Bones Fanfic: Stuck In A Moment (7/27)
Title: Stuck In A Moment
Author: biba79
Disclaimer: Characters aren’t mine, they belong to Hart Hanson.
Pairings/Characters: Booth/Brennan
Rating: T
Summary: An event tests Booth and Brennan's relationship. Booth kept telling himself that it would take time, and he needed to be patient. Will they be able to get through it? Future Fic! B/B!
Word Count: 2,274
Spoiler: None
Preview Chapters: One - Two - Three - Four - Five - Six
A/N: Thanks for reading again.
Song “The Time Comes” by Nina Gordon
I wait for the day to break me
I look up to the sky
I look back on the life that graced me
When you were mine
The times comes The time comes
And then it goes and then it goes
Then it goes Then it goes away
Don't try to read the silence
Don't try to live it down
'cause I learned a thing or two about patience
And I have found And I've found
Chapter 7
Booth entered Deputy Director Sam Cullen’s office and sat down on the chair Cullen indicated for him.
“Sir, did you want to talk to me?” Booth asked nervously.
“You aren’t in trouble, Agent Booth.”
Booth’s eyes showed his relief, but he managed to cast them downward. He had been worried something else would go wrong.
“Director Cullen, what can I do for you?”
“How are you doing?”
Booth sighed, “Just hanging in there, Sir. Taking one day at a time.”
“I know how hard it is. I know that when my daughter passed, the pain was indescribable. You try to move on, and I can honestly say that it gets better,” Cullen tried to reassure him. They hadn’t talked much since Elizabeth’s passing.
“Thank you.”
“If you need to talk, let me know Booth.”
“Was that all, Sir?”
Cullen sat up straighter; it was back to business now. “Well, no. You may have heard that I’m retiring soon.”
“I heard about it, but what does that have to do with me?” Booth’s mind tried to come up with an appropriate successor to his favorite Deputy Director. He would surely miss him, even though he hardly ever saw Cullen at work. They had their ups and downs, but no one had his respect more than Cullen. Booth looked intently at the other man.
“Booth, it’s you. I need you,” Cullen informed him, waiting for his reaction.
If he had been ejected out of his chair and sent into outer space, he would have been less shocked. “Me?” he stammered. “Is this a joke?” Booth couldn’t really fathom anyone would want him to be Deputy Director right now, especially after he had turned down so many promotions in the past. “You want me to be Deputy Director?”
“Yes. You, Booth. Is that a yes, or do I need to ask someone else to take my place?” Cullen was never one to beat around the bush.
“I’m so grateful that you want me, and to be honest, I’m more than a little surprised.” Booth smiled - it seemed like he hadn’t done that in quite a while.
“I don’t want your gratitude; I want your answer, Agent Booth.” The sly old Deputy Director gave him a point of his finger for old times’ sake.
“Why me?” Booth had to ask. “I’m not fishing, I just need to know.”
“Fair enough.” Cullen folded his hands in front of him. “I thought long and hard about this, and I want you to know that I thought I was having a stroke when I kept coming up with you.”
“Gee, thanks.” Booth grinned.
“Well, I have to admit Booth, It’s hard to forget that you have turned down every offer to become Assistant Deputy Director. I feel like this would be skipping a step. But you are the perfect poster boy for truth, justice and the American way. You fight for your victims. You leave no stone unturned when seeking the truth. Who better to take my place than you? ” Cullen was waiting for a reaction.
Booth bowed his head, not letting Cullen see how his words affected him. To be in this position felt so good.
“I would think it’s time to get out of the field, but that’s your decision. I would think this couldn’t be coming at a better time in your life. So, Booth, I need your answer.”
Booth laughed, wondering why it took him until this very second to make up his mind. He wished he had Brennan to help him make the decision, but he had a feeling she would approve. If only things had been better for both of them. But he knew that this was a really good thing in his life right now.
“I guess. Okay.”
“Are you saying yes?” Cullen smiled approvingly.
“Yeah. Why not?” Booth finally agreed.
“You still have a month or so to get prepared and get used to the idea.”
“I’ll take the offer on one condition, Sir.”
“What is it?” Cullen’s gruff response covered his own emotions at the thought of how much he would miss being Deputy Director.
“Do you promise to be here in case I ever need some advice?”
“Anytime. You just have to call,” Cullen said it so quietly that Booth knew he had hit a soft spot in the old man.
Booth smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Sir.” He shook his hand proudly.
X-X-X-X-X-X
Cam took a sip of her drink while she waited for Booth to arrive. He had called her, and she was mighty curious as to why. Booth hadn’t made any efforts to keep in touch since Brennan left The Jeffersonian, at least not about anything personal. She had called him a few times, but he was never the one to initiate a visit. She hoped it was good news, God knew he could use some.
She had tried to stop mourning Elizabeth and the problems Brennan and Booth were having, but for some reason when she thought about everything that had happened to him, she always cried. She worried about him, partially out of habit, but also because she couldn’t imagine him with anyone other than Brennan. She couldn’t imagine him out there all alone. When he married Brennan, she knew he believed it would be for life.
She had wanted to reach out to Brennan so badly, but she knew she would be met with resistance because of her closeness to Booth. She loved both of them, but she had to continue to protect him. She was his best friend after Brennan, and it was her job to look out for him.
When all hell broke loose, she was determined to get to the bottom of it, to somehow make Brennan see what a big mistake she was making. They had a child together. How could they just give up?
She knew Brennan would never agree to listen to any advice she gave, so Angela volunteered to go instead. The results were quite disappointing.
Brennan claimed she felt nothing for Booth. How could that be? Cam shook her head and she thought back to when they started dating and that adoring love she saw between them. How could so much have gone so wrong? She loved Brennan as much as she did Booth, but she felt powerless to help them.
Cam wondered if she would have tried a little harder, or interfered a little more, if things would have gone differently.
She sighed, taking another sip. She couldn’t help but tear up at the thought of Booth out there all by himself.
The subject of her sadness appeared around the corner, walking towards her.
He looked… not unhappy.
“Hey, Cam. I’m sorry I’m late.”
“That’s okay. I started without you.” Cam smiled, her hand indicating her drink.
Booth settled into his seat, smiling at her almost empty glass.
“I take it I picked a good day for drinks?”
“Any work day is a good day for drinks!” Cam agreed, a little disgruntled. He was the cause of her dissatisfaction at work.
“Uh oh… are things not going so well at the Jeffersonian?” Sometimes it seemed surreal that he was no longer part of it, or part of their team. The driving force behind it was no longer driving.
“Booth, this is all your fault!”
“Whoa.” Booth gazed playfully at this watch. “Hmm, only twenty-five seconds, and you have found a way to blame me for the lab. I know old habits die hard Cam, but I’m not there anymore.” Booth grinned.
“Oh shut up!” Cam grumbled.
He laughed.
“Seriously Cam, you are not happy at all?”As far as Booth was concerned that the lab would always be a little part of him, and he of it, so he wanted the best for everyone there. He wanted it to shine; he was like the father who let the child go, knowing it was time, but always in a looking-out-for-the-baby-mode.
“It’s just not the same anymore.” Cam sighed sadly. “I think I need to leave,” she admitted. She knew pretending with Booth was useless.
“It’s that bad?”
“No… maybe… I think I just need something new… and don’t you dare tell anyone this!” Cam warned him.
“What?” Booth asked innocently.
She gave him the I’m-not-saying-a-word-till-you-swear-look.
“Okay. Okay. Scouts’ honor.”
“I kind of miss… Zack.” Cam was nearly choking on the admission.
Booth’s eyes softened. “Yeah. Strangely enough, I miss him too.”
“Yeah, and now he’s doing good, and I’m glad he’s out of the hospital and was finally able to do what he wanted with his life.”
Booth laughed. “He sure grew up on us, didn’t he?”
“Yeah, and it’s not the same there, without all of us together.”
Booth couldn’t help getting a little emotional. “The good old days!”
“Booth, why did we lose it?” Cam’s voice was regretful.
“I don’t know, I guess too much happened too fast, and somehow we all drifted apart. I think it all started when Liz…” He choked and couldn’t finish his sentence.
Cam nodded remembering the moment she heard about Liz’s death. “We won’t drift apart, will we Seeley?”
“Never, Camille,” Booth promised, knowing he would try as hard as he could.
“So, are you going to tell me why you finally called me after so long?” Cam asked curiously.
“Yeah.” Booth wasn’t ready, his nerves had been jumping like rabbits every time he so much as thought about his promotion. He decided to procrastinate and turn the conversation back to the lab. “But what about the others? Angela and Hodgins? How are they doing?” Booth hadn’t seen them in a few weeks, and he knew Hodgins was struggling a little with his absence too.
“Hodgins! I miss the days when he would yell ‘King of the lab’ for everyone to hear. He’s been so grumpy lately. It’s not the same. And Angela… well, you know how she is. She’s trying to be there for everyone by staying strong.” Cam shook her head.
Booth laughed, knowing it was exactly how he expected it to be.
“Sure, laugh all you want. You get to be alone, enjoying the peace and quiet,” she teased him.
“It’s too quiet,” Booth admitted looking down into the swirling amber liquid.
“You don’t know when you have it good,” Cam mumbled.
“No, you are right. I sure as hell don’t.”
Cam looked up, chastised. Of course he was dissatisfied with his life. His daughter was dead, and his wife had left him. What possibly could be worse than that?
He looked at her seriously, “I like the feeling of starting over. Working with no partner is very different. I miss having her there every day, but I guessed that would happen eventually. That’s not the worst right now. Work wise I’m fine, the cases… I love the cases I have now…”
“But personally?”
Booth groaned and swiped his hand over his hair. “I want what I had back so much. If I don’t get it…” He stopped himself, realizing that he would never get back what he once had. “I know nothing will ever be the same without Liz, but I want my wife back.” Booth needed to talk to someone about this, and Cam was his natural choice.
Cam reached across the table and took his hand in hers, comforting him. “I know. I wish there was something I could do for you.”
They said quietly for a few minutes reflecting on life.
“There’s something else I haven’t told anyone,” Booth admitted, knowing he needed to tell someone, even though he wished that someone was Brennan.
Cam’s ears perked up. “Goodness, you are full of news today. What else?”
“Don’t laugh… promise me, you won’t laugh?” Booth’s expression became vulnerable.
“I promise.” Cam couldn’t imagine what could possibly make her laugh right now.
“Sam Cullen wants me to replace him… sort of… it’s not like I could replace him... ”
Cam’s jaw dropped. “Could you repeat that?”
Booth rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I could, but you would hear the same thing again.”
“Booth!” Cam’s smile was wider than the sky. “That’s so amazing. How long have you known about this?”
“Not long. I think it’s taken me a while to believe it.”
“You will be a great Deputy Director.” Cam grinned as though she was responsible for his promotion.
He smiled at her enthusiasm.
“Deputy Director Booth.” Cam tried it on her lips. “That actually sounds good.”
“I don’t know,” he seemed disappointed. “I already said yes, but this doesn’t feel completely right.”
“Why would you say that?”
“Bones... she doesn’t know. I wish I could talk to her, but every time I call, she doesn’t want to talk about anything other than Cooper. I feel like I should ask her opinion on it. Everything’s changed so much, and this is one more thing that is going to change. I’m not sure if I’m ready for that.”
Cam’s eyes closed at the thought of Booth turning his back on this opportunity. “You can’t look at it like that. Maybe this is the start of something good for you. You can’t turn it down, Booth.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s just that I wish she was a part of this.”
“When do you start?” She wouldn’t let him turn this down. This was a huge opportunity for him, especially right now.
“In about a month.”
“Congratulations.” She smiled at him happily.
He smiled back as they treasured a friendship forged so long ago.
A/N: So, I thought Booth needed a friend to support his decision… or just a friend there for him. What did you guys think of Cam and Booth’s scene? More to come soon.