What the Future Holds, rated M

Just a little gift for my favorite ghost, in the hopes that perhaps this will inspire her to finish one of the many chapters she has started…not that I’m impatient or anything…

Anyway, this is quite…fanciful. Very different from anything else I’ve written, at least in regards to reality. Hopefully you’ll bear with me, and find the humor in it. I did have a lot of fun writing it. It may be a bit ooc, but I just wrote it for fun. Please, no flames…if it’s not your thing, just don’t read it. I would like to hear your honest opinion, though.

Oh, and if you hated Hero in the Hold, I doubt you’ll like this, so please, skip it. However, for those of you that like a bit of fun and fancy…read on, and enjoy!

The office was quiet; the only sound was the steady tapping of the rain on the window. It was a rainy Sunday afternoon, and Booth’s office was far from the few other agents that had decided to use the weekend to catch up.

Booth sat at his desk, the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up to his elbows to reveal his tanned, muscular forearms. His tie, long ago abandoned, was thrown over the back of the chair along with his suit jacket, and the top button of his shirt was undone. Papers were strewn about in front of him, though at the moment his attention wasn’t on anything he was reading. Despite the silence, he couldn’t concentrate.

Silence could sometimes be a good thing; soothing and relaxing. But this afternoon, Booth was not feeling relaxed in the least. And it was all because of Bones.

Once again she had gone online and met some random guy, and, disregarding Booth’s warnings had gone out on a date with him the night before. As if she hadn’t learned her lesson with all the other losers she had met…

And of course, he hadn’t heard a word from her all day. He knew she was at least safe, though; last night he had planted himself across the street from her apartment building and had stayed there until she had come home. Alone, thank God. He was careful not to be seen, though. He knew Bones better than anyone and knew that she would not have appreciated his concern.

Unfortunately, being out all night in the rainy weather had not been good; it seemed that now he was getting sick on top of everything else. He had wanted nothing more than to stay in bed and sleep the morning away before going to see Bones, but Cullen had given him a Monday morning deadline to finish his long overdue paperwork, so here he was, sick and irritable, and not in the mood to do anything.

He got up from the desk and crossed the office, looking out the window and watching the rain fall. The rain was heavier now then it had been, and the drops were bouncing off the street below. Puddles gathered along the sidewalk, and the leaves of the trees that lined the street in front of the J Edgar Hoover building seemed weighted down by the excess of water.

Turning from the window, Booth surveyed the room, noting the open folders on his desk amid the pictures of Parker and his Flyers mementos. His attempt to finish the assigned work to distract himself from thinking about Bones wasn’t working; he was too annoyed to concentrate. Sighing, he walked back over to his desk and sat down.

A few minutes later, as he was rereading the same sentence for the fifth time, he heard a slight noise from behind him. Turning, he sucked in a breath, startled. A strange girl was standing there by the window, where there had been no one just moments before. “Jesus!” he exclaimed, jumping up. “What…who…”

The girl just stared at him, her striking gray eyes piercing. She looked to be about 18 years old. Her long dark hair was pulled back from her face, and Booth saw with a frown that she was sporting a New York Rangers cap on her head. She was casually dressed in jeans and a Boston College t-shirt, and her posture suggested impatience; though whether that was with him, or something else, he wasn’t sure. “Hello Booth.”

“What…how did you know my name?” Booth glanced at the door to his office wildly, then back to the girl. “Wait, scratch that. Who the hell are you, and how did you get in here?!”

The girl shook her head impatiently. “That’s not important right now.”

“The hell it’s not!” Booth sputtered in indignation. “You can’t just…well, appear in someone’s office without any explanation! Where the hell is security, anyway?”

She held up her hand. “Look, I know this is something of a shock…”

“Shock? You think?!” he asked sarcastically. “I don’t know who you are, or how you got in here, but…” His tirade ended abruptly as she took a step towards him. He had no clue what was going on, but the fact was, she had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and he figured he’d better not aggravate her. Not that he was afraid of her; she was just a girl after all, but he really didn’t want to hurt her. Of course, after what had happened with Pam, he probably shouldn’t underestimate her.

The girl sighed as she noted the apprehension cross the man’s face. “Don’t worry. I’m not crazy; I’m here to help you.”

Though they shouldn’t have, her words reassured him. “How did you get in here?”

“I came through the window,” she stated bluntly.

“I’m three stories off the ground,” he countered.

“I know this is hard to believe, but…”

“Is this some kind of joke?” Booth interrupted. “Something Peters put you up to?” he asked, referring to another agent who enjoyed driving everyone crazy by playing practical jokes around the office.

“No, it’s not a joke.”

“A dream, then. That’s it. I really am sick and feverish, and I’m at home, asleep, and it’s all some kind of weird dream…”

“This isn’t a dream, Booth. You’re awake.”

Booth was now frantic to find an explanation. Any conclusion other than the one he didn’t want to consider; that he was going crazy. “So you’re a ghost, then.” After the words were out, he realized that seeing ghosts was probably already a sign that he was going crazy.

“I’m not a ghost.” The girl sighed. “Look, I really don’t have time for this. I’m just here to…show you the way.”

But he wasn’t listening. He was pacing the floor in front of her, muttering. “It’s gotta be a dream. This isn’t real, it’s not happening. I mean…”

The girl stepped closer; reaching out, she slowly slid her hand up his arm, silently marveling at the feel of the hard muscles under the light fabric of his dress shirt. Booth looked at her a bit warily. “Um…what are you doing?”

With an effort, she managed to keep her voice steady. “I’m not a vision, or a dream, or a ghost. If I were, my hand would have gone right through you, and I wouldn’t have been able to…um, touch you,” she replied, appearing slightly flustered.

“Well…okay. But I still don’t think…”

His voice cut off abruptly as she stepped even closer, a wicked gleam in her eye. “But if you need more convincing…”

“No! I mean…that’s okay. You’re…very sweet, but…well, you’re quite young...”

She sighed regretfully. “Story of my life.” She shook her head as if to clear it, and reluctantly dropped her hand, forcing herself to step away from him with regret. She couldn’t blame his disbelief, though…if she were in his shoes, she would probably act the same way. “Look, Booth. I know what you’re thinking; hell, I’d be thinking the same thing if the roles were reversed. But you just have to trust me that all this is real. Believe me, it will go much faster if you can do that.” She smiled engagingly…at least, she hoped so. She needed to put him at ease. “Let’s just get back to the situation at hand, shall we?”

“Which is?” he asked. He still had no clue what was going on, but he supposed that he should just keep quiet and do what she said. He still didn’t believe this was really happening; in the back of his mind, he knew it had to be a dream; but he figured the sooner she showed him whatever it was she was here for, the sooner he could wake up and get back to reality.

“I told you. I’m here to show you the future.”

“You don’t even know me. Why would you care about my future?”

“Not just your future. But, let’s just say, I have an interest in this.” She looked at him apologetically. “But I’m not the most patient person in the world, and I don’t really feel like wasting time. Just trust that I’m real, and I’m here to help you.”

“How?”

“Once again…I’m here to show you the future. Well, what the future will be if you keep on this path.”

“So you’re like the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future?”

“Of course not!” She rolled her eyes. “I said ‘future’…the past doesn’t need to change, and your present depends on you. This isn’t ‘A Christmas Carol’. You’re not Ebenezer Scrooge, and I’m not Jacob Marley.”

“Then who are you?” This time it was said with pure puzzlement instead of the righteous indignation from before, and she was inclined to answer. At least, as much as she could.

“I’m just a friend. If you need to call me something, you can call me Kasper. It’s kind of a nickname.”

“Casper? Like the ghost?” He shook his head. “But you just told me…”

“No, Kasper. With a ‘K’. I’m not a ghost…well, not exactly.” She almost laughed at his perplexed expression. “Look, it’s complicated. You’ll just have to trust me.”

Booth raised a hand to his forehead. “I think I’m running a fever…I must be delirious,” he muttered.

“You’re not delirious…but you are starting to annoy me just a bit.” She held out her hand. “Now come on.”

He looked at it warily. “So what…I take your hand, and we just appear somewhere in the future?”

“Not exactly. I can’t just teleport. I need a portal.” She turned to the window.

“What, you’re going to push me out the window?” he asked sarcastically.

“I would never push you out a window, Booth.” Shaking her head exasperatedly, she lifted her hand and waved it in front of the window. Instantly, the clear glass grew cloudy, and in a few seconds, it was swirling with colors.

Booth just stared at the transformation. Yep, no doubt about it…he was delirious. He was hallucinating, or dreaming…this was not real. Could not be real. He raised his hand and tentatively reached out towards the whirling display of color. As soon as his finger reached it, he felt his body jolt, and he was pulled through the window before he even had a chance to yell.

Kasper sighed once more. This was going to be more difficult than she had first thought. Oh well…it was all in the name of love. She could deal with it. Still…she’d better be getting hazard pay out of this. Or maybe just a kiss… Not likely, though. Reaching out, she pushed through the portal to follow him.

Booth felt as if all the air were being sucked out of his lungs. It was completely black; he couldn’t see anything. It was cold and empty, and…well, creepy. Just when he felt the need to take a breath, he was suddenly dropped seemingly out of the sky, into the bright sunshine of a spring day. In seconds, Kasper appeared beside him.

“Okay, seriously…is there no better way to do that?” Booth gasped, trying to shake off the effects of the brief journey.

The girl rolled her eyes. “Oh, suck it up. It’s only for a few seconds,” she chastised. “Besides, I’m sure you’ve been through worse things in your life.”

Booth bit back a retort. She was right. Squinting, he looked around. The brightness of the day was in sharp contrast to the gloomy grayness he had just left, and it took his eyes a few moments to adjust to the change.

They were standing outside a building Booth had come to know quite well over the past four years; the Jeffersonian. A light breeze was blowing, and the sun was shining brightly from a nearly cloudless sky. The sound of the traffic on the street behind him seemed excessively loud compared to the silence he had been enduring only a few minutes earlier. Silently they both turned and made their way up the steps and into the building.

As they walked past the security desk and made their way into the lab, Booth’s eyes were immediately drawn to the lab platform, as they always were, searching for Bones. To his surprise, however, she was nowhere to be found; only Angela, Hodgins and a nervous looking Mr. Nigel-Murray were there, crowded around the table. He was about to ask Kasper where Bones was when Angela moved away toward the computer, and his future self was revealed, standing beside Nigel-Murray.

His posture suggested impatience; even irritation. And the words that he spoke next further puzzled Booth. “I really don’t care about all your useless trivia knowledge, kid,” he said with scorn. “Just tell me how she died so that I can get the hell out of here.”

It wasn’t only the words, it was the tone in his voice that amazed Booth. Sure, when he had first started working with the squints he had regarded them with skepticism and maybe a certain contempt, but he had come a long way since then, and he certainly respected their work, even if they did annoy still annoy him from time to time. “Why…”

His question was cut off at Angela’s squeal. She rushed down the stairs of the platform toward him, and for a moment, Booth thought that she had seen him, until she brushed past him. He turned to watch as threw herself at Bones, who had appeared just behind him. Her hair was longer than he remembered, and it fell over her shoulder in auburn waves. Her face was tanned, and she was casually dressed in a pair of khaki capris and a deep blue shirt that accentuated her eyes.

“Sweetie! Oh my God, you’re back!” She pulled her friend into her arms. “You weren’t supposed to be back till next week! Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Well…we decided to come back early…”

Brennan’s voice broke off as everyone else joined them. She glanced nervously behind Hodgins at Booth as he stood there, staring at her. “We?” he asked stonily.

She dropped her eyes, then turned to the man standing just behind her. “This is…Rick.”

The man stepped forward, seeming not to notice the tension that was palpable in the room. He held out his hand. “Dr. Richard Evans. Temperance and I met in Venezuela.”

Booth made no move to take the proffered hand. He was still staring at Bones, a look of pain on his face. Luckily, Hodgins moved in, shaking Dr. Evans’ hand, and the tension was broken.

As everyone crowded around the couple, Booth turned on his heel and started toward the door. “Booth!” Brennan slipped away from them and hurried after him. She caught up to him just as he reached the door. “Booth, wait…please.”

Taking a deep breath to compose himself, Booth turned. “Yes?”

“Please don’t leave like this.”

“Like what? Like you did, nine months ago?”

“I…”

“You left without a word, just left me a note to say that you were needed in Venezuela. And then nothing. Nothing, for nine months.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I just…I didn’t know how to say goodbye.”

“Obviously.” He stared pointedly at Rick. “Rather than say goodbye to your new friend, you just brought him with you.”

“Booth, I…”

“Welcome back, Dr. Brennan,” he said, then turned and walked out the door, leaving Brennan to stare after him.

Booth watched all of this, his heart breaking at the look of pain and sadness on her face. He reached out, wanting to comfort her…

“You can’t.” Booth had forgotten the girl at his side until she spoke. “She can’t see you; she doesn’t know you’re here,” she said, compassion in her voice.

His hand paused in mid air, before he dropped his arm reluctantly. He watched as Brennan turned slowly and walked back to the others, then he turned to Kasper. “I don’t understand. What happened?”

Kasper sighed. Here we go, she thought. Taking a deep breath, she started the tale. “It was just as he…well, you, said. The Venezuelan government requested Dr. Brennan’s help in identifying some remains at a mass burial site that they had uncovered. And she left.”

“Without saying goodbye.”

“Yes. After she left, you tried to lose yourself in your work, but…well, it wasn’t the same. And you and Mr. Nigel-Murray clashed at every turn…”

“Jesus.” Booth raked his fingers through his hair. “I can’t even believe this…” He stared across the room, lost in thought. He no longer thought that this was a dream or a hallucination. This was too real; the look in Brennan’s eyes too authentic. He couldn’t make that up; hell, he would never have thought in a million years that he would hurt her like that. Or that she could hurt him…

Finally, he turned back to his guide. “But…everything works out eventually, right? I mean, I don’t live the rest of my life without her…”

Kasper reached out and gently took his arm. His genuine emotion touched her heart, and she could see in that moment exactly how much he loved his Bones. “Come on,” she said gently, and led him to the large windows by the door. When they reached it, she turned to him. “I have more to show you.” Once again, she waved her hand over the nearest window, and this time, she didn’t even have to coerce him, he went willingly

Darkness, cold; once again, Booth was in that suspended time, until he dropped rather unceremoniously out of the fog. This time, when he looked around his surroundings, he was surprised. The room he was in was small, but decorated in soft pastels. There was a three sided mirror dominating one wall, and a small dressing table along the other. Bones was sitting at the table, dressed in white. Angela and Amy, Russ’ wife, were standing beside her. Angela was fixing Brennan’s hair, over her protests, while Amy stood by impatiently. Both wore simple, strapless red gowns.

Booth barely noticed the two friends, though; his eyes were on Bones. He had never seen her like this before, and the sight of her mesmerized him. She stood then, and his breath caught; her gown was strapless as well, and her long, dark hair tumbled down her back. The silky material of the dress clung to her body until it reached her waist, then gently flowed to the floor.

“Oh sweetie, you look beautiful,” Angela said, unaware that she was echoing Booth’s admiring whisper.

Brennan tugged self consciously at the dress. “Well…if you say so.” Angela and Amy both rolled their eyes. “So…everything’s ready, then?”

Angela nodded. “Everything’s fine, so stop worrying.”

“I’m not worried. Really. I’m not.”

Angela apparently heard something in her voice, though. “Bren…you’re not having second thoughts, are you?”

“No, of course not,” she replied quickly.

Booth had been smiling through the whole exchange, assuming that the reason Kasper had brought him here was to see Brennan’s wedding to him, to convince him that they, of course, belonged with each other. Her next words, though, erased the smile from his face and left a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“I love Rick. He’s successful, smart, good looking... what more could I want?”

“Don’t forget rich,” Amy chimed in.

“That’s not why I’m marrying him, Amy.” Brennan shook her head at her friend.

“As long as it’s not because you’re still trying to get over Booth.”

“Ang...” Amy warned. She knew that Booth was a touchy subject, and she didn’t want anything to ruin the day.

Angela ignored the warning. “I’m just worried that…”

“Don’t.” Brennan’s voice was stern. “Don’t worry. There was never anything to get over. We were partners, and then we grew apart. It happens all the time.”

Angela wanted to protest, but she saw the look in Brennan’s eye and thought better of it. “Have you heard from him?”

Brennan looked away. “I sent an invitation. But I really didn’t expect him to come. Anyway…” Wanting to put an end to the conversation, she took one last look in the mirror. “I’m ready.”

Booth watched helplessly as the three woman started out. How could this be happening? He felt Kasper’s hand on his arm as Bones glanced back into the room, a look of uncertainty crossing her face before she turned and left, shutting the door softly behind her.

“Booth?” Booth ignored the voice. He was stunned. Okay, so maybe he could accept the fact that they had drifted apart, but nothing would have kept him from her wedding. If she had asked him, he would have been there. Nothing would have kept him away.

“There’s some mistake. This isn’t possible,” he muttered. Turning, he faced Kasper. “So, what’s next?” he asked heatedly. “I get invited to her funeral, but don’t care enough to show up?”

“Booth…”

“No,” he interrupted. “This isn’t right, it can’t be.”

“Sometimes the choices we make can set into motion things that we never would have thought possible.”

“What kind of cryptic shit is that?” Booth angrily shook his head. “I know me, alright? And this is not me.” She didn’t argue, just kept her steady, infuriating gaze on him until he relented. “Okay. Fine. On to the next disaster.” He walked over to the window and waited for her to do her magic.

Once again, Booth felt himself breathless, falling through darkness, until he found himself again outside in the sunshine. Only this time, he didn’t recognize the place. It looked to be an apartment building, but he had never been here before. The building was brick, but obviously not well maintained. There were broken cracks in the sidewalk out front, and weeds grew up from them. Bits of trash were littered along the street, and the door to the building was faded and worn.

“Just a quick stop here,” Kasper said from beside him. “Then we’ll move on. But I did want you to see this.”

Booth looked at her quizzically before following her inside. Once inside, they made their way to the third floor, approaching apartment 3-B. Booth wondered briefly how they would get inside; if she would be able to just walk right through it, like the ghosts in the movies. Instead, she just turned the knob and walked in. Booth followed behind curiously.

Despite the outer appearance, the apartment was neat and tidy, though small. Booth; that is, his future self; was sitting on the sofa, absently changing the channels. Empty take-out containers sat on the coffee table in front of him.

Booth turned to Kasper expectantly. “What is it that I’m supposed to see?”

The girl gestured about the room. “Look around.”

Booth raised his eyebrows quizzically, but did as she asked. The room was sparsely furnished, and the walls were bare. Only one picture sat on the bookcase shelf, of himself and Parker. No other personal items were displayed. “This is it?” he asked, even as his future self settled on a hockey game and tossed the TV remote on the sofa beside him.

Kasper nodded. “This is your life, Booth. You go to work, which, incidentally, consists of pushing papers all day…you stopped doing fieldwork when Brennan came back from Venezuela with Rick. You come home, eat take out, watch TV. And then go to bed. Alone.”

“Impossible.”

She shrugged. “I’m not making it up. You can see for yourself.”

“But that can’t be…” His voice trailed off. She was right, though. He couldn’t deny what was right in front of him. “This is what I become?”

Kasper looked at him sympathetically. “Come on. I have one more thing to show you.” Taking his hand, she led him out of the apartment and down the stairs.

“Gee, thanks for the good news.” She just smiled sadly and raised her hand to the window in the lobby door. Shaking his head, Booth stepped through.

After the now familiar, if disconcerting, few seconds of time travel, he found himself back inside, this time at a restaurant that he recognized from downtown DC. He glanced around, spying Bones and Angela sitting at a table in the back just as Kasper made her entrance. Making their way across the room, they settled in to listen.

“I’m glad you called, Bren. It seems like it’s been forever since we talked.”

Brennan laughed. “It hasn’t been quite that long.”

“Eight months is a long time.”

“Sorry. I’ve been busy.”

“It’s okay, you’re forgiven.” They gave their order to the waiter, then sat back. “So Bren…how are you?”

“I’m fine.” Ang just stared at her until finally, she looked away. “What? You don’t believe me?”

“You’re fine? You’ve given up your life’s work to stay home for a husband you rarely see. How is that fine?”

“It’s good not having to work.”

“Sweetie, this was never just a job for you. It was your life.”

Brennan shrugged. “Things change.”

“Not that much. Come on…admit it. You loved what you did…and Rick made you give it up.” She shook her head. “What happened to the Temperance Brennan I used to know? She would never have given up her work, not for anyone.”

Brennan sighed. Much had happened in the past few years that had made her re-evaluate everything she had always thought about how her life should be lived. Losing Booth, the differences with her father and brother, the feeling that she was missing something; she had completely changed the direction her life had been going in the hopes that she could learn to be happy. But it hadn’t worked. Why she had ever thought that giving up her work and marrying Rick would make up for the happiness that had gone out of her life when Booth had left, she didn’t know. But now, she just had to make the best of it. “I promised Rick that…”

“Booth would never have asked you to,” Angela stated, cutting her off, then mentally prepared herself for the inevitable explosion. It never came. Instead, the waiter chose that moment to serve their lunch. After he had left, Brennan changed the subject, and the two friends chatted about other things.

Once they were finished eating, however, Angela leaned forward. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Okay,” Brennan replied warily.

“Do you ever wonder what would have happened if you and Booth would have gotten together?”

Booth expected some sarcastic comment, or maybe even her usual denials, but she surprised him.

“Sometimes,” she whispered.

“Oh sweetie…”

“I still miss him. I miss talking to him, arguing with him…even after all this time, when I have a problem, or some exciting news, my first thought is to tell him. But then I remember…”

Booth had heard enough. Abruptly he turned and walked out of the restaurant; puzzled, Kasper followed him out. Once they reached the street, he turned to her. “I want to go back. I don’t want to see any more.”

“Are you okay?”

“Am I okay?” he asked incredulously. “No, I’m not okay! Not only are Bones and I apart, we’re both unhappy.” He looked at his guide imploringly. “This doesn’t have to be, right? I can change this future, can’t I?”

Kasper sighed sympathetically. “Nothing’s set in stone, Booth. The future is what you make it.”

“But if I don’t do anything, if I just go on the way I have been…this is what’s going to happen?”

“That’s hard to say. It’s a little tricky, showing someone their future. You could still say nothing, but learn from your other mistakes and have it turn out differently.” She shrugged.

Booth ran his fingers through his hair. “I guess I just always assumed that everything would stay the same. Even if I never told her how I really felt, I thought we’d always be friends, partners.”

“I can’t tell you what to do. I came here to show you one possible future. What you do with that knowledge is up to you.”

“Well, I have to do something, because I don’t want to live without her.” His expression turned brighter as he thought of something. “But if I told her…you could show me that future, couldn’t you?”

She was shaking her head even before he finished. “I could. But I’m not going to.”

“Why not?”

“Look, the only reason I showed you this future was because I didn’t want you two to end up unhappy. But I can’t show you everything. You need to have a little faith in yourself, and in Brennan.”

“But if I do this…if I tell her that I want to be more than friends…will it work out? Or will we just end up apart anyway?”

“Now Booth. Do you really think I’d go through all this for anything less than a happy ending?”

“So that’s your answer?”

“It’s the only one you’re going to get. Now, are you ready to go back?”

“Yeah.” He started towards the window she had ‘opened’, then paused to look back. “I don’t even know how to thank you.”

Kasper shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. It was my pleasure, really.”

“Still.” He smiled at her; his charm smile, and she felt her knees go weak. Before she could even comprehend what he intended, he had leaned down and brushed his lips against hers in a feather light kiss, taking her breath away.

When he stepped back, her eyes were closed, a dreamy smile on her lips. She opened them slowly and looked at him. “That was…” Instead of finishing the thought, she reached out, her hand pressing against his chest and lingering there for a moment. “Bones is a very lucky woman.”

Before Booth could respond, she gave him a light push, sending him through the portal and back to the present.

xxx

Brennan was in her apartment, working on the next chapter of her newest novel when Booth knocked on her door. “Hi Booth. Do we have a case?”

“I…”

She didn’t wait for an answer. Turning from the door, she made her way back to her laptop, assuming he would follow her in. “I was writing, but it’s not going well, and I could certainly use a break.” Finally noting his odd silence, she turned her full attention to him. “Are you okay?” He was still standing by the door, as if frozen, looking at her oddly. “Booth?”

“I love you.”

“Huh?” Brennan was stunned. Surely she hadn’t heard him right. She just stared at him.

“I love you.” His paralysis broke, and he took a hesitant step towards her.

Brennan was bewildered. He loved her? He must be delirious. Either that, or maybe she had caught what he had, and she was the one who was hallucinating. She knew she should say something; anything, but she had no clue what. “Um…”

“Look, I know this is sudden, but I had to tell you. I couldn’t let us grow apart. I care about you too much.” Booth knew he was rambling, but he couldn’t seem to stop. “And as for Rick…you can’t marry him. I don’t want you to be unhappy, you deserve more than that. I…”

“Wait…what?!”

“I saw everything; the future. She showed me what it would be like if I never told you. And I couldn’t let it happen, because…”

“Wait, slow down. You saw the future…what the hell are you talking about?”

“I’m trying to tell you. This girl appeared in my office, and she took me into the future…our future. Only we weren’t together, and…”

“Girl? What girl?”

“I don’t know. She wouldn’t say, just told me to call her ‘Kasper’.” He shrugged, totally missing her shocked expression. “I don’t know why, some kind of nickname, she said.”

“I…” Brennan shook her head. She was still completely lost, but she needed to focus on Booth’s ‘hallucination’. “Do you have a fever or something?” She reached up and tried to feel his forehead, but he stepped back. “You look flushed.”

“I’m perfectly fine. Seriously…I ended up alone and you were married but weren’t happy. And we…”

“Are you high?”

Booth sighed, though he really couldn’t blame her for thinking that. “No, I’m not high. And I’m not insane. It all happened, I swear. I know it sounds crazy, and you can believe what you want. But the bottom line is, I saw what the future would be if we continued on the way we were, and I knew I had to come here and tell you.”

Brennan was still trying to grasp everything; her mind was having trouble focusing. Everything he had said from ‘I love you’ was running around in her brain, but she still wasn’t exactly sure what was going on. “So you’re here so you don’t end up spending the rest of your life alone?”

“No.”

“Because you want to save me from an unhappy marriage? Which, by the way, would never happen. Marriage is a…”

“Not exactly.” He smiled, knowing exactly what she had been going to say. Some things never changed.

“So then…why are you here?”

“I’m here because I love you.”

So they were back to that again. “Look Booth, I know you had some weird dream that freaked you out, but…”

“I know I sound crazy, Bones, but I’m not. For the first time, I’m actually thinking clearly.”

Turning, Brennan began pacing back and forth. “I just…I don’t understand. One day we’re talking and arguing like normal, the next you’re hallucinating imaginary girls and telling me you love me. I mean, it’s just crazy. The next thing you know, you’ll…”

The kiss quite literally took her breath away. Whether it was because it was unexpected, or just the fact that it was Booth kissing her, she didn’t know. Whatever the reason, though, she didn’t care. Wrapping her arms around him, she lost herself in his kiss.

Booth’s hands reached up to cup her face; his thumbs gently brushed her cheeks as he responded to the sweetness of her kiss. Kissing her was like nothing he’d ever felt before, and he wanted to savor every second.

When they finally parted, Brennan kept her eyes closed for a moment, trying to catch her breath. When she opened them, she caught his gaze and smiled to herself as she saw he was just as flustered as she was.

“Sorry,” he said. “I…well, it was the only way I could think of to shut you up.”

“So you’re saying that if I keep talking, you’ll kiss me again?” she asked, her voice thick with emotion.

Booth smiled, but instead of answering, he leaned down and captured her lips once more. This time, Brennan was prepared. Hooking her arms around his neck, she pulled him closer and deepened the kiss. Booth groaned, sliding his hands behind her head and tangling them in her hair. She opened her mouth to him, and their tongues met, sending shivers down her spine.

His lips left hers, settling on her throat, and her head fell back, a moan escaping her lips at the soft caress of his tongue on her sensitive skin. When his hands moved down to reach under her shirt, the touch pulled her back to the present. She laid her hand on his to stop his progress. “Booth, wait…” she murmured.

Booth dropped his hand and stepped back, fighting for control. He hadn’t meant to get carried away, but he had lost all control at her eager response. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have kissed you like that.”

Brennan stared at him, confused for a moment, until she understood. “No, Booth…that’s not what I meant.”

Now it was his turn to be confused. “I don’t understand…”

“I just…I just don’t want you doing something you’re going to regret just because you had some weird dream.”

“Temperance…” Booth stepped closer and took her hand. “My experience didn’t change my feelings for you. I’ve felt this way for a long time. But this just made me realize exactly what I want. And I know I don’t want to miss out on the best thing in my life just because I was too afraid to take a chance. That would be the regret. But being with you…that’s something I’d never regret.” Sighing, he dropped her hand. “But if you don’t feel the same way…”

“No, I…” Brennan struggled to come up with the words to tell him exactly what she was feeling. “I do.” She saw the uncertainty in his eyes, and she moved closer, closing the distance between them. “I do,” she repeated as she reached up and pulled him down to her.

This time, it was Brennan who took over. It was her hands that moved over his body; her arms that pulled him over to the bed, never breaking their kiss. And once they were lying there, side by side, it was Brennan who slowly unbuttoned his shirt and ran her hands over his chest before sliding it off his shoulders.

Booth was overwhelmed with the feelings her touch aroused in him. Grabbing her hands as they reached his belt, he flipped her over onto her back and reached for the buttons of her shirt. He fumbled with them impatiently, his fingers trembling, until finally he managed to unbutton them all. Parting the fabric, he skimmed his hands lightly over her bare skin.
She gasped as his hands slipped under her bra to cup her breasts, and her arms tightened around him, her heart pounding loudly in her chest. Slowly his hands moved over her body, unhooking her bra and throwing both it and her shirt to the floor. She shut her eyes tightly as he leaned down, his lips tracing where his hands had been only moments before.
Brennan bit her lip to keep her from crying out with the pleasure that was overwhelming her. Keeping her eyes closed, she felt his hands move down to unbutton her jeans. She lifted her hips to allow him to pull them off, joining the rest of her clothes on the floor. When his fingers slipped inside her, she couldn’t contain her cry of pleasure.

Booth’s body hardened instantly at her reaction. He raised his head, watching her as she thrashed about on the bed, her body trembling with desire. “Seeley, please…” At her throaty whisper, he stroked her faster, until she cried out, her body tightening around his fingers. Only then did he stand, quickly shedding the rest of his clothes, before positioning himself above her.

Reaching down, he ran his fingers lightly over her cheek, forcing her to open her eyes. Leaning down, his eyes never leaving her face, he gently touched his lips to hers and slid inside her. He started moving inside her; slowly at first, then gradually increasing his speed. Her hands were on his back, pulling him closer and meeting his thrusts. Finally, he felt her tighten around him; she cried out as she came, and he was lost. He collapsed on the bed beside her and pulled her into his arms.

Lying there in his arms, Brennan felt a sense of contentment flow over her. She still didn’t know what had happened that afternoon, what he thought he saw that finally pushed him to admit what she had always hoped he felt for her. Whatever it was, though, she was grateful. She knew she shouldn’t ask; she didn’t want to tempt fate, but she was curious. Turning to him, she lifted a hand and brushed her fingers across his cheek.

“So…did this girl show you our life together?”

He smiled. “Not exactly. She did give me some hints though.”

“Care to share?”

“Nope.”

“That’s not fair!” She dropped her hand and sat up, crossing her arms in front of her indignantly. “What if my life with you ends up being a disaster?”

“You’ll just have to trust me.”

“You know I’m no good at that.”

Reaching up, he pulled her down to him. “I’ll just have to teach you,” he whispered, before his lips closed over hers.

I really really liked that.
'I’m not a ghost…well, not exactly'.....but she is our ghosty girl.....

Fly, that was positively delicious!! Man! I'm not the biggest fan of the Scrooge story, but with Booth as the subject it was great. I could see it all soo perfectly. Now HH should have used that as his dreamy finale!!

I loved it when Kas says "Bones is a very lucky woman." And then when Brennan asks him "Are you high?" I just lost it!

And the lovemaking was positively perfect! You shouldn't call that smut. Nope, sorry.

Thanks, Fly! It was wonderful!

Thanks toz! Haha, it really didn't start out to be about kasper, but once I got the idea, I ran with it...lol

And thanks sherry! And I wasn't sure about the 'are you high' line...this was originally written as an original story, and the characters were younger, so that line was perfect...I almost changed it when I rewrote it for B&B, but I decided to just leave it in.

Loved this one. I really enjoy tasteful ghost stories. And Booth waiting for her to get home was gold. Love that guy.

Great fic Fly!!!

Thanks G and and CB!

that was absolutely amazing loved every line. It was awsome

Very nice, nice and smutty too. I do love me a little afternoon delight, thanks Fly.

RM

Thanks so much ann and RM! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Great story I loved it!