Disclaimer: I do not own Bones, but I am obsessed!
Author's Note: OK, the chapter that you have probably been waiting for. So without further ado...
Chapter 37: I Saw Her Standing There
July 27, 2005 7:41 PM Burke Cabin, Virginia
The gun shot reverberated through the cabin. Everyone in the room remained motionless in shock, silently checking themselves for the tell-tale sign of blood on their clothing. But, Booth had done his job. He had clipped Miller in the shoulder, forcing him to drop his own weapon. Agent Stuart had then sprung to life, cuffing Miller. Booth holstered his weapon and was working his way toward Lucy, who had the sense enough to scramble away from the politician turned criminal. Seeing that all of the men who had kidnapped her were in custody and that Skylar was safely in the hands of Agent Davis, Lucy realized that she was finally safe and she jumped into Booth's arms.
"You all right, Squirt?"
"I'm better now. I'm really glad you are here. I knew that you would come."
"You weren't easy to find. Happy Birthday, by the way."
"Thanks. Is it really still my birthday?" She looked at him expectantly.
"For a few hours at least." He smiled, a warm reassuring smile that reached all the way to his eyes. It was a smile that she couldn't help returning. Her mind worked at a Brennan's pace however, and she quickly sobered.
"Is Aunt Angela, OK? I'm really worried about her."
"She'll be fine. Couldn't have found you without her." The smile was back on both of their faces.
"And Mom?"
"She's right outside. I'm surprised she hasn't burst in here. I told her to stay safe, and to stay away."
"So where is she?" Lucy grinned and then buried herself into Booth's chest, feeling truly safe for the first time in over twenty-two hours.
"You can go out with Agent Stuart. I want a word with Miller." Booth heard a muffled "no" as she grasped her arms around his neck tighter.
"It's OK, Lucy. Stu is my friend, and your Mom is right outside the cabin. It will be fine. I'll be right out and you are safe. I promise." He noticed for the first time that his shirt was slightly damp. First, where her face had pressed against him, and second, the back of his shirt was feeling a little sticky. Lucy had released her death grip. He set her gently on the floor, and took a look at her injured hand that was bleeding profusely. He quickly pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wrapped it around the gash.
"I'm no medical expert, but it will work for a little while." He offered her a sheepish smile that she mirrored.
"Thanks, FBI guy." Lucy hugged him one last time.
Stuart interrupted, "Boss, what do you want me to do with this scum? I've already read him his rights."
"Take Lucy to Dr. Brennan, and get a medic to check her out. I'll be out in a moment. It's fine, Squirt, go with Stu." The other agent took her uninjured hand and led Lucy out of the cabin. Booth breathed a sigh of relief that she was officially out of danger and that she would be reunited with her mother. Still, it was hard to watch her leave his sights.
"All right Miller, it's just you and me. Anything you want to say before I bring a world of hurt and lawyers upon you?"
Miller was in pain and bleeding from his shoulder and arm; with no where to run, he finally gave up. "You were never supposed to find his body, no body no crime. I set Linda up. I knew that she wanted to leave her husband, so I made myself available. We were in the same places all the time, and finally after some stupid luncheon and several Cosmos, I got her attention. I slept with her a couple times, waiting for the opening. She told me that she wanted to leave her husband, and I suggested that I could make that happen. And I took her pathetic ten thousand dollars and told her that she would be free. And then I went after Joseph. If anyone ever found him, all the money trails, the motive it led to Linda. I thought it was lucky for me that my enemy had a twin whose wife hated him. Her motives threw suspicion off of me. She was supposed to go down for this, not me!"
Booth looked at the man in disgust as he forced him toward the door, being slightly rougher than necessary. "Care to elaborate on why you killed an innocent man?" Booth didn't really need to hear this part of the confession, he already knew what Miller was going to say.
"Do you know how long I worked to get to where I was at? I started with nothing. Crappy parents, crappy home life. But I got my act together, got myself through college, made myself a fortune, and then I started building up my political career. I kissed babies, visited old ladies in nursing homes, set everything up. I was ahead in all the polls, and then out of nowhere GI Joe swoops in and takes everything away from me. Took my district, and was so freaking perfect. J Freaking K, that's who he was. I couldn't compete with that. But he didn't deserve it. I worked for it, everything was handed to him on a silver platter. He stole what was mine and he had to pay, and I don't care who else had to suffer as long as he went down!"
"Why'd you dump the body at Shenandoah, why didn't you just put him under all that concrete in the shed? We never would have found it, and you could go on with your happy life."
Miller began laughing maniacally. It took everything in Booth's willpower not to punch the man. "That was the plan, but the thought of his smiling face underneath my cabin for all eternity, I couldn't handle it. I didn't want him here, but we did everything we could to make sure you never figured out who he was or how we were involved. I still don't know how you found us. Tell me how you did it."
Booth said nothing and only marched the man down the path. Booth noticed that a myriad of ambulances and squad cars had approached the cabin now that the situation was under control. He pushed Miller towards some armed officers and a free medic, knowing that the shoulder required attention, even if Booth wanted nothing more than to throw the guy in a jail cell for the rest of his life. Booth as he released his collar into the custody of the other agents leaned into the man's ear, whispering in a menacing tone. "It wasn't just me, it was the whole team. Never bet against us. We are the best in the world and we always get our man." Booth then straightened up and signaled to the agents.
"Take him away, boys." The agents nodded at Booth, and he released another sigh of relief. His eyes searched for the two people that he wanted to see the most. He saw Skylar settled in her father's arms, both of them teary eyed and flanked by newly arrived agents. He found Stu leaning against an SUV, waiting for further instructions. Stuart had barely walked out of the cabin when the girl had broken from his grasp and run towards the anthropologist.
"Mommy!" Lucy had jumped into her mother's arms and Brennan had squeezed her tight.
"Hi Baby." Brennan had hugged her daughter, holding on for dear life. They were still in that position when Booth finally caught up to them.
His heart thudded in his chest as he witnessed the reunion. Brennan was whispering "my baby," over and over again, while Lucy clung silently to her mother. Lucy finally spoke.
"Mom, you hate nicknames."
"I know, baby."
"I love you, Mommy. I knew you would save me."
"I love you, more than anything."
Booth didn't want to interrupt, and he was still debating on what to say when a medic came up to the two women and cleared his throat loudly. "Sorry, Ma'am. I've got to take a look at the girl. Make sure she's fine."
Booth finally found his voice, "Hey, pal. Give them a minute. It's been a long day."
Lucy had reluctantly released her mother, and put on a brave face. "Mom, it's only a cut, a few bruises and bumps, and maybe a minor concussion." Lucy had reached for the hand of the medic and Brennan had started to follow. Lucy suddenly stopped and turned to face her mother. "Mom, I love you, but give us a minute. I don't need you beating up a medic. FBI guy, keep an eye on her, please."
Brennan kept following the girl and the medic. Lucy turned again, "Mom, just give the guys a chance to examine me, uninterrupted." Brennan's tendency to take over when doctor's were present was a long standing thorn in Lucy's side. She was still embarrassed over the time she had fractured an arm in karate and her mother had terrorized two doctors and an entire nursing staff. But mostly, Lucy just didn't want to see her mother's worry over her injuries. Lucy felt fine right now, but she knew enough about adrenaline to know that in a few minutes she could be in substantial pain. Her mother had been worried enough lately, a few minutes of calm and quiet would be good.
Booth reached for Brennan's arm and kept her from following the girl. "I know it's hard, Bones. She just doesn't want to worry you."
"Booth, she is a minor. I am in charge of all medical decisions."
"I know, but give her five minutes. She doesn't want you lashing out at the good guys." Brennan huffed in defeat.
"She knows me too well." He chuckled slightly.
"Yeah, she does. Are you all right? It's been an awful day."
"I'm fine. She's safe and relatively unharmed. I'm fine." He was staring at her in disbelief, despite her assurances that she was, indeed, fine. They were lit only by the headlights of several vehicles, but he could make out her face. She was not fine. Pulling her away from spectacle before them, he led her away from the blinding lights and gave her some privacy, knowing that she would not want anyone to see her weakness.
Standing by themselves in the near dark, Booth was now unsure what to do. He just wanted to reassure her that everything was fine, good in fact. Lucy was safe. "Come here, Bones." She did not move. He stepped towards her and wrapped his arms around her. She looked at him curiously, squinting in the darkness.
"It's a guy hug, Bones. Just accept it." She nodded and wrapped her own arms around the agent, before pulling away, taking two backwards steps and looking at him awkwardly. He tried to ease the tension. "We make a pretty good team, don't we? You, me, and the Squints? We got our man and rescued two girls. Not a bad day's work, really." She nodded, overwhelmed by the events of the last twenty four hours.
The only conscious thought in Brennan's head at that point was the desire to be as close as possible to the man who had proved himself a partner and a friend. The man who had kept his promise, even when she had begun to doubt him. Impulsively, she stepped towards him, flinging her arms around his neck and pressing her lips to his. Instinctively, he pulled her closer, and when she didn't resist, he deepened the kiss. His heart skipped beat after beat as she pressed even closer to him. It was inappropriate, and unprofessional, and so wrong, but it felt right. It felt wonderful. He would have gone on kissing her forever, but the universe must have had other plans. One of the ambulances was leaving, and the short blaring of a siren broke them apart, startled by the sharp noise.
Booth felt slightly dizzy and took a few steadying breaths, a stunned expression on his face. But Brennan seemed to have not even realized that she had just had her partner's tongue in her mouth. Instead, she began spouting off a lengthy to-do list, walking back towards the crowd and straight for the ambulance that held her daughter. "I need to go check on Lucy. I'm going to ride with her to the hospital, I want her at GW, and to have an MRI if she's got a concussion, and I want to check on Angela. Her wrist injuries worried me, and I want to take a look at her films, too."
Booth took several gulps of air, and then he too made his way toward the ambulance, rubbing the back of his neck and trying to calm his rapidly beating heart back into a normal rhythm. He was sure that Brennan would have a logical explanation for that kiss, no doubt one involving brain chemicals and things that he would never understand. He took a few quick steps and caught up to his partner, resting his hand on her back. He breathed a sigh of relief when she did not pull away. In fact, she stepped slightly closer to him until they finally came back to the ambulance, and once again her focus was entirely on her daughter. Booth watched the mother and child until the doors closed and the paramedics started on the long trip back to DC. It was only then that Booth got into his own car and started the engine, following his girls all of the way back home.