Focus: the Hearth, the Heart. Oneshot Collection/T.

Long time no post, here!

The name of the collection, of course, was inspired by one of my fave characters evah: Gordon Gordon. I did find that to be interesting!

This oneshot was inspired by a prompt in LJ by Lizook12. It was, "Booth/Brennan, sunburn". I find I work pretty well with prompts!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

SUNBURNT

"Take off your shirt."

"Bones..."

"And lie down face down on your bed."

"The couch is closer, and I--"

"And you'll hurt your back again if you lie there. To your bed, now."

"Gee, Bones," he muttered while obeying her anyway. "If I knew you'd be this bossy..."

He took his t-shirt off as he entered his room to do as she had said. He put his head on his arms and tried to forget the fact she was going to put her hands on him. He knew it was childish, but what could he do? It was Bones, after all. He had stopped questioning his reactions to her a long time ago.

But it didn't stop him from being surprised when he felt her straddle his hips.

"Bones!" he said rather loudly, unable to stop himself as he tried to twist his neck to get a look at her. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to have a good access to your back without straining mine. Now, relax."

He sighed and gave himself to the experience. At least he was facing down.

He heard a cracking sound like when fresh veggies are cut, but louder, and then felt a pungent smell he didn't recognize.

"So this is what Aloe Vera smells like."

"Yes, it is. It's going to feel cold to the skin..."

And cold it felt. He involuntarily jerked his back's muscles as a reaction while trying to hold back the vocal ones.

"...but that's part of the idea."

"Yeah, I see."

"How did you manage to do this to yourself, Booth? And is Parker fine?"

"Yes, he is. Becca already took care of him. And I insist it was an accident," he mumbled as her hands massaging his shoulders worked some kind of magic. "I didn't realize the sunblock had expired and I didn't think to check. A lot of good it did us reapplying every hour and a half."

Her fingers felt so nice on his skin, her massaging his neck allowing him to relax a bit.

"You're full of knots, Booth. You--"

"I should have been more careful," he let out, interrupting her.

Noticing the way his voice sounded, full of guilt and regret, she kept quiet to encourage him to talk. She knew by now that was the way to help him open up: not asking, not judging. Just listening. Just like he did when she needed to talk.

"Park... he didn't want to stop playing to let me spread the sunblock again and again, but I insisted, thinking I was being responsible," he snorted the last word. "But because I wasn't careful enough, now he will spend an awful night. He's never liked sleeping on his belly."

She didn't know what to say to make him feel better, no matter how much her brilliant brain tried to find the words. So she just kept doing what she was doing, hoping that helping his tense muscles relax she'd make him feel a little better... as if by fixing his back she'd erase his guilt.

He allowed his eyelids to close and a short, soft sigh escape. "I should have checked that sunblock."

She poured more Aloe Vera juice on his back, not caring now to see if the skin she was working on was red or not. If this was all the comfort she knew how to give, that's what she'd do.

"Rebecca was right to be mad at me. I should have taken better care of him," he insisted, his voice drowsy.

She stopped her ministrations several minutes later, taking his now slow breathing as a sign of his sleeping. She got up, went to wash her hands and then back to his room to take off his shoes and put a blanket over him up to his waist.

Then, following an impulse, she run her hand softly over his head, feeling his hair against her fingers.

"I know I've told you before," she whispered. "But I do think you're an excellent father. Parker is lucky to have you."

Just when she flicked the lights off, she heard him reply.

"Thanks, Bones. Means a lot."

She didn't say anything else, but smiled as she walked out of the place.

He was a great father... if she only knew how to make him understand how lucky any child would be to have him as a parent.

How lucky anyone would be to be close to him.

Oh, that is so nice and fluffy!

What a cute story I really enjoyed a lot.

I loved this when I read it at LJ!

This is a mini-fic I wrote for a prompt at LJ: Booth / Hodgins - something scary happens....but should be funny, by alias_jems.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

CAUGHT
He closed the door, turned, and ran for his life. He knew if the g-man were to catch him he'd be dead for sure--a couple bullets right between his scapulae. Booth often threatened him with shooting his brains off (OK, the brains off thing was his own addition to the scene, but somehow that's the way he had always pictured it), and judging by the feeling that was currently overpowering him, this time it'd be for real.

Not conscious of the train of thought that had led him to the elevator, he pressed the '-2' button repeatedly, as if the more he pushed it the faster he'd reach salvation.

A few minutes later he was hiding in his car, scrunching down in his seat. Finally taking the time to breath. To analyze the fact he'd walked into Dr. Brennan and Booth going at it on her desk. And going at it as if the world were to end.

He couldn't seem to get the image of them out of his head... It'd probably be imprinted on his mind eye for the rest of his life. The way her face was contorted in pleasure and abandon, her legs around him; the way his forehead was wrinkled in concentration, a couple of sweat drops shining on his skin as his hands gripped her hips.

The way the guy's eyes had pierced through him when the former had realized he was standing at the door, mesmerized by what was developping in front of him. And the immediate flee response that springed him to action when he read the murderous intentions in the man's eyes.

He closed his eyes and sighed. Of course it hadn't been his intention to interrupt them--he'd been so excited by what he'd discovered in the particulates he had been working on that he didn't even realize the door had been closed before he'd opened it. And witnessed something that was currently threatening his life.

Just when that thought crossed his mind he heard the distinct noise of metal knocking on glass. He startled, noticing there was a very angry Booth pointing a very menacing gun to him from the other side of his car window, signaling him to lower the glass.

For a moment he thought he wouldn't do that, as if the window would protect him from the Agent's fury. Then, realizing it just wouldn't do crossing him more, he reached with a trembling finger for the button that would bring him a step closer to death.

Unaware of the terrified expression he bore, he stared at Booth, waiting. He noticed the Agent's rapid breathing, his furrowed brow, the smirk of his mouth.

"You will not talk about this to anyone, not even to yourself in the quiet hours of night, from now on, 'till the time of your death--and only after that. You get me? Not even a whisper, not even the memory is allowed. Understood?"

"Yes," Hodgins whispered.

A few tense seconds passed until he could hear the gun being uncocked as if ordered by the former sniper's mind, as there was no other movement visible from him. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was gone, leaving the squint to recover his breath and composure.

It had been one of the sexiest--and most frightening experiences of his life. In a sense, he had to thank Booth for being the kind of guy he was. If it weren't for the fear for his life he would have started having fantasies about Dr. B, and that would never be a good idea. Specially considering he wasn't the guy for her... and who the guy was to actually match her. Now, thanks to Booth's version of honor saving, he would be able to look at them in the eyes. If only to try to let them know he wasn't thinking of them together. If only to make sure he was still safe.

Thanks, DBC, bcriet and Mama!

And I'm posting all the other oneshots in the collection, too.

Next are a couple ones dealing with the finale!

btw, Mama... I think you already read them both :p

Aloemilk wrote:He couldn't seem to get the image of them out of his head... It'd probably be imprinted on his mind eye for the rest of his life. The way her face was contorted in pleasure and abandon, her legs around him; the way his forehead was wrinkled in concentration, a couple of sweat drops shining on his skin as his hands gripped her hips.

*sigh*



Loved both of them. Great job!

Oh my, Aloe! That was so much fun. Poor Jack!

... In a sense, he had to thank Booth for being the kind of guy he was... Now, thanks to Booth's version of honor saving, he would be able to look at them in the eyes. If only to try to let them know he wasn't thinking of them together. If only to make sure he was still safe.

God love him, Booth is a hell of a man! And I still stand by my Say What You Want!

thanks, Deb! and , DBC!

I loved the Hodgins one..it was hilarious!

The last one was kind of sad

Walking Irrationally - Aloe, you've done a lot to help me understand why she would have/could have hit the delete key. Thank you.

Thanks, ScienceLove&Pie and DBC!

I'm glad I helped you understand Bren's POV--- from my POV, haha.

I hope the next one, from Booth's POV, is of your liking, too

OMG. I HAVE SO MUCH READING TO CATCH UP ON!!!!!!!!!! O.O You've been busy, girlfriend!!!!!

Walking Irrationality = FTW! That was fantabulous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Booth's POV is something I felt I understood more easily than Brennan's. You definitely filled it in for me more though. I really like this line "There she was, the woman of his dreams. Literally?" And you made the future sound definite, not iffy! I like that.

BTW Aloe, I look at your avatar and I can just picture Angela sitting at her computer over lunch, staring at her monitor, eating a sandwich, staring at her monitor, eating an apple, just waiting ... waiting ... waiting for it to finish rendering! *does the Montenegro eye dance*

ForensicMama wrote:OMG. I HAVE SO MUCH READING TO CATCH UP ON!!!!!!!!!! O.O You've been busy, girlfriend!!!!!

Not as busy as I should have been... at least Bones fics related...

thanks for your review on Walking Irrationality!!! Le hugs!

DBCrazy wrote:Booth's POV is something I felt I understood more easily than Brennan's. You definitely filled it in for me more though. I really like this line "There she was, the woman of his dreams. Literally?" And you made the future sound definite, not iffy! I like that.

BTW Aloe, I look at your avatar and I can just picture Angela sitting at her computer over lunch, staring at her monitor, eating a sandwich, staring at her monitor, eating an apple, just waiting ... waiting ... waiting for it to finish rendering! *does the Montenegro eye dance*

ohhh, me too!! I can see that happening SO clearly, hahah!!

It was all Mama's idea

This is not supposed to be based on spoilers but, as someone pointed out to me, one never knows how much of a psychic I am, lol...

Psychic
“I see a man. This man has been around for a long time... several years, I'd say. He's in love with this woman,” she said as she positioned another card on the table, her hands delicate and graceful. Just as Angela thought the hands of a psychic should be. “See? They're bonded. This card?” she questioned, adding yet another card to the configuration. “It speaks of that bond. The love is mutual, but they don't know how to deal with that love.”

She smiled. She recognized that man and that woman. Hard not to, when Bren and Booth were the silliest people on earth. They both loved each other, why couldn't they just accept it and go smash their bodies against the other's in a sexual frenzy comparable to that of King Leonidas and his Queen in 300?

Incredible men, those of that movie, by the way. Just wow.

“Yes,” the woman continued, her voice soft enough to get her full attention but not so that she had to struggle to hear. The design on the table kept growing as she added more cards to it. “The bond they share is a special one. There's something between them that neither can deny, but that they both try to.”

OK, that was it. She was going to get a confession out of them and make them confront the truth. If they had a love so strong it showed in her psychic session—well, she had asked a general question, but anyways—and it was a session she was paying for, after all!—the least they could do was get together already and do the deed. Indeed. Gee, she was so witty.

“He knows his feelings for her. See this?” she pointed to a card with two swords in it. “He just doesn't know how to get close to her. And this?” she moved her finger to a card with two streams going in different directions. “She's afraid of her feelings. This card in conjunction with this other one tells us she's always thought of herself in a way that, she thinks, makes it impossible for her to love someone this much, to believe... that love can last.”

Poor Bren, Angela thought. She's denying herself true happiness because of a stupid fear.

"She's also afraid she'll lose her freedom. She leads her life in a way that makes her feel like she’s keeping her options open to what may come, but instead it has just been a fear of commitment.”

Wait. What?

“She's always been different,” the psychic kept saying. “She's always been the one to tell people to follow their feelings. She's always the one trying to embrace life for what it is, but see how the card is upside down? She just doesn't realize she's stopping herself from doing just that.”

Ohmigawd.

She went rigid, but didn't notice. Her eyes opened beyond their natural size, a clear sign of fright. But she didn't realize it.

“And he's waiting, because he sees all of this in her... but knows her enough to let her learn at her own pace. He accepts this in her. He loves her anyway.”

It was her. Her and Hodgins.

Ohmigawd.

She saw the psychic take all the cards and mix them into a deck. Still too afraid to give much thought into what she was doing, she placed a hand over the woman's, stopping her.

“Wait,” Angela said. “That's it? What's going to happen now?”

The woman looked at her with understanding.

“Cards don't tell the future, sweetheart. They just show you how things are. The best they can do is tell you one or two possibilities, but that can always change.”

“Won't you tell me a possibility? Believe me, I want—I need to know.”

The woman reached and put her other hand over hers and Angela's.

“It's not always good to do this, dear. Isn't it enough for you to know he loves you?”

“I need to know,” she repeated, the plea in her voice clear to her own ears.

Her eyes were full of compassion now. She let out a sigh and freed her hands, exposing the cards again.

“Choose one, honey.”

Was she really choosing a card, a single card, to tell her what she was supposed to do? For her to use as guidance?

Yes.

She cut the deck and turned over the card on top.

The woman gave her the answer, and her heart skipped a beat.

Now she had to deal with it. Now she had to decide.

Now she had to accept it had been about love all the time.

Loved the psychic good job.
These stories really cool I'm enjoying reading them.

HaHa! "Indeed. Gee, she was so witty." LOL!

Loved it, Aloe. I can just see Cyndi in this part, and Angela's Ohmigawd!

Angela so thought she knew who that psychic was talking about. Ha Ha...I could just imagine the look on her face when she realized it was her and Hodgins!

Thanks for the reviews!!!