Brennan looked at the clock. 10:45 She turned her attention back to Cam. She had scheduled one of her weekly report meetings. Brennan was having trouble paying attention for some reason. Usually she was attentive and ready to pick apart anything anyone presented that wasn't up to par. Not today though. Booth's words were playing on her mind. This is ours. Just between us. This is important Bones
"Doctor Brennan" Cam said, frowning at Brennan. "Doctor Brennan? Are you with us?" she asked again.
Brennan heard her name vaguely in the background of her day dreaming and snapped to attention.
"Yes? Um, what was that?" she said, her fingers fluttering over the report summary in front of her.
"Are you alright Doctor Brennan?" Cam asked her, tilting her head, her brow furrowing slightly. It wasn't like Brennan to be so vague. "Did you need a break? Or a glass of water?" Cam asked her, picking up the glass water jug and holding it out to her.
"No. No, thankyou. I'm fine. I just. I was just." Brennan stammered, and looked down at the report in front of her. It was like reading gobbledygoop. She frowned and blinked several times, then looked up at Cam. "I'm fine. I was just distracted by something. I apologise for my inattention. Please. Continue." she said, forcing herself to sit up straight in her chair.
"You seem different" Cam said. "Is something wrong?"
Brennan shook her head rapidly "No. Why would you think something is wrong? Or. Or different? I'm exactly as I was yesterday. I simply have something on my mind and I let myself get distracted by it. Honestly, I'm back on track. Please" she gestured with her hand for Cam to continue.
"OK. As long as you're sure" Cam said, picking up the report "I'll just reread this portion for your benefit" she added, looking straight at Brennan, with a slight frown.
"As you wish" Brennan said, nodding. She looked up and saw that every person at the table was staring at her.
"I'm fine." She said sternly, making them all look away quickly.
Come on Brennan, what are you doing? You have to focus and stop being so, distracted she thought to herself, internally chagrined.
She managed to stay focussed for the rest of the meeting, presenting her own report in her usual professional manner. Answering questions and debating with Arastoo about his and Oliver Wells findings on a case that had been worrying her.
As usual Doctor Wells was arrogant and snooty. She liked using the word snooty where he was concerned. It aggravated her that he was often quicker than her to find key markers on skeletal remains, and he never failed to point it out to her. It also aggravated her that she had to admit that he was as intelligent as she. She stopped short of calling him brilliant. That would mean he was on a par with her, and she would never admit to that.
She stood up and gathered up her paperwork.
"Doctor Brennan. You were a little off kilter today." Oliver Wells approached her smiling. She frowned and tried to ignore him. "You seem. Different. Is everything alright?" he asked her.
Oh my god. If one more person asks me that she thought. "Doctor Wells, as I have already stated, I am perfectly fine. I don't know why you would be concerned about my well being. You should be concerned with getting those remains in order and cause of death identified." she said, her voice clipped.
"My apologies. No offense. You just seem"
Brennan held up a hand in his face "Do not say it again. I'm not. I'm exactly as I was yesterday. And the day before that. Just go back to work." she said walking past him.
She hurried down the corridor to her office and closed the door behind her. She dropped the reports on her desk and sat on the couch heavily.
Could I look different? No. That is a ridiculous thought. You are simply letting your imagination run wild.
She stood up and walked out of her office to the ladies room. She opened the door and looked inside. Nobody else was in there. She walked in quickly and stood in front of the mirror looking at herself. She shrugged I look the way I always look. She turned sideways and quickly checked her body profile, then shook her head You're being ridiculous. Nobody can tell. You know that. You're only seven weeks. The foetus is barely the size of a blueberry. It hasn't even got fully developed arms or legs. And you've had no other symptoms that might make people suspicious. So calm down. she assured herself.
She walked into a stall and sat down to pee.
"This is all because Booth has told me not to say anything. That's all it is. He's made me self conscious." she muttered.
She stood up, adjusting her skirt and flushed the toilet. She opened the door.
"Sweetie, were you just talking to yourself?"
Angela
Brennan, looked down at her shoes "No. No not at all. I was. I was humming. There was a very catchy song on the radio this morning. I find myself humming it every now and then." she said, not making eye contact as she pushed past Angela and turned on the tap to wash her hands.
"I'm pretty sure I heard you talking" Angela said, standing behind her, her arms crossed across her chest.
"Perhaps I was saying the words. It was a rap song. You know how I'm partial to rap" Brennan said quickly, then adding "in fact, just this morning, I was listening to rap"
"Really" Angela said, one eyebrow raising.
Brennan panicked slightly, I've said the word rap too many times she thought. "Yes. " she said, then began reciting the first thing that came into her head.
I'm making short term goals, wonder whether foes
just put away the leathers and put ice on the gold
chilly with enough bail money to free a big Willy
high stakes, I got more at stake than Philly
She looked at Angela, who's mouth was hanging open slightly.
"it's JayZ" Brennan said "what do you think?".
Angela shook her head and linked her arm through Brennan's. "yeah, I think I need to eat an early lunch, and I think you need to as well. I cannot believe you can remember the words to a JayZ song!" pulling her along. "Did you really memorise that word for word? No wait. Of course you did. " she said laughing at her friend. "Honestly sweetie, you surprise me with the weirdest things" Angela said as they headed out of the building to the Royal Diner.
Brennan walked along with her, relieved that she seemed to have diverted Angela from her interrogation.
They grabbed a booth, sitting opposite each other. Angela was sitting staring at Brennan, as she looked at the menu. Brennan could feel her eyes on her. She tried to ignore it, but with Angela, that was kind of hard to do.
"What?" she said, glancing up for a moment, then looking back down at the menu.
"I don't know. There's something"
"Oh please. " Brennan cut her off. " Do not say there's something different about me. What are you going to order?" she asked changing the subject.
Angela pursed her lips staring at Brennan, who was perusing the menu. There's definitely something going on she thought to herself Give me time, I will find out what it is she smiled to herself then called the waitress over to order.
The two women placed their orders and then sat chatting. Brennan was able to steer the conversation away from herself and they began talking about their children, who were both getting close to starting school. Michael was six months older than Christine and would be starting first. Brennan had hoped that they would go to the same school, but they lived in different school districts and Angela and Jack had never recovered financially from the incident with Pelant, and although he was chasing his stolen money with the help of the FBI, it was going to be some time before it would be returned to him, if at all. Therefore they made the decision to send Michael to the local public school.
She and Booth were still in discussions about a school for Christine. She had provided him with a detailed list of preferred educational facilities, but Booth was also still pushing for their daughter to attend the local public school which was literally down the road from them. His reasons were that she would be close to home, and it would be convenient for them to pick her up and take her home after school. He also kept reminding her that he had attended public schools and that he had turned out just fine. She couldn't argue with that, however, public schools were very different these days, and she wasn't sure if it was going to be in her daughter's best interest to attend one. It was an ongoing deliberation.
Their meals came and as it was place in front of her Brennan was overwhelmed with nausea. She tried to maintain a calm face and excused herself.
"Your food will get cold!" Angela said.
"I should have gone earlier, I'll just be a minute" Brennan managed to say before walking as fast as she could without running to the bathroom.
She stared herself in the mirror after emptying the contents of her stomach, noting the slight blotching on her cheeks.
"Great. Angela will pick up on that immediately. Unless." she turned to the hand dryer and turned the nozzle upwards and blasted her face with hot air. She looked at herself, pleased with what she saw. Her entire face looked flushed.
She walked back to the booth and slid into her seat, smiling at Angela, who frowned at her.
"Why is your face red?" she asked.
"It's really hot in the bathroom!" Brennan said innocently, then picked up her fork and began poke at her food, her stomach rolling slightly.
Angela looked around and shrugged. "Oh. That's weird"
Brennan grinned at her, her nose crinkling "I know! I found it extremely uncomfortable" She forked a tiny morsel into her mouth and began chewing, willing her stomach to settle.
Angela watched her for a moment, then began to eat, their conversation about their children continuing.
They went back to work after lunch, Brennan, pushing through the nausea that washed over her in waves for the next few hours until she could take it no longer. She packed up her things. Rang Cams office and left a message that she was unwell and would be back at work tomorrow and left. She would catch a cab home and message Booth and tell him that her plans had changed and that she would meet him at home.
At least this way, nobody else would be asking her if she felt OK, or tell her that she seemed different. Hopefully tomorrow, nobody would notice anything and she could keep their secret safe.
