(Untitled)

[dr_temperance]

Booth is still recovering (bullet wounds to the chest require a high degree of recuperative time, especially when the patient insists in interrupting the healing process to apprehend a fugitive). But aside from that, life is getting back to normal for Brennan

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[argyle_princess]

"Hey."

They haven't really had a chance to talk in a while.

But Hannah's classes are in start-to-wind-down-for-the-break mode.

And Brennan's clearly not working on a case.

So, no time like the present, right?

[dr_temperance]

Brennan and Hannah have seen each other and talked since the event which turned out not to be Booth's funeral, of course.

But those encounters have had a rushed and busy quality to them. There's been little time for a sit-down conversation.

And there probably needs to be one.

"Hi Hannah." Brennan closes her book.

"How are you?"

[argyle_princess]

"Desperately in need of coffee, and a break from Hilary, who has Met A Boy.

"How are you?"

[dr_temperance]

"I'm good."

"Would you like to join me?" Brennan nods to the chair on the other side of the end table.

"We haven't had a chance to have coffee for a while."

Which Brennan regrets, even though it has been largely unavoidable.

[argyle_princess]

"Classes have been insane," Hannah says, taking the indicated chair.

"And, you know, there's been a lot for you, too."

Understatement.

[dr_temperance]

"Booth's act of subterfuge did result in a considerable amount of distraction," Brennan acknowledges.

She sets her book aside.

"So. How have you been?" Brennan asks carefully.

Logically, Brennan knows that she should not feel awkward talking to Hannah. But the last time that they truly talked things had been extremely out of kilter.

[argyle_princess]

"I've been good," says Hannah.

"Really looking forward to going home next week.

"How've you been?"

[dr_temperance]

"Will you get to spend time with Sam? Is he allowed to go home for Thanksgiving break?"

The military school Hannah's boyfriend has chosen seems to have very stringent rules on any number of points, but Brennan can't remember if school breaks are one of them.

[argyle_princess]

"Oh, hell, yes," says Hannah.

"It'll be really to see him when he's not looking over his shoulder for first classmen or when I'm not, well, he came up Halloween weekend. And it was really good to see him then, but it wasn't exactly, you know, a normal . . . you know."

[dr_temperance]

"Did he?" Brennan isn't sure if she had heard about that or not.

That stretch of days is, to her shame, somewhat hazy. A byproduct of extreme emotional turmoil.

"Hannah....I owe you an apology. For what happened."

[argyle_princess]

"Yeah, he got a weekend furlough. They allow them for emergencies."

Hannah blinks.

"For what? None of what happened was your fault."

[dr_temperance]

Brennan sighs, her gaze dropping to her hands in her lap before looking back at Hannah.

"I allowed myself to be overwhelmed by my own emotions. When I came to talk to you. Not that I regret coming to talk to you--you deserved to hear that news, however inaccurate it ultimately was--in person."

"But I delivered bad news and then inadvertently forced you to assume the role of caretaker. I didn't mean for that to happen. And I'm sorry."

It's Brennan's habit to regard and treat Hannah as a peer and an equal. But even taking that into consideration, she's felt very guilty for what she must have put Hannah through.

[argyle_princess]

"Brennan, you . . . you thought Agent Booth was dead. Your partner, your friend. It's okay."

It was bad for Hannah, yes. But she knows it was much, much worse for Brennan.

"You really nothing to apologize for. I'm glad I was able to help, if I was."

[dr_temperance]

Brennan tries to smile.

"I went with the intention of taking care of you. Booth is your friend as well. I know it wasn't easy for you either. But I sorely misjudged my ability to maintain my composure."

"I know that my behavior exacerbated an already difficult situation."

The smile comes more easily now.

"But you did help. A great deal."

[argyle_princess]

"Well, good.

"And please, don't worry about that. It was . . . some things you just have to react to."

Hannah shrugs lightly.

"And it's not anything you hadn't done for me."

[dr_temperance]

"That is a valid point."

At least there hadn't been a lake involved.

Brennan considers pressing the point of apologizing. Apologizing for not being the grown up. But she fears that that would be construed as condescension.

And while that's ordinarily not a major concern of Brennan's, Hannah is a friend.

"I still need to return your sweatshirt," she adds, remembering.