Title: Jasper
Author: Ebony
Rating: K
Pairing/Characters: Brennan, Booth
Disclaimer: Bones and all the characters belong to Kathy Reichs/Hart Hanson/FOX, no copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: She skims a fingertip along the pig's spine all the way to the pointy ears, shaking her head slightly and breathing a short, quiet laugh.Episode tag to S2 "The Blonde In The Game".
A/N: Response to the Bones Episode Tag Meme over at LiveJournal, prompt: "Booth/Brennan, The Blonde in the Game: what happens after he gives her Jasper?" My first stab at Bones fic.
* * *
You're gonna be okay.
...Yeah?
Definitely.
She finds reassurance in his warm brown eyes, such unwavering belief that she'll overcome this that she can't help but smile softly in return. Moments tick by sluggishly, and she finally flicks her gaze from Booth's to the plastic figurine she's holding gently in her fingers, as if it were a real, living creature. She skims a fingertip along the pig's spine all the way to the pointy ears, shaking her head slightly and breathing a short, quiet laugh. Jasper. A small part of her is amazed that he remembered, but she dismisses the thought quickly. Of course Booth remembered; he always did. All those little things Brennan might reject as irrelevant, both in herself as well as in others, Booth recalled. Despite the lingering tears, she feels her mood lifting a little.
"Now, I don't know how well he'll learn tricks..." Booth murmurs in low tone, a small grin pulling at his lips, "But I'm pretty sure ol' Jasper here's a very clean pig."
"I'm sure he is," Brennan smiles, catching Booth's eye and sobering. Her words come out as a whisper, "Thank you."
Booth's grin shifts back to the small, affectionate smile Brennan has seen many times before. "Anytime, Temperance."
She curls her fingers tightly around Jasper, glancing down at the piglet as something warm unfurls somewhere in her chest. She lists the physiological processes responsible for such a sensation and absently imagines the skeletal system of the tiny plastic toy if it actually had one, that is. As if sensing her growing discomfort, Booth straightens up in his chair and claps his good hand against his thigh casually.
"Okay, Bones," he says cheerfully, getting on his feet. "Come on, we're going."
Startled, Brennan looks up at Booth and his proffered hand. "Going where?"
Booth grins widely down at her, eyes glinting. "You'll see," just he motions with his hand impatiently, "Come on."
"Booth," Brennan admonishes, but it's a halfhearted effort and they both know it. With a touch of reluctance, she places the hand not clutching Jasper in Booth's, allowing him to pull her up from her seat. "Where are we going? Don't tell me we re going to go find a bartender named Shakey?"
"Nah," Booth chuckles, "We're gonna go see a bartender named Tommy a few blocks down. My treat."
She shakes her head but smiles, letting him steer her towards the catwalk. His hand finds its usual place at the small of her back not pushing, but supporting and she knows. She's gonna be okay.
(fin)