(After The Crack in the Code)
I saw some reader interest in this old story last week and it made me go back and look at it. After reading it, I realized that there was room for another chapter.
I don't own Bones.
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His feet propped up on the coffee table. Booth kept flicking his gaze between the game on television and Brennan's prominent stomach.
A little uncomfortable with his continued interest in her stomach, Brennan placed her magazine down and turned her full attention upon her lover. "Why do you keep looking at my stomach? Does its size make you uncomfortable? You do realize that I will gain in girth as my pregnancy advances don't you?"
His cheeks flushed a light rose color, Booth placed his TV remote on the coffee table and leaned back against the couch. Crossing his arms against his broad chest, Booth stared at the TV and refused to look at her. "I'm not staring at your stomach, Bones . . . um . . . well maybe a little bit." Turning he let his eyes sweep down to her stomach and then back up to her lovely blue eyes. "Do you remember that first case we worked on and how you . . . uh . . . well you told me that you knew I was related to John Wilkes Booth because of my bone structure?"
Not sure what had caused Booth to ruminate about that, Brennan slowly nodded her head. "Yes, you told me to keep it under my metaphorical hat. I haven't told anyone . . . although it turns out Cam knows and she told Hodgins, so it isn't the secret you think it is."
Mystified why Cam would tell Hodgins about his family, Booth vowed to talk to her as soon as he could. "Yeah, well Cam knows because she's known me since college and . . . anyway, so you remember . . . that's good." Trailing off, Booth shifted on the couch and returned his attention back on the game.
Completely confused with Booth's mood, Brennan placed her hand on his arm. "I haven't told anyone about your ancestor . . . do you doubt me?"
"No of course not." He knew he'd put her on the defensive when he hadn't meant to, so Booth tried to explain what was going on. "Well . . . our kid is going to be a Booth descendant and that means that she's going to be related to John Wilkes Booth . . . one of the biggest traitors in American history . . . well maybe after Benedict Arnold and maybe Robert Hanssen . . . anyway, we're not a direct descendant because that guy doesn't have any direct descendants left, but we're related to him and . . . it's embarrassing. I'm worried that someday she's going to find out about it and it's going to embarrass her like it did me when I found out. Kids can be cruel, believe me."
Well aware that children could be horrible to each other, Brennan protectively placed her hand on her stomach. "Yes, I'm aware . . . You met my fellow students at Burtonsville High School."
"Sorry . . . I didn't mean to remind you of those losers." Regretting he'd brought it up, Booth patted her knee. "I need to remember to talk to our kid when she's old enough to understand and she starts taking American History in school . . . maybe when she's eleven or twelve."
Curious, Brennan asked him, "How old were you when you found out about your relationship to John Wilkes Booth?"
His memory brought to mind his eighth grade friend's contempt when Toby guessed the truth about him. "I was twelve and my friend Toby Bryant started to make fun of me during a history class. I told him off and denied I was related to that assassin, but later that day I talked to Pops and he said it was true . . . It was like being hit in the face with a brick . . . I didn't want to be related to John Wilkes Booth. My family has served as soldiers for our country since the beginning and . . . it's embarrassing that's what it is . . . embarrassing."
Brennan knew that Booth was proud of his family's duty to their country and she knew that the idea of a traitor in his blood line was anathema to him. "You can't be held accountable for the misdeeds of distant relatives, Booth. What John Wilkes Booth did has nothing to do with you."
With a sad laugh, Booth shook his head. "That's what Pops said. He said I don't have control over what my ancestors did . . . still, it's not something I like to think about and yet I have to for Parker and our baby girls sake . . . I haven't had the talk with Parker yet, but I'm going to have to do it soon . . . I talked to Rebecca about it once, but she said I'm too into the past and no one cares . . . she didn't understand."
His unhappiness weighing on her, Brennan placed her arm around his back and leaned her head against his shoulder. "If you feel that strongly about it then I don't think you're making a mole hill out of a mountain . . . or something like that . . . it's important to you so it's important to me. When the time comes to tell our child of her relative's betrayal then I will be there to help you. We'll explain to her that there are people in the world who do evil things, but their evil is not hereditary nor does it stain our honor. Only we can do that."
Surprised and somehow pleased with her words, Booth felt the tension leave his body. "Thanks Bones. I've never thought of it that way, but it's true. We have to be responsible for our own honor, not someone else's . . . the past is the past . . . that's good. I'll use that when I talk to Parker."
Proud that she was able to help him, Brennan sat up straight, leaned over and picked up the remote from the coffee table. After she turned the TV off, she placed the remote back on the table. "You don't really want to watch this game do you?"
Her breathy question making his stomach flip, Booth stood up and pulled Brennan to her feet. "If you have something else in mind, I'm game . . . whatcha got?"
Amused, Brennan kissed him and then turned to switch off the lamp next to the couch. "What I have is a very romantic man in the room with me and I think it's time for him to show me some romance . . . don't you?"
"Well not to make a mole hill out of a mountain, Bones . . . but I'm definitely your guy."
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