AN: First off, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed. I read them all and it made me happy every time I'd get an email telling me I had a new review.
As it turns out, this is quite a hard topic to write on when you take into consideration that members of your audience may be suffering from the eating disorders you're writing about. I'm trying to leave out enough details so this story doesn't bother people who have an eating disorder, but at the same time, I'm trying to include enough details to make the story readable and believable.
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Weeks later, and her pants were fitting more loosely. This was something she had expected; after all, she was eliminating a great deal of unnecessary calories from her diet. More than ever, Booth was on her case to eat. He spoke with her at least two times per day to make sure she was eating enough. He never seemed satisfied with her diet, even though she took him through the nutrient content of her meals frequently. Looking in the mirror, she saw a healthy woman who could probably shed a few more pounds and look fantastic. She told herself that if she was looking really good by spring she would book a cruise, and maybe convince Angela or Booth to come along.
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Angela had been watching her best friend carefully after that first phone call from Booth. Although she herself had said that there was no way her friend could have an eating disorder, she was starting to doubt the validity of her own argument. She watched as Brennan locked herself in her office during lunch breaks, working on her computer and sometimes downing an apple and a bottle of water. Of course, Brennan had never been one to actually eat on her lunch breaks in the first place, but her lack of lunch caused concern. Angela couldn't be sure whether or not it was her mind playing tricks on her, but her friend seemed to appear thinner these days.
At the end of their Friday work day Angela strode towards Brennan's office. Angela's birthday had been that week, and the plan was to go out on Friday in celebration. She knocked lightly on the door before entering.
"Bren, sweetie? Work's over for the week. It's party time!" she smiled as her eyes met those of her friend.
"Okay, Angela. Just give me a second," she said as she signed her name at the bottom of her report with a flourish. With her back to her friend, she stood and put on her coat, collecting her things in the process.
For her celebration, Angela decided to go to a local bar and grill where they could enjoy a few drinks and get a bite to eat. Doubting the amount of vegan options Brennan would be able to enjoy, she had asked her friend if she minded the choice of restaurant. Brennan replied that it was fine, and she would manage to find something.
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Arriving at the bar, they quickly found a rounded booth large enough to accommodate their party. Soon enough the drinks were flowing, and the squint squad were taking turns paying for Angela's share. Brennan was sitting on one edge of the table, with Booth right by her side. It seemed like everyone was having a great time with their drinks, while she was pretending to study the menu. She knew there was nothing on the menu she would eat. Besides offering nothing on the menu that appealed to her, she did not want her friends and the strangers all around watching her scarf down her food.
"Come on, Bones," Booth prodded her out of her thoughts. "Can't you at least have one drink tonight? It's a celebration! Take one night off that ridiculous diet you've put yourself on."
"It's not a diet. It's a means of becoming healthier, and I have a drink," she nodded to her glass.
"Who goes to a bar and orders a Perrier? Seriously?" he looked at her incredulously.
"Evidently, I go to a bar and order a Perrier. Just enjoy your beer and stop making fun of my beverage choice," she frowned.
The waitress had appeared to take their food orders and refresh their drinks. Brennan noticed her pulse rise when the young woman looked at her. She was the last to order, and after telling the waitress she didn't care for any food, the woman sauntered off in the direction of the kitchen. As soon as the other members of the party resumed their merry banter, Booth turned in her direction.
"Why didn't you get any food?" he demanded of her.
"You should know by now why I didn't get any food here," she said with a slight edge to her voice.
"Yeah, yeah. It's not organic. It's not healthy. Bar food is too fatty. It has too many calories," he frowned. Her heart skipped a beat, and her brow furrowed.
"It's not about the calories," she said quickly. "I genuinely want to be a healthy person. Sometimes I wish you guys would put a little more thought into the foods you eat," she looked into his eyes, "because I want you all to be healthy and live long lives."
"That's what you say Bones, but I don't think anyone but you would be able to live on what you eat in a day." She rolled her eyes.
"Is this going to be another lecture on why you think I should be eating more, and occasionally eating greasy bar food?"
"No, because I tell you sixty times a day, and so far you haven't listened to a damn word I've said," he said, his irritation apparent.
"While it is slightly annoying how often you harass me about food, it is nowhere near sixty times a day, and I do listen to what you're saying, Booth."
"No, Bones. There is a difference between hearing and listening."
"Just because I don't agree with what you are saying doesn't mean I'm not listening to you." By this point their voices had begun to rise, and they were attracting the attention of the rest of their party. Deciding to be the bigger person and let the conversation drop, Brennan turned away from Booth and complimented Cam on her top.
Though he wasn't satisfied by their conversation, Booth did not bother her for the rest of the evening about her eating habits. He melded into his surrounding, laughing and drinking with the rest of their party, but he never became too distracted to notice that his partner was only giving part of her attention to her surroundings. Before leaving for the night, he had a quick, and slightly slurred, discussion with Angela.
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Not long after waking the next morning, Brennan's phone rang. She answered it and immediately recognized the voice of her artist friend. Proclaiming that it had been too long since they had last had quality "girl time" Angela invited her on a shopping excursion.
"Come on, Sweetie," Angela whined. "It's been like forever since I've seen you outside of work."
"But you saw me last night at the bar," she pointed out.
"That doesn't count because that wasn't just us. And besides, you didn't seem to be enjoying yourself very much. You were arguing with Booth."
"We weren't arguing," Brennan insisted. "Well, we weren't arguing all night," she amended.
"Regardless, I know there are some great sales going on at the mall this weekend. Let's go shopping! It's almost time to start looking for a bathing suit."
"Angela, it's February," she exclaimed. "It's not bathing suit time!" She didn't mention that her body wasn't ready for bathing suit weather, or that she didn't want anyone seeing her in only a bathing suit right now. She still had some pounds to lose.
"Okay, well we can still go to the mall," she insisted. Brennan had to admit that she needed to buy new clothes. Her old ones were starting to hang loosely on her frame, but figuring that she would need even more clothes once her weight loss was complete, she declined her friend's offer.
"I don't know, Angela. I have things to get done today."
"Sweetie, what do you have to do today that can't wait until tomorrow, or next week?"
"Well," she faltered, "I really need to get some work done on my next book. I'm two chapters behind schedule as it is. My apartment is a wreck. I really need to get some cleaning done. I also need to go to the grocery store."
"I highly doubt your apartment is a mess. You keep it immaculately clean. How about I let you do your chores today, and I'll bring over a movie to watch tonight. I know Booth talked you into buying an entertainment system." Brennan smiled at the memory.
"Okay. You can come over tonight, and we can watch a movie. How does 8 o'clock sound?"
"It sounds like a plan."
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"Booth," he said into his cell phone.
"Hey Booth," Angela said. "I just talked to Brennan. You were right; she won't go shopping with me. She sounded as if she might, but then I mentioned bathing suits and she shut me off." He sighed with frustration and rubbed his temple.
"What am I going to do with her?"
"I don't know, Booth. I just don't want to believe that she has… she is… you know. I don't even want to say it."
"I know. I'm just so worried about her."
"Tell you what. You show up at her apartment at eight o'clock with a DVD. Tell her I had a date I forgot about and didn't want to leave her hanging."
"Are you sure, Angela? You haven't seen her in a while, and she's a little bit mad at me."
"I'm positive. Just don't talk to her about food, or this…whatever it is until we have a plan that will help us deal with the wrath of Temperance Brennan. Speaking of, do you have a plan? I mean, if this is a problem, we should probably address it before it gets too out of hand."
"I don't have a plan yet," he grumbled. "I don't want to bring Sweets in on this one, but I might have to."
"He's a good kid, and he knows what he's talking about," Angela assured him. "If she needs help, he could help her."
"Okay. Thanks, Ange. Have fun on your 'date' tonight."
"You too."
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After hanging up the phone, Brennan had set out to do her chores. Her book didn't need any attention, and her apartment still held its usual level of pristine cleanliness. So instead of those chores, she went to the gym and the grocery store. Although she had slightly cut down on her gym routine, she felt time getting away from her all too quickly. At fifteen before eight, she stood in front of her full-length mirror examining her scantily-clad body with the same analytical eyes she used to study human remains. She had gained a pound overnight. Logically, she knew that it could be water weight, but somehow she wasn't convinced. She felt fat, all around. She pinched the fat of her stomach and frowned at her reflection. Before she knew it, she heard a knock on the door. She hastily threw on some clothes and went to the door.
Looking through the peephole, she was surprised to see Booth standing there.
"Booth, what are you doing here? I'm supposed lay out with Angela tonight. She's going to be here soon."
"I think you mean 'hang out' Bones. And you're wrong: Angela forgot she had a date tonight, so she sent me instead."
"She could have just called. I wouldn't have been very upset."
"I'm hurt, Bones," he said, placing a hand over his heart. "I brought a movie," he flashed a cheeky grin at her.
"Okay," she relented, "come on in."
They went into her apartment and sat on the couch. She took the DVD case from him and moved to put the move into the player.
"Bones," Booth interrupted, "can I ask you a question?"
"Of course you can," she said, sitting back on the couch.
"Why did you decide to change your diet? You know, eating healthier, and vegan and such."
"Well," she took a deep breath, "at the end of December I did as nearly every American did. I took a step back and looked at what I wanted to change in my life. Instead of just looking at myself, I looked at the way our society functions as a whole. The United States is the most obese country in the world. We're also unhealthy. I started watching people when were out eating. The food they order is disgusting. I didn't want to be a part of that." When she finished, he just let her sit.
She remembered that week in December when she just observed the dining habits of those around her. The types and amounts of foods ordered were disgusting. People were ordering calories by the thousand. Once they had their food, they ate with such gusto, she sometimes found it hard to watch. After that she examined her own dining habits. She realized that she ate a lot of food outside her home, and when she did, she usually ordered things like high-calorie milkshakes and French fries. She saw the weight of the country on her own body. When the new year rolled around, is seemed a natural choice for her to alter her diet and exercise routine, in much the same fashion that most American adults vow to every year. On January first, she tossed all of the animal products in her home, keeping only organic fruits and vegetables. When she noticed Booth still looking at her, she spoke.
"It's normal to change your diet at the beginning of the year. If you look at the front pages of magazines, you'll see that most advertise quick weight loss solutions."
"So you also wanted to lose weight?" he probed.
"No," she said quickly. "I mean, I knew it would happen naturally once I cut out excess calories and started going to the gym regularly. It wasn't my primary objective, though." Again he offered her silence, which she filled after a moment's hesitation.
"Although if I am in good enough shape by spring, I'm going to book a cruise. Would you be interested in coming with me?"
"What do you mean? You're in great shape now! You look fine!" Her mouth tightened.
"Thank you for the flattery, Booth, but we both know I have a way to go until I have that great bikini shape." She stood again to put the movie into the player. He stood too.
"Let me see," he demanded. She handed him the movie. "No, let me see your body so I can judge for myself."
"That's a little bit forward, Booth," she objected.
"I just want to see what kind of beach body I'm up against." She rolled her eyes and lifted the hem of her T shirt. She felt foolish standing there with her shirt up, nearly flashing her partner. And then he did something she didn't expect. He moved in and embraced her in a tight hug, rubbing his hand up and down the length of her back. When he stepped back, he excused himself for the night.
Following Booth's departure, Brennan found herself confused. Why had Booth hugged her? She once again examined her body in the mirror. Had Booth hugged her because he was proud of her progress? Did he pity her, with so far to go in her quest for a perfect body? Did he just want a hug before he left?
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As soon as he was in the safe confines of his car, Booth was on the phone. He had been shocked and surprised at just how thin Bones was. He didn't realize that under her professional work attire his Bones was becoming, well, bones. The phone was answered on the fourth ring.
"'Lo?" a sleepy voice queried.
"Sweets? You there?"
"Agent Booth? It's two in the morning." Booth let out a deep sigh and ran his fingers through his hair.
"I need to talk to you about Bones. Now."
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AN: Questions, comments, concerns? Send me a review.
PS: I'm posting this at about 6 AM. That screams dedication, right?
