Thank you for your reviews everyone. Vmf447 (I felt like a kiss at that moment wouldn't have been the right time, since they weren't getting together yet), gatewatcher, ZinaR, RobinAngelena, regbride12, topaz270, Raven Joy, greylover1, doge, GalaxieGurl (yes they are each other's best antidote), Annarita (lol she kinda was a little blimp in their history), FaithinBones, 554Laura, LoveShipper, mendenbarand other guests.
The following takes place shortly after the show's final episode.
Vacation
The Tho Chu Islands in Gulf of Thailand. Brennan had mentioned them years ago, with the promise of pristine, quiet beaches. Of course as with the best-laid plans, real life got in the way and the couple never actually made it to said islands until now. Years later, when they were already married and had added one more to their family. It would be their first vacation together since their honeymoon. Booth had thought it would be a good idea to get away, especially since the loss of Max. Aubrey had promised to look after Hank and Christine and they trusted him to do just that. That did not however, prevent the tears at home when they two young children said goodbye to their parents. It broke Brennan's heart to have to kiss her tearful children goodbye, especially not too long after they had lost their grandfather but she knew this was what Booth and her needed.
The couple flew to Ho Chi Minh city. They knew that cell service on the remote islands was going to be poor so they facetimed their children, before travelling by train to the islands. They were to spend a couple of days on the archipelago of islands, before spending two in Ho Chi Minh city, then fly the long journey home. The vacation would separate the children from their parents for a total of eight days, but the promise of gifts had made the children less teary.
The first day on the island was everything the couple would have wanted. They never left their tiny hut that was nestled above stilts right at the water's edge. They made love multiple times until both exhausted, fell asleep, as if boneless in each other's arms. The second day, was spent snorkelling in the clear turquoise waters, enjoying a languid day by the white sand in the sun. When night fell, they retired back to their tiny hut to enjoy each other's' bodies again.
When Booth woke on the third day of vaction, he reached over for his wife, expecting his hand to come into contact with her warm, soft skin. Instead his hands only felt the cold, empty sheets. He opened his eyes blinking back his deep sleep. This was a contrast to the previous morning. He sat up in bed, the humid seaside air already making his skin sticky.
"Bones?" He called out for her. With no reply, he checked the small bathroom. It was empty. He found a small note stuck to the mirror.
I've gone exploring at one of the neighboring islands. I've arranged for Tranh Loc, a local guide to take you fishing today. I'm sure you'll enjoy the activity. I'll see you tonight. Love Bones.
Booth frowned at the thought of her on some remote island alone. She had told him that the island they were on was the only one inhabited by humans and the neighbouring islands were filled only with wildlife and caves. She had mentioned on the flight there that the islands had been the site of some conflict a long time ago and that there were still human remains where the fighting was the fiercest. He suspected that was her motivation in ditching him that day. Suddenly angry and worried that something untoward might happen to her he fumed internally.
A knock on the door forced him out of his thoughts. He pulled on a pair of pants before opening the door. It was the local guide Brennan had mentioned in her note. He spoke some English and Booth tried to get him to take him to wherever Brennan was but he managed to explain that he didn't know where exactly it was she had gone. Knowing that it was pointless to try to call her, Booth half-heartedly went along with Tranh Loc. They managed to catch some fish but Booth found that he still worried for his wife and wasn't enjoying himself.
The guide cooked their catch over a fire on the beach and though delicious, Booth didn't have much of an appetite. As evening came Booth waited, fuming in the tiny hut, his worry for her intensifying with the setting sun.
She finally returned to him just as the sun was about to disappear into the ocean in the horizon.
"Hi Booth." She greeted him as she entered the hut. "Did you enjoy yourself fishing today?"
"Where the hell were you?!"
"Didn't you see the note?" Brennan asked, shocked at the anger in his tone.
"I did."
"I don't understand. Why are you unhappy?"
"Because Bones, you don't just go running off on your own to some deserted island. There're pirates in these waters. What if they decided to kidnap you for ransom or worse? Or what if something happened to you and nobody knew?"
"I wasn't alone Booth. I was with a local guide."
"So you just run off with some guy on our vacation when it's supposed to be our time?"
"Are you suggesting that I would engage in a meaningless tryst with a local?!"
"No! I didn't mean that." Booth paused and for a split second considered the possibility, then shook his head. She would never.
His pause incensed her. "You do think that!"
"I didn't say that."
"But you thought it."
"This isn't about that okay?! I know you would never. I was worried. I mean just don't go running off somewhere without me."
"You're being ridiculous Booth."
"Am I?"
Their argument had escalated and in the confines of their tiny hut, the couple had stepped towards each other, tensions rising. The humid, tropical weather along with their rising tempers seemed to make the room hotter than it usually was in the evening.
"I don't want to argue with you Booth. Not now."
"It's not like I wanted to spend our vacation arguing with you too. I mean we've already spent the entire day apart."
"So we're supposed to spend every waking moment together? As your wife I don't have any freedom?!"
"Quit putting words in my mouth Bones!"
"I'm not. I'd rather – "
"You'd rather what Bones?"
There was a moment of silence when the tension in the air was so thick it was palpable. Then Brennan threw her arms round Booth's neck, thrusting her tongue into his mouth. The action simultaneously angered and aroused him at once. The couple tumbled onto the bed and started pulling off each other's clothes. Sex was hard and rough, fuelled by lust and anger and it was soon over. Exhausted, the couple lay panting in each other's arms.
Brennan had a moment to organize her thoughts and realised that they had what Angela had once referred to as angry sex. She felt his breathing start to slow. She felt him run his hand down her side, his finger coming to rest on a scar on the right of her abdomen. She felt him let out a shaky breath.
"I still remember that night. After we fought and you went to the lab. I found you lying there... I still remember thinkin' I was too late. Thinking that if only we hadn't fought, you wouldn't have gone to the lab. If anything happened to you, if Christine lost her mother, it would have all been my fault. There was so much blood… I would have never forgave myself if you died that night."
No longer angry, Brennan felt a tug at her heart. "You still remember, after all these years."
"How could I forget?" He moved the hand that had rested over her scar and tunnelled his fingers through her hair. From his tone, she knew that he too was no longer angry. "I can see it in my head like it was yesterday."
She propped herself up on one elbow, and with her other hand she traced her fingers over a scar on the upper right of Booth's chest. "Pam Nunen." She then smoothed her fingers to the opposite side. That night when the Delta Force team went to our old house to kill you."
Her fingers continued their quest to catalogue his many injuries from the firefight that fateful night she almost lost him. She then moved her hand again, coming to rest on his most recent scar. "Jared."
She felt him chuckle. "Are we comparing scars now?"
"I remember every single one of those moments you got these scars too Booth. Like you said, just like it happened yesterday."
"Guess I got more than you."
"You do."
"I don't wanna lose you Bones. Not like how I lost Jared, Sweets… Max." Booth hoped he had not saddened her by mentioning her father.
"I have no desire to lose you too."
"You can see why I got mad."
"I understand yes. But your reaction was out of proportion."
"I have been worried since I woke up and found you gone. I didn't even enjoy the fishing."
"I should have thought it through better. I thought you would be bored following me around the entire day."
"Even if I had been bored, you know I'd rather spend the day with you. I mean we are on vacation, it's meant to be us time."
"Perhaps I was erroneous in my assumption that you would not have wanted to come along with me."
"If that's an apology it's accepted." Booth pressed a kiss to her lips. "We shouldn't have fought, but I figured, after all that had happened with Max…"
"I never blamed you. My father's death is not your fault."
"I blame myself."
"I know, and that's why I withdrew myself from you. Selfishly I didn't want to have to worry about you blaming yourself over it. I should have made my intentions clear."
"You were grieving. I knew you wouldn't cheat on me with Sully. What hurt was that it felt like I couldn't comfort you when you were hurting the most."
"I doubt anyone would have had the ability to comfort me at that time. I didn't want to burden you with my grief. You were there for me and you stood by me in your own stoic way. Your presence was more than enough."
"Your grief is for us to share okay? I'm your husband."
"I know. You were right in suggesting this vacation, we both needed it."
"We needed to get it all out, like when we fought just now. We needed to talk about it."
Brennan nodded. "I've never suffered a loss like losing Max since…" She thought back to finding out about her mother. Since finding herself all alone when her parents abandoned her.
"Hey, I know. It's okay." He rubbed her back soothingly.
"On hindsight, perhaps I should have explained myself better to you."
Booth shook his head. "Everyone handles grief in their own ways."
"I'm happy that we're talking about it now. I need you to know that my Dad's death is not your fault. I should have told you sooner."
"You're telling me now."
Brennan smoothed her hand along the planes of his chest. "Tomorrow, we can go fishing together. And there's a local market. I've been wanting to study the local culture there."
"Something to do that we'll both like."
"Yes. We should make the most of our remaining time on vacation, together."
"I like the idea of that."
The vacation to Tho Chu was mentioned by Brennan in "The Survivor in the Soap". I always thought that the show could've done a better job of Brennan addressing Max's death with Booth. She mentioned her reasons to Angela but never directly to Booth.
