OOM: After the Funeral That Wasn't

[argyle_princess]

It takes a lot to surprise a girl from Neptune, California, but this does it – the sudden, disruptive arrival of . . . whoever that was, and Agent Booth's emergence from the Honor Guard, and the ensuing scuffle, and then Brennan clocking Agent Booth and storming off with Agent Booth trailing after her.

Hannah and the other no-longer-mourners stand there awkwardly, everyone clearly puzzled as to what the hell protocol on this sort of thing is, and then slowly start to drift away. Finally, with a shrug, Hannah walks over to the overturned casket and drops the white rose she’s still holding on it.

And then, because she's not sure what else to do, Hannah drifts over Tomb of the Unknowns. It's nearly deserted, since it'll be more than forty minutes till the next Changing of the Guard, and the only sound is the measured tread of the guard, puncuated by the sharp click of his heels when he turns around.

Hannah sits down on the steps that face the Tomb, smooths the wrinkles out of the black dress she had her mother Fed Ex to her (because who pack funeral wear for the first semester of college?) and tries to figure out what the hell just happened.

Comments

[paladinsuitsyou]

Booth reappears, back from Milliways. When at Arlington, he always makes a stop at the Tomb of the Unknowns, just to pay his respects.

This time, even though he was there for his own 'funeral,' he sees no reason to break with tradition.

When he sees the blonde girl on the steps, he slows, not sure he's ready to face Hannah just yet.

Booth steels himself, then walks the rest of the way. He's faced Brennan already, and Angela. He'll have to face everyone else, too, so why put it off?

[argyle_princess]

Well, because now that he's not dead, Brennan and Angela probably have to work with him.

Hannah can just tell him to go to hell.

[paladinsuitsyou]

She can. But he'd prefer to have her on his good side, or at least try to explain his side. If it's possible to do so, with only a vague answer for the 'why' question.

"Hannah," he says. "Um. Hi."

Because, well, awkward! How do you greet someone who thought you were dead?

[argyle_princess]

Hannah looks over at him, then looks back at the guard and points at the sign asking for silence.

Really, you'd think Agent Booth would know better.

[paladinsuitsyou]

You'd think. You'd also think he would pay attention.

He doesn't. It's not right, but then, it's also hardly crowded, and it's not like he's shouting.

"You were supposed to know. Brennan was supposed to be told and you - " It all comes out in a rush, just to have it said.

These mea culpas are going to get mighty old.

[argyle_princess]

"We're not supposed to talk here," she says, and she sounds, even to herself, too old.

Or maybe she's just tired.

Hannah stands up, sighs, and walks out of the ampitheatre. It's a you're welcome to follow me walks out, rather than a leave me alone walks out, and perhaps that counts for something.

[paladinsuitsyou]

In another lifetime, he would have walked away when she pointed the sign, would have taken her pointing as an 'I don't want to talk to you,' and been too proud to ignore it.

He's not that guy, not now. He's too old for that kind of pride, when it matters.

And yet he feels defeated before he's even started, so he's not sure whether it matters, whether it counts.

Booth follows her anyway. In case.

[argyle_princess]

Well, in another lifetime, she wouldn't have cared about the no talking rule.

People grow up.

Hannah waits until they've reached an appropriate distance and then turns around to face him.

"You faked your death? What, you think you're from Neptune or something?"

[paladinsuitsyou]

People do.

Booth would normally smile at that - it's clever, funny, but at the moment, it's not either of those things. It's flip and unkind, a defense mechanism.

"I'm an FBI agent, working on major cases. That one was from ten years ago, and that guy said we'd see him again at my funeral. The Bureau saw an opportunity, and decided a few weeks of my life were a small price to pay."

[argyle_princess]

"Yeah? What about a few week's of everyone else's life?"

What price did the Bureau put on those?

[paladinsuitsyou]

"The Bureau doesn't much care about people's pain and suffering," Booth says ruefully. This is very true. "That doesn't mean I don't. Sweets was supposed to tell Brennan."

[argyle_princess]

Yes, but, Agent Booth, is that you signed up for the Bureau to not care about your pain and suffering. Your friends didn't.

"I'm pretty sure he didn't.

"But I haven't talked to her much since the morning after you died. Or whatever. She's been 'busy.'"

[paladinsuitsyou]

Booth could point out that his friends also work for the Bureau, in an indirect capacity. Pain and suffering, as far as he's concerned, go with the job.

"He was supposed to. And you'd have known, from her terrible acting, that I wasn't actually dead. All the squints would have known."

Pain and suffering over false pretenses do not.

"Angela said."

[argyle_princess]

Hannah doesn't. Not really, not in any capacity.

She looks at him levelly for a second.

"Well, I'm glad you're not actually dead."

[paladinsuitsyou]

No. And it wasn't fair to put her through this.

"Thank you," he says gravely. "I'm very sorry to have put you through that."

[argyle_princess]

Hannah shrugs very lightly. "I've been through worse."

[paladinsuitsyou]

"Doesn't make this less shitty," he points down. "I really did think you guys knew, and I feel terrible you didn't."

He looks down, then up at her again, head still ducked. "Angela told me Brennan came by your dorm, that night. Morning. Whatever."

[argyle_princess]

Hannah smiles very slightly. "At least I didn't think you were in hell."

And then a nod, once.

"Yeah."

[paladinsuitsyou]

"Small favors." He might mean that to sound light, but it comes out hoarse and a little bitter.

Because it's a small favor, indeed, very, very, very small.

"She, um, she didn't want you to hear on the news, right?"

[argyle_princess]

Hannah wouldn't call that a small favor, really. Not small in the slightest.

She nods. "Yeah. From the news or secondhand or whatever."

[paladinsuitsyou]

He shakes his head, smiles slightly. "That's so Brennan."

[argyle_princess]

"Yeah. Yeah it is.

"It was . . . I'm glad she . . . yeah."

[paladinsuitsyou]

Booth looks at her closely.

What isn't she saying? Does he want to know?

"You saw her punch?" he says, not entirely sure what the answer to that last question was. "Man. Took my mind off my pulled stitches, at least."

[argyle_princess]

She's not saying a lot.

"You probably shouldn't be out pulling stitches, anyway," says Hannah. "But yeah, I saw it."

It would have been damn hard to miss it, really.

[paladinsuitsyou]

Maybe there's not a lot to see. Or maybe there's too much. Booth isn't sure.

"Didn't really," he says. "Bad joke. Cam checked 'em for me. Maurice kinda made her."