Chapter 4~ Regrets
Booth tried not to put a finger on what was wrong with Julia. When he picked her up at the Jeffersonian, he couldn't just ignore the heavy weight of the stares from some of the squints. He got worried. If memory served, it was the same chill he felt when he first spoke to Julia, only a few months after Brennan's death. He knew how the squints idolized his late partner, and sure they had thoughts of what he and Brennan really were.
After his and Julia's first date, he could feel a hint of disappointed from Angela's face, though she made it clear that she was happy he moved on with his life.
Hodgins, acted a bit too strange when he ran over him in the hall. He didn't bother saying 'hi', instead he avoided his gaze. A part of him, mad and bothered that Brennan's friends didn't seem to like Julia Bernard. When, equally, she was as brilliant with Brennan, that's what he thought. The other part of him, felt guilty over constantly turning down his old friends because Julia insisted that he should stay with her.
That night, their dinner was just a 'dinner'. Nothing special. Julia was quieter than the norm, and Booth...was distracted. Not being able to bear the uncomfortable ice that was slowly tearing them apart, Booth offered to take her home, which she gratefully accepted.
Even inside his car, she remained quiet.
He would not want to pry, but...I'm his fiancé. I have the right, right?
"Jul...Hey." He finally said. Julia turned her gaze from the busy streets to him, her eyes somewhat glassy, and teary. She didn't say a word, but her eyes were enough to explain her feelings. "Hey, what's the matter?"
"Uhm..." Julia sighed. "Hodgins...and I,"
"-did he put up a fight with you? That'd make sense, since he avoided me this evening." Booth snapped at her, already becoming so protective over something he didn't fully know about.
Julia was smart. And she chose to trim down the story for her better good. For now. She nodded, "Yeah, it's...like..."
"I'll talk to him, alright?" He reassured her, and placed his free hand on top of hers, squeezing it gently.
Though, Julia thought it wasn't a good idea. AT ALL. If he spoke to Hodgins, he'll find out what she said about Brennan . . . and Booth loved Brennan. Julia knew that. Immediately, she shook her head, "No, Seeley. It's fine. We're good."
With her good acting, she had wrapped him in her little finger. And Booth, he was undeniably head over heels in love with her.
Booth smirked; rest assured that Julia was alright. "Okay. But next time, I'll talk to him, okay? This isn't the first time you had a fight with Hodgins...and..." Hodgins isn't the scandalous type of guy. But he chose not to include that in his little speech. "...don't worry; he'll eventually warm up to you. He's still trying to move on without Bones as his colleague. They'd been through a lot, Jul."
Yeah, I see that. "Hmm, I understand."
Just then, she turned quiet again. He chose to let her awkwardness pass. There was still so much to learn about Julia Bernard, Booth thought.
For the last time of the day, he leaned over, closing the distance between his lips and her ears, and gently whispered, "I love you, Jul. that's..."
"A constant?"-Julia cut him off. Booth chuckled, nodding in return. "I love you too, Seeley."
He watched her descend from his car, and as she walked the familiar pathway that led to her big, white door.
Booth was happy. He was sure of it. But a sting of regret lived on in his heart-I should have given Bones a chance. She should have given me one chance. She had...nothing to lose.
-o-o-o-o-o-
"I'm really, really, upset Hodgie. I really am." Angela mused, with a familiar disgusted tone mixed with her normal voice. Hodgins sat quietly in the living room calmly, though Angela could tell he was just trying to hide his fury. He promised himself not to throw a fit at home, especially when Michael and Catherine were with them.
"Don't be upset with me." Hodgins replied back.
Angela showed herself from the kitchen, arms crossed together on her waist. "Am not, Jack. Not at you."
He let out a relieved sigh, and moved aside so there could be enough space for Angela. "I was just...protecting Dr. B, I know what I was doing, Ange."
"I know you did."
"I never thought Julia would..." he sighed."...could say things like that against Brennan. She didn't know her."
"Brennan was nothing like Julia thought she was..." Angela reassured him. "...we know that. In fact, she had a very...big heart, ya'know."
Hodgins smiled at the memory of his late friend. "Yeah, you're right Ange..."
"So tomorrow, you'll apologize to her."
Hodgins snapped, "What? Are you kidding me? She started it!"
"Please don't be such a kid, Hodgins. And besides, she has to apologize too. You just...say sorry to her first."
"Ugh." He scoffed. "Fine." But he had a better compromise. "Only if, we will pick up Cath and Michael in your dad's house this weekend. Are we good?"
"Alright, we're good."
Suddenly, Angela's phone went off. She took a quick note on the caller ID, and it wasn't registered. She always didn't want to answer mystery calls.
Ring, ring..."Who is it?" Hodgins asked, seeing the unusual confused look on Angela. She shook her head, and waited for the call to go on the answering machine.
"I don't know...the number isn't saved in my contacts." Angela replied softly, and turned the call to loudspeaker, still waiting for the message to come in.
Moments later, a quick beep went off. "Angela it's...*sobs* no! Get away from-" and the call ended.
Angela gasped, "Oh my God, Hodgins..."
"It may only be a prank call, Ange...let it go." Hodgins said, though he himself believed he just heard something that he hadn't heard in years. The very idea of it sent goose bumps all over his body.
"Hodgins, didn't you hear?" Angela pointed out, tears already streaming down her cheek. "It...It sounded exactly like Brennan!"
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Some nights, Clay chose to sleep beside Brennan. With all her might, she would try to distance herself from him in the medium sized bed. Tonight, he did the same, and must have forgotten to take his phone back in his pocket, because it freely hung from his hand closer to her side.
After all her plans of safety and precautions for her escape, the phone couldn't be more tempting. It'd be an opportunity for her to let her friends know she was still there. Hence, they'll start looking.
Slowly, she reached an arm out to the phone, careful not to shake the bed to wake him up. Luckily, it slipped through his palms effortlessly. She sighed in relief, and slowly turned the screen on.
Damn, security code. First thing that came into her mind: Temperance. That had to be the code. And she was right. Just as always. Brennan then dialed the first digits she knew by heart: Angela. She could trace the call if it would last for more than thirty seconds at least, or if not, she would recognize her voice. She held the device into her ear, getting more and more frustrated, and her best friend wouldn't pick up.
A brief moment later, she only reached her answering machine. Brennan sighed, and hurriedly spoke into the receiver. "Angela it's..." SLAP. Clay woke up. She realized she wasn't being so careful with her voice. He leaned over, and tugged her hair to him. "No..." she fought back. "Get away from me!"
He took his phone from her, and released Brennan. She fell onto the bed, hitting her head slightly on the headboard and curled up into a ball. All she could think of is the piercing pain, and the call she just made. She only hoped for it to be recognized. She needed to be found.
"Do you think you can escape me just like that, huh?" He was blazing with fury. His eyes spoke nothing but of anger he couldn't control. His hands curled into a hard fist, without him noticing. He lifted an arm in the air, and his fury landed on Brennan's cheek line. She gasped in pain, and covered herself for another punch coming.
That night he adorned her porcelain skin with angry black bruises.
Brennan couldn't stop wishing she'll die with it. Death doesn't hurt. This, and life. It hurts. A lot.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-