She sat on the couch, staring at the letters that were sitting there. Bailey looked at her curiously. She didn't know what to do. Booth had written these to her obviously, but he hadn't sent them. Why? Did he change his mind and not want her to read them? They were stamped and ready to go, so maybe he just forgot? No, that didn't seem like Booth. She ignored his text message, knowing he would be annoyed that she blew Hannah off that night after plans had been made, but she needed to read these. She couldn't wait another second.

...

Dear Bones,

The nights are lonely out here. I didn't know if we were to talk or not, so I haven't contacted you. I'm writing this letter because I think it might be a better way to start than by a phone call. I don't know if I'll send it, though. I want to hear from you first, so I know you're okay with talking to me. I hurt you. I know I did. I pushed. You aren't ready. I understand, or at least, I want to understand. Help me understand. Is there something so fundamentally wrong with me that you don't want to love me? I'm sorry. I take it back. I know you're not there where I am. I need to accept that. I hope you're safe.

Yours,
Booth

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Dear Bones,

I miss my son. I miss you. I miss the US of A. There is so much damn dirt over here that it's endless. I can't ever get clean. Sand, sand, sand everywhere, and I mean everywhere! I can almost hear you laughing right now. I miss your laugh. God, I miss everything about you. Where are you? What are you doing right now? Are you thinking about me? I hope you're thinking about me cos I'm thinking about you.

Yours,
Booth

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Dear Bones,

I met Lou today. He's a great guy, quite a character. I think we'll get along just fine. He plays a mean game of basketball, but I'll wear him down eventually. The others here don't really mingle with me much. I think they might be a bit afraid of me. You would call that Alpha dominance or something like that. I miss your squinty talk. I miss chasing bad guys! Over here, I'm just training kids to shoot. It's like kindergarten in the sniper division for the army almost. I'm just waiting to be called "Teach." I don't have any pets among my students that's for damn sure. No suck ups in my class. I think I should feel proud of that...

Yours,

Booth

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Dear Bones,

I have acquired a dog. His name is Chester. He just showed up here it seems, and I don't know where from. He's very loveable, you'd like him. I washed about a year's worth of dirt off him, and I could of swore he was grinning the whole time. He certainly has humanlike characteristics, and I feel he can understand me. Don't ask how I know. Yes, I can practically hear your eyes rolling at my irrational belief, but I don't care.

I hope you are well. The mission went well here, and I have a few days off to rest before going back out. I think about you all the time. I can't help but wonder if you think about me. I can't wait until we see each other again. I miss your laugh and your confused expressions over something you don't understand. Please be safe.

Yours,

Booth

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Dear Bones,

I had such hope today that you had sent me a letter. I was disappointed again. I wish I knew why you weren't writing me. I know I pushed too hard for you to love me, but I didn't realize you would stop talking to me once we were apart. I'm trying to think that you're just off somewhere in the bush where you have no idea what is up or down. It's better than thinking you're intentionally avoiding me.

Chester hit it off with Lou today. He seems to get along with everyone. He got a little too friendly at the mess hall begging for food, and he ate so many hot dogs that he threw up. Now he's been farting up a storm, and it's bad. Like, really bad. I am considering putting him outside for the night. He must realize that cos I'm getting the sad eyes right now. Mine, however, are watering so bad he looks like a blur. I can barely see to write. I am exaggerating a tad. Well, not really haha.

I hope you're all right. I miss you so much. I'm sorry again for everything. I just want things to go back to the way they were before when we talked and flirted with the idea of possibly being together. I knew you weren't ready. I don't know why I thought I could push through that. Anyway, I'm not going to hash that out again. I'm sure you're sick of hearing it.

Chester is doing this thing where he spins around and grabs his tail before looking at me. I think he's trying to show me how cute he is to make me feel bad for sending him outdoors. Yes, outdoors. I can't take it anymore. Sorry, Chester.

Please write soon.

Yours,
Booth

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Dear Bones,

We saved a reporter today. Yup, that's correct. I wasn't too pleased about the secrecy around it. I mean, it's a reporter. Why so secret? Anyway, Chester somehow got out of the camp and found me on the mission. That's right. He ran miles and miles until he found me. I couldn't believe it. I've never seen anything like it. I think I have the best dog on Earth right here at my feet. I wish you could meet him. I know you'd love him.

The nights seem so long right now. Without Chester, I think I'd go crazy. I hope you're safe. I hope I hear from you. I sometimes think of back home and wonder if they're still solving crimes. I hope Hodgins and Angela are having a blast in Paris. I hope Cam isn't too stressed on her own.

Parker sent me a letter asking when I was coming home. I feel bad. I don't know how to answer him. I guess I have some thinking to do.

Yours,

Booth

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Dear Bones,

Five months. That's how long it's been since I've seen or heard from you. I miss you. We are going on another mission tonight. I'm writing this as I'm waiting to load up. I don't think it will be a hard one. Just a basic routine check. A learning experience for my students. I hope you are well. I hope you are finding lots of bones. I hope you find what you're looking for. Lou said something interesting to me today. He said I was running away by being here, and he's right. I ran away. I pushed you, lost you, and I ran away. What kind of friend am I?

I'm sorry.

Yours,
Booth

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Dear Bones,

I lost Chester. I lost him, and it's all my fault. I lost him like I lost you. I don't know what I'm going to do now.

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Dear Bones,

Nothing about any of this means anything to me anymore. I don't know what to do. Lou tries to make me feel better. Hannah tries to make me feel better, but it's no use. I miss Chester. I miss my boy, my boss dog. I can't ever look at a hot dog again without seeing him. My heart is not into this anymore. I ache for you, for your words and touch, but you're not here. You haven't written me. I guess you really didn't want to talk to me after all. I still hang on, though, because we both know I have hope.

Yours,
Booth

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Dear Bones,

I know I can't stay here. I've decided to come home. Chester left a huge hole in my heart, and I can't fill it here. The reporter I told you about, Hannah, well, I've kind of become close with her. That makes me feel ashamed that I could even think about being with someone else when all I want is you. But I can't have you. My brain is trying to be logical here, which you know very well I suck at. I follow my gut, but this time, my gut isn't telling me that you're going to change your mind. It's telling me I should move on. I know deep in my heart that Hannah will never compare to you. Ever. I don't even know where things between her and I are going to go. I'll be home soon. Then I can see you. I don't know what to expect. Then again, with you, I never do. That's one reason why I love you. I will never stop loving you. Maybe one day you'll start loving me back.

Yours,
Booth

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Dear Bones,

I just saw you. You seemed happy to see me, and for some reason, that hurt. You didn't write me at all, and yet there you were acting like nothing was wrong. I don't know why I said things were serious with Hannah. They aren't. I think I spit it out to hurt you the way your silence hurt me. That was dumb. So dumb. I'm an idiot sometimes, which I know you know. I don't know what to do now because you're gonna keep your distance now that I'm with Hannah. Can I be honest? Hannah really isn't the one I want. It's you. I know you'll never read these, so I don't know why I'm writing this last letter, but I feel I gotta get this out of me. I still love you. Now I'm stuck with someone else. I don't know what I'm going to do.

Yours,

Booth

Chester/Bailey

I watched as she read them all. I didn't know what they said, but they made her laugh and cry and laugh some more. Then she looked solemn at the last one and set it down while staring off into space. I wondered what it meant. I went over to her and put my head on her knees.

"I have to talk to him," she said. "Before he does something stupid." She got up quickly and went for her keys. I knew that meant a car ride. I believed we were going to Booth's! I was very excited.

Brennan

"Why didn't you send me these?" Brennan asked when Booth opened the door. He stared at the letters in her hand in shock.

"How did you get those?" he demanded.

"Bailey found them and gave them to me," she answered. "Booth, why didn't you send them to me?" He pulled the door shut behind him so Hannah wouldn't hear.

"I was afraid," he answered quickly.

"Of what?"

"Your response. I wanted you to write me first to let me know it was okay to contact you. You never did."

"But I did..." Brennan trailed off.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"I did write you. I didn't know where you were going to be based, so I sent them to Rebecca to forward to you as I knew she would know how to contact you," she said. "Didn't you get them?"

"No," Booth answered. He still looked confused. He looked over at Bailey, noticing the dog looked guilty. The only way Bailey would know about his letters to her and find them would be if he was really Chester, but that made absolutely no sense. Booth was beginning to think he was losing his mind. Then, Bailey winked. Just like Chester used to.

"Where did you get Bailey?" Booth asked. Yup, he thought. I'm officially losing my freaking mind.

"At a rescue shelter," Brennan dismissed. "Booth, you should have sent these."

"And what would have happened if I had?" he asked. Brennan paused. What would she have done?

"I might have tried to come find you," she admitted after a moment. She met his eyes.

"Seriously?"

"Yes. Booth, I had been thinking about what happened the entire time I was on Maluku, and I was having doubts..."

"Don't. Bones, don't do this to me. I'm with Hannah now..."

"Are you? Are you really?" Brennan pressed. He knew she'd read them all and knew the truth.

"I wrote that last letter over five months ago," Booth said slowly. "Things changed."

"Did they?"

"Yes, Bones, they did. I'm sorry," he said. He didn't look at her. She wanted to cry.

"Okay," she said, backing away. "I'll leave you to your happy life. Don't expect me to be waiting when you figure it out." Then she turned and ran.

Chester/Bailey

We were walking in a park when a woman and a boy approached us.

"Bones!" the boy shouted. I sensed he knew my owner.

"Hi, Parker," Brennan said, smiling. She was still sad, though. I could tell. I was angry at Booth for lying. That's right, I could smell lies too.

"Can I pet your dog?" he asked.

"Yes," Brennan answered. Parker bent down and rubbed my ears. Ooohhh he knew just where to scratch. I wished I could transfer my good feelings to him so he could understand.

"What's his name?" Parker asked.

"Bailey," Brennan told him absently.

"Bailey," Parker said, looking into my eyes. "Bailey, Bailey, Bailey."

Bailey, Bailey, Bailey

I wondered if Parker knew Ethan?

"How are you?" the woman asked. I was half paying attention. This Parker was really letting me have it in the petting department. It was great.

"I'm fine," Brennan answered. "Although I do have a question for you."

"What's that?"

"Why didn't you send my letters to Booth?"

"Oh! I held on to them in the end because some of Parker's came back undelivered as I was going to send yours, and I didn't want yours to get lost in the mail since there was no return address. I went over to his place to give them to him when he got back."

"You did?" Brennan asked. I could smell her surprise. I was listening now too. Booth read her letters? He was a very good liar then. Something seemed wrong about that, though. If he had read her letters, I had a feeling things would be different right now.

"Yea. I gave them to his new girlfriend to give to him," Rebecca said. "Didn't he get them?"

"Apparently not," Brennan answered, smelling like anger again.

"Oh," Rebecca trailed off.

"Excuse me, I have to go," Brennan said. "Parker, you can come see Bailey anytime."

"Okay!" Parker exclaimed. I had figured out that this must be little Booth as he shared a similar scent to my Booth. I gave him one last hearty lick before running after Brennan. I knew exactly where we were going.


And the plot thickens...getting close to the end, guys! :D