(After 'The Woman in White')
This story is for MGabrielaArdila
I don't own Bones.
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The wedding had been beautiful as far as Brennan was concerned and she knew she had Angela to thank for that feat. After the church had burned down the night before their wedding, Brennan had been willing to settle for a Justice of the Peace and a small group of witnesses, but it wasn't the wedding she had wanted for herself or Booth. She had wanted Booth to have a traditional wedding, in a church, with a priest officiating, but once the church was burned and Father Harrow had told her that he couldn't do the ceremony, Brennan had been at a loss about what to do next. Booth had let her know he would marry her without any 'pomp and circumstance' as long as it was with her, but she didn't think that was going to happen soon.
Miraculously, Angela had found a new venue, someone who could legally do the marriage ceremony and it was all done on the day they had planned for the wedding. Booth had hesitated about Angela's involvement since he and Angela were not on good terms, but he had relented and let Angela take care of the situation. Brennan knew that Booth was doing that for her and it made her love him even more.
The ceremony complete, the reception over, they were back home and preparing for their honeymoon. Their bags were packed and Booth was in the living room talking to his grandfather. Hank planned to stay overnight and would leave in the morning an hour before Booth and Brennan had to leave for the airport. Christine was with Angela and Hodgins and would stay with them until the honeymoon was over.
Booth's jacket and pants were on the bed. Booth planned to drop them off to the cleaners on the way to the airport in the morning, so Brennan moved her hands through the pockets to make sure there was nothing in them. Removing a folded piece of paper from one of the jacket pockets, she realized she was holding the written vows that Booth had intended to speak during their wedding. She had been surprised when he had placed the paper in his pocket and had spoken extemporaneously, but his vows had been personal and she had loved them.
Curious, she sat down on the bed, unfolded the paper and read it.
From the first moment I met you, I knew. You meet someone and you don't have any expectations about them or if you do, they exist because of things you've been told about them by someone else. All I knew about you was that you were a forensic anthropologist, a scientist and that didn't prepare me for you at all. You helped me solve a case that was getting cold fast and you did it in a way that seemed miraculous. Together we made a great team and we still do.
I once told you that you were the standard and to me that's still true. You're beautiful, smart, brave someone that I can trust and believe in me, trust comes hard for me. Knowing you has made me a better man, a better human being. I've loved you for a long time and through the good times and the bad, I will love you until I die.
She folded the paper and placed it on her lap. Booth's vows at the wedding had been fun, loving and wonderful, but the words that hadn't been spoken made her emotional. She knew they were the words he felt and the words he had wanted to say to her at their wedding. Why he chose to not use them was puzzling to her, but she knew she wouldn't ask him. The vow he had used at the wedding was Boothy and she'd loved it. The words on the paper were lovely and heartfelt but were stiff compared to the vows he'd spoke. She was satisfied.
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He found the folded paper on the dresser, flipped it open and stared at the words. He had agonized over the words when he had written them down, so he still wasn't sure what had made him change his mind at the ceremony and to pocket them and speak from the heart. It had been a risk, but he was a risk taker and sometimes it was worth it.
At the ceremony, she had stood before him a lovely vision in white and he had been moved to speak about what he felt at that moment. He had placed his carefully crafted words in his pocket, smiled at his fiancé and spoke about what it had been like pursuing the woman of his dreams. There was much left unsaid, but his family knew their story and they didn't need to be reminded of the mistakes he had made. Booth wanted Brennan to understand how much she meant to him and his paper just didn't seem to say what he felt at that moment in time.
Folding the paper, he pulled open his top dresser drawer, found his box holding his medals and slipped the paper inside. Closing the drawer, he leaned on the dresser for a moment and closed his eyes.
He had wanted to be married for a long time. He'd had dreams of a house surrounded by a white picket fence, a wife, several children and maybe a dog or two. What he got was what he needed not what he wanted. He found the woman of his dreams, they had found a house and moved in. Brennan had their baby and then they were married. Not exactly the order he had dreamed of, but it was his life and nothing he and Brennan ever did was normal or expected. That might have been why they worked so well together. They were predictable in their unpredictableness.
"I found your vows." Brennan was leaning on the doorframe watching Booth standing in front of the dresser with his eyes closed. It seemed odd, but she didn't question it.
His eyes open, Booth turned to stare at his bride. "Did you read it?"
"Yes, you did write them for me to hear." Uncertain, Brennan waited to hear his reaction.
Slowly smiling, Booth moved over to where Brennan was standing and placed his hand on the side of her face. "I did write them for you and I meant every word."
"I know you did." She moved to place her arms around his chest, resting her cheek on his chest. "They were lovely."
His arms around her, Booth leaned his chin on her shoulder. "I was going to use it, but when I saw you standing there, in the Rose Garden . . . I was reminded of the first time we were in the garden and I wanted to talk about that. I needed you to remember that time because I've never forgot it."
"It was the beginning of our partnership . . . it started with blackmail, but I think I made the right decision at the time." Brennan chuckled. "You don't like being blackmailed."
"No, I don't, but in that case . . . in that case, I'm glad you did it." Booth sighed. "I love you Bones. I've never loved anyone like I love you." He had known for a long time that he would never be happy without Brennan in his life. She was interesting, brilliant, and unpredictable and he knew she would always be on his side. That was something he had always wanted. Besides his grandfather, he had never known anyone he could count on like he did his Bones.
Her ear pressed against his chest, Brennan found comfort listening to his words while she could hear his heart beating. He gave her peace when she needed it. He gave her love and she felt protected when she was with him. She didn't need that protection, but she knew it was there when she wanted it. Her life wasn't how she had imagined it would be, but that was probably a good thing. If someone had told her as a young woman, she would marry her best friend, she would have laughed. It was many years before she understood what love was and now that she had discovered it's meaning she couldn't imagine her life without it. "I love you Booth."
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