“All rise.”
Brennan looked nervously at Booth. She knew he would be called to the stand next. She closed her eyes, begging silently that he would follow through with her plan, to give reasonable doubt as to whether or not Brennan herself could have committed the murder of Robert Kirby. There was no physical evidence connecting her to the crime, but this course of action could set her father free.
The trial had been dragging on for days now, and she hadn’t been able to work with Booth the entire time. He even had to stay at his own place until the verdict had been decided. Brennan missed her partner and couldn’t wait to have this ordeal over with. All they had to do was provide reasonable doubt.
“Ms. Julianne, you may call your witness to the stand.”
Booth stood and took his place in the box.
“Agent Booth,” Caroline began. “You are aware that the weapon used to murder deputy director of the FBI was in the possession of Dr. Temperance Brennan, the defendant’s daughter, are you not?”
“Yes.”
“You are also aware that Robert Kirby was allegedly attempting to kill Dr. Brennan and her older brother, Russ Brennan?”
“I am.” Booth took a deep breath. Conflicting emotions were swirling around inside him. He was angry at the death of an agent of the FBI, but he was even angrier that the dead man had gone after his partner. He didn’t know what to do. Brennan told him to make the court believe that she herself could have killed Kirby, but he didn’t want to do that.
Bones…
“Is it not true that Dr. Brennan is capable of making certain cold and calculated decisions so as to protect herself and her brother?”
Booth glanced at Brennan, worry creeping into his gaze. Don’t make me do this, he begged her silently.
“Agent Booth, you will answer the question,” intoned the judge.
He gazed at his partner still. She nodded slightly to let him go on.
“Agent Booth!”
He took a deep breath a closed his eyes, hating the taste of the words about to come out of his mouth. “It is possible, yes. But she couldn’t have actually done it.”
No, Booth! This isn’t the plan!
“She was with me all day. There was no ti – “
“Who picked your son up from school that day, Agent Booth?” Caroline countered.
Booth froze. Damn.
“Dr. Brennan was not in your company for almost 45 minutes. Would she have had enough time to murder the deputy director of the FBI?”
Bones, I can’t do it. I can’t condemn you. I’m sorry.
C’mon, Booth! Just say yes! You know I didn’t do it. You know there’s no physical evidence tying me to Kirby’s murder!
I can’t, I can’t do it. I just can’t. Don’t ask me to do this.
“Agent Booth, you will answer the question!”
I can’t.
“Agent Booth!”
Brennan stood suddenly. “Booth, just answer the question! C’mon Booth!”
The judge banged his gavel. “Dr. Brennan, you may leave the courtroom. I will not have interruptions! Agent Booth, you WILL answer the tanong now.”
Booth swallowed hard as he watch the pag-ibig of his life being led outside. “Yes,” he whispered. “She would have had time.”
Brennan sat on the steps outside. The others were still in the courtroom, waiting for the jury’s verdict.
“Have you reached a verdict?”
“We have, your Honor.” A jury member handed the judge a sheet of paper and waited as he read it.
“On the count of first-degree murder, the defendant is found….”
Booth closed his eyes. Hodgins put his fist in his mouth in anticipation. Cam bit her lower lip. Angela held her breath. Zach clasped his hands together. The tension was riding rapidly as each of the squinterns prayed for Brennan’s father’s freedom, for the sake of their beloved anthropologist. But as the segundos slowly passed, a feeling a dread compiled within their stomachs.
“Not guilty.”
A collective cheer rose from the entire group. When court was dismissed, each of the Jeffersonians got up and header out the door, to Brennan.
Brennan glanced behind her as Booth came out of the courthouse. For a moment, she was afraid, because he was unsmiling. She stood slowly, the fear snaking cold through her body and her puso thudded, thumpthump. Thumpthump. Not being able to stand it anymore, she rushed into his waiting arms and he stroked her hair.
Then Max appeared from the court doors, and she pulled away from Booth. The fear dissipated and she cried tears of joy. She had her father back. After fifteen years of believing that her parents had abandoned her, she had her father back. After five years of self-denial, she had the pag-ibig of her life. Max embraced her warmly, and suddenly all was well in Temperance’s world.
The crew met at the Founding Fathers Bar and Grill that night to celebrate. After everyone had had a few drinks and something to eat, Hodgins stood and tapped his glass to get his friends’ attention.
“Everybody, I have an announcement to make, if you could all quiet down? Thank you.” He turned towards Angela and took her sa pamamagitan ng the hand. She laughed nervously.
“Jack, what are you – oh, my God!” She gasped as he knelt down on one knee and pulled out a small black velvet box. Hodgins opened the box to reveal a silver engagement band with a large square-cut Esmeralda embedded in it and Angela’s hand flew to her open mouth.
“Angela,” Hodgins murmured. “You are the pag-ibig of my life. You always have been from the moment you walked into the Jeffersonian. I want you sa pamamagitan ng my side forever. Will you marry me?” His beautiful blue eyes pleaded with her and his lips turned upward into a crooked grin, begging her to say yes.
She nodded, too overcome with emotion to speak.
Cheers rose from the squint squad. Brennan rushed over to hug her best friend. “Congratulations! I’m so happy for you” she whispered.
“Brennan?” Angela asked, pulling away from the hug.
“Yeah?”
“I’d like you to be my maid of honor. Will you do that for me?”
Brennan’s eyes shone and she hugged Angela again. “I would be honored, Ange. Thank you.”
Angela grinned. “Thank you!”
“Congratulations, Hodgins.” The groom-to-be turned to see Booth grinning at him.
“Oh, uy Booth. I was just about to ask you if, well, if you would be my best man.”
“Me? What about Zack?”
“I already asked him, and he didn’t want to. sinabi he wasn’t comfortable with that idea, and he couldn’t.”
“So I’m segundo best?”
Hodgins flushed. “No, I just – “
Booth chuckled. “It’s okay, Jack. I was teasing. sa pamamagitan ng the way, good choice on the ring. Angela really likes it.”
“Yeah. Have you thought about asking Brennan to marry you yet?”
Booth didn’t say anything. He just stood there, staring into space.
“Booth? Hello? Booth?”
“Hm? Oh, sorry.”
“I asked you if – “
“Yeah, I know. I want to, I really do, just….I don’t know. We’ve been working together for almost five years now, but we’ve only been dating a few weeks.”
“Dude, you know her better than anyone! You’ve been in pag-ibig with her since you met her, remember?”
“I know, Hodgins. But Buto is different, and she finally admitted she loved me and put down her walls a little. I don’t want to mess that up sa pamamagitan ng asking her too soon. I don’t want her to be afraid I’m going to hurt her and make her hide again,” Booth said, worry creasing his brow.
“You pag-ibig her. She loves you too. It doesn’t take a guy with three doctorates to know that you should marry her. Ask her to be your wife, man. For Pete’s sake, hell will freeze over before she says no.”
“All right, I get it! I certainly plan on asking her to marry me. I’m just waiting for the right time.”
Brennan looked nervously at Booth. She knew he would be called to the stand next. She closed her eyes, begging silently that he would follow through with her plan, to give reasonable doubt as to whether or not Brennan herself could have committed the murder of Robert Kirby. There was no physical evidence connecting her to the crime, but this course of action could set her father free.
The trial had been dragging on for days now, and she hadn’t been able to work with Booth the entire time. He even had to stay at his own place until the verdict had been decided. Brennan missed her partner and couldn’t wait to have this ordeal over with. All they had to do was provide reasonable doubt.
“Ms. Julianne, you may call your witness to the stand.”
Booth stood and took his place in the box.
“Agent Booth,” Caroline began. “You are aware that the weapon used to murder deputy director of the FBI was in the possession of Dr. Temperance Brennan, the defendant’s daughter, are you not?”
“Yes.”
“You are also aware that Robert Kirby was allegedly attempting to kill Dr. Brennan and her older brother, Russ Brennan?”
“I am.” Booth took a deep breath. Conflicting emotions were swirling around inside him. He was angry at the death of an agent of the FBI, but he was even angrier that the dead man had gone after his partner. He didn’t know what to do. Brennan told him to make the court believe that she herself could have killed Kirby, but he didn’t want to do that.
Bones…
“Is it not true that Dr. Brennan is capable of making certain cold and calculated decisions so as to protect herself and her brother?”
Booth glanced at Brennan, worry creeping into his gaze. Don’t make me do this, he begged her silently.
“Agent Booth, you will answer the question,” intoned the judge.
He gazed at his partner still. She nodded slightly to let him go on.
“Agent Booth!”
He took a deep breath a closed his eyes, hating the taste of the words about to come out of his mouth. “It is possible, yes. But she couldn’t have actually done it.”
No, Booth! This isn’t the plan!
“She was with me all day. There was no ti – “
“Who picked your son up from school that day, Agent Booth?” Caroline countered.
Booth froze. Damn.
“Dr. Brennan was not in your company for almost 45 minutes. Would she have had enough time to murder the deputy director of the FBI?”
Bones, I can’t do it. I can’t condemn you. I’m sorry.
C’mon, Booth! Just say yes! You know I didn’t do it. You know there’s no physical evidence tying me to Kirby’s murder!
I can’t, I can’t do it. I just can’t. Don’t ask me to do this.
“Agent Booth, you will answer the question!”
I can’t.
“Agent Booth!”
Brennan stood suddenly. “Booth, just answer the question! C’mon Booth!”
The judge banged his gavel. “Dr. Brennan, you may leave the courtroom. I will not have interruptions! Agent Booth, you WILL answer the tanong now.”
Booth swallowed hard as he watch the pag-ibig of his life being led outside. “Yes,” he whispered. “She would have had time.”
Brennan sat on the steps outside. The others were still in the courtroom, waiting for the jury’s verdict.
“Have you reached a verdict?”
“We have, your Honor.” A jury member handed the judge a sheet of paper and waited as he read it.
“On the count of first-degree murder, the defendant is found….”
Booth closed his eyes. Hodgins put his fist in his mouth in anticipation. Cam bit her lower lip. Angela held her breath. Zach clasped his hands together. The tension was riding rapidly as each of the squinterns prayed for Brennan’s father’s freedom, for the sake of their beloved anthropologist. But as the segundos slowly passed, a feeling a dread compiled within their stomachs.
“Not guilty.”
A collective cheer rose from the entire group. When court was dismissed, each of the Jeffersonians got up and header out the door, to Brennan.
Brennan glanced behind her as Booth came out of the courthouse. For a moment, she was afraid, because he was unsmiling. She stood slowly, the fear snaking cold through her body and her puso thudded, thumpthump. Thumpthump. Not being able to stand it anymore, she rushed into his waiting arms and he stroked her hair.
Then Max appeared from the court doors, and she pulled away from Booth. The fear dissipated and she cried tears of joy. She had her father back. After fifteen years of believing that her parents had abandoned her, she had her father back. After five years of self-denial, she had the pag-ibig of her life. Max embraced her warmly, and suddenly all was well in Temperance’s world.
The crew met at the Founding Fathers Bar and Grill that night to celebrate. After everyone had had a few drinks and something to eat, Hodgins stood and tapped his glass to get his friends’ attention.
“Everybody, I have an announcement to make, if you could all quiet down? Thank you.” He turned towards Angela and took her sa pamamagitan ng the hand. She laughed nervously.
“Jack, what are you – oh, my God!” She gasped as he knelt down on one knee and pulled out a small black velvet box. Hodgins opened the box to reveal a silver engagement band with a large square-cut Esmeralda embedded in it and Angela’s hand flew to her open mouth.
“Angela,” Hodgins murmured. “You are the pag-ibig of my life. You always have been from the moment you walked into the Jeffersonian. I want you sa pamamagitan ng my side forever. Will you marry me?” His beautiful blue eyes pleaded with her and his lips turned upward into a crooked grin, begging her to say yes.
She nodded, too overcome with emotion to speak.
Cheers rose from the squint squad. Brennan rushed over to hug her best friend. “Congratulations! I’m so happy for you” she whispered.
“Brennan?” Angela asked, pulling away from the hug.
“Yeah?”
“I’d like you to be my maid of honor. Will you do that for me?”
Brennan’s eyes shone and she hugged Angela again. “I would be honored, Ange. Thank you.”
Angela grinned. “Thank you!”
“Congratulations, Hodgins.” The groom-to-be turned to see Booth grinning at him.
“Oh, uy Booth. I was just about to ask you if, well, if you would be my best man.”
“Me? What about Zack?”
“I already asked him, and he didn’t want to. sinabi he wasn’t comfortable with that idea, and he couldn’t.”
“So I’m segundo best?”
Hodgins flushed. “No, I just – “
Booth chuckled. “It’s okay, Jack. I was teasing. sa pamamagitan ng the way, good choice on the ring. Angela really likes it.”
“Yeah. Have you thought about asking Brennan to marry you yet?”
Booth didn’t say anything. He just stood there, staring into space.
“Booth? Hello? Booth?”
“Hm? Oh, sorry.”
“I asked you if – “
“Yeah, I know. I want to, I really do, just….I don’t know. We’ve been working together for almost five years now, but we’ve only been dating a few weeks.”
“Dude, you know her better than anyone! You’ve been in pag-ibig with her since you met her, remember?”
“I know, Hodgins. But Buto is different, and she finally admitted she loved me and put down her walls a little. I don’t want to mess that up sa pamamagitan ng asking her too soon. I don’t want her to be afraid I’m going to hurt her and make her hide again,” Booth said, worry creasing his brow.
“You pag-ibig her. She loves you too. It doesn’t take a guy with three doctorates to know that you should marry her. Ask her to be your wife, man. For Pete’s sake, hell will freeze over before she says no.”
“All right, I get it! I certainly plan on asking her to marry me. I’m just waiting for the right time.”
