Chapter 12 Jealousy
Dr. Temperance Brennan had gone to Maluku seeking time and space. Time to think and space to separate herself from the very strong attraction she felt to her FBI partner whose workout-honed musculature and almost perfect bone structure had distracted virtually every thought she'd had since he strode down the center aisle of that American University lecture hall in which she was conducting her class on defleshing methods. She had used her time at the dig for reflection while she delicately unearthed, brushed off, and catalogued the bones and bits of ancient Indonesian culture. She engaged her razor sharp mind in considerable introspection, analyzing her feelings, evaluating her relationship with Booth (work partner or friend or significant other or combination thereof?) With absolute honesty, she had come to acknowledge his vital importance in her life.
Thus she'd found herself immensely relieved when Caroline Julian summoned their team back to Washington to save Cam's job. The Indonesian dig was slated to last a full year, and Brennan had realized this was entirely too long to be away from Booth. He filled her dreams with visions of the life they might share, and her waking hours with questions of why she'd ever thought it was a good idea to leave him for so long, and worrying whether he was staying safe. Despite his promise to her that he wouldn't be a hero, she knew him too well to think he'd not invest his utmost efforts into the military objectives his assignment entailed. Which meant, if people needed saving, Booth would be putting himself in harm's way to rescue them, just as he had done for her.
She'd been so relieved to spot him coming toward her on the National Mall, his duffle bag slung over his shoulder. She knew the moment he saw her by the wide smile that spread across his handsome face. Once they'd bought their coffee and found a bench to share, the same exclamation spilled from both of them, "How are you? I'm so glad you're back safely. How was your time over there?"
Before long, their conversation had turned to people they'd encountered, and Booth reached for his phone. "I met someone! Let me show you!" And the small screen revealed a pretty petite woman with long wavy blond hair. "Her name is Hannah, she's a reporter."
"How did you meet?" "I arrested her!"
A few weeks later during lunch at the diner, its bell dinged as the front door swung open. Booth stared, gasped and then grinned at the entering customer. "Hannah, what are you doing here?!"
Brennan resigned herself to the fact that Booth had indeed moved on, as he's told her he had to. Hannah was a pleasant person, and Brennan made friends with her. When Hannah's leg was injured, she scrutinizes the x-rays and saved her life from bleeding out. When Hannah accused her of failing to bring a hospital gift, Brennan gave up her favorite sunglasses. She suggests to Hannah the housewarming gift, an old school Bakelite phone, she knows will thrill Booth.
Temperance Brennan might not be aware of social media trends, slang expressions, or current television, but her quietly kind unselfish nature seeks the happiness of others. She sublimates her loneliness, compartmentalizes her sadness, to help Booth pursue his dream of 30 or 40 or 50 years of love with someone special. To shield his heart from pain, Brennan implores Hannah to be sure of her feelings.
However, her crushed heart muscle knows its true desire. As if encased in soundproof glass, her mind is shouting "It's so not fair!" in silent protest, admitting her wistfully painful envy that Hannah's gained what she has lost. No matter how hard she tried to bury her jealousy, it was soul-searingly undeniable. "I got the signal, Booth! I missed my chance!"