Hound and Hare (Complete)

This is a fanfic I have posted a couple other places. I am going to try posting it here in completed form as it probably won't have much value after Season 6 starts.....

I think it is rated 'T' (PG13 Equivalent)


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(Chapter 1)


Day 1 Link to Jeffersonian
Dr. Brennan’s Hotel Room
Maluku Islands, Indonesia



Temperance sat at the desk in her hotel room, booting up her laptop computer and fidgeting some while she waited. She leaned over a bit and looked at her reflection in the full-length mirror to make sure she hadn’t missed something. The people at the other end were not strangers she had to impress, but they hadn’t seen each other in about six months.

The laptop finished its boot cycle and Temperance double clicked the great big ‘VTC’ icon on the computer’s desktop. She scrolled through the listing of available connections and selected the one she needed... ...a few seconds later the image popped up on to her screen with a title in the corner that read:

Video Tele Conference with Jeffersonian Laboratory

“Hello Dr. Brennan. It’s good to see you again.” said Dr. Saroyan.
“Hello Dr. Brennan.” said Clark Edison, one of the interns.
“Hello Dr. Brennan.” said Vincent Nigel-Murray, another intern.
“Hello Dr. Brennan.” said Colin Fisher, also an intern.

Temperance leaned forward towards the screen and spoke with deliberation and obvious delight: “Greetings and salutations to you all! It is very good to see you again! I particularly want to extend my thanks to Dr. Saroyan for allowing me to take part in your casework by VTC like this.”

Dr. Saroyan spoke up “Dr. Brennan, I hope you know you are always welcome to take part in anything we do. We miss you a lot!”

A small tear formed in Temperance’s eye as she replied “Thank you very much, I also miss everyone there.”

Dr. Saroyan added “Dr. Brennan, you’ve been gone for almost six months, why did you suddenly ask now to join in with our case work? I must admit I was a bit surprised to see your request since we hadn’t heard from or seen you for quite awhile.”

“Dr. Saroyan, the workload at the dig required my utmost concentration for many months. We are now at the point where the level of effort required has reduced and I can divert some of my attention to other efforts.”

“Very good, Dr. Brennan” replied Dr. Saroyan. “We will gather up some of the evidence data files on a current case and forward those to you for your review. Let’s plan on getting together every day at this time. Is that good for you, Dr. Brennan”

“Yes, that would be agreeable” she replied.”

Dr. Saroyan added “Dr. Brennan, before you hang up, connect to my office machine so I can spend a couple more minutes with you!”

“Yes, Dr. Saroyan... Goodbye Mr. Edison, Mr. Fisher, Mr. Nigel-Murray.”

Temperance clicked on the connection button again and a few seconds later she had...

Video Tele Conference with Dr. Camille Saroyan

“Dr. Saroyan, are you there? Dr. Saroyan? Dr. Saroyan?”

“Yes, Dr. Brennan, I’m here!” Dr. Saroyan said as her face suddenly filled the screen.

She continued “Brennan, haven’t seen you or heard from you in six months! You know I don’t buy that whole spiel you gave about ‘utmost concentration’ and ‘level of effort.’ Why now, really?”

“Cam, can we talk about that later? I would rather not engage in that conversation at the moment.”

“Sure.”

“Cam, I have to go now. It is so good to talk with you again! Goodbye!”

“Til tomorrow, Brennan!”

Temperance scrolled back through her VTC listing and double-clicked another entry which gave her:

Video Tele Conference with Angela Montenegro at Maison du Hodgins

“Angie, are you there? Angie? Angie?”

“Yup, Bren, I’m here!” Angela said as as she bent towards the screen. “It’s really you!” she squealed.

She continued “Bren, I should be so angry at you - haven’t seen you or heard from you in six months! Me, your best friend! How could you treat me like that! ...never mind, I’m just so glad to see you again!”

“Angie, I do owe you an apology. I did not mean to hurt your feelings. You are my best friend and I would never want to endanger that friendship. I needed to spend some time alone in thought and contemplation here. I didn’t want to be inundated by external issues. I do not even have a telephone or an email address.”

“Bren, don’t worry, we’re good! I just have missed talking with you so much!

“Angie, I would like to make our discussions more regular. May we schedule these VTC chats daily?”

“Bren, that would be great! I have so much I want to tell and so much I want to hear!”

“Angie, I have to go now. Goodbye!”

“Take care, Bren!”

Temperance closed the VTC program and then turned off the laptop. She shut the machine, leaned forward so that her head rested on the computer and cried for several minutes.



(Chapter 2)


One Week Before Link to Jeffersonian
Hotel Restaurant (Monday Dinner)
Maluku Islands, Indonesia


Temperance walked in to the hotel’s restaurant for her evening meal. She had spent a lot of time skipping meals and staying in her room, however, recently she had been having recurring dreams of Booth telling her “Eat, eat. You have to keep your health up.”

She took that as a sign that perhaps she was not maintaining her nutrition properly so had begun occasionally indulging in a large (for her) meal in the evening. Booth probably wouldn’t have considered such a meal anything but an appetizer, however, it was satisfying for her. She had a favorite table over in a secluded area so that she could eat without being disturbed. The maitre d had just waved her in, indicating the table was open, and she was walking slowly towards it when she was addressed by someone nearby.

“Dr. Brennan! Dr. Brennan!” hailed a young woman sitting at one of the tables. There were two older people, a man and a woman sitting with her. They appeared to be somewhere in their 60’s but Temperance wasn’t sure.

Temperance recognized the young woman as one of the college student assistants that had been helping with the dig for the past six months - Deirdre Symington, by name. Prior to meeting Booth, Temperance probably wouldn’t have remembered her name, she didn’t really pay attention to such things. He impressed upon her the importance of doing this, particularly for those people lower in the pecking order. She had already seen the beneficial results in the extra effort she received when making special requests. “Thanks again, Booth” she thought.

Temperance moved to their table while asking “Ms. Symington, how are you doing this evening?”

The nonverbal response to that name recognition surprised Temperance. The young lady sat a little taller in her chair and her eyes began to tear up a bit that the famous Dr. Brennan knew who she was. Both of the older people shown with obvious pride and Temperance noticed the lady gently touched the man’s arm.

“Dr. Brennan, I’m doing very well this evening. I would like to introduce my parents, Henry and Diane Symington.”

“I am so pleased to meet you Mrs. Symington” Temperance said while bowing and shaking her hand, then repeated it with Mr. Symington.

“Dr. Brennan, it is our honor to meet you.” said Mr. Symington. “All three of us are big fans of your books. In fact, it was reading them that led Deirdre to follow on your path and into anthropology as a career field.”

“Those are the sweetest words any author could hear, Mr. Symington.” Temperance said with a sparkling smile.

She queried “Have you been here for the entire six months with Ms. Symington or is this a special visit?”

Diane Symington replied “No we haven’t. We came out to be with her for the last week and then fly home together at the end of the week.”

“What a wonderful thing to do! You must be quite proud of her for being chosen to take part in a trip like this with possible historical significance.” said Temperance.

“We are indeed, but actually we are more proud that she had a chance to meet and work with you.” said Deirdre’s mother.

“You embarrass me, Mrs. Symington.”

“I don’t intend to Dr. Brennan, but I sincerely mean that I can’t imagine any other person in this career field whom I would be comfortable entrusting with my daughter’s safety on a trip like this.”

“I am humbled by your confidence in me, Mrs. Symington.”

“Given that Deirdre’s part is almost complete, I would say that confidence was well placed.” said Mr. Symington. “Thank you for taking such good care of our daughter.”

“Thank you, sir.” Temperance smiled.

Diane Symington added “Well, I know you came in for dinner, so we don’t want to hold you. I just want to repeat my husband’s thanks for taking care of our daughter.”

Temperance started to make an exit, then stopped and asked “Would it be an imposition for me to take my dinner here at your table? Perhaps if you have some questions about any of my books, I would be glad to answer them.”

All three Symingtons broke out with large smiles.

“That would be wonderful, Dr. Brennan.” Diane Symington replied.

Temperance seated herself at the table, turned to Deirdre Symington and started with “Your father mentioned that you became interested in anthropology after reading my books. What interests did you have before that?”

“I was pretty typical, interested in boys, music, and a good time, but I was a rather poor student, didn’t do at all well with my grades.”

Mr. Symington added “I think a lot of that was because she didn’t have any real interest in school and didn’t feel enough of a challenge from what the school offered.”

Diane Symington said “Yes, adding to what Hound said, it was obvious she didn’t feel there was much for her to do then. Once she began following your books it was a 180 degree turn - she started studying and applying herself then maxed out her grades and stayed there.”

Mr. Symington continued “Hare has it right, we were taken by surprise, granted joyful surprise, but once she started she never looked back and we are so proud of her that she earned the right to be on this expedition.”

Deirdre sat quietly, embarrassed a bit and thrilled a bit, to hear her parents’ praise.

Temperance spoke with a bit of a choke “Thank you both very much for those kind words. It makes all the hours spent writing them more than worth it to have had that kind of impact on someone’s life.” She stopped for a minute to gather herself then added “Did I misunderstand what you each said? Mrs. Symington you called him Hound and, you called her Hare?”

Mr. Symington replied “Oh yes, sorry. Those are nicknames we have had for each other since our early dating days. We have used them so often for so long that we don’t even think about it.”

Temperance inquired “May I ask the connotation of such nicknames?”

Diane Symington said “Our relationship was a bit rocky at the start and it led to me fleeing like a hare and him chasing me like a hound”

Temperance sat with her eyes locked ahead as she asked “Would it be impolite to request some of your historical background on this relationship? I am in the midst of reflecting on several relationship issues of my own. Any insights I could gather from other successful relationships would be very beneficial for me. I am afraid that social interactions are not my forte and I often make errors in translation.”

(Chapter 3)


One Week Before Link to Jeffersonian
Hotel Restaurant (Monday Dinner)
Maluku Islands, Indonesia



Mr. Symington said “Of course, we’d be glad to tell you the background but it is probably best if Hare tells you. I have way to much fun telling it and she gets upset!”

Diane Symington leaned over and lovingly slapped her husband’s arm then began to describe their early days “We were in Saigon, Vietnam in 1975 when everyone had to evacuate and run away. I was a nurse’s aide for the US Army and an entertainer at the local base. Hound was an Australian mechanic on loan to the US Army. We had not started using these nicknames at that time. After the majority of troops pulled out, we both were attached to the US Embassy there. I was doing general clerical work and Hound was working as a mechanic. The two of us had dated a few times and he had a definite crush on me but I was pretty ambivalent,” She smiled sneakily while looking sideways at him.

“You still believe that! No way, I was a pretty good actor!” Hound tossed out as he bumped her shoulder with his.

She continued “When escaping from Saigon, it was kind of frightening and romantic. Anyway, one day we got word to just drop everything and get out. Helicopters were on the way and if we missed them we would be staying there permanently! He and I were not together when we were told to get out, so I just started running for the landing area designated for the choppers. I was running towards one of the last helicopters with a bunch of other people and as we rounded the corner of the last building, I tripped and fell on some rough ground, twisting both my ankle and my knee. I tried to get back up a couple times but everything hurt so much, I couldn’t. Suddenly, out of nowhere this voice said ‘Don’t stop to play in the mud, honey!’ and he picked me up then threw me over his shoulder.”

Hound added “Loveliest bag of potatoes I ever hefted!” with a sly grin.

Hare smiled and continued “ He ran for the helicopter, threw me on board as it was trying to lift off and just missed his first try to get on board himself - he tried a second time and a couple guys inside helped him in. If not for him I would still be in Vietnam.” Her head dipped and a tear fell down her cheek.

Hound leaned close to her and placed his hand on her shoulder then whispered something in her ear. She placed one of her hands over his.

Hare started again “After he threw me into the helicopter and he was able to crawl in himself, we took off quickly. I was lying sprawled on the metal floor and kept sliding back and forth with the the door still open. The first couple times I thought sure I was going back out again, screaming lustily.”

Hound added “I forgot about those screams. They were certainly hearty, almost silenced the helicopter engine. Of course, she had quite a pair of lungs on her then!”

“Dad!” yelped Deirdre, her face blushing.

Hare continued “He had managed to sit and move up against the wall of the helicopter right next to the doorway so he was kind of locked in place by the cabin wall and the side wall. On the next slide as I started for the doorway, he grabbed me and pulled me to him and sat me up directly in front of him facing the same way as he, towards the open doorway. He wrapped his right arm all the way around my waist to hold on, then with his left hand he undid his big leather belt.The first thought through my mind was ‘You have to be kidding me, this is no time for sex!’”

Hound interjected “Although Hare was certainly a lusty wench then and I was always one for a good roll in the hay, the reality isn’t as heroic as she makes it out. Actually, there was just no way she was going to bounce on my private parts for the duration of that flight!”

“Dad, TMI!” Deirdre blurted and then dropped her head.

Hare gave him a lecherous look and started again “He took the belt and looped the free end through the buckle forming a loop. He put his hand through the loop and cinched it up tight, then he pulled his arm tighter around me and tied off the end of the belt on one of the metal lashing points on the wall of the helicopter. He then wrapped his other arm around me too, so I was definitely not going anywhere until he wanted to let me loose. I don’t know how long the flight really was because we both drifted off to sleep, or so I thought at the time. I didn’t realize it but his right arm muscles had started cramping up several times so he was in a lot of pain for the flight. He didn’t say a word about it. I would never have known if I hadn’t been nearby when the corpsman was treating him, later aboard an aircraft carrier. I heard him asking questions about why hound was having problems with his arm. Ultimately, as a result of the belt cinched around his arm and the beating it took in the flight, some nerves and muscles were damaged in his wrist
and forearm. This left his right hand very weak and there are still a lot of things he cannot do with it.”

Hound held up his coffee cup with his left hand and wiggled it in the air.

Hare softly said “I had a guilt complex over that for a couple years but couldn’t bring myself to say anything about it. I couldn’t figure out how to deal with this situation - when I finally admitted later on part of the reason for my nervousness was the guilt I felt that he had sacrificed his right hand for me; he said it was more than a fair bargain and he would gladly have given the entire arm and still thought himself ahead of the game. This was something entirely new for me. I had dated boys a lot growing up and traveling around; they were all nice enough but it was obvious that their primary interest was biology. Hound was the first guy I met that was willing, and did sacrifice a part of his body for me, totally unasked, and would have been willing to do more, if only given the chance.”

“Well, I must add, there were limits to the body parts I was willing to sacrifice...” Hound snickered.

Deirdre dropped her face in to her hands again and Hare smacked him on the shoulder.

Hare started again. “The aircraft carrier dropped us off at the Philippine Islands and we stayed there for about 5 months. I didn’t have any desire to go back to the United States, my family situation wasn’t that great, so I decided to remain in the Pacific area. We started dating fairly seriously and things were going well until Hound made the big mistake. Unfortunately, he didn’t realize that he had, didn’t even know what it was at that time. I caught a flight out as soon as I could and headed to Guam.”

Hound said “I was really shocked when I found out she was gone, just up and away with no reason when I thought it was all going great. I didn’t even know where she went. My ego took a beating over that”

Hare said “I had been gone about a month and a half when I realized that I might have made a mistake. I knew through a grapevine of common friends that he was still in the PI, so I let slip to one of them where I was, to see if he would follow me.” He showed up in Guam within a week! We tentatively and gradually got back together, then over the next six or seven months things were going good until he did it again. Yup, I was outbound on the next flight to Okinawa.”

Hound interjected “That one was a real kick in the teeth! I still didn’t have any idea why she fled.”

Hare began again “I waited about a month again and then let my location be known. He showed up again within a week! We started up again and this is where the nicknames Hound and Hare actually come from. We had gotten into a sequence of I would jump like a hare and hold still in a new location. He would chase after me like a hound and when he started baying, I would jump again. We did this about seven or eight times, I think...”

“Yeah, eight.” said Hound.

Hare explained “My last jump was to Australia, which I think, although at the time I didn’t know it, was my own message to him I wanted to stop. Normally he would follow within a month, but this time he didn’t. I waited 2, 3, 6 months and no Hound. By then I was terribly worried that he had given up because I heard rumors that he was doing fine still at the last location. At the 8 month point I was frantic and on the verge of collapse, wondering if I should go back to the last location. He arrived one day, totally unexpected, walked up to me, and instead of saying ‘hello’ or any other greeting simply asked ‘Are you ready to stop running now?‘ I just said ‘Yes.’”

Hound said “I was so glad that was over. It was wearing me out trying to keep up with her and now the serious hay rolling could begin!

“Oh, dad!”

Temperance said “Thank you very much for telling me about your experiences. I think they may be quite helpful for me in my own reflections. May I think about this tonight and then perhaps join you again for dinner tomorrow so I can ask some questions? We can, of course, discuss the books also tomorrow if you wish.”

Hound replied “We would love to have dinner with you again. We will look forward to it gladly.”

Temperance said “Did you have any questions about the books tonight that I could answer?”

They carried on a spirited discussion for another hour before Temperance excused herself and returned to her room.

(Chapter 4)


One Week Before Link to Jeffersonian
Hotel Restaurant (Tuesday Dinner)
Maluku Islands, Indonesia


Temperance returned to the hotel’s restaurant the next evening and joined the Symingtons at their table.

There were a few minutes of polite greetings and general conversation, then Temperance said “If you don’t mind, I do have some questions about the discussion we had last night. May I start, please?”

“Of course.” said Diane Symington.

“Hare, Hound.. May I use those names when speaking to you?” Temperance asked.

Mr. Symington replied “Yes, of course. We would be grateful if you did, it makes things so much easier for us.”

Temperance sat for a few minutes, then asked “Hare, why were you running?”

Hare said “Oh, sorry. I grew up in a part of the US that had a pretty patriarchal society. My mother passed away when I was quite young so that left a family consisting of my father, five brothers and me as the youngest. It seemed that every man in that town seemed to think I was a drudgery servant or piece of property for them to manage. I fled and didn’t want anything more to do with that kind of situation. When I was with Hound, everything was fine until he started using the word ‘my’ when talking about me or he tried giving me orders. When he said something like ‘my girlfriend’ to someone else he thought he was saying ‘this girl I am so proud of.’ What I was hearing was ‘this piece of property/chattel that belongs to him.’ I think it was after the third jump that we were able to discuss it and get our meanings across to each other.”

“Hare, did you ever regret not stopping sooner than you did.” She said.

“Many times I have wished that I had, so we could have had all that lost time together. We were caught in a cycle, after the first time I ran; I needed to know he cared enough to chase after me and he needed to know there was clear evidence if he did chase me I would be there when he arrived. For awhile it got to be kind of an exciting game for us to play, but we were wasting so much of the best part of our lives in the chase and not enjoyment of the catch. If we had, Deirdre might have some sisters or brothers.”

“Hound, did you ever consider just giving up and not chasing her?”

“The second jump was the most difficult for me because I thought we had recovered our balance and everything was good again. It took a lot of willpower for me to commit to that chase. By the third jump, I was able to accept the fact that she wasn’t really running from me, rather she was running from the situation as she perceived, wrong as that perception was. Once I understood that, I would have followed her forever if necessary. However, we were tempting the fates with all the travel we were doing. The areas we were passing through are notorious for Typhoons and other dangerous weather conditions. Eventually, one of us would probably be involved in some kind of catastrophic accident or disappearance and the other would never even know.”

“Hare, if you had it all to do over, would you do the same thing?”

“I wouldn’t have run the second time, I would have taken his following me the first time as enough evidence he cared and wasn’t concerned with controlling me.”

“Hound, you seem to have done reasonably well financially since. How did all that lost time affect your career?” Temperance asked.

“I’ve always been of the opinion that your family and your true friends are your career. The titles, money and fame are transient examples of the route you follow on that career; one should be willing and able to do any kind of work to further their family and friends. Without the family and friends to share and reminisce over your successes, they have little long term value themselves. I was never really very concerned about what kind of job I might be doing.”

Temperance couldn’t help but feel a twinge in the back of her mind, of a phantom thought surfacing from somewhere else at those words. “Booth?” she thought.

“Dr. Brennan, do you have any friends with you here?’ asked Hare.

Temperance thought for a minute, Daisy’s image screamed rapidly into her mind, she winced and then she wistfully said “No, I do not have any friends on this trip.”

“Where are your friends?” she continued.

“Several are at the the Jeffersonian Institute, two are in Paris and one is in Afghanistan.”

Hare followed up “The one in Afghanistan, is he or she a soldier?”

“Yes, he is a soldier who was recalled to duty.”

“Is he a very good friend of yours” asked Hare

“Yes, he is my closest and best friend.” A tear began forming in Temperance’s eye.

“I imagine with all this modern technology you are able to speak with him fairly often. How are the two of you doing?” said Hare.

Temperance stiffened slightly and answered “We have not spoken for six months.”

Hare’s voice stumbled as she asked gently “Why would the two of you torture each other like that? Don’t you care what happens to him or worry about him?”

“Yes! Of course, I have for six terrible months!” Temperance blurted, barely holding herself together.

Hare moved forward and put her hand on Temperance’s shoulder then said “Dr. Brenn...Temperance?”

Temperance looked in her eyes and nodded her head up and down.

Hare started again quietly “Temperance, I don’t know why you and your friends have erected this wall of non-communication but you need to tear it down. One thing I learned while working in Vietnam as a nurse’s aide was that soldiers, above all else need to know that the home front is safe. The most popular item that we had was the mail delivery, surprisingly even more popular than the long-legged dancing girls from Hollywood! As long as they hear on a fairly regular basis that the bills are being paid, kids are doing well or the girlfriend is still standing by them, most soldiers can go about their dangerous business in a reasonably proficient manner. Soldiers who are distracted by personal or family issues are often prone to small mistakes they might not otherwise make. In their situation, that could be deadly for them and those near them. Without solid evidence to the contrary, the human imagination will often fill in what the mind is not able to know for fact. If your soldier friend has not seen or heard from you in six months, he is probably frantic and desperate for word of some kind.”

Temperance cried softly “I know, I know. I would never purposely hurt him. He is the light of my life.” She continued quietly sobbing for a couple minutes then regained her composure and gracefully said “Hare, thank you for your thoughts. I will try to act on them as soon as I can.” She looked at all of them and asked ”What cases would you like to discuss today?”

They all spent another hour or so in animated discussions and made plans to meet the next evening again.

(Chapter 5)


One Week Before Link to Jeffersonian
Hotel Restaurant (Wednesday Dinner)
Maluku Islands, Indonesia




Temperance met with the Symington family for their final meal together. They would have to cut the evening a little bit short so the family could prepare for their departure early the next morning.

Temperance was able to spend about a half hour discussing some of the cases in her books and then she prepared to bid them farewell.

She said “Thank you all for inviting me to your dinner table. I have enjoyed all of the time we have spent together. I think I learned far more about people and relationships here in those three days than in the entire six months I have been here.”

“Temperance” said Hare “We should thank you for several things: taking such good care of our daughter, being such an excellent role model for her, providing all of us with wonderful entertainment in your books, but mostly I want to thank you for being ‘you.’ We had our own expectations of what the author Temperance Brennan would be like when we started this trip. The past few days have shown you to be a far better person than we would even have dreamed and we are all so proud to have met you.”

Several tears started to well in Temperance’s eyes and she could only mumble ‘I... I..”

Hound spoke up adding ”Temperance, we want you to know that you always have friends and a second home in Australia. You can show up at our house any time of day or season, unannounced, and you will be welcomed with open arms and some miserable coffee. Whether you need a hiding place from the throngs or a simple rest from the rat race, our home is your home.”

Starting to get a definite sniffle, Temperance slowly spoke “Hound, Hare, thank you so much. I.. I... Th.. Those words mean so much to me. I wish I could expr.. express how deeply I appreciate your kind thoughts and I hope to take you up on your offer some day.” Her eyes began brimming over with tears.

She took a minute to steady her nerves and turned to Deirdre then said “Deirdre, thank you for taking part in our work. I hope it was beneficial for you and I hope to see you again some time.”

Deirdre replied “Thank you so much Dr. Brennan for allowing me to take part. I wish I had made better use of my own time but I learned so much and hope to see you again .”

Temperance started to walk away, but stopped for a second and said “Oh, I almost forgot. I noticed that your copy of my latest book was rather dogeared. Here, I have a new copy for you that I signed inside. I hope that was alright.” She handed the book to Hound.

He took it and Hare said “Thank you Temperance, we will treasure it.”

Temperance waved to them all and left the restaurant quietly.

Hound held the book and opened it slightly to see the signature she had added. Something fell from the book as he opened it, but neither Hare nor Deirdre noticed it. He bent over and picked it up, glanced at it for a second then set it on his lap. He opened the book a little more to look at the signature and his breath choked a bit.

Hare worried said “Are you alright?”

“Yes, but she didn’t just sign it...” He handed the book to Hare.

She opened the cover and gasped slightly when she saw a solid gold foil endplate embossed with jumping dolphins and other creatures. At the top it said in an old world script “From The Personal Library Of Temperance Brennan” and there was a center section with a handwritten inscription that Hare read aloud:

------------------
To My Dear Friends Hound and Hare,

Thank you so much for your hospitality and congeniality at a time of difficulty for me. Your wonderful story of love pursued, renewed, pursued and renewed again gives me great hope for my own future. Your conversation and company these past days have stirred within me thoughts and dreams that I had thought long since lost and I hope to follow through on reaching those goals. I shall be forever in your debt.

Tempe Brennan
------------------

After hearing the inscription that Temperance wrote for her parents, Deirdre said to her father “Dad, I’m so ashamed.”

“Why?”

“During the first few months of the dig, I heard all the jokes the other people made about her being a robot with ice water in her veins and no consideration for other people. Gladly, I didn’t contribute to that, but I didn’t defend her in any way either. She is a wonderful woman! Beyond her amazing brilliance which I have seen first hand every day, she is considerate, personable, very humorous in her own quirky way, endearingly in love with her beau, strong in her beliefs, loyal to the extreme, and trustworthy to a fault. I’ve wasted all that time when I could have gotten to know her better. Chances to meet people like Dr. Brennan come rarely enough, but to have wasted it and see how much I could have learned...”

“Yes, she is what your mother would call the ‘real deal’ - someone you and your friends would do well to emulate rather than satirize. I’d like you to do three things for me...”

“What are they, dad?”

“First, when you are among your college friends, you don’t need to defend her because she can certainly defend herself. However, you might want to let them know how mistaken they are in their perceptions and the opportunity they are passing to learn what true excellence is like in this world.”

“Yes, dad.”

“Second, do you recall the conversations we have had with her the past couple days concerning the various cases in her books?”

“Of course.”

“I want you to go back and reread all of her books, starting from the first one. Look at how the various cases are written and see if you can tell which are stories and which are real.”

“I don’t understand, dad.”

“I’ll give you an example. Yesterday, among the cases we discussed was one where the heroine, after work, was at a karaoke bar singing. Her FBI partner, in his regular street clothes was there just to hear her sing. A deranged woman came in with a handgun and tried to shoot her. Her FBI partner saw the woman, stood up, and instead of going through the normal defensive routine of pulling his gun, crouching, and firing; he simply walked and stood in front of her and took the bullet himself. The heroine, bending over the fallen partner, had to grab his gun and shoot the woman before she could fire again. The partner died, at least she thought so for two weeks, until it was discovered he was still alive.”

“I remember that case.”

“When we were discussing it with her, did you hear the choking in her voice and see the fear in her eyes while she held her right hand over her heart and clasped it close to herself? She was not telling a story, she was reliving a terrible experience. You will see, when you compare how that one is written in the book to the others, that it has many more layers of emotion built in to it. Perhaps she writes them like that unconsciously, but the real experiences jump out at you if you look for them. So you and your college friends might want to cut her some slack, given the challenges she has faced and overcome, that they can’t even comprehend yet.”

“Yes, dad.”

“Third, don’t disappoint her.”

“I... I... don’t understand.”

“She left this inside the book for you.”

He handed her an envelope with the Jeffersonian imprint. Inside was a sheet of fine stationary with the Jeffersonian seal on it. Temperance had handwritten:

Deirdre,

I have been reviewing the academic records and observing the performance of the college assistants for the past six months. Based on your strong academic record, enthusiasm for the subject matter, and superlative work ethic, I am proud to announce that you are my personal selectee this year to be invited to submit your application for the Jeffersonian Institution Intern Program. There is no guaranteed admission, you will have to submit and compete amongst a group of your peers. From those whose application is accepted, the field will be winnowed down to a small select group who will become members of the Jeffersonian family. There will be no favoritism shown in evaluating applications, but I assure you all will be given a fair judgement. Should you be selected for the final group, I will look forward to working with you on a daily basis.

Below is the postal address, email address and telephone number of my personal office at the Jeffersonian Institution. You may leave messages there until I return from this expedition. Feel free to contact me at any time if you have questions or concerns about your application submission.

Best Wishes and Congratulations
Temperance Brennan


Deirdre sat quietly with her mouth wide open, doing her best to restrain a squeal.

Her mother said quietly “Deirdre, are you glad now that you didn’t make fun of her?”

Deirdre couldn’t speak, only slowly nod her head up and down.

(Chapter 6)


Day 14
Dr. Brennan’s Hotel Entrance
Maluku Islands, Indonesia



Temperance had started going out in to society a bit after the discussions with the Symington family and her reconnection with the Jeffersonian Institute. She had taken some tentative steps to go on small shopping trips but had developed an interest in daily just walking around the local city blocks people watching. She of course would not have referred to it in those terms, rather it would be observing societal interactions. Sometimes she became lost in her thoughts and overstayed her local observations.

Tonight was such a time. She had been feeling somewhat depressed and surly all day, so when she had the chance to sooth it by walking about she lost track of the time. It was late at night and she was looking at the stars as she wandered back to the hotel. She started daydreaming about Booth and being back at the Jeffersonian, how they had some new case to rush to. She noticed a man walking in front as she entered the narrow alleyway that looped over to the hotel. The alley ran with straight walls on both sides until another similar one intersected it, on the left side, about two thirds the way along the path to the hotel. It was lit at night but with poor lighting fixtures that blinked erratically.

The man in front of her had just passed the alley intersection and was about 20 feet ahead of her. As she drew nearly abreast of the intersection a second man stepped out from that alley and stopped so that he blocked the exit that way standing about 20 feet from her. Temperance stopped walking immediately, her senses engaging rapidly. The first man had turned around and walked back towards her then stopped about four feet in front of her. Once he stopped, she heard other footsteps and realized that a third man had been following far behind her and now stopped with about 12 feet between them.

She looked quickly to see if there were any weapons and it looked like the fellow blocking the intersection on the left had a knife, The fellow in front of her had his right hand behind his back so she couldn’t tell what he had. Glancing over her shoulder quickly, it looked like the guy behind her was carrying a rope, or noose, or maybe a rolled whip, she couldn’t be sure what. She focused on the one in front of her as he began to speak in English, somewhat accented and broken, but clear. They didn’t appear to be Indonesian, rather of some European background.

The guy rasped out ”Ladee, you have two choiss tonight, and only two:

Choiss one is no fight so we don’t have to ruff too much... ...surely not to mess up buuteeful face. The four us going into building over here and you going to spend all night proving value to three of us. If your job good nuff and we very happy, then we take you out of city to big house of wealthy man. He not mind a few marks on body if face still buuteeful and will pay us good for such prize. He will take care of you very good so long as you take care of him very good.

Choiss two is fight and we ruff you up very good. The face be buuteeful for us tonight but not in morning when we done and there be many more marks on body. The man not pay us for broke item. We have to make up lost money for our effort. When we done in morning we turn you over to some friends who pay OK to have you for a few days. After they done we take you to our building, and you provide service for customers until you earn back enough for our trouble.

Your choiss ladee. We going have very good night no matter how you chooss. Only choiss for you is how good or pain your future be.”

Temperance looked at him, and the other two for a minute, then responded “The two choices given are unacceptable to me. I do not wish to participate in the suggested activities described by you.”

His eyes arched in a huge question mark and he said ”What you say, stoopid ladee?”

“No, moron!” she hissed.

He stepped forward, pulling his hand from behind him and she could see he had a pair of handcuffs.

“That’s good, no gun.” she thought.

He stepped farther, reaching to grab Temperance’s right hand and cuff it.

Temperance has very beautiful hands - long and graceful. People have complimented her about them for years. They are amazing devices, able to be soft and gentle comforting a baby, lifting a lost kitten, or stroking Booth’s cheek. What they also have is something most people, including her current molesters don’t. After years of lifting, rotating, swinging, and grabbing heavy old bones of all sizes, her hands also have the grasping and crushing strength of an eagle’s claw.

Temperance saw the man move forward to catch her hand, and as the man stepped forward, looking at her hand, it disappeared. She had stepped a small step towards him also. With that step, her hand that was at waist level moved rapidly upward at an angle, changing from an open hand to more of a U-shaped grasp that intersected at high speed with his throat, thumb on one side and the fingers on the other. Temperance had twisted her right shoulder and hip slightly forward, rotating the left side to the rear as she struck. The impact probably crushed his trachea, but to be sure she gave it an extra loving squeeze and a little shout “Ki!” to boot. Quickly, she reversed her momentum by pushing her left hip and shoulder forward while rotating her right side backwards again. Her left fist, with a knuckle protruding, rocketed directly up into the armpit area which he had uncovered in reacting to the first strike. She reversed momentum again and struck with her right hand a second time, this time another punch with knuckle extended directly into his solar plexus. The man dropped to the ground wheezing and retching.

By this time the man behind her was closing on her and she rotated slightly towards him so that he had to approach her from the left rear rather than directly from the rear. He closed up directly on her and had his chest against her shoulder and back as he tried to throw the rope around her neck to strangle her. She had realized what he was trying to do with the rope, so as she turned she took her right hand and slid it straight up against her cheek pointed upwards and held her right elbow in tightly against her chest. The man managed to get the rope around her on the second try. He then pulled it tight with his forearms anchoring against her back, which normally would have disabled or killed her; instead it became his weakness because it brought him close enough for Temperance to attack. His surprise, that it didn’t disable her because the rope was resisted by looping around her forearm and wrist instead of her neck, caused him to hesitate for a fateful few seconds. Temperance used those seconds to slightly shift her body to the right and backwards so that she could position her left leg behind his right leg. In her first strike the eagle claw of her left hand swung straight down in an arc, both smashing and grabbing his testicles at the same time. During that movement she was also dropping her stance a little and positioning her left leg as a fulcrum point. While holding on with her left hand, she rotated her hand a bit which put her left elbow in line with his solar plexus and she immediately struck with the elbow. Next, by lifting with her hand while pushing with her elbow, she converted him into a wriggling and screaming seesaw pivoting over her leg. Once she had rotated him far enough, Temperance released everything, letting him drop on his head, ending up as a whimpering pile of agony, punctuated by pitiful choking sounds. Once she was sure he was out, a thought echoed through her mind, “Booth, thanks for teaching me that sequence!”

The third man with the knife was running, almost on top of her. He held the knife in his right hand, blade straight ahead like a sword, as he was trying to stab her. Temperance was turned to him so he was approaching her almost face on. Just before contact, she slid slightly to her left, chopping at his right forearm with her right hand and then immediately turned the chop into a grab of his sleeve and held it. With him stopped and fouled for a couple seconds, she straightened and locked her left leg, centering her stance there. Still holding him in place, three powerful side kicks exploded from Temperance’s right leg, striking in sequence under the arm pit, into the kidney area, and into the side of the knee, breaking it. She released his shirt sleeve and moved back to appraise the situation. He was barely standing, but miraculously still held on to the knife so she slid past him and executed a 360-degree roundhouse kick that landed near the center of his back, knocking him forward and down flat on the ground wincing in pain and finally unconscious.

Temperance continued moving in a small circle and surveyed the scene, looking in every direction to see if there were any other men involved in the attack. No, there didn’t seem to be anyone else there, just the three lumps of human putrefaction quivering on the floor like they deserved. She noticed a hint of a glimmer on the ground as light reflected off of something. As she approached the glimmer, she realized it was the pair of handcuffs. She bent over and picked them up then went and gathered up the knife and rope too.

Looking at them, she thought ”They look like pretty poor quality, but maybe Booth might like to have them for one of those shadowboxes on his wall, or on his desk. Yes, that might be good, I’ll take them back for him as souvenirs.”

Temperance strolled back to the hotel looking at the stars above with fond thoughts of Booth.


(Chapter 7)


Day 21
Dr. Brennan’s Hotel Room
Maluku Islands, Indonesia



Temperance sat at the desk in her hotel room joining the daily VTC session as the screen lit up with:

Video Tele Conference with Jeffersonian Laboratory

However, no one responded verbally on her entry in to the chat. The image on the screen seemed rather strange, more like one of those old silent movies that Booth had shown her a long time ago.

Dr. Saroyan stood in the center of the lab’s examination platform, with her arms slightly akimbo. The elbow of her right arm was resting in the palm of her left hand, and her forehead bent downwards was resting in the palm of her right hand. Temperance could discern a slight slow roll of Dr. Saroyan’s head from left to right and back again.

In the background and on the periphery, Temperance saw the interns running in strange zigging patterns waving sticks like they were trying to beat the air with them. Every few minutes, light reflected strangely and lit up weird patterns in the air.

“Dr. Saroyan!” Temperance blurted out.

She raised her head slowly looking towards Temperance and said “Hello Dr. Brennan, how are you doing today?”

“Perhaps better than you Dr. Saroyan. What happened?”

“Someone was doing an experiment on the life cycles of a variety of caterpillars and left the tops of the jars askew.”

Temperance snickered a little bit and said “I thought Jack Hodgins might have come back...”

Off on the side, Mr. Nigel-Murray could be heard expounding “Did you know the butterfly was originally called the flutterby...”

Dr. Saroyan turned to him and said “Just catch them Mr. Nigel-Murray, don’t tell me about them!”

“Dr. Saroyan, it appears we will not be able to do much today.” Temperance tried to restrain her laughter.

“No, Dr. Brennan. I think I will go sit down in my office for awhile and fondly remember cold, wet coroners’ offices with bodies and no butterflies.”

“OK, I will call back tomorrow, Dr. Saroyan!” Temperance snickered again, unable to hold it all in.

Temperance dropped that connection and selected another that gave her:

Video Tele Conference with Angela Montenegro at Maison du Hodgins

“Angie, wake up! Are you there?”

“Yes, right here Bren. Why are you laughing so much?”

Temperance told her about the butterflies at the Jeffersonian.

“Bren, I’m putting you on standby. I have to go see this for myself.”

Temperance heard her calling “Jack! Jack! Come on, you’ll want to see this!” as the connection went blank.

Angela flashed back on a couple minutes later with both she and Jack Hodgins laughing heartily. “Ohh, that’s too great! Cam must be having a cow about now!” She shrieked.

“Dr. Brennan, how ya doin’ these days?” Jack queried.

“Jack, I’m so glad to see you again! At private times like this please call me Temperance or Tempe. After our Gravedigger experience, no one has that right as much as you do. I am doing well enough but not as well as I wish I were.”

“Dr. Br, ehh.. Temperance, are you OK? Are you having any problems?”

“No, not real problems. Things aren’t working out quite as I expected. Angie, you know those vaunted walls of mine you used to complain about that could block out feelings for miles around?”

“Yes, Bren. What’s wrong?”

“They have been failing me for awhile, now” Temperance replied quietly.

“What’s happened Bren?”

“While I’ve been here, the walls, as you call them, have worked fine in dealing with new acquaintances and old foes. They have failed me completely in relation to all of my friends from the Jeffersonian that were already inside my walls.”

“What do you mean, Temperance” Jack asked softly.

“I find that I am pretty miserable in the evening and I miss everyone so much.” She sniffed as tears began welling in her eyes. “Sometimes I am so lonely, and I just want to go home.”

“Bren, you know we are both always here for you if you need to talk any time of day.”

“Yes Angie, I know. I knew you would be. That is why I contacted you about a month ago. I made such a mistake, not talking with all my friends during that six months, and the sense of loss just began to overwhelm me.” She spoke in hushed tones.

“Temperance?”

“Yes, Jack.”

“Would you like us to come visit you?” He said gently.

“Bren, yes we could do that, would you like us to?” Angela added.

“I.. I couldn’t ask you to do something like that.” Temperance said with a choke in her voice. “I wouldn’t want to interrupt your trip to Paris.”

“Temperance, I’ve never been to Indonesia and I would like to see it. I hear they have some really wonderful bugs and slime! How about you, Angie?” Jack said.

Angela leaned over and kissed Jack on the cheek and said “Let’s get on the road!” She then looked at Temperance and said “Bren, you know how Booth always said ‘this is the kind of thing partners do for partners’?”

“Yes, Angie.”

Angela said lovingly “This is the kind of thing friends do for friends.”

“Angie, Jack, I... I... I...” Temperance attempted to say.

“Bren, we know - just be there to meet us when we arrive.”

Jack added “Tempe, it will take a couple days for us to rush through the travel documents and actually get the corporate jet there. Don’t despair, we will be there.”

“Thank you both, so much... I have to go now.” Temperance closed out the session and turned off her computer. She laid her head on the computer and began to cry, interspersed with short smiles of joy.













(Chapter 8 )


Day 27
Hotel Restaurant
Maluku Islands, Indonesia



Temperance sat at at a table, sharing dinner with Angela and Jack. She was more visibly happy and outgoing than either one of them could remember seeing in a long time. She had greeted them at the airport almost like a teenager seeing rock stars, hugging both of them with a ‘guy’ hug. Even at the table she was fidgeting a bit, looking at both of them, reassuring herself they were really here.

“Jack, Angie, I cannot tell you how much I appreciate this! Other than Booth, no one has ever done anything like this just for me, and I promise I won’t forget that you did.”

“Tempe, don’t worry about that.” Jack said. “This trip was just as important for us - we didn’t want to be too maudlin on the VTC, but we missed you just as much and would have come anyway.”

Temperance leaned forward and gave Jack another quick hug.

She leaned back and said “I am afraid my emotions seem to be overwhelming my walls and I am having difficulty expressing myself in plain English. I am just so happy to see you both again.”

Angela said “I almost feel like the reunion of the Three Musketeers.” with a teary sniffle.

Temperance started to ask what Musketeers are, but decided to let it pass rather than ruin the moment.

Angela continued “Bren, I just want to make sure you know that this trip is not a one shot deal for us. As your friends, we will come to you whenever you need us, wherever you need us. But, that has to be a two-way street; no running away leaving us high and dry to figure out what happened and where you went.”

“Angie, I cannot express in words how important your and Jack’s visit is to me. All I can say is that I am quite certain my days of running from problems are coming to a rapid conclusion. Are we good?” Temperance said with a slight smile.

“Yes, Bren, we’re good!”

“Angie, Jack. How long are you planning on staying?” Temperance asked quietly.

Angela looked at Jack and nodded her head signaling him to answer her question.

“Tempe, we’ll stay for six days, six weeks, or six months. We will stay for however long you need us. At the moment, your world is the most important thing in our world.”

Her eyes tearing over again, Temperance said “Thank you... ...I” She reached out both of her hands and clasped each of theirs then continued “I seem to be saying ‘thank you’ a lot these days. I am so lucky to have friends like both of you.”

Angela placed her hand on top of Temperance’s and said tearily “Bren, ...and we are lucky to have a friend like you. ...to the Three Musketeers!”

Jack Laid his hand on Temperance’s and said, with an overly dramatic swish through the air with his other hand, “All for one and one for all!”

Temperance smiled tearily and thought to herself “That is the second reference to those Musketeers. I have to find out what that means.”

After she regained her composure, Temperance asked “Have either of you heard from Booth? I haven’t had any means that could reach him, and I don’t think he could reach me.”

Angela replied “We heard from him a few times early on and he was doing fine. I guess he spends a lot of time in areas where it is heard to communicate outside of his small group.”

Jack said “He may have kept in contact with FBI Headquarters, so Andrew Hacker might have heard from him. Have you asked Cam if she heard from him?”

“No, I haven’t raised that yet.”

Temperance offered to take Jack and Angela on a walking tour around the streets near the hotel. They begged off, saying they were tired from the flight and would like to do that some other day. She hugged each of them again, just to be sure they were real and wouldn’t disappear in the morning when she woke up.

Temperance returned to her room and opened her computer then booted it up. She did a quick search on line for ‘The Three Musketeers.’ “Oh my!” she exclaimed. “lots of entries. Hmmm.. let’s see..”

“...novel by Alexander Dumas...”
“...King Louis XIII...”
“...Cardinal Richelieu...”
“...King’s Guard, The Musketeers...”
“...Cardinal’s Guard...”
“...d’Artagnan...”
“...Athos, Porthos, Aramis...”
“...All for one and one for all...”

She noticed that there were a lot of movies made on the subject so she went searching for copies. She was able to download two of the older versions; watching the first one completely through and then did the same with the second one. She went back and watched the first movie again to be sure she had it all in context.

It was very late when she finally turned in for bed but she slept soundly and dreamt more peacefully than she had in a long time:

“...Behold the King’s Laboratory...
“...there stood Cam Saroyan... ...captain of the King’s Guards...”
“...aided by the Three Squinteers: Tempe, Angie, and Jack...”
“...the gallant d’Artagnan Booth had come for their help...”
“...they had to fight the evil Cardinal Gravedigger...”
“...they fought with swords of science, reason and logic...”
“...the evil Cardinal was defeated and cast away...”
“...the King’s Realm is safe...”
“...the four friends reunited and together forever...”
“...together forever...”
“...together forever...”
“...together forever...”










(Chapter 9)

Day 28
Dr. Brennan’s Hotel Room
Maluku Islands, Indonesia



The laptop finished its boot cycle and Temperance double clicked the great big ‘VTC’ icon on the computer’s desktop. She scrolled through the listing of available connections and selected the one she needed... ...a few seconds later the image popped up on to her screen with a title in the corner that read:

Video Tele Conference with Jeffersonian Laboratory

“Hello Dr. Brennan. How are you today.” said Dr. Saroyan.
“Hello Dr. Brennan.” said Clark Edison, one of the interns.
“Hello Dr. Brennan.” said Vincent Nigel Murray, another intern.
“Hello Dr. Brennan.” said Colin Fisher, also an intern.

Temperance Leaned forward a bit, to cheerfully say ”Hello, everyone!” and then just sat there with a big smile on her face.

Dr. Saroyan waited a couple minutes then said “Dr. Brennan, have you been prescribed any medications that we should know about?”

“No, none at all. Why do you ask?”

“The last time I saw a cheshire cat smile that large on your face was at an overly long office party at ‘Founding Fathers’ after a certain someone kissed you on the cheek.”

Temperance leaned way back away from the screen and Jack and Angela leaned in from each of her sides. “Hi Cam!” they yelled in unison.

“Jack! Angie!” Cam squealed. “You’re there too! How wonderful! It is so good to see the three of you together again!”

Temperance moved forward again so all three of them were on the screen at once and said “Cam, you know what this means don’t you?”

Cam began to tear up a bit and choked out “The team is back together again...”

Temperance replied huskily “Yes! ...except for one member, and we won’t be separated again. The Jeffersonian family is our family.” She grabbed Angela’s hand and Jack’s hand off camera then looked back at Cam and added “All for one and one for all!” then she squeezed their hands tightly for a couple seconds and released them.

Cam spoke quietly with tears flowing “Temperance, don’t worry. He will be back too, eventually.”

“Thank you, Cam” Temperance whispered back.

At that point all decorum went out the window and they spent a long time crying and talking about everything and everyone.

Temperance completed the logout on her computer and closed it up on her desk.

Jack said absentmindedly “I haven’t had that much fun on a computer since that link I clicked on in Zach’s email a couple years ag...”

“Which link, Jack” a suddenly curious Angela asked.

“Ehh, it led to ...uh ...uh a wonderful website on the bizarre bugs and slime of the Aleutian Islands... ...yehhh!”

“Uh.. huh” a totally unconvinced Angela mumbled.

While looking at Jack, Angela noticed a strangely patterned blouse hanging on the door of Temperance’s closet. She asked “Bren, is that a new blouse you bought here? I don’t remember seeing anything like that in your closet back home.”

“Oh, Angie, ...uh no, I brought it with me.” she answered slowly, her face blushing with embarrassment.

“What’s the matter, Bren? You seem upset.”

“No... no..., not upset. ...a little guilty maybe.”

“Why? Did you do something before you left?”

“I am afraid I did. I hope he will forgive me when he gets back.”

“What happened, Bren?”

“I went over to visit Booth one last time before he left for Afghanistan. He was very busy gathering together all of his equipment, clothes and documents in preparation for the trip. I conveniently happened to have a fairly large purse with me at the time, so I... uh... purloined a few of his items.”

“You stole his clothes!” Jack exclaimed.

Angela slapped him on the shoulder.
“Bren, exactly what did you take?” Angela asked quietly.

Temperance, her head bent slightly in shame, said “There was this...” She pulled open the center desk drawer and pulled out a beautiful cherry wood frame with a photograph. “The picture fell out of a folder he dropped that had several copies of it. One went under the coffee table and he didn’t notice it so I picked it up when he stepped out of the room. I had to have it framed to protect it”

Jack looked closer and said “Wow! That’s a lot of bling on that suit!”

Angela looked closer at it. The photograph was about 8x10 inches and had a label on the bottom that said ‘Official Photograph.’ At the bottom was a name board label that read “Booth, Seeley J.” It was a full color, almost front on view, angled slightly, photo of Booth in his full dress uniform with all his awards, standing at attention, and he was looking directly at the camera. She said “OMG!”

“Bren, did you take anything else?”

“I have one of his little enameled tiepin kind of things for the Rangers. I think he called it a ‘Unit Crest.’ I like to wear it on my shirt inside my work jacket so I can look at it during the day. I also have a pair of his thick boot socks... ...I like to wear them as slippers in the evening sometimes.”

“Anything else?”

“There is the shirt over here. It is one of his external camouflage shirts. I like to wrap it around me in the evening when I’m feeling particularly lonely and reminisce about the old times.” She pulled it down and turned it around so they could see it had US ARMY over one pocket and BOOTH over the other. On the sleeves were his unit patches and on both sides of the chest various awards. all of it embroidered in black. She slipped into it and wrapped it around herself.

Temperance sat there for a minute with her head still bent. She said softly “Do you think he will be angry with me for taking these things? I would not want to lose a partner because I was too sentimental about him being away.”

Jack moved forward and rested his arm on her shoulder, then said lightly “Tempe, you know Booth would give you the shirt off his back anyway...”

She looked up and smiled weakly.

He continued “...but he being angry is the last thing in the world you need to worry about. If you had asked him for them, he would have given them to you gladly and been proud of it. Once you tell him about these things... ...you are going to tell him, aren’t you?”

She whispered ‘Yes.”

Jack went on “Once you tell him about these things, I bet you will find that not only doesn’t he mind, he is thrilled and happy that you cared enough about him to hold on to them. Don’t worry about an anger that is never going to be there. Wear and display them proudly and don’t worry what anybody says. I kinda wish I had some neat stuff like this for Angie to steal!”

Angela said “I won’t be stealing bugs and slime for anybody!”

Temperance leaned over and kissed Jack on the cheek, beaming “Thank you!” She walked over to the desk and opened the picture frame then placed it on the desk, positioning it so she could see it from almost any point in the room. She turned around and faced them with a deep smile and her eyes twinkling with joy.















(Chapter 10)

Day 37
Dr. Brennan’s Hotel Room
Maluku Islands, Indonesia



Temperance sat at the desk in her hotel room, booting up her laptop computer.

She and Angela had been walking around the local streets shopping, or as Angela called it “rejuvenating the inner woman.” Laden with bags and standing at an intersection deciding where to go next, Angela had received a cell phone call from Jack. He was simply relaying a call that he received from Cam Saroyan asking them all to join her immediately in a special VTC. Cam wouldn’t give any details, only asked that they join her.

The screen of the computer finally lit up and she activated the VTC link getting:

Video Tele Conference with Jeffersonian Laboratory

“Hello Dr. Brennan. Are Jack and Angie with you?” asked Dr. Saroyan.

“Yes Cam, all of us are here. What do you need?”

“I have a message I received from Andrew Hacker that is being sent out to all of the FBI offices. I am going to ask Mr. Edison to read it for me. I’m afraid my voice is failing me somewhat at the moment.”

Mr. Edison read:

“Announcement from FBI HQ. Special Agent Seeley Booth, serving on active duty with elements of the U.S. Army was involved in an engagement with hostile forces during some of the most intense fighting of the war to date. While he was deployed to a small town in support of local U.S. forces, it was over run by a large contingent of the opposition. U.S. Forces recaptured the area many hours later but were not able to identify his body amongst the dead. He is presumed to be missing in action (MIA). Our prayers go out to his family and friends.
Andrew Hacker, Deputy Director”

Temperance felt thunder rushing in her ears, the world spinning erratically, strange visions of ghostly lights and then everything went black.

Angela was sitting on one side of Temperance holding her hand when she opened her eyes again. She was lying face up on her own bed in the hotel room. Jack was sitting on the other side of her holding the other hand.

“Bren, thank goodness! I was afraid we were going to have to take you to the hospital.” Angela cried. “Do you feel OK, is anything physically wrong we need to have treated?”

“I feel OK, nothing hurts...” and then she remembered the message... ...gasped deeply...
“Heeee’sssssssssssGonnnnnnnnnne...” interspersed with wracking sobs...
“Booooooothhhhhhh...” interspersed with wracking sobs...
“Boooothhh...” interspersed with wracking sobs...
“Gonnne...” interspersed with wracking sobs...
“Gonne...” interspersed with wracking sobs... her voice hoarse and failing.

Angela and Jack let her cry all night, spending the night beside her bed. They had been able to expend their own tears while she lay unconscious earlier. She finally slept for a few quiet hours before opening her eyes again.

“Angie, Jack...” she whispered in a hoarse breaking voice. “You are still here. I am so glad. I am sorry to have put you to such trouble.”

“Bren...” Angela said softly “...this is everyone’s loss. Yes, you more than anyone else, but it is still our group loss and we must all share in the grief together. This is where we need to be, with you.”

Temperance nodded her head in a silent “Thank you.”

Jack leaned over and asked “Would you like something to eat or drink, maybe juice or tea?”

“No, thank you. Not yet, but maybe in little while. I remember the message up to the mention of Andrew Hacker’s name. Was there anything after that with more information?”

“No, Tempe. That was the whole message.” Jack said.

“Oh.” She said faintly.

“Tempe.”

“Yes, Jack.”

“I don’t want to give you false hopes, because it looks pretty bad, but I don’t think you should give up completely, yet.”

“Why, Jack”

“The message said he was missing in action, not among the dead. That means there is still a chance until we see clear evidence that...”

“I understand, Jack.”

“Tempe, this is just like when each of us had our experience of being buried by the Gravedigger. Everyone had to keep their faith in the others that we would all hold out, and keep trying, until the last possible minute. Booth is a pretty resourceful guy so let’s give him the benefit of the doubt.”

“Jack, thank you. I wish I were strong enough to hug you again! ...Have you told Cam and the interns about that?”

“No, not yet.”

“Please do. It might make it easier for them, too.”

Jack moved over to the desk and brought up the computer VTC again to talk with Cam.

“Bren, how are you feeling, now?” Angela asked.

“I’m really tired and all my muscles ache...”

“Just rest, Bren. There is no need for you to do anything today. Jack and I will be here with you.”

“Angie...”

“Yes, Bren.”

“This is partly my fault...”

“Bren! How could you think that?”

“He didn’t really want to go. I could see it in his eyes. He wanted to stay. He wanted me to stay. He wanted us to stay together there at home. If I had not left him to come here for some old bones, he would not have gone to Afghanistan!” She broke down crying again.

“Bren, don’t think that for a minute. That’s guilt that you don’t deserve and don’t need to carry. We all needed a break of some kind after five years of intense cases. We can’t change the past and at the time those decisions were made based on what seemed right for us. Even in the best case, if you had both stayed there together as a couple, something catastrophic might have happened to one or the other of you. All we can do is make the best of what we have now.”

Temperance slowed her crying and nodded a silent “Thank you.”

Jack had just finished the VTC with Cam and came back to speak with both Temperance and Angela.

“Cam said that Andrew Hacker called her earlier. He is putting out feelers through the military and other government agencies looking for any evidence of what happened to Booth. He also sends his heartfelt condolences to Temperance and hopes she is doing well. He said to please contact him if we need anything.”

“Andrew is a little goofy, but he was always a real sweetheart about personal matters.” Temperance said fondly.

(Chapter 11)

Day 40
The Hodgins Hotel Room
Maluku Islands, Indonesia



Temperance sat in Jack and Angela’s hotel room, where she had been spending most of her waking hours during the past few days. She couldn’t bear to sit in her own room alone, seeing the mementoes of Booth around her. However, she didn’t want to go out of the building either, in case word of any kind came concerning Booth.

Temperance had become quite taken with the story of the Three Musketeers and they had watched one of the movies earlier. Afterwards, she regaled Jack and Angela with the story of her dream and how d’Artagnan Booth defeated the evil Cardinal Gravedigger with the aid of the Three Squinteers. Both of them rolled with laughter over her descriptions of the various characters in the dream

Jack’s cellphone rang and he answered on the second ring.

“Jack, here... ...Hi... ...anything solid?... ...what?... ...OK, right now...”

He hung up and turned to them “That was Cam. She said Hacker called and was sending them some evidence but he wouldn’t say what it is. She wants us to start the VTC so we can all find out together.”

Temperance ran to her laptop and flung it open before Jack and Angela could react. She started pushing buttons and tapping her foot fiercely muttering “Come on. Come on!”

The screen of the computer finally lit up and she activated the VTC link getting:

Video Tele Conference with Jeffersonian Laboratory

“Cam! Cam! What do you have?” Temperance burst out.

“Tempe, I know how important this is to you, to all of us, but please restrain yourself so I can give some of the background that we have.”

“Yes, Cam. I am sorry. Please continue.”

“Andrew sent me a DVD with a video on it. He will not tell me what organization provided it. He said, also, if word were to leak out of the Jeffersonian he will burn the building to the ground with us in it. He did say that we have this one day early, it is to be broadcast on a website tomorrow. Andrew has his forensic team reviewing it and he wants us to do the same, the more eyes the better. He did say that all of us, Temperance, you in particular, must try to control our reactions and answer one important question ‘Is this location in Pakistan or Afghanistan?’ Booth disappeared near the border between the countries - we need to know which one this is.”

Angela and Jack sat on each side of Temperance. They each grabbed one of her hands and squeezed them as Jack said “All for one and one for all.” She smiled and they released her hands.

Cam said “Is everyone ready?”

“Yes.” echoed from various locations.

The video had been shot with a small digital movie camera mounted on a tripod. It was fairly stable but the detail was mediocre. The scene opened and it was obviously inside a small dimly lit windowless building with bare pockmarked walls. A man, dressed in the local style stood behind a small table, that was bare except for some assorted ceramic bowls and cups. The man was holding an AK-47 and began to speak forcefully in one of the local dialects. He interspersed his speech with sentences in good English, so was obviously educated elsewhere. He made several references to “American pirates and thieves.” The monologue went for a few minutes.

After his monologue the man began walking around the table to the right and the camera rotated with him so it pointed about 45 degrees to the right of the original location. The camera now pointed directly at a person sitting on an armless chair, slumped over towards the camera. He was dressed in camouflage pants and an earth-tone tee shirt. The person’s feet were tied together and his arms were tied together in front also. The man walked around so that he stood next to the chair, still facing the camera. He continued some of his monologue on how they would punish the pirates and thieves, this one in particular.

The man then reached over and grabbed the person’s hair and raised his head quickly towards the ceiling so he could reach inside the victim’s shirt. He pulled out an ID tag and read off “Booth, Seeley J.”

Temperance choked and gasped, then put her right hand over her chest as if to hold her heart inside her body. Angela and Jack both put their arms around her from opposite sides.

The man on the video then said “Tomorrow we will show you the evidence of this man’s pirate ways.” He then raised the AK-47 and hit Booth in the ribs, causing an achingly painful groan. The video went blank and ended at that point.

Everyone at both ends of the VTC sat there stunned, either crying or in complete silence. Cam was the first to recover and said “Alright everyone! I know this is difficult but we don’t have much time. It tells us he is still alive, we have to try and keep him that way. Everyone review that video on your own separate machines - as many eyes as we can. I don’t know exactly what we’re looking for, but we need to know if that was recorded in Pakistan or Afghanistan. Tempe!”

“Yes, Cam” Temperance choked out.

“I understand if you can’t review this with us.”

“Cam, I don’t think I can do the last part. I will review the first part up until the camera starts to swing.”

“That would be great!”.

Several hours had gone by and their eyes were aching from the physical strain, the stress multiplied by the subject matter they watched.

“I just don’t know what to look for anymore. Bugs and slime I can deal with but this is out of my depth!” Jack shouted in exasperation.

“I know, Jack. My eyes are about burnt out.” Angela mumbled.

“Cam, I am at a complete loss to see anything that bears on the location.” Temperance spit out. “What difference does it make anyway whether it is Pakistan or Afghanistan?”

“Tempe, if it is in Pakistan, then nothing we do will matter because we don’t have forces in place that can go there for a rescue in time. If it is Afghanistan, there is a chance for a rescue, but we are running short of time.” Cam explained for her.

“Alright, Cam. I am going back over it all again.” Temperance softly said.

A couple minutes later Mr. Nigel-Murray spoke up “Dr. Brennan, are you looking at the section just as the camera swings?”

“Yes, Mr. Nigel-Murray, I am stopping just as the camera starts its swing.”

“Follow the swing for a few seconds more, please.” he said

“What am I looking for?”

“Notice the camera swings a bit faster than the man walking. As it swings ahead of him, there appears to be some object behind the table that he passes and blocks from view.”

“Yes, I see that. What do you think it is?” Temperance asked.

“I cannot tell. It appears to be something sitting on a small table or bookcase behind him. My computer is configured for databases and scientific manipulations. It won’t do graphics well. Perhaps Ms. Montenegro can do something with it.”

“Angie!” Temperance exclaimed”

“Already on it, Bren! Let me see if I can make it out.”

Temperance watched as Angela stepped through the video to the sequence described and froze it at the clearest image of the object. Next she zoomed in several times until it filled her screen. At that point the object was blurry and indecisive but the shape was generally solid. Temperance moved closer and placed her hand on Angela’s right arm as she looked over her shoulder. Angela had the computer run a few contrast and color permutations as the object became more familiar looking.

Angela whispered “Sweetie, you’re holding my arm too tight. I can’t move the mouse properly. It’s OK to hold on, just not so tight.”

Temperance said “Sorry.” and relaxed her grip slightly.

A few more steps and Angela said “Got it. It’s an old style windup alarm clock with hands on it.”

“Does that help? Does that help?’ Temperance exclaimed.

“Maybe!” Jack exclaimed. “Angie, can you see the time on it clearly?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me what time is on the clock and then tell me what numbers are at the bottom of the video screen. Be very sure of both sets of numbers.”

Angela read them off and verified them again to be sure.

Jack was looking through some webpage that Temperance couldn’t see and it took him a couple minutes. He suddenly sat up straight and yelled in to the VTC “Cam, tell Hacker we think it is Afghanistan.”

“Jack, are you sure?” she called back.

“About 90 per cent, but that is all we can give you at the moment. We’ll tell him why we think so shortly.” Jack said.

“Afghanistan, that is good, right?” Temperance asked.

“Yes, sweetie, that’s good. It means he still has a chance.”

Temperance smiled slightly and choked a little bit too, then asked “Jack, how were you able to tell it is Afghanistan and not Pakistan?”

“When I compared the time on the clock to the numbers at the bottom it gave me the answer. Whoever owns the camera left it’s time track set to the default standard Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) setting. Afghanistan and Pakistan are in two different time zones, so that at this time of year there is about a half hour difference in their clock settings. It might have been possible that someone in Pakistan had their clock set to Afghanistan time, but that didn’t seem likely.”

Cam could be heard in the background “Mr. Nigel-Murray, I won’t kiss you, but next week feel free to hit me with all the trivia you have in you!”

(Chapter 12)

Day 41
The Hodgins Hotel Room
Maluku Islands, Indonesia



Temperance was in Jack and Angela’s Hotel room again. Cam had called and let them know that Andrew was sending over some more evidence for them to review. Her computer was open and connecting:

Video Tele Conference with Jeffersonian Laboratory

Cam started off “OK, it looks like the same kind of deal as yesterday. Very hush-hush, another DVD and we are one day ahead of the release. Since we determined it is Afghanistan, they want to know if we can tell where in Afghanistan it was recorded.”

She waited a couple minutes then asked “Is everybody ready?”

“Yes.” from all corners.

The video started and was obviously a continuation of the first one, probably recorded within the same time frame. The camera was looking head on at Booth sitting in the chair with his head bent towards the ground. The same man was speaking in the local language and continuing his tirade but he was not carrying the AK-47 this time. He made several more references to pirates and thieves and how they had come only to kill and steal from the land. He walked back and forth for a few minutes praising all those who opposed the pirates. Then he walked over to booth and turned him, apparently on a rotating stool, to face to the right so the camera could see him from the left side. He reached down and pulled up the tee shirt sleeve over Booth’s shoulder so the upper arm was cleanly visible.

The man said “Here is the symbol of their love of killing and hate!”

The camera zoomed in and centered directly on a tattoo on Booths shoulder.

Temperance choked and gasped while everyone else caught their breath too.

The man explained “This tattoo is similar to the bumper messages they place on their cars. It uses a shortcut means of saying something. Notice it has the word ‘I’ followed by a drawing of a valentine heart. That means the word ‘love.‘ See the word under it is ‘Bones.’ The complete statement is ‘I Love Bones.’ This man came here for bones. He wants to kill us so much to take our bones and destroy us. We will not allow that to happen!”

By this time Temperance had collapsed on her computer and was crying nearly hysterically. Angela and Cam were both crying but more restrained. Jack and the interns were too stunned to say anything.

The man in the video spun Booth around so that he was facing forward again. He said to Booth “Pirate, if you want bones, I have lots of bones for you! We will bury you in bones!” He then went off camera and came back with a large box filled with bones and laid them all around Booth and in his lap. He put a couple bones at angles like on a pirate flag, and then set a skull on top of Booth’s head, looking at the camera. The man then said “This is what awaits all pirates!”

The video went blank at that point.

Cam spoke up, her voice breaking “OK everyone. You know what we have to do. Again, I’m not sure what to look for, but we need to know where in Afghanistan it was recorded. Angie!”

“Yes Cam.”

“You might want to take Tempe away from the computers for a little bit. Have her let me know when and if she feels she can work with us.”

Angela took Temperance, still crying, by the arm and led her over to the bed. “Here, Sweetie.” She said. “Lay down for awhile and let us know if you need anything.”

“Thank you, Angie” she mumbled through tears.

Angela returned to her computer and started the search. It was a little less stressful this time since there wasn’t any actual hitting going on.

Several hours later they were all on the verge of collapse and still nothing identifiable.

“Jack, Does anything in that room look different than the previous video?”

“No, Angie. My eyes are rolling back in my head from the strain.”

“Cam!” Angie called. “Has anyone seen anything different in this video?”

“No! We’ve looked at everything in the room. We’ve looked at Booth. We’ve looked at the bones. We’ve looked at the bad guy. We just don’t see anything that tells us anything. Has Tempe been able to take a look yet?”

“No, Cam. She is still kind of out of it on the bed.”

“Try to get her to at least look. We are running out of time!”

Angela walked over to the bed and bent over Temperance.

“Bren, are you strong enough to help us now?”

“Oh, Angie, I can’t, I can’t. I just can’t look at him like that.” she sniffled.

“Bren, we don’t have much time left. If we don’t locate him, there may not be a Booth anymore in a few days.”

Temperance choked and looked at her with fear in her eyes.

“Sweetie, I’m not trying to scare you, that is the situation as it stands. We have all looked and we cannot see anything telling. The only difference is the stack of bones that guy dropped on Booth.”

“Angie, I... I...”

“Bren, we need you, and Booth needs you, to do what you do best. Come over to my computer as I have it zoomed in so you can look closely at the bones. Let those famous walls of yours block out everything else but the bones and tell us if there is anything there or not. Picture yourself being back at the Jeffersonian on any other case and give us your results.”

“Angie, but...”

“Bren, no but... ...that’s where we are now. Help us or lose him for sure.”

“Yes, Angie, you are quite right. Give me a moment to gather myself and I will be at your computer shortly.”

A few minutes later Temperance was scanning and scrolling through the bone images on the computer. She spent about ten minutes perusing everything in general and then went back to do a closer review of a few distinct bones and the skull. Angela heard a catch in her voice as she was looking at the skull.

“Angie, come here a minute please.” Temperance said.

“Yes, Bren?”

“These are all fairly ancient bones, not someone who died recently. Do you remember, about four or five years ago, helping me with some graphics for an article I did on the desecration of ancient graveyards around the world?”

“Vaguely, yes.”

“Do you think you could use one of the other computers and find that article online somewhere or in one of your magic hidden places?”

“I’ll try, Bren.”

“In the meantime, I will continue looking for anything else but I think that will help a lot if you can find it.”

Angela came back about fifteen minutes later with a file copy she had of the article and showed it to Temperance.

“Yes, that’s it. Send it to me please.”

Temperance clicked through the pages.

“Ah ha. I thought so. Angie, come look at this.”

“What?”

“There were a group of ancient graves that were disturbed during some of the chaos that occurred earlier in Afghanistan, 15-20 years ago. They were all disinterred using military style entrenching tools like axes, which left some pretty distinct marks on the bones and skulls. They were then basically left as display items for the people who did it and are still in that same area as far as I know.”

“Angie, do you see the name there on that page.”

“Yes.”

“Pass that to Cam to send to Hacker. That is where the bones are from. We will have to hope they are still in the same area.”

“Bren.”

“Yes, Angie.” Temperance said as she stood up.

Angela hugged her and said “I knew you could do it when no one else could!”

“Angie.”

“Yes Bren.”

“Did we save him?” she asked softly.

“Sweetie, we don’t know for sure, but you just gave him the best, and only chance he does have.”

(Chapter 13)

Day 43
The Hodgins Hotel Room
Maluku Islands, Indonesia



Temperance sat at the desk in the room of Jack and Angela fidgeting uselessly. “Why haven’t they told us anything?” She shouted.

“Sweetie, I know it’s hard but try to keep yourself under control. If Andrew sends us more evidence, we need to be in a condition to deal with it quickly.”

“But that’s just it Angie, no more videos, no pictures or audio tapes. Nothing! What’s going on?”

Jack added “Maybe that’s good news, Tempe. or maybe it’s just that nothing has really happened and they (and we) are all waiting for the next shoe to drop.”

“Shoes, Jack! I don’t care about shoes! What is happening?”

“Sweetie, he means we are waiting for the next event in this sequence to occur.”

Temperance thought for a minute and said “Sorry Jack. I understand now.”

Jack’s phone rang and he answered it “Jack. ...right.. ...we will... ...OK..” and he hung up. He was going to say it was Cam asking then to connect the VTC. However, on the first ring Temperance had grabbed her computer and had the connection going before he hung up:


Video Tele Conference with Jeffersonian Laboratory


“Cam! What’s going on?” Temperance said.

Cam said “Andrew has provided us with a web link to a page with a video that is going to be broadcast live. There are no DVD’s that were recorded. Andrew says the thugs holding Booth have been calling the live video a big show.”

“Tempe, the rest of us have to watch this and record it so we can try to gather forensic evidence that will be useful afterwards. I am asking you... ...no, I am pleading with you, do not try to watch this with us. If you must see it, we can provide the recording to you later when the time is more suitable.”

“Cam! What... What are they going to do? What?... What?” Temperance began shouting frantically.

“Tempe, it is better for you not to know right now...”

“Cam, what? I have to know, what? What” She was on the verge of tears.

“Tempe, alright... ...Jack, Ange would you stand next to her and hold her close, please?”

Ange said “Cam, how bad is this? as she and Jack moved in to support Temperance.

Cam waited a couple minutes trying to get her voice to speak, and finally fumbled out “They are ... ...going... ...going... ...to execute him.” She broke down crying too.

Gasping, choking and crying echoed at both ends of the VTC. Jack and Angela both squeezed Temperance tightly and held her.

Angela was crying also, shaking with a slight gasp.
Jack was stunned, choking and gasping for his voice.
All of the interns were in various levels of disarray trying to grasp what this meant.

Temperance broke into a heavy sobbing that lasted for a few minutes and gradually slowed to a simple whimper as she tried to use those walls to protect herself.

Eventually, everyone was cried out for the time being when Temperance said “Cam. I want to watch it with everyone else. If this is to be Booth’s last night alive, I want to see the living man facing his captors rather than a recording of pixels and digits afterwards.”

“Tempe, I really don’t think that is a good idea.”

“Cam, please. If this is the last time I will ever see him, I want to lock it in my memory now, rather than try to recover it from something else. I promise that if it begins to overwhelm me I will leave the room so as not to disturb anyone else.”

“Tempe, I still don’t think it is a good idea, but do as you think best. Everyone, Andrew said the video will begin in about 25 minutes. Please make sure we have multiple recordings being made before it starts so we capture everything.

They all spent the next 20 minutes trying to convince Temperance not to watch the video. She was adamant that if this is her last time to see him alive, she is going to see him alive!

Just before the video was to start, Cam said “OK, everyone. Take your places and get us the best quality information we can.”

The video opened on a scene different than the two recordings. The atmosphere was the same of a windowless room, but this one was obviously a little bigger. The camera seemed to be better quality because the image was sharper and the sound had more resonance in it. It was pointed directly at Booth, looking at him from the front. He was sitting in a similar chair and was tied in the same manner as before with his head bent over towards the camera. There were a few assorted pieces of furniture behind him and on both sides. The same man was walking around starting a tirade in the local language. This time, instead of an AK-47, he carried a very large knife. The man walked and spun around a few times mentioning pirates and thieves every now and then. The man made several false swings of the knife at Booth, and he did not react to it at all, obviously too worn out. This went on for about four minutes as the man worked up his own enthusiasm for the task at hand.

By this time, all of the staff at the Jeffersonian were in near panic, waiting for what they knew was coming but Temperance still refused to leave.

A couple minutes later the man started indicating he was ready to finish the job as he moved behind Booth. With a flourish and a twist of the knife he bent close behind Booths head to place the knife to his throat.

At the Jeffersonian there were several gasps and Cam said “Tempe, please go away now!”

“No, I will not!”

As the man bent forward, Booth, who had been resting, coiling and conserving his energy up to this time, shoved and stood straight up, catching the man under the jaw with the top of his head. That move snapped the man’s head backwards and might even have broken his neck, thus the man collapsed behind him. Booth tried to jump backwards away from the chair and as he did so the man operating the camera ran at him pulling out another knife, screaming some strange insults. As the man ran, he bumped into the camera tripod so it fell over sideways to the right. The camera bounced a bit and ended up laying on the floor sideways with a view along the floor. A struggle was heard in the backgrounds with occasional screams or grunts form both men and various colors of cloth flashing in front of the camera. There was a final pained scream from Booth, followed by a thud and camouflage cloth blocked the view of the camera. The other man could be heard walking around and the camera suddenly went black.

“What was that?” Temperance yelled. “What happened?”

Cam said “Rewind those recordings. Let’s see if we can figure out what the result was.”

They all spent a couple hours reviewing the video and listening to the audio, trying to come to a conclusion that was good but they couldn’t find one. The best that they had was Booth went down fighting and they were proud of him for that.
“Tempe, I’m sorry that you had to see that.” I understand why you wanted to, but try to use those walls of yours some tonight. OK? Cam said.

“Thank you Cam. I think I would like to go back to my room and cry for a little bit first.”

(Chapter 14)

Day 45
The Hodgins Hotel Room
Maluku Islands, Indonesia



Temperance had returned to Jack and Angela’s room. moping and listless for two days. At first they tried to cheer her up a bit but the weight of it all hit them hard too. The VTC’s between the room and the Jeffersonian Institute had been few and short as no one felt like talking.

All things considered, Temperance seemed to be doing better than expected. Angela had been afraid she might go catatonic and not speak for days. All of the staff were afraid she might decide to run but Angela pointed out Temperance said earlier her running days were over. She did bring Booth’s uniform shirt with her to their room and would wrap it around herself every now and then.

“Sweetie.”

“Yes, Angie.”

“Would you like to go to Paris with us when we leave?”

Temperance looked up with panic in her eyes and said “Are you leaving?”

“Bren, no. We are not leaving you. But eventually it will be time for all three of us to go somewhere, unless you really want to stay here.”

“No, I do not have any real reason to stay here. The work has little interest for me anymore. Yes, I would like to go to Paris with you.”

“Great, Sweetie!.”

Jack had been surfing the web and stumbled across a game based on identifying rare bugs in history. He was doing quite well, but every now and then would mutter something like “That’s not how you spell it. How can I win if you don’t spell it right!” or “Idiot. The carapace is the wrong color!”

His cellphone rang and Jack answered, said a few words and then hung up.

“Cam wants us to link in with the VTC.”

“Why?”

“She didn’t say - just asked that we take a few minutes and join in.”

Angela had the link up a few minutes later:

Video Tele Conference with Jeffersonian Laboratory

“Cam, what’s up?” Angela asked.

“Andrew Hacker said he received a summary report concerning the part we played in looking for Booth. Apparently the Army thought we made a really good effort and Andrew wanted us to know what they said. He isn’t sending the complete report, just the section that applies to us. I thought everyone might want to hear it at the same time, maybe help cheer things up a little.”

“Cam, that is nice of Andrew. It might help a little to know what they thought of our work.”

“Angie, get Jack and Tempe and I’ll gather the others. Andrew said he would send it immediately. I’ll have Mr. Edison read it for us. I’m still a little too hoarse for such things.”

About five minutes later Cam said “Everyone ready?”

“Yes.” from everywhere.

“Please read it Mr. Edison. I haven’t seen it yet either.”

He started:

------------------
Start Message

From: Commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan
To: Commander, U.S. Central Command

High Priority
.....
Para 2. Operations
....
Para 2.E. During combat operations on the date and at the location identified in para 1.B.1 above, action elements of a task force assigned to this HQ engaged hostile forces in several structures and throughout the surrounding area. Operational details concerning casualties, as well as equipment and materiel recovered will be forwarded through later message traffic.

Para 2.F. The body of Sergeant Major (SGM) Booth was found lying on the floor following an explosive insertion by task force troops into one of the larger buildings in the compound. He was found to be unconscious and non-responsive, however emergency medical aid provided by unit personnel enabled sufficient recovery for him to be transported by stretcher bearer to the unit ambulance. Examination by HQ medical personnel shows that he suffered several wounds, apparently during both his capture and following actions. None of the wounds appear to be life-threatening.

Para 2.G. SGM Booth is en route via military transport to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) for follow-on care and therapy. Recommend reassignment of SGM Booth to home duty station upon release from WRNMMC.

Para 2.H. Recommend formal citation for action elements and support entities involved in operations leading to the successful recovery of SGM Booth. Recommend special citation for the staff of the Jeffersonian Institution Forensic Laboratory for their technical expertise, dedication to duty, and refusal to surrender while performing under stressful conditions; without which the successful recovery of SGM Booth would not have been possible.

End of Message
----------------------

Cam started screaming “Tempe, Tempe! Did you hear that? He is on his way to Walter Reed! He is OK! Hurry back!”

Shouting, celebration and general rowdiness broke out at both ends of the VTC.

Jack yelled “Tempe, how quickly can you pack?”

“I’m already completely packed, have been for a week.” she shouted back.

“Why?”

“In case we had to go wherever he was being held.” she replied.

“Cam! We’ll be in the air and back as soon as we can!” Jack shouted.

“Cam! Cam!” Temperance yelled.

“Yes, Tempe!”

“We’re coming home, Cam! We’re coming home to stay with our friends!”

(Chapter 15)

Day 49
Visitor’s Area
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center



The head nurse turned to her colleague and said “That pair over there had the most unusual reunion I have seen in almost 20 years here.”

“What do you mean?” replied the other nurse.

“Well, he was sitting in the chair when she came in. As she came through the door her head was swiveling in every direction, much like an eagle in flight looks for its prey. He saw her coming in and stood up. She saw him and their eyes locked in a fixed stare. He tried to step forward, but couldn’t because of his wounds and had to stop. She hurried over to him, bumping into other people and things, ignoring them completely like they didn’t exist, taking the most direct route and staring the entire time. When she reached him, they held the stare for a couple minutes more, then he opened his arms, she moved to him and they hugged, folding in as one person. They have been hugging for nearly a half hour nonstop, since. Neither one of them has ever said a single word.”

“Wow!” replied the second nurse. “With love like that who needs movies and TV?”

“No kidding!” replied the head nurse.

Bones and Booth stood in a loose hug, close together, but far enough apart so they could continue to look in each others eyes. He had his arms entwined around her waist and she was resting hers on his chest.

Booth’s eyes began to twinkle as they conveyed his message to her “I missed you so much!”

“I missed you, too!” she glinted back.

“I missed you more!” he flashed.

“No, I missed you, more!” poured from her.

A silent, but joyful laugh from both of them as they realized they were bickering again.

Bones suddenly turned her head to his upper arm and raised her hand gently to rest on it. She looked at his eyes again and passed a silent “May I see it?”

“Of course...” he affirmed.

She had to help him turn a bit and roll the robe down over his shoulder so she could see the area. Finally, his upper arm was uncovered enough and she looked at it. Her stomach clenched when she saw the numerous cuts, abrasions, bruises and at least two cigarette burns that lay there.

She glanced at him with a mournful “I am so sorry this happened!”

He looked at her “Everything is good now that you’re here...”

The tattoo was somewhat hidden by the discoloration of his wounds but it clearly said ‘I Heart (Love) Bones’. She lowered her head and held her forehead against it for a couple minutes, then raised again slightly and gently kissed his arm.

Bones moved back around so she could face him directly in the loose hug again. She looked back up in to his eyes, content to just stand there for awhile.

Booth cleared his throat and finally spoke “Bones, I need to say something... ...I’ve been thinking about this for quite awhile, especially while I was being held... ...please let me finish before you reply.

Before I was recalled to active duty, we had that discussion where I asked you to take a shot so we could have 30 or 40 or 50 years together. That didn’t work out very well, I think for several reasons:
- You were taken by surprise and didn’t really have time to think about it...
- I acted more like a stallion in heat pushing forward with my desire, rather than seeing the panic and fear in your eyes...
- I didn’t let you see that it was love and devotion I was offering instead of an arrangement...
- I failed you by moving on immediately rather than providing the support and encouragement you needed to work through the situation.

The past months I spent in Afghanistan have been very difficult for me. The duty itself put me in situations I really didn’t want to see anymore and the living conditions were rustic, verging on deplorable. I could put up with all of that easily, including being captured, but the most hellish part for me was being separated from Parker and not being able to see you, touch you, talk to you, or even know how you were doing. I just could not bear to do that a second time.

We have already wasted too much time being apart while being together. I just don’t want to do that anymore, I want the whole thing - all of it...

I want to wake you the first thing in the morning and watch you off to sleep at night, spending every hour in between those times being your friend for life, being your playmate for life, and being your lover for life...

I want to be father to your children and grandfather to your grandchildren...

I want to sit with you when you are sick, bicker with you when you are feisty, cuddle with you when you are comfortable, and dance with you when you are happy. I want to share the sad moments, the joyous moments, the great moments and the mundane moments. I want all of them, all the moments that make life worth living...

I know you don’t think much of the institution of marriage, so I don’t care how we become united...
We can have a military ceremony with flags flying, dress uniforms and arched sabers...
or we can have a religious ceremony in a cathedral...
or we can stand in front of a justice of the peace...
or we can just sign a common law document...
or we can spit in our palms, shake hands and punch each other in the shoulder...
or nothing at all.

I don’t care how we get there, I just want for us to be together.

In case you have concerns about losing our partnership because we stumble, wipe that from your mind. I am your partner for life and will always be there for you if you need me. You will never be alone again, no matter what else happens in our lives. If you won’t, or can’t do this with me, I understand and feel no ill will because of that.

Many times during the five years we were together, despite our protestations of being just partners, the people around us made observations like: ‘How long have you been married?’ or ‘You two are a married couple, you just don’t know it yet.’ It is long past time for both of us to recognize what they have always known.

Bones, I want all of these things and I can’t think of anyone who deserves to have this kind of happiness as much as you do. Do you want all of these things too?”

They fell back to their shared stare while she was thinking about what he said. She was taking such a long time to consider, Booth began to worry he had overwhelmed her again.

Suddenly, she remembered there was something else she wanted to do. Booth saw her eyes shifting concentration and felt her body stiffening.

“Oh no!” he thought. “Please don’t let her run again.”

Bones stepped back quickly away from him about a half step, then another.

“Is there something wrong!” flashed his eyes, filled with worry.

“No, nothing wrong..” she gazed back, raising her hand to her heart. “I have something to show you...”

Bones undid the top button of her blouse and started fishing something out from within. She began to think to herself “Will he be angry I have this? Will he think me a fool for holding on to it like I have? What do I say if he gets upset?”

She gently and gracefully pulled out a gold chain around her neck, with a pendant attached to it. This was her personal treasure. No one else had ever seen it; no one else even knew it existed except the lady who made it for her at a jewelry store in Washington, D. C., before she left for Indonesia. She had carried it every day, hanging directly over her heart, since Booth left for Afghanistan. Every evening she would take a few minutes and hold it in her hands to regain the memories she had missed.

Once she had it out, Bones, carefully held it in the palms of both hands and shyly, almost like the teenager she used to be, presented it to Booth for him to see it.

He immediately recognized part of it. His eyes flitted to hers with a glint of recognition “So that’s where it went!”

Embarrassed and somewhat sheepish, she winced “Yes, I have it.”

He smiled back “I’m so glad!”

Happiness restored, Bones inched forward a little bit and leaned towards him so he could see the pendant better. It was a gold oval with some decorations on it that he couldn’t quite make out. He gently placed his hands under hers and raised them a little bit so he could see it.

On the bottom of the pendant there were two small red hearts done in gemstone, they lay at a forty-five degree angle so one crossed over the other. There was a small replica of a human bone done in white gemstone that ran horizontally and lay directly above the centers of the hearts. His ID tag, or dog tag, was mounted horizontally above the hearts, held in place by small diamonds.

Booth lifted his eyes to hers and stared “It’s beautiful... ... so amazing!”

She happily glinted “I’m so glad you like it...” but the teenager in her implored “Look closer...”

He stared at the pendant, trying to see what else might be so important. He tilted it in a couple different directions to get a better light reflection.

Bones was becoming a little nervous when the sudden choke in his breath told her he had seen it. He raised his wide eyes to hers quickly looking for confirmation. She had a joyful look on her face and he had to look at the pendant again to be sure he wasn’t mistaken.

Booth looked closely at the ID tag which normally had the following information on it:

Booth (his surname)
Seeley J (his given name and middle initial)
Service Number
Catholic (his religion)

When Bones had the pendant made she had ordered some additional text to to be added in the space on the ID tag just above his surname. Now the ID tag read

I Love
Booth
Seeley J
Service Number
Catholic

Booth looked up again, his eyes flushed with happiness, but also querying “Yes, true?” in his face.

Bones spoke her first word that afternoon when she joyfully replied “Yes!”

Booth was speechless, his heart was in his throat and he couldn’t breathe. All he could think to do was hug her closer and hold on to make sure his dream didn’t disappear.

After a couple minutes, Bones gently whispered “Booth, like you said, I want it all! That includes the flags flying, dress uniforms, and arched sabers!”

Barely restraining himself, he replied “Bones, it would be the proudest moment of my life to do that, but it seems out of character for you. Why would you want the fancy ceremony?”

“Three reasons. First, I have missed so much of life by hiding in my lab. I want to see more of what life has to offer.”

“OK, I understand. What’s the second reason?”

“I think Parker would enjoy it and be even more proud of you than he already is.”

“Thank you Bones, for considering that. I think he would, too. What is the third reason?”

Bones leaned back slightly, so she could look into his eyes again, and a mischievous glint lit up hers as she said ” It will drive Jack Hodgins crazy having to take part in a military ceremony!”

The head nurse had to shush Booth several times before his laughing outburst subsided.

“Ya know, Bones, there may be a problem with having a military ceremony.”

“What is the problem?”

“Well, Bones, you remember what happened when I let you have a gun... ...you shot me. I’m afraid if I give you a saber I might end up back here in the hospital.”

She gave him a sideward glance with a lascivious smile and her voice dropped into a silky, slightly husky register as she said “I’m very adept with large knives. All you have to do is keep me satisfied, Booth, and you won’t have to worry!”

“Yes Mam!” He said in his finest military whisper. “I will execute that mission with vigor and enthusiasm.”

After Booth regained his composure, they hugged again. They were still standing like that when Angela came to take Bones home.