This one is a Christmas one-shot. I was going to post it yesterday, but I was busy arguing with family over the usual stuff we get cranky about when we get so full of food that we can't move or do much else other than bicker.
If you're not a fan of Hannah, I think you will like this one. Plus, it's ends B&B because I can't not put them together cause they go together like rama lama lama ke ding a de dinga a dong.
Contains spoilers for The Doctor in the Photo
"If you walk out that door, we're through, Hannah. If you walk out now, today of all days, don't plan to come back. If you walk out that door, you better take everything you own with you!" Booth yelled.
It was Christmas! She was going to leave (on Christmas!) to go chase down a big story, a story that fifty other journalists were probably already chasing down. There was no need for her to leave him alone today. Technically, he still had his son there, but today was about family. Today, she didn't have to go. It was an optional assignment; her boss had given her the choice considering it was Christmas. She didn't have to leave. Especially not today, of all days. One of his most cherished days of the year. The day where the cheer and the family time should wash away the stresses of everyday life.
He actually had his son with him this Christmas. Was it so bad to want to spend this time with his son and girlfriend?
He had watched her leave him many times to go get the lead on story after story, and even watched her put her life in danger to get the scoop. He wasn't going to stand in the way of her dream, just as she didn't tell him not to go do his dangerous job. But one thing he wasn't going to stand for was watching her walk away to go do an optional assignment on one of the most important days of the year to him. If she couldn't understand that, then they had no business being together. He might as well end it now. Family comes first, always!
"This story is huge, Seeley! I have to go. My boss told me it was my choice, and I am taking the opportunity!" She yelled right back to him.
"Go then; I wouldn't want our relationship and the life I'm trying to build with you get in the way of your career. For me, family comes first. Always! If you can't see that by now, then maybe we should just call it quits whether you walk out of that door or not."
"I'm sorry you feel that way. I'll gather my things. It's not as if I have much anyway. I can take it all with me. I'll be out in fifteen minutes, tops."
"Good, but you have to do one thing first."
"What's that?"
"You go in the living room, and you tell my son why I'm not good enough. You tell him why we aren't good enough. You tell him what is so important that you can't even spend Christmas day with us."
"That's petty, Seeley."
"You can't think of what to tell him, can you?" He spat, watching her fling her few possessions into her bags. "You are not just breaking my heart here, Hannah. This isn't just you and me involved here. If it was just me, maybe I could look past that. Maybe, maybe not. I don't know, but when you hurt Parker, too…"
"Parker? I'm not hurting Parker!"
"Yes, you are!" He shouted incredulously. God, she was clueless! "I have never let him meet my girlfriends before, for this exact reason. He is already attached to you. It's what kids do, they form bonds, and you are breaking that bond, on Christmas! Of course it's going to hurt him!"
She had finally put her last piece of clothing in her bag, and zipped it up. She walked out of the bedroom door passing him on her way out without saying another word to him. He followed her into the living room where she sat her bags down and then put on her coat. She walked over to Parker and whispered in his ear. He nodded, and she grabbed her bags and walked out without saying another word.
B&B
It was almost lunchtime and the food that had been cooking in his kitchen all morning was almost done. Hannah had received the call about her precious story right after they had started cooking. She left, and then he finished the rest of the preparations by himself. Parker had helped some.
After Hannah left, Booth was curious as to what Hannah had told Parker. They were over, and he shouldn't care, but he did. He wanted to know what her last words to his son were. So, the only way he could find out was to ask.
"Parker, what did Hannah tell you before she left?" Booth asked softly, not wanting to alarm his son.
"She just said that she loved me and that she hoped I would have a nice Christmas. Oh, and she said to take care of you."
"Oh," was all Booth could say. She hadn't even really treated it like a goodbye. Maybe she planned to try to come back anyway. That infuriated Booth. Did she really not even care enough about them to stay instead of spending Christmas with the people she was trying to settle down with as a family? And then could she not have the decency to explain to the child why she wasn't staying, and why she wasn't going to come back? Selfish Bitch.
"Why?" Parker asked licking the spoon that he had used to stir in the ingredients for a green bean casserole.
"Ugh, Parker, don't lick that! Bones is going to be eating that, too!" Booth said reaching for the spoon before his son stuck it back in the food to get another taste.
"Sorry, I forgot." He stepped down off of the step stool. He was getting taller and could see over the counters now, but he still needed a little boost if he was going help. "Are you going to answer my question?"
"Uh, yeah. Parker, daddy and Hannah had a fight this morning. I don't think she's coming back. I got really mad at her and told her to pack her stuff and get out. She's not my girlfriend anymore."
"Oh. I'm sorry, dad. Maybe now, Dr. Bones won't look so sad anymore."
Booth got a knot in his throat and it became hard to swallow. He hadn't told Bones that they had broken up yet. He wanted to call her right after it happened. He didn't want to make Bones his rebound girl, but maybe they really hadn't missed their moment yet. He still believed in fate, after all.
Life just takes a detour sometimes.
"Maybe," he finally replied, trying to hide the emotion from his voice.
If he was being honest with himself, now that he didn't have a beautiful blond clouding his vision, Hannah had been his rebound girl. He was being truthful when he had stated that she wasn't a consolation prize. She was an amazing and loving person. She was funny and outgoing. She was extraordinary and friendly. She would make the perfect spouse for someone someday, assuming she could settle down long enough for it to happen. It just wasn't going to be with him.
Booth had invited Brennan to spend Christmas with them. He invited her last week before any of this stuff started this morning. She had, of course, turned him down several times before accepting, stating that she didn't want to intrude on their time together as a family. He had to remind her, in a Boothy fashion that she hadn't seen in awhile, that she was still family.
Their relationship had been strained and awkward ever since her confession of missing her chance, but Booth, being who he was, still didn't want her to spend the holidays all alone or far off in some dangerous country identifying remains in mass graves and fighting off guerrillas. Hannah wanted her there, as well.
The only question dancing on his mind right now was, should I take a chance on Bones today, or wait awhile? If he could do it right this second he would. He would do whatever it took to get his Bones, but the problem was that he didn't want her to feel like she was his back-up plan, when she was his original plan to begin with. She was the standard.
He realized he had acted like such a jerk the first month that he was in Afghanistan. He had a lot of time to think over there. He hadn't just been a jerk; he'd been a real asshole. What was he thinking asking a woman to give them a chance and in the next breath tell her he had to move on? He hadn't even said he loved her, but wasn't it implied? Then the more he thought about it, he realized that he should have known. This was Bones he was thinking about. The woman didn't do subtle. She didn't notice stuff like that. Emotions and reading people, she really didn't do that. He had really blown it that night. He should have just said it, but then he realized that maybe that would have been a moot point as well. She clearly wasn't ready.
Three months into his post at Afghanistan, he moved on. He came back, and she followed him. However, upon arrival he realized that his feelings for his Bones hadn't diminished any, and he had noticed something different about her when he first saw her. She looked hopeful. She looked…ready. But he had moved on. He wanted to comfort her every time she got that look of hurt or sadness in her eye around Hannah or when he talked about his new girlfriend, but he could be that guy for her anymore. They couldn't have late night dinners and spend all of their free time together. There wouldn't be any calls outside of work. He didn't just waltz into the lab demanding she go to dinner with him to make her eat. There wouldn't be any guy hugs when things got difficult for them.
That is, until the Lauren Eames case. It threw her for a loop and turned her world upside down. Booth saw it start from the moment Hannah started talking about the doctor who had disappeared. He saw her reaction to the description of the lonely doctor, and he immediately knew she was going to draw parallels to her own life. He knew she was going to break down on this one, but he wasn't that guy anymore.
It wasn't until that very real emotional breakdown in Booth's office with Hannah present that he saw what the case was truly doing to her. So, from then on, he followed her. Hannah had said she didn't like it when they fought. Hell, when Booth talked to her about it, she was the one that suggested he keep an eye on Bones. She probably had no idea that it would include following Brennan to a bad part of town in the middle of the night and running in front of a speeding car to pull her out of harm's way.
Then, there was the car ride. Her confession. She didn't want any regrets. It tore him up to reject her. He imagined she felt as he felt when she rejected him. Why did it have be like this? Why did he move on?
He never told Hannah any of this. Not about rescuing her, not about her confession, and definitely not about their past. All Hannah knew was that Booth and his partner were close. One couldn't constantly talk about another person like he did, if they weren't close. That much was obvious. She had wondered if they were ever an item, but upon coming home with him, she saw that things between them were platonic. She had even asked Booth what their history was. He didn't offer much of an explanation in the way of that.
He shook all of the thoughts of Hannah from his head when the doorbell rang.
"Hey, bub?"
"Yeah, dad?"
"That's Bones at the door. You let me tell her that I'm not with Hannah anymore, okay? Don't go running your mouth a million miles an hour. This is a sensitive subject for Bones."
"Okay. Dad?"
"Yeah?" Booth said washing his hands off so that he could answer the door.
"Is Dr. Bones going to be your girlfriend now?"
"You know what? Maybe; I mean, I hope so, but let's not get our hopes up okay?"
The doorbell rang again. This time she was pressing it over and over again. He hated it when she did that. It told him that she knew he was in there and that he was taking too long. As childish as he could be sometimes, she was equally so.
"I better get that. Remember; let me talk to her first, okay."
"Got it. Go let her in before she…" Parker stopped talking when the doorbell stopped ringing and he heard the key in the lock. "lets herself in."
"That fake rock still isn't fooling anyone." Brennan said from the entrance to the kitchen.
"Hey Bones!" Booth said as he surprised her by walking up to where she just entered the kitchen and embraced her in a tight guy hug. He really needed it. She could tell, and he relaxed upon the contact with her. She was surprised, but she had also felt his tension leave him so she knew he needed the hug for whatever reason. She allowed the hug to continue until he felt ready to break away.
Before he did so, she asked in a whisper so she didn't get Parker worked up, "Booth is something wrong? Are you okay?"
He whispered back, "I need to talk to you." He pulled back, and surprised her again by placing a quick kiss on her cheek. He locked his eyes on hers, "I'm so glad you're here, Bones."
"Thank you for inviting me."
They broke the hug, and walked into the living room with Parker trailing behind them. Parker put a video game into the Wii. "Do you guys want to play with me?" He asked.
"Not right now, buddy. Daddy and Bones are going to go into my bedroom to talk. Stay out here, okay, and listen for the timers so that the food doesn't burn."
"Okay," came the already half-attentive reply as most of his attention was already immersed in the game.
"Yeah, he isn't going to hear any timer go off, so we have about fifteen minutes before we need to be back in there." Booth explained.
"Booth, what's going on?"
Brennan entered his bedroom. She had stiffened considerably since walking toward his room. He shut the door and placed his large hands on her shoulders as she faced away from him to relieve some of the tension.
"Are you going to tell me? Or are you just going to distract me? I'm not sure Hannah would—"
He cut her off, "Hannah is gone, Bones. She left."
She turned around and ignored his hands that felt so good on her shoulders. She looked into his eyes with a sad look. She really did want him to be happy. Even if she had missed her chance, there was no sense in them both being alone. "Booth, I'm sorry."
"That's just it, Bones. I don't think I am sorry. I'm actually glad." He ran a hand through his hair, messing it up deliciously. She tried to ignore it.
"What happened?" She managed to ask.
"She got a call from her boss about an assignment. He told her that since it was Christmas that it was optional. She didn't have to go. Today is about family, and she chose the job over that. I told her that if she walked out of the door that she might as well take her things with her and not come back. She left."
"I don't understand. Why would you be happy about it?"
"Because if she cared more about an optional assignment than she did about me and Parker on one of the most important days of the year for me, then I don't want to have anything to do with her. Yeah, I'm hurt that she didn't care enough to stay, but I'm also glad because…" He trailed off. Should he say it now? Was it too soon? He didn't know. However, he knew that if he waited too long, then she might move on without him and they would miss yet another chance. It was now or possibly never. "I'm also glad because it opens up another possibility," he said carefully, watching for signs that she was going to flee. "Something that I think should have happened in the first place."
He hadn't noticed that he was moving closer and closer to her, but she did. She allowed it. Her eyes filled with hope. Now, that, he picked up on, and it gave him the strength to continue.
"Something," he continued, "that I may have forced upon you when you weren't ready. Something that you told me just two weeks ago that you felt could end up being your biggest regret." He was in her personal space now. She could feel his hot breath on her face, and he could feel hers. He smelled of sandalwood and peppermint. He'd had a candy cane recently, she guessed. "You're—"
She made the first move. She moved in and ghosted her lips over his. When he got over the shock of her soft warm skin on his lips, he responded more and the kiss heated quickly, igniting a white-hot fire in both of them. The passion of the kiss was slow and gentle. It was loving and caring. The love was given and reciprocated. His hands gripped her waist pulling her to him and his hands shifted down to her rear. She ran one hand through his soft hair while the other rest on his firm chest letting his rapid heartbeat flutter into her soul.
The kiss was broken by a loud knock on the door. "Dad, the timers are going off!" Came Parker's muffled voice through the door.
"Okay, bub. We'll be right out!" Booth responded a little breathlessly.
He looked into the brightly shining deep cerulean blue eyes of his partner and saw the love he felt for her reflecting back at him. She loved him! He could see it.
"I love you, Bones. I know you might not be able to say that right now; I understand. Don't worry; take your time. This is a lot to take in. We have more to talk about, obviously, but let's get out there before I need to use the fire extinguisher or take Parker to the emergency room for third degree burns because he tried to take things out of the oven by himself."
"Okay," she nodded and he reached for the door. "Booth?"
He stopped just before pulling the door open. With his hand still on the doorknob, he turned back to her. "Yeah?"
"I love you."
He closed his eyes and let her words echo through his mind. He could feel the tears come to his eyes. "I still believe in fate."
"I…" she started, but she took her time as she thought about the response that she had told him many times before. "I think you might be right, Booth. Merry Christmas." She said with the half-crooked smile that she reserved just for him.
God, he missed that smile. He smiled back.
She really missed his smile being directed only at her.
"Merry Christmas, Bones."
From the kitchen they heard Parker bellow, "Da-ad! Hurry up. I'm going to starve to death!"
They walked through the hall with their arms around each other's waist, and Booth couldn't help but lean over and place a kiss to Brennan's temple every chance he got.
Upon seeing the new couple embracing each other entering the kitchen, Parker did an internal cheer. Dr. Bones was a much better choice for his dad than Hannah was. Sure, he had gotten to know her a little better, but he still liked Dr. Bones much more.
"Parker, it is highly unlikely that you would starve to death. It can take a few weeks to actually starve to death. Knowing your dad's appetite, I bet you guys had a hearty breakfast this morning."
"She's right Parker. You should be thankful for what you have. There are others around the world who do not have it as good as we do. It isn't good to be greedy when others have less that you do. Right, Bones?"
They all sat down at the table and started to fix their plates.
"It's true. I've been to several countries where food and water is limited. People go days without eating. They don't have proper shelter, medicine, education, or other helpful resources available to them."
"Did you help them?" Parker asked, in even more awe of her knowledge of the world.
"As much as I could, but it is still a huge problem."
"I wish I could help." Parker said.
"I think that would be a wonderful idea. Do you know how you can help?"
"No."
Brennan looked to Booth, seeing only love and reassurance there. "Well, one thing you could do is conserve what you do have. Turn off lights when you don't need them. Don't waste things that you do have. And there was something that my parents would help Russ and me do. Every Christmas we would open toys and gifts. Our parents would tell us to pick one of our gifts that we received to donate to charity. They told us that it is always better to give than receive. Looking back on it, it wasn't much…"
"…But every little bit helps." Parker finished, having heard the phrase before. "Dad, can I pick something out to donate?"
"I think that is a great idea!"
Parker moved from his seat to run to the living room, but Booth caught his son by the arm before he got away. "Later. Sit back down. You get to say the prayer."
"Okay."
Parker sat back down and searched his mind for things he could thank God for.
"Dear God, I thank you for this wonderful day with my dad and Dr. Bones. Thank you for finally getting rid of Hannah the horrible home wrecker and bringing Dr. Bones back to my dad."
Booth almost choked on his own saliva. Booth warned Parker, and he apologized before continuing.
"Thank you for all of this wonderful food; I'm thankful for all of my gifts; I'm thankful for my mom and my dad, and Dr. Bones. And I'm glad she isn't sad anymore. Amen."
There you have it. My solution to a Hannah free life and a kickass Christmas for Booth and Brennan. I'm stopping it here, because if I continue there is a high likelihood of it venturing into M territory, and I realize that not everyone enjoys that as much as some of us do. Maybe there will be an M rated follow-up if people are interested.
Review lovies!
XOXO,
CrayonClown