A/N: A parts of this are my speculations and assumptions about Brennan's past. It's another story involving Russ, plus a little B/B towards the end because I couldn't resist. Also, I made Brennan's birthday May 26, simply because that's my birthday. :)
Oh, this is my longest Bones fic yet! Not to mention, my longest one-shot as far as story length goes. Exciting, no?
Summary: Russ calls every year on her birthday.
Disclaimer: Still not mine.
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May 26, 1992
Temperance Brennan lay across her bed, her notes and textbooks spread in front of her. She poured over them carefully, studying for her final exams. A sudden knock on her door jarred her from her thoughts. "Yes?" she called.
"Temperance? You have a phone call." Samantha Jacobson, her foster mother, told her.
She sighed. "Who is it?"
"It's your brother, honey."
She immediately sat up. She hadn't spoken to her brother since… last Christmas. When was that? Five months ago? Why was he calling now?
"Temperance?"
She bit her lip, unsure. "What does he want?"
There was the sound of muffled voices as Samantha spoke with Russ.
"He says he's calling for your birthday."
Her birthday. She'd almost forgotten. A quiet, wry laugh escaped her lips. Last year, she'd been mentally planning and preparing for her sixteenth birthday. She had known who she wanted to invite, what she wanted to do, what she wanted to wear, and what music she would play. But ever since her parents… Well, ever since last December, she hadn't really thought much about her 'sweet sixteen'.
"Could you tell him I'm studying?"
Her foster mother sighed. "Okay."
Temperance could hear her Samantha relaying her message as her footsteps receded down the hallway. She knew she should talk to her brother, but she was still angry with him. He'd deserted her when she needed him the most, and he still hadn't apologized. Hell, he hadn't even made an effort to speak with her until today.
No, she wasn't ready to talk to him. Not yet, anyway.
--
May 26, 1995
Temperance Brennan sat at her desk in her empty dorm room. Her roommate was out for the day, and she couldn't say she wasn't glad. Tracie tended to be a bit obnoxious for her taste. She sighed, taking a momentary break from the books before her. It was inexpressible how glad she was that her freshman year at college was winding down. But she was being piled with more work than ever.
The phone's shrill ring broke through the silence. Temperance moved to answer it, but a glance at the calendar stopped her short.
May 26
The numbers jumped out at her, reminding her that it was her nineteenth birthday. She let the phone ring, trying to defer her focus back to her books. But as her eyes scanned the words in front of her, her attention remained on the phone. Suddenly the ringing stopped, plunging the empty room back into silence. The answering machine picked up, then a beep.
Temperance could hear breathing on the other end of the line for a moment before the sharp click of the caller hanging up.
She sighed. Part of her had hoped that Russ would leave a message. It had been far too long now for her to reinitiate contact with her brother. She did want to talk to him, though. He was the only family he had left.
Now she regretted not picking up the phone. She'd known it was him, after all.
Temperance returned to studying.
Maybe next year.
--
May 26, 1999
Temperance Brennan stretched out across her couch, a file in hand. Her boss had given her the day off for her birthday, despite her protests, and she had snuck what she could home with her.
She couldn't believe that she'd been at the Jeffersonian for ten months already. It felt like just yesterday she was stepping through the front doors, barely a college graduate, on her first day of work.
She examined each photo carefully, over and over again. Lying back on the sofa, she sighed in defeat. There was nothing she could do with just pictures. She needed to be at the lab, or they would never make any headway.
Temperance rose and began walking towards the door. She needed to get her mind off of work.
The phone's ring stopped her in her tracks. She turned back and waited, internally debating on whether to pick it up or not.
After all, only one person called on her birthday.
Her decision, however, took too long and the phone went to voice mail. The beep of the answering machine rang out, then silence.
And a click. Russ had hung up again.
Temperance sighed and walked over to the phone. She picked it up, ready to dial. Her finger paused, poised directly over the number pad. She shook her head and returned the phone to its cradle before walking out the door, leaving her dark and empty apartment behind.
--
May 26, 2001
Temperance Brennan removed the phone handset from its cradle and placed it on the coffee table. She positioned her laptop beside it and began working on the manuscript for her novel as she waited.
This was it.
This was the birthday that she would finally pick up the phone and talk to her brother. Ten years was far too long to go without speaking. She was going to end this, once and for all.
As she typed furiously, trying to capture her thoughts before she lost them, the phone rang.
Temperance froze momentarily, fingers motionless, remaining in position as they hovered above the keyboard. She slowly reached the phone, but as her fingertips touched it, she withdrew her hand as if she'd touched hot metal. She took a deep breath and tried again, this time recoiling before her hand even reached the cool plastic.
The phone suddenly stopped, and Temperance shook her head. Why was she so afraid?
Once again, the shrill beep echoed through the room. Temperance sat silently, listening.
She could hear the caller breathing for what felt like hours. And suddenly, Russ spoke, the suddenness of his voice causing her to jump.
"Tempe… I'm sorry, Tempe." His voice cracked slightly, and there was a momentary pause as Russ cleared his throat. "Happy birthday."
The click of his hang-up seemed louder than ever.
And only after she tore her gaze away from the phone did Temperance realize that she was crying.
--
May 26, 2006
Temperance Brennan sat at her desk, pouring over files from her current case. She looked down momentarily to retrieve a highlighter from her desk drawer. A noise from the doorway caught her attention, and she looked up, spotting Booth leaning against her doorframe.
He approached her desk and gently set a small box before her. "Happy birthday, Bones."
She was shocked that he'd remembered, much less gotten her a gift.
Hands trembling slightly, she opened the box, revealing a simple, elegant silver necklace. Her jaw dropped slightly, and she looked up at her partner, eyes wide. "You shouldn't… I mean, you didn't have to… get me anything."
He smiled slightly. "I wanted to. Try it on." Booth removed the necklace from the box and held it up.
Temperance turned her back to him and held up her hair as Booth fastened the necklace around her neck. She turned back to him and ran her fingers over the smooth metal. "I love it, Booth. Thank you."
Booth opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by the sudden ringing of Brennan's cell phone. She removed it from her purse, glanced at the screen, and smiled. "I have to take this."
Her partner nodded, understanding, as he quietly left the room.
Temperance flipped open her phone, and pressed it to her ear, unable to suppress her grin. "Brennan."
"Hey, Tempe. Happy birthday."
--
The End
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