A/N Thanks for all your reviews - they worked! I tried really hard to get this chapter done today even though I've had a long day at work - hope you like it! I may not be able to post again until the weekend but who knows!
'Flight 681 to Miami now boarding at Gate 4, please would all passengers make their way to the gate'
Brennan picked up her purse and made her way to the gate as instructed. She was slightly concerned about having a knot in her stomach about leaving DC. It was the first time she had been away since New Orleans. Reassuring herself that nothing would go wrong, she strode towards the gate.
'Passport and ticket please mam' the assistant at the gate asked.
Brennan presented them to her just as her cell started ringing in her purse. She fumbled around to find it.
'Brennan. Booth, I'm about to board what to you want?'
A strange feeling came over her on hearing Booth's voice.
'Hi Bones, just called to wish you a good vacation…and to let you know I'll be there to pick you up from the airport when you get back.
'That's very kind of you Booth but I can get a cab…'
'Miss, please, there is a queue forming and you need to board,' urged the gate assistant.
'Booth I have to go. I'll see you in a week.' With that she hung up, marching purposefully towards the plane. She pushed aside her anxiety and tried to concentrate on the journey ahead of her. Never before had she felt this desire not to leave home. She had always been a free spirit. But since her ordeal in New Orleans, she, Dr Temperance Brennan, was nervous. And worse that that, she was nervous to be apart from Booth.
Their partnership, their relationship, had taken a different direction in the last few weeks. Instead of the constant bickering, there was now a comfortable silence. She felt safe in his company, both physically and emotionally. Brennan was not someone who needed protecting, however Booth helped her to deal with the difficult emotions that arose from her job. And her family. And her past.
Their journey from partners to friends had been gradual. First it was the lengthy non-work related chats during lunch or after work. Then she found herself staying at his apartment long into the night working on case files. He had been a rock to her recently. And that thought scared her.
The flight to Miami, and the connecting flight to St Lucia, went quickly, and Brennan used the time to work on the next few chapters of her book. On the announcement that they would be landing, she packed up her laptop and gazed out of the window. The island below looked beautiful. The sun was shining and made the sea sparkle. A ghost of a smile crossed Brennan's lips; maybe she could relax a little and enjoy her vacation.
As she wound carefully through the crowds in the arrivals hall, Brennan noticed a sign with her name on it. It was being held by her taxi driver - he had been given instructions to take her straight to her the Archaeology Center's lab to look at the skeleton.
'Dr Brennan, welcome to St Lucia! I hope your flight was okay?'
'It was fine, thank you.' Her reply was brief and to the point. Her eyes dated around, noting the abundance of families with children, ready to take their lazy vacations in the sun. She seemed to be the only person on her own. The airport seemed really busy despite its size and she struggled to keep up with the driver as he led her out to the taxi.
Heading out of the terminal, a steel band was playing a cheerful song to get all the holidaymakers in the vacation mood. There were bright flower garlands and colorful plants everywhere. Coaches were ready to take the visitors off to their hotels, ready to begin their vacations. Brennan got into the cab and turned her head to look out of the window during the drive. Her eyes began to close due to the lulling motion of the vehicle.
They soon reached the Archaeology Center and Brennan woke with a start. It was certainly very different from the Jeffersonian. Large palms soared up the length of the building, and all the windows had been thrown open to let the breeze through. It looked very relaxed and laid back; something which was confirmed upon her introduction to the director of the institute, and Dr Goodman's contact, Professor St Omer. Dressed in a pair of linen pants and a loose shirt, he certainly didn't look like a professor. He was accompanied by a rather stern looking police officer who would not meet her gaze.
'Dr Brennan, how very nice to meet you. My name is Professor St Omer. Dr Goodman has told me so many nice things about you. Please, take a seat. Would you like a coffee?'
'Yes please, black with one,' she replied, smiling at the man in front of her. He seemed nice, more relaxed and open than the police officer.
Professor St Omer left to make her a drink. Brennan took the opportunity to introduce herself to the police officer.
'Dr Temperance Brennan,' she stated, holding out her hand. The officer declined to offer his hand back, making no comment.
Brennan continued, 'I work for the Jeffersonian Institution in Washington DC.'
'Pleased to meet you. Sgt Zavalla' he replied, never once looking her in the eye.
The professor returned with her drink and the three made their way to the lab in silence. Brennan sensed some tension between the two men and wasn't sure if it had something to do with the remains that were found. As if reading her mind, the Professor explained Sgt Zavalla's presence.
'As I'm sure you're aware, any remains we find, and any projects we work on, must be overseen by the police. Just in case there are any…inconsistencies.' The professor chuckled, mocking the Sergeant's presence.
On entering the lab, Brennan walked over to the table containing the remains. They were still in the chest in which had been dug up, and needed a lot of work to be done before she could evaluate them. The professor was very forthcoming with help, and she was soon cleaning the bones and laying them out in their correct formation on another table, helped by one of the Center's assistants.
A couple of hours later, Brennan had re-assembled the skeleton and was preparing for her analysis work. She was interrupted by a Security guard.
'Mam, you must leave now. We have to lock up.'
Sighing, she covered the bones and moved to pick up her purse. As he exited the building her taxi driver pulled round the corner. She realized he must have waited all afternoon for her. He drove her the short distance to the hotel, whilst informing her that he would be collecting her again the next morning at 9:00.
The cab pulled up in front of the hotel and the driver got out to open the door for her. Beating him to it, Brennan quickly made for the trunk to retrieve her case. Refusing any help, she tipped the driver and made her way toward the reception. Looking up at the building before her, Brennan almost gasped. She really had struck gold with this hotel. A beautiful glass entrance foyer contained marble floors and a stunning wooden desk which stretched all the way along the wall. Beyond the main reception, she could see marble steps leading down to a beautiful lagoon pool.
'Welcome to the Oasis Hotel, what name is your reservation under?'
'Brennan, Dr Temperance Brennan' she replied, never failing to omit the 'doctor' from her title.
The receptionist quickly sorted out the key and she was shown to her room. Opening the large wooden door, she discovered a beautiful room with a huge balcony looking out over the beach. Not usually one to care about her surroundings in this way, Brennan took her time in looking around. She began to unpack, then decided to open her laptop to write up her preliminary notes.
She worked late into the evening, forgetting to have something to eat. Opening her mini-bar, she pulled out some nuts and a bottle of wine. Uncorking the wine, she took it plus a glass and the nuts out the balcony to enjoy the sunset. Gazing into the sunset she felt a pang of homesickness. Heading back into the room, she picked up her cell and dialed the first number that came into her head.
'Booth.' Answered the person at the other end of the phone.
Panicking slightly at yet another display of her seeming dependency upon him, Brennan clasped the phone shut before she had the chance to say anything. Hoping her caller id did not display, due to her being out of the country, she slipped the phone back into her purse and headed back out to the balcony to finish her glass of wine.
After a fairly restful night, aided no doubt by her wine consumption, Brennan rose early and prepared herself for the day ahead of her. Right on time, the driver pulled up at the front of the hotel and took her to the lab.