True to her word, Brennan arranged for the team to get together for drinks the following weekend, Sweets brought Daisy, Cam asked Paul to join them and Booth and Hannah were both in attendance. Booth had grumbled slightly at receiving his invitation via his girlfriend rather than from his partner who had taken the time to invite everyone else. Hannah had naturally defended her friend by insisting that it was merely more convenient for Hannah to ask him since Brennan had asked Angela and herself earlier in the week during one of their lunch meetings. He'd simply shaken his head in dismissal.
Apart from Booth being a bit out of sorts, everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves, Mark was a hit with the ladies right off the bat and Hannah had leaned in front of Booth to whisper her approval to Brennan who had responded rather enthusiastically about how much she was enjoying her time with him. Booth had excused himself abruptly to go to the bar causing a raised eyebrow from Hannah but Brennan was distracted by Mark leaning into her and placing a soft kiss on the side of her neck.
"I like your friends." He nuzzles her temple with his nose and she leans into him.
Hannah glances at the bar, Booth is leaning against it, his gaze boring holes into his partner and her boyfriend, but on feeling her eyes on him he tears his away and smiles at her, as though he hasn't just been caught out.
"I like that you like my friends." Brennan turns to Mark with an affectionate grin. "This was a good idea, I think that we should do this more often, if you would like."
"I would like that a lot." He looks at his phone on the table which has lit up and vibrating, an incoming call. The screen reads 'Mom and Pop', so with a sheepish grin and another kiss to her temple Mark excuses himself to take the call in the street outside of The Founding Fathers.
Angela slides into Mark's now vacated seat and gives Brennan a nudge with her shoulder accompanied by a saucy grin. "Sweetie, he is so cute!" Brennan blushes uncharacteristically.
"Yes, I find that I like him very much."
"It doesn't bother you that he's only a barman?" Booth slides back onto his chair next to Hannah. The blonde reporter looks mortified by his question, Angela throws him a warning glance and Sweets suddenly loses interest in Hodgins' and Cam's debate about experiments.
"Seeley!"
"What? Bones is a career driven woman, she's made it plain that she likes successful men, Mark must barely get by, what with rent and bills. You're not a little disappointed that he's not as serious about his job as you are?"
Before anyone can interject, Brennan's steely gaze rises to his challenge, and for a second he is shamed by the hurt that he sees in her eyes, but it's gone just as quickly as it appeared and she juts her chin out defiantly. "Not at all, money is not important to me and it obviously isn't to Mark either, and if career markers were taken into consideration Booth, I would never have had feelings for you in the past." His eyes falter and they both silently acknowledge that she has won this challenge. Brennan's eyes flit to Hannah who gives her a nod and a reassuring smile to let her know that she isn't upset with her for bringing up the past. Angela on the other hand is attempting to hide her smirk behind her drink while watching Booth shift uncomfortably in his seat.
Sweets, knowing that Booth may very well take up previous threats of serious bodily harm, can't help but feel that he should redeem Mark and so finds himself leaning into Brennan across the table and saying just loud enough for everyone, including the agent to hear "Mark was telling me that he has his Masters in Economics, he studied at Harvard?"
Brennan smils at him gratefully, seeing this out for what it was. "Yes, his parents are successful business owners in Massachusetts."
"So why didn't he go into the business?" Hannah was quick to jump in and show Brennan that there were no hard feelings, she knew that Booth was being an ass and she knew exactly the reason why.
"Mark decided that he wanted to travel the world, see as much of it as he could before he took over the family business when his parents retire. He has visited more countries than even myself. He was supposed to be travelling to Tibet in a month's time, he has however decided to cancel his trip." She smiled a little self-consciously and it was evident to everyone at the table that she was the sole reason for that decision.
A hand on her shoulder alerts her to Mark's presence but when she turns to him smiling, the expression on his face is enough to motivate her off of her chair. "Mark?"
"Can we go outside for a minute?"
"Yes of course" she allows him to lead her outside with an arm around her shoulders. She misses the glance that Booth throws her way, and the curious stare that the psychologist serves him with.
Once outside, she wraps her arms around her shoulders against the cold breeze that assaults her and waits patiently for Mark to begin.
"It's my dad, he's had a heart attack." Her hand reaches for his arm and he places his hand atop hers gratefully. "My mom needs me to go up there, the doctors don't know much of anything right now, I just know that I need to get there quickly."
"I know some very good doctors." She quickly interjects. "I'm very sorry about your father, but heart attacks are fairly common and though frightening right now, your father has a good chance of recovering fully." He lifts her hand to his lips and presses a soft kiss to it before she lays her palm against his cheek. "I'm not very good at saying the right thing at times like this, but if you need me to come with you I will arrange the appropriate leave with Cam.." She's half turning to go back inside and demand some personal time when he draws her back to him with a hand on her shoulder.
"I know that you would drop everything to come with me, despite hating taking any kind of personal leave, and I love you for it. I think that I should go ahead alone, get a handle on the situation… and if I need you to come up there and support me, I swear I'll call you right away." He looks unsure that she'll accept this, and although a part of her strongly desires to be with him in his hour of need she reluctantly nods her acceptance. Pulling her into a bear hug he breathes her in deeply and sighs into her hair "I don't deserve you Temperance, but I'm damn to glad to have you in my corner."
Angela watches the scene unfolding from inside, completely unaware of what's happening between her friend and Mark, aware only that it is serious. She smiles when she sees them share a tender kiss and another long hug before Mark leaves her alone in the street. Angela slides from her stool and starts to waddle towards the entrance to The Founding Fathers, not realising that Booth who has also been witnessing the scene is on his way to do the same thing. She puts a hand on his shoulder and shakes her head.
"I'll go Booth, you go back to Hannah." He opens his mouth to protest, but sensing the apprehensive gaze from his girlfriend he nods and rejoins Hannah at the table.
Brennan is already through the entrance door and on her way back to the table when she happens upon Angela, her expression is tired and she no longer looks up to spending any time with her friends. "Sweetie? What's wrong? Where's Mark?"
"His father suffered a coronary event, Mark has returned to Massachusetts to be with his family."
"Oh God, that's horrible." The artist steers her back to the table and onto her stool. "Are you going with him?"
"I offered, but he told me that he will call me if I'm needed. There is nothing to suggest that his father is not going to pull through at this time." Looking for her purse and her coat she mumbles "I don't much feel like staying, I would rather go home now."
"Of course, I'll come with you." Angela goes to grab Jack but Brennan smiles at her gratefully.
"I would rather be alone Angela, but I appreciate the offer." Angela searches her face for a moment and sees that she is being serious, she nods silently but her eyes expressing her deepest sympathy for her friend. With a brief goodnight to her friends Brennan sweeps out of The Founding Fathers before any further questions can be asked and before anyone else can offer to take her home.
So Mark's out of the picture for now, not off of the scene entirely, but Booth's definitely going to take advantage of the time that he has with her alone.
Interested? Well let me know with a review… I'm not above begging lol