Chapter Three: Shadow Brennan
The greatest road block that was stopping her from escaping, was a device Clay modified and tweaked, and he attached to Brennan's wrist. It seemed to her that it was a some kind of homing device. He once told her about the consequences if she tried to distance herself far enough for the alarm to tick off. It was set to keep her within a hundred and fifty meter radius, and if she went beyond that, one of her friends would blow up.
Once, she broke the rule, because of course, she didn't believe what he was capable of. By the end of the day, Sweets' office blew up, source of explosion was said to be a bomb modified to look like a simple pen. Sweets was safe, but Brennan couldn't risk any of their lives for her freedom anymore.
"Tempe, I'm home." Clay called out from the ground floor. His voice alone sent chills up her spine. Made her sick.
There she laid on the comfortable mattress, in a room adorned with pretty furnishes, and yet, she still thought of it as prison. Because it was what it was. The homing device in her wrist made steady beeps, watching its screen as the distance went lower and lower, as Clay neared her room. The knob turned, and there he was, standing by the door, holding a tray of fruits for dinner.
"Ahh, getting comfy dear?" He mused, placing the tray over a small table.
Brennan only glared. She couldn't stand being with him in the same room, let alone talk to him.
"Hmm, I have something for you. Might help with the coping, I guess?" He wore an evil smirk on his face, as he handed Brennan a small manila envelope. Brennan sat still. "Come on, dear. Open it."
Clay handed the envelope closer, and she found herself itching to get a hold if it. She reached her hand out; struggling with the cuff he tied her to some metal ring. "That's it." Clay mumbled, surrendering the envelope to Brennan.
Her fingers were shaking, as she reached for the contents. Slowly, she pulled out several 8r pictures. It was of a drop dead gorgeous woman, sweet, and elegant. Brennan looked up at him, stopping at the second picture.
"What's this?"-she asked.
"Behold, Julia Bernard. Soon to be, you know..." He muttered teasingly, taking advantage of Brennan's state.
Brennan felt herself let out a shaky gasp, as she went on to the third picture, fourth, fifth...And then she knew she couldn't play weak in this game. Showing weakness would only motivate Clay. She cleared her throat, "What's this have to do with anything?"
"You know, I just thought you might want to see who your partner ended up with." He explained, grinning like a foolish puppy.
Brennan shot a cold, hard glare, returning the envelope to him, but secretly kept one. "I don't see why I would wish to know. Do you; have a crush on this Julia? You seem, interested in their engagement."
Clay lost composure, and his ears seemed to ooze with smokes of anger. Brennan then knew Clay had more issues than she ever imagined. If only Sweets was here. If only...any of them were.
"Lucky for you, I love you so much."-he said, his jaws clenched. Clay took the tray, and placed it on Brennan's bed.
"You know, I have a business preposition for you, Bren."
There was something in his voice that told her gut she wouldn't like whatever it was he had to say. She didn't bother looking up, and instead moved as far as the chain links of her feet would allow.
"Marry me." Clay said, as serious as serious could be. Brennan turned her gaze on him, completely dumbfounded. She couldn't believe he asked her to be his wife. He actually made her life a living hell. Even when marriages didn't mean anything to her, there was no chance in the world would she agree to be Clay Summink's wife.
"You asked me that before." She reminded him.
"I'm asking you again."
"No!" Brennan shrieked, "I'd rather starve."
Clay chuckled, and walked closer towards the bed. "Starve, aye?" He mumbled out of composed fury, and took the tray back from her. "As you wish, love." He leaned forward, in an attempt to close the distance between them. Brennan shrugged, and pushed him away with all the energy she had.
"Get away from me!" She spat at him.
Clay bit his bottom lip, and backed away with a playful smirk.
-o-o-o-o-o-
Julia Bernard. She was such a smart, young woman. Three years younger than Brennan, but also less brilliant. The Jeffersonian already found the best anthropologist they could ever find, and it was Brennan. No one ever questioned that.
Julia came in a few months after Brennan's death. She got what she expected. Untrusting colleagues, especially the artist, Angela. She knew the very reason. They were Brennan's people. And, even after two years, they still were. Though she had warmed up to them, drinks after cases and small talks during breaks.
She was five foot six, auburn hair, round emerald green eyes, and porcelain white skin. Her lashes were perfectly curled, her lips thin, but of a sweet kind. Tall, and lean, and vintage were mostly her fashion choice, and she looked rather beautiful in it. But it was her out going, and honest personality that took Booth closer to her. Her anthropology career was one thing. Julia reminded him so much of his beloved partner.
"Ahh, Dr. Bernard, you need me?" Wendell swooped into her office, clutching a handful of case files.
Julia looked up, "Yes, Dr. Bray. I've been told that the Maluku Islands files were sent to your desk?"
Sure it was sent to him, three days ago. It just bothered him so much, that his mentor's hard work-Brennan-in the Maluku project would all be taken care of by Bernard. Wendell, and all the others were convinced of Julia's abilities. But the Maluku, was basically the last dig Brennan worked on. She gave up so much for it.
"Dr. Bray, do you have the files?" she asked again, this time, striking the bossy tone.
Wendell snapped up, nodding immediately. "Yes, I have them. The files were addressed to me. I just noticed them this morning. I'll bring them to you right away Dr. Bernard."
"Hmm," She sighed cautiously. "Alright, send them in."
Wendell let out a relieved sigh. Glad she didn't dig any deeper, though it was apparent that she was suspicious. She had always been, for the last two years and a half. Then, he disappeared to the busy crowd, thankful that he didn't work for the doc, but for the Jeffersonian itself. If he was an intern then he'd be kicked out.
"Hey, man what's the rush?" Hodgins ran into him, noticing the uneasiness Wendell himself wasn't aware of. He stopped by his trail, and so did Hodgins. "Well, Dr. Bernard's asking for the files now. The Maluku Islands files."
Hodgins gasped as the reason for it occurred to him. "Oh. Oh no..."
"I know she has the right to have them, but...this is Dr. B's project, Hodgins. We all feel the same way about this, right?"
"What's going on? Wendell-" Angela snapped at them, her personal sketch pad clutched on her side. "-you seem, distracted?"
"Ange, I'm about to give Dr. Bernard the Maluku files. It's...Dr. Brennan and Dr. Wick's project. Mostly, Dr. Brennan's."
"Wendell," Angela said in a low, calm whisper. "I understand. We all do, and we all feel the same way about these things. But, Bren would want her project to go on. And, Julia's our best bet. She's...actually good at what she does."
"Besides, it'll still be credited to Dr. B, right?" Hodgins asked.
"She will share credit with Bren and Daisy. It works that way." Angela replied.
Julia wondered what took Wendell so long to return. Peeking by the double door of her office, she saw Wendell, Hodgins and his wife, speaking to each other by the side of the platform. They were distant enough that they couldn't hear whatever it was that they were talking about. Eavesdropping wasn't her thing, but her gut told her they were talking about her.
Walking up from behind, she cleared her throat. "Who will share credit with Dr. Brennan and Dr. Wick?"
Wendell and Hodgins were facing their backs on Julia, so Angela had to deal with Julia's suspicious, and somewhat underestimated glare. "Dr. Bernard, hey there. Hey uhm, I got to go. Still have a lot of skulls from Limbo to sketch."
Awkwardly, Angela hurried to leave.
"We were just talking about...you know? the..."
"I'm not stupid, Dr. Hodgins. Actually, I'm quite smart. Both intellectually and emotionally." She boasted. Brennan did that so many times when she was alive, but coming from Julia, it had a different, mean vibe. She smirked, and went on.."From what I've heard around here, Dr. Brennan...she was a hard, cold mentor."
Hodgins' ears rang endlessly, her very words echoed through his mind. Could she be really talking about Temperance Brennan? He couldn't help but develop fury against the woman before her. Brennan was more than a colleague to them. "Whoa," Hodgins spat at her, and leaned forward like he was going to put a hit on her, Wendell had to get a grip on him. "-How could Booth even like you?" He dropped the bomb.
"Excuse me?" Julia shot back, her pitch unusually higher than the usual.
"Oh! I know. I bet he doesn't know what you think of Brennan. Does he?" he went on, his eyes blazing with fury. It wasn't long till the squints gathered around to see what the commotion was about. "You will not talk about Brennan that way, Julia. You're not her. Obviously, she's no like other, may it be in forensic anthropology, or as a person. She may be emotionally detached...but..."
"Come on, man. Let's go." -Wendell said, tugging Hodgins with his arms. "Simmer down, Hodgins."
Julia stood, dumbfounded. "What does Booth have to do with anything..."
"Hey, what's going on here?" Cam swooped in through the crowd, and made it her initiative to stand between Hodgins and Julia.
Hodgins eventually regained composure, and straightened his lab coat for added posture. Turning his gaze from Julia to Cam, he shook his head. "Just a little misunderstanding, Dr. Saroyan." He scoffed, and eventually disappeared to his office.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Cam unusually let the issue go. Probably because, she was on Jack Hodgins' side, Julia thought. Barely surviving the weight of the stares that the witnesses gave her, she returned to her office rather embarrassed. Seven-thirty in the evening. In fifteen minutes, Booth would come and pick her up for dinner. Sure he'd also pick up clues on what just happened.
Since she started working in the Jeffersonian Institution, she knew what was ahead of her. The looks of Brennan's previous colleagues was not a problem. But their suspicions and distrust of her capabilities was a different story.
Julia resided in the same office Brennan once occupied. Continued most of her works, and dealt with her people. Every finding she made, they compared to Brennan silently, if they weren't too brave to tell it to her face. She leaned against the back of her chair, picturing the woman that she had been constantly compared to.
As long as she existed there, she'll forever live in Temperance Brennan's shadows.
But she thought she had something Brennan could never have experienced. Her imperviousness, it was what drove Booth away from her. And Julia thanked her for that matter.
"Well..." Julia whispered to herself. "I got the ring."
-o-o-o-o-o-o-