She awoke with a start, and immediately regretted it. Her muscles screamed in protest, her vision flashed white as pain shot through her entire body, a jagged rock poking into her back as she shifted almost reflexively, sending more pain through her fatigued and tight muscles. She gasped when she heard several bits of dirt and stone tumbling above her in her movement, raining down onto her for a moment, before she realized that her movement was putting herself in jeopardy.
She let out a pain filled groan, the only other sound being her heavy breathing of the surrounding stale air. She stopped moving to listen, and heard the sound of a rainstorm above, suddenly realizing that the drops of water onto her dirt covered face and body were the reason she had been roused from her nightmare filled sleep. However, it only succeeded in thrusting her into just another nightmare as she moved her hands around her makeshift grave, the darkness making it impossible to tell if her eyes were open or closed.
She had flashes in her mind, covering her eyes with her hand to ensure that her eyes were closed, she tried to imagine things, give something around her shape as the sound of the rain above became louder and more insistent. She shifted a little, pulling with great effort on her leg as she nearly fell over herself with the intense pain shooting through her ankle and knee. Her thighs were tight and cramped, and each movement caused her to pull on the muscles a little harder, sending shockwaves of white pain through her body as she cried out to no one. She dug her fingernails into the wooden rail tie that she had found herself lying against, the splinters breaking off causing prickles of pain through her fingers.
She rested her head on the wooden pole, now in an almost standing position as she rested her forehead on the pole. She pulled her bag with her, folding her body over it as she attempted to protect its contents. She still had several bottles of water, perhaps a bit of food, and a few other items that she didn't want to have damaged. She could feel hot tears mixing with the cold water that had soaked her body, and though she knew she had no one to hide her tears from, she felt embarrassed and ridiculous. It was her decision to return, her decision to go back to the dig site that morning for one more hour. It was her own weaknesses that put her in this situation, her own insecurities, and she was damned if she was going to let them take her over now.
She opened her eyes and saw only blackness, her hand slipping into the bag in her arms as she let her thumb slide over the smooth metal belt buckle. She had a sharp intake of breath and tried to hold in the sob, moving her feet just a little, she could feel her boots sinking into the mud, the water from the rain rolled down the wet rocks and dirt, seeping into the once dry rocks that surrounded her. Visions of parasites, snakes, rats, and mosquitoes plagued her mind. She could feel the rocks around her, knowing that with the wetness and saturation, she could die of pneumonia or sickness before someone found their way to her, and those were things that she could handle. It was the prospect of starvation that frightened her the most, knowing that Booth wouldn't rest until he found her, only to learn that she had suffered a long, torturous death beneath the ground, and he wasn't able to get to her. Yes, she'd prefer to be crushed to death beneath the debris and dirt that she had left him in order to be near, then have him know that her death had been long and drawn out.
An ironic death would be the only death that she would accept at this point, crushed by her own obsession, she closed her eyes and began to cry. Her tears mixed with the rain, and she began to hyper ventilate from the force of her sobs, gripping the wooden post with all of the strength she could, digging her nails into the wood until her fingertips bled, as she cried out in agony, cried out in frustration, cried out in regret, sobbing his name in great oxygen gulping sobs as she breathed long, deep, and hard, until the darkness that surrounded her combined with the darkness of her thoughts, and she passed out due to pure fear and exhaustion.
The resounding knock at the door came at approximately seven fifteen. Brennan rushed toward the door, her hand on her necklace as she tried to clasp it as she reached the door. Unable to do so, she swung the door open and turned at the same time, not taking a moment to even note his appearance or anything and she just rushed in the opposite direction. "Hey, Come on in." She said as she disappeared down the hallway. It was another moment that she realized that he didn't walk in, she turned as her necklace finally clasped and found that he wasn't in her apartment, and the door had been firmly closed. "Booth?" She called as she stepped down the hallway. "Booth, didn't you come in?" She asked, walking to the door, she opened it, to find him standing there, his hands behind his back as he looked at her expectantly. "What?"
"You just… tell your date to 'come in', and walk away?"
"Well you… you know my apartment, I thought… Regardless, you're fifteen minutes late." She changed the subject quickly.
"Yes. I apologize." He replied.
"Would you like to come in?"
"Sure." He said, a slight grin on his face as she looked at him with a confused look. "You're going to go out with me like that?" He asked, nodding toward the fluffy bathrobe she had wrapped around herself, she looked down and back at him with a slight scowl.
"I was getting my hair ready… I'll be right back." She said as she turned, stopping after a step she turned to him. "I know that you're thinking that is good that you weren't on time, since I'm obviously not ready right now…"
"Bones…" Booth said, letting a grin rise on his lips.
"Right… I'll be right back." She said, hurrying down the hallway, she left him beside the door.
Booth walked around her apartment a bit, listening to her down the hallway as she got ready, he whistled softly and walked around, finally hearing the clacking of shoes, he turned and his jaw nearly literally dropped. Standing before him in a brilliantly red dress, was the most beautiful woman he had ever known. He stared at her for a moment, his eyes taking each and every inch of her into its memory banks as he finally raised his eyes to hers. "You look…" He swallowed hard as he watched her eyes narrow slightly. "You look absolutely breathtaking." He whispered as she smiled sweetly at him.
"I…" She paused, watching the look on his face as it began to fall. "Thank you." She said softly, clutching her bag in her hands as she took a step toward him. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yes." He nodded. "Yes, I'm ready to go." He said, stepping forward, he put his hand at the small of her back and led her toward the door, he took one more long look as they stepped through the doorway, his eyes following every contour of her body as he closed the door behind him, ensuring that it was locked. "You know… I can't help but think that this dress looks really familiar." He said with a playful chuckle as she walked down the steps in front of him, a long pause between them as she reached the door to the outside.
"Well, I should hope it looks familiar." She said as he opened the door for her, ushering her through its entrance. "You're the one that picked it out." She said with a playful smile, she turned and walked toward his SUV without another word.
She stepped toward her side of the SUV, and without warning, he swung around her and grasped the door handle, fully aware that his move would get a glare from the beautiful woman beside him. "I am not helpless." She replied as he opened the door, taking her hand.
"And I would never say that were true about you, Bones." He said, smiling sweetly at the narrowed eyes as her lips twitched to a smile, and she allowed him to help her into her seat.
"Would you like to fasten my seatbelt for me as well?" She asked, a hint of sarcasm prickling her voice as she listened to his light laughter.
"Don't push it, Bones." he said, letting her gentle laughter tickle his ear as he closed her door for her and walked around the other side of the car.
He climbed into his seat and began the drive toward the city. "Where are you taking me?"
"Someplace nice." He replied, giving her a sideways glance, he flashed her a sly smile. "You'll see, you'll love it."
"How can you be so sure?"
"I pride myself in knowing you well, Bones." He replied, watching her cheeks redden slightly, she shied from the conversation for a moment and looked out the window. "So are you to going to tell me why you were running so far behind this evening? I was fifteen minutes late, and you weren't even ready. That's not like you, Bones." He teased.
"I was doing some… things, I had some things that I had to do." She replied.
"Some… things?" He laughed lightly and smiled at her glare.
"I was taking my time getting ready… and in the customary routine of dating, I felt that it would be natural in making my date… perspire at the prospect of accompanying me on an evening of dining and dancing."
"You wanted me to sweat it out, huh?" He laughed.
"Precisely." She said, sharing a laugh with him, as they drove to the restaurant, he reached his hand across to her and gripped it tightly.
"I love you." He said, bringing her hand to his lips he shook his head and laughed, glancing to her over her hand to ensure there were no signs of panic at the tenderness of his words.
They arrived at the small, intimate restaurant in relative silence, and if Brennan wasn't mistaken, she could nearly feel the electricity in the air, though she'd never actually admit it. She chided him when he rushed to her door and opened it for her, and let out a playful giggle when he offered her an arm to hold as he escorted her through the doors to their table.
Their meals were relaxing, the gentle music over the speaker guiding them through a most romantic dinner. The conversation was easy and never forced, and when his hand touched hers across the table, it never once felt wrong or foreign. It was odd, this first date, because it seemed like they had already been dating forever, that the two of them being together, sharing a night of food and laughter was something they had been doing for years.
After they had eaten, they had found themselves talking for nearly an hour afterward, laughing at stories and simply enjoying the company of one another. Booth then looked to his watch and smiled over at her. "We should get to the club… you wanted to dance, didn't you?" He asked, tipping his head as she smiled seductively. He already noticed that she had then averted her gaze, and he had no idea what it was about. "Hey, are you okay, Bones?" He asked, as a small ripple of panic worked its way through him.
"Wonderful." She replied, letting her eyes catch his for a moment before they moved down again.
"Something bothering you?" He asked, watching her fingers clutch her bag a little tighter, he tipped his head and watched her carefully. "It's okay to be nervous." He tried, knowing that she most likely wasn't, he knew that telling her that it was natural would at least get her to tell him what was going on in that gorgeous head of hers.
"I am not nervous, Booth." She said, darting her eyes directly into his. "What do I have to be nervous about? You and I have had many dinners together." She said, noticing the look of satisfaction in his eyes, the knowledge that he had gotten her attention. "I have something for you." She whispered.
"You have something for me?" He asked, raising his eyebrows as he leaned on the table so that she could get a good look in his eyes.
"Yes." She said softly, opening her small clutch bag, she pulled a slightly worn square of paper, folded. The same piece of paper that she had taken from her suitcase the day before. Her daintily painted fingertips touched the paper and put pressure on it as she slid it across the table toward him.
His brow furrowed as his eyes stayed with hers for a moment, and when he looked down at her hand, he noticed that her hand was trembling just slightly. It wasn't enough for the average person to notice, but he knew her, every inch of her, and he could see that this moment was not just something she had been waiting for, but something that scared her. "What is this?"
"Open it." She replied, looking at him curiously, he opened the paper and looked at the words written on it. "I found it in a bag of mine."
His eyes moved over the paper and an eyebrow quirked, and a brown eye lifted to meet hers. "A betting slip."
"From Las Vegas…" She said, watching his smile as he stared at the paper. "That fight was an incredible display of your male prowess. I was very impressed."
"You were impressed?" He asked, smiling sweetly at her as she watched his eyes remained on hers, a blush working through her cheeks. "Is that why you wore the dress from that night?"
"You did recognize it." She said proudly, watching the smile on his face.
"I did." He nodded. "So what are you trying to tell me tonight, Bones? Because you never do anything just to be sentimental." He smiled. "You always have a reason behind everything."
"Well…" She said, reaching across the table, she pulled the tiny paper from his fingertips, dropping it to the table, she let one of her fingers rest on it. "I bet on you back then… for beginner's luck… even though the odds were really far against you." She said as she slid it toward her, she folded it and put it back in her bag as she looked up at him again. "I figured… since I'm new at… Love…" She said, the word sliding off her lips tenderly. "That my beginner's luck might come in handy." She shrugged.
"And, what are my odds now?" He asked, mesmerized by her gaze.
"Oh…" She said, her voice soft. "I think the odds are in your favor this time." She said, reaching her hand across the table, he gripped it tightly as he felt his heart beating wildly in his chest.
"Let's get out of here to that dance… what do you say?" He asked, her only response being to stand and wait for his guiding hand to lead her to the door.
He escorted her to the car, surprised by the thunder in the distance as he hurried to help her into the passenger seat as it started to pour just as he climbed into the driver's seat. "Well, I guess taking a walk later is out." He said as he climbed into the car, and was met by his partner's tender smile.
"There will be time for a walk together, don't worry. We don't have to do everything tonight, Booth. It's not as if we're leaving tomorrow."
"I know." He replied. "I just… I want to do everything with you." He said, seeing the look on her face, he shook his head. "Everything I can… Bones… everything I can." He said, putting the car into drive, they headed for the highway.
They remained quiet for the most part, battling the heavy rain and wind among the traffic on the highway. She watched his determined face, and let her eyes dance along his features. Her eyes lingered on his strong jaw line, and the way his eyes would flash to meet hers, a smile sliding onto his face. "You're watching me a lot." He replied.
"I'm just admiring." She replied. "It isn't making you uncomfortable, is it?" She asked, sincerely.
"What? No… no, it's not making me uncomfortable." He said, shaking his head. "It's just fine, perfect." He replied. The rain pounded on the car, and without warning, there was the sound of a loud pop. "Crap, hang on." he said as they felt the car jolt suddenly and Booth struggled to keep the car in control, as he pulled the wheel hard, slamming on his brakes as they pulled to the side of the road. Booth was panting slightly as he stared out the window for a second, turning to look at his partner. "Are you okay?" He asked.
"What was that?" She asked.
"Tire blew out, are you okay?" He asked again.
"I'm fine." She replied. "The tire blew out, how did the tire…"
"Don't worry about it." He said, starting to get out of the car.
"Booth, we're on the highway."
"We're on the side of the road, it's fine." He said, pulling a flashlight from the center console. "Stay here, please." He said, climbing from his seat, he gave her a pointed look.
"But it's raining." She said, watching him standing in the pouring rain for a moment, she watched him walk to the driver's front tire and close the door on her protests. She watched as he walked in front of the SUV, staring down at the tire, she watched him in the reflection of the headlights as he kicked the tire, shouting angry words. She could tell that he was quite upset, and picked her phone up and dialed a number.
He stood outside, staring at the damage on the car, ready to scream at the complete and utter disappointment he was feeling that their evening was being destroyed this way. "It figures!" He screamed, kicking the rim of the tire. "It goddamned figures!" He shouted. He didn't have the heart to open the door to tell her that they were going to have to call a tow truck, he didn't have the heart to disappoint her like that. So he stood in the rain, feeling it pour over him, soaking him through to the skin as he rubbed his hands over his face. He was about to turn to get into the car, when he came face to face with the woman he was about to confess their predicament to, and his breath caught in his throat as she stood before him. The rain was soaking her skin, hair, and dress, forcing the fabric to stick to her body, her hair flattened by the falling rain, but the sparkle in her eyes was so bright, so welcoming. "Bones, what are you doing out of the…"
His exclamation was stopped by her lips, her arms wrapping around the back of his neck as he squeezed her to him. She held him to the kiss for several moments, their tongues fighting as she pulled away and looked him directly in the eyes. "I love you." She whispered, the rain dripping from her face as she watched his eyes, the confusion within them was obvious.
"Don't you think there is a better time and place to be telling me this? Not in the middle of a monsoon on the side of the highway?" He said, listening to her laugh, he couldn't help but laugh himself.
"I made two phone calls." She said, watching his face as they just continued to stand in the rain. "I called a tow truck, and I called a cab…"
"Bones."
"The tow truck is for the car… it'll take it where ever you want it to go." She tipped her head. "The cab is for you and I."
"And where is that going?"
"Anywhere you want it to go." She replied. "As long as you and I are together…and as long as you can prove to me, that I made the best choice on my bet earlier."
"I'm sure I can do that…" He said, his forehead resting against hers.
"You wouldn't be you, if you couldn't..." She said suggestively, her fingers pulling at his cocky belt buckle as he flashed her a smile. "One more thing?" She whispered, hearing him hum a response. "Somehow, you have been able to… metaphorically stop my world from turning…" She whispered, closing her eyes for a moment. "I want you to… show me, teach me… prove to me…"
"Bones…" He said tenderly.
"I want you to make love to me, Booth… with me… I want to break the laws of physics… all of them… but only with you… and starting tonight."
"But we never got that dance." He whispered, his breath seemed to be held in slightly as his eyes just danced with hers.
"We can dance here…"
"In the rain?"
"What rain?" She whispered, resting her head on his chest, he pulled her closer, kissed the top of her head, and hummed a soft, if not off key tune, into her hair, as he swayed back and forth with her in the rain as they waited for their ride.
He couldn't have been gone for longer than an hour, perhaps an hour and a half, but the bitter cold night brought him back to the doorstep of his friend's apartment a little after midnight. He stepped into the small foyer, finding everything as he had left it, warm and cozy, the Christmas lights on the tree still glittering the room with its colors. He pulled his coat from his shoulders and hung it loosely on the hook beside the door, slipping his shoes off, he walked slowly through the apartment, being sure not to make a sound.
He looked around the corner to the couch, and found the person he had expected to be curled in a bed, dreaming of returning to the islands of which she had taken leave of. Instead, she lay curled on the couch, the blanket that had once been atop her had slid to the side, and in her hands, she held two packages.
He knelt beside the couch, tenderly running a finger over her cheek as her eyes opened slowly. She curled a bit more, reaching for the blanket, he got to it first and pulled it up onto her shoulder. "Why were you waiting for me?" He asked, her eyes telling him that she wouldn't be the first to speak.
"I wasn't waiting for you." She said, her voice holding a stubborn playfulness as she narrowed her eyes.
"Well then, who are those for?" he asked, nodding toward the two packages in her hands, she shrugged and rolled onto her back.
"I was heading into the kitchen to throw them away. I didn't think anyone would want them… I decided to stop at the couch and rest first." She replied, giving him a challenging look as he widened his eyes and dropped his jaw in faux surprise.
"You were going to throw my gifts away?" He asked.
"First of all, I never said they were your gifts… and second of all… maybe." She said with a shrug. She shifted a bit, and sat up, feeling as he sat down and rested her head into his lap, his hand moving down across her cheek as he smiled down on her. "I wanted to be the first to wish you a Merry Christmas." She whispered. She was rewarded with a smile, and she couldn't help but smile back.
"That was very thoughtful of you."
"I do love you, after all." She whispered, holding the gifts up, she watched him take them carefully. "Merry Christmas, Booth."
"Merry Christmas, Bones." He said, watching her eyes as he set the gifts on his other leg, her head turning so she could see him better.
"Aren't you going to open them?" She asked, watching his eyes flash between her and the gifts in his hand, he shrugged.
"You want me to?"
"Yes. I don't think they're appropriate gifts to be opened in front of others. They're quite personal." She whispered, watching his eyes as he moved them toward the two gifts, and back to her.
"Come here…" He said, tugging her a bit, he wanted her to pull herself farther onto his lap, sitting up. She felt rather silly sitting this way, but also knew that his arms were comfortable, and it didn't matter how he held her, as long as she was in his arms. She shifted slightly, pulling herself onto his legs as he lifted the gifts over her and set them on her lap for a moment. He reached for the blanket and pulled it to cover her legs and torso, and her head found its way to his shoulder as he held her near. The gifts remained in her lap as he just held her for a moment, kissing her head.
"Did your walk help to clear your mind?" She whispered.
"I don't know." He replied honestly. "It's not clearer." He sighed.
"I…" She swallowed. "I don't have to go back if you really don't want me to." She conceded, trying to hold in the sigh that she found was evident in her voice, however, he found it.
"It's not up to me, Bones." He replied. "You're right… it's your decision, your obligation, and I will survive another six months without you. It will be painful at times, it will be hard… but I'll be home, surrounded by things that remind me of you, of us… I'll have Parker. I'll be okay, you don't have to make a decision based on what you think I want. I want you to make a decision based on what you want. Because above all else, I want you to be happy, baby… no regrets."
"No regrets." She whispered back, thinking about his words, interpreting them, the tone and the words themselves. "Booth? I haven't made a final decision yet, you know. I don't want to make a decision without knowing everything."
"That's my Bones." He said, kissing her forehead. "Always looking for the truth. We don't have to worry about it now… I just want to be with you right now." He whispered.
"Open this one first." She whispered, handing him a small gift from her hands, he held her and reached his arm around her, so that he could hold the gift with two hands. He slowly opened the package, finding a small box within the colorful wrapping paper. He was quiet as he opened the wrapping, tenderly tearing at the paper until only the box remained. He opened the box and looked inside, reaching his fingertip inside, he pulled out her mother's ring.
"Bones…" He said softly.
"I need you to hold onto it for just a little longer." She whispered. "Is that okay?"
"You still have my buckle, huh?"
"I do." She whispered, feeling a bit shy by the question, she cuddled into him. "It has helped me a great deal when I am thinking about you, missing you… loving you from afar." She whispered.
"I'm glad that I can help you, Bones." He whispered, cuddling her a little more, holding the second gift in his hand. He held the box in one hand as she helped him unwrap it, the square box was a little larger than the last, and when the wrapper was off, he gasped a bit at the label on the box. "Bones… a Rolex?"
"It's a very nice watch, Booth." She replied, watching him fumble with the packaging a bit as he tried to open it.
"I don't doubt that it is a very nice watch, Bones… it's a very expensive watch… a very…"
"Special watch… Booth." She whispered as he stared at the white gold band in front of him, the light blue face with the simple silver numbers across it. "Turn it over." She said, watching as he turned it to the back of the watch, and he read the inscription. "I didn't know exactly what to have inscribed, but…" She said as suddenly, she found his hand on her jaw as he pulled her face to his and his lips found their way to hers. He cradled her in his arms as he kissed her again and again. "You like it?" She whispered.
"I love it, Bones… I love it." He said, kissing her lips again, he looked into her eyes and watched the lights of the Christmas tree reflect back at him. "It's about time…" He whispered, reciting the words on the back of the watch.
"You forgot the part where it says…"
"Love, Bones." He whispered, smiling into her eyes, he leaned down for another kiss.
"Merry Christmas, Booth."
"Merry Christmas, Bones." He whispered, kissing her again, and held her for several more minutes, before they made their way slowly and happily into her room, where they curled together among the sheets and blankets, and fell to sleep quickly and dreamlessly.