Nothing Happens Unless First A Dream
A/N: Because we all dreamed it.
My take on Season 6 built around the episodes which have aired and will air until I decide to take it completely in my own direction which I will do at some point.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bones nor its characters. All credit goes to those who own/deserve it. I'm sure you will recognise most of the dialogue from this chapter as that from the show, I am not plagiarising it I'm borrowing them in homage to the writers and I want my show to weave around that which we watch on TV.
Chapter 1 - The Call To Home Bones
11 months later
Kakwari, Northern Maluku Province, Indonesia.
Located in the Maritime South-East Asia Region between New Guinea and Sulawesi is the Maluku Archipelago, a group of an estimated 1027 islands spanning an area of approximately 85,700 square kilometers (33,090 square miles in American) of which 90% is sea; and it was to one of those 1027 islands that the Medico-Legal Lab at the Jeffersonian Institute in Washington D.C. had released its most prized possession - Dr Temperance Brennan.
Bones, in the familiar company of one of her interns, Ms. Daisy Wick, had gone to the Maluku Islands to head up an expedition that was sent there in hopes of finding and evidencing a crucial step in the evolutionary chain.
Rainforest covered most of northern and central Maluku, which, on the smaller islands had slowly been replaced by plantations and logging companies except on the island they found themselves on. Kakwari was due to be the latest island turned into a plantation but it was during the early stages of preparing the first site that the set of inter-species hominid remains were found, and that was when the experts were called in.
They were team of eleven in all: there were three anthropologists including Bones, an archeologist just in case to keep it official, an entomologist like Hodgins who apart from having the same doctorate was nothing like the conspiracy theorist she called her friend, four interns including Daisy, a doctor and a local guide.
It was set to be the year of her career. Bones could have been in new research materials yet as Daisy griped, "Day 333, found nothing," they had been in the jungle for 333 days and none of the team had found anything to support the discovery of a new crucial step in the evolutionary chain as hoped.
The last discovery of any kind -apart from the spotting of the elusive Invisible Rail, one of the endemic mammals found in the region- was 210 days earlier.
"Well, seven months ago we found an onyx bead."
As they made their way down from the dig site Bones and Daisy passed Vatica Rassak, Shorea Montigena and Hopea Iriana (if she had read Hodgins' chart, which had accompanied the one on poisonous reptiles and insects, correctly.) As they wound their way through the trees Bones would find herself touching and smelling the fauna as she passed absorbing everything she could about the island as it was the only thing giving itself to her willingly to be analyzed and assessed.
The lack of discovery had made everyone on edge, it had them questioning whether or not the sacrifices they had made to join the expedition had been worth it; from Daisy's manner Bones doubted her intern thought so anymore, she had lost her fiance for eleven months of extreme heat, extreme weather, poisonous insects and reptiles and not much else.
Bones was feeling the strain too, she'd never been away from the states for that long before and although not one for excessive creature comforts she found herself missing certain things about home - the lab, her work, her friends, the diner, the bar and especially the Booth boys; but she was lucky in ways the others weren't as she was able to bring a huge portion of home with her when others were confined to what they could fit into a suitcase.
"No offense, Dr Brennan, but what we're looking for is evidence of early man, not jewelry that's barely 200 years old. " Daisy retorted petulantly.
Bones agreed with Daisy and doubted that they would find anything in their last -pre agreed- thirty days, however she was the head of the expedition -and there had already been an attempted coup on her position- so she had to remain positive.
Before she could say anything to reassure or distract Daisy she was cutoff by a scream coming from her intern who stood frozen by the jeep her bag hanging limply by her side.
"S-s-s-snake." Daisy stuttered. It had been nearly a year yet the slithering scaly yellow and white snakes indigenous to the area terrified her.
Bones went calmly to her intern's aid; there in the back of the car oblivious to Daisy's terror was definitely a large snake. Without even blinking she scooped up the reptile and disposed of it in the shrubbery alongside the riverbank. "I find it interesting that I'm only afraid of snakes when Booth is around to be jumped upon." She mused.
After Daisy gave the jeep a once over checking for additional stowaways she joined Bones in the front of the jeep. They both groaned loudly as the vehicle failed to start - it was midday and the sun was perfectly overheard, its scorching rays filtered through the thick canopy of trees and beat down on their heads and bare limbs coating them both in sheen of perspiration as the familiar ache in Bones' body which she had become familiar with over the past 2 months settled in. It was not the time to breakdown in the middle of the jungle.
Frustrated as evidenced by the slam of the car door behind her, Bones popped the hood of the jeep and stuck her head and hand into the cold engine to see what was wrong with the vehicle.
Great, the carburetor, Bones groaned. She gave it a wiggle then nodded at Daisy to try and start it up. The engine turned over but didn't ignite.
"If I can't fix this carburetor we're in trouble." Bones said, elbows deep in the engine of their temperamental jeep.
"I think we might be in trouble anyway, Dr. Brennan." Daisy announced in a low anxious voice as she slipped out of the jeep.
Bones looked in the direction that her pale faced intern was staring in and felt the color drain from her face leaving her looking much like Daisy.
Arriving in Kakwari had been like stepping back in time. Bones had been to many places all over the word but the small Indonesian island where she had been based for the previous eleven months was the most secluded, the most devoid of modernization and the most magical - it was an Indonesian Island Paradise as opposed to the war zones she spent the better part of her vacation time visiting and she had loved every minute of her time there up until that moment.
They were alone. It had been their intention to be at one with the jungle and the trails their daily expeditions had carved into the earth and little else, especially no one else, and they were now possibly in imminent danger. They had no one to call to for help. Their only means of communicating with anyone outside of the pair they formed in that moment was through the satellite phone in the back of the jeep and it was out of reach.
In that moment Bones wished the population of Kakwari was two rather than one thousand she estimated. Although Daisy was extremely annoying in an intellectual easily overwhelmed and overexcited way she was much better company than the unfamiliar gun toting group of men heading their way.
Bones tried to remain rational and focused on assessing the situation unfolded before her rather than the one she left at camp that morning. "This is a very delicate situation… If I were you, I'd swallow that engagement ring right now." She advised as she made her way round the jeep.
Daisy didn't hesitate in doing as Bones suggested swallowing Sweets' mother's ring.
"Those young mean are Alifuru. An Alifuru man's worth is measured by how many daughters he has, not sons, which indicates that they venerate women…" Bones lectured in her usual manner knowing that sooner of later she would have a point and a solution. It came to her, "We have to show them that we're women!"
"Okay."
Bones took off her hat and shook out her newly trimmed hair and bangs, as she put on a flirty smile all the while feeling sick and scared to her stomach.
"What if these are evil, rapist Alifurus?"
Bones flicked her hair back, fluffing it. "Well, in that case, when they get close enough you'll take the little one and I'll get the other two." She turned around intending to reassure Daisy only to find her in her hot pink underwear, boots and hat. "Why are you in your underwear?"
"You said look like a woman." Daisy answered using the same confused tone. "Should I take off more?"
The approaching men were not interested by Bones' feminine charms -it was actually a relief- nor Daisy's scantily clad body, they held on tight to their weapons both modern and classic intimidating both women with every step closer they took.
The leader took a step too close for Bones' liking, similar to the many men who had doubted her ability to defend herself, and found himself closer to the dirt than to touching her.
Daisy 'ooh-ed' and 'ahh-ed' like the best of fans at close combat sporting events, out of reach of the wandering hands of the Alifurus from her position on the other side of the jeep. She never got the chance to 'take the little one' as Bones took all three for herself, the adrenalin pumping through her system and the desire to make it home to them, spurring her on.
Bones found herself pushed face first against the jeep by the strongest of the three men, clearly their leader, she found her footing then turned to face her attacker brandishing a shovel she liberated from the jeep. With a mighty swing the shovel connected with the last man standing, taking him to the floor in one fell swoop.
"Oh!" Daisy cried out in relief and sympathy as Bones took out the last of the Alifuru, who as it turned out were more evil rapist Alifurus rather than those who venerate women. "I think I did a pretty amazing job of distracting them."
Daisy headed straight for her clothes. Bones abandoned the shovel on the floor having watched the last on the beaten Alifurus make their escape, then went straight to the open hood on the jeep.
"Try to start the truck, Daisy, there could be more."
Bones returned to fixing the carburetor the best she could whilst Daisy slipped behind the wheel.
A phone began to ring.
As Bones tinkered with the engine with one hand, she reached into her satchel which rested on the edge of the open hood with her other hand fishing out the ringing contraption that had remained silent for many months - contact with the outside world had been minimum and outgoing only.
"Brennan," she answered distractedly wedding the phone between her ear and shoulder as she continued to work on the vehicle.
"Cherie!"
It was Caroline. Bones would recognize the voice of the puckish assistant attorney general anywhere and Caroline was also the only person she knew who used the word 'Cherie' as she did.
"I know you're out there looking for the origins of humanity, but you need to get home right now!"
That was one of the things Bones liked about Caroline - she cut to the chase. She was a woman who had an end game in sight and would gather the means she needed to get to that end without hesitation or thought for feelings, much like Bones herself - it meant they weren't the type to be friends but they were formidable adversaries when the time called for it.
"Why?" Bones asked slamming the hood shut and nodding at Daisy to give it a go.
"Because you left Cam all alone and if you don't come back she's gonna lose everything! Booth is coming-" A perfect example of Caroline being the type of woman who demanded what she wanted with little regard to the feelings of others - she prodded Bones' Achilles heel without -no doubt- batting an eye knowing full well how she felt about that man. "-Everyone is coming, but we need you, because you are the smartest." And then she dealt the final blow - rubbing Bones' ego.
"That's true, I am the smartest." Bones agreed hanging up seconds later. There was nothing left to say. She would be heading home thirty two days earlier than scheduled.
Bones climbed in the jeep. "Looks like the dig is up, Daisy. We have to go home." Bones announced apprehensively, a hint of resignation in her tone. She had intended to see the failure that was there expedition through to the end -what was another month- but reality had called, she was called Caroline and she didn't give up at all let alone easily.
Daisy got the jeep moving steering it back towards the camp they had created, which had been their home for eleven months as she corrected Bones, "Jig, Dr Brennan, the jig is up."
"We're on a dig Daisy. A jig is a dance." Bones corrected her intern then settled back to mentally prepare herself for what happened next. The drive was set to be a long one as was the journey back to Washington D.C but she had plenty to think about.