeling like if he had fought a little more for her to stay she would have. But he didn't…he had defended Hannah.
That's when the object she threw at him caught his attention. He bent down to pick it and saw that it was Jasper, the pig that he had given her so many years ago. To them it was a symbol a friendship, an item that embodied the idea that she wasn't alone in this world. That whenever there were hard times, they would always have one another to turn to.
As he picked up the shattered remains of their friendship… he bit back a sob and felt like he didn't know who he was anymore.
Thanks for reading lovelies! I'd love to hear your thoughts :D xx
~Amanda~
