The Odds in the Gambler
I don't now, nor have I ever owned Bones.
Spoilers ahead. You have been warned.
oOo
He's lost just about everything, his wallet filled only with useless plastic, his eye and ribs smarting from a beating that was part of the early warning system of one of the men he owed. He stares at his wife's belly, swollen with their second child, unable to bring himself to look her in the eye. He may trust her with his life, but he cannot trust her with his shame.
"How much do you owe, Booth?"
The words are cold and clinical as if she is requesting some bone details from one of her squinterns. That helps. He tells her the number, then corrects himself, raises the figure by a few thousand as he remembers the other note that is due. A glance up toward her almost burns him and he looks down again at the counter over which he can see the swell of her belly with their child growing inside.
He owes much more than money.
"Will they accept a check?"
If he didn't ache so much right now, he might laugh at Bones' innocence. But he can only shake his head, shake off the idea of her trying to rescue him from his own bad run. A man pays his debts, he tells her, echoes of his grandfather's voice in his head. He's tapped out of everything except empty platitudes.
"I can get the money, Booth."
His pride wars with that idea, dismisses it, but secretly he is relieved.
"The bank will need some early notification for that kind of money."
She pulls out her phone and is dialing a number as he begins to figure a way out of all this. If he can get a stake, get into a groove, find that streak again, keep building slowly rather than try to win it all back at once, then he can. . . .
She's staring at him.
Her words are all Bones: straight and to the point. Stop now and go back to church and his God and his meetings. Stop or she will leave him and take Christine. Stop or they cannot be a family under one roof.
As many punches as he took over the past 12 hours, this is by far the hardest thrown.
"Have you ever known me to say something that I do not mean?"
Her eyes laser in on his, icy blue and hard now. A hand rests on the top of her swollen belly and he has no doubt she knows exactly what she is doing, what asking permission to see his children might do to him.
His mind screams with schemes to win back the money, build back his losses slowly, if only he can get a solid stake, if only, if only. If only. Anything would be better than this icy calm, this angry cold.
He dares one more look. She cannot hide her hurt. The ice seems to be melting in her eyes and he can see a hint of tears glistening with pain.
Only one woman can turn his insides to pudding or cause him to silence the voices driving him.
She will go with him to pay back the money, her trust so little now that she will hold his hand as he crosses the street. Hubris wars with reason and he wants to negotiate a different path, but she is adamant.
"I would send Aubrey with you if I could be sure he would shoot you if you started to gamble again."
She looks like she might shoot him herself.
She makes the phone call to the bank and arranges for the money. She will rescue him this time, but only this time. Hard lines return and she does not have to remind him that at one time she refused to talk to her brother for over 10 years. Despite the depth of her heart, the depth of her love, Temperance Brennan still stubbornly serves at the church of reason.
It is now up to him to decide who he will serve.
oOo
Author's note: Bonesfan 18 suggested this prompt to razztaztic who then forwarded it to me. Bonesfan 18 had recalled the image of the poker chips that DB had tweeted out to the cybersphere and wanted to explore the dynamic between Booth and Brennan when Booth succumbs to his addiction.
I know more than a bit about addiction having a father who was mostly an alcoholic.
This will be a multi-chapter piece and I'll do everything in my power to finish it before the show tackles Booth's gambling. I also will get back to Lies in the Truth soon. Real life just interferes far too much with the things I'd much rather do.
If anybody has any thoughts, suggestions, or comments, feel free to hit the button below.