"The Object of My Affection" - Chapter 57
Title: Object of my Affection
Author: Shannon - shannyfish
Disclaimer: I do not own “Bones” or its characters, Fox does. This is merely for entertainment purposes only.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Booth and Brennan must struggle with not only the Grad Students trying to take Zack’s old position, but also help get through a tragic end.
Warning: Post Season Three - “Pain in the Heart”. Would take place during Season Four, probably mid to late. Warning! Do not start reading this unless you plan on reading all…like…one hundred chapters (it might be that many…might not…). This will be an epic/saga-type fic and shall include all kinds of fun plot twists. The rating of this story will most likely fluctuate, FYI.
Chapter 57 - “Do Curses Exist?”
Author’s Note: YAY! New ep tonight...okay so it was last night, but I got overwhelmed by the extended and overnight watching of the one year old niece. I was lucky I got to see the fantastically done and well directed (good job David/Booth!) ep at all! Thank God for DVRs. Otherwise college student so wouldn’t survive! Okay...or it could have been Thursday night..but I swear my niece has been practically my child since Thursday.
Trailer #1: h t t p : // www . mediafire . com / ?20w12iod0dd
Hopefully this all shows us, just remove the spaces : )
*~*~*
Medico-Legal Lab Platform
With the go ahead to open the sarcophagus, all of the lab squints were present for the opening. “Are we absolutely sure this is safe?” Cam asked. She knew that Hodgins and the grad students were really excited about opening the thing, but then Booth had even come in for this. She didn’t want any lab accidents.
“No,” Hodgins admitted quickly.
“But we won’t know until we open it,” Kelsey added.
“There are too many variables that wouldn’t show up on either your x-rays nor your scans,” Hart said. “I think it’s a pretty good sign that with the sarcophagus in the lab that we haven’t set off any alarms...yet.”
“Yet?” Booth questioned.
Cam turned to him, “This is exactly why all of this worries me.”
“Can we open it yet?” Hodgins asked getting irritated with the waiting.
“And what happens if it has some kind of acid inside, Doctor Hodgins?” Cam asked.
“I think it would have eaten through the sarcophagus by now,” Gonzalez spoke up.
“He’s right,” Hodgins told her. “As much as I hate to say that to the laughing idiot over there. And if it’s a weak enough acid to not have eaten through it, then we shouldn’t be in danger.”
“The walls of it really aren’t that thick,” Angela explained. “The hollow inside is actually a big chunk of the space.”
“I think I’m still going to step far enough back,” Cam commented and physically moved herself practically off of the platform itself, which was wear Booth was already standing.
“Maybe we’re not far enough back,” Booth commented and then noticed Angela moving as well.
Cam smiled, “If we’re not, then it’s likely wherever we move, we wouldn’t be safe anyways.”
“Good point.”
“Hodgy, maybe you should be wearing a mask...or a whole suit,” Angela called. “Wedding tomorrow. Remember? Rehearsal dinner in six hours. I’d like to have my husband in one piece, please.”
“Perhaps it would be prudent for everyone to change into safety equipment,” Cam said taking advantage of Angela’s last words. Caution was something that she was hoping for, but sometimes thought that she was the only one in the lab worried about contagions and getting killed by the remains they were working with.
“Right,” Hodgins said with a bit of sadness in his voice. He was completely ready to open it now. He’d even volunteered to be the one to open it.
*~*~*
Sweets’ Office
“You seem agitated, Agent Booth,” Sweets said wanting them to talk to him.
“I’m really not wanting to talk to you after last time,” Booth admitted. He found his own version of boycotting the psych session a good idea and possibly effective.
“Has what I said had an effect on how you proceed at work?” Sweets questioned feeling like he was doing a good job. He appreciated it when it seemed like Booth and Brennan were actually trying to implement what he’d suggested or said in their previous sessions.
“Bones is talking about not working in the field anymore,” Booth admitted. It had come up suddenly that morning during breakfast. He’d been in so much shock since he’d been trying to make sure that Parker had everything ready for his day camp that he hadn’t really said anything. What could he say anyways? No? He doubted that would stop her if she really wanted to do it. Selfishly, he’d become accustom to her company, but professionally he knew that they got much farther in cases with her in the field. Brennan spotted things in the field with people that led them towards finding the killer faster.
“I thought you were okay with that,” Brennan said looking at Booth. “You really didn’t say anything.”
“Parker was there,” Booth told her. “I didn’t think it was a good idea to be arguing about this in front of him. He’s already worried about losing you; I didn’t want to give him another thing that would make him worry more.”
“So, you’re living together currently,” Sweets said, factoring everything that had been said.
Brennan ignored Sweets’ last statement. She still hadn’t gotten a good grip on all things concerning Parker. “I don’t want to upset him, Booth.”
“I know.”
She frowned and just stared at him. “I just...I don’t want you to have to be forced to choose and possibly pick me when you should have saved the other person.”
“Which is exactly why I brought it up in our last session,” Sweets said. He was glad that they were having this conversation even if he wasn’t so much involved. He liked to think of himself in this situation of a mediator...a guide...
“Sweets doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Booth defended. “I would be able to make the decision.”
“You would let Doctor Brennan die in order to save someone else?” Sweets asked.
“No,” Booth admitted. His eyes locked with Brennan’s. He could see fear and worry. “I would make sure that I could get them both out,” Booth said.
“What if it wasn’t possible?” Sweets pressed.
“I would make it possible,” Booth challenged as he continued to stare into her blue-green eyes. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her; he’d give up his own life first.
“How would you do that, Agent Booth?”
Booth turned his eyes to Sweets finally. He glared and really felt the craving to hit him, but he kept it inside. His anger contained. “I’m an Army Ranger, Sweets.”
“You were a Ranger.”
“Once a Ranger, always a Ranger, Sweets. It’s something that you’ll never understand,” Booth told him. “I would be able to get them both out. Brennan’s not in danger. Any potential others aren’t in danger. You just like messing with us.”
Brennan turned her head to Sweets. “Is Booth right? This is just some kind of experiment?” This wouldn’t have been the first time that Sweets would have taken advantage of them in this way. She hated psychological experiments. She hated psychology. If she and Booth weren’t required by the F.B.I. to see him on a regular basis in order to stay together, they would have stopped going a long time ago.
“Do you think that it’s not something valid, Doctor Brennan?” Sweets asked.
“Enough with the questions, Sweets,” Booth told him getting up.
Brennan wasn’t sure. Was he just messing with them? “The truth.”
“What do you think logically is the truth?”
All she wanted was a straight answer. She didn’t know how that was an answer. “I miss Gordon Gordon,” she found herself saying.
Booth looked over at her a bit surprised. “I miss him too.” She seemed okay, he noted. He didn’t see fear or worry in her face any longer. “Maybe we can trade Sweets in for him.”
“I think that we should inquire and see if it’s at least possible,” Brennan agreed.
Sweets just stared at them for a moment trying to figure out what was going on before trying to stop their banter that was obviously deviating from the topic he had laid out and they were completely leaving him out of it. “Who’s Gordon Gordon?” he asked confused.
“Doctor Gordon Wyatt,” Booth explained. “F.B.I. shrink.”
“Right,” Sweets said. “I’m familiar with him.”
“Familiar?” Booth asked and then laughed. “He’s probably your boss since you’re twelve.”
“No.”
“I think he may have been more effective,” Brennan spoke up. “His techniques were more flexible.”
“I can be flexible,” Sweets defended.
*~*~*
Medico-Legal Lab Platform
The remains had been moved from the sarcophagus to the metal table on the platform and then once nothing corrosive or booby trap-like emerged from the sarcophagus, Cam had okayed them reverting back into their lab coats. There wasn’t any skin for Cam, but she’d done her swabs already. Brennan stepped up to the platform as she buttoned her lab coat. Moving to the remains, she visually examined the remains before pulling gloves from her lab coat pockets. Her grad students were present, but she wasn’t ready to address them yet. “There’s a layer of some kind of dust-like particles present,” Brennan said aloud as she ran her gloved hand along the metal table between a few bones.
It was like a fan had been whipped on, the dust started to move about becoming airborne. Brennan coughed and brought her hand up to mouth and then found herself blinking rapidly. Stepping back from the body, she found herself running into one of her grad students unintentionally. Her skin felt itchy...it felt like it was spreading...
“Doctor Brennan?” Hart exclaimed a bit taken back by Doctor Brennan colliding with her. She hadn’t meant to be in the way. When Doctor Brennan didn’t respond, she frowned. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t know,” Brennan blurted out quickly as she continued to blink. Her eyes were killing her, they felt so agitated.
“What’s wrong?” Isabel asked concerned. A moment ago Doctor Brennan had been fine.
“My eyes...and my skin...” Brennan blurted.
“Get Doctor Saroyan,” Isabel instructed Cedric quickly. She watched as he ran off and noticed that Alejandro looked a bit freaked out. She made her way around the table to Doctor Brennan. She and Kensington led Doctor Brennan away from the table and towards where the table and chair were off the side of the platform.
“Sit down,” Kensington Hart instructed. She held onto Doctor Brennan’s arm until she was safely seated.
“What happened?” Cam demanded once she was close enough.
“We don’t know,” Isabel informed her.
Cam pushed past the grad students and knelt down, so that she could examine Doctor Brennan. “What’s going on, Doctor Brennan?”
“It itches,” Brennan explained trying not to itch at her skin or her eyes.
“Let’s get you into a shower,” Cam told her. She looked up at the grad students, “Where did this happen?”
“She was just examining the remains from the sarcophagus,” Hart explained quickly.
“Stay off of the platform,” Cam instructed them and helped Brennan up and towards the showers on the premises in case there was any contagion. She wasn’t sure what it was, but it seemed like the best way to get it off.
*~*~*
Angela’s Domain
“Do you know how Brennan is?” Angela asked when Booth entered her office. Hodgins had informed her that there was some kind of problem and that Cam was taking care of it, but no helpful specifics.
“What?” Booth asked confused.
“Brennan. She started to get all crazy itchy after touching the bones,” Angela explained. “No one told you this?”
“No. Is she okay?”
“I guess so. Hodgins said that Cam took her to the decontamination showers and ordered the grad students to stay off the platform. As far as I know Cam’s looking her over.” Angela approached him. “So, why are you here?” It wasn’t normal that Booth enter her office without Brennan. Of course, he could have been looking for Brennan, but he seemed like he wanted something else.
“I wanted to talk to you,” Booth told her.
“About?”
“Bones.”
“What about Brennan?”
Booth sighed; Angela’s eyes were all sparkly with happiness. Sometimes he hated when Angela got like that, that only meant that she’d be in a very bouncing mood and full of information. Angela was like that, she loved information, but she also loved trying to push people together. “Has she talked to you today? Or anything about Sweets?”
“No.” She crossed her arms over her chest and watched him. “What about Sweets?”
“He’s causing trouble,” Booth explained. “He’s trying to convince Bones that we can’t work together because it’s going to make me more protective of her. Somehow he sees it as one day it’s going to come down to me having to save someone and her and it’s going to lead to people dying...”
Angela frowned. “Maybe he’s just trying to push you guys.”
“I don’t know, but he’s got Bones talking about staying in the lab again. The way things were before.”
“Really?” Angela asked amazed. There were times where she hated Brennan being in the field, but she knew that Brennan loved it. Brennan was alive in a different way when she was in the field and she’d grown working with Booth. Brennan wasn’t the same person anymore and Angela doubted that she could revert to her prior self.
“Yeah, it’s scarring the crap out of me,” Booth admitted. “I mean, it’s not like Bones. I didn’t allow anyone to go off to Iraq...though she does have to pick a grad student to become her new assistant, so maybe it’s practically the same thing to her. I don’t know why she’s wanting to suddenly decide she’ll stay in the lab.”
“No matter what Sweets says, I’m always going to care about her. I’m always going to be there to save her and protect her. I’d give my life to save hers and that will never change...it never has...”
“Well, maybe she thinks it’s the best choice,” Angela said. “Maybe she’s afraid that you may lose your job or something...”
“Why would she think that?”
“She’s Brennan, Sweetie... Be lucky you can understand her.”
*~*~*
Medico-Legal Lab Platform - Jeffersonian
The grad students were gathered at the base of the platform with Angela and Booth as they waited for Hodgins, dawned in all of his environmental suit glory, to figure out what had attacked Doctor Brennan and then call the all clear. Until the platform could be deemed safe the grad students had nothing to work on...unless they wanted to work in Limbo. Currently, Limbo was at the bottom of their lists. It seemed like mass busy work, though they all knew that it was important as well.
“Hodgins, remember we need to leave in an hour in order to make our wedding dinner rehearsal,” Angela reminded as she stood with her hands on her hips.
“I’ll get it cleared in plenty of time, Ang,” Hodgins said as he worked. “Why don’t you take Booth and check on Brennan. I’ll keep an eye on the kids.”
Angela knew that he was only trying to distract her, but she figured she’d go with it. After all, she needed to know if her maid of honor was going to be okay for the next day’s festivities. She turned and started walking with Booth and then stopped when she noticed Sweets. “Go on ahead; I need to have a word with Sweets.” Angela noticed the smirk on Booth’s face before he left. She headed to meet up with him. Tomorrow she was getting married and she didn’t want Brennan freaking out and acting completely crazy when nothing that Sweets said was important. Booth and Brennan loved each other and nothing would change anything. Sweets needed to stop poking their buttons.
“What happened?” Sweets asked as he motioned to the platform.
“Some contagion.”
“Is it dangerous? Shouldn’t we have masks?”
Angela rolled her eyes. “If it was that long, then the Jeffersonian would be on lockdown. You wouldn’t have been able to get in here.”
“Right.”
“Why are you trying to ruin my wedding?” Angela asked giving him a glare and then crossing her arms over her chest.
“What?”
Sweets was obviously clueless. No wonder Booth teased him that he was twelve. “You’re ruining my wedding by upsetting my maid of honor and Hodgins’ best man by telling them lies.”
“I wasn’t lying,” Sweets tried to defend. “It’s been proven that those in law enforcement that have close romantic relationships often put others in danger because they’re too busy trying to protect the other.”
“I don’t care. Brennan and Booth aren’t just people from some study. They’re real and their track record seems to speak for itself. I don’t know why you’d want to break that up. The only other F.B.I. agent that Brennan’s ever worked with was Sully.”
“Sully?”
“Yeah...he was before your time. Special Agent Tim Sullivan. He and Booth were friends. He dated Brennan, wanted her to sail away with him and live on his ship for a year...” Angela told him. “I’d like to see you try to get Brennan to go out into the field with another non-Booth F.B.I. agent.”
“So, you’re saying that it’s Booth and Brennan or just Booth?” Sweets asked her.
“Brennan’s freaking Booth out about being in the lab again,” Angela told him. “And if she ends up back here full time I can guarantee you that Brennan will either go stir crazy or she’ll fall back into her old ways. Being in the field and being with Booth has really helped her. You can’t do that to her...or Booth. It’s not fair. I would think that would qualify under the ‘do not harm’ part of the oath.”
*~*~*
TBC...