"Master Sergeant Booth." He growled into the phone.
"Seeley Booth what sort of way is that to greet your favourite Assistant District Attorney? Do you have any idea how many favours I've had to call in just to track your scrawny ass down and get you on this telephone cherie?"
"Caroline I'm sorry I didn't realise it was you. It's good to hear your voice. How are you and how are things back home cherie?
"That's the reason for my call, we have an emergency here in DC and it concerns your good friend Dr Saroyen. She's in trouble and I need you to stop playing soldiers get that handsome tush of yours back home tout suite cher. She needs your help. You need to save her from committing career suicide. Unless you can do something she's about to lose her good reputation as well as job. Her only hope is you and your squinty friends cher." Caroline explained.
"OK. I'm on my way, you can explain all the details when I get back there."
Caroline had previously placed a call was to Jack Hodgins and Angela Montenegro in Paris. The call went well and the pair had quickly agreed to return home to help.
The next phone call Caroline made was to the Indonesian jungle.
"Brennan."
"Doctor Brennan, Caroline Julien here. Tell me, have found the meaning of life or whatever it was you are searching for in that godforsaken jungle yet?"
"Miss Julian, no we have yet to discover meaningful evidence, our findings to date have been sparse but we are confident that the dig will ultimately prove successful. Can I ask the reason you have called me? You are aware that this satellite phone is for emergency use only. It's not for social calls of for getting an update on how my dig is progressing?" Dr Brennan replied.
"You are quite right, as always, Dr Brennan using your satellite phone for anything other than an emergency would be wrong. But we do have an emergency back here in DC and it needs your particular skill set to help solve the problem. So I am requesting that you get yourself back here to DC as soon as humanly possible." Caroline said.
"What could possibly warrant my abandoning the dig I have committed to working on for a full year?" Brennan asked, irritation creeping into her attitude.
"Well your friend Dr Saroyen finds herself in a nasty predicament Cherie and now her reputation as well as her career are on the line. I need you back here to save her. I already have the best entomologist and the best forensic artist on board and the finest special agent the FBI has to offer."
"The best entomologist is currently in Paris and so is the best forensic artist and Booth is in Afghanistan." Brennan was getting a little annoyed with Caroline.
"You are correct Cherie, but they have all agreed to come home to help Camille out, now all I need is for you to agree to help and then I think she may have a chance to get out of this mess."
"I am sorry Caroline but before I am prepared to give up on this dig I will need all the information you have regarding this situation. My time here in valuable and I can't go leaving the dig unless it really is an emergency."
So, as she had expected, Caroline went into a detailed explanation of the situation Dr Saroyen found herself in. She had conducted a campaign to highlight the number of veteran soldiers suffering from PTSD and subsequently diagnosed with brain damage in order to secure treatment for all those concerned. Her actions were not well received by certain well placed Pentagon staff or some parts of the media. When the remains of a young boy were discovered Dr Saroyen was put under pressure from various quarters to identify the remains as those of Logan Bartlett a three year old missing for three months. Dr Saroyen was reluctant to confirm the identification because evidence provided by her team was not conclusive. The media was piling pressure on her to either identify the remains or admit incompetence and quit her job. Caroline explained that the best were needed to resolve the issue and Dr Brennan was indeed the best of the best so her participation would be vital.
Brennan agreed to return and explained to Caroline that as the director of the dig and the lead anthropologist she would have to convene a meeting of the dig committee to allocate her work to other staff so she wouldn't be able to leave until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest.
"Thank you for that Cherie. Now I just have to get a tame profiler/psychologist on board and we have the whole team back.
Dr Sweets was extremely reluctant to return to work, he had found a niche playing piano in an up-market restaurant in DC and was enjoying a quiet life. It wasn't until Caroline told Sweets that Booth was on his way home and he was reported to be suffering the effects of PTSD that Sweets changed his mind, he was in and would get himself reactivated with the FBI the following day.
After Booth's call with Caroline ended he made a call to a friend explained where he was and that he needed to get back to DC as a matter of urgency. Fifteen minutes later the phone rang and Booth was instructed to be outside the on the roadside outside the building where he currently was in thirty minutes and he would be picked up by a soldier driving a jeep. His journey home was underway.
After Hodgins' call with Caroline ended he made a phone call and was informed that the Cantilever executive jet was still on the tarmac at Charles De Gaulle airport. The plane would be fuelled and the flight plans logged and available for take-off within the hour.
Dr Brennan announced an emergency meeting of the dig management team to take place early the following morning. At the meeting she explained her need to take a sabbatical of no less than two weeks and no more than four weeks to sort out a personal issue back home. She also discussed the redistribution her work as Director of the dig for the period she would be away. Her Assistant Director Dr Kyle Bannister would take on the bulk of her work and she would make herself available for consultation, should the need arise. Travel arrangements were made and Brennan hitched a lift with their supply truck when left the camp site that afternoon and headed back to 'civilisation' and home.
Dr Sweets went to bed intending to visit the FBI in the morning to reactivate with the FBI.
With only carry-on luggage Brennan quickly cleared the airport building and caught a cab to the Lincoln Memorial. She sat on 'their' bench by the coffee karts and wondered if Booth would think to come here when he landed. This was where they had agreed to meet when the year-long sabbatical was over, but after only seven months what would he do. She began to pace up and down if front of the bench.
At the same time Booth was in an unmarked army vehicle being driven through the outskirts of the Capital at slightly more than the speed limit. Booth had struck up an instant rapport with the soldier, especially after they found out both of them were born in Philly. Fifteen minutes later Booth was dropped off by the Reflecting Pool. Booth approached 'their' bench and stopped when he saw her. Her hair was lighter, no doubt due to the sun, and a little longer. She had lost a little weight, but he was still stunned by her beauty.
She paced in front of the bench. As she turned she saw him as he watched her. They both slowly made their way towards each other. She noticed he was favouring his left side as he walked and made a mental note to ask why. As they neared the pace increased and as she threw herself into his arms she noticed a slight wince from him and made another mental note.
"Hey."
"Hi." They said in unison.
"You're looking good Bones. Did you find the meaning of life out on the Malapoopoo Islands?" Booth said with a beaming smile on his face.
"Booth! It's Maluku and the meaning of life was not what we were looking to discover. But I think you already knew that. Please tell me you've been taking care of yourself and not being a hero."
"You know me Bones, just doing what the army tells me to do and going where they tell me to go. And filing in paperwork, you have no idea just how much paperwork you have to fill in when you're in the army nowadays Bones and you know how much I hate doing paperwork."
"Yes I do know how much you dislike the paperwork. I notice you have a slight limp Booth, tell me what happened."
"I'm fine Bones. Just fine. You know I've always suffered with my back. Seven months of sleeping in an army cot followed by an eleven hour flight on an army transporter plane will do that to you. But I'm fine, really. I just need a couple of nights sleeping in my own bed on a real mattress and I'll be right as rain."
"Why is rain right Booth, I don't know what that means?"
"It's just a saying Bones, I'll back to normal when I get to rest my back, that's all."
"So Booth, did you get to meet anyone whilst you were in Afghanistan?"
"No, strangely enough there's not much of a social scene out there in the middle of nowhere Bones. Just loads and loads of soldiers, so, no I didn't meet anyone."
"What about you? Did you meet anyone?" He asked.
"Actually yes I did." Brennan pulled out her phone and showed Booth a photo of a handsome sandy-haired man with rimless glasses. Booth's smile quickly faded and his high spirits plummeted. Brennan was oblivious to his change in mood as she was focussed on her phone and the photo. "His name is Kyle Bannister, well professor Kyle Bannister to give him his full title. He is the Assistant Director on the dig. I find him an intelligent, amusing and charming man, he reminds me quite a lot of you, Booth. We get along very well and have spent a considerable amount of time together on the dig."
"So you're the Director and he's the Assistant Director. So he's your assistant?"
"Yes Booth. He is my assistant if you want to put it that way."
"Well congratulations Bones. Shall we go meet with the others?" Booth's mood became even worse.
"Yes, I find I am excited to be reunited with the team." Bones responded, oblivious to Booth's demeanour.
"Where are you going Bones?"
"To the lab, of course."
"They're not at the Jeffersonian anymore, Bones they're at the city mortuary and the meeting's at the FBI, this way. Didn't you keep in touch with anyone while you were away?"
"No I only had a satellite phone for communications and that was for emergencies only."
"Oh! It wasn't just me then?" Booth said with a shake of his head. Brennan just frowned.
They entered the conference room in the Serious Crimes department of the FBI building to find everyone already there and exchanged greetings with everyone. No one noticed that Booth had taken up a positon in the corner of the room slightly away from where the others were grouped, or that he wasn't happy. Caroline brought the meeting to order and explained the situation , then Dr Saroyen brought them fully up-to-speed. When the meeting was over Booth quickly explained that he planned to breakfast with Parker in the morning then he would get to work interviewing the witnesses then left. Sweets, Angela and Hodgins left together, headed for a local bar. Caroline departed leaving just Brennan and Dr Saroyen in the room.
Brennan asked about her interns and which one was involved. She was less than happy when she was told that the Jeffersonian internship had been disbanded and her interns no longer worked there. She asked Dr Saroyen how she had allowed this to happen and was stunned when Dr Saroyen told Brennan, in no uncertain terms that she, Brennan, was the cause of the collapse of the group. She has put her own selfish wishes above those of the rest of the team and run off to her did, allowing the team to splinter and fall apart.
When Booth interviewed Logan Bartlett's parents he became immediately aware of the anger Logan Bartlett's father showed towards his wife, the mother of their child. They had separated just prior to Logan going missing and he blamed his wife for allowing Logan to go missing, citing her excessive drinking as the cause. She explained that she did have a drinking problem when they were together, but when Logan's father had moved out of the home she had sought treatment for her drinking and was it now under control. This fact just brought out a dismissive grunt of disbelief from the father.
Late that same day everyone was working away when Hodgins, quick to denigrate his predecessor's knowledge, had found insect evidence that proved conclusively that death had occurred over four months ago so couldn't be those of a boy who had only been missing for three months. Angela and Brennan both agreed that the skull was that of an Asiatic child and definitely not Caucasian like Logan Bartlett. Brennan also added that the remains were those of an older child, perhaps four years old, under-developed for his age due to poor diet. She was unable to give a cause of death as there was no obvious signs so poisoning was suspected. The blanket that the remains were wrapped in was identified as being of Korean origin. Booth and Brennan undertook a tour of the area known for having the highest portion of Korean inhabitants, targeting the 'sweat shops' most likely to be the place to find leads about the mystery boy's case.
The third business they visited proved to be the answer to the case. The owner admitted that one of the workers had a small son but had recently sent him to live with his father back in Korea. After questioning the woman and her father, how worked as a handyman at the same company, they admitted that the little boy had accidentally choked to death when he swallowed a screw that Brennan found was missing from his cot. Further questioning revealed that the mother and grandfather of the child, fearing deportation had not registered the death but had given the boy the best burial they could.
Brennan was able to confirm that choking was indeed the cause of death after examining the hyoid bone and finding microscopic damage as confirmation. Later that same evening Cam, Brennan and Booth were having in a beer in The Founding Fathers when Brennan said that she thought it was wrong that the mother and grandfather would be punished for what was essentially an accident followed by an illegal burial.
"I don't think Caroline is looking to punish these people Bones, she knows the turmoil these folks have gone through. It wouldn't surprise me if they just got probation. There really is nothing to be gained by locking them up and I think Caroline knows that." Booth said. "What concerns me more is the fact that there's still a boy out there somewhere, missing. Why is it we only ever get to solve the cases where we have a body? I'd like to find this boy and return him to his mother."
"Well, what is stopping us from doing exactly that, Booth?" Brennan asked, finishing off her beer.
"I'm going to get straight on it in the morning Bones, let's see if we can get this missing boy found."
The three finished their beer and left the bar Cam headed in one direction to her car. Booth and Brennan headed in the opposite direction heading for Booth's truck.
"Well Bones, I suppose this means you'll be heading off back to the jungles of Malapoopoo now the case is nearly over." Booth asked as they climbed into his truck.
"Yes Booth, after all I did commit to a spending a year at the dig on Maluku and they are relying on me. Also I find that I have rediscovered my true passion for anthropology and how much I have missed being at a dig site and searching for ancient remains." Bones replied. "What about you Booth? What will you do? Are you going back to the army and Afghanistan?"
"No Bones, me and the army are through. I'm not going back. I've found that army life is for the young and I'm not that young any more. So I'm planning on staying here in DC. I think going to Afghanistan in the first place was a mistake and besides Parker needs me and I don't want to leave him again if I can help it."
Two days later, Booth discovered that Logan's father had bought a car the day after his son had gone missing, which he found strange. He set up a trap that he hoped would end the case. Booth, Brennan and Logan's mother were sat in Booth's truck which was parked next to a children's play area. The play area was just a few yards from the residence of Logan's uncle, the brother of his father. They had only been sat there for a few minutes when Brennan saw Logan's father enter the play area with a young child and left him playing in the sand box. He wandered away from Logan, talking on his mobile. Logan's mother immediately recognised her son and began to get excited. All three got out of the truck, Logan's father took off running when he saw Booth. Booth sprinted after him and tackled him to the ground and slipped the hand cuffs on. Brennan raced over to Logan picked him up and handed him over to his mother, who was in tears at being reunited with her son.
Later that evening, after they had completed the necessary paperwork, Booth was driving towards Bones' apartment to drop her off when he said.
"That's it then Bones, everything's all wrapped up. We identified the mystery remains and found out how he died, then we rescued a kidnapped child and reunited him with his mother on top of that Cam's job and her reputation have been saved. I think you can call that a good job well done. I suppose you'll be straight off back to Malapoopoo now. Back to your dig and to Kyle."
"I think I'll be here for a few more days, I'd like to do some serious work on my next novel and the thought of leaving my shower and bed behind is not something I am looking forward to. I do find I miss the dig and the people. But to answer your question, yes I think I'll head back next week."
"Good for you Bones. I hope you find what you're digging for and I hope you'll be happy to get back to Kyle. I can see from the way you talk about him that he makes you happy. I'm really glad for you. I hope everything works out OK."
It had been a week since they had finally solved the Logan Bartlett case, Brennan had done much work on her novel and had been in touch with the dig site for an update on progress. She had also made numerous calls to people in positions of power at the Jeffersonian to secure the return of Cam and the team to their lab back at the Jeffersonian. She hadn't had any contact with Booth and was beginning to wonder if she might have said something to upset him. When he didn't show up at the meeting called by Cam to announce their return to the lab at the Jeffersonian, Brennan realised she was becoming a little concerned for Booth. She made a mental note to phone him later. When Angela announced that she was pregnant and that she and Hodgins were going to have a baby Brennan's mental note about Booth was forgotten.
The following day Brennan was working in her office at the lab when she received a call from security telling her that she had a visitor at reception. Brennan assumed it was Booth and there was a problem with his security card and told security to sign him in and escort him to her office. It wasn't Booth that knocked on her office door, it was a man dressed in army fatigues carrying an army duffel on his shoulder.
"Excuse me for the interruption ma'am, you're Dr Brennan. I recognise your photo." Her visitor said.
"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Was all Brennan could think to say.
"No, ma'am no. I'm sorry, where are my manners. My name is Jason Morrison and I served under Master Sergeant Booth in Afghanistan."
"Well as you can see Booth isn't here. Can I ask what you are doing here?"
"Yes of course ma'am. With everything that went down in Afghanistan and then the Sarge being shipped out all his personal gear got left behind and I promised the lads that I'd get his stuff back to him." Her visitor explained. "I just wanted to thank him again for what he did for us lads and I was going to buy him a beer, if he'd let me. I tried his apartment but got no answer. He was always talking about you and this place and I thought I'd drop by here to see if you knew where I could find him. By the way, this place is amazing and you really need to get some new photos done. The ones that the Sarge had certainly don't do you justice, if you don't mind me saying."
"Please, first of all stop calling me ma'am. I'm Dr Brennan. You can call me Temperance, come in and sit down. I have some questions for you." Brennan said, indicating that he should take a seat on the couch. "I need you to tell me what 'went down' in Afghanistan, why Booth got separated from his personal items and why he had a photo of me."
"Thank you ma'am, er…sorry, Temperance. Please call me Jason or Jase, you can call me Mozza if you like, that's what the lads called me. I take it that the Sarge hasn't told you anything about what happened in country?"
" No Mozza we've been extremely busy on an important case and since we solved it I haven't seen Booth. I am becoming a little concerned for his welfare. Did Booth really call you 'Mozza'?" Brennan asked.
"Well if there was ever anyone that you didn't need to worry about, let me assure you the Sarge would be top of my list. That man is something special, I'm sure that there's no need to worry about the Sarge. He knows better than anyone how to look after himself. And no, the Sarge called me Tex, even though everyone else called me Mozza, I come from Galvaston you see. He had his own nicknames for all of his boys." Mozza assured her. "I mean have you any idea he arrived at a nickname for Danny Hernandez? We called him Doc on account of his initials, D R Hernandez, D R you get it? D R … doctor. He was known as Dan, Danny and Danno we called him doc, as I've said, then others called him 'lover boy' on account of his middle name being Romeo. Booth, in his infinite wisdom decided Henandez should be called 'King of the Nicknames' because he had so many, that always made the Sarge chuckle. He shortened 'King of the Nicknames' to just Nick and then to Nicky. Weird sense of humour, the Sarge"
"Do you mind if I call you Tex instead of Mozza, it seems such a ridiculous nickname and I am not comfortable calling anyone that?"
"Ma'am it'd be an honour if you were to call me Tex."
"So Tex, please tell me about the photos, where are they and why did Booth have them?"
Morrison reached into Booth's duffel and pulled out a battered and torn book. Brennan saw the book's title was 'Bred in the bone' and she was the author. She was shocked to think he had read her book, let alone taken it with him to Afghanistan.
"I think he keeps the photos in here." Morrison said, offering the book to Brennan.
Brennan riffled through the pages and found two photos. The first was of her and Parker holding hands and laughing at the camera, she remembered the day the photo had been taken. The three of them had gone to the zoo and Parker had had so many questions about the animals and she, of course, was able to answer them in great detail, much to the amusement of her young friend. She remembered how, as they were walking around the zoo, Parker, at some point, had slipped his hand into hers. She remembered how good she felt when he did that. How proud she was that Parker chose to hold her hand and Booth was reduced to acting as photographer. The second photo was taken at The Founding Fathers. She and Booth were sat at a table, she was looking at the camera with a beaming smile on her face. Booth also had a broad grin on his face but instead of looking at the camera he was focussed on her face. This photo had obviously been taken by Angela and Brennan wondered why she'd never seen it previously.
"You must be so proud of your son, he looks like a fine boy."
"No he's Booth's son not mine. We're just friends. I didn't even know that he had taken one of my books with him when he joined up." She said, more to herself than to Morrison.
"The Sarge spent so much of his down time with his nose in that book I'm sure he'd be able to quote each and every line from front cover to back."
"Please Tex, I need you to tell me what happened in Afghanistan. Booth was supposed to be teaching policing tactics new army recruits and the Afghani police force. It certainly doesn't appear to me that is what was happening."
"When he first came to camp that might have been what he was supposed to be doing but after about a week that all changed. Some of the boys were just horsing around in camp and well there was a freak accident and our sargeant went down awkward like and broke his leg. Tib and fib both snapped, he was due to be in a cast for eight weeks minimum, that's when the army decided to transfer the Sarge to our team and that was the end of training for him. He was front line from that moment on."
"But that is not what he signed up for. He was supposed to be making a difference by teaching people that was the whole reason he agreed to go to a war zone." Brennan said.
"Well I don't know about that, but when you're in the army you do what the army tells you to do. So I don't suppose he had any choice. He wasn't teaching he was soldiering from that point on." Tex answered.
"Well in that case the army was acting under false pretences and Booth should have refused to cooperate." Brennan replied.
"Ma'am, if you'll beg my pardon, nobody argues with the army when you're given an order you just have to obey, everybody. Nobody argues with Uncle Sam, ever."
"So then please continue with your story."
"Well from day one the Sarge was different from any other of the sargeants we'd had before. He didn't just tell us what to do and then yell at us, telling us that we weren't good enough or fast enough or we weren't doing it right. No, the Sarge always led from the front, every exercise, every drill he was with us doing it by our side. Showing us he was committed to us. Don't get me wrong, he was a hard task master he didn't go easy on us, he worked us hard and he looked out for us. He treated us like we were his own kin and that's how he got his nickname, though we were only brave enough to use it when he was in a really good mood."
"You had a nickname for Booth? You have to tell me please, please tell me. He has called me by his nickname for me for years. This might be my chance to get some back pay." Brennan said getting a little excited.
"I think you mean payback ma'am." Tex replied grinning.
"Us boys called him 'Pops' because of the age difference and him treating us like we were his own kids. Mainly we only called him that behind his back but sometimes it just slipped out. He would cuss us out if he caught us calling him that, but, deep down and I know he'd never to admit it, I think he was really proud that we had chosen to call him that." Tex smiled.
"Interesting." Brennan muttered in reply. "Please continue."
"It was about six weeks ago and we were out on routine patrol, the usual six of us in a two vehicle convoy, when the lead vehicle struck a roadside IED. I was in the second vehicle with Sarge and Doc, well his real name was Danny Hernandez, we pull over and immediately come under fire from the Taliban. We pile out of the vehicle and take cover, then the Sarge has us lay down covering fire while he charges over to the other vehicle grabs Viking, sorry Carl Andersen out of the truck and carries back to where we were. Then he goes back and gets Paddy, that's Pat Sullivan, and carries out. Then goes back again a carries the Scrounger, Joey Pattinson out as well, but well…Joey was already gone from the initial explosion. We figured we were up against twelve to fifteen Taliban fighters." Tex explained.
"I find I am now annoyed with Booth. I made him promise me before he left not to be a hero. He obviously took no notice and broke his promise to me."
"Temperance when your under that sort of fire your natural instincts take over. The Sarge took command read the situation we were in and did what he thought best. He got two injured and one dead soldier out of that vehicle and it was a good thing he did because it caught on fire and exploded a few minutes later. I took a bullet in the shoulder and Doc took one to the leg, so it was the Sarge against a dozen or more Taliban fighters. It wasn't really a fair fight, Sarge picked off the Taliban one after the other and three hours later when we were rescued the bodies of nine Afghans were recovered. The Sarge is a hero, he saved four lives that day and we all will always be in his debt. He got us out when we thought we were done for. He is my hero and I owe him my life. He made sure each of his boys was getting treatment and that was when someone noticed that he had been wounded. He had taken a couple of bullets one to the shoulder and another to his leg and assured everyone that he was fine and it was 'just a scratch'. Then he collapsed, obviously the adrenalin in his system kept him going and was now wearing off."
"How badly was he injured? " Brennan asked, thinking back to when she noticed him limping when they met at the Reflecting Pool and how he winced when they hugged.
"They got the bullets out no problem, but he had lost a lot of blood and then picked up an infection, so they air lifted him to an army hospital in Germany, which is how he got separated from his kit. He was convalescing there for about a couple of weeks when I lost track of him. I later found out he had come home, hence me being here now. He has been nominated for a Silver Star and Purple Heart for what he did that day and if he doesn't get them both the boys and me will kick up Holy hell, believe me. When I got invalided out I promised the boys I would return the Sarge's kit and take him for a beer and so here I am." Tex said with a shrug.
"That's a compelling story Tex and it explains a lot. Since he's been back Booth has been a little withdrawn and not his usual self. Now I find myself even more concerned about his whereabouts and his state of mind."
"Look, I'm in town for a couple of days before heading off back home to Texas. If you do find the Sarge I would really appreciate it if I could meet up with him and buy him that beer." Tex said. "This is my mobile number, call anytime, OK?"
"Yes when I track him down I'll make sure he calls you and thank you for everything." Brennan said as Tex left her office.
As soon as Tex left the office Angela appeared in the doorway asking questions about her visitor. Before answering Brennan asked her about photos and Booth and why she'd never seen certain photos.
"Well sweetie, Booth and I agreed that there certain photos that it wasn't in anyone's best interest for you to see. So we, kind of, forgot to show them to you." Angela said sheepishly.
"So where are they? These photos, that it is in my best interest not to see?" Brennan was annoyed.
"Sweetie There's only three if I remember correctly. One taken at the founding Fathers where he is looking at you instead of the camera and you'd have to be blind not to see the love in his eyes. Then there was one taken in your office of you and Sully together and Booth is in the distance over your shoulder and he is looking at the two of you and he looks so sad. It made me cry, that one, so sad. The third one was taken in the hospital. You had been shot or blown up or something and had been in a coma for thirty hours, or so, if I remember. Booth was by your side for every minute. I snapped the photo of him sat in a chair by your bedside, holding your hand in both of his and you could almost feel his pain and sadness. It's probably the best photo I've taken, I was really proud of it. When you started to come round Booth made sure you were going to be alright then slipped quietly out of your room and left the rest of us to greet you when you came back to complete consciousness. He went home had a nap, showered and changed and came back a couple of hours later. I don't think you were ever aware that he had been beside you the whole time. If you need to see them I still have them, but please, before you do, just think about Booth and his feelings. These are powerful scenes and very revealing. "
Brennan sat at her desk after Angela left and realised she had a lot of thinking to do and a FBI Special Agent to find. Her first call was to Rebecca, Booth's ex and the mother of Parker. She was told that Booth hadn't been in touch in over a week. Next she call Sam Cullen, Booth's boss at the FBI, Booth was still officially on sabbatical for the next five months and hadn't been seen at the Hoover building since the Logan Bartlett case had been closed. She then called Sid at Wong Fu's and was told that Booth had been in a few days ago and had met with a man that Sid didn't recognise had a few drinks and then the two had left together. She put on her coat grabbed her messenger bag and her keys and left the office.
Fifteen minutes later she was in Booth's apartment, using the key he had given her for use in 'emergencies only.' The flat was clean and tidy, no dishes in the sink and only water and beer in the fridge. On her way up she had collected Booth's mail from the foyer and noticed some of it was over a week old. She began to get even more concerned. Why had he not told her where he was going and what he was doing. Why hadn't he let her know what was going on. She thought back and realised that Booth had been somewhat withdrawn with her since she had been back. They had worked the Logan Bartlett case together as usual but Booth had been somewhat distant when they weren't actually working, not at all like his usual, annoying self. Perhaps it could have something to do with her telling him about Kyle. She dismissed the thought, Booth wasn't like that. That was when she noticed an envelope on the kitchen table with her name on it. After just a single moments thought she opened the letter and read.
Dear Temperance,
If all goes well I will be home before you get to read this letter. I will then destroy it and you will be none the wiser. If you are, in fact, reading this, then I am indeed in trouble. I have agreed to do a favour for a friend and do a job for him that should take no more than two weeks. I was in Germany when I got the call from Caroline bringing us all back home. I phoned my friend Danny Beck, I think you have met him before, I told him I needed to get back to DC asap and he did the rest. He had me picked up, flown home and driven to the Reflecting Pool all in double quick time, just one call and he arranged for all that to happen. I know that he must have called in several favours to get me home so quickly. So yesterday when he asked me to do a risky little job for him I felt duty-bound to accept.
Hopefully things will go off without a hitch, but we both know that when there is risk involved there is always the possibility that things can go wrong. So if this really is the last time I get to speak to you (yes, I know, metaphorically speaking) there are some important things I need to tell you. I am so happy that you now have Kyle in your life. I can tell how much he means to you from how you look whenever you talk about him. I hope he takes good care of you and the two of you can be happy together. I'm also happy that you have rediscovered your love of 'real' anthropology after these last few years of forensic anthropology where together we managed to solved cases for the FBI. Getting back to your roots has made you happier than I have seen you for quite some time and just seeing you happy makes me happy..
I have greatly enjoyed our time working together. But there is one thing I need to tell you and I need you understand me: Doctor Temperance Brennan I love you and I have been in love with you for a long time. Please never doubt that fact, ever. My one great regret is that night on the steps of the Hoover building, after out meeting with Sweets. I regret my words, what I chose to say and how I said it, but please believe the sentiment behind my words was always honest and true. I made a pig's ear of telling you how I felt, no, how I feel about you and that I will always feel that way. I really do believe that you are the one true love of my life, we complete each other. But knowing that you do not have similar feelings for me makes me realise that I must let you go and learn to live my life without you by my side. Do you recall me making a promise to you all those years ago? I promised to always be there for you, always be by your side and that I would never leave you. Sadly I have recently come realise that, even if you choose to come back to working FBI murder cases with me, I couldn't work alongside you and just be partners and friends. It would be torture for me, knowing you don't have the same feelings for me as I have for you and that would make it impossible to continue working alongside you every day, knowing that at the end of the day you were going home and into the arms of another man. I was going to beg you to release me from that promise I made you and then I might then be able to transfer somewhere else and hopefully start a new life. But it looks like I might not have to worry about that now.
Temperance, please believe me, I love you and I wish you a long and happy life, full of all the things you desire.
I love you Bones.
Your friend.
Seeley Booth.
Brennan finished reading the letter with tears streaming down her face. One thing she was sure of: her trip back to Maluku Island and to the dig, scheduled for the day after tomorrow would be cancelled. She now had to decide, did she try to find Danny Beck and find out exactly what Booth was into or should she just wait and hope he returned? Waiting and hoping was not something that she was good at, so she called a contact in the CIA, as she assumed that was who Danny Beck worked for. Twenty minutes later she got a return call from her contact. All he could tell her that Beck was currently out of the country on a job and had no other details or no other details he was able to share with her.
Brennan managed to busy herself over the next few days, tracking down and making contact with her 'missing' interns, adding several chapters to the novel she was currently working on, contacting her assistant for regular updates on how the dig was progressing and helping Cam oversee the move back into their lab at the Jeffersonian. She had also fallen into the habit of going to Booth's in the evening after work. She'd collect his mail from the foyer of his building before spending the evening in his apartment, a couple of times she had actually stayed overnight there.
It had been five days since Tex had visited her at the Jeffersonian. She felt frustrated because she had no idea how to track down Booth. She was resigned to just waiting either for him to return or to receive notice that he would never be coming home again and waiting was something she had never been good at. She was considering whether she should remain in DC or return to the Maluku Islands when she heard a key in the door. She was sat on the couch in Booth's living room, her feet tucked beneath her and a glass of wine in her hand with her laptop, working on her novel, she froze when she heard the noise, waiting. The door swung open and a tired looking Booth walked in.
"Bones what are you doing in my apartment? How did you get in?" Booth asked, frowning.
"Never mind all that, Booth! Where have you been and why did you not think to let me know where you were going. You are so irresponsible."
"Well I've been out of town for a few days and I've been helping a friend out. Why, were you worried about me Bones? Tell me, did you miss me?" Booth asked, raising his eye brows and grinning.
"Booth, I find myself so conflicted, I do not recall I time I felt so conflicted. I am so angry with you, on so many levels, but at the same time I am so happy and relieved to see you home safe." Brennan replied. Neither had moved. Now Brennan rose from the couch.
"Sit Booth, let me get you a beer. You have some explaining to do and after that you and I need to have a serious talk." Brennan said crossing to the kitchen and returning with a beer. "Are you hungry? I have restocked your fridge and cupboards."
"No thanks Bones I'm good, I think I'll just grab a quick shower and then you can talk all you want." Booth said taking a swallow of cold beer. "When was the last time you ate, Bones?"
"I went to the diner at lunchtime with Angela and had a salad." Brennan replied after a pause.
"Well, in that case, I suppose we could get a pizza delivered. What do you say?"
"You go shower Booth I'll phone for the pizza."
Twenty minutes later Booth was sat next to Brennan on the couch, changed into sweatpants and a black t-shirt, a fresh beer in one hand and a slice of pizza in the other.
"I thought you'd be back on the Maluku Islands by now Bones. And can I ask why you are here in my apartment?" Booth said, taking a large bite of his pizza.
"I knew it. I knew that you knew the correct name for the islands Booth! Why do you insist on your childish games by mispronouncing it every time?" She asked between bites.
"Whoa! There Bones. Yeah, I guess I just like the way you are always correcting me. But you still didn't answer my question Bones. Just why are you here in my apartment?"
"I was worried about you Booth. You just disappear and you don't tell anyone where you're going or what you're doing. We're partners Booth. I thought partners shared things, but then you just disappear. Why didn't you tell me where you were going and what was happening. Don't you trust me anymore?"
"No Bones, of course I trust you. But…well…it's…sort of complicated Bones, it was a spur-of-the-moment sort of thing. A friend came to see me, he needed a favour and I owed him a favour, so I went with him. Not a lot more to say." Booth said, unable to look Brennan in the face.
"Booth I read the letter you left. You have to give me more than 'I was helping a friend'. Also you had a visitor whilst you were away 'helping your friend', Tex came to see me at the lab." Booth was now concerned, he was so surprised at finding Brennan in his apartment that he had forgotten about the letter. He tried to steer the conversation away from the letter and towards this mystery visitor.
"Bones there are always techs at the lab, that's where techs live, in a lab."
"I mean 'Tex' as in an inhabitant of the state of Texas Booth, not 'techs' as in laboratory technicians. I had a visit from Jason Morrison Booth, do you remember him?"
"Oh!" Booth was now nervously staring down at his hands, desperate to change the subject. Pizza and beer were forgotten. "But you still didn't answer my questions Bones. Why didn't you go back to Maluku and why are you here, in my apartment?"
"Alright Booth, let's stop this game were playing. If I answer your two questions will you tell me where you've been for the last two weeks and what you've been doing?"
"Yeah, OK Bones, I can do that."
"Well Booth, I am in your apartment because I found that when I was alone in my apartment I worried about you more than when I was here. I have no logical reason as to why it should be like that. I suppose being here, surrounded by all of your belongings gave me a modicum of comfort because they are a part of you. Also being here meant I would find out that you were home safe quicker than if I was at my apartment. Plus I like your apartment." Brennan admitted. "I didn't go back to Maluku because I'm your partner and as your partner I should have your back. I realise that I haven't been a very good partner recently. I was the reason you re-joined the army and went to Afghanistan and into danger. Then I should have noticed that you were less than happy with me when we returned to DC. But I didn't notice or chose not to and you decide to go off on your adventure once more putting yourself in danger. Plus I need to apologise to you, I've been less than honest with you recently. So Booth, now it's your turn."
"Why do you need to apologise and what have you lied to me about?" Booth asked frowning.
"We'll talk about that later. Now it's your turn to answer some of my questions Booth." Brennan countered.
"I really can't tell you that much, it's sort of top secret. But I can tell you that when I needed help getting from Germany back to DC after Caroline called, my pal Danny had my back. He made all the arrangements and got me back to DC pronto. I owed him for doing that. So when he got in touch and asked me for a favour I felt duty-bound to help him. All I can tell you is that I met up with Danny and together we travelled to an unnamed country, perhaps somewhere in Central or South America. I used a skill set that I excel at to solve a certain problem that Danny and his boys had been having. When they showed me the dossier of the things that their 'problem' had done I had no qualms about taking him out. Then I came home to find you squatting in my apartment!" Booth shrugged as he answered.
"Why couldn't you at least give me a call or send me a text telling me that?"
"I'm sorry Bones, I guess I wasn't thinking. I guess I thought you didn't care what I was up to. I thought you'd be more interested in getting back to your dig and your new boyfriend than what I was doing. Now it's your turn again, what have you lied to me about?" Booth said, unable to make eye contact.
"It's not that I actually lied to you Booth, it's more that I lied by omission, you made certain assumptions about me and I allowed you to continue believing them to be true, it made certain things easier for me. I have to tell you that I did a lot of thinking whilst I was on Maluku. I thought about you and about us. I came to realise just large a part you now play in my life, how much you being in my life has changed me, for the better. I missed you Booth. I think that's why I struck up a friendship with my assistant Kyle, Being friends with him meant I had less time alone and less time to worry about you. I assure you I never slept with him. We were more like sister and brother than lovers. There was never any of the sexual tension I have felt with the previous men in my life. For all I know he may be homosexual and not even interested in me in that way. "Brennan admitted.
"I made a promised to myself on Maluku, Booth. I promised to be truthful to you when we met again. But when we did meet at the Reflecting Pool that night a few weeks ago, I panicked. I was scared, I was afraid to tell you everything I had planned to tell you. Then you assumed that Kyle and I were in a sexual relationship and I chose not to correct you. I thought that a relationship with Kyle would give me the perfect opportunity to run away from you and back to the Maluku Islands. Then you disappear with your CIA friend, I get a visit from your friend Tex and then I break into your apartment and read the letter you left for me. I had to reassess everything and I now feel I need to explain everything Booth." Brennan took one of Booth's hands in both of hers and looked him directly in the eye.
"You never did anything wrong Booth. That night on the steps outside The Hoover building you didn't do anything wrong, it was me. I was scared and I panicked. You mean so much to me Booth. You are my best friend Booth, your friendship and our partnership are one of the most valuable things in my life. I love what we have together and couldn't bear the thought of losing it. You know me Booth, over the years you've seen men come into my life and I start a relationship with them, they stay for a few weeks or a couple of months, then either I drive them away because of how I am or they lose interest, either way they're not in my life for long. I couldn't afford that to happen with you Booth! I couldn't stand the pain of losing you and I can't think how I'd survive without you by my side. So I rejected your advance, I hoped that if I said no we could just revert to the being just friends and partners. I was wrong, I used the wrong scale to calculate how upset you'd be with me. I used my own measurement of what being in a sexual or as you might term it a loving relationship meant. For me sex was never important, it was a primal urge I felt from time to time and I satisfied that urge as I saw fit. You, however, are different. You talk of love and being in love and making love, this is all foreign to me. I never had any idea just how much rejecting you would affect what we had together, so in trying to protect us I actually drove a wedge between us that eventually sent us off to the opposite sides of the world and into dangerous situations. I was responsible for threatening us and what we had together even though I was trying to protect the very same thing. I guess I feared the pain that our separation would cause me, but I caused it to happen anyway and I had to endure the pain regardless."
"I was a fool Booth! I should have said 'yes' that night outside The Hoover. I should have told you all this when we met up a few weeks back. I made a mistake Booth, but if you still want to take our relationship to the next level, I have to tell you: I'm in! I'd rather us try and fail and have to deal with the consequences rather than never try and never know. So what do you say Booth?"
"Are you sure Bones? What about your dig? You said you were committed to going back and completing the full year you signed up for.
"Another thing I failed to tell you Booth. The dig has been nothing but an abject failure, we have yet to make a single significant discovery that would support our theory of Homo Floresiensis. I believe the dig sponsors will soon get frustrated at the lack of positive results and look to withdraw funding. Plus I'm sure Kyle has more than adequately deputized for me during my absence, and I know he'll be more than able to continue to do so for the rest of the duration of the dig. Are you trying to get rid of me already? Does this mean you are getting tired of me being around already Booth? Are you going to give me the old heave up?" Brennan said with a coy smile on her face.
"Whoa! Wait! What? No Bones, no. It's ho! Bones, it's heave ho!, not heave up. And no I'm not trying to get rid of you. What about rules Bones. If we are going to do this need to tell you I'm all in, but it has to be a monogamous relationship, just me and you Bones."
"Yes. You are not permitted to die and you are not allowed to go into any dangerous situations unless I am with you so I can have your back and protect you."
"OK Bones, here's what we're going to do in the very near future. You and me are going shopping. I'm going to buy you an engagement ring…"
"Booth! You know my views on marriage…."She interrupted. "And it's not 'you and me' it's 'you and I.'"
"Hear me out Bones! We are going shopping for an engagement ring, when we find the right one I'll buy it and give it to you. You will keep it somewhere very safe. If at any point in the future you find you've changed your mind on the whole marriage and children thing, you give me the ring back and I will then do the whole full-blown proposal thing, get down on one knee, ask your father for permission, the whole nine yards. If you never change your mind we can pass the ring down to one of our kids, as sort of our first family heirloom. The alternative is that I ask you each and every day, from now until we are both old and grey, if today is the day when you finally accept my marriage proposal. I need you to understand that even if I am not proposing or talking of marriage it's out of courtesy to your wishes and not because I don't want to marry you anymore."
"I find your proposal…not that proposal, the proposal to buy a ring proposal acceptable Booth."
"So we're really going to do this Bones?" Booth asked, flashing his 'charm' smile at her.
"It would appear so Booth. One last confession Booth, do you recall, all those years ago, you agreed to donate your sperm in order for me to become pregnant and have a child?"
"Of course I do Bones, why?"
"Well, I was just thinking that I would still like to have your child Booth, but now we can perhaps use Angela's preferred method of 'getting into bed together getting naked and getting all sweaty' method of conception rather an artificial insemination. What do you say Booth?"
"I say, who are you and what have you done with my Bones?" Booth said grinning and gathering her up in what was definitely not a 'guy hug'.
It was three months later, the gang were all gathered in The Rose Garden at The White House for Booth's medal presentation ceremony. He was dressed in his number one Ranger uniform, Danny Beck was in attendance along with Tex Morrison, Sam Cullen, Caroline Julien, Parker and Rebecca were there, of course. Booth did his very best to play down the event but anyone who knew him could see just how proud he was.
"So Booth, a good day uh?" Said Brennan. "I don't suppose it gets much better than this."
"No Bones, it'll be a long while before something happens to top this." Said Booth.
"I'm pregnant." She stretched up and whispered into his ear, smiling. Booth's day had indeed got much, much better. The gang were all startled when Booth suddenly gave Brennan a 'guy hug', lifted her off her feet, spinning her around and they both began laughing.