Disclaimer: I do no own Bones or any of the characters from this show. Don't sue me!
The air was stale, and the only sound penetrating the darkness was the breathing of two terrified souls. The click of a flashlight brought light to the darkened space, illuminating two wires that were destined to touch.
"Ready?" She asked, knowing the fate that could lie ahead.
"Yeah." He looked down at his hands. "Dr. Brennan." He paused, and looked up at his boss with tear filled eyes. "It's been a privilege." He said, his voice shaky. He held out his right hand to her.
Tears sprung to her eyes and she ignored the gesture. Instead she took her friend in her arms, and held him for a while. He was more than her employee. He was her friend, and she wanted him to know that. After a moment, they pulled apart shifting in the back seat to their original places.
Their eyes shifted from each other, back to the wires that each of them held. They braced themselves, and touched them together, causing an explosion.
She shot up in bed, beads of sweat trickling down her forehead. Her breath was caught in her throat, and she sat there a while, recognizing that it was only a dream. She breathed heavily, squeezing her eyes shut. She took in a deep breath through her nose, in an attempt to restore oxygen to her brain. I must not have been breathing much. She thought to herself.
She slowly opened her eyes, and slid out of bed. Her legs were weak, and the walk to the kitchen seemed to drag on and on. She opened the refrigerator, and grabbed a carton of orange juice. While she was pouring it into a glass, her mind flashed back to an image of two wires touching, and the flicker of a spark.
The carton fell from her hand, and she was snapped back to reality. "Damnit." She muttered, as she took towel from the drawer, and wiped up the mess. Her hand shook, and her mind continually shifted back to that moment. She found herself picking up the phone, and dialing a familiar number.
She heard a knock at the door, and shakily went to answer it. The man on the other side looked at her with deep concern.
"Bones…" He began, looking at her tired face. "Is everything alright? You sounded upset on the phone."
She looked up at him with tear filled eyes, her bottom lip quivering in a failed attempt to hide her fearful emotions. Her once crystal clear blue eyes were bloodshot, and her skin was pail. "…Come in." She whispered, moving aside so that he could enter. He nodded, and stepped into her apartment, shutting the door behind himself. He watched as she walked back into the kitchen, and leaned heavily on the counter, her back to him.
"I keep having flashbacks. I can't sleep." She said, barely above a whisper.
"Flashbacks? Of the car?" He asked, knowing that's what it had to be. She was buried alive. Anyone in their right mind would be traumatized by that.
"Yeah." She whispered, her hand trembling as she reached for the coffee pot.
"Bones…here…." He said, gently taking it from her. He filled the coffee pot for her, and glanced at her sideways as he put the grounds in the filter, and turned the coffee pot on.
She was leaning on the counter once again, on the brim of breaking down emotionally. She hadn't slept in days, and it was beginning to show. She closed her eyes, trying to calm the dizzy feeling that was pulsing through her head.
He walked over to her slowly, and put his hand on her shoulder. "You alright?" He asked, tenderly.
She just shook her head, 'no'. Heavy tears finally cascaded down her cheeks, and she turned to face him. "Would it be…too much to ask for a man hug?" She asked, with a slight hint of humor, even though there was no smile on her face.
"I don't know about a 'man hug', but I can give you a 'hug'." He said, smiling a bit. He opened his arms to her and she nodded, stepping forward into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his strong waist. Each time they hugged like this, she was always surprised at how perfectly she fit in his arms. His strong arms were around her tight, and he rubbed her back. "I'm here…" Was all he said, as he held his partner and friend.
It took a while, but eventually she let her emotions out. She began to sob in his arms, faintly noticing that she was getting his black t-shirt all wet. "Let it out." He whispered. His large hands rubbed her back, in an attempt to make her feel safe.
"Booth…your shirt…" She said, pulling away from him slightly. She looked up into his warm brown eyes and he smiled a little. "I don't care." He said, before he wiped her tears away with his thumbs.
"I think I'm ready…to talk about it." She said, her voice cracking with emotion.
He nodded, and led her over to the sofa, sitting close to her, with one arm around her. He didn't usually show this kind of affection towards his partner, but she needed it. "I'm listening." He said, softly.
She took in a deep breath with eyes squeezed shut. Letting it out slowly, she turned to face him. "I woke up, and it was dark." She began. "I didn't know where I was, or how I got there. I…" She paused, trying to overcome the horrible memory. "I realized I was in a car, so I found the light and turned it on. I didn't know I was underground though…I rolled a window down an inch or so, and dirt came pouring in. That's when I knew." She looked up at him, noting the horrified expression on his face.
"Go on…" He urged gently.
"I heard something in the backseat and realized it was Hodgins." She didn't bother with the rest because she knew that Booth had heard about most of it. "You do know how we got out of there, right?" She asked, quietly.
"Well, it was obvious you made some kind of explosive. I didn't know how though." He tenderly rubbed her shoulder with his hand.
"I wired the airbag. I remember our last conversation." She shook her head at the thought.
"What did you talk about? Science?" He smirked.
"Partly." She said, much to his surprise. "But we also talked about the likely hood that we'd live through it. We knew our chances were slim." She sighed, her bottom lip trembling slightly. "We said goodbye to each other…we said goodbye…" She took in yet another deep breath, and tears spilled down her cheeks. "But we also wrote letters to loved ones. I know they were never retrieved…" She looked down at her hands and sighed.
"You mean….this letter?" He said, pulling a neatly folded piece of paper out of his coat pocket.
"….How did you get that?" She asked, in awe.
"The car was dug up. These letters were found and…the rest is history." He smiled, and handed it to her. "I never read it. I figured maybe I should wait until you gave me the O.K."
She took it from him, and shook her head. She put it back in his hand. "I want you to read it."
He looked at her sideways. "You sure?" He asked, wanting complete approval.
"Yes…I'm sure. Read it Booth." She said softly.
"Okay." He nodded, and unfolded the piece of paper carefully. He read the words carefully, his heart sinking with every passing sentence.
"Booth,
I know if you are reading this, we are probably dead. It's ironic to think that I've spent the majority of my adult life solving cases and capturing criminals. Now I'm the victim. I want you to know if we don't make it out of here alive, that we tried our best to survive. Hodgins managed to make oxygen. We popped a tire to get air. We even sent a text message containing soil composites. I don't know if it made it.
Our time is getting short, and we're getting tired. It's hard to breathe. So before I pass out, I want to say something. Booth, I know I treated you like a brother. I know sometimes I was mean to you. I know I never let on just how much I cared. I know there were so many things I never thanked you for. But if these are the last words you are ever going to hear from me, then I am going to lay out the truth for you.
The truth is that when you're not around, I'm lost and alone. The truth is that you annoy me, and the truth is that I wouldn't want it any other way. I can't stand you sometimes, and other times, I can't be around you enough. I love our late night Chinese binges, and
your occasional stab at my high intelligence. Your 'charm smile' really was just that…charming. The truth is that I'd do anything for you. You drive me crazy. You drive me up the wall sometimes. You make me melt with your tenderness, and you make me want to be a better person. The truth is, I love you. I always have, and I always will.
Love Always,
Bones"
Booth's hands trembled as he read the last of the letter. He carefully folded it back up, and put it in his pocket. "Mind it I keep this?" He said, and laughed nervously as hot tears slid down his cheeks.
"It's yours." She said softly. "And I still mean every word." She looked at him, and met his gaze.
"I don't…have a beautifully written letter to give you. But there is one thing I do have." He said, reaching for her hand.
"What's that?" She asked, her heart pounding out of her chest.
"A reply." He stated simply.
"And…what's the reply?"
"The reply is that I love you too…more than you know." He whispered, looking deep into her blue eyes.
She smiled and fresh tears slid down her cheeks. He leaned in, and gently kissed her lips, lingering there for a moment. He then placed a kiss on her cheek, and rested his forehead against hers.
A smile played on her lips. "I'm guessing…this isn't the end then."
"Nope. It's only the beginning, Bones." He said, his voice deep as he captured her once more in a passionate kiss.