Light
It happened every year when this day came around- not a birthday or even the date of someone's death- but a memorable day nonetheless. Four years had now passed since she had looked up and seen the face of her mother staring back at her in the Angelator.
Until that day, she had always held out hope that her parents were alive somewhere- that they had been taken against their will and were doing everything in their means to get back to her. It was irrational, of course, with all of the time that had passed, to think such a thing was possible, but she had allowed herself that one fantasy. And so today marked the death of her dreams and left only the sting of reality.
She fought back the tears and the heaviness that were trying to take over and failed. The words on the paperwork before her turned to meaningless symbols, before becoming blurred by her tears. It felt as if the weight of the world were bearing down entirely on her shoulders and she stood slowly and trudged over to her couch, collapsing in an undignified heap.
The blanket was waiting for her, draped over the couch as usual and she pulled it close, cocooning herself it its warmth and inhaling deeply in an attempt to calm herself. The scent of Booth's cologne still lingered and it eventually lulled her to sleep.
****
He stood just outside her door, not sure if he dared enter. He knew what today was, what it meant to her, and could only imagine what she was doing to herself to push all of her feelings away. One year he had taken her to the graveside, another they'd just gone to the diner and talked about anything and everything except her family. Steeling his resolve for whatever he would find, he squared his shoulders and entered the office without knocking.
He surveyed the room. Her desk was in its normal state of organized chaos, though she was not sitting at it as he'd expected. He turned to the coat rack and confirmed that her jacket and purse were still there so she had not left. He already knew that she wasn't on the platform or in Limbo, so that just left one place.
Walking as softly as he could, he crept around the couch and smiled. She was asleep, curled up in her blanket.
"You know," she lifted her head lazily and opened her eyes, "For a sniper you sure do make a lot of noise."
He threw his arms up in the air and gave her an innocent grin that said he had no clue what she was talking about. She rolled her eyes at him, then sat up slowly and tilted her head, inviting him to joint her on the couch.
"You know what we doing today, Bones?" he asked, putting his arm around her.
She frowned at the arm but let him keep it there, "I wasn't aware that we are doing anything."
"Ah," he tapped her nose with the hand that wasn't resting just above her shoulder, "But we are."
"Booth," she looked at him and there was so much emotion in that one word he knew she was hurting inside, "I'm just not up to anything today- perhaps tomorrow, or the following day."
"Well we can do things those days too if you really want, Bones," he kept his tone light, "But tonight we have something else to do."
"And what is that?" her heart was still not into it, but at least she wasn't throwing him out right away.
"You, Dr. Temperance Brennan, are going to make me some of your delicious mac-n-cheese and I am going to enjoy it!"
"How in the world does that help me?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Come again?"
She sighed, obviously exasperated with him, "Every year, Booth, you come in here with some new way to cheer me up on this day. The graveside visit- the diner; I've come to expect that you will show up, so your presence is not surprising. What I don't understand is how me making you macaroni and cheese will help me feel better."
"Maybe I'm just craving mac-and- cheese, Bones," laughing inwardly because as she had been chewing him out she had made her way over to the coat rack and now was letting him help her into her jacket, "Besides, we'll do that, then rent a movie or something."
"I only have a VCR."
They walked out of her office.
"Then we'll head out to the movies."
They reached the parking lot.
"I'm not particularly diverted by most cinematic features, which is why I have not put forth any effort to purchase a DVD player."
They were standing, facing each other just behind his SUV.
"Then I'll do a strip show for you, Bones," he was getting a tad frustrated, "That might divert you."
They climbed in the car.
"You know, you have an extremely strong ego when it comes to your physical prowess- isn't pride a deadly sin for Catholics?"
He started the car.
"Oh come on, Bones, you know you liked what you saw last year."
"I refuse to feed your ego any further," she crossed her arms.
They drove in silence to her apartment and he sensed she was slipping back into her melancholy. When they arrived, he was sure of it as she not only waited for him to open her passenger's side door, but also did not protest one bit when he slipped his arm around her shoulders and half-guided her up to her apartment. She fumbled with the keys before finding the right one and unlocking the door for them.
"Mac-n-cheese time now Bones, chop chop!" he announced when they were inside.
"What if I decided to chop chop you instead?" she asked sarcastically, then sighed, falling onto her couch, "Honestly, Booth, I appreciate the ride home but I am not going to be good company tonight."
"Com' on, Bones," he hauled her to her feet, "I'm starving."
For the next half hour he prodded and pushed, comforted and cajoled, until finally he could see the weight lifting off her shoulders as she put her full effort into cooking the dinner for him and chasing him away from the food. By the time dinner was over, she was laughing at his antics; the melancholy completely gone.
"Hey, Booth," she said as he put on his jacket and retrieved his keys.
"Yeah, Bones?"
"Thank you," her voice was soft, but not sad, and she smiled as she spoke.
They shared a look that let him know it was okay for him to leave for the night.
"Anytime, Bones," he told her, "Anytime."
