Disclaimer: Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.
Spoilers: Season 6 (Includes promos and spoilers for future episodes)
Author's Notes: Sorry for the extra wait. I got stuck on this chapter. Hopefully this measures up after the success with the last chapter *u*
I left responses to your reviews at the end! If I missed your review, it posted late and I will acknowledge it in the next chapter. Look carefully… Some names may appear more than once. You had a lot to say… so I couldn't help but respond in the same manner. I tend to be chatty.
The Trouble in the Triangle
Chapter 11: Gratitude
A nurse came in twice during the night to take Booth's vitals, listen to his lungs, and check his surgical site and chest tube for signs of infection. The first time, Brennan got up to give the nurse room to work and was thankful she wasn't asked to leave. She remained on the fold out recliner until daylight. Dr. Whitcomb came in early before visiting hours began. He was happy with the progress Booth had made and promised to be back the next day. By then more than 24 hours would have passed and a decision could be made on whether the chest tube could be removed.
"I'd forgotten what a difficult patient you can be," stated Brennan.
"A shower and decent TV shouldn't be too much to ask for," mumbled Booth.
"Would it help if I washed your hair and helped you shave before I left?"
She was leaving soon. Booth was crushed even though he knew it was inevitable. "There's no way I'm letting you give me a shave."
"I don't understand your reluctance, Booth. I'm careful and precise with my hands everyday with remains. You can hardly be as careful with your left hand. Unless you want to wait one more day when you have more use of your right hand. I can understand that."
"I'll wait," he grumbled. "I guess I can use that weird hair stuff. It's better than nothing."
"I would have to agree that this leave-in hair soap isn't very desirable. Why don't you let me wash your hair? You'd feel somewhat better when visitors arrived."
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
"I need to get going," announced Brennan.
"Be careful, Bones."
"I'll be fine, Booth. I can take care of myself. I'm just going to the lab to work on the Collins case. We still need cause of death and the lab results should be back. I won't be doing anything with the sniper case unless I hear from Charlie or Perotta."
"Call me to keep me updated. Please?"
"You're supposed to be resting."
"Do you really think I can rest without knowing what's going on?"
"You have a point. You didn't do very well when your back was injured."
"There you go! So call me."
"I'll think about it."
"Bones…."
"I'll be back, tomorrow, bright and early. I want to hear what your doctor says about your recovery."
"Tomorrow?"
"Well, that's what I was thinking."
"Why?"
"I have a date, tonight. I'm sure it will be past visiting hours when I get home. I don't want to disturb you or annoy the staff. They were kind enough to let me stay last night."
He didn't like it, but she had the right to move on, too. He even told her she could adjust just as he had. So why did it bother him so much?
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Text messages throughout the day will appear in this format:
Booth to Bones (10:00 AM): Any new evidence or leads on either case?
Booth to Hannah (10:02 AM): Hope you were able to get a good night's sleep. Interesting story, today?
Booth to Cam (10:05): Free 4 lunch?
Cam to Booth (10:17): What's on the menu?
Booth to Cam (10:20): Just got poked again. Pretty soon I won't have any blood left. Menu: jello, pudding, & broth
Brennan to Booth (10:37): Sweets and I are on the way to question the girlfriend in the Collins case. Back later.
Cam to Booth (10:46): I can visit around noon. I'll eat on the way ;)
"Hey, big guy. You have more color, today. How's the breathing?" asked Cam when she walked through the door to Booth's hospital room.
"Not as labored. I'm hoping to be rid of this tube in the morning."
"I hope you're not rushing it and driving all the nurses and docs around here crazy."
"I may be in sad physical condition at the moment, Camille, but I haven't lost the Booth charm," and he flashed his winning smile.
She chose to ignore the use of her proper name this once to stay on his good side. She wanted information. "So, I understand Dr. Brennan was here all night. And you and Hannah are taking a break?"
"I'm surprised Bones would give that kind of personal information."
"In case you haven't noticed, Booth, Dr. Brennan has been more relaxed around the lab. That's a stark contrast to when she's away from the Jeffersonian where she's more reserved than I've seen her in years."
"I guess I haven't been in the lab much," Booth admitted without being able to make eye contact. "When did it start?"
"When she returned from the Maluku Islands. I was impressed with how she worked with Wendell during the first case back." After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Cam decided to plunge into the speech she had been saving for the right time. "Everyone is accepting of Hannah. We like seeing you happy, Seeley. But what's going on between you and Dr. Brennan? From what I can tell, everything is all professional. I have never seen the two of you work like that even when we were dating or you were dating other women." Booth hesitated in answering. "Seeley, this is me you're talking to. We have always been honest with each other. Brennan isn't the only one you're pushing away. I haven't heard any complaints, but I, for one, feel deserted. Please talk to me."
"I'm only beginning to notice the changes in myself," he answered as honestly as he could.
"Why is that?"
"What do you mean 'Why is that'?"
"Why now? Why not last week or last month?" Cam noticed she was going to have to play hardball with him. "Could it be the shooting has knocked some sense into you? Or is it that you and Hannah are taking a break?"
Booth shook his head and massaged the nape of his neck. "After the case that rattled Bones, I followed her because she seemed even more unlike herself than she already had been. I had to save her from being hit by a car."
Cam's mouth fell open. "Why?"
"It wasn't intentional as far as I could tell. She was focused on thoughts that were disturbing her about the case. But the point is that she later broke down in my car."
"What do you mean she broke down?" Cam's voice was full of worry.
"She broke down in tears. Actually, she was sobbing."
"Dr. Brennan, world's leading anthropologist, was sobbing? What did you do to her?"
"I didn't do anything. She said she didn't want to have any regrets."
"You've lost me."
"Last April, I asked Bones to give us a shot at something more than friendship."
"Oh my God!"
"And she said "no."
"That's not a surprise. What did she say?" About ten minutes later, Cam was still sitting next to Booth's bed feeling too much frustration to be sympathetic for the man she'd known for years. "Booth, I don't even know where to begin explaining what an idiot you've been."
"You think this is my fault?" he asked in deep frustration.
"I didn't say that. You both have made mistakes. I think you've been given a gift while lying in this hospital bed. You have once again been reminded of your mortality, you and Hannah are separated, and Brennan has started to open up. I can't think of a better opportunity to step back and really evaluate where your life is going."
"Yeah. I know you're right. You usually are."
"Usually?"
"Whatever you'd like to believe, Cam. But, thank you for the advice. Apparently, I needed it. Can I call you if I need anymore?"
"Anytime. You know I'll always be here for you. It's nice to be needed again."
That resonated with Booth. Isn't that how I felt when leaving for Afghanistan? "Can you discreetly keep an eye on Bones? I'm nervous about her working on the sniper case without me to protect her."
"Of course, Big guy."
"Thanks, Cam."
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Booth to Brennan (1:10 PM): Where did you go?
Booth to Charlie (1:12 PM): Any leads from Taffet's cell mate?
Charlie to Booth (2:20 PM): You're on medical leave. But, we're waiting to hear if we can make a deal to get Turner to talk about Taffet.
Booth to Charlie (2:24 PM): Thanks. Please keep me posted. And let me know when Dr. Brennan gets called in to help.
Brennan to Booth (3:05 PM): We have cause of death. We have some new leads from the girlfriend. Sweets is coming to see you about both cases.
Hannah to Booth (3:25 PM): Promising story in Detroit. My flight departs at 7:30. I'll call when I get there. I should be home tomorrow evening. How are you feeling? What is the news from your doctor? Miss you.
She hasn't even made it out of the country yet and she has another out-of-town assignment. Her political stories are getting attention. What does that mean to our relationship?
Booth to Hannah (3:30 PM): Chest tube may come out tomorrow morning. Feeling better. Not so winded. Miss you, too.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Booth woke to the sound of the door opening. He'd been in a light sleep long enough to have his damn proposal dream again… the version with no ending. It didn't go unnoticed that it happened just before his 12 year old shrink walked in. "Sweets, thanks for keeping me in the loop."
"Of course, I do value my life."
"Nice Sweets. Don't forget it. So what do you have for me?"
"A deal was made for Taffet's cell mate. We begin interrogating her in the morning."
"That's good," said Booth, clearly annoyed. He hated not being involved.
"I suggested a web cam so that you can participate."
"Thanks, Sweets."
"Caroline said "no."
"What?" He sounded too weak to his own ears and he growled which amused Sweets.
"She doesn't want to compromise the case by the fact that you're on medical leave."
"How the hell did she come to that conclusion?"
"Well, her personality has always suggested…"
"I didn't really want a shrinky answer. I'll ask her myself."
"Right. Okay. Collins' girlfriend… It led to more unanswered questions."
"Did she appear credible?"
"That's my opinion, yes."
After reviewing the interview with the witness, Booth agreed that he was probably right. "So, you are talking with the co-worker next?"
"That's my plan. I'm on my way to pick up Dr. Brennan once I leave here."
"Bones. How does she seem to you, today?"
"I was going to ask you about that. She's very tight lipped, today. Anything happen I should know about?"
Booth rolled his eyes. "Yeah. I was shot."
"Are you sure there isn't anything else you want to tell me?"
"Why would I do that? So you can try and tell me how I feel?"
"So this has to do with your feelings and not the circumstances?"
"Sweets…" he warned with his tone of voice and his glare.
"Fine. Fine. I'll let it go, but if you ever want to talk…"
"I won't."
"But I could use a little advice from a friend."
"You… want advice from me? Why does this sound like a set up?"
"I'm being serious. After all, you're the one who warned me when we returned a couple of months ago. And I was thinking, once you escape this place, maybe we could go for a drink."
"You're serious?"
"Okay, ya know, I'll just…"
"Geez, Sweets. I'm just giving you a hard time for trying to get me to talk about Bones."
Interesting. No mention of Hannah. Where was she? Sweets smiled. He'll always be all about Dr. Brennan.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
"Booth."
"This better be good, Cherie. I'm a busy woman."
"I want a better answer why there shouldn't be a live feed."
"The kid got to you. Just dandy. The answer is "No", Cherie. End of story."
"It wouldn't be any different than Sweets advising my interrogations from the observation room."
"Of course, it's different. Video… your pretty face is visible."
"Fine. Audio, then. Set me up in the observation room with Sweets or one of the agents."
"I'll think about it."
"Good, I'll inform Charlie I'll be there."
"Humph. It's a good thing you're cute, Cherie."
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Booth to Brennan (4:47 PM): I talked to Sweets. Don't let him get under your skin. Have a nice time, tonight. You deserve a break. I'm doing great. Don't worry about me.
Brennan to Booth (4:59 PM): I don't think I want to know the origin of that colloquialism. I'm glad you're feeling good. I suspect that you are if you were up to grilling Sweets. I'll see you in the AM.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Booth thought he was going to go stir-crazy. Lying around doing nothing wasn't his thing. Usually when he was immobile with his back out or his scarred feet aching, he had his cartoons and sports to focus on. He'd talked to Parker for a few minutes after dinner and had a visit from Charlie, but all had been way too quiet for the past hour. This much down time was too dangerous for his mind… and his heart. He was ready to ask the beautiful nurse on duty that night for some pain meds to put him out of his misery when he heard a knock on his door. The nurse read his mind! But instead of a nurse with medication, a whole different form of comfort came walking into his room.
"Bones!" The surprise and pure delight he felt warmed his heart.
"Hi Booth. I hope you don't mind the intrusion."
"You're never intruding, Bones. But I thought you had plans this evening."
"I ended the date early."
"Oh? That bad?" asked Booth. He hoped he didn't sound happy to learn about the failed date.
She scoffed before answering. "It turns out that he was expecting something in return for his help on the case."
"He what?"
"Don't get all alpha-male, Booth. I can take care of myself."
"I know you can, Bones. That doesn't mean I can't care about what happens to you. What did you do?"
"I told him that I don't have sex with men out of gratitude."
Booth paled.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Author's Notes: The last chapter turned out to be a popular one! I am truly humbled by all the reviews, hits, favorites, and alerts. Thank you!
Review Responses
I discovered some new terms… fluffometer! and Sweet Candy-Floss Fluff LOL! Thanks Animagus-Steph!
Boneslover97, sunny smiles, Animagus-Steph, ObsessedWithBones3000, KlingonGal8489, geraghtyvl, Aching Bones, bones35, healingcat and to everyone who loved this chapter saying it was cute, was emotional over it, and/or just adored all the fluff… thank you! My heart swelled at reading that my writing of these characters captured your heart-strings.
Harper83, Barb, Aching Bones, SouthunLady, twenty1down, and to everyone who can't wait for Hannah to be gone for good. Do you have any predicitions for any other characters that will help Booth see the truth? Who do you think will finally end it: Booth, Hannah, or will it be mutual?
Bones35 (Wow! You read the chapter twice. About the favorite bone… I got the idea from GreysIsTheCatsPajamas in her story, Silent Mistakes, chapter 18: Burden of Proof. It's really fluffy. You should read it!)
Tartantrace & Aching Bones (I'm glad you like the part with Booth playing with Brennan's hair. I got the idea from The Night at the Bones Museum after they almost kissed. She pretended to straighten his tie and he reached to touch one of the curls in her hair.)
ObsessedWithBones3000, bones35, Aching Bones, CSULBrooks, JET1967, healingcat, Boneslover97 (It was wonderful to hear you liked the conversation between B&B. I love writing dialogue with these two characters. They're so much fun. Bones35 mentioned that she enjoyed the topics. There are so many B&B moments to choose from. These moments are seriously lacking this season. I think that's why I find this season so depressing. JET1967 mentioned their special connection in the past. She is encouraged by the spoilers that the connection will begin to be re-established. I hope she is right!)
SouthunLady & geraghtyvl (I find that I'm depressed by the last episode as well. I allowed myself to be hopeful and was seriously let down. It was the first full episode I've watched since #7. I honestly dread the rest of the season. As long as I get the encouragement to keep writing, I will continue to provide better storylines and fluff to readers who are just as disappointed as I am with the show.)
Chymom (I like your suggestions for Caroline and Rebecca. I decided to allow Hannah to be a good character in this story since HH insisted at the beginning of the season that we would learn to love her. As far as the show goes, I'm not at that point, yet.)
Animagus-Steph - Agreed, Booth has a lot of making up to do. SouthunLady – which is why I have them being friends again, first. I agree with chymom though, both Booth and Brennan are at fault for their friendship faltering. SouthunLady – Yeah, talking on the bed together was probably a bit much, especially since Booth hasn't been touchy-feely this season.
Cast14, harper83, bones35, Aching Bones, serie-bones, ObsessedWithBones3000, Barb, Animagus-Steph, chymom, and sunny smiles (I hope I didn't make you suffer with the extra wait. That last chapter got me emotional as well and I sort of got stuck with over-analyzing the next chapter and I wondered how I could maintain the same amount of excitement for the story. I finally decided that some chapters are meant to keep the story line moving and some chapters are ultra-fluffy.)
Thank you to all the new reviewers! (ABlape, sunny smiles, Slick1, and harper83)
Barb (Sweets' Plan for the Truth has been eating at me… I love this story, but for some reason I'm having a hard time with the hockey game. The scenes after that I'm fine with. I need to find a solution… quickly!)