(no subject)

[dr_temperance]

Brennan comes into the bar wearing a purple maid-of-honor dress, carrying a ball of flowers on a string in one hand and her high heeled shoes in the other.

And it's not even Halloween.

That? Had been a memorable party. How often does one attend a wedding reception at which the bride and groom are not present having run off under mysterious circumstances? It makes for one tired honor attendant.

Fortunately, Bar never seems to run out of coffee.

Comments

[argyle_princess]

"Hey, Brennan.

"Henry's back."

[dr_temperance]

Brennan blinks, first at Hannah's sudden appearance. And then at her message.

She didn't have all that much to drink at the reception, but even so she feels the need to confirm that last.

"Henry's back?"

[argyle_princess]

Hannah nods.

"Last night. He's all right, mostly. A little bruised, he said."

It's all very calm and composed.

[dr_temperance]

What do you know? The Commodore came through.

Brennan lays her shoes and flowers aside on one of the bar stools.

"Good. I mean...that's good, right?"

"Are you okay?"

Hannah's been going through hell for months. Henry's return signals an end to that (hopefully) but the sudden change in circumstances must take some getting used to.

[argyle_princess]

"It's good, yes."

Considering the assortment of other options, it's very good.

"I'm okay, yeah."

Sort of. Kind of. Maybe.

[dr_temperance]

"It can take the mind a day or two to adjust to such a radical change," Brennan offers.

In other words, it's okay to feel off-balance.

"Do you want to talk? Coffee? Both?"

[argyle_princess]

"We broke up," says Hannah.

That would be a yes on the talking. And probably the coffee, too.

"How's that for a thing to do to a guy right as he gets back from hell?"

[dr_temperance]

Brennan sighs.

"Not that I'm an expert, but it was probably better than lying and leading him to believe that nothing had changed."

Brennan knows which she'd prefer.

She orders up another cup of coffee and hands it to Hannah.

"How did he take it?"

[argyle_princess]

"Like a gentleman," Hannah says, with a very small smile. "No surprise there."

She takes the offered coffee.

"Thanks."

[dr_temperance]

"No. No surprise there."

Brennan cannot imagine a situation--up to and including loss of limbs--that would cause Henry to be any less a gentleman.

She half-smiles. "Things will get better, Hannah. They are getting better."

[argyle_princess]

"I know," says Hannah.

"Anyway, I just wanted you to know he was back. I would have called, but . . . I needed a little time to process.

"How was the wedding?"

She's assuming Brennan hasn't taken to carrying a bouquet to work.

[dr_temperance]

And a semi-formal dress and bare feet have not become standard lab attire.

"That's understandable."

It's taken Brennan a couple of minutes to process herself. (She's had some champagne).

She laughs. "Ah. The wedding....wasn't."

[argyle_princess]

"Wasn't what?" Hannah asks.

[dr_temperance]

"Wasn't a wedding."

Brennan hitches herself up onto one of the stools. Hours standing and walking in high heeled dress shoes do not do the feet any favors.

"There was some issue with the State Department--we don't quite know what. Hodgins and Angela told us all to go onto the reception and have a good time, and then they left."

"They looked...happy," she adds, perplexed. "At least, not unhappy."

[argyle_princess]

"That's . . . really odd," says Hannah. "They just left their own wedding?"

[dr_temperance]

"Yes."

Brennan sips her coffee.

"The reception was actually fun, though. And I assume Hodgins and Angela will fill us in when the get back."

The question of whether or not that explanation will involve Booth and and FBI interrogation room remains to be seen.

[argyle_princess]

"So long as everyone's happy," says Hannah, slowly.

Crazy, apparently, and possibly a little tipsy, but happy.

"I'll look forward to hearing that story."

[dr_temperance]

"So do I," Brennan replies. Quite emphatically.

"Booth and I got left in charge of the reception. You know--best man and maid of honor."

Take a moment to form a mental image of that.

[argyle_princess]

Possibly more than a moment.

Hannah stares.

And then bursts out laughing.

[dr_temperance]

"What? We did a good job."

She said. Grinning.

"Cam and Zach helped."

[argyle_princess]

"Dr. Addy helped you throw a reception for a missing bride and groom?"

If anything, that makes her laugh more.

And it's good, to laugh. She hadn't expected to.

[dr_temperance]

It's good to see Hannah laugh.

"He's very good at spacial relations. It comes in handy when maneuvering a large crowd of people."

"And Cam is very good at telling people what to do."

[argyle_princess]

"I can see that.

"Hey, if you ever get tired of the whole crime-solving thing, maybe you can go into wedding planning."

Every bride can use a squint or two on her side.

[dr_temperance]

Brennan looks....well, horrified probably doesn't quite cut it.

"I don't think so," she says with almost comic haste.

"No, I think I'll limit my wedding involvement to guest--at most member of the wedding party. I'll stick with forensic anthropology."

"I think it's less stressful, honestly."

Brennan feels like she'd spent half the reception making the wedding coordinator sip water and reminding her to breathe. Apparently, having a high profile couple skip out on their own wedding was not a contingency that is ordinarily planned for.