Wow, I'm so terribly sorry for taking forever to update any of my stories. I've been extremely busy and then when I'm not busy, I end up writing new stories! So, I've made it my goal to update every single one of my stories this week. My only problem is I need an idea for the last chapter of Because of You; everything else I have ideas for. So, to help me accomplish my goal and you get another chapter for that story, give me an idea or two! Please?
Three years. It has been three, long years since Brennan left the Jeffersonian. It was Booth's fault, he knew that, and he accepted it. It still didn't make it any better.
It had been rough during the first few months since she left. With Zack's betrayal and her leaving, they had to start relying on grad students for some of their cases until Angela had talked Brennan into helping them out every once in a while. Difficult as it may be, they worked through it, and they even found a new forensic anthropologist to be on their team: a 27 year old woman named Alexis Joseph. She was intelligent with a fairly decent sense of humor, with raven black hair. Nothing like Brennan or Zack except for her love for her work.
While Booth and Brennan talked several times over the course of the three years, it was never anything other than work. Brennan was set on not getting too close to him again, and he wasn't going to push it. When he 'died', it broke something between them, something that couldn't be fixed. They would not ruin what little they had.
Brennan's birthday was coming up and they had agreed to all meet at a diner near where Brennan lived. At first, Booth wasn't sure if he should go or not, but Angela talked him into going. It helped that Brennan had asked everyone to come, even including Alexis. Now, after three hours of driving, he and all of the squints were nearing the hotel where they would be staying at for the next few days.
Booth didn't know what he expected Brennan to be like after those three years but what he did see with her surprised him slightly. Brennan was happy, it was obvious with the way she looked. She had brought her boyfriend to dinner with them and it was apparent that she was as happy as could be with him. Her eyes gave off that spark that Brennan once reserved only for him. This man, Derek Almer, was a lucky man.
Angela and Alexis were deep in conversation with Brennan when Booth decided to talk to Derek.
"Derek, mind if I talk to you for a sec?"
He looked up, away from Brennan, and slowly nodded his head. Derek had heard some things about Booth and he was not sure what Booth wanted, but Derek was ready to defend his position as Brennan's boyfriend if Booth acted jealous.
Once in a quiet part of the diner, Booth said quietly, "I've seen Temperance when she was hurt, scared, or just emotional. I know when she's happy and when she's not."
Derek wasn't exactly sure where this was going. Was it Booth trying to be dominate or was he giving Derek his blessing? Instead of saying anything just yet, he again nodded.
"She's happy here, there is no denying it." Both men glanced at the girls sitting and laughing over something and Booth continued once again, "I've never seen her this happy. Not in her lab, where she was most comfortable, and nowhere close to being like this in a public place like this diner." Booth's half smile turned into a warning glare, "If you even think of hurting her, I won't hesitate to beat you to a pulp!"
Derek raised his hands in surrender, "Even if you didn't threaten to beat me, I wouldn't dare let it cross my mind. I really, really love her. I believe that she is my special person in this world and I wouldn't do anything that would ruin that."
"I see that," Booth sighed, "which is why I want to make sure you don't make the same mistake I did. She's been through a lot and she is too good of a person to keep purposely throwing more crap at her."
"Yeah, rough past, rocky present, but with all of us with her, she will have a smooth future."
Both of them chuckled for a few seconds before Angela called to them, "Hey, are you guys going to stand over there all night or are we going to sing happy birthday to the birthday girl?"
"Do you have to?" Brennan asked in a pleading voice.
"Of course we do!" everyone replied laughing.
Booth and Derek sat back down at the table and sang Happy Birthday along with everyone else. One of the waitresses brought a cake to their table and Brennan blushed in embarrassment but laughed as some of the guys actually squeaked as they tried to go as high as possible for the last note. As she blew out all of the candles after closing her eyes for only a brief second Booth gave Derek a small smile. It wasn't the happy ending for her that he had once hoped for, but this one was just as good. As long as Bones was happy, he was happy.
