Repressed
by Sopranozone
"...due to the heavy flooding, many people lost their homes, properties, and possessions. Despite efforts to..."
"Parker, what are you watching?" Brennan came in from the kitchen to see the boy sprawled across the couch in front of her fairly new television (dubbed "72 inches of plasma heaven" by Booth), wrapped in one of her throw blankets.
"A show. It's about hurricane Katrina a few years ago. It's kinda cool, but it was such a mess."
"I'd have to agree with you there," Brennan said truthfully, sitting down next to him, only to have him move to lay his head in her lap. "I was there shortly after the hurricane struck."
Parker looked up at her with wide eyes. "Really? Woah! What happened?"
"I was there for work. I was..." Brennan paused, trying to think of a more age appropriate way to sum up her work there. "I was helping identify people from cemeteries, because identification was lost due to the flooding. I also helped identify some of the victims and return them to their families for burial."
"Really? Wow..." Parker looked thoughtful, seeming to absorb the information. He then looked up excitedly. "Was dad there?"
"Not at first, but I was...injured, and he came down to make sure I was okay."
"The show said that it was dangerous there, because lots of people were committing crimes, like stealing stuff and vandalism. Wow, that's kinda cool." Parker paused at her slightly disbelieving look. "Not cool, like, awesome, but you know...interesting."
"I think I get the idea. How much longer is the show? Your dad said he'd be home late, but you're supposed to be in bed by 8:30."
"But Boooones! That's in ten minutes! The show just started! Can I PLEASE stay up til nine? Just to finish watching the show? I'm learning a lot!"
She rolled her eyes as Parker pulled the Charm Smile.
"Fine. But we're not telling your dad, deal?"
"Deal! You're the best, Bones."
She chuckled, leaning against the arm of the couch and pulling an anthropology journal off the side table, before using her free hand to lightly stroke Parker's curls.
It was ten to nine before she realized the boy in her lap was out cold. She looked down, and decided that he was fine where he was, and that she would wait until Booth got home to move him to his bed.
-
It was nearly 11 when Brennan heard the keys at the front door, and momentarily she heard Booth enter the apartment. She listened to him shuck his shoes and place the keys on the rack in the kitchen, before tracking his footsteps across the room.
"Hey Bones. Park pass out on you there?" He smirked. "You let him stay up past bedtime."
"While technically, he was not in bed at his bedtime, he was certainly asleep by the time he would have been were he in his bed, so I think its a harmless transgression this once." She grinned up at him as she set down the journal. "Besides, I think I got cookie points for letting him stay in here."
"Brownie points, Bones, brownie points."
Booth bent down and gave her a soft kiss, before scooping Parker up and heading toward the boy's room. Brennan followed.
"What were you two doing, anyway? Movie?"
"Actually we were watching a documentary," she said quietly as she held the bedroom door open for Booth. Booth snorted as he set Parker down.
"I knew you were making him into a squint."
She opened her mouth indignantly, before hurriedly whispering.
"He chose the program by himself, Booth. I had finished cleaning from dinner when I joined him in watching."
Booth chuckled low as he led her out of the room, before pulling her into his arms. He paused, kissing her crown softly.
"Are you alright, Booth? You were later than you said you'd be. How late did court run? Your meeting afterwards must have started late for it to have lasted this late into the night."
"Yeah, I'm fine. Cases like this are always harder, when the bastard is blatantly nailed, but refused to give in. But Caroline will get it done. She always does."
"It's odd not testifying in a case you're part of. It doesn't happen often."
"Yeah, well it all started out as a favor for Charlie on a stakeout, but you knew that."
"Hmm."
He sighed lightly, taking her hand and leading her to the bedroom. He stripped down to his boxers, before flopping down onto his side of the bed. She chuckled, changing into one of his t-shirts and climbing into bed with him. Booth turned on his side, pulling the covers over himself as he scooted closer to Brennan. She pressed her forehead to his chest, legs tangled with his.
"Do you testify tomorrow?"
"Nah, I think they're almost done with me. Just gotta be there."
She hummed. "Well, hopefully you'll be home before five. Parker wanted to go see a movie with us before he went back to Rebecca's."
"Should be home by then," he said, smothering a yawn. "Wish I could have been home more while he was here."
"He understands, Booth. He even talked about your catching bad guys tonight. Don't worry about it, Booth."
He grunted non-commitedly, and within moments, she could tell he was asleep. She smiled, reaching behind her to turn off the light.
-
Booth was awakened by panicked sounds from the other side of the bed. He sat up, only to find Brennan tangled in the sheets, her distress evident in her sleep. He reached over to lay a hand on her shoulder.
"Bones. Bones, babe, wake up...it's a bad dream, Bones, wake up."
She didn't wake at first, then with a particularly frantic thrash, she sat up with a short yell, chest heaving. Her eyes wide, face wet with tears, she looked around quickly, trying to get her bearings. Booth reached out to cup her cheek, making soft calming noises to catch her attention.
"It's okay, Bones. Bad dream. You're okay."
He was surprised when she threw her arms around him, sobs escaping her as she tried to speak.
"Booth, the blood...oh God, the blood..."
He gently stroked her hair, quietly reassuring her with his presence.
It seemed like a long while before Brennan's breathing had calmed to a normal rate. She slowly relinquished her stranglehold on him, before resting her forehead to his chest as she took deep shaky breaths. He held her firmly, leaning down to kiss the crown of her head.
"Bones, you okay? You're still shaking like a leaf."
"I-I remembered."
He blinked, trying to make sense of her words. He didn't get far, because she quickly spoke up again, the words coming out fast.
"New Orleans, with Graham. Booth, there was so much blood...he-he said he was there to ask us about a friend, but the next thing I knew he'd hit me, and I woke up with Graham screaming..."
Booth suddenly felt sick to his stomach as he realized what she was saying. He opened and closed his mouth several times, but words failed to come, and she continued.
"I-I..I don't remember...I knocked it out of his hand, the knife, but I... I was so disoriented, I think he managed to grab me. He-he slammed my wrist against the dresser, and I dropped it, and he knocked me over."
Brennan burrowed her face into his chest, and he could tell tears were still streaming down her face.
"He kept chanting the whole time, I couldn't understand...I-I think you said he probably tried to hold me with magic? It wasn't magic, but I was in so much pain, I couldn't think...He-he turned back to Graham, and I-I made a break for the door. Booth, there was so much blood..."
Booth gently ran his hands up and down her arms, making quiet noises to reassure her. He internally wracked his brain for something to say that would quiet her near-hysterics.
"Booth, what...how...I-I just left, I can't believe I got away after what happened to Graham...I shouldn't have got away-"
"Hey, don't say that," he said quickly, moving to take her chin in her hand. He met her tearful gaze with firm determination. She opened her mouth and he cut her off.
"No, Temperance, listen to me. What happened to Graham was horrible. But you got away, because you are a fighter. I told you this then, and I'm telling you again now. People don't expect it of you, but you survive. You didn't escape terrorists and hellish genocide sites to let some greedy voodoo priest kill you."
She nodded, and he reached to grasp her hand as she pressed it against his chest.
"God, Booth, I wish I never remembered...I don't care if I couldn't explain why, I just...there was so much...How can I get it out of my head?" She sobbed again. "It's too much."
"Hey, it'll be okay, Bones. I can't imagine what it was like, but you'll get past this. Just like I said, you're a fighter. You're strong, not just in the sense that you got away, but emotionally, too. Hell, even at the time, we found out who did all that to you - a man who murdered his own daughter - you poked him in the eye! If there's one thing that can be said for you, Bones, it's that you don't let ANYTHING push you around. Besides, whenever you feel like you can't face it alone, you'll always have me here for you. I'm always here."
He saw a weak smile reach her face at his words.
"Well, you did come then even when I told you not to."
"Damn straight I did. See?"
He leaned back onto the bed, pulling her with him. She took another shaky breath, snuggling closer to him.
"You're right. I suppose I've seen things just as bad before...It's just...so new. Even though it happened years ago. Just...so many memories..."
"Anything not from the attack?"
"A few things from before...dinner with Sam, talking about the gris gris bag...some stuff from after you got there, too, that I forgot because of the concussion. I wasn't quite acting like myself, was I? No wonder Caroline didn't like me."
"Caroline liked you fine. She was just gumpy at me cuz I wanted her to defend instead of prosecute. You know she loves posturing."
Brennan hummed in agreement, and Booth could feel her finally start to really relax. He pressed a kiss to her head again as he ran his fingers through her hair. They laid in companionable silence for a good five minutes before Booth felt her tense in his arms.
"Bones?"
She rolled over to look at him with wide eyes.
"I pet a snake?"
