The charachters do not belong to me. They are not mine. This story is though.

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So far yet so close

Chapter 1

October 25th, 6:00 p.m. local time

The flight had been tiring and long, her legs felt crumpled and her chest had never been tighter. She peered out of the tiny window: soft and fluffy clouds were dissipating and she could get a peek of the land beneath her. Brown and crusty. Valleys had a green heart at the center, where a timid and thin river was carrying the precious water to the thirsty land.

She felt as if clouds were also interfering with her thoughts, and she found herself annoyed at the idea that she was in no state to think clearly. She knew that lack of sleep had a very negative effect on her capability to remain rational and detached, and she really needed that to achieve the goals of her mission. There was no room for mistakes, too much was at stake, her own life and the life of many others. She did hope that she could really make a difference and help to bring back home some of the guys alive.

This was the only reason why she had agreed to this trip: she just could not say no.

But while her lips had pronounced the three letters, YES, sending a reassuring smile at the worried General in front of her, her heart had been screaming No, and she had realised right then and there that it had become more and more difficult to ignore what her instinct and feelings kept reminding her. For the first time in her life she just had not wanted to go, and she had desperately wanted to stay. At home.

"Landing in one hour doctor Brennan. Could you get some sleep?" asked the tall young military in charge of the flight.

"Not really. This is not what I would call a comfortable flight.. but thanks" she answered chuckling. Flying on a military airplane, with no first class and comfortable reclining chairs was an experience she hoped to not repeat.. or rather repeat soon to just get home as soon as possible. She could not figure out how long her mission was going to last… definitely not less than a month, probably not more than two. But the uncertainty of what actually was expecting her made her feel uncomfortable and, well, basically scared. She decided to move a bit as if the simple action of raising from her seat would allow her to escape the gnawing fear and loneliness she was feeling in her chest.

Stepping up and stretching her legs, she also bent down to stretch her spine after so many hours of sitting position. The chain and the medal slipped out of her chest, dangling back and forth just in front of her face: S. Christopher.

A smile spread on her face: only Booth could insist that she took it.

"I am going to a war torn Muslim country, Booth, and you want me to carry around on myself something that screams Catholicism while I am not even a believer?" she had said laughing when he had given it to her just the day before.

Booth had not even smiled, he had just kept his arm stretched towards her holding the chain in his hand. "Whether you believe or not does not make any difference, I really want you to take it, not because it has magical powers to protect you but.. just take it. It helped me to keep faith when I had no reason to be hopeful and even if it will not inspire you any spiritual feeling.. it will.. well.. maybe it will remind you that every single minute you are there, every single night you will be sleeping in your tent, every single horror you will have to witness.. I'll be thinking of you and praying for your safety. Take it for me, as a favour, I will feel better knowing you have it with you. And maybe... it will make you think of me too, ok?" His eyes were serious and she could read a hint of sadness as well.

"Booth.. do you ever think that just being a month or two away would make me forget you?" she had said laughing but her eyes betraying the same sadness reflected in his.

The smile had died on her face and still holding on his look, she had stretched her hand and taken the medal. She had passed her head into the chain and the golden piece had fallen into her cleavage. It had felt warm, still warm from the heat of his body, and it had felt so intimate to have on it her chest, close to her heart, this little warm thing, exclusively his, usually lying on his heart. For a brief moment she had had the foolish sensation that their hearts were close to each other. And it had felt so.. engaging.. as if they had shared one of those simple objects that carry greater meaning, like the ring she got from her mom. The ring, her ring..

She was looking at her bare finger when a voice interrupted again the train of her thoughts.

"We are landing doctor Brennan. Please take your seat. And welcome in Kabul". Said the young man with a sincere smile.

October 25th, 8:30 a.m. local time

Booth stepped out of the elevator of the Hoover Building, rushing out at the sound of the "ding" like a greyhound at a race. He has been feeling restless the whole night, tossing and turning, and getting hardly any sleep. Still his mind has been so dizzy and full of thoughts of her, that he had succeeded in being terribly late nonetheless.

He marched directly to the coffee machine, knowing too well that it was going to be a long day, hell, it was going to be a long month, if he was lucky and everything was going according to plans. He did not even dare to think otherwise. He doubted he could survive if he had to miss her for more than that, and that something could happen to her was not even a possibility. If he had ever had the courage to contemplate this last scenario, he would have never ever let her go.

He scratched the tickling on his chest, and a huge smile appeared on his face for the first time since the evening before.

He touched the object, holding it in his fingers through his shirt with a mix of sadness and hope: a ring was hanging from a chain around his neck. Her ring. The one she gave him a few hours before boarding her plane, before she was gone and taken away from him, from her dear lab, from her world, from her home.

He had asked her to take his medal but he had been surprised when she actually had accepted and taken it. Doctor Brennan wearing a religious symbol, one that might make her look like a devout catholic? Again the smile grew larger on his lips just at the thought of it. She had put it on straight away, a strange look on her face.

Silence had fallen between them then. They had already shared so much, still he had known then that they had not shared enough. With a quick move, even before he could register what she was doing, she had slipped her ring out of her finger, opened his hand and placed the ring on his palm.

"You keep this for me then." She had whispered, with a broken voice "I don't want to risk losing it or worse, that someone is going to steal it from me. When I come back, we can exchange them again. Until then, and also in case something happens to me, I really want it to be yours". Booth had felt a shiver at her words, and had closed his fist around the most precious object he had ever withheld.

"Bones, don't even say things like that. You are going to be careful, stick to the orders of the guys who have to protect you. No questioning and keep your head low, ok?" His face betraying his concern. "You'll be back sooner than you know, and you'll see me waiting for you at the airport. I want you back, Bones. I really do. Promise me".

"Yes, ok" was her last whisper. A tear had fallen directly on the floor and they had just remained still, staring at each other, oblivious of the world and the time ticking.

Sensing that he really needed to find the strength to support her and give her courage to just go, he had stood up and with a warm smile and a tender look he had touched her shoulder. "C'mon Bones, time to go to the airport".

The memory of their last hours together was overwhelming. He just made it to his office, closed the door and plopped into his chair. No, this morning he did not want to be disturbed, unless there was an emergency. Really not in the mood.

He gave a look at his watch. New thoughts running wild and fast into his mind.

"What are you doing now Bones? Are you still on that uncomfortable plane? Or are you already in Kabul? Are you already missing me, or thinking about me? Will you call me the moment you arrive? Because I already miss you and I would give anything to hear your voice again, before you leave for that top secret far away mountain region where you'll be lost for all your friends and family, the ones who love you."

Love you. The word struck him into his consciousness. Yeah, love like in family and friends. But who was he fooling? He had been a coward. Simple as that. The moment she had told him she had received the request for this mission, his heart was already in overdrive.

But the struggle she had faced before deciding to leave, and the greater purpose of the whole thing had stopped him from just opening up his heart. He had known that she was going to need all her focus and concentration to just get through it, and as much as he had hated to let her leave without telling her how he felt, he also had been sure that it was for the best.

Assaulted by the terrifying thought that maybe he had been wrong and had made a terrible mistake, he covered his face with his hands. If he could just talk to her again, if she called before leaving Kabul, he could make sure that she knew, if not in detail, how important she was to him.

He lost the track of time, just to be woken up from his day- nightmare by the ring of his phone.

His heart pumping fast and hard in his chest, he picked up the telephone hoping, no, PRAYING it was her.

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