Title: Baring It All
Author: Tom's gg
Chapter: 16/?
Chapter Title: Love Will Come Through
Characters: Brennan/ Booth
Rating: M - Strong Sexual Content
Spoilers: none
I do not own the characters- that distinction belongs to FOX… but God I wish I did!
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Just wanted to let you all know that I'm headed on a family holiday. We leave Monday, and as the weekend will be spent packing- this will be the last update till I get back. I've PROMISED my kids NO computer… but that doesn't mean I can't take my trusty notebook with me. I'll try very hard to have an update ready when I get back on the 23rd.
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Romero left for Washington that morning after a two day respite. Noanie had driven him to Davis-Monthan AFB to catch a military transport, and Booth had been just a bit too happy to see him go.
Booth and Brennan both knew where they were headed; there was really no need for a long discussion. They'd hung around Noanie's place in order to give the Feds time to coordinate with the Mexican Government, and make preparations.
They were in a heated argument about the ecological impact of damming the Snake River to support population expansion in the Southwest when Noanie came in the house. She had a large envelope in her hands.
"I've got something for you," she announced to Booth.
The envelope contained two fake I.D.s, social security cards, credit cards, the works.
"I don't even want to know how you obtained these," Booth groaned as he examined the perfectly executed forged documents.
"Don't worry about it G-man," Noanie chuckled. "I got them from your boss. Apparently, even Deputy Director Cullen is anxious to see you stay alive; 'For a bit longer, or at least till he could kill you himself,' were his exact words… I think. He sent this stuff with Andrew's pick up detail."
Booth grumbled at her mention of his supervisor. Cullen was just going to love busting Booth's balls about this one. He had a theory that Dr. Brennan found trouble.
He passed the I.D.s to Bones; she got a good laugh as well; Anthony and Roxanne Hart of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Booth sighed and grabbed Brennan. He held her close for a moment. He'd enjoyed their time together. No worries, plenty of space; the real world had seemed like another lifetime.
"Time to pack partner."
Brennan smiled at her friend over Booth's shoulder. Despite Noanie's annoying habit of lapsing into college reminiscences around Booth, it had been wonderful to spend time here again. To stay up late and chat with her friend.
She'd also had the opportunity for some one on one time with Aunt Barb the previous evening.
"He's bonded to you, you know Tempe."
"Bonded?" The statement had come out of nowhere as they chopped vegetable for a cru-de-ta.
"He's emotionally attached to you. It peels off of him in waves.
(there was a pause while both women focused on their tasks.)
So, do you love him?"
"He's-" Brennan stopped herself. 'He's my partner' wasn't going to work any more. Especially not with Aunt Barb who'd known her for too many years to count and understood all the intricate barriers that Tempe had fortified herself with over the years.
"He's special." Brennan struggled over the words, suddenly her vocabulary simply wasn't extensive enough.
"Oh honey… every female in a 3,000 mile radius knows he's special. I'm talking about what he means to you." Aunt Barb had never been one to fall for evasion tactics. You could see where Noanie got her brazenness.
Brennan stopped chopping and turned around. She leaned her weight on the counter as Barb continued to rinse and peel next to her.
"I think it's possible that I have become emotionally bonded to him in a way that I have never experienced before" Brennan sighed. "Empirically, as to whether or not that constitutes love… I just don't know how to discern that."
Barb now stopped as well. She dried her hands and turned to face Brennan. "Let me tell you something Temperance. When it comes to matters of the heart… that overly developed brain of yours is not going to hold the answers. You have to feel it- Allow yourself to feel it- And, most of all, acknowledge it.
I loved one man in my life. He went off to war and never came back. (A sudden sadness filled the room.) I've had a good life. I love my niece; she's filled me with love every day. But I'd give anything to be able to go back and spend one more day with that man. One more minute to tell him how much he meant to me.
If you love this man- If he fills your heart with joy just by walking in the room- Don't waste your time analyzing it and dissecting it. Just acknowledge it… to yourself and to him."
The two women fell into silence. They turned back to the task of preparing the vegetables. Suddenly Brennan wrapped her arms around Barb and hugged her tight. "I do, love you."
Aunt Barb burst out laughing. "Well of course you do. Who wouldn't love me?"
"Not a person on this planet," a male voice added as Booth walked into the room. He immediately positioned himself behind Brennan and put his arms around her. She leaned into him. He filled her heart with joy just by walking in a room.
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The plane ride was quiet; they were both focused on the task that lay before them. Though they knew where their ultimate destination was, they also both knew that there was one stop they still had to make as Special Agent Seeley Booth, and Forensic Anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan. It was part of their job, and no one else was lined up to do it for them.
Booth's feet shuffled edgily as they waited for someone to reply to their knock. This was it, the worst part of the job. It helped that she was beside him, that always made it better. But, he'd still have given anything not to have to be the one standing here.
Brennan ran through the details that they knew one more time in her head. They hadn't recovered enough of the skeleton to find cause of death. They'd been lucky to be able to extract enough DNA for a match. She could sense Booth's distress. This was the part of the job that hurt him the most… both of them really.
She empathized too much with these people. She knew all too well the pain they had suffered over the last five years. She also knew, despite the peace of finally knowing, there was a finality to this act that could not be avoided. All hope was now finally lost.
The door was answered by a small woman with lines etched deeply across her face- as though she hadn't smiled in a very long time.
"Mrs. Drake?" Booth spoke. He flipped open his badge at her wary nod. "I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth, and this is my partner Dr. Temperance Brennan. We need to talk with you about your daughter Charlotte."
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Man… I wish I'd left you on a smuttier chapter! (x Sighs x) But, alas, the case must move on!! I need to thank Aching Bones. She made a comment in a review:
"This story is changing all the time and I like it..."
In my original summary I wrote that "this story will quickly evolve... " and it does just seem to keep doing that! I got a little smile and a tingle at that realization, so Thank You!! Who says change has to be a bad thing?!
BTW… Let's all thank Aunt Barb! No wonder Noanie it so dang smart!! LOL
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Travis - Love Will Come Through