Re: She and Him (a matter of perspective)

by Thnx4theGum on Sun May 16, 2010 9:50 pm

105: Him

The night before they get the verdict he is projecting confidence, but inside he is worried. Not because he doesn't have faith that the Squints will knock it out of the park. He's known that they'll come through just like they always do. But Bones- Bones is coming unglued at the seams and that never makes him comfortable. For her to tell him about her nightmares and let him see how much she's hurting means that things are serious. She is supposed to be the sure one, the strong one, the one who keeps it together when everyone is falling apart.

For all of his worry, though, he is proud of how she's handled herself in the courtroom; how she stood up to Taffet and connected to the jury with just the right mix of brain and heart. He's listened to her testify a hundred times now and this time was by far her best. Nevertheless, her careful control almost slipped a few times on the stand and he wonders what that means.

The night after the verdict he is even more worried, but there's still a lot to celebrate, so he keeps smiling. Their nemesis is in jail, Max is out of jail, and Hodgins and Angela are celebrating their jailbird wedding. Brave words are bandied around because faith's easier to claim on this side of the verdict, but no one minds because once again this team has accomplished the seemingly impossible.

As the confetti is flung on their way out, Caroline mimes that it's his turn next as she follows the happy party up the street. He wonders if she'd still think so if she'd stuck around and saw what he's seeing. Because for as much as he thought Bones was losing it during the trial, she's worse now. She's agreeing with him about getting away; which isn't right. She's talking about everything changing; which scares him even more.

Because here's the crux of it: when Caroline asked if his girlfriend was okay, not for a second did he think about Catherine and right then he knew that he has failed to move on. Both he and the attorney know that he was lying through his teeth when he backtracked and claimed there's nothing between he and Bones. They both know that there has only been room enough in his heart for one woman in the last six year; even after all that they have been through.

So he embraces his feelings rather than pushing them away and allows himself to hold her, and touch her, and be that guy for her just like he's always been. And when she starts to look like she needs time and space to sort things out on her own, he holds her hand for as long as he can, and then helps her into what he swears is the same cab that drove her away from him six years ago.

He tries and fails to at least get her to promise him tomorrow. She doesn't, or can't, but their eyes stay locked together as the cab pulls away and he can still feel the connection there; however frayed. As it moves out of sight, it is now he who's feeling as if the world is shifting out from under him and he's scared he's losing her for good.

Clenching his poker chip in his fist he looks from the empty street, to the bar, and then back again. Maybe she is right. Maybe change is coming. He just prays that they come through it together, because he has tried to move on. But he can't.

***
Are you all ready for the Finale? Ready to see if She and Him will become Them once again? I'm stoked!

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by Thnx4theGum on Thu May 27, 2010 9:49 am

106: She

She is 30,000 feet in the air, but her metaphorical heart is still on the ground. A flight attendant asks if everything is to her liking and she nods, numbly, unable to form a simple sentence. Silence envelops her and she is thankful that Daisy is not in first class. Events have unfolded so quickly around her over the last several weeks and it is only now that she begins to comprehend how drastically her world has shifted.

Her eyes close and she envisions their latest victim; a man so fearful of the outside world that he hid from those who loved him, hoarded items that were- for all intents and purposes- worthless, and in the end was killed because of his fear and smothered by the very things he had clung to. She wonders how similar to him she is; if the pure science she clings to is worth what she has always believed it was.

A memory comes back, one that she has pondered several times in recent days. In it, Sully tells her that eventually she will need to get away from the violent murder and do something else with her life. She scoffed then, but now she sees the grain of truth in it; though she still sees no value in sailing around aimlessly for a year.

She is hoping that this important scientific project will afford her some relief from the grisly violence, the deception, and the stress she has become accustomed to working with the FBI; not to mention the opportunity to reassert herself as the best in her field. It will also give her time and space from Booth: something she feels she is in great need of, given the emotional turmoil that surrounds them. He has become such a large part of her life that she needs to be sure of who she is outside of their ever-deepening relationship.

When he first asked her to give “them” a try, she doubted she could love him in the manner he expected and deserved. Then came their failed attempts at dating others, and the emotionally-charged Grave Digger trial. Now, she recognizes that she has learned a great deal about how to love from him over the years, but she still needs to be certain that her affections for him are something more than ephemeral. Already the murkiness of the emotions she has been struggling with have cleared enough for her to know that while she declared a love for Hodgins at the airport, she demonstrated her love for Booth at a much deeper level.

The memory of the warmth of his hand and the firmness of his grip give her hope that in a year when the meet for coffee, they will discover that the changes that have occurred have been for the best, and that the center has not only held, but has been made stronger for it.

by Thnx4theGum on Thu May 27, 2010 9:58 pm

106: Him

He is restless. Pacing because the decision that means everything is being made and time is running out.

For the hundredth time he wonders what he is doing here and if he's doing the right thing. He thinks about Bones and how he'd much rather be teaching her about eye contact and body language than these kids. But with her decision to head up a year-long squinty expedition, he knows that his gifts and expertise will be put to best use in the Army; that he really will be saving lives.

The door in front of him is still closed so he lets his mind drift back to their last night together. Once he agreed to the Army's terms and was given his date to report, he'd split the time evenly between Parker and Bones, as well as setting a whole day aside to spend with Pops, and an evening with Jared.

The night before he left, he'd dropped Parker off and had wandered aimlessly around the city until he'd ended up at her building. Like she'd been expecting him, she'd invited him in and handed him an already-poured glass of scotch. Relaxed on the couch in her living room, they'd nursed their drinks and talked about everything and nothing.

The couch was where they'd awoken the next morning, his arm holding her close, her head resting on his shoulder, their hands fused tightly together. There was more melancholy than awkwardness as he woke her with a brush of his lips through her hair and explained that he had to get going. They were as reluctant to say goodbye as they had been to wrap the case up properly; as if by avoiding closure they could delay the inevitable.

“We should meet for coffee,” he'd suggested.

“In a year?”

“Why not? We can meet at our stand-”

“By the reflecting pool.”

“Yeah.”

With a shared smile, he'd felt her hand squeeze his tightly before releasing him and without another word, he'd turned and left.

He wishes he could leave now, but the verdict is back and his pass has been denied. As if unaffected, he salutes his superiors and walks back toward his quarters. No one notices as he slips into the shadows and disappears, and when Jared picks him up a mile down the road neither one of them says anything.

As he strides purposefully through the terminal he remembers what it felt like to see her here the last time they'd spent a year apart. His lips twitch at the memory of how hot it was watching through a camera as she beat the crap out of the Homeland Security guard. Things were so different then; they were so different.

She comes into view and he stops, watching her say goodby to all of their friends and marveling at the warmth and love in the exchanges. Her eyes pan the crowd anxiously and his ego soars. He hadn't been able to promise her today, but she is looking for him anyway.

Stepping into her line of sight, he says nothing, willing her to find him and moving forward when she does.

Eyes lock, hands connect, cautions are exchanged, and vows renewed. They will save that date fore each other.

Time is once again their enemy and this time it is his turn to release her. They walk away separately but he can't stifle the impulse to look back one last time. Apparently neither can she. He knows if he looks one second longer he will run after her and never let her go. They aren't quite ready for each other yet, though, so he turns away and starts walking.

Late that night, when he is back on base and has gotten her text that she landed safely, he goes outside and burns the last of the little Bones effigies. The last time they were apart for a year, they went from being enemies, to partners. This time, he wishes that they will eventually change from being partners into so much more.

****
That's all she wrote. For now. We'll see where all of this picks up in the Premiere! Hope you all have a great summer!
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