My Sunflower || Lance Sweets

Chapter Twenty: Let's be Friends

Minor Authors Note: Hi everyone! It's been a hot minute. I was freaking out after updating yesterday after having done NO writing in the past year. But getting it out to you and receiving some happy replies from people, it feels good to be back. So welcome back to the BBTU (Bree's Bones Television Universe. Kind of like the MCU by set in my own universe).

After yesterdays chapter, I just want to reach out and let you know if anyone was negatively affected, please reach out. As someone who has never been through something like this, I hope you are okay. I can only speak as a mental health nurse when I say I cannot express how sorry I am. A part of Isabelle's story is struggle and this was what I feel is a part of her development as a character. Fanfictions tend to lean to the dramatic side of life, authors using the protagonists as a way to enhance the story and bring a sense of realism to the story. Although the trauma I chose to incorporate was dark and something no person should ever have to go through, MY hope is that we can see Isabelle develop as a person through her struggles. We all have struggles and we all overcome them in their own way.

Remember, no one can belittle your trauma. What ever has happened to you, it matters. Never let anyone tell you otherwise. I love you all.

Now back to our regularly scheduled Bones-a-thon.

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Isabelle had been home five weeks before she even felt like seeing anyone. Being discharged from hospital had put her in a weird state of mind. For one, she felt like she wasn't even in her own body. Watching from the outside as she sat in her room, bundled up in blankets in her bed. Mel drifted in and out, keeping her company and making sure she ate. There was an element of fear that had settled into her life. Away from the security of the hospital bed and in her own home, she felt exposed. More than she had  ever been. Munroe was on the lam and hadn't been seen since Mabel's birthday. That didn't necessarily mean anything bad or good but Isabelle hated to think that he could be anywhere near her. She couldn't actually stand the idea of anyone being near her that was even remotely somewhere close to an adult male. Booth had taken that well, Hannah had kept him busy with tracking Munroe while she visited Isabelle and updated her on worldly things while baby Hank and baby Heather cooed up at them with their big eyes and cute little toes. The babies did perk her up a bit because cuddling them distracted her.

She hadn't heard from Wendell since she had left the hospital, either. Isabelle had closed herself off to most communications from the rest of the world that didn't come from either Hannah or Mel. Sweets had passed messages to her through the two of them, maintaining a constant stream of ridiculous jokes and stories to make her laugh. Isabelle had read all the notes Hannah regularly had to pull out of her pockets from their friends- none of them mentioning Munroe's name but most of them insinuating some comedic way of murder.

Another thing that Isabelle noted and was not totally against, was the constant stream of food that seemed to appear at her door step of that Mel would walk in with from Mabel and their friends at the hospital. Someone had sent over a potato bake that Isabelle had enjoyed so much, she had sat there eating it right from the pan in her bed. Mel had snorted when she had seen her slowly chewing on the potato slices. Mel had gone and grabbed another fork before flopping at her feet and began munching on the potatoes with her.

It had been a week since that had happened and now she was standing in the middle of their lounge, blanket draped over her shoulders and staring blankly at the wall. She didn't exactly what she was doing but she heard a turn of the key in the front door and she looked up at the door to see Mel walk in and close the door carefully behind her. Mel looked up at Isabelle and smiled a wide, genuine smile that lit up her face.