The Parallel (Bones Fan Fiction)

Five: Booth

Brennan and I walked side by side on her first day back at school. She'd barely had any time to rest and I could tell she was worn out. I hadn't wanted her to come back so soon for several reasons.

The first being she needed more time to recover from being poisoned. Although it was a non-lethal—albeit, genetically engineered—poisonous plant, it was still a poisonous plant. It had wreaked havoc on her health.

Secondly, rumors were flying around the school like Frisbees. So far, Bones had been hospitalized for trying to kill herself, contracting a deadly disease, and for complications during the miscarriage of my child. Although Bones never appeared to be affected by our classmates torment and ridicule, I knew better. Her hard exterior was a cover for her fragile heart.

Last, and most important, someone in this school had poisoned her. My eyes scanned the hall of suspects. I wasn't sure where to start looking, but when I found out who'd done it...their ass was grass.

"You don't have to walk me to my classes, Booth."

I scoffed. "Someone poisoned you, Bones. I'm not letting you out of my sight."

"You can't follow me all day. We only have one class together."

"Look, Bones," I addressed her. "Can you just let me do this? It makes me feel like I have some control over the situation. Until we find out who did this and why, I don't want you eating, drinking or going anywhere without me."

"I know why they poisoned me."

I held my arm out and stopped her, annoying the kids who had to go around the sudden obstacle. "Whoa, what do you mean you know why?"

She faced me, shrugging. "The FBI forensics camp is a highly favored program, Booth. Most of the kids in the D.C area enter. The top ten teams win quite sizeable scholarships."

"How much does the first place team win?"

"A full ride to a school of their choosing."

I blinked. "Whoa, that's a big deal. Big enough to knock any potential threats out of the way."

Bones nodded, sloppy bun bobbing. "With my IQ and status as valedictorian, it's no surprise I'm viewed as a threat. Even with a partner of average intelligence and minimal forensic capabilities, I'm still the most likely projected winner."

I let the insult slide of my back, a more important matter at hand. "Okay, hold the phone. Are you telling me that if you and I win, we both get a full ride to any school?"

"That is correct."

"Alright!" I whooped loudly in excitement, startling some wide-eyed freshmen. "Do you know what this means, Bones?"

I slung my arm around her shoulder and we continued walking. "That your future rests solely on my competence throughout the forensics camp?"

"I'm the son of a barber. This means that I don't have to work my way through college like I thought I'd have to. "

"What do you want to do?"

That was a good question. I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do. "I don't know. Maybe the army."

Bones raised a brow. "Army? You know, there's always the chance of being killed or severely injured in combat. Not to mention the low pay rates, the psychological damage after deployment, and the difficulty acclimating back into civilian life."