Disclaimer: Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.
In the Beginning: A collection of short one-shots (more like drabbles) of Booth & Brennan learning to live together. They are in no particular order. Please let me know what you think!
Author's Note: This one turned out to be longer than I expected. It's on the serious side but tender and loving. The next 2 chapters will be humorous and sexy – (Laundry Days parts 1&2)
Responses to your reviews from chapters 1&2 are at the bottom.
One-Shot #3 – Her Promise to Hank
(Written for the August challenge on Bonesology: "Comparing Notes" - Any two characters compare bucket lists.
Booth was clearing out some things in his closet to make room for Brennan. He expected there were things he'd want to put in storage and most likely things he just didn't need anymore. What he didn't need was for Brennan to be around to add to the "give away" or "throw away" piles so he had taken off of work early one afternoon.
After an hour or so, he felt like he was making good progress. He stood back and surveyed the closet and the room he'd made. That's when he noticed it. It was an old cigar box that used to belong to Pops.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
When Brennan arrived home, the apartment was uncharacteristically dim and quiet. It surprised her since Booth had sent a text about going home early to work on "making room." She wasn't sure what all that entailed, but she had guessed it meant saving things like beer hats, graphic novels, and things he would consider embarrassing. She slid off her coat and dropped her purse on the vintage stereo cabinet. Grabbing her cell phone, she headed for the bathroom to get the water running while she called to find Booth. But she halted in the doorway to their bedroom. There on the bed was Booth with a box next to him. He held an unfolded piece of paper in his hands. She could tell he wasn't actually reading it.
"Booth?" she said softly.
He looked up as if he wasn't surprised to see her. They had been sleeping at each others places for a few months, but she was still getting used to his sniper skills.
"Hi," he said with a small smile. He held out an arm as an invitation to join him on the side of the bed.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm just remembering."
She questioned him with her eyes. He picked up the cigar box and softly told the story of its origin.
"When I went to live with Pops, it was a rough adjustment. Of course, I loved Pops. But I wanted a dad like all the other kids at school. I wanted a normal family. And then one day, my dad just never came back to see us. Jared was upset. I tried to be the strong one. I had to be. But it was hard, Bones. It was really hard. Remember when I said that if it hadn't been for Pops, I probably would have killed myself?"
He looked at her for the first time since he started the story. She looked sad as she nodded with a whispered, "yes." He gathered her next to himself and wrapped an arm around her shoulders then kissed the top of her head.
"Well, Pops gave me this empty cigar box for memories and dreams."
Brennan's eyebrows furrowed. He chuckled and kissed her forehead.
"He said I could put anything in it that would remind me of something happy about my past, but he also wanted me to dream about my future. He said it's important to dream so that I have something to live for. He said, "Everything happens eventually. You just have to be ready for it.""
Her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. He chuckled. "Yeah, Bones. My grandpa gave me that wise piece of advice. And he later said when dreams come true; they aren't always packaged the way we expect."
"I don't know what that means."
"I didn't at the time, either. Actually, sitting here, it became clear to me what he was saying."
"What was he saying?" Her eyes were full of curiosity.
"It's hard to explain without showing you the list."
"The list? What kind of list?"
"Pops called it a bucket list. It's metaphorically filled with dreams of things I want to accomplish in life." He handed it over to her. "Now remember, I was 12 when I wrote that." Not much older than Parker, he thought to himself.
"One. Take a girl to a dance," Brennan read aloud and chuckled. "I imagine you fulfilled that one many times over." He sent a heart stopping charming smile her way. "Two. Grow up to be a person that helps people and not hurt them. Three. Get married and have a nice house like Grams and Pops. Four. Be a dad my children can count on. Five. Have a good job and make lots of money."
Brennan looked up at him in surprise. "I thought you didn't like the wealthy."
"I didn't exactly say that. Besides, what kid doesn't want to be rich? Back then I probably thought $1,000.00 was rich and I could by all the things I ever wanted."
She chuckled at him while shaking her head. She returned to the list.
"Six. Be a professional hockey player." Brennan snorted.
He stopped her from giving her typical response. "No anthropological speeches about a 12 year old's dreams."
"Okay, explain the packaging."
"I've reached all of them."
Her eyes grew wide. "I just read the list Booth. You haven't done all of this."
"It's the concept that counts, Bones. Names and labels aren't important. Let's start at the beginning. One was easy. You already knew that. He smirked. Two. Grow up to be a good person that helps people and not hurt them. I do struggle with that one."
"You are a good person, Booth. Your job is important and it's not your intent to have to…"
He cut her off. "But you know what, Bones? I've heard you. Many times. And I've started to believe it. You helped me with #2."
"Oh," she said softly with a little smile.
"Three. Get married and have a nice house like Grams and Pops." He laughed at her shocked expression. "Remember I said it's not labels? Grams and Pops' love was the idea here. They had something special that not everyone is lucky to have it. Bones, you mean everything to me. I don't care where we live or what we call ourselves. We have each other. We have a home… together. And number four, I'm going to be a dad again. This time with you. And I couldn't be happier." He gently wiped off the tears slowly rolling down her cheeks with his thumb. "If we end up married one day, then that would be great. But I have what I want. It just took me awhile to see it." He paused before continuing. He was thankful that Brennan didn't reject his proclamation about marriage. "Five. I have a good job. It's fulfilling and meaningful. I work with a great team that I call family."
"There are all kinds of families," she reiterated his words from long ago.
"Yes. And rich doesn't have to be money, Bones. My life could have gone very badly without Pops and his insistence on dreams and faith." He took a deep sigh. "Six. Be a professional hockey player." He chuckled. "Well, I do play hockey. Wear the uniform and everything. If I was gifted enough to be a professional, I would've never met you. I'd pick you over a hockey career any day."
He leaned over and kissed her tenderly.
"What's in the box?"
He handed her the box. Inside, she saw a woman's locket. "May I open it?"
"Yeah. Go ahead."
Inside she found two baby pictures. "You and Jared?"
"Yes. It belonged to my mother."
She picked up a photograph. "Who's this?"
"That's Pops in his military police uniform."
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
They went through a few more photos and memorabilia from Booth's past before they finally decided to order take-out and relax for the night.
Sitting up against the headboard, Booth was watching a sport channel and Brennan was working on her lap-top. On a commercial, Booth tried to take a peak at her writing.
She slapped him playfully. "Stop it, Booth."
"Oh, come on, Bones. You're still not going to let me read your stories before their published?"
"I'm not working on my story."
"You're not?" His voice was filled with curiosity.
"No."
"Bones?" Trying to get information from her could be frustrating! "What are you writing?"
"Your list got me thinking. I thought I'd pretty much achieved all of my goals. But evolution says I haven't. Like… like the Maluku project. I never could have imagined that happening. And our baby… and us… I didn't even know I wanted all of this a year ago. So, what else could I possibly imagine and look to achieve. It seems to be a positive thing to do. After all, it helped save your life, Booth."
Booth wasn't ashamed of the tears in his eyes. He was positive that life with Bones would be a continual surprise. It would have ups and downs like any other relationship, but it was one he wanted to ride.
"That sounds great, Bones. If I make one, can we share them with each other?"
She contemplated it for a few moments. She wasn't sure how much she wanted to reveal.
"I promise not to laugh at anything related to Smurfette!" They both laughed.
"Okay, but I'm not ready."
"When?"
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Three days later…
Sweets had always said they complemented one another and many of the things on their lists were similar. Both of them wanted their children to have the best education they could offer and a home where they could feel safe. Booth wanted to be supportive of her career. Brennan vowed not to get involved in projects that took too much time away from her family, but she would seek opportunities that would involve her working at the Jeffersonian as a consultant.
At the very bottom of Brennan's list, Booth read something that made his eyes go wide and his heart race.
"Bones? What does this mean?" he asked pointing to the last thing on her list. Keep my promise to Hank.
"Hank said I would know when it was time to tell you something important… and to help you through it. He said you're a strong man but even you need comfort and support sometimes."
"And you haven't found that time?"
"I think Hank thinks I'm more capable than I am. I'm not good with these kinds of things, Booth." She was feeling more anxious by the minute.
"I don't know what to say. I think I need to know so that would make it a good time." She looked torn. "Look at it this way. It was just a few days ago that I found the cigar box and we were talking about Pops and my past. It's a sign."
"I don't believe in metaphorical signs, Booth."
"But you trust me. And I trust you. You're scaring me here. I can't live with this kind of anxiety. Please tell me."
She first crossed it off of her list and looked up at him with a concerned smile. He hugged her for reassurance.
She took a deep breath. "Your dad didn't abandon you for the reasons you think."
"The guy was a coward. Real men don't beat their kids. Why do I care why he left?" His jaw was tight with stress.
"What Max did was wrong. But he didn't want to leave. He did because he had to. It's what was best at the time. And he came back."
"Bones? Get to the point."
"Your dad… he left because he had to." He looked tired and angry and she continued quickly. "Hank… Pops, told him to leave." He gasped. "He saw what he was doing to you and Jared. He was only trying to protect you, Booth. You didn't have a dad there for you, but you had him. He would be crushed if you didn't understand. Please don't be mad at him. Hank promised me to tell you this and to be here for you when you needed me. See… everything happens eventually. Hank said so."
He buried his head into the side of her neck and held on tight. If she could believe this, she could probably believe in love and marriage and a hundred other things some day. Everything happens eventually. Thank you Pops.
Brennan melted into the hug wondering if Booth's father would one day return like Max did. Would he be a changed man? Would Booth allow him in his life? In his family's life?
Author's Notes: Thank you so much for the huge response to chapter 2 with reviews, alerts and favorites. I'm overwhelmed and appreciative. I laughed with all of you as you expressed how funny it was. I truly wasn't expecting many people to find it as humorous as I did. And I agree with many of you… it is quite normal. I just couldn't help thinking about how B&B would handle it… especially Booth. And to those of you who weren't too impressed, I understand. It's not everyone's cup of tea. (Wonder what Brennan would say to that.) I'm guessing that the people who didn't want to imagine Booth on the pot also found the Finder on the pot quite unimpressive. No biggy. I'm not offended. And I hope that you won't find any more chapters you don't like. It's definitely not my intention. Anyway, about the swearing. I don't find it all that OOC. Since Bones was moved to the 9:00 time slot, the writers have allowed Booth to swear occasionally.
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