Hiatus by Allyson H.
AllyH's Note: I love this chapter, because it shows Brennan as the heart-person that she secretly is on the inside and how well she thinks about the personal things that could make someone happy. I hope you like it as much too. Second chapter of the day, lovelies!
Week 11, day 4
"I'm not denying. I'm frightened as much as you, though I'm barely touching you. I've shivers down my spine. Oh, and it feels divine. – Tina Arena, 'Show Me Heaven'
Eight years ago, when Brennan had just gotten to know Booth, she did what every other person would do after meeting an interesting personality. She looked his name up on the internet. She wanted to know more about the man she was working with, the man whom she had kissed on a rainy night and the man she later slapped in the face. His name popped up on different army and military websites and he was listed at a shooting range. He had participated actively in some football clubs. Seeley Booth was just your average man…until she accidentally stumbled upon a newspaper article with his name in it.
Brennan never told him, but that was when her perception of him changed completely. He stopped being the rat bastard FBI agent and became more human. Yet, by that time, she had severed all ties with him and she had expected to never see him again. Life turned out to have different plans for them in the end.
Today, Brennan wanted to do something, to express her gratitude. She wanted to show her appreciation of him and everything he did for her in a special manner. He bought her daffodils, Hannah had bought him a phone and she was going to do something entirely different. This Monday, Brennan stepped inside a library and headed straight for the information desk. "Is there any way that I can view newspaper articles from before 2003?"
The librarian showed her to a room in the basement, where she could look through boxes of newspaper slides. With a sigh, she had put herself to work, placing one collection of slides in the viewer, searching her way through war stories abroad and sports results. Altogether, she spent over two hours flipping through old pages that meant absolutely nothing to her, before she finally found what she was looking for.
Her lips curved up into a sly smile as she read the words on the screen. His name had gotten lost in the huge internet web overtime, but it was always documented somewhere. Brennan walked back upstairs to request for a print, as she left the viewing screen on, so that everybody who would walk in could read Booth's name and connect it to something extraordinary.
Brennan approached Booth carefully that evening, while he was washing the dishes. She held the frame pressed firmly against her belly as she started doubting herself. What if this was just another stupid idea? Maybe he did not want to be reminded of the event at all? He never mentioned it to her and he possibly had his own reason for that. There was no way that he could have forgotten about it. She had not forgotten reading about it.
"Hey Bones," Booth said cheerfully as he dried their plates. He did not even bother to look up at her. "I completely forgot to ask you this morning about your belly ache. Is it completely over now?"
Brennan rubbed the side of the photo frame with her thumb nervously. She just wanted to be nice and surprise him with it, but she got very self-conscious all of her sudden. If she herself ever found herself in such a similar situation, would she want to take pride in it too? She thought for a while, completely ignoring Booth's question, as the answer to her own resounded in her head: She would never show it herself, but the fact that a loved one would feel special about something that she had achieved, would make it a glorious moment. "I uh…I got you something."
Booth and Brennan's eyes drifted down to her stomach at the same time until they rested on the frame that Brennan was shielding from his view. "You got me a photo?" Booth smiled, thinking it was either the ultrasound or something of him and her together.
Brennan shook her head, as her hair fell to the sides of her face. "N-no, not really." She turned the frame around, showing him the article that she printed this afternoon. There was a small photo in the middle of the article of a young Booth in an army uniform, looking straight past a camera. Brennan had glued the article on a yellow sheet of paper as she fixed it in a simple black frame. Booth had his photos in similar frames on his apartment walls. She thought this one belonged there too.
Booth took the present from Brennan's hands in silence as he looked down at it in awe. He followed the words with his eyes as he read it silently. 'Last Wednesday, 28-year old Seeley J. Booth, a soldier for the United States Army, saved the life of 6-year old Peter Barker on his one day off. At two in the afternoon, the little boy fell down in the water at Washington Canal Park while playing with a ball. Without any hesitation, the young Booth jumped right in after the little boy and swam them safely to the side, helping the kid back up to the solid ground. The little boy was returned safe and sound to his mother as he was not hurt thanks to the heroic soldier. "I can't swim yet," Peter confirmed, expressing how lucky he was with Booth's quick rescue. "…but I will start classes next month to learn it!" His hero went home shortly after the incident, to change his wet clothes and to continue the fight for our country.'
"I figured," Brennan started, taking in a large gulp of breath, "you should keep this as a remembrance." Booth looked up at her with his mouth slightly opened and his eyes wide in surprise. "You're always saying that you killed so many people and that therefore, you're not a good man. I think this article proved otherwise. Even in the army, you never stopped being a good man."
Booth looked back at the frame, before looking back up at Brennan. He wanted to say something, but he just did not know what. Brennan continued for him. "You saved a life that day, just because you could. People talked about you and wished they knew you. You set an example for every man when you didn't think about yourself for a single minute and helped that boy. You are a great person and I'm glad I could get my hands on the newspaper that wanted to let the world know about your abilities…and your heart."
Their eyes met and Brennan smiled. It was hard to tell whether or not he liked it. He was still too busy staring at her gift and then back up at her again. Brennan felt herself become slightly uneasy as she crossed her arms in front of her chest nervously. "Y-you…you don't have to prove yourself all the time anymore." Brennan pointed to the article. "I know. I've known what you were capable of for eight years." She took a step closer towards him. "I hope this paper will tell you that you shouldn't doubt yourself anymore, because others don't doubt you either."
Booth reached out for Brennan's broken arm and kissed the fingers that escaped from the cast. "Oh Bones, I wasn't being heroic. I just did what every other man would do in my position. I just happened to be the closest one by." He let go of her arm to brush some of her hair back.
Brennan shook her head in disagreement. "No, you could have walked on or just look away. You did neither of these things. You got yourself wet to save the little boy, who can now go to college studying, all thanks to you." Brennan placed her hands against his chest. "This was not God. This was all you."
Booth wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her closer to his body. "Thank you," he whispered. He pressed a kiss on the top of her head. "I love it, almost as much as I love you." And he did. He would put this article on a very visible place and remember Brennan's words so he would not feel inadequate that easily anymore. It was a very thoughtful gift that could help him fight his past demons and he appreciated how careful she had gone about it.
"I'm glad you like it, Booth." She closed her eyes and inhaled his scent deeply. If it only served to make him feel the tiniest better about himself as a person, than her mission had succeeded. Seeing him happy was the biggest gift that she could get herself as well.
AllyH's Note: The article is actually based on my grandfather. He once made the papers after jumping in the town canal to save a child. He came back home all wet, not willing to talk about it. My grandmother never knew about it, until she read the papers and saw his name printed in bold.
Glad I'm finally back on the right day again! Please leave me a review or find me on Twitter (AllysonHale). Tomorrow, I'm working at the nursing home again (second to last week there!) so I might actually be able to reply you again. Yay!
Tomorrow: The angst increases when Booth and Brennan return to work on their case. Brennan finds it hard to keep herself disconnected from the victim and she has an emotional fall-out with someone from the lab.