Chapter 8 - The Pain in the Lie
Agent Simons was on watch duty when a sharp knock sounded at the door. They weren't expecting any visitors today, so he approached the door cautiously, hand on his weapon. Taking a quick look through the peephole, he rolled his eyes and stepped back. "Shit," he muttered, glancing over at the other agent on duty with him and waving her off.
Simons briefly considered not opening the door, but given the look he'd seen on the visitor's face, he didn't want to be the one paying for a new one. He swung the door open and stepped back. "Agent Booth," he said, gesturing the other man to enter.
Booth nodded, a grim look on his face. "Agent Simons," he responded politely. "Where's Dr. Brennan?"
Simons nodded toward the adjoining bedroom. "That one," he said.
Booth nodded again, strode across the room and tapped on Brennan's door. When she opened it, he saw her eyes widen and her mouth form an O of surprise. He didn't wait for her to speak, just pointed and said, "Get your things, we're going."
Something in his face must have told her not to argue for once, so Brennan didn't utter a word, just turned and started gathering her clothes into her bag.
Simons stepped forward, holding up a hand. "Whoa, wait a minute, Booth, you can't take her out of here! We're in the middle of sting operation," he said. "And she's supposed to be dead, for God's sake!"
Booth turned to face Simons as Brennan came into the room with her things. His hand automatically dropped to the small of her back as he guided her to the main door. The dangerous look on his face caused Simons to step back involuntarily before he straightened and stood his ground. "Simons, if you think you can stop me, you're welcome to try. But I am taking her out of here. You want to do it the hard way, let's go."
The two agents locked eyes for a long moment. Eventually, Simons sighed and stepped to the side.
"Tell Cullen I'll call him when we're safe and settled," Booth said tightly as he opened the door and ushered Brennan through it. He looked back over his shoulder, adding, "And tell him he's got a mole."
~~BB~~
Booth had Brennan out of the hotel and into his SUV in short order. After making sure she was tucked in safely, he started the engine and maneuvered them into the heavy lunchtime traffic. Both occupants seemed reluctant to break the silence that had settled over the vehicle. Booth's jaw was tense, his face dark, suggesting conversation was the last thing on his mind at the moment. Brennan was...well, confused was probably the best way to classify her emotions. She directed her attention out the window, watching the scenery speed by as they made their way out of the city.
They'd been driving for about an hour when Booth began to slow, turning into a long driveway. Brennan had no idea where they were, and since the drive had been made in complete silence, Booth had not volunteered any information about their objective. A few more turns landed them at what was apparently their final destination.
It was a small house, tucked back behind a lush grove of trees. The sunlight appeared to magnify the colors of the well-tended flowers gracing the front. A small port completed the quaint, but lovely, scene.
Booth pulled the SUV around under the carport in the back and hopped out. Brennan followed slowly, taking in a deep breath of the fresh air. They weren't really all that far from the city, but it certainly felt a million miles away. She could hear birds chirping, only a faint whisper of traffic noise from the main road they'd come in on. It was idyllic and Brennan couldn't stop the smile that brightened her face as she took it all in.
The tightness in Booth's jaw loosened a little as he watched her. The sun glinted off her hair, pulling out the reddish strands, giving it a fiery appearance, but it was the giddy, child-like smile on her face that stole his breath. It was clear, though, that the last week had not been any easier on her than on him. He hadn't noticed when she'd sneaked into his bedroom the previous night, but he could see now the dark shadows under her eyes, the paleness of her face, the hollows in her cheeks. He felt a sudden, unbidden urge to pull her into his arms. He still hadn't really gotten used to the idea that she was alive and then he'd been distracted by this whole situation with Lockton and the mole. He wasn't really sure what to think at this point.
Rationally, he knew she'd done it to protect them, to find the truth, to bring the murderer of those girls to justice. But in his heart, he wondered how she could fake her death when she knew what it would do to him. She knew how he felt about her, she knew he'd kill for her, die for her, anything. But she didn't think he could protect her from this guy? Didn't think he could handle the truth? In the end, he just really didn't understand why.
He shook his head, clearing the thoughts away. He had to focus. They needed a plan to catch this guy and reveal the mole on Cullen's team. He didn't have time to go on some crazy emotional journey that would likely only leave him broken again. He needed to keep her safe, and to do that, he needed to be at the top of his game.
Booth's eyes drifted back to Brennan again. She was now stretching, her arms over her head as she twisted out the kinks from the drive, still clearly enjoying the beautiful spring day.
"You should take off your shoes, get your feet in the grass," he said, softly, breaking the long silence.
Her eyes jumped to his. Seeing his smile, she returned it. "That's a good idea, Booth," she replied just as softly. She bent down and pulled off her shoes and socks before stepping into the cool grass. "Mmmm," she murmured as she dug her toes in, closing her eyes.
He cleared his throat and opened the back of the SUV, pulling out their bags. "Uh, well, Bones, I'm gonna take these inside," he muttered and strode quickly into the house.
She looked up as he spoke, but he was gone before she could respond. She sighed softly, not really sure what to do. She didn't know what to say to Booth about what happened. Truthfully, she was afraid of what he might say to her. Despite his initial reaction to her return, she was afraid that once he'd had time to think about it, he'd realize how horrible she was and he'd leave her. But she had no one to blame but herself. She had made her decision, now she had to live with the consequences. The problem was she didn't know if she could live with it if he walked away.
~~BB~~
Brennan sat quietly on the back porch watching the sun set as she sipped a cup of coffee. She and Booth had made dinner and cleaned up the kitchen. Small talk had been the only thing to break the silence. He'd explained the house belonged to a buddy of his who was working overseas. The friend had offered Booth the use of the house should he want to get away from the city. Obviously, Booth hadn't really considered using it to keep himself and Brennan away from a killer/stalker or hide from the FBI.
Booth joined Brennan on the porch with his own cup of coffee. Again, the silence surrounded them. Neither was sure if it was a comfortable silence, but neither was sure how to break it. The night settled in around them, the chirping birds of earlier replaced by toads and crickets. The quiet surrounded them, cloaking them, sliding over and around the tension between them.
Brennan broke the stillness this time. "Will we contact Cullen tomorrow? Tell him of your plan?" she asked.
Booth leaned against the railing, staring out into the night. "Yeah," he said, "we'll talk to him in the morning. Get things setup for the funeral." He hesitated, then said, "Bones...I...we...you..."
"I know, Booth, we should talk. I'm sure you have a lot to say to me after what I've done, but..."
"Wait, what?" he interrupted, turning to look at her. The light from the small light by the door silhouetted her, so he couldn't see her face. "Bones, you didn't do this. Lockton did. Lockton and whoever he's working with at the FBI." He stepped toward her, trying to see her clearly.
She shook her head slowly, regretfully. "Yes, Lockton killed those girls and was stalking me, but I'm the one who decided to go along with the plan to fake my death. I agreed to keep you out of it. I agreed to let you and everyone else think I was dead," she said, her voice rising with each word, the emphasis increasing with each phrase. "I did all those things, not Lockton." She stood and moved toward the door, her head down, her hair falling across her face, hiding it from him just as effectively as the shadows had. "I was trying to protect you, I thought I was saving you from him, but I ended up hurting you more than he ever could have. I'll understand if you can't forgive that," she murmured faintly as she opened the door and stepped inside.
Booth reached out to her, but too late. He was stunned at her words. She thought he was angry at her? That he wouldn't forgive her? He dropped his head, exhaling slowly, dragging a hand through his hair. Good God, did she really not have any idea what she meant to him? Did she really not understand at all? Not realize she was the center of everything?
Did she really not know he had no intention whatsoever of living without her?
A/N: Thanks yet again for all the reviews and alerts on this! I hope you enjoyed this little bit more insight into what our two favorite characters are thinking. Not much excitement here, but we needed the transition and hopefully we'll get some action in the next chapter! I'll have to see what the muse has to say about it... ;)
