At The Beginning

Chapter One

"Sweetie,you need to go see Booth." Angela said. It had been five days since she'd seen him,since he woke up and didn't remember her. "I mean...it's important for his recovery to know that you care." It was obvious that Booth's amnesia was affecting the anthropoligist worse than it was any of his other friends. It wasn't that Angie,Hodgins,Sweets,and Cam didn't care for him---they did. It was just different with Brennan and Booth. It had been from the beginning.

Brennan crossed her arms under her chest stubbornly. "Why? It's not like he's going to know who I am." She said,leaning over to study the skull that sat infront of her. She took it in gloved hands as she did her best to ignore her friend.

Angela sighed. "Look...I know that it feels like your being...abandoned all over again,but you will feel terrible if you don't go to see him." She told her friend gently before she turned to leave the room.

Brennan groaned as she watched her friend leave. How was it that Angela could be so right about her perception on things?

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"Booth,hey." Hodgins said nervously,taking a seat by Booth's hospital bed. Angela,Cam,and Sweets shuffled in as well.

The man in the bed let out a moan and sat up,massaging his temples. "Um...hi." He uttered,lifting his hand in a small wave. His eyes narrowed and his brows furrowed. "Where's Bren?" He asked,swallowing hard as he remembered his dream.

Angela tilted her head to the side,trying to keep the smile off of her face in such a serious situation. Even now,when he had no real memory of Brennan,he still craved her company. "She had to get home sweetie. She had a family dinner with her Max,Russ,Amy,Emma,and Hayley."

He rubbed his bandaged head gently. "Those names....they all seem familiar but I can't exactly place them in my mind." He sounded sad about that.

"Max is Dr. B's...I mean Brennan's father. Russ is her brother. Amy is Russ' girlfriend,though they really seem married more than anything and Emma and Hayley are Brennan's step nieces." Hodgins offered helpfully.

Angela took a step forward holding out a book. A purple velvet book that was tied together with blue ribbon. There was a picture on the front of Booth with his arm around Brennan. The two were smiling at the camera happily. In black lettering the top of the album said Memories. Very fitting considering the situation. "It's to help you remember. There are pictures of your son and Bren,me Hodgins Zach----all of us. I figured it would help you." She mentions Zach with a crackle in her voice. It's hard for everyone to think of the young man who was so horribly mislead.

Booth takes the book in his hand and lets his hand linger over the photo of him and Brennan,fingers moving over the auburn haired woman's face. He lifts his eyes again. "Can you tell Bren that I want to see her?" He ask pleadingly. "I don't know why,but I feel a really strong connection to her---more so than anyone other than my son."

"We'll try Seeley." Cam says,clearing her throat and moving to squeeze his arm gently.

Sweets nodded in agreement. "We'll be sure to tell Dr Brennan." The young psychologist answered carefully.

Suddenly a nurse came in and smiled apologetically at everyone. "I'm sorry but visiting time is over. Mr Booth needs his rest."

With murmurs of goodbye,the squints left although Sweets stood in the doorway for moment as if pondering if he should say what was on his mind. It couldn't hurt. It wasn't like Booth could hurt him from a hospital bed and hell,this might help him regain his memories. "If I may Agent Booth,the reason Dr Brennan hasn't really been to see you is because it hurts. It feels to her as if she has lost you. You are physically there and are fine but your mind and the Booth she knows aren't within sight and that hurts her. She's lost many people and has had a hard time trusting but you've helped her and now she feels as if she has lost it all." And with a smile and wave,Sweets was gone.

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Back at Temperance Brennan's apartment,she sat at her kitchen table eating an italian meal of lasanga,salad,and breadsticks with her family just as Angela had told Booth. While she was happy to be with her family,she couldn't help but feel an ache in her hurt. She missed Booth. She never really realised how much she'd come to depend on him and she felt a sense of guilt for not seeing him in the hospital but she really couldn't help it.

"Auntie Tempe?" A small voice asked causing her to look at Hayley who sat beside her with a look that Brennan herself often had on her face when she was studying bones.

"Yes Hayley?" Brennan asked,looking at the adorable freckle faced girl.

"Are you sad? Mommy told me about what happened to that nice guy who brought us the Christmas tree at the jail last year. Is he ok?" Hayley asked innocently.

Russ stopped chewing his food and looked at his sister,wondering how she'd answer the question. Max stared on in interest as did Amy while Emma just continued to eat her Lasanga.

"Yeah. He's okay Hayley. He had a tumor. They had to get it out and he's fine now." Brennan said softly.

"Then why are you upset?" The little girl asked,puzzled.

Temperance shifted in her chair uncomfortably,feeling the tears drip down her cheeks now. "He doesn't remember me."

Next Chapter:Brennan talks to Max about why she hasn't seen Booth,Russ goes to speak to Booth about his sister,Parker pays his father a visit