The song for this chapter is "When I Fall in Love" by Nat King Cole. No copyright infringement intended.
When I fall in love, it will be forever,
Or I'll never fall in love….
Booth stood quietly looking out the window of Detective Tonelli's office, watching as the large snowflakes slowly drifted by in the late afternoon twilight. A little over two weeks ago, on a snowy evening very much like this one, his life had finally taken a turn for the better when he ran into Bones at the grocery store on Christmas Eve. In the two weeks that followed he'd fallen in love with her all over again, and now he knew his future would be inexorably entwined with hers. It was clear to him that they belonged together forever. He'd never been more certain of anything in his life.
Now all that was left was for him to convince her of that...he glanced over to where Bones was talking with Detective Tonelli, going over some small point of forensic evidence with her. She was focused on what she was doing, her face a study in concentration, until she looked up at him to see what he was doing. Their eyes met and she gave him that brilliant smile, taking his breath away once again. It was like they were the only two people in the room….just like it had always been with her. He was sure she had felt it, too...the electricity...the connection between their souls. Did she realize her smile made him weak in the knees? That he'd do anything for her? That he felt bound to her forever?
He suddenly realized he must be blushing as he felt his temperature rise in response to his thoughts about Bones. Sheepishly remembering that he had a job to do, Booth walked over to the detective's desk to see what they were discussing. Detective Tonelli shook her head, unconvinced. "Even with Sean Kelly's confession about how he dumped Bridget's body in the river, we still don't have enough evidence to convict Maureen Sheehan of murder. She admits she was high on meth all that day, and she claims she doesn't remember anything that happened on the evening that Bridget disappeared. She insists that Sean was often violent and abusive towards her and her daughter, and that he must have been the one who killed the little girl. We don't have the actual murder weapon or any other direct evidence that ties Maureen to Bridget's death except Sean Kelly's description of what happened, and truthfully, all we have on Sean is what Maureen thinks may have happened. And since we don't know for sure if the remains in your lab are actually Bridget Sheehan, Dr. Brennan, we really don't have much of anything we can use to hold them in custody much longer, other than the fact that they never reported Bridget as missing."
Brennan clenched her jaw, obviously annoyed. She knew that Detective Tonelli was correct about the lack of evidence for a murder conviction, but she wasn't ready to give up yet. "Did your forensics team look for blood splatter in the kitchen? Have they checked all of Ms. Sheehan's clothes and shoes for blood evidence? If Maureen hit Bridget on the head with a cast iron skillet in the manner that Sean described, there would be blood evidence left behind, and it would be difficult to remove…."
"The forensics techs are working the scene at the house again, but Sean Kelly says he bundled up the skillet, Maureen's clothes, shoes, and everything they used to clean up the blood into the same large plastic trash bag that they used for Bridget's body. He weighed it with several bricks and dumped it all into the river about 15 miles downstream from the marina."
"Have your dive teams searched the banks of the river, and the river bed in that area? You might be able to find those things…" Brennan glared fiercely as she stood with her hands on her hips, daring Detective Tonelli to challenge her.
"Dr. Brennan, we don't have the manpower to conduct a search on the river like that unless we know for sure that it's going to lead to something useful in a case. If you find out that the remains in your lab are Bridget, we may be able to justify the time and expense. You have the DNA samples we collected, so hopefully you'll find out something soon…"
Booth interrupted Brennan as she started to argue more vehemently. "It's okay, Bones...just a minute." He lightly placed his hand on her shoulder and smiled faintly as she turned her glare to him. "Detective Tonelli, because the remains we found in Delaware were of a child, and because it appears that the child's body crossed state lines, the FBI can take over jurisdiction and ask the lab at the Jeffersonian to assist your department in the search for evidence in the river and the recovery of that evidence. Dr. Brennan, do you think Dr. Hodgins would be willing to assist the FBI in leading that effort?" He nodded slightly at Brennan, silently urging her to agree with him.
She pursed her lips and nodded back at him. "I believe so, Agent Booth. I'll call him immediately and ask him to make the arrangements. He could probably begin as soon as the weather clears."
Booth looked back at Tonelli. "Will that be acceptable to you, Detective?" His tone of voice made it clear she had no choice.
Detective Tonelli was obviously irritated about her investigation being usurped by the FBI, but she realized she had to comply with what seemed to be a reasonable request. "That will be satisfactory, Agent Booth. Our police department will offer any assistance you require." She slid her lower lip between her teeth as she watched uniform officers escort Sean Kelly and Maureen Sheehan from the interrogation rooms toward the holding cells. "Please ask your team to work quickly, Dr. Brennan. I can probably hold those two on child neglect charges for a few more days, based on the fact that we don't know where Bridget is at this time, but without more evidence…."
"We understand. Dr. Brennan will call her associate as soon as we leave today to make the arrangements. Is there anything else, Detective?"
"I don't think so, Agent Booth. We appreciate your input. Your interrogation skills are impressive." The detective extended her hand to Brennan. "Thank you both for your time. I'm hopeful that if we work together we can find out the truth about what happened to Bridget Sheehan."
Brennan nodded and smiled as she shook the detective's hand. "That's what we want as well. We'll be in touch."
oooooooooo
In a restless world like this is,
Love is ended before it's begun,
And too many moonlight kisses
Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun.
They drove for an hour in pensive silence, considering all of the information they had gathered in their interviews that day, until Booth decided it was time to discuss the case with his partner. "You're being awfully quiet, Bones. Whatcha thinking about?" He glanced over at Brennan, who sat with her hands folded in her lap, staring out the passenger window. The scenery was a black blur as they sped through the night on their way back to DC. The snow had almost stopped, but rain still trickled slowly down the windshield.
"I was thinking about Sean Kelly's confession. Do you think he killed Bridget or did he just dispose of her body?"
Booth thought it over for a minute before shaking his head. "I think he probably tried to help Maureen by cleaning up the crime scene after Maureen killed Bridget, but he's probably not the killer."
Brennan tilted her head and furrowed her brow as she tried to follow Booth's logic. "How did you arrive at that conclusion, Booth? I sat through both interrogations with you, and I have no idea what really happened…is this your 'gut' at work again?"
He shrugged. "Maybe. I know that Maureen couldn't wait to point the finger at Sean, blaming him for everything that happened and saying he was an abuser, but she didn't seem angry enough when she talked about what she thought he had done to Bridget, in my opinion. She seemed too calm for a parent who had just lost a child to an act of violence. It was more like she wanted to give him up to save her own skin. When Sean talked about what Maureen did, he kept saying it wasn't really her fault, that she had been high, you know...saying things like he knew she didn't mean to do it, that the meth had caused her to do bad things, that she was on a bad trip, and that Bridget was a difficult child."
Brennan chewed on the inside of her cheek as she considered what Booth was saying. "I still don't know what that means…"
"It means that Sean loves Maureen deeply, and he'd be willing to do anything to help her, including getting rid of her daughter's body after she murdered the little girl. The fact that he let Maureen continue to blame him, and that he told his lawyer that he'd confess if we left Maureen alone, tells me that she did it, and he's still trying to cover for her."
Shaking her head, Brennan turned to look out the window again. "Love makes people do stupid things, doesn't it?"
"Stupid things? Really? Stupid things?" He gave Brennan a sideways glance, glaring at her as he shook his head. "You mean like a guy trying to help someone by spending weeks figuring out what happened to her mother, or like a guy trying to figure out where someone's father has disappeared to or whether or not her father has committed a murder? Or a guy flying out to the New Mexico desert because someone's friend needs help finding her dead boyfriend, or maybe like when he flies to New Orleans because someone loses the memory of an entire day after she's been attacked and then the guy risks his career by concealing evidence that she was at the crime scene? Or maybe like a guy trying to dig someone out of six feet of dirt with his bare hands after worrying all night because someone was kidnapped and might suffocate before he can find her?" Booth stared out the windshield grimly as his trembling hands gripped the steering wheel. "Or a guy telling the woman he loves to leave with someone else if it makes her happy? You're right. Those are all stupid things, Bones, but that's what people in love do...they do anything they can to make the person they love happy, because that's all that matters to them. Nothing else is as important as the one they love."
Brennan sat quietly for a few minutes watching Booth, stunned by his angry tirade. He was right...how else could she logically explain everything he'd done for her? She found that it pleased her very much to think that he loved her like that…. "I'm sorry, Booth. I didn't mean that you were stupid…" She reached over and rubbed his shoulder affectionately. "You know how much I appreciate the guy who did those things for that someone, right?"
He grinned a bit as he turned to her again. I never could stay mad at her for long… "Yeah, I know you do...I guess I'm just tired, so I'm being oversensitive."
"I think maybe I wasn't being sensitive enough, Booth." He nodded slightly as he looked out the side window. Apology accepted. Brennan sighed as she considered the case again. "I guess we have to accept that we may never know exactly what happened to our little girl in the lab, even if she is Bridget Sheehan. Anything that Sean Kelly threw in the river may be long gone by now…"
"Well, we're gonna exhaust every possibility, right? We'll get Hodgins to lead a search on the river, looking for evidence. We won't give up until we know we've done everything we can…we can start again tomorrow and look at everything again."
"You're right…" She nodded. "We'll do the best we can to get justice for her."
"Right." Booth smiled as he squeezed Brennan's hand. "Hey, we're gonna be back in town in about 45 minutes. It's kinda late...do you wanna grab some take out before I take you home? Maybe some late night Thai?"
"I think Wong Foo's sounds better, although I have a few leftovers in my refrigerator that we could have if you wanted…"
"Well, I'm really hungry...maybe we can have some of both." He nodded toward the clock. "Man, it's gonna be a late night. Maybe you should call Dr. Goodman and tell him that you're gonna be in late tomorrow…"
"Why? How much are you planning to eat?" Brennan grinned at him. "You're right, though. Being gone all day for work like this wears me out." She laughed as she yawned a bit. "It does sound nice to sleep in tomorrow. What about you?"
"I already made arrangements with Cullen for a few hours of comp time tomorrow morning. I don't have to be in until after lunch."
"Lucky you." Brennan called Dr. Goodman and left a message saying she'd be in late the next morning. "I'm sure it'll be okay...he's busy trying to identify some ancient Hittite remains. He probably won't even notice I'm gone."
"Good...then we can take our time over dinner tonight." Booth smirked as he winked at Brennan. "I hate to rush through my moo goo gai pan…."
oooooooooo
It was 10:30 PM when they finally arrived at Brennan's apartment. Brennan hung up their coats and gestured toward the kitchen. "Why don't you set the food out and get us some beers. I'm going to go change clothes. I'll be right back." She grinned as she disappeared into her bedroom.
Loosening his tie, Booth moved into the kitchen, laying out the boxes of Chinese food on the kitchen table. He opened the refrigerator, and took out some beers, trying to find the leftovers Bones had mentioned, and then bumped his head when he was surprised by the soft voice behind him. "Anything interesting in there?" He spun around and came face to face with Bones, comfortably dressed in a loose tee shirt and yoga pants. "Here, I found these...I hope they fit. You must want to change clothes, too."
"Thanks, Bones, but I don't think I wear the same size as you…." He picked up the large black tee shirt. "FBI? Who did you steal this from? And men's sweatpants? You've been holding out on me…."
She smiled demurely. "I find it useful to keep spare articles of clothing for unexpected guests. You don't have to change, but I thought you'd be more comfortable."
He grinned broadly. "I'll be right back."
oooooooooo
When I give my heart, it will be completely,
Or I'll never give my heart.
Booth and Brennan laughed and talked as they ate Chinese food and leftover vegetable lasagne. "General Tso's chicken, Hunan beef, and lasagne is a strange combination, Booth. I hope you don't upset your stomach."
"Nah...I can eat almost anything if I can drink a beer with it. Hey, want some more fried rice?"
"No, I think I've had enough. Go ahead and finish it if you want…"
He grinned as he held out a cellophane wrapper for her. "I'm about done with everything, so now it's fortune cookie time. Here's yours, Bones. So the rule is you read it out loud, and add the words 'in bed' after it. That makes it come true..."
She rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous, Booth...they print millions of these little slips, and insert them randomly into cookies." She saw his merry smile and decided it couldn't hurt.
She cracked open the cookie and read the slip to herself. 'Don't worry. Everything you need is close at hand.' ...in bed...oh my God... Brennan couldn't keep from blushing as she noticed Booth watching her intently. "What does yours say, Booth?
"Nope, not until you tell me what yours says….you show me yours and I'll show you mine…." He winked impishly and twitched his eyebrows at her.
"Oh, okay, here." Brennan handed the little slip of paper to him. "Now, let me see yours…
'Be patient. Everything happens eventually.' "In bed?" she squealed as Booth laughed out loud. "In your dreams, Booth."
"You're right, Bones...always in my dreams." Booth held up his beer in a mock toast and laughed.
They each got another beer, and moved to the sofa. Brennan shifted in her seat so she could look at Booth. "May I ask you something?"
Jesus...now what? "I guess...ask away, Bones."
She paused, choosing her words carefully. "Did you really tell Cam that you loved her?"
I guess it was only a matter of time before that came up. Booth felt his stomach flip over, wondering where this was leading. He exhaled slowly before answering her. "Yes, I did. When we were dating, I told her that I loved her, because I thought I did love her, but I was wrong. By the time I realized I had made a mistake...that I loved you instead...you were already making plans to leave with Sully, so I decided to let you go, and I tried to make the best of it with Cam. I didn't want to be the kind of guy that pined for the woman who got away, but it didn't work...I couldn't live with lying to her any more, so Cam and I had to go our separate ways."
"I see." Brennan concentrated on picking the label off her beer bottle. "I told Sully I loved him, Booth."
"Well, that makes sense since you decided to move away with him to live on his boat." Booth clenched his jaw and tried to remain calm. That was in the past….
"I thought so, too, but I think that's the only reason I told him that...because it was expected by society. I thought that must have been what I was feeling, but now I believe I was incorrect. Being with him was like being on vacation for three months. It was fun, but there was nothing more...no depth, no growth…" Brennan raised her eyes to look at Booth. "It was a lot different than this thing between us…the feeling that I have now is...I don't know..." Suddenly embarrassed, she turned away from Booth, rose from the sofa, and walked into the kitchen, busying herself with picking up the empty Chinese food boxes and putting away leftovers.
"How?" Booth stood behind Brennan, and whispered in her ear. "How is it different, Bones?" He put his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder.
She felt a little shiver run through her body as his warm breath tickled her ear. Smiling, she turned to face him, her eyes lingering on his lips as he place a hand on either side of her, bracing himself on the kitchen counter. He was so close...his warm, masculine scent enveloped her as he gazed into her eyes, licking his lips as he moved even closer to her. Her heart began to beat wildly...she was sure he could hear it pounding. "With you, Booth, I feel….complete. I can be me...just exactly like I am. It feels so natural to stand here with you like this...like I'd never need anything more...but…" She glanced down at her hands as they rested on his chest.
"But what?" Booth caressed her cheek gently with his fingertips and brushed her hair away from her eyes. "Are you afraid that you might get hurt?" She was so close...he saw the flush of her skin and felt her warmth...God, he wanted her so badly...
Brennan pinched her lips together as she looked into his warm brown eyes. "I know you wouldn't hurt me on purpose, but I'm not very good at relationships, and I might hurt you…"
"Bones, hush..." He tilted her face upwards and kissed her lips gently. "You're not bad at relationships. You just haven't had the right relationship yet." He kissed her again, more passionately this time, his tongue wanting to taste her sweetness as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "I'm gonna help you fix that little problem."
"Are you sure?" Brennan put her arms around Booth's neck and kissed him tenderly before she spoke again. "I can be very difficult..."
"What? Dr. Brennan can be difficult?" He laughed as she ran her hands gently over his broad shoulders and muscular arms. "Guess what...Agent Booth can be difficult, too. Just ask Rebecca, Tessa, or Cam. C'mere." He led Brennan back to the sofa. "Sit here with me for a minute." She curled up next to him, sitting in the crook of his arm as he rubbed her shoulders and rested his chin on her head. "It's gonna take some work, okay? Both of us are strong willed people, and we're gonna argue sometimes. But I promise you, I'm gonna make my relationship with you my number one priority."
Brennan looked up at Booth and smiled. "I'm willing to work at that as well, but maybe not right now…right now I want some pleasure instead..." She gave him another kiss and straddled him, a knee on either side of his hips as she sat on his lap. He groaned slightly as he felt his body responding to her...her gentle sway against his hips as she kissed and caressed him felt so good…"God, Bones…" He shifted in his seat, turning to lay back on the couch with her on top of him, stretched out over him, her breasts gently grazing against his chest. He looked up into her beautiful blue eyes and smiled, stroking her hair. "You're so beautiful...I just want to make love to you all night long…" Reaching under her tee shirt he tenderly caressed the bare skin of her back and abdomen as he kissed her lips again. "I want to feel you next to me, Bones. God, I love you so much…" His lips moved down her jaw and throat as his hands brushed over her breasts. She arched her back and leaned towards him, moaning with pleasure as he pulled her hips closer so she could feel his arousal. "I'm never gonna let you go, Bones...you're gonna be mine always…"
Brennan smiled as she planted tender kisses on Booth's lips and then caressed his cheek gently as she looked into his eyes. "Booth... I need to feel you next to me...closer to me..." She rose from the couch and took his hand. "We'll be so much more comfortable in my bedroom…I want you to stay with me tonight….please...I love you, Booth….come make love to me, Booth…"
Booth stood up and, kissing her, gently picked her up so her legs could wrap around his hips. He carried his love back to her bedroom and lay her on her bed. She smiled, admiring his muscular body as he turned to remove the tee shirt and sweatpants he had borrowed. It was a good thing she had called to let them know she'd be late for work in the morning….but she doubted that she'd be sleeping in….
And the moment I can feel that you feel that way, too…
Is when I'll fall in love with you…..
A/N: my apologies for the epic length of this chapter. With my imagination running amok and the need for our heroes to have some romance, I got carried away. I hope it wasn't too cumbersome. More soon...