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only_more_loveTitle: Until You Learn to See
Characters: Brennan, Max
Rating: PG
Spoilers: The Verdict in the Story
Word Count: 300
Disclaimer: Bones and its characters belong to FOX, not me. This story is purely meant to entertain. No copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: She's not quite sure what it means to be a daughter.
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Click here to read the other drabbles in this series.
Timeline: Set after The Verdict in the Story, after Max has actually been freed.
Until You Learn to See
Russ finally left twenty minutes ago, pressing a kiss to her cheek before heading out into the night. Now, Brennan stands in her kitchen with her sleeves rolled up to her elbows as water sluices over her hands and the dinner plate she just sponged clean.
Several glasses of Chianti have left her feeling warm and nearly… content. Yes, that’s the most accurate descriptor for her current emotional state.
Smiling slightly, she hands the plate to the man next to her -- her father. Washing dishes together is something they haven’t done in years; the domesticity of it causes her smile to falter.
Max towels off the plate and sets it on the counter before turning his head to look at her. “Your mother used to do that.”
“What?”
His hand lifts and hovers by her cheek. “Turn pink when she drank.”
“Oh.” She glances down at the sink. “Alcohol causes vasodilation.”
His hand drops, but his smile widens. “She’d be so proud of you.”
“Would she?” The stark note of vulnerability in her voice makes her cringe, but she holds her father’s gaze.
“Absolutely. The knowledge you have, the work you do -- it would mean something to her.”
“Angela thinks I chose this profession because of your disappearance.” The words salt the air between them, and for a second she pictures Booth raising an eyebrow the way he does whenever she makes what he considers a verbal faux pas.
She senses his sudden stillness. Then he clasps her shoulders and turns her to face him. “If that’s true”--his fingers tighten infinitesimally--“I’m glad something good came out of our mistakes.”
Releasing her, he steps back and turns off the faucet. “Now what do you say to sharing another bottle with your old man?”
Unable to speak, she simply nods.
A/N: This one kind of came out of nowhere, if that makes any sense. If you've got a second, please let me know what you thought. Thank you to all those who read, and especially to those who comment.
