The Apple in the Strudel
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Brennan blew out an exasperated breath of air through her half-closed lips, watching as the white plume dissipated upwards in the cold sky. The fit of her trousers was tight, the weight of her coat heavy, and right now, the flapping of her scarf was annoying. She turned her head towards her partner and with a slight whine to her voice complained, "I don't understand Booth, we've never had to wait in a line outside before." Shaking her head in dismay, she continued, "All I wanted was a piece of apple strudel from this place. And maybe the cheese spaetzle. Oh, and a few of those rolls with the caraway seeds with butter."
Her handsome companion looked at her with a slight smile and replied, "Yeah, well, that's what happens when the night before a restaurant is featured on a national food shown as having the best apple strudel on the East coast. Besides, the line is moving quickly since it looks like most people are getting their food 'to go'." Booth pointed at the stream of people walking out of the restaurant carrying paper bags embossed with the restaurant's logo and added, "Relax, Bones. We'll be sitting at a table in no time." As soon as he finished speaking, Booth reached over and began pulling on Brennan's coat lapels in an attempt to close her open coat. "C'mon Bones, button up! It's really cold out here. It's like 30 degrees out here. Even I know that's like a couple of degrees below freezing."
Her nerves frayed and her patience now gone, Brennan smacked Booth's hands away from her. "Booth! Stop it! I am perfectly fine and don't need coddling! I am merely experiencing an increase in body temperature due to foetal development and the normal hormonal fluctuations associated with pregnancy. I am having what is colloquially known as a 'hot flush'!" Keenly aware of his better half's current mood, Booth wisely stayed silent and did not correct his partner's word choice.
On top of her physical discomfort, Brennan was now immensely annoyed. She aggressively wiped her sweaty brow with a quick motion. At this very moment, she heard a voice that filled her not with dread but apprehension and surprise.
"Seeley, Temperance! Looks like it's true, this place must have the best strudel in the DC area."
Brennan quickly glanced at Booth and upon seeing what she thought was a look of confusion on his face (she wasn't entirely sure), she turned her head to look at the short blonde woman standing near the father of her unborn child. She quickly assessed the change in the other woman's hair which was now cut just at chin level. She also noted that the woman's figure was as trim as ever, in vast contrast to her own. Immediately, Brennan was envious that unlike herself, the blonde was probably comfortable in her clothes and her body temperature properly self-regulated.
Noticing that Booth still stood there stupefied, Brennan took a deep breath before responding simply, "Hannah."
With a smile on her face, the blonde hesitated before exclaiming, "It's been about nine months, hasn't it? Wow, I see lots of changes with you, Temperance! Me, I only had a haircut!" She then turned to Booth and with a much calmer voice asked, "And you, Seeley? How are you doing? You are looking well. I'm glad we ran into each other. I've been working up the courage to contact you so we can talk. You know, about us." As she spoke, Hannah reached over in an attempt to touch Booth's forearm but missed when Booth sidestepped her outreached hand to move closer towards Brennan.
The actions and words of her former friend caused a flash of jealousy to spike through Brennan, a feeling she now understood and could identify with, unlike before. In addition to her physical discomfort, her head was now swimming in a myriad of unpleasant emotions, causing her to panic. This panic meant that Brennan was at her breaking point. Not caring whether her actions would be construed as rude or not, Brennan grabbed Booth's arm to regain his attention and simply announced, "I'm tired of standing and waiting outside. I'm going inside to inform the hostess that I am a world-renown forensic anthropologist and a published author. That … that it would be advantageous if I were seated immediately since it would be good publicity for the restaurant. Meet me at the table when you are done here." With that proclamation, Brennan marched toward the front of the long line and disappeared behind the entrance door.
Stunned at Brennan's rapid departure and still not sure what just happened nor why Hannah was standing next to him, Booth finally faced his ex-girlfriend and shrugged. "Yeah, uh, the pregnancy sometimes makes Bones feel uncomfortable." He stood there looking over the blonde's head and stared at the large restaurant display window in front of them.
Through the glass, Booth saw Bones trailing behind a young woman whom he assumed was the hostess. The woman pointed to a table prominently situated in the middle of the window, walked over, and then placed a couple of menus down. He continued watching the scene until Bones sat herself down and began fanning herself with one of the menus. He wondered why they did not do this earlier so this entire scenario with Hannah could've been avoided. Quite simply, Booth felt as if he were in his own private hell that was not of his making.
"Seeley?" asked Hannah quietly.
Remembering where he was, Booth faced the woman and looked at her properly for the first time. He was only aware of the fact that he had no echoes of any amorous sentiments towards the reporter which did not surprise him in the least. If he were to give a name to what he was feeling as he looked upon her, it would be indifference. Booth's mind then contrasted his current state with the memory of when he returned from Afghanistan and saw Brennan after seven months of separation. He recalled the intensity of yearning and despair, plus the fervent desire to make Brennan realise what she lost in spurning him. Once his mind returned to the present, Booth simply asked, "What do you want, Hannah?" He then returned his gaze to the display window to watch a waiter placing a glass of water and a basket of rolls in front of Brennan.
Not privy to any of Booth's musings, Hannah happily chattered, "I was on my way to the DC news bureau for information on an assignment I'm working on when I saw you. I wanted to find out how you are doing and like I said earlier, to talk." She looked up expectantly at Booth but was surprised to see that he was no longer looking at her but back at the window towards Brennan.
Feeling a bit uncomfortable at Booth's disinterest, Hannah kept talking. "I'm here for a couple of weeks. Not just work, but my sister and her daughter moved here. She's divorced now and came here for a job. She begged me to stay a little while to show her around. You know, since I used to live here. With you." She took a cleansing breath and continued, "I was going to stop by the Hoover this week to see if you wanted to grab lunch or dinner sometime, to just talk. You know, about everything that happened and to catch up." Undoing her scarf and repositioning it around her shoulders, she nervously played with the scarf's edges while she waited for a response.
Booth finally looked back at the woman he once stupidly proposed to and wondered what to say. After a few moments, he nodded his head as if he finally had an answer he was seeking, and replied, "And what Hannah? Talk about the Flyers? You don't like sports. What, reminisce about Afghanistan? No thanks, I want to forget that I was dumb enough to re-enlist and get shipped back to another hellhole. Talk about the time we were together?" He shook his head and laughed mirthlessly. "Nope, that was in the past where it belongs." Booth rubbed his hand against his neck, and carried on, "That baby Bones is carrying, that you haven't asked about? That baby is mine. We are a family now. Bones and that little unborn girl are my present and my future." Booth sighed and returned his gaze to the window before looking back at Hannah. "I don't think me talking about Bones and our baby is what you have in mind."
Her eyes now wide with the revelation she never expected to hear, Hannah could only remark, "Y … your baby? The two of you together? You have to admit that's fast. It hasn't even been a year since we broke up and now you and Temperance are together? And expecting a baby?" Now Hannah started to feel faint. She looked around her as if expecting a chair nearby but returned her gaze to her past when she saw none.
"A short time?" Booth snorted. "This has been seven years in the making." Looking back at the window Booth frowned when he saw Brennan picking at a roll and amassing a pile of breadcrumbs of Everest proportions on a plate in front of her.
Returning his attention to his ex, Booth simply stated, "Look Hannah, I'm glad you're safe and in one piece. But I don't think catching up is a good idea."
"Seven years? What do you mean seven years? You mean to tell me that while we were together you were pining away for Temperance?" Hannah scoffed, her face now a portrait of indignation.
"Yes, I was. I know that now." Booth simply stated, his face and voice devoid of any emotion.
At that statement, Hannah became angry at the current situation she found herself in and glared at the man she once lived with, "Well, that's just great. You propose while wanting to be with someone else." Now it was her turn to stare at the woman picking at rolls, "Temperance, huh? She must've learned from my mistake. Keeping you on a short leash and not allowing you to meet with any friends?" She slowly exhaled and readjusted her scarf around her neck.
While still facing her, Booth shook his head at Hannah. "Now that is NOT fair and you know it! She never, not even once, tried to get between us when we were together!"
"Except for the time she admitted that she had feelings for you!" Hannah volleyed back.
"Yeah, and I told her how I felt about you at the time." Booth took a deep breath to calm himself before continuing. "She told me that because she had an epiphany of sorts not because she was trying to break us up. " Booth looked around him before looking back at Hannah. "Plus, to be perfectly honest, you and I weren't really ever friends, were we?"
Booth jammed both of his hands into his coat pockets. "We never really talked about stuff that mattered, did we? Only work, our schedules, what to eat, and where to go. Nothing about our hopes, dreams, and wishes." Booth stared at the woman before him and slowly shook his head. "Hell, we even toasted each other for never having deep or emotional conversations."
"And yet you still proposed to me." Hannah tersely stated.
"And you declined." Booth countered. However, while still facing Hannah, he began to slowly back away. "But you know what, I'm not going to stand here in the cold, performing a post-mortem on our failed relationship when Bones is sitting in a crowded restaurant by herself while she is upset."
Hannah took a step forward and pointed her finger at Booth. "Fine Seeley, go. I only wanted to talk to see where we stood and if there was a future still for us. But it looks like from my side that the moment I left, you couldn't wait to replace me with Temperance."
"Think whatever you want, it doesn't matter to me. I'm going now. I hope one day you find whatever it is that will make you happy. Goodbye, Hannah." With that, Booth turned on his heel and walked towards the front to enter the restaurant, leaving the reporter standing by herself in the cold.
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Brennan tried to focus on not looking out the window. Seeing Booth outside with Hannah only served to remind her of another time she was seated at a restaurant, watching the two of them outside. Only then she had to endure seeing a happy reunion between the two. Seeing the reporter again only served to remind her of the immense pain she felt when Booth and Hannah were a couple, a pain only rivalled by her parents' disappearance so long ago.
Picking up a second roll, Brennan began rubbing the caraway seeds off with her thumb. The rhythmic motion was slightly soothing while she waited for Booth to arrive. She took a sip of water and thought about the last time she spoke on the phone with Hannah, the night that so devastated Booth. However, her maudlin thoughts were soon interrupted when Booth sat down in the seat across from her and remarked, "I thought you wanted to eat the rolls yourself, not create breadcrumbs to feed to the birds later."
Looking up from the plate before her, she was surprised to see Booth. "You're back," she said lamely.
"Yeah, you think I want to stay out there in the cold when you're here, alone?" Booth reached across the table and took the roll from her hands. "You okay? You left so quickly. But I gotta tell you, if I'd have known that you could get us seated ahead of the others waiting in line, I would have sent you much earlier to get us a table!" Booth grinned. Soon after, the waiter appeared, took their orders, and left.
After watching the waiter walk away from the table, Brennan shifted her view to study Booth's face with an intensity that Booth found a little unnerving. "Bones, everything okay?" he asked.
Brennan sighed and nodded. "Yes, but I think there is something you should know. Something that would explain why I reacted the way I did when I saw Hannah just now." She took a sip of water and steeled herself for her confession. "When I first met her, I warned Hannah to be sure of her feelings towards you because you give yourself completely when in a relationship."
Booth looked at Brennan and reached for her hand, "Oh, Bones" was all he was capable of saying.
Brennan, comforted by Booth's touch, carried on. "That night … the night you proposed to Hannah, she called me to tell me what happened. She… she expected me to commiserate with her! After I warned her to take your feelings seriously!" Aggravated all over again, Brennan pulled her hand from Booth's, picked up another roll and began rubbing off the seeds. "I told her that she was cavalier with your feelings and that … that …" Brennan closed her eyes and motioned to Booth to lean forward so only he would hear her in the crowded restaurant, "I said she was a heartless bitch and didn't deserve you. Then I hung up the phone on her to go find you. You know the rest." Brennan leaned back in her chair, now spent.
Recalling parts of that foolish night, Booth shook his head in shame. "And when you found me, I was a wreck and I thanked you by being a jerk. Bones, you never told me. You warned Hannah?" Part of Booth's lip raised in a small smile, "You defended my honour." He laughed quietly and reached for Brennan's hand again.
Looking at their joined hands, Booth began to speak, "Even if she accepted the proposal, Hannah and I would never have worked out, you know." He looked up and captured Brennan's gaze with his own. "I was still in love with you although I tried to bury those feelings. If I stayed with Hannah longer, eventually I would realise that I was using her to try to get over you. Then the relationship would fall apart because there was nothing else holding it together. Me proposing only accelerated the inevitable."
Seeing the distress on her face, Booth moved to the seat next to Brennan and put an arm around her. "Tell you what. Why don't we tell the waiter to change our order to carry-out and we'll go back home, hmm?" When Brennan nodded her assent, Booth flagged down the waiter and told him their change of plans. Turning back to Brennan, he smiled. "You'll feel better once we're home and you can get out of those clothes and wear your PJs. I'll put a tablecloth on the bed and while we eat, we can watch that shark documentary you recorded."
Shaking her head, Brennan replied, "No PJs. I need to be naked. Everything touching my skin is bothering me and feels tight. I just want to eat strudel and be comfortable."
"Hmmm, sure, no problem. You know, I might join you. Why should you be the only one comfortable? We'll have a naked picnic on the bed, huh?" Booth looked back at Brennan with a lecherous grin but was surprised to see her rummaging around in her cavernous tote bag. After a few moments, Brennan pulled out her cell phone and began tapping on her screen.
"Uh, Bones? What are you doing? Are you even listening to me?" Regardless of Brennan's lack of attention, Booth was happy to note that the distress on her face was replaced with a small smile.
Finally looking up from her phone, Brennan gave Booth an excited grin. "I was just checking the charge on my phone and if I had the application that Angela suggested I install. It's supposed to improve the quality of nude portraits and I would like to take a few of you tonight." Her grin then changed to a slight pout, "I only have the one of you cooking an omelette from a few months back."
"What?!" Booth strangled out. "No, no, no. Not going to happen. You shouldn't have that photo anyway!" He frantically looked around making sure no one heard their conversation.
"I'll make the files password protected." Brennan countered.
"Omelette or Strudel are not secure passwords." An exasperated Booth shot back.
"Alright, you'll choose the password but I want at least two more photos of you." Brennan then leaned over and whispered in his ear, "I'll let you take a couple of me."
Leaning back to get a better look at Brennan's face, Booth quietly asked, "Why do you need more photos like THAT one?"
Sensing that Booth's resolve was wavering, Brennan replied, "Because when you and I are finally in an assisted living facility, I would like photos to remind me how young and extraordinarily attractive we both were. Although I expect we will still be considered above average in looks when advanced in age if we remain healthy." Then she leaned in towards Booth's ear to whisper, "It would also aid me when I am aroused and you are either out of town or working late. I think you could use photos of me in much the same manner. Especially since I know my current fecund state reminds you of your virility which excites you very much."
His defeat complete, Booth sighed, "Fine, but you said I could choose the passwords."
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A petite woman stood outside of the restaurant looking through the display window at two people she once knew, a former lover and a former friend. She had returned to the city hoping to relive some of the glory days of the past. However, what she considered glory days, the former lover considered those same days as a painful detour from his true journey. Shaking her head at the blissful scene before her, the woman turned around to make her way toward her original destination. She hoped that this disappointing encounter only signalled that instead of being in the past, her glory days were yet to come.