3Chapter 2: Chapter 2
So here is chapter two, I'm not making any changes to the story just reposting in hope of some inspiration, (any ideas how to continue this are welcome and much appreciated!)
Temperance Brennan sat with a freshly poured glass of wine, a look of utter concentration creasing her brow as she read a new and fascinating article in her anthropology journal. She reached her slender arm towards her neck, rubbing out the knots of tension caused by a long and stressful day at the office. Looking towards the clock on her wall and noticing how much time had passed, she contemplated finishing off her glass of wine and heading to bed for what was probably to be another restless sleep, with the faces of the victims she had given names and faces back to. Sometimes she thought they were laid to rest to taint her dreams.
A very hesitant rapping against her door interrupted her thoughts. Her eyebrows rose in surprise; she did recognise the familiar knock she often heard from a frequent late night visitor who usually held a bag of Thai food, a charming smile and a comforting shoulder to lean on in difficult times.
As she approached the door she remembered his constant reprimanding of her lack of care when not checking the peephole to assess if it was safe to answer the door. For once she took his advice. Well it wasn't as if he was here to give her that smug knowing smile of his that said 'oh so now your listening to me!'
What she saw was a very unfamiliar sight. The aforementioned Seeley Booth stood, hands in pockets, head bowed and a slight tremble to his shoulders. It was at that very moment that her heart settled in her shoes, shattering, as a sense of dread filled the gap where her heart rested several seconds ago. Releasing a shaky breath she didn't know she was holding, she lifted her hand towards the handle, drawing up all the strength she knew she would need, for whatever it was that she didn't know. All she knew was that that night would be a role reversal, nothing like the nights spent with Thai food. She would need to be the shoulder to lean on tonight, question was, would she be strong enough to bare the weight on his shoulders?
As she slowly opened the door, all she saw was his back retreating. She must have spent so much time drawing strength, that he had either lost his nerve or presumed she was safely tucked into bed, like the rest of her neighbours.
"Booth?"
She saw the tension in his shoulders increase tenfold. It was that alone that scared her more than the idea of being the comforter tonight, unsure if she would be able to tell him what he wanted to hear, or spout off some anthropological dialogue which would offend him and have him running for the door.
It took him several minutes of silence before he seemed able to compose himself and turn around. Still his shoulders were slumped, head bowed and the tension in his posture had only slightly reduced. Unsure as to whether he was waiting for her to say something – anything – she felt it best to remain silent and wait for his next move.
When he lifted his head and his gaze met hers, she knew that if she was scared stiff seconds ago that was nothing compared to now. There were no words for how scared she was, because the look in his eyes held more emotion than she had ever seen in them, and she had seen a lot over the years. She wondered how his eyes could howl so many emotions whilst looking so empty.
It was then, with no word's spoken, he raised his hand, passing her a simple sheet of paper, one that held his life in its words, held his future, his past and their hearts in its impact.
As she looked at him, she found his gaze penetrating the pieces of paper in her slender fingers. Looking at it as if she was holding his heart in her hand and a bloodied knife in the other.
Her hands trembled with a sense of foreboding as she reached to grasp his quivering hand in hers. She was unsure as to whether she held his hand to offer him strength or just because she needed to feel him there with her as she read the letter in her hands. Or maybe she was using it as a lifeline, because she had only recently admitted it to herself, he was her life.
It was then, as she unfolded the paper that she instantly recognised the letter, its letterhead identical to that which Zack had shown her before he… left.
The heart that still lay at her feet, now swirled it's shattered pieces in the air, bringing tears to her eyes and an identical slump to her shoulder, that she had minutes ago seen in her partner.
That is exactly what they were, partners to the end, in everything. When he hurt so did she and when he had to make a life altering choice… so did she.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it.