Title: Deja Vu

Disclaimer: Language, violence

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Chapter Twenty-eight: Behind Those Eyes

They sat in the quiet hotel while trying to figure out what to do. By all rights they should have jumped onto the first plane and headed back to the states. Their work in England was over and done with, the case having been solved the next morning with the discovery of the fugitive's body. Booth did little to hide the anger that swelled through his body. For an hour he ranted and raved on how unfair it was that the guy died of an overdose instead of paying for the crime he had committed against an FBI agent. Brennan kept her mouth shut but felt the same anger and pain that he did. The death by overdose was in no way justifiable for what he had done to Agent Stone. Brennan had kept it from Booth but she knew that Stone had not been dead when he'd been set on fire. She didn't think it would do any good to tell him that. It would only make the pain more intense, the ache more numbing. She wished she didn't even know the truth. At least the guy wouldn't be killing anyone else.

Booth stood at the rain soaked window, staring out at the people who went about their daily tasks as though nothing had transpired, and as far as they were concerned, nothing had happened. The news reports boasted the death of the fugitive but kept everything else hush-hush. It made sense; why tell a million other drug smugglers that using a skeleton was a great way to transport their pay load? Booth placed his right hand on the window pane, his left hand in his pocket, his head bowed, and a frown across his face. Brennan sat on the bed trying to read the thoughts that were going through his mind. He been put through so much pain and suffering and yet, there he still stood. He hadn't given up, he never let them truly win the battle.

She chewed her bottom lip. There were questions she wanted to ask him, things she wanted answers to but she didn't know how to bring them up without causing unneeded pain. For a while they stayed that way; Booth angry at the world and Brennan mulling over her thoughts. Eventually night began to fall and Brennan got tired of the silence.

"Booth, there's been something I've wanted to talk to you about," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

He looked at her, the expression on his face saying that he'd forgotten she was even there. "And?"

"Forgive me if I bring up bad memories," she started off with. She got off the bed and went to her bag. After unzipping a side pocket she pulled out a folded piece of paper. "I wanted to talk about this."

No recognition appeared on his face, nothing erased his unhappy frown. "You want to talk about a folded piece of paper?"

"It's not just any folded piece of paper," she explained. "It was in your pocket when we found you at the docks. Agent Stone gave it to me, said that I should read it." She watched as his frown deepened and she found herself wishing she'd stayed quiet. "You don't have anything to be ashamed of, Booth. You may have written this but you didn't give up, you didn't let the bastard win."

"I should have torn that damn thing to pieces," he muttered. "No one should have read it, not even you."

Her eyes widened. "I'm sorry I brought it up," she apologized, quickly tearing the piece of paper in half. After a few more tears she threw it into the trashcan. "All gone. No one else will ever get to read it or even know that it existed."

The entire time he had just stood there, watching her. Now he took a step toward her, his whole demeanor had changed. "You said you wanted to ask me questions. You brought up what was on that paper, I'm not going to just forget about this. What is it that you want, Brennan? Do you want to rub it in my face that you were right about life and all its damn disappointments? I'm not really in the mood to hear it, Brennan, so don't even start."

Now she found herself frowning. "That's not what I was going to talk about, Booth," she kept her voice calm. There really was no point in yelling at him.

"Were you going to carry on about how I wrote that the science geeks are my only friends?"

She didn't understand why he was angry at her, but it was starting to get on her nerves. If his tone didn't change soon she going to walk out the door and never come back; which would be fine and good, since she had to return to the states soon anyway. Hopefully she still had her job at the Jeffersonian.

"No, Booth, I wasn't," she said, her voice actually sounding sad. "I just wanted to talk about the stuff you wrote to me, that's all. But never mind, if it's such a bother, I think I'll just grab my stuff and go." She zipped close the bag that held the few belongings she had brought.

"Wait, Bones," he said. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to snap at you. All the shit has hit the fan at once and I'm trying to deal with it. I think I just need to return home and spend some time with Parker. Time that is well overdo."

She gave him a tentative smile. "I understand. Look, I'm going to head to the airport. I think it's time I start making my way home."

"Bones, no, please stay," he stated, stepping closer to her. There was very little distance between them. She could smell the slightest hint of cologne on him and she found the scent enticing. "That stuff that I wrote," he nearly whispered, "it's all true. Every last word of it. As corny as it sounds, Bones, you make me feel alive in ways I never thought I would, or even could. The entire time I was locked away in that infernal place I thought about you, wondering how you were coping with my being gone. But we lost our spark when Stone died. The fire that was building went out between us and I'm not sure we can get it back."

"Neither am I," she found herself whispering.

Booth reached out for her, placing his hands on her cheeks. He drew in close to her, brushing his lips over hers before deepening into a passionate kiss. Their contact brought the spark back, the longer they kissed the more intense the fire became. There was no doubt that they wanted each other still, that they had found the feelings buried deep inside themselves. The kiss ended but the contact remained as Booth wrapped his arms around Brennan and drew her body into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest and listening to his heart beat. Outside the rainy skies began to clear.