In the Blink of An Eye
By LizD
Winter 2011
Chapter 15
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Cam and Brennan worked independently for the first several hours on the Ephraim Cohen autopsy. Cam determined that the tox screen from the coroner indicated a BAC of .15 was not correct. In fact there was no alcohol at all to be found. However, there were trace elements of other barbiturates in his system in levels that would have impaired his ability to drive. Brennan studied the X-rays and determined that he was physically assaulted prior to death. He suffered injuries on his head, shoulder and lower back. There were also defensive wounds on his arms. There were also signs that he had been restrained. The autopsy report was clearly forged which opened up more questions.
Brennan brought Cam her results. They talked over what each had found. Brennan was going to take what they had to the FBI hoping that it might facilitate the interview of the man who tried to kill her.
Brennan was about to leave when she turned to Cam and asked, "It is possible to love two people at the same time?"
Cam was naturally taken aback and was too sleep deprived to give a good response. "Yes," she was all said.
"I don't understand."
"I don't either." Cam took pity on Brennan. "The truth of the matter is that there are all kinds of love. So sure it's possible to love two people at the same time."
"I am referring to love between two people who are engaged in a sexual relationship."
"Ah, well ... that's your problem right there. Sex does not prove love and more often than not, love has little to do with sex."
"Booth believes that when two people make love that they break the laws of physics and become one."
"Booth is romantic like that," she dismissed.
"You believe Booth is romantic?"
"Hearts and flowers all the way, baby."
"Do you still love Booth?"
"Excuse me?"
"You and Booth were involved in a sexual relationship, at two separate times in your life, should I not assume that you were in love during one or both periods?"
"No, you shouldn't assume that; at least not that kind of love - the in love kind. Booth and I were colleagues. We had fun together. We laughed and drank and enjoyed watching football or baseball or hockey. Yes our relationship was sexual, but there was never a time when either of us thought that ours was a relationship that would last. It was casual and that was all either of us was looking for - at that - at those times."
"You see, I understand that kind of relationship. It makes sense to me. You were social companions and sexual partners, but there was no pressure for declarations of love or the need of a fifty year commitment."
"Fifty years?" she exclaimed. "No, nothing like that. It's not what people - in our society - hope for ... typically. We were just ... I don't know ... biding our time until the real thing came along." Cam smiled at Brennan. "Dr. Brennan ... Can I call you Temperance if we are going to continue to discuss my sex life?"
"Of course."
"What do you really want to know, Temperance? Do you want to know if Booth could love you and Hannah at the same time?"
"Yes."
Cam was not used to being brutally honest, but maybe that's exactly what Brennan needed, Booth sure wouldn't be. "I have known Booth for years; seen him at his best and worst - some pretty bad worst. I consider him a very good friend and yes, to answer your earlier question, I do love him - as a friend. I have seen you two dance around each other for four years. I was surprised when you two went your separate ways and more surprised that you can work together again, particularly with the Hannah factor. I know how Booth felt about you. He told me. I don't know much about his relationship with Hannah, but I can tell you this: Hannah is easy to love. You are not, you are a challenge every step of the way. Hannah wanted him, you did not. You can't expect a man to keep knocking at a door that goes unanswered. However, I believe that Booth loves you profoundly, more profoundly than even he knows and nothing will ever change that. Only time will tell how his love Hannah will play out."
"She is gone."
"Gone? Hannah is gone? Did she leave or he let her go."
"I don't understand the difference."
"Is he broken hearted?"
"Metaphorically speaking I would say that he's not broken hearted. He seems disappointed, but OK. He said it was coming for a month or more before she left."
"Then you have your answer."
"I don't understand."
"Dr. Brennan, Temperance, when you decided to go to Maluku, Booth decided to go to Afghanistan. He couldn't be here without you. Booth came home without her to be with you again - regardless of the excuse he gave. Now that she is gone, he is fine with it. I think that says something. I think you have your answer."
Brennan considered her evidence. Maybe it did say something, maybe it was circumstantial. "Thank you Dr. Saroyan. Cam," she corrected.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Yes."
"Are you in love with Booth?"
"I believe that I am."
"If you love him, really love him, then you owe it to him and to yourself to try to make it work. Don't worry about all the other stuff; it just gets in the way. It doesn't have to be for fifty years, just let it happen and see where it takes you. The timing may be a little too soon, but don't wait too long."
Brennan nodded to indicate that she would take Cam's recommendation under advisement.
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Booth stepped into the observation room. He wouldn't be allowed to participate in the interrogation, but he wanted to be there to watch. Sweets was already there.
"Agent Booth, how are you?"
"Fine." Booth didn't want to talk to him. It would get all touchy feeling and Booth wanted to pay attention to what was happening in the other room.
"How's Parker doing? Is he showing any signs of -."
"Parker is fine," Booth cut him off. "I haven't told him that Rebecca was murdered yet."
"That could be a very difficult conversation. If you want to talk about how best to approach the subject I would be happy to help."
"Thanks."
"I understand the memorial service has been moved to tomorrow morning."
"Sweets, trying to listen here."
"He lawyered up, he won't say anything. I pulled the jacket on this guy. His name is Jeff Geoffreys. Original, right?"
Booth took the file from Sweets and started reading. "He's a good catch. A real bad guy."
"You going to give Dr. Brennan the credit?" Sweets grinned knowing how Booth's pride would be piqued because Brennan was able to take a career criminal down without his help.
"We have him dead to rights for attempted murder on Bones, but making the murder charges stick for Rebecca, Cohen and the two FBI techs in the car bombing will be a bit tricky without a confession."
An agent came into the room to say that Geoffreys lawyer was there. He was taken to another room for a private consultation. Sweets and Booth were left alone. Booth continued to read the file.
"So what are you thinking about your fulltime parenting situation?"
"Parker is my son, Sweets. Whatever it takes."
"Admirable." Sweets wanted to bring up what Brennan had told him about quitting the FBI but didn't want to break her confidence. "Have you considered how your time commitment to your son might interfere with you duties as a field agent and vice versa?"
Booth was reading, but was listening to everything Sweets said. "What? Yes, I know ... I haven't made a decision yet."
Booth headed out of the observation room toward his office.
Sweets followed. "Many agents here at the FBI as well as local cops and doctors and other professionals are able to maintain a family and a career."
"Yeah, yeah I know. Probably easier in two parent families though."
"True, True." Sweets stood in front of Booth's desk ignoring the fact that Booth was trying to ignore him. "Which brings up a very good question, how is Hannah adjusting?"
Booth put down the file. "Why? What have you heard?"
"Nothing, just asking a question. Your relationship is new. You are still trying to figure out how you fit into each other's lives. She is very career driven."
"Hannah's gone, Sweets." Booth picked the file back up.
"Oh ... Oh ... I'm sorry."
"Yeah, well, I'm not."
"I don't believe that's true."
"Look she showed her true colors. When the shit came down; she was ducking for cover to save her own ass."
"You sound angry. Very healthy ... maybe slightly misdirected."
"I'm not - I'm not ... I'm not angry."
"OK."
"Look, Sweets I am going to tell you 'cause I know you will never give up until you find out; like a damn dog with a bone. Hannah couldn't handle the idea of me being a fulltime father and what affect that would have on her life and our ... our relationship. She was surprised that I would consider it at all. That showed how little she knew me. Right? So we agreed to go our separate ways. It would have happened eventually anyway."
"Eventually? Why do you say that?"
Just then Charlie stuck his head in Booth door. "You need to get in there. Geoffreys' lawyer bailed on him; told him to get a public defender. Geoffreys is giving up everything, everyone - we got Senator Huff and Kirkland Construction. He will probably take credit for the Lindberg baby and Jimmy Hoffa."
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Booth blew past Sweets and flew into the observation room. Brennan was already there and watching.
Over the next two hours, Geoffreys claimed that the Senator Huff through her son Ken had hired him to ensure that Lacey Carroll's finding never went public. It was about the bridge project but that was just the tip of the iceberg. It was Ephraim Cohen inquires that brought it to the Senator's attention. Geoffreys was hired to eliminate Cohen and find Carroll's work and eliminating her as well. By then Carroll had already been in contact with Rebecca. Geoffreys approached Rebecca to get her to back off and give up Carroll. He threatened Parker and Rebecca fought back. He didn't intend to kill her originally. She was shoved into a pillar in the garage during the struggle. She fell and blacked out. A co-worker entered the garage. Geoffreys slipped out when the paramedics came. He watched her, saw that she was not taken to the hospital until the next morning. Then it was a simple matter of making sure she didn't wake up.
Booth nearly lost it. Geoffreys was so casual, so blasé about killing Rebecca that he wanted to tear though the glass and strangle him. Sweets watched as Booth tensed, balled up his fists and tried to keep it together. Geoffreys said something crude about Rebecca and Booth lurched toward the door. Brennan put her hand on his shoulder and Booth stepped back immediately. His fists unclenched. Brennan slid her hand down his arm and let it rest on his forearm for the next part of the interview.
Geoffreys was crowing about his varied methods of killing: rigged car accident, accidental head injury finished with a little push over the top by a big shot of morphine, then the explosion in the car. That was his favorite.
"I would have just smothered the doc in her sleep," he stated. "But the bitch was up. So I had to shoot her."
Brennan's hand gripped Booth's arm; he covered it with his other hand. Sweets watched. They were more fascinating than any psychotic ramblings of a gun for hire.
Geoffreys went on to say that George Kirkland was not involved as far as he knew. It was Senator Huff and Ken Kirkland, the younger son/brother. Geoffreys had recorded phone conversations and could show deposits received that tracked back to Ken Kirkland. He didn't have all the details of what they were trying to cover up. He didn't care. He got paid either way. But the Bridge project was definitely a factor.
Brennan looked at Booth. "What is going to go wrong?" she asked.
He turned to her. "What do you mean? He's giving us everything."
"It's too easy. Why would he do that? He's a professional killer. He's going to slip through on a technicality. His confession won't hold up in court. Something will go wrong."
"Bones, don't worry. Everything has been by the book. This will all stick. If nothing else, we'll get him for attempted murder."
"That's not good enough. He killed her, Booth. He killed Rebecca without giving it a second thought."
"I know. ... He won't get away with it. None of them will."
"We need to get Senator Huff and Ken Kirkland. What if Geoffreys gets killed in jail? We need to arrest them before they are able to hide their footprints."
"Cover their tracks, Bones." He felt the same desperation that she did but trusted the system. "Nothing is going to happen to this guy. He will be in protective custody; we'll get him deposed on video. We have Lacey Carroll and whatever else we need to dig up from the other victims." Booth lost his voice for a moment. Rebecca was one of the victims. "We will take down Huff and Kirkland, Bones. We will. Trust me."
"I'm going back to the lab. We are processing the Prius to see if the FBI techs missed anything. I want not mistakes; we need to trace it back to Geoffreys. And Cohen and Rebecca."
"Bones, Bones ... don't worry. We got him. We got them. We got them all."
"No," she said emphatically. "The gravedigger nearly walked. I won't let that happen again. His confession is only a start. We will get all the physical evidence to seal his fate as well as Senator Huff and her son."
She turned on her heel and left.
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Booth and Sweets exchanged glances.
"A very passionate woman," Sweets observed. "You're lucky to have her in your corner."
"Alright, there it is," Booth turned to him. He was not about to have Sweets digging around trying to get between Booth and Brennan. "What? What do you want to know, Sweets? What do you want to hear?"
"Whatever you'd like to tell me."
"I don't want to tell you anything."
"Then let me observe. You and Dr. Brennan have been estranged since your return."
"Estranged? I see her nearly every day."
"Since you have been back, I have observed that you minimize her importance in a case."
"I do not."
"You don't refer to her as your partner any more. She is now an associate."
Booth shook his head.
"I have observed you rolling your eyes or making a face when she is going on about some bit of scientific minutia."
"Making a face? What am I, four?"
"I have observed that you spend very little time at the lab."
"What difference does that make?"
"And finally, you don't have any physical contact with Dr. Brennan."
"What are you talking about?"
"In the past you would direct her out of the room with your hand in the small of her back, now you go out in front of her."
"You need to get cable if that's what you are picking up."
"Those were my observations, until right now. What I just witnessed between you more in keeping with the Old Booth and Brennan before the separation." Booth shook his head. "What I'm wondering is, when did this revert back to how it was and did it have anything to do with Hannah's departure?"
"Aw, come on Sweets, do we really have to do this?"
"I believe it would be beneficial."
"To you maybe and your Booth and Brennan: The Sequel." He fixed him with a stare that should have gotten Sweets to back down. It didn't. "Don't I need an appointment or something?"
"I'm free right now."
"Alright fine. Hannah and I weren't working out. We had different goals. I was ready to settle down and start a family for real this time and she was focused on her career. We parted, end of story. Maybe I was a little off with Bones since we got back. It was weird, you know, with Hannah here."
"I wasn't asking about Hannah. I was asking about Dr. Brennan. What happened between the two of you while you were gone?"
Booth laughed, snorted really. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing. We separated at the airport and I didn't hear from her again until we came back to help Cam. Not a call, an email, not a messenger pigeon."
"That must've hurt."
"Yeah, thanks for bringing it up."
Booth was holding something back. Sweets could tell. "What else aren't you telling me?"
"There's a list."
"You know what I mean, something else happened between you and Dr. Brennan."
Booth almost told him but changed his mind. "Nothing."
"You still have feelings for Dr. Brennan," Sweets stated. "Did that affect your relationship with Hannah?"
"No," he said quickly. "I don't know. Maybe."
"Come on Booth, tell me what happened?"
"She told me she changed her mind. That she made a mistake."
Sweets had to guess that Booth meant Brennan and that they had talked about a relationship sometime between his book and their separation. And then Brennan admitted that she made a mistake. This was huge.
"How did you feel about that?"
"Oh shut up with that shrink talk." He ran his hands through his hair. "I felt like an ass. She was finally ready to give us a chance and I'm involved with another woman in a relationship headed south."
"What did you say to her?"
"That I loved Hannah. That she was not a consolation prize."
"Wow. That is pretty definitive."
"Ya think."
"Was it true?"
"How the hell do I know? I thought I loved Hannah. I thought we were working toward a something. It wasn't perfect but I was compromising, ya know? But now that she is gone, I can see that it would never have worked."
"And Dr. Brennan?"
Booth shook his head. "I never expected her to change her mind. Never. I would have bet my life on it."
"Made you mad."
"Yes, No ... It wasn't fair to either of us."
"Honestly Booth, were you ready to start a relationship with Dr. Brennan a year ago?"
"She wasn't with me."
"That's not what I asked."
"Maybe, I don't know. I would have tried. I would have risked it."
"The gambler taking a risk."
"Hey, that was your idea."
Sweets shook his head. "You won't believe this now - or possibly ever, but if you had made that confession in my office I could have helped you two through that discussion and I guarantee you would have had a different outcome."
"Yeah, that's great Sweets. But we can't turn back time. What do I do now?"
"The old standby - honest communication."
"You went to college for this? Thanks for nothing." Booth walked out.
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Booth made it to the lab in record time. He found Brennan in her office.
"Hey," he said tentatively.
"Hi, I'm afraid I don't have anything new for you yet."
"That's not why I'm here."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, I thought we could ... you know ... maybe ... we could ... go get some lunch. I'm starving." That was not what he came there for, but it would be a start.
She thought for a moment. "I could eat."
She went to pull her coat off the hanger and Booth took it from her to help her on with it. Booth noticed - it felt strange yet familiar. She pulled the strap of her bag over her shoulder and it slipped down. Booth pulled it back up secured it. He let his hand rest for a moment on her shoulder and looked into her eyes. He noticed that too - very familiar but like a memory. He stepped back to allow her to exit in front of him, reactively he put his hand at the small of her back. Well, I'll be damned, Booth thought. He was treating her differently - rather he had been treating her differently. Now it was back to the way it should always have been. Is that what Brennan meant when she said he shouldn't touch her, look at her like that? Was it too personal? But that was what he wanted. It's what she wanted.
"Ready?" she asked pulling him out of his thoughts.
"I am. I'm more than ready."
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A/N: Well maybe some of that advice is starting to sink in. Phew! I guess I can cancel my order for the ton of bricks.