Brennan fingered the necklace around her neck as she waited for Booth to meet her. She glanced down at the gold heart-shaped locket again and smiled. She opened it and looked at the tiny pictures of her and her mother and father. Booth had outdone himself this time, she thought as she closed the locket. It'd been a week since he'd given her the necklace and they hadn't been able to see each other since.
BB
Booth and Brennan sat at the bar of the Founding Fathers. Brennan sipped her water as Booth took a draw off his beer. If Booth noticed that she'd traded in wine for water, he didn't mention it.
"So, how's everything been going at the lab? Can't believe we haven't had a case to work on in a few weeks," Booth said, looking at Brennan. She looked a little paler these days, but other than that, he hadn't noticed anything amiss. Except she'd started keeping more to herself, seemed more guarded. He'd try to press a couple times but if she hadn't bit his head off, she'd just stayed silent.
"Pretty boring, I guess. Anymore attacks?" Brennan didn't return Booth's gaze. He wanted to take her in his arms and hold her to make everything better. But if she wasn't talking to him, she sure wouldn't
like him touching her.
"Only one other one, but thankfully, the woman was able to fight him off. We got a really good description of the vehicle, though. And she was able to tell us about some tattoos the guy had. They're working on leads now," Booth replied. "I'll feel much better once he gets off the streets, though. Whether you like it or not, we're friends and I worry about you."
"I'll be fine, Booth. Don't know how many times I have to say it before you'll believe it," Brennan said, holding her glass. It was still full and condensation was beading up on the side and sliding down. She grabbed a paper napkin and placed the glass on top of it. Just then, Booth's phone chirped.
"Booth. Okay, I'll be right there." Booth closed his phone and looked at his partner. "I've got to go to the office, want me to drop you off at the lab?" Brennan shook her head.
"No, I need to go talk to Caroline about something anyway. Isn't her office still on the third floor?"
"Sure is," Booth replied, laying a five dollar bill on the bar for their tab. "Let's go."
Booth drove quickly to the FBI building and parked in his reserved parking space. Once they were inside the building, they took the elevator up to the third floor where Brennan would meet Caroline. They exited the elevator as two agents with a suspect got on. The suspect, tattoos covering his arms, took one look at Brennan and smiled.
"I know you," he said. Brennan noticed his front two teeth were missing and he had severe body odor. Booth put his hand up to stop the elevator from closing. The agents looked at him like he was crazy, but Booth didn't notice. He was glaring at the man between them.
"What do you mean you know her?" Booth asked, glaring at him.
"I know you," the man replied, not taking his eyes off Brennan. She felt her skin crawl and the feeling of de ja vu was unnerving.
"This here, Agent Booth, is Jasper Jenkins. We have evidence to believe he's the rapist that has been targeting parking garages all over D.C.," one of the agents spoke up. Booth put his hand up to stop the door from closing again.
"The man who attacked that woman at the Jeffersonian?" The agent nodded. Booth looked at Brennan, who was white as a sheet.
"Bones. Do you know this man?" Booth's brown eyes peered into her own. She tried to formulate the lie, but it wouldn't pass her lips. "Bones?" The man was still glaring at her with the wicked grin on his face. Brennan lunged at him, nailing him with a punch to the face and then kicking him in the groin. The agents that were with him just stood by watching her before Booth picked her up and dragged her out of the elevator. This time, he let the doors shut.
"I think its time we had a talk," Booth said, leading her to Caroline's office. Caroline was on the phone and looked angry at the interruption, but quickly ended her call anyway.
"Agent Booth. Dr. Brennan. To what do I owe this pleasure?" Booth sat Brennan down in a plush seat opposite Caroline's desk and he perched on the corner, facing her.
"I heard they caught the man they believed attacked those women around area parking garages," Booth said, not taking his gaze off Brennan.
"Yep," Caroline replied, getting out of her chair and stuffing a folder into her briefcase. "I've got to go to the judge right now and schedule the arraignment."
"It can wait," Booth replied. Caroline glared at Booth and then looked at Brennan. "Something going on? Love spat perhaps?" Booth shook his head.
"I'm thinking there's another victim that we haven't interviewed yet," Booth replied, looking at Brennan. Her face flushed with anger. Caroline looked at Brennan again.
"Uh huh," she said, sitting her stuff down and grabbing a note pad. "Go on."
"Yea, Bones. Why don't you tell Caroline here how that man knows you?"
"Why are you being so mean, Booth? This has nothing to do with you or your ego!" Brennan spat. She was embarrassed for being put on the spot and for being forced to talk about something she had no intentions of ever talking about to anyone. But she knew, even though she'd never seen her attacker's face, that the man the FBI had in custody had indeed attacked her. Booth didn't reply to her comment which made her know that he was angry.
"Fine!" Brennan got up and started pacing. "I was walking to my car the night of April 5th. Wendell and I were cataloging some remains from limbo and I let him leave earlier in the evening. I don't remember what time I left the lab, I just remembered walking to my car, chloroform being placed over my face and then waking up some time later back at my car. I don't know what happened in between."
"I assume since you didn't report this to the proper authorities, you at least kept evidence. I'd like to have it analyzed by our lab here," Caroline replied, jotting down notes. Brennan didn't look at Booth when she said "I didn't keep any evidence." Caroline's pen stopped moving on the pad and she looked up.
"You mean, you, the brilliant scientist, who has the job of catching murderers based on evidence didn't keep any at all?" Brennan shook her head. "Well, that makes this case a slam dunk." Caroline closed her pad and put the cap back on her pen. "Look, Dr. Brennan. I am sorry this happened to you. I really am. But without evidence linking that man to your attack, there's nothing I can do. My hands are tied." Brennan cleared her throat.
"There is something else," she said, purposely avoiding Booth. She understood that he wanted to be her protector and that it hurt him to have all this kept from him by her, but he had to understand why she did it.
"I'm..." Brennan took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant." Booth shot up off the desk as if his rear end was on fire. He stalked out of Caroline's office, slamming the door.
"Now that's a horse of a different color," Caroline said, walking around the desk to stand in front of Brennan. Brennan looked at her confusingly.
"I don't know what that means."
"It means, cherie, that if we can get a DNA sample from that little bun in your oven, we can try to match it with Mr. Jenkins. And if it's a match, well, as they say, the rest is history." Brennan nodded and grabbed her bag. "Wait, Dr. Brennan." Brennan stopped at the door and turned.
"I know I can seem like a real mean woman sometimes, but I really am sorry this happened to you. And if I succeed, I'll make sure this guy rots in hell for what he did to you and those other women."
"Thanks." Brennan walked out of Caroline's office and stood in front of the bank of elevators waiting for the next one. She never thought that telling her story would be such a release, but it was like the weight had been finally lifted. She pushed the 'down' button once again. She didn't realize Booth was standing beside her until he spoke.
"I wished you would've come to me about this, Bones. You know I would do anything for you," he said softly. She looked at him, but he didn't look at her.
"I know you would, Booth. Which is exactly why I didn't come to you, or anyone. I didn't want anyone doing anything for me. I just wanted it to all be over," she replied. She watched the elevator door as it opened, but she didn't step inside. Booth put his arm around Brennan and squeezed.
"We're partners. If you need to lean on me, it's okay. No one's going to think less of you if you do," Booth replied. "You did it for me, remember?" Brennan knew he was referring to Hannah. She leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed.
"I'm sorry Booth," she said.
"It's okay," he replied, kissing the top of her head. Her hair smelled faintly of strawberries. He could feel that he was on the precipice of something big if he'd just take the leap. His free hand tilted her chin up to face him and he bent down.