Chapter 26: Meetings On The Mall
The next morning. 5 am. Brennan sat staring at her phone, trying to talk herself out of what she was about to do. But failing.
She grabbed her phone dialing and biting her thumb as it rang. Three times. Four. Six and finally an answer.
"I know it's early. And I know what you're thinking, I just…I need to talk." There was a long pause before she finally got the answer she was hoping for. "I was thinking our place… at noon." A beat. "thank you." She said quietly, grateful, and hung up. She walked back into her bedroom and sighed seeing Booth sound asleep in her bed, immediately feeling bad about having to lie to him.
Noon. The national Mall. Brennan sits alone on a bench, waiting.
At quarter past she heard a cup being placed beside her and she looked up.
"Hey." She smiled lightly, standing and hugging Sully.
"Hey Tempe." He greeted sitting next to her on the bench.
"I'm sorry I called I just-"
"You don't have to apologize Tempe. You needed to talk. ...But just to be clear on what I'm getting myself into, Seeley does know that you are here with me right?"
"...No." she confessed.
He sighed shaking his head. "Tempe…"
"...I told him I was going to lunch with Angela to work everything out." She confessed.
"Okay. Tell me what happened between you and Angela." He nodded looking up at her.
"I accidentally told Cam that she and Hodgins were married."
"And are they?"
"Well...Yeah. But they don't really like each other, mostly they fight. ...but that's not why I needed to talk." She said frowning.
"Well I'm all ears." He said handing her the coffee he got for her.
She nodded and stared at it for a minute and a heavy silence set in between them.
"...My brother is in town."
"Your...brother? You have a...brother? Right. ...Russell?"
"Just Russ." She corrected.
"Right sorry." He nodded. "I thought he was in..." Sully trailed off and looked down realizing it wasn't his place to go there.
"Prison. ...I wouldn't know we haven't spoken in almost 15 years. ...and last night... he shows up. At my door. Asking to talk."
"And that's... bad..." he guessed.
"Yes!" She sighed. "Seeley says that he has a message from my father."
"Which is bad...why?"
"Because he's dead. ...he has to be. ...a-about a year after they ...disappeared the police found their car... on a secluded back road near Chicago. ...there was blood. In the backseat...and the trunk."
"But no one ever found their bodies?"
Brennan shook her head. "You think they abandoned me too."
"No. ...I think they were protecting you. I think they got in to something way too deep and you should hear your brother out."
"...I ... I don't know how. I haven't seen him in 15 years." She said standing and beginning to freak out.
"Tempe." He stood and grabbed her arms stopping the pacing. "Tempe. Stop. ...You'll do fine. Okay? You're brilliant and logical and...you can do this."
"I-I can't. I-"
"No. You can." Sully promised looking directly into her eyes.
She nodded lightly, sitting and he kneeled in front of her.
"Now say it. Say you can do this."
"I... can...do this."
"Good" Sully nodded. "Good...now go home. Tell Booth where you really were and call your brother. Okay?"
Brennan nodded and he stood to leave.
"Wait… Sully can you do me one more thing for me?"
"Of course, anything." He nodded.