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After the bedroom door was closed, Booth moved over to the bed and sat down. Anxious about Booth's behavior Brennan sat down beside him. "Tell me what's going on, Booth."
Unable to put off the conversation any longer, Booth firmly clasped her hand in his hand. "Well, remember I told you that the Director wants to promote me to Executive Assistant Director for Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch?"
His hand gripping her hand rather tightly, Brennan knew that her husband was very nervous and that increased her anxiety. "Yes. It would mean that you'd be in charge of four divisions, Criminal, Cyber, Critical Incident Response and International."
This was a huge step for them and Booth knew it. "The Director called me into his office two days ago . . . he told me he was promoting me and to prepare for a Congressional hearing." The thought of going through that made him sick and he knew he couldn't do it again. "I told him that I didn't want the promotion, but he insisted I had to take it . . . . I guess he believes in up or out . . . anyway, I turned it down and now I'm out. He's asked me to retire. I was just waiting for the right time to tell you."
The fingers in her hand starting to feel numb, Brennan wriggled her hand free from his tight grip. "I see."
Misunderstanding her words and the withdrawal of her hand from his grip, Booth slumped his shoulders and stared at his empty hand. "I'm sorry, but I can't go through that again . . . I don't trust those guys . . . when I brought Congressman Hadley down I made some enemies and they're still in power . . . I won't risk my family like that again . . . I can't."
Brennan realized that Booth thought she was disappointed in him and that was far from the truth. She looped her arm around his arm and she tried to catch his eyes. "Booth . . . Booth, I'm on your side. I told you that I will support whatever choice you make and I meant it . . . when do you have to leave the FBI?"
"Next week." Booth rubbed his eyes with his free hand. "I have to leave next week. I'm taking a medical retirement. I'm not old enough to just retire, so I had to go out that way. It was that or be fired and I can't afford that."
Her mind racing with what needed to be done, Brennan finally nodded her head. "Alright. I'll be severing my contract with the FBI as of next week. Your last day will be my last day with the FBI."
"Bones . . ." Booth knew that Brennan loved her work and he didn't want her to quit a job she loved. "You can still do your job. Don't quit because you think that you have to to be loyal to me."
Grimly, Brennan shook her head. "I have told you and the FBI many times that I will only work with the best. You are the best and I am not willing to work with anyone else. I still have contracts with the State Department, the Pentagon and the CIA. With those contracts plus my work at the Jeffersonian working to identify bones in Bones storage I have more than enough work to do. Our leaving the FBI will be the FBI's loss Booth. They may not see that right now, but they will eventually and when they do it will be too late . . . What do you wish to do? You . . . you won't go back in the Army will you?"
A sad chuckle his immediate answer, Booth shook his head. "I wasn't really physically fit to go back the last time and now . . . no, that's done . . . I don't know yet."
Hesitantly, Brennan brought up an idea she had been thinking about since their talk in Louisiana. "Why not just retire? We have plenty of money, certainly more than we'll ever use. You'll have your retirement pay, if you wish to stay home then I don't see why you couldn't. It would certainly make child care easier for both of us and the children would love to see you more often."
"I'm only 52 years old." Booth didn't think he liked that idea at all. "I'm too young to not do anything."
She had been certain he would turn down that suggestion, but she had felt compelled to make it just in case. "Alright . . . I do know that inactivity bothers you . . . Will you check with the CIA and see if their offer is still good?"
Not really sure what he wanted to do with himself, Booth sighed. "Maybe . . . Let's get through this week and once I'm out of the Hoover I'll think about my options."
"It's sad that the FBI is forcing you out, but that is their mistake to make." Brennan was furious that Booth was being mistreated and she knew they were helpless to prevent it. "Whatever you choose to do I will support you one hundred percent."
"Thanks Bones."
Oooooooooooooooooooooo
Booth's retirement shocked quite a few people and more than one person questioned the sanity of the Director of the FBI. In a way it was gratifying for Booth to be told he was so valuable, but it didn't change the fact that he was out of a job.
As soon as Danny heard about Booth's retirement, he contacted his friend and made an offer for the CIA. Booth had been interested until he found out it would require a lot of travel and there was no way he was going to do that to his family. His two youngest kids were still very young and they were getting to be a handful. He knew that Brennan could handle it, but why should she? No, he had the family he'd always dreamed of and he wasn't about to neglect them in any way.
The days moved from one to the next and Booth got into a new rhythm. He woke every morning, made a hot breakfast for his family and after Brennan left for work, Booth drove the kids to school. During the day he'd do some housework and do whatever shopping that needed to be done. Now that he had time, he started working on some projects he'd been delaying because of lack of time.
The first project took him a few weeks as he worked on it by himself. When it was done, his children had a treehouse in the middle of the back yard. Next he built a new barbeque pit and covered the area surrounding the pit with flagstone. Once that was finished, he built a picnic table and installed a small kitchen next to the pit. Brennan had been so excited with the results of his hard work that she planned a party for all of their friends.
"Booth you're so good at this." Admiring the small outdoor kitchen, Brennan smiled at the neat way it had been built. "Have you ever considered just doing this for a living? You did rebuild our Mighty Hut with Wendell's help and you did such a beautiful job."
Surprised, Booth sat down on the picnic table and looked around at his handy work. "I never really thought about it . . . It might be fun."
"Do you miss working for the FBI?" Brennan leaned against the sink and stared at Booth. "Are you happy?"
He knew she was worried about him and he loved her for it. Booth held out his hand and waited for her to come to him. Her hand in his grasp, Booth looked up at her. "I am happy, Bones. I didn't think I would be, but I am. I get to see the kids more now. We don't have to worry about Day Care or after school activities and I don't have to look at very gross bodies anymore . . . Yeah, I'm happy . . . are you?"
"I am too." Brennan moved to sit beside him on the bench. "I thought I would miss working for the FBI, but I find I have plenty to do at the Jeffersonian and I have made great strides in identifying the bodies in Bones Storage . . . and to tell you the truth, I don't miss seeing the liquid bodies. I much prefer to work with bones. That is my specialty."
Booth rubbed his thumb on her hand. "We have a good life, Bones. You and me . . . we had a rocky start in life, but look at us now . . . we made it." Leaning over he kissed her. "I love you Bones. I love you and our family and our life."
A scream coming from the house, the back door slammed open and Hank ran out of the house with Christine following on his heels. "You come back here you little weasel."
Another scream from Hank and he made his way over to where his parents were sitting. "Save me Daddy . . . Mommy save me." As fast as he could, Hank crashed into Booth and forced his father to move his knees apart so he could stand between them. "Christine says she'd going to kill me and bury me next to the treehouse."
Huffing, Christine stopped in front of her parents and glowered at her younger brother. "Tell them why!"
His ears ringing from the screams, Booth shouted. "Enough!" Glaring at the boy who was now clutching his shirt, Booth sighed. "Hank what did you do?"
With almost a whisper, Hank glanced at his mother and saw that she was giving him her teacher look. "Well . . . um, I kinda lost my snake in Christine's bedroom."
Appalled, Brennan stood up and stared in horror at the back door. "Booth, I warned you this would happen. You have to find it if you expect me to reenter the house."
Barely able to keep from laughing, Booth stood up, pulled Hank into his arms and rested him on his left hip. As he walked past his livid daughter, Booth patted her shoulder. "Come on Hank. Let's go find Bobby." As he moved towards the house, he started to laugh. Pausing, he turned to look back at his wife. "I love our life Bones, all of it."
Ooooooooooooooooooo
So this is then end of this story. Let me know what you thought of it. Thank you.