Sabbaticals - 24 days left
Brennan had been awake most of the night, checking often for word from Rebecca. As her Monday morning began, she knew it was Sunday evening in DC - so she wasn't expecting much in the way of news for most of the day. Mary insisted on taking her to eat some breakfast, and she was able to get down a couple of eggs and some toast. She could see that Brennan was severely sleep deprived, so she walked her back to her unit and told her she needed to get some sleep. "It's overnight in DC now, so Rebecca should be sleeping. You know there won't be any news until people start to wake up there - and that's hours away." Brennan finally admitted that Mary was right, and she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
She woke up at 3:00 that afternoon and jumped from the bed to check her laptop for news. She sat down and pulled up her inbox. Her stomach lurched. There was an email from a military address, but it wasn't Booth's. The subject was "Sergeant Major Seeley Booth". For a few seconds, she thought she might pass out. She grabbed the edge of her desk and tried to control her breathing. "No. No. No. No. No." As she sat there staring at his name, she didn't think she had the courage to click it open. Once she did, if it said what she feared, it would be all over. The hope would be gone.
She just sat and stared at it for several minutes. Finally, she began giving herself a pep talk. 'You're strong. You can open it. It's either good news or bad news. The longer you sit here fearing the worst, the more difficult it will be to act.' She finally moved her hand to the mouse and hovered over the link. She took a deep breath and clicked.
She quickly read the first line:
"Sergeant Major Booth requested that I email you to inform you that he should be returning to the base later this afternoon. He knew you would be worried…"
That was as far as she got before she put her hands over her face and started sobbing. She couldn't catch her breath and slipped off her chair down to the floor. She pulled her legs up and buried her face in her knees, her body rocking, as she tried to pull herself together. When she felt herself beginning to regain control, relief spread through her entire body. She finally got back up and sat down to read the rest of the email.
It said that the team had gone out on a two day mission, but it had unexpectedly stretched to three days. As they were packing up to leave, word came down that the entire region was about to be hit with a very large and destructive sandstorm. They connected with another team out in the same area, and found a homestead where they could ride out the storm. Before they could transmit their location, the storm wiped out their ability to communicate.
The camp had also taken a direct hit from the storm, so once it was over, they had a lot of damage to buildings and vehicles to address. They had to assume that the soldiers knew what to do to protect themselves, so they waited until communications started to come back online. After 48 hours with no contact, teams were dispatched to search for them. During the search on Sunday, they finally made contact and reached the soldiers just before nightfall.
The stranded teams had been working to repair their vehicles damaged by the tremendous amount of sand that had enveloped them. The additional soldiers from the rescue crew were able to assist with the repairs, and they all planned to head toward the base at first light. They were expected to reach the base in the late afternoon.
The stranded soldiers knew that their loved ones would be worried, so they each provided the email address of one person to contact. They told the email recipients that they should hear from their soldiers by the end of the day.
Brennan had never felt such relief. Just the thought of seeing his face again a few hours from now filled her with joy. She quickly emailed Rebecca, and then got up to jump in the shower. It felt like a cleansing of both her body and her soul, and she felt great as she toweled herself off. After dressing, she headed out to find Mary to share the good news.
Mary was thrilled hearing the news, and Brennan told her that she needed to get back to work now that the worry was over. Mary suggested that she work the rest of the day in her quarters so she would be next to her laptop when he called. There was a lot of paperwork that needed to be processed for the closing of the camp, so she grabbed the box and took it back to her cabin.
Just before 9:00, she heard the tone that indicated an incoming call. It was him. She clicked on the button and tears came to her eyes when his face appeared on the screen. "Oh Booth." There was so much more she wanted to say, but nothing would come out. He looked horrible. Dirt and dust and scratches all over his face. A full beard - she had never seen him in a beard. And he looked incredibly tired.
"I'm so sorry Bones. I'm sure you were worried, but there was just no way to get a message out to anyone." She finally found her voice. "Don't be ridiculous Booth. You have nothing to apologize for. You're the one who has been stranded in a dust storm. The last five days have been horrible. But the minute I read the email from your boss, I was fine. The relief was overwhelming, and I haven't been able to stop smiling all day." That made him smile, and a look of concern came over her face. "Are you really okay Booth? You look like you've been through a lot."
He ran his hand over the top of his head. "Yeah. It's been a pretty intense few days. But I have to hang up the call. I badly need a shower and a shave. And then the medical team will be checking us out to make sure there aren't any lasting issues from all the sand we dealt with. And there will be debriefings. And I need to crash in my bed and sleep. Is it okay if I call you back tomorrow?"
"Of course Booth. You go take care of everything you need to. And then get a good night's sleep. I assume you haven't seen a real bed in a number of days." He chuckled. "No. It was mostly grabbing a couple of hours at a time, sitting on the ground and leaning against a wall." She looked sad. "You poor thing. You go do what you need to do. I love you so much." "I love you too Bones. I thought about you all the time I was out there. I'll call you at our usual time tomorrow? 11:00 your time?" She smiled. "I'll be waiting."
That night, she had the first full night's sleep since the whole ordeal had begun. She woke up refreshed and ready to catch up with everything that had been languishing over the last week. She and Mary worked together until early evening, and they felt like the wind-up of the expedition was now back on track. They would be leaving the camp in 2 1/2 weeks, and their checklist was now on schedule.
Sabbaticals - 23 days left
At 11:00, she was sitting at her desk waiting for his call. The tone for the incoming call always brought her comfort, but never as much as it did this day. When his face came on the screen, it was her Booth again. She gave him a big smile. "You look like yourself again. How are you feeling?" He laughed and stroked his chin. "You didn't like the beard? I thought you'd think it was sexy." He had a twinkle in his eye, and she felt her body relax because she could see that he was okay. "Booth. You're always sexy. Clean shaven. Stubble - which is my favorite Booth, by the way. Or with a beard. It's all sexy. Well - please don't ever grow one of those long ones like Angela's father has. I might have to break up with you."
He laughed uproariously. "Oh God Bones. I missed you. I was so worried about you and what you might be thinking. We're SO close! I promise never to worry you again. Oh, wait! I almost forgot!" He grabbed the small piece of paper and held it up to the camera. "23" Brennan felt the tears starting to form. "Just over three weeks. You were right Booth. Just a blip." He smiled back at her. "I hadn't thought of this before, but think about it. 'Blip' has four letters - four months. We're halfway through the 'p'." Brennan laughed, and all he could think of was how happy she looked.
They spent the call talking about what each of them experienced over the five days. Booth told her how they tried as much as possible to protect their trucks before the storm hit. But it was futile, and they had to practically tear the trucks all the way down into individual pieces to remove the dust from each piece, and then put it back together so it could operate. She told him that she talked to God - and he almost fell off his chair. She explained how it all came about, but they decided they would have a more fulsome discussion on the subject when they were back home.
After emailing Rebecca, Booth had initiated a short video call with Parker that morning before he went off to school. He kept the discussion light, and told him that they had run into a sandstorm and couldn't get back to the base in time for his Saturday call. He knew he would never tell him the extent of the ordeal, and the worry for everyone. But when they were home, he planned to tell him tales of being stranded in a sandstorm and how they had to take the vehicles apart. "I think that's smart Booth. Turn it into a tale of adventure."
They decided to forgo the Wednesday call and would get back on schedule on Saturday. Booth looked through the screen into the eyes he adored. "I love you so much Temperance. I can't believe that in a few short weeks we'll finally begin our forever. I'm so excited to live with you. Christmas was like a vacation/honeymoon. This will be actually living together. I hope we don't argue over who left the top off the toothpaste."
She laughed. "Oh, I have no doubt that we will argue over a whole host of things. We wouldn't be 'us' if we didn't. But it won't be over toothpaste, because I always buy the one with the flip top!" Booth chuckled. "Oh Bones. I'm going to learn about all the advantages of living with a genius."
As they ended the call, she put her fingertips on the screen. "I love you Seeley." He placed his fingertips to match up with hers. "I love you Temperance."
Sabbaticals - 5 days left
It was Saturday night, and they would be meeting in the airport in Paris on Thursday. It had been a busy week for both of them. Brennan needed to be up early on Sunday, so they held this last video call five hours earlier than usual. She had spent the day with Mary finishing up the last of the items on their checklist to close the camp. All of the furniture and equipment had been put into one of the cabins, all sorted into groups. On Monday, one of their local day workers was in charge of meeting the shipping people to have everything sent out. The majority of the furniture and equipment was going to Gambia, where a new dig was about to begin. A few pieces of equipment would be shipped to Mary in London, and a few others to Brennan in DC.
They had a party on Friday night for the people currently in the camp, the day workers from the local village, and a few past workers who flew in for the celebration. All of their workers had begun their journeys home on Saturday, and only Mary and Brennan remained. The only furniture they retained were their two beds. They both had their suitcases sitting on their floors waiting to be closed up Sunday morning, when a driver was to pick them up to transport them to the airport.
Since Booth would not be able to make it to Paris until Thursday, Brennan decided to fly to London with Mary. This would allow her to meet Mary's husband, Nigel, and get a tour of Mary's office at the University. They would be arriving in London on Tuesday, so it would help her with the jet lag before flying to Paris on Thursday.
Booth had also had a bit of a going away party Friday night. Beers around the fire that night with soldiers he had been serving with - it was the typical send off for fellow soldiers heading home. He had a quiet weekend and moved around the camp spending time with some of the soldiers he had become close with. They were all happy for him returning home to his son and the woman he loved. Since returning after Christmas, he had taken a lot of ribbing over how happy he was, and how he couldn't keep a smile off his face. He had shared photos of himself with Brennan to those closest to him, and they all remarked what a handsome couple they made.
The only things he had to do over the weekend were to complete his discharge papers and finish writing reports about the training he had been tasked with. On Monday, he would have his final physicals and an exit interview with the base psychologist. He also had meetings with his superiors who had supervised the training he conducted. His official separation would be on Tuesday, and then he would be looking for transport to Germany. He knew there would be a flight either Tuesday or Wednesday, and he would stay on the base until leaving for the airport for his flight to Paris on Thursday morning.
The last video call opened with both of them sporting large grins. He held up the paper that said "5", and then slowly crumpled it. They both laughed and Brennan slowly shook her head. "You know Booth. The number means nothing now. This is the last video call - I hope, ever. I'm leaving this camp tomorrow morning, and it will be the first leg on my way to you." He held up the crumbled paper and smiled. "Why do you think I did this? The number has no more meaning." She put her head down on her pillow and cradled it. "You know, my flight to London will take me so close to you as we pass over the Persian Gulf." He chuckled. "Wave to me as you fly by."
Because they would be together in just a few short days, they didn't have as much as usual to talk about on the call. Booth brought up Paris. "I'm looking forward to exploring the city with you on Friday. I checked the weather forecasts, and it looks like the weather is going to cooperate. I hope it also cooperates so we can spend time on the beach in Rehoboth."
The week after Booth's return from the sandstorm, they found out that Parker would be out of town for his grandparents' 40th Anniversary the weekend after they returned. He would be staying with them on the Saturday and Sunday when they arrived home from Paris, and they would be at his baseball games on Monday and Wednesday that next week. Rebecca, Brent, and Parker would be leaving town on Friday for the anniversary weekend.
Booth suggested that they go away that following weekend since Parker would be out of town. It was just before returning to work, and he thought they needed to get away and just sit on a beach somewhere for a few days before jumping back into murder and mayhem. Booth had thoughts about their return to work. "The murder and mayhem will be easier to deal with now that we no longer have that mad sexual tension between us." Brennan laughed, and she had a twinkle in her eye. "Yes, but will I have the will power to resist pinching your butt every time you leave my office?"
Booth pretended to be aghast. "Bones! I thought it was you who would have to keep me in line. Have I had that bad of an influence on you?" She laughed again. "No. I'm quite sure that I will be the enforcer, making sure we are always professional on the job. But I think maybe a quick kiss goodbye wouldn't be breaking the rules." She gave him a smirk. "Or maybe a longer one if we are at my desk where no one can see us."
Booth's eyes sparkled. "And, when I'm driving you to the lab, I can park at the far end of the parking lot so we can have a little make out session. That way we will be satisfied with a quick kiss when I drive you to the door. Plus…" He gave her a wink. "You can kiss me at the red lights. I'll be looking to stop at as many red lights as possible."
That made them both laugh. This last video call had been the most joyous of their time together as a couple. They had never laughed and smiled this much through the whole call. It had taken them seven years to get together, but these last nine months, at times felt longer than the seven years. But they had persevered. There were times when he was down, and she picked him up. Times when she wasn't sure if they could sustain this relationship - not only through the separation, but when they got home to the real world. And, every time, he managed to show her why she was overthinking it. They often reminded each other of why they had fallen in love, and now that they were about to test the "real world", they were solid.
As they were about to finish the call, she looked deeply into his eyes. "Five days, Booth." He nodded. "Five days, Bones. I love you so much. And I'm going to spend the rest of my life showing you, every day, how much." She started to tear up. "I promise the same, Booth. The same." He pointed at her face. "Hey! No crying!" She smiled at him. "No crying."