A/N and spoiler warning: This takes place the night of "The Twist in the Plot" (season 8, episode 13, continuing where the episode left off). If you haven't seen it yet, this really won't ruin it for you, but steer clear if you don't want to read anything alluding to the episode. I recently rewatched "Stargazer in a Puddle" (season 2, episode 21) and couldn't help but write this — both episodes are where we see Brennan's reaction to two videotapes.
The end of this one-shot includes a small hint about "The Shot in the Dark" (next week's episode — season 8, episode 15). If you've heard any spoilers, you already know it, so it won't ruin the episode. If you don't know anything about the episode and you want to stay in the dark about it, please wait until the episode has aired on 2/11/13. (Side note: If you really don't know anything about "The Shot in the Dark," I find that hard to believe — it's been all announced in interviews, tweets, and other fanfics, as well as the official preview for the episode!)
I apologize for the long intro, but I wanted to give a heads up to those of you who don't want spoilers (or are watching/reading from a country outside the US).
Disclaimer: I don't own Bones.
Fighting to stay asleep, Booth rolled onto his side, bringing one arm to drape over Brennan. When his arm didn't connect with her warm body, he slowly cracked open one eye. Running his hand over the sheets revealed that her side of the bed was cool, despite the early hour of 1:15 a.m. He sat up slightly to look toward the bathroom door — there was no light coming from beneath the door. Another glance at her side of the bed showed that the baby monitor was missing, which meant she was out of bed for the evening and didn't anticipate getting back to sleep.
He let out a sigh and gradually swung his legs over the side, knowing he needed to convince her to come back to bed. He stretched and stood, slowly heading out of their bedroom to check Christine's room. When he didn't find Brennan there, he went downstairs.
Bathed in the soft light of a lamp sat Brennan, fixated on the glowing TV screen. Her laptop lay beside her, halfway open, and she had her knees tucked up around her chest, hugging them tightly.
"Hey."
She turned at the sound of his voice. "Did I wake you?"
"You know I can't sleep well without you." He smiled, approaching the couch. "Mind if I join you?"
She shrugged and took a sip of what he assumed to be hot tea. He moved her laptop and sat next to her, gently putting an arm around her shoulders. "Writing?"
"Sort of." As she set down her mug, her eyes fell to the camera on the end table, abandoned from earlier in the night.
Booth noticed her gaze. "Sorry, I forgot to put it up." He looked up at the TV screen, seeing it paused on an outdoor scene. "What are you watching for writing inspiration?"
Her lower lip trembled, and she merely shook her head, and then leaned into his chest.
"Hey, did I upset you?" Both of his arms quickly encircled her, gripping her harder when he felt a telltale sob. "Bones, please. Tell me what I did wrong."
"It's not you," she insisted, wiping her eyes.
"You weren't crying until I got down here. Tell me. Please."
Her fingers fumbled around the couch for the remote, and through her tears, she blindly aimed it at the TV, resuming play.
It took Booth all of five seconds to realize what she had cued up to watch, and then all of ten seconds to start to comprehend why she was so upset. As the image and voice of Christine Brennan filled the screen, Booth reached for the remote in Brennan's hand, pausing it once again.
"Hey." He pressed a kiss to Brennan's hair. "Cry. It's OK."
"I'm being f-foolish."
"Definitely not."
She nodded into his chest stubbornly. "I am."
"You're not," he soothed, rubbing her back with one hand. "I unintentionally did something tonight that caught you off guard, and I'm so sorry. It's OK to be upset."
"No," she insisted bitterly. "You didn't."
"Yeah, I did. I didn't do it on purpose, and it may not have registered with you right away, but now that you've thought about it, you're upset. You seeing me film that video tonight made you think of that one." He pointed at the TV.
"I need to do one for Christine too," Brennan confessed, still teary. "Watching you tonight made me realize that."
"Bones, you don't have to."
"I want to." She bit her lip. "My mother did one for me. I can do one for my daughter."
"If it's too hard, you don't have to do one." Booth kissed Brennan's forehead. "I know you write for Christine. Writing's just as good."
She looked up at him, pulling away from his chest just slightly. "How'd you know?"
"That journal by your side of the bed is clearly for her. Every two weeks, on Wednesday night, you work on it. Creature of habit." Booth gave her a smile.
"You're correct." Brennan sighed. "But she needs a video from me. Just in case …"
He quickly interrupted her. "Stop it, Bones. Nothing's going to happen to you."
"Something could," she admitted.
"If you want to make a video sometime, you can do it," he assured her. "But not tonight."
"But ..."
Gently, he placed a finger over her protesting lips. "Another night. You've got plenty of time."
Weeks later, Booth sat in the trauma waiting room of the hospital, his hands cradling his head. He had barely managed to make it into one of the hard plastic seats, still shaking with an equal mixture of adrenaline and fear. As the TV in the waiting room sputtered with static, Booth glanced up, reminded of the conversation several weeks ago.
"But she needs a video from me. Just in case …"
"Stop it, Bones. Nothing's going to happen to you."
"Something could."
At the memory of Brennan's words, Booth felt a cold chill run through his veins, and he physically shuddered. Wondering if he had accidentally prevented his daughter from ever getting a video from Brennan, he bowed his back into his hands. Fighting the urge to weep, he prayed silently, begging that Brennan hadn't lost her last shot to give Christine what she so desperately deserved.
I pondered this idea right after seeing "The Twist in the Plot." (In all honesty, I wanted to muse over it some more, but my job is going to be crazy again for a bit, so I decided to post it now.) If you haven't watched "Stargazer in a Puddle" in a while, I highly recommend doing so. An emotional Brennan is just so rare (especially all the way back in season 2!). Her reactions to both videos are beautiful and moving, and I couldn't help but write something connecting the two episodes.
I'd love to hear what you think. Did anyone else think of "Stargazer in a Puddle" after seeing "The Twist in the Plot?" Or perhaps it made you think of another episode? As always, thank you for reading.