Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Bones
A/N: OFA stands for Orphan Foundation of America
A/N: I know that Bones said in season 1 that her grandfather got her out of the system, but I had to write this.
The Red Scarf Project does exist. It is a very worthy project that I have been proud to donate to. If anyone out there knows how to knit or crochet, I encourage you to think about making a scarf or two, it is definitely worth your time.
Booth was rummaging through his partner's closet. They had been dating for a while now, and had decided to move in together. He was trying to make room for some of his things, and came across an un-labeled shoe box.
"Hey, Bones? What's in this box, it's not labeled," he called. She came out of the bedroom, and gasped when she saw it.
"Oh my God. Booth, where did you find that?" she asked, hurrying over to take it.
"In the closet. Why, what's in it?" he asked, following her to the couch. They both sat, and she opened it. At first glance, it didn't seem all that special, but he knew from her reaction that it was.
"It's my foster care box. I've had it since I was fifteen. I thought I must have lost it when I moved here," she said, choking up. She started pulling things out.
"This is that shoe I was telling you about," she said, passing it to him.
He took it, and looked at the bottom. The number of names on there made his breath catch. He had known that she must have been in several homes, but there was too many on here, in his opinion.
She didn't notice his distress, she was too busy looking through the box. Pulling out some photos, she showed them to him.
"These were the best and worst homes I was in. Kind of like a way for me to remember how good things could get, and also why getting kicked out is the best thing that can happen." She pulled out a packet of papers. "These are all of the letters that I got from the system, telling me when I was moving and where. I don't know why I kept them, but I did," she said quietly. Booth set everything down and put his arm around her. She leaned into him for a moment, then shook herself. That was a long time ago, she reminded herself. I'm loved now.
She reached into the box, and pulled out the last thing. It was a long red scarf, beautifully hand knit. Her heart started beating faster, and she smoothed it out.
"I can't believe I forgot about this," she whispered, more to herself than to him.
"It's beautiful, Bones. Where did you get it?" he asked.
"It was a gift. The only one that I had gotten in years. There is a program, part of the OFA, called the Red Scarf Project. They send out care packages on Valentine's Day to college bound foster youth who age out of the system. So, people around the country knit, crochet, or weave scarves to send with the packages. I know that this one was so nice to get, and it kept me warm throughout college."
Booth smiled. It seemed like such a simple thing, to make and give a scarf. But to those who received them, it could be considered a blessing. He made a mental note to give a monetary donation to this organization soon.
They both stood after a moment, and continued cleaning and packing/unpacking. But from then on, every winter, he saw her wearing her red scarf.
