Holding Onto The Hero
Continues . . .
{Scene Twenty Five}
For the first time since Booth had been rescued, and had been able to sleep, this was the first time that his slumbering mind wasn't invaded by dark illusions of death, torture and fear. He had awoken at one point during the few hours of sleep the duo had finally been allowed to partake in, and he was pleased to see that not only had he not endured any nightmares thus far, he was even more ecstatic over seeing he also hadn't been - dreaming.
Dreaming of her asleep by his side. She was there, not a dream – not a hallucination, she was really there sleeping next to him, her small hand still laying across his upper chest. He took a few minutes to just watch her sleeping peacefully near him. Her perfect features, her silky, slightly Jasmine scented hair tickling his neck, her ebony eyelashes that were so long they left a shadow on her powdery soft cheeks below. He leaned his head forward, gently placing a kiss on the top of her head, lingering there and holding the kiss for a few seconds longer just to take in the scent of her hair, and to feel the warmth of her – and taking advantage of this peaceful time to say a silent prayer of thanks to God, for allowing him to be blessed with such a remarkable mate to his own, sometimes tortured, soul.
After he fell back to sleep shortly thereafter, The Nurses made it a point not to disturb them so they could sleep for a couple more hours. They knew that the couple had not gotten much sleep the night before due to him having to be awakened so often to monitor his head injury, so they quickly completed their duties in silence so as not to disturb the adoring couple. Nurses replaced his IV's, took notes of his vitals off of the monitors that were still attached to the Agent's body, and they would wait to replace his dressings after he had awakened.
3 Hours later . . .
This time it was Brennan who woke up first, it took her a few minutes to gather her senses and determine just where she was. She smelled the antiseptic & sterile smells that only a Hospital could emit, but even above and beyond that clinical scent, she could still detect the wonderfully recognizable and masculine scent of her Booth. She noticed his hand was still holding onto her own where it was laying across him. He had moved their entwined hands up closer to his face. She wanted to freeze time, savoring this moment and her feelings of love and bliss, so that nothing, or no one, could ever harm either of them again!
Finally she realized that she had to use the facilities, so unfortunately freezing time didn't include freezing her bladder. She started to slide her hand gently out of his larger one when suddenly his hand tightened onto hers locking it in place. She immediately looked up towards his face, where she was expecting to find him still sleeping. But instead she was met with the welcome appearance of his stunning half smile.
"Just where do you think you're going Sleeping Beauty?" he asked her with a wink of his eye.
"Well good morning Handsome." she replied coyly. "How are you feeling after our -" she looked down at her wrist to check her rather expensive watch to see how long they had been asleep, "- wow, after our 4 and a half hour nap?"
As Booth slowly tried to move more of his body that had significantly stiffened over the course of the lengthy Siesta – replied, "Well, I feel like I was blown up, drugged, tasered and then slept without moving for over 4 hours. That's how I feel." he said though smiling at her so as not to cause her to worry – realizing his reply might have only stirred up her own tortured feelings of what he had gone through.
So in an attempt to ensure that his answer didn't cause her too much concern or worry - he added, "But other than just being a little stiff and sore, I am doing great!"
She knew he was exaggerating the more positive aspects of his response, & that he was indeed hurting. Because no matter what his lips said, his eyes held the true picture of what he was feeling and that, was obvious agony. She had been injured before herself, so that was another way she knew that he was merely trying to make her feel better. Typical Booth, she thought, always trying to make everyone else feel happy and good, which made her all the more determined to be there for him this time, and to take care of seeing to his own happiness and well being for a change.
"Oh okay Booth, well - I will let you believe that I bought your little act there." she said grinning up at him – her own eyes shining with the after effects of sleep as she struggled to become fully awake. She needed coffee she thought - big time!
"Now if you will excuse me, I need to use the little girl's room, freshen up and then go find some coffee in the cafeteria." she reported. "Hey!" Booth spoke up quickly, as though suddenly rejuvenated for whatever reason, "Will ya bring me back a donut?!! Huh?! C'mon, I won't tell anyone!! It'll be our little secret!" he begged. Brennan felt ecstatic herself, upon hearing his rather jovial request, and just seeing him brighten up like he did. But mainly because of what that meant - it meant that he was finally starting to feel better and was over the worst of his head injury for one thing.
"Wow" she replied with a dry amazement in her voice, "Now, how could I say no to that? But - seriously Booth, I just want to add my disclaimer that I am doing this for you, against my better judgement! Okay? Because I really don't think it's a good idea to let you have something so sugary and rich, without checking with the Dr. first."
"Nah, C'mon Bones – it will be fine! Trust me, they will ne-ver be the wiser! You know it's their job to say no, so we can't - ask them!"
"Fi-ine, I'll see what I can do." she finally caved. "Great, thanks Bones – you're the best!" he said, grinning with excitement and acting more like Parker, than his Father!
Approx 20 Minutes Later . . .
Brennan came back into the room with coffee in her hand, and a hidden pastry for her Partner in a paper bag that she hoped everyone would assume was simply her own breakfast.
The Dr. was now in there, checking on the Agent as part of her morning rounds. She had a Nurse with her to assist in removing the Ace bandage that was tightly wrapped around his ribcage, and the bandages that sealed in his stitched flesh. She needed to check her own handiwork and make sure there was no sign of infection which would help her determine when he would be well enough to be discharged to his Wife's care. After exchanging pleasantries, the Dr. started to fill them in on her findings.
Since Booth was finally feeling a little more rested than he had been since he was first brought in, laid in silence while the tended to his wounds. He looked more comfortable than he felt as he laid there in silence patiently waiting for them to finish redressing his wounds, he raised his IV-free arm up and placed his hand underneath his head. The position pulled slightly on his stitches and ribs but, it was worth it just to get a change in position and stretch his stiff shoulders a bit.
"Agent Booth, I am going to have Lydia increase the dosage of the antibiotic that you are currently getting through the IV. It's more of a precautionary measure since your wounds are still a little more red around the edges that I like to see, and that makes me a little less comfortable about signing any release forms just yet."
Then before her patient could object, she added, "Now don't panic Agent Booth, that doesn't mean you will be trapped here for days on end!" she said smiling effortlessly, "I am only talking a matter of hours as far as how long until I can re-evaluate your condition – at which time we will hopefully have better news for you."
"Alright Doc, I hear ya." Booth replied, . . . "And – thanks." he added – to which Brennan then added her own words of gratitude for the Physician.
With that she left the Nurse to re-wrap and re-bandage the patient. Booth was making all sorts of facial expressions towards Brennan trying to find out if she got him what he had asked for. He was directing his eyes to the bag she had with her, then raising his eyebrows at her in questioning excitement!
She was trying so hard to keep from laughing out loud until finally the Nurse spoke up, having un-mistakenly picked up on the silent communications between the two. She smiled broadly, "Okay you two, I am just finishing up here so I will be gone before you know it and you two can have your privacy to speak freely." she said with laughter in her voice. "Don't think I can't see you two making goo-goo eyes at each other! Personally, I find it very cute and refreshing to see a married couple still so deeply in love with each other." she said as she tied Booth's top back up and started to gather the old wrappings and such.
Her well stated observations made Brennan completely blush again which did not go un-noticed by Booth, who's own heart melted at the sight – knowing that meant that his Bones was happy and that was all he cared about. As soon as the Nurse excused herself, Booth was beside himself trying to get Bones to give him his treat!
"What'd ya get me?!!" Is it chocolate?? Glazed?? Jelly filled - what?!!" He said in an almost hyperactive pitch.
"Oh my gosh Booth, calm down will ya? You are not supposed to get yourself riled up like that! I got you a glazed one, it's a cinnamon twist, I hope that's okay – they didn't have much of a selection -" but before she could even finish her sentence Booth was grabbing at the bag, that was finally within his reach as she made her way over to his side.
"That's awesome! Perfect!" he said gratefully. Brennan just grabbed her coffee, sat down in the chair next to his bed, and laughed as she watched him dig into his sweet surprise. "Geez Booth, I almost feel like I need to go keep watch at the door to make sure no one catches you with that! But the rate you're going, you will be done before I could even make my way over to the dang door!" she said as she rolled her eyes in disbelief.
Booth was just in Heaven, Bones had never seen anyone enjoy food, especially sugary sweet desserts, with such passion and joy – it made her feel ecstatic to watch him especially after all of the awful and negative things he had just been put through by the Gravedigger.
Later In The Day . . .
Agent Perotta came by to check on her injured FBI counterpart, and to tape record his statement, then putting a new tape in the recorder, she left the recording device with him, so that he could complete a verbal rendition of his account of the events that transpired over the time he was missing. The recording would later turned into his official hard copy report by one of the Administrative Assistants within the FBI organization.
They would later just transcribe his recordings into paper documents, place them in a file folder, and submit them in the rather old fashioned way the FBI was still accustomed to using.
Perotta thought she could sense something different about the way Dr. Brennan, and her co-worker/ friend, Seeley Booth – not only looked at each other since his return, but also how they acted around one another. She didn't quite know what to make of it - it was rather subtle, yet it was unmistakably there! She finally blew it off and decided that if it were true, and that things had indeed changed between the two partners, well it would surely become more obvious as time moved on.
She was a patient woman so she should certainly be able to wait. While watching from afar of course – hell she might even have a little fun with it along the way she thought.
"Okay Booth, well you rest and get better – and don't worry about anything at the office, I can bring you whatever you need – just call me. Okay?" she then leaned in giving the agent a quick hug.
"Dr. Brennan, I assume that you and I will be working together for a little while longer, what with Booth on extended medical leave and all." Agent Perotta stated to Brennan, making an obvious effort to be cordial to the Forensic Dr.
"Yes, of course Agent Perotta" Brennan replied, "I must admit that you have done a somewhat commendable job so far as a temporary replacement." she stated – in her own awkward attempt to be cordial herself.
"Welll-ookaythen," Perotta quickly responded, in a race to escape any more of the uncomfortable exchange. She then gathered her briefcase and disappeared out the door.
"You know Bones, you could really be a littt-llle bit nicer to her you know?" Booth chastised her "I mean, she is helping me out after all - and you could have a lot worse of a replacement – trust me!" Brennan took in what Booth was saying and she started to feel a little guilty. Not because she had been a little harsh with the female Agent, but more so because she knew how hard this was for Booth.
She felt bad – but more for the fact that she knew it was harder for Booth to allow someone else to do his job when he was forced to be on the sidelines, than it was for her, to put up with his replacements. So she walked closer to hid bed, seating herself on the very edge. "You're right." she said, "You are absolutely right and, I'm sorry. The last thing you need to worry about right now, is me getting along with your temp-or-ary, replacement.
I will be nicer to her – but I need you to promise me something in return." she paused.
"Wow," replied the surprised patient, "after that, how could I not agree to do whatever you asked me to do?" he stated.
"Good, what I want you to do is, promise me that you will obey whatever restrictions and recommendations that the Dr. gives you as far as your recovery and time off goes. And I mean it Booth, no trying to trick me or weasel out of it after you make your promise." she said firmly.
Though that was a promise he reeaally didn't want to make, he knew she was only asking out of her own concern of his well being – so he assured her he would not 'weasel' out of anything!
With that, Brennan leaned further in, planting a firm kiss on Booth's lips – sealing the deal. Within minutes they were fully engulfed in layering passionate kiss upon passionate kiss, as if they could not get enough of each other. It seemed that kissing had become second nature to them now that they had gotten past the hardest part of a new relationship - that initial first peck. Well the floodgates of pleasure were sure open now - so to speak!
Booth was the first to pull back, almost taking Brennan's bottom lip with him in the process, as he nibbled at the luscious pout one more time before speaking. "Okay Bones, hold on just one second."
"I've noticed that we have somewhat moved beyond our normal uh, partnership – and we clearly enjoy this new found habit of kissing each other whenever we get the chance. But, don't you think we need to talk about this at some point? I mean, about the 'line' that I talked about after Cam was hurt – mainly because the two of us had been involved at the time. I still can't help but worry about that happening again, only if anything were to happen to you Bones, I could never live with myself! Though don't get me wrong, I don't regret any of what we have done so far – deep down I always knew we would get to this point, or at least I had hoped we would."
As he continued, wanting to say everything he felt before he all but chickened out, "I just think we should figure out how we are going to move forward with this, and yet somehow maintain the boundaries of safety that we have to keep up if we are going to stay safe out in the field."
"I agree Booth, I think you are absolutely right. I think we need to talk about it, and just come to a reasonable understanding or agreement as to how we will handle ourselves on, and off duty. The two must surely be kept separate and the way we interact with one another when ON duty, will need to remain as objective and professional as it was before – if not more so!"
Then she added one more "Booth, I honestly feel that you and I have become close enough over the past few years, that even if we hadn't taken our partnership into the forbidden territory of a personal relationship – that in just being partners we had already grown to care about each other enough that, well . . . whether we became 'intimate' or not, our relationship had already progressed to the point that we still would have been devastated if anything happened to either of us. It think that has been obvious if you look at what we have already been through over the past couple of years.
She continued, "You - being kidnapped once before - and tortured, being blown up by a damn kitchen appliance whilst protecting me, shot and nearly killed by your stalker, and now this latest incident where I thought I would never see you again!"
"And myself – also kidnapped by the Gravedigger, getting hurt while in New Orleans that time you came to help me figure out just what my lost memories were failing to tell me, my abduction and subsequent injury at the hands of Kenton, and both of us getting hurt by the bomb in the backpack, while chasing the motorcycle!"
"My point is," she went on, "that regardless of whether we take this to another level or not – we have already naturally crossed that line long before now Booth. Just via the natural progression of our partnership as well as our friendship." And with that, she sat back into the chair along side Booth's hospital bed, still holding his hand tightly, waiting for his reaction to her little speech.
Booth found himself just staring at her, in listening to everything she had just said, and the passion with which she had said it - he felt more for her at that moment, than he ever thought he was capable of! Grasping her hand tighter within his own, he realized that what she had said was true, they had already crossed that line, perhaps only months after he had even announced it's very existence.
"You know Bones, I had been so caught up in trying to keep my feelings for you, buried beyond the inner depths of my heart, in my sole effort to avoid getting anywhere near that barrier we had established – or that 'line' rather. But now in one fell swoop you have managed to make me realize that our hearts were h3ll bent on making their journey towards each other – regardless of what either one of us thought we were doing to prevent it!"
"I honestly don't know why I never looked at it in that way before." he concluded. So they agreed they would not stop the momentum with which they were now so caught up in. They needed to have more conversations about it, to find a way to work through the working together aspects, but for now they decided to just have fun and enjoy being alive, and - in Love!
Then Booth smiled and asked her one more simple question; "Okay so - can you go to the cafeteria again now, and sneak me some more food? I could sure go for some fries!"
TBC . . .
We are now sooooo close to their physically releasing allof the love and passion that had slowly building having been forced to take a back seat for so long! Next - soon Booth is released to Brennan's care and – we can let the 'games' begin!!