Age 29- Man In the Fallout Shelter
Temperance sat in her office alone, quietly contemplating what had just happened moments earlier. She watched as Ivy Gillespie's granddaughter led her grandmother through the lab to the doors of the lab. Temperance stood to step to the doorway, her eyes welling with tears again. She slowly swiped them away with a finger. Her thoughts were racing of so many things, and her eyes once again grazed the colorful hologram tree that was still a light on the Angelator.
Slowly, she stepped forward, her eyes sparkling with the colorful decorations that twinkled as the tree twirled. She could feel her emotions creeping up into her chest, and fought them back down again. She could feel her lip trembling slightly and bit down on it, her eyes focusing on the lights. Her thoughts danced around about the past two days, and the things she had learned about her colleagues, about the closeness that they had all seemed to feel while they were all contained in the lab against their will. She had learned so much about their traditions and beliefs, things she had never known or guessed.
Angela had been the most supportive, the most understanding about her own situation, and she appreciated it. The story of her parent's disappearance often played into her attitudes and feelings of family and togetherness, even when she didn't even notice it. Angela seemed to understand the circumstances around Temperance's feelings, and didn't make her feel guilty about missing the exchange of gifts, but kept her close when it mattered most. She knew when to push and when to hold back, and that was not something that Temperance would forget. It wasn't the first time that she was the odd one out. Angela had been correct when she expressed her realization of the circumstances behind the death of 'Careful Lionel'. Temperance did feel a certain kinship or connection with the woman behind the remains that had captured them in the lab in the first place. Her emotions had been everywhere this particular holiday season, beginning with the disappointment of not being able to take her yearly Christmas sojourn from home. She had been given a place at a dig in Niger, but her obligations to the Jeffersonian had kept her here in D.C.
The disappointment was quickly followed by confusion and irritation at her coworkers for their careless actions while dealing with the remains. Hodgins and Zack knew protocol, and it should have been followed. If they had just been more focused on their work, and less on having a good time, then this wouldn't have happened. Of course, her thoughts went immediately to the person who had brought the remains to the lab in the first place.
There was a part of her initially that was grateful that Booth had brought the remains to her immediately, and not waited for after the holidays. He knew that she wouldn't be able to resist the temptation of taking on a project during the holidays, for she could never resist the temptation of working regardless of the time of year. Maybe there was some innate sense that he understood that she was looking for a distraction, or perhaps they were right. Perhaps he only brought the remains to her in order to cut into the minutia of paperwork and menial tasks he was given. In any case, it was a mystery that needed to be solved, and he knew exactly where to go to solve it.
She moved slowly around the Angelator, focusing on all sides of the hologram tree. She imagined feeling the warmth of the lights on her face, indulging in the feeling in her chest of her increased heart rate, and if she closed her eyes, she could hear her mother and father's laugh as they sipped their coffee behind her. She quickly pulled herself from her reverie, embarrassed to have indulged herself in that moment as she stole a glance around to ensure that nobody had seen.
Her cheeks and ears burned, but the small smile on her face remained. She looked around the lab at the shiny instruments and tables, the lights flickering off their surfaces and multiplying the brightness of them. She felt safe here, she felt at home. This is where her friends were, where her career was, where her happiness lived. Her eyes traveled to the door, and her heart instantly began to sink as she remembered how alone she was, even in the sanctity of her lab. Every one of her friends had someone to visit them, to love them, to miss them; each and every person had someone, but her. She fought the scowl that was attempting to make its appearance and she glanced to her office. She knew where the secrets were lying within the cabinet of her office; she knew where the box of gifts from her parents was. She just wished that she was brave enough to venture inside and capture the moment, capture that spirit of Christmas that Booth was so easy to exclaim existed.
She could still feel the happiness that came with giving Ivy Gillespie the closure she needed, she could feel the excitement thrumming through her body, and for the first time in many Christmases, she felt the need to share it. She had shared the sadness of the holidays with Angela, but now she needed to share the joy.
In a quick, sweeping motion, she hurried to her office. She grabbed her coat and her bag, and silently hoped that Booth would still be at Wong Foo's, so that she could share the happy news with him about the case. She knew that he would appreciate it, for even though she had felt so alone through the entirety of Christmas Eve, and today, he had made the effort of stopping to remind her that he was there if she needed him.