Author's Note: Probably thought I dropped dead somewhere by now, didn't y'all? Well I didn't. So here's the latest chapter. For some reason I tried to make this the last one but the story just couldn't seem to let me finish it off already…
Well, on to the story!
Chapter IV
Booth took a step back and reached into his coat pocket.
Then, with his other hand, he took Temperance's own and placed something in it.
She looked up at him with a questioning look.
"I was thinking of giving it to you as a very early or very late birthday present. But uh…then this 'case' came up and then…Sully."
Brennan slowly spread her fingers open to reveal what lay in her palm. She almost gasped.
He continued, "I kept it in my pocket, debating with myself on whether to leave it on your doorstep or something. Then I thought about leaving it with Angela but figured I might not make it to my scheduled flight on time knowing how she insists with 'details' and the like."
He noticed the look on her face and snorted, "Give me a break, Bones. I honestly thought you were back with Sully and I certainly did not want the last image I might have of you before I leave to be tainted with his image too."
Then he added before she could either smack him or retort, "Anyway, it's yours –if you want it."
X X X X X
The lab is nearly devoid of people.
Nearly.
As always, there is a certain forensic anthropologist who refuses to go home at a decent hour. True to form, the guards who are making their rounds are unsurprised and feeling a bit sympathetic as they take note of the lights centered on the platform and a few more illuminating a path towards the office of said scientist.
Jerry, one of the guards that covered the night shift, used to joke about how long he had been with the Jeffersonian that he could almost give one of those old bones in storage a run for their money in terms of age. The new ones found that a bit morbid but the ones who have known him for some time took it all in stride. After all, Jerry's humor beat those of the geek—or as Agent Booth liked to call 'em squints' humor—any day of the week.
When Dr. Temperance Brennan came to work for the Jeffersonian a few years back, ole' Jerry commented about how she stirred things up and made work all the more exciting. It helped that she was gorgeous to boot but to top it all of, she had the brains to put the rest of them scientists in the lab to shame. Well, there was Dr. Addy later on but it was hard to tell with that particular kid.
It took him by surprise when Agent Booth came into the scene later on.
First, because he never really figured an agent of the good FBI could last a day with them "squints," more so with Dr. Brennan.
When the guards over at day shift spread the word that a new agent had been assigned, bets were immediately collected on how long that particular "special agent" would last in the presence of the great doctor. After all, it hadn't been too long ago that a gaggle of agents came and went with either a bruised ego or a bruised behind. Although one came close to a fractured bone. Lord knew the sixth agent in line barely lasted two hours.
No one seemed to be quick enough or smart enough to keep up with her.
Second, because Special Agent Seeley Booth did more than last a day.
Jerry actually got a look at the guy.
Working in night shift can be comatose-inducing, although at least there was little trouble to be encountered for an old man like him. And Dr. Brennan was hardly any trouble. She stayed long into the early morning hours when he's packing up to head home himself. Whenever he heard stories of the latest attempts to get the doctor partnered with an FBI agent, stories were precisely all that Jerry got.
So imagine his surprise when he caught sight one night of this guy heading towards the lab. He asked him for an ID and the guy smiles politely as he introduced himself.
Jerry figured something was different with that particular agent but he couldn't pinpoint what it was beyond the fact that a guy like him came around this time of night looking for Dr. Brennan…for what?
Oh Jerry thought it was a fluke at first. That first night he met Booth, he waited for him to either limp on his way out or maybe even for the paramedics to come slamming their way in.
But he just HAD to give him credit when later on, the nightly visits came much more frequently.
Sometimes, he would come by with take-out containers from some Thai place. Other times, Booth would even drop him and his partner, Matt some food as well. He would just grin and wave their thanks away that it was nothing.
So, Jerry admitted that Seeley Booth was a good guy. He seemed to respect Dr. Brennan and vice versa. He overheard how the agent made his way out of the hospital to come after the doctor and save her from another agent. Another agent! Damn, feds. He couldn't deny that he started to admire the younger man as well.
Especially when later on, the nights that Dr. Brennan worked through till morning began to shorten. When Seeley Booth walked in, he usually came out with Temperance Brennan in tow.
She might be protesting on her way out, but even with his less than perfect eyesight, Jerry could see that as Booth's hand settled onto her lower back, guiding her in every way he could, Brennan's own was clasping a part of him. Be it his forearm, or the lapels of his coat as if to push him away… He could see that she was holding onto him. As if a bit afraid and hesitant that he might slip away while she wasn't looking or if she faltered in maintaining just the right amount of contact to keep him beside her. Not too close, but not too far.
Jerry felt proud to witness a great relationship in the making.
He knew without a doubt that they were perfect for each other.
He knew as much the night Booth let slip how detrimental his partner was—is—to him.
"Hey, Jerry!" Booth placed a couple of take-out containers on the nearby table and immediately, he felt his mouth water. "Wow. Thanks, Booth. God, not to be rude or anything but damn I missed Wong Foos. That diner food's good and all but I gotta say Sid's the man, hands down!" Jerry began to peer into the containers while Booth chuckled.
"Yes well, Bones likes to act all high and mighty on me when it comes to healthy eating but she's the first to dig into my plate of fries before it even hits the table. I noticed how she likes that diner's fries in particular." He shrugged.
Jerry grinned. "And you just aim to please don't you, Booth."
Booth tried to shrug it off once again and switched topics. "Try not to finish it all off, will you? Leave some for your partner." He smirked, putting emphasis on the word "partner."
"Yeah sure, Booth." The agent smiled before hoisting the rest of his take-out on the way into the lab.
"Hey thanks again, man. You should know Matt and I really appreciate this. We owe you like a lot already." He said sincerely with just a hint of humor. Booth never took their money whenever they tried to pay him for the food.
Booth paused mid-stride and turned back towards him.
"Hey, you guys look after my partner every night she decides to 'live' around here. I'd say I owe you, guys. Not the other way around."
Dr. Temperance Brennan had gone back to working till the morning.
Jerry swears that she hasn't even gone home for a couple of days straight a few times already.
He stands up and stretches, turning towards Matt who is perusing a crossword puzzle. He nudges him lightly, "You keep that up and you'll fall asleep."
"Says the man who drooled on Sudoku." Matt snorts.
Jerry rolls his eyes and looks at the direction of the lab and says softly, "She's at it again, isn't she."
Matt looks up from his puzzle and a somber look replace his mildly annoyed expression.
"Yeah. The past couple of weeks have been tougher than usual, I heard."
"No word yet?" Jerry asks. Matt shakes his head in response.
The older man sighs and looks down at his weathered shoes. "Who would have thought that an FBI agent would have made such an impression on this place…It's been eerier and colder than usual for some reason."
Matt could not help but agree as he puts down his pen and runs a hand through his hair.
"The 'squint squad' has been…different. In a way, Booth sort of got them together, I guess. I caught Mike one time on his way out and he said that things had been tense when the agent left. But when he was declared MIA…It was like a light flickered out of them or something."
True enough, it was as if the once cohesive team of Drs. Jack Hodgins, Zach Addy, Angela Montenegro, even Camille Saroyan and Temperance Brennan were no longer like the well-oiled machine that worked so brilliantly together.
"Dr. Saroyan tries. I know she does. But even they can see that her whole heart's not in it." Matt grumbled.
"It's like they're floundering around each other." He added.
"Bet it doesn't help with that new bumbling agent that got assigned, does it?" Jerry scoffed.
Matt wholeheartedly agreed.
"Who's the bumbling agent?" A voice piped in from behind.
Aaaaaaaaand to be continued…
Author's Note II: This is what happens when you procrastinate waaaaay too much…then try way too hard on ending a story that can't or WON'T let you either way. Sorry 'bout that. I'll try to be quick on the next one.