(The Lady on the List)
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It had been a long exhausting summer. After debating the pros and cons of marriage, Brennan had asked Booth to marry her. She had come to believe that being married wouldn't be a betrayal of her beliefs and she had asked the father of her child to marry her. They were both so excited to move onto a new phase in their relationship then something happened and that excitement died. That day, Brennan had been buoyantly happy. She had decided that a traditional wedding was in order and she wanted to discuss that with her lover. That evening, Booth had come home and told her that they shouldn't get married. She had felt crushed, angry and confused. She didn't understand his sudden change and her trust in him began to fade.
A lot of events happened during those long anxious months and they culminated in the death of Pelant. He had forced her lover to betray her by threatening to kill innocent bystanders if they married. She had never hated anyone as much as she had hated Christopher Pelant.
Afterward came Booth's awkward proposal. Bones, if I ask you to marry me, will you say yes?
She knew that he was afraid to ask her, that she might say no, but Brennan knew that they had to move forward. Pelant was gone and there was no one left to prevent them from marrying. If I say yes, will we get married?
He had said yes. He had wanted to say yes from the beginning, but Pelant had intervened and blackmailed Booth into calling the marriage off. Well, their enemy was dead and he wouldn't be coming back. Everyone was safe and they were getting married. Yes. She loved Booth and she couldn't see a future without him. Of course she had said yes. Marriage meant nothing to her except that it was an antiquated ritual that served no real purpose in modern society, but Booth was a religious man and she knew that he couldn't take communion at church because he was living in sin. He was living outside the bonds of marriage and he was doing that for her because he loved her so much. She didn't want him to make that sacrifice any longer and she had agreed to marry him.
As she thought about the things they needed to do to get married, she realized that an important date was approaching. October 21. Her lover had once confessed to her that on October 21, 1980, his father had taken him to game 6 of the World Series. Edwin Booth had stopped drinking for two weeks and he had remembered he had a son. They had gone to the game and Booth had told her that that had been the best day of his life. October 21st was his one perfect day with his father.
For Booth, October 21st had come to represent the happiest moment in his childhood. His father's alcoholism had influenced him in horrifying ways. The man had beat his wife and children. He had made the lives of his family unbearable and for Booth there were few happy memories to hold on to. October 21st had taken on too much meaning and Brennan wanted to change that.
"Booth, I'd like to get married on October 21st." Brennan was sitting on the couch, a notepad in her hand. She was planning their wedding and they had yet to choose a date.
"October 21st? That's only a few weeks from now. Do you think we have time to plan a wedding that fast?" Puzzled, Booth turned the volume down on the television and placed the remote on the coffee table.
She knew that she had surprised him, but she had her reasons for marrying so soon. "I don't wish to wait, Booth. There is no one at this moment that I know of that wishes to interfere with our plans and I want to keep it that way. Once we are married the deed will be done and no one can use our marital status again in a blackmail scheme."
"Okay, good point, but why October 21st?" Booth was all for getting married as fast as possible, but he wondered if she remembered just how important that day was to him.
"I remember our conversation in the elevator, Booth." She placed her pen down and gave her full attention to her lover. "The chairs from the Vet, the blackout, your explanation why the seats were so important to you . . . I remember that day quite vividly."
Moving from the couch he was sitting on, Booth walked across the room and sat down on the couch next to her. "My perfect day with my father . . ."
"The best day of your life . . . That's what you said." They had just been partners and friends at the time and for him to say that to her had not been unkind or malicious. Edwin Booth had been such a terrible father to such a loving son and Booth had burned that one good day into his memory.
"Bones, look things have changed, you have to know that. That day isn't the best day of my life anymore. I've had a hell of a lot of best days since then . . . the first time we made love, when you got pregnant, when we started living together . . . Christine's birth, you being exonerated for the murder of Ethan Sawyer, you asking me to marry you. My best day keeps changing. I need you to know that. October 21st isn't the best day of my life anymore."
"I know." And she did know.
He took her hand and twinned their fingers. "Before we became a couple, my personal life wasn't exactly something to brag about. I'd tried to have relationships with other women, but they never worked out. I always did something to screw it up. I was lonely and the only bright spot in my life was my son, Parker and my friendship with you. I'm not a lucky guy when it comes to love. My childhood was shit and you know that . . . I let October 21st take on more meaning than I should have, it's just that my father . . . my father . . . "
"Booth, you don't have to explain." Brennan stared at their clasped hands and smiled. "You had one good day with your father and it really was the best day of your life when you told me about it, but I want to change the significance of that day. I want October 21st to still be the best day of your life, but for different reasons."
"Yeah?" Booth thought about it and nodded his head. "I think you're right. I've let my father influence me too much. Imagine the happiest day of your life was when your father actually treated you like a son and didn't want to beat the shit out of you . . . My best day isn't trapped in my childhood Bones. It hasn't been for a while, but if we get married on October 21st that will step on the old memory and give me a better memory. It will be the best day of my life for the right reason . . . marrying the woman I love. I don't think I'll be able to top that day, but who knows what the future holds for us." He leaned over and kissed her. "Thanks. It really is a great idea, besides, the sooner we marry the better." Freeing their hands, Booth took Brennan's list from her and read it . . . It looks like you've already got this organized. You're fantastic."
"We can do this Booth." The look of joy on his face made her heart begin to beat faster. "I love you Booth."
His love for Brennan so deep, Booth knew that Fate had dealt him a winning hand. It had been the luckiest day of his life when he had met her. "You know when it comes down to it, maybe the best day of my life was when I met you."
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