Takes place after The Blonde in the Game, so spoilers for that episode. It begins in Brennan's POV, but then merges into third person. Enjoy. ;)
(I haven't abandoned my other story "The Pawn in the Game," but I really wanted to write this one.)
This was ridiculous. I was being ridiculous. There was no such thing as God, nor was there faith. Yet, here I was, standing in front of the Booth's Catholic Church chapel. I sighed, straightening my shirt nervously, and walked through the doors.
The dark, wood covered chapel was seemingly empty on this Wednesday morning. The only noticeable being, other than myself, was the statue of Jesus Christ hanging upon the wall. A table of candles rested against the wall, one of them lit.
I took a seat in a pew to gather my thoughts. Booth had taken me here after our last ordeal, and ever since then something had been nagging me to come here. I don't believe it was God because I still was incapable of believing in such a concept. But guilt had been gnawing at me, and I was afraid to speak the cause to someone. I hated that I could be factually labeled as a murderer. I didn't want to face myself in that manner, but I needed some form of redemption. As a result, I had chosen to speak to anyone about the past events, as long as it remained anonymous.
With a deep breath, I rose from the pew and made my way over to the confession booth. I sat inside and closed the curtain. A man's figure was seated on the other side of the grate. "Father?" I asked hesitantly. The words felt strange upon my lips.
…
Booth sighed and knelt before the statue of Mary. He lit one of the candles in front of him, the first one for this seven o'clock morning, and prayed. He prayed for his Bones, that she may find happiness. She'd been forced to take someone's life on the last case, and she was taking it pretty hard.
After his prayer, he sighed and straightened his legs. He began slowly wandering around the empty room. The pastor had yet to return from his quick errand, trusting Booth to watch the chapel for the few minutes he was away. So Booth quietly sat in a pew next to the confessional and waited for the pastor to return.
No more than a few moments later, the person Booth least expected to come to his church walked cautiously into the chapel. Dr. Temperance Brennan twirled her fingers nervously upon her entrance, looking lost.
Booth panicked. He didn't want her to stop whatever it was she came to do, but his curiosity overwhelmed him. He quickly ducked into the confessional beside him and peeked through the pastor's curtain.
Bones sat down in a pew and stared at the crucifix hanging upon the wall. She looked lost in thought, but also a little sad. Booth was about to come out and comfort her, but she suddenly stood up.
'Oh no,' Booth thought as she directly made her way towards him. 'She saw me. She's going to chew me out for spying on her.'
As Brennan continued to walk towards him, Booth continued his panicked debate on whether he should come out now or let Bones find him. But he was surprised when Bones turned when she reached him and climbed into the confessional beside him.
"Father?" she asked Booth in a wavering voice.
In a moment of distress, Booth wondered what he should do. Come out then? Listen to what she had to say? Still unsure of his decision, his lips decided for him as they took on a muffled voice. "Yes?"
Booth watched as she took a deep breath to calm herself. "I. . . I heard that I could confess here, even if I'm not Catholic."
Booth squirmed. He had told her that, but he'd failed to mention that you still had to be at least a baptized Christian. Not wanting to dishearten her after she made the effort to seek help, Booth cringed as he lied. "That's true."
Brennan visibly relaxed a little at the confirmation. "I've been feeling guilty for sometime now. . ." She stopped to arrange her thoughts. "I-I killed someone."
Booth remained silent as he recalled that night when she killed Gil Lappin. He remembered how Bones had cried for what she had done, and how he comforted her then.
Brennan mistook his silence for fear and disapproval. "It was in self defense!" she quickly tried to explain herself. "The man was attacking my partner—"
"I know," Booth calmed her ramble. He grimaced as he realized what he'd done.
Brennan stopped short, confusion rising to her features. "You know?"
Booth scrambled for another lie, continuing to speak in his disguised tone of voice. "Yes, you're Dr. Temperance Brennan. I read about what happened in the paper."
Brennan's shoulders slumped. She had desperately wanted to confess her feelings of guilt anonymously but was now known by the pastor. With a sigh, she chose to continue. After all, this was Booth's church, and she had faith in Booth. "I can't stop thinking about it," she murmured quietly. "I vividly remember how it felt to . . . to pull the trigger." She squeezed her eyes shut as the image of Lappin's bloody face fell to the ground for the hundredth time. "I ended someone else's life, and it resulted in an immense amount of emotional trauma."
Booth fought to restrain the urge to wrap his arm around Bones and comfort her. "The confessional is all about seeking retribution," Booth began to explain in his muffled voice. "If you are truly regretful of your sins and promise to not commit them again, then you are forgiven."
Bones took another deep breath and looked towards the ceiling of her half of the confessional. "How do I know if I'm entirely forgiven? I killed a man."
Booth was about to break into a speech on faith, but knew that the words would be wasted upon Bones. Instead, he used logic to convince her. "Perhaps, then, it's yourself that you blame. You must forgive yourself. God already does."
A few tears escaped Brennan's eyes as she contemplated Booth's words. "Thank you, Father," she murmured before rising to exit the confessional.
Booth watched as she exited the booth and left the chapel. He sent out a quick apologetic prayer for leaving the church empty before running after her. He ran out onto the sidewalk and saw her slowly walking towards a taxi. "Bones!" he called as he ran to catch up with her.
She turned around, surprised to see him. She quickly wiped away the tears she had shed. "Booth? What are you doing here?"
"I . . . was just out shopping and I saw you walk by," he fibbed absentmindedly. "Are you okay?"
She nodded and gave him a weak half smile. "I was simply pondering some things."
Booth wrapped her into a hug. "Talk about to me about it."
They went back to her apartment, ordering Thai food as soon as the Thai restaurant opened. Booth comforted her as she spoke through her troubles once more.
He had become her light at the end of the tunnel. Throughout the years to come, he became her constant companion, comforting her times of heartbreak and hardship. She was grateful for his presence, and he would always cherish hers.
Hope you enjoyed. I apologize if anything's off. I'm not Catholic, so all I knew was from the internet and, of course, Bones. Reviews are welcomed.