Conversation en Route to London (K+, Humour, BB, 1Shot)

Booth and Brennan walked single file through the cabin of the British Airways jetliner. Eventually they came to their seats in first class. Booth would have been in coach, but Brennan was kind enough to bump him. More for the sake of having someone to converse with than anything. A6 and A5 were next to the window on the right side of the plane.

Booth stopped and waved a hand to the seats. "Take a seat."

An order? Brennan crossed her arms. Booth took her bag and stowed it overhead along with his, oblivious of Brennan's scowl. He paused and looked at her. "What? Aren't you gonna sit?"

"Not like that."

"Like what?"

"I wasn't born in 1924, Booth. I'd appreciate it if you didn't do the whole 'ladies first' thing. Why don't you sit first?"

Booth groaned inwardly. She had been on the edge all morning long. Well, honestly, ever since Zack was arrested, she'd been Ms. Grumpypants continuously.

"Do you like the window seat, Bones? Or--"

"What? So I can watch as we fly over our watery graves?"

"Huh? How about the sunrise? Fine, fine. You want the aisle seat?" He took her purse and planted it angrily on her seat.

"So I can get my elbows jammed everytime the stewardess comes around?"

Quite frankly, Booth was getting annoyed, but was trying to hold it all back. "Take a seat, Bones. Aisle or Window, I don't give a sh--"

"You can't stop ordering me, can you? Why can't you treat me like one of the guys? Like you always do--"

By now the majority of the people had seated and had craned their necks in their direction.

"Hate to break it to ya, Bones, but you're not one of the guys."

"What about the guy hugs?"

"Completely guy-less."

"Guyless? You're insufferable!"

Booth moved Brennan's purse over to the window seat and took a seat on the aisle seat. "You're sitting at the window, Bones. Cuz I like you." His tone did not match his statement.

"I can't believe I'm about to spend the next day sitting next to you."

"You're just jealous that you don't get to have your elbows smashed in every three hours. Lucky you."

"Now you're just being ridiculous."

Booth had had enough. Eight weeks of Bones being anti-happy had made him edgy. He stood up in the aisle. Brennan was a bit shocked and stood back, but then regained her temperament and stepped into him.

Eyes turned from all directions and watched the drama unfold.

Booth held out a finger and tightened his lips. A usually frightening look, but Bones was never intimidated. "Two months, Bones."

"Two months what?" Her voice rose to meet his.

"Two months of you being like this. Completely irrationally--NOT Bones! Where's my Bones?"

Snickering around the cabin.

"Irrational? Now you're being irrational because I'm the most rational person on this plane!"

"Really? Because you're really knockin' it out of the ballpark now, Bones!"

"I don't follow football, Booth. Are you trying to confuse me? Because that won't work."

Booth made a wild gesture with his arms. "You're insane, Bones. Seriously. Ever since Zack left you've been nuts, Bones. Completely nuts."

"Insane?" That hit a nerve as she remembered where Zack was. "You're being stupid, Booth. I take back everything I said about you being smart, because right now you are not."

That also hit a nerve. Booth's cheeks burned as they faced off.

A stewardess had made her way over to them. "Excuse me, could you two take a seat? The captain is ready."

"Just a minute." Booth held out a hand to her. "Just what did you mean by that, Bones?"

"I meant what I said, Booth."

"Sir, could you and your wife please take a seat?"

Brennan hufffed. "He is NOT my husband."

"Coulda fooled me. Now, could you and your companion please take a seat?"

The man across the aisle whispered something about "a lover's quarrel" to his wife.

"She is NOT my lover." Booth told anybody who would listen.

"Take a seat, sir."

Booth flashed his badge at the stewardess.

Brennan spoke up, "You can't just flash your badge at whoever so you can keep arguing with me."

Booth took a seat. Brennan tried to do the same, but tripped across him. The onlookers watched as Brennan scrambled off his lap and onto her seat. She watched out the window as workers moved around on the runway.

They were quiet as they lifted off and into the air.

"I'm sorry." Booth said. It almost sounded childish.

"What?"

"I said I'm sorry, Bones. I'm sorry. I apologize. OK?"

"Well, it's not if you're going to say it that way."

Booth groaned again. "Listen, Bones. I don't want us to give each other the silent treatment from here to London."

"Fine. You talk. I'll listen. Or pretend to do so." Her voice was cold.

"Look... I'm sorry I said you were nuts. Honestly, you're the strongest person I know."

Brennan relented and turned her face toward Booth. "I'm sorry I've been so--"

"Pissy? Grumpy? B!tchy?"

Brennan rolled her eyes and cracked a smile. "I was going to say testy, but I suppose that works. I, uh, don't know why--"

"Zack?"

Brennan leaned back and rested her head against the seat. She looked over at Booth. "I guess I don't know how to handle it all." She tried not to look into his eyes as she admitted, "I loved Zack, Booth. Love. I love him. And he's left me. Just like my parents. They betrayed me and left me. It's the same old story. Over and over."

Booth slid a hand behind her back and pulled her near him. She leaned a head on his shoulder. Booth knew she was crying silently, but didn't acknowledge it. He knew that is what she would have wanted.

The stewardess walked by, checking seatbelts, came to the pair and muttered a, "Mmmm-Hm!"

"I'll tell you something, Bones."

"Hmm?" That was all she could trust her voice to say without wavering.

"I know why you've been so up tight."

"Why?" She whispered.

"You're distancing yourself."

"Sweets teach you that?"

"The little guy's growing on me." Booth grinned, then grew serious again. "You're afraid that I'll break your heart. That I'll betray you and leave you."

More tears slipped down her cheeks. Brennan would have wiped them away had she been with anybody else, but it didn't seem to matter if Booth saw her cry. He was one of the few people it was OK to cry around.

Booth lifted her chin, their faces close together. "I swear to God--and you know that's not just an expression with me--I swear to God that I will never leave you, Temperance. And I will never betray you. If I ever do, I'll let the FBI reissue your gun and you can shoot me yourself." Booth's serious face softened into one of his melting smiles.

Brennan allowed herself to grin back at him.

The stewardess walked by again, muttering another disbelieving, "Mmm-Hm!"

Booth dropped his finger from her chin to dissipate some of the heat between them. It was too late, Brennan kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Booth."

Booth smiled at her. "For what?"

"For permission to shoot you if need be." She smiled widely and leaned her head back on his shoulder.

they are so cute together!

Thank you, Tozika!

soooooooo sweet.....................oh i love fluffy stuff................

Thanks!

Very sweet story. I can so see them arguing over the seat on the plane. I wish we would have had more conversation about Zack in the opener, but if they didn't deal with Booth's "death" why would they deal with Zack. Hopefully all in time. Great job!

Yeah, I think that they will touch on that as the show goes on.

Awesome job!

I wasn't a fan of how they had Brennan deal with the events of the last two episodes of Season 3...or do I mean how they had her not deal with them.

Anyway, terrific dialogue. Very Booth and Brennan going from hot to cold in a matter of minutes.

I loved it:)

Leah

Thank you Leah! I'm going to bump my favorite 1shots, The Confession and The Monthly. They're hilarious. I think you'll like them.