Once In A Lifetime - by AnaG Posted 10/09/2007 09:23:11 PM

Chapter 1

This started as a little doodle while trying to get around a nasty case of writer’s block I ran into on another fic…but it's beginning to take on a life of it’s own. Hope you enjoy, and feedback is most welcome.--ag

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>Sometime in the early 1990’s

The inner courtyard of a suburban high school. The brick walls of the school’s buildings surround an open grassy area, wooden benches scattered around. The occasional student, carrying books or moving to music piped through earbuds, passes along white concrete walkways, making their way off campus or to various after school activities.

One student, a girl, is sitting along one of the walkways, her back leaning against the brick of the building behind her. Long, wavy auburn hair falls into her face, hiding her eyes from passers-by. Her knees are drawn up toward her body, as if to make her presence as small as possible. One hand, propped on a knee holds an open paperback book, the words inside abandoned as she is lost in thought. With the other hand she absently curls the shoelace of a worn Converse sneaker. Her thoughts are on the list of names carefully written in black marker on the sole of that shoe. Thomason. Hinson. Fellows. Morgansen. Thinking that she was likely to be adding another family's name to her makeshift list. Not that it mattered anyway. The “father” gave her the creeps….

Her thoughts were interrupted by the chatter and giggles of an approaching group of girls. She tenses, praying that they don’t notice her, breathing a quiet sigh of relief as they pass by. Then the wind carries back a quick phrase “…foster-freak…” and a round of stinging laughter. Her head hangs down for a moment, a hand reaching up to wipe a tear from her still-hidden face. Then her chin rises slightly, and she returns to the book, a collection of essays by Margaret Meade, focusing on the words as if they hold the answers to her way out of this courtyard.

***

> Present Day.


Brennan rests her head against the car window, watching as the traffic passes in the next lane. She can hear him talking, but her attention has turned inward, towards thoughts of the case they had just completed, the young suspect whose confession they had just heard.

She’s jostled as the car makes a sudden turn, bringing her back to the present.

“….you okay, Bones?”

“Sorry, Booth. It’s just this case, it just makes me so…” Her mouth tightens as she tries to find the right word.

“Yeah. High school kids like this, it’s tough. Sad when you think of their whole liv…”

“…angry at them.” She finishes, her voice rising slightly.

“Okay, Bones. I guess I can understa…”

“Objectifying themselves like that… “.Her words are coming faster now, her hands beginning to move as she talks. “…conforming themselves out of existence to fit into some artificial social hierarchy where they make up the rules as they go along. And now we have this, these two girls…” She stops as quickly as she began, sighing heavily and leaning back in the seat.

His voice quietly fills the silence. “One dead. One facing life in prison…over the homecoming king and a spot on the cheerleading squad.” He shakes his head, looks out of the window on his side. “Like something out of a bad Lifetime movie…”

“I don’t what that…”

“…means.” He gives her a slight smile. “Cable channel, movies of the week targeted to women..” Seeing her questioning look, he grows slightly embarrassed. “Not that I, you know, um…I was just flipping through…”

She starts to reply with a teasing comment, but her expression turns serious and she turns her face away from him. “Why didn't they see that it just doesn’t matter. That in the end, that world is just high school and it ends. They move on…”

“You know, Bones, high school it’s not all about the cliques and the social back-biting, and…” He pauses as the car comes to a stop and he moves the gearshift to park. “There’s football games with your buddies. Your first car. .” He leans toward her, a smile flashing across his face. “…working up the nerve to ask your big crush to the prom…”

Seeing the blank look on her face. “What? Prom? I know you have to know... everyone…” He stops quickly, seeing her face turn red, realizing…. “Sorry, Temperance, that was…

She lays on hand on his arm. “Booth, it’s okay. No, I didn’t go to the prom. But I don’t think I missed anything…” Gathering her things, she steps out of the car. “After all, like I said…it’s just high school.” She closes the door and begins to walk toward the lab.

For a moment, he watches her through the windshield, before getting out of the car, moving quickly to catch up with her.

***

>Several days later.

A muffled voice calls from behind a dressing room curtain. “Ange…I just don’t know about this.”

Angela, holding a dress over one arm, moves closer to the curtain. “Come on, Bren. Just live a little. It’s just like playing dress-up…two girls trying on beautiful dresses just for kicks…”

“I still can’t believe I let you talk me into this.” The curtain opens with a clatter of rings against a metal rod as Brennan walks out…

“Oh, sweetie…” Angela gives a squeal of delight, pulling her friend in front of a full-length mirror. “Look at you! You and that dress are just meant for each other.”

They both look at the image reflected in the glass—the smoky gray chiffon, gathered around the bodice, the soft pleats of the skirt falling against her legs. Brennan stares at her reflection, running her hand across her waist, feeling the softness of the material beneath her fingers. She smiles back at herself, allowing herself to believe just for a minute that…

“…like a fairy tale.” The sound of her friend’s voice brings her back to the dressing room and her expression turns serious.

“Yeah, Angela, and fairy tales are for children…this…this goes back to the sales clerk. Give me a lab coat any day. That’s the real world.” With a final look in the mirror, she begins to move toward the dressing room.

“Bren, please, that is a once-in-a-lifetime dress…” Angela sighs as she finds herself talking the dressing room curtain as it swings closed.

Chapter 2

Okay…I’ll admit this is where it starts to turns a bit fanciful. But hey, we grow-up girls still get to dream of prince charming and lovely fluffy moments. So here goes….-belle

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>The next day. Late, late afternoon.

Brennan moves toward the monitor, looking closely at the images of fragmented bone on the screen. Angela leans over her shoulder, pointing out a defect in one of the shards.

Booth approaches the office door, “Hey, Bones, I need to ask a…”

Not looking away from the screen, “What is it, Booth? I have to finish these and I’m still behind because Angela just had to go…” She stops talking, her breath catches as she looks up and sees him standing in the doorway. “…shopping yester...”

As he leans against the doorway, she continues to stare… He’s wearing a tuxedo, the stark contrast of black and white playing against his own coloring, the careful drape of the fabric highlighting broad shoulders, and…She shakes her head slightly. “Booth, you look, um,….” She stops, still trying to process the feeling that seeing him, in that…

Angela, seeing the expression on her face grins broadly, pats her on the shoulder, “I believe the word that you are looking for, sweetie… is hot.” Moving to leave, she leans down, “Just remember…live a little”.

Angela begins to walk out of the office, pausing when she reaches Booth she says, sotto voice, “Nice”. She passes by him, then turns around once before continuing to walk on. “Very nice”

Brennan, by now having gathered her wits, stands and moves in front of her desk, still not fully approaching him. “Booth, what are you doing here, in a….a bird suit?”

He smiles slightly, “A penguin-suit? There’s this…event that I have to attend tonight. It’s pretty formal, so…”

“Well, you look very…nice, Booth. I’m sure you’ll have a nice time at your…event. Now, I have some work to…

He steps toward her, keeping her from moving behind the desk. “Nice. Yes, I’m sure it will be very, um, nice. That’s actually kind of why I’m here, Bones…Temperance…” Seeing the perplexed look on her face, he continues. “I know it’s last minute...very last minute….but, I was hoping that maybe you could come with me, be my…

“No! I mean, I can’t….all this work to finish…there’s no time, and then there’s….” She stops speaking, flustered…

He steps closer “and then there’s what?”

Shrugging, she looks down at herself, at the blue lab coat covering her frame. “I don’t think this is exactly the proper formal attire…”

He grins, “Got it covered.” He steps back, moves just outside the doorway. “Just wait… right…there”

She waits, hands at her waist, shaking her head, unsure of what he will do next. Then she catches a glimpse of pale gray as he enters the room carrying a clear garment bag holding….

“That’s the once-in-a….” She takes the dress from him, running her hand over the clear plastic as if she could feel the soft fabric. “How did you…? ….Angela!” She starts to move past him, to look for Angela, carrying the dress over one arm.

Putting one hand on her shoulder, he stops her turning to face him. “She was just trying to help…”

“But why, Booth? Why the last minute….Why are you going through all of this trouble for some silly….”

“Because, I didn’t want to give you time to think of a reason not to…” He leans closer, “…and it’s like the lady said…time to live a little”. Then he takes a step back, smiles, “Now, what do you say, hm? Please? Just put on the pretty dress….”

She rolls her eyes, muttering under her breath about charm smiles and men in bird suits…

“A nice meal…a little dancing…” He does a quick little two-step…

“Fine. Okay. Now, please…just go find Angela. I’m going to need her help, if…”

“Thanks, Bones..” Impulsively, he kisses her quickly on the forehead. “…I promise, you won’t regret it….” Not wanting to chance a change of heart, Booth leaves quickly in search of Angela. To tell her that her further assistance was needed.

And that so far, everything was going according to plan.

***

Chapter 3

Here's the next little bit. Hope you enjoy! ana

>Same day. Early evening.

Booth stands, leaning against the wall outside Brennan’s office, idly fidgeting with a poker chip with one hand. After he returned with Angela, they’d tossed him out, shutting the door firmly, closing all of the blinds. At first, he could hear raised voices of protest and cajoling, before they gave way to laughter, and then finally silence. Angela had promised that she could work wonders in no time with the “bag of top-secret womanly tricks” that she had stashed in her own office earlier in the day. But it had been more than an hour now…

He straightens as he hears the click of a door opening, suddenly, inexplicably nervous. The last time she walked from behind a closed door, in a dress close to anything like that one…and then she was standing before him and he felt that same electric jolt that left him speechless, unable to do anything more than stare. Hair pulled back simply from her face, allowing her eyes to dominate, their color intensified by the faintest trace of shadow and the color of the dress…the dress gracefully revealing the length of her neck, the curve of her shoulders, a figure most often hidden underneath a blue lab coat.

She looks down, flustered at his silence. “I know it’s not what you expected, but there’s was no time…and Angela said that she could….”

He steps forward, to explain, to tell her that she looked….when Angela steps between them, placing an arm around each of them. “Aw, look at you two….looking so very grown-up in your pretty clothes….” She hugs each of them quickly. “Now run along, you don’t want to be late to your…whatever” She gives a knowing smile and begins to walk away, then turns back to them “…and let’s say you two kids just forget about curfew tonight, hmm?”

They both stand awkwardly for a moment, Angela’s laughter fading as she moves away. Then he reaches out his hand, “So, ready, Bones…Brennan...?.”

She shakes her head, smiling, still slightly stunned at her impulsiveness. She gives him her hand, and as they move down the hallway, he carefully places that hand at his elbow, his thumb brushing lightly across her skin as she looks up at him.

And as make their way out of the room…“I still can’t believe I let you talk me into this….”

***

>A little later. The darkened interior of a car. The lights of passing cars periodically revealing their faces.

“I don’t understand why you won’t tell me where we’re….”

He sighs…“It’s a surprise. When one person knows and the other one finds out later…”

“I know what a surprise is, Booth. I just don’t like being the one that doesn’t know…”

“And that’s it.. that’s why a surprise will be good for you….you know, be spontaneous, learn to go with the flow...”

Indignant, she protests, “I can be spontaneous….” She breaks off, noticing that they have turned from the main road and are now moving along the quiet, tree-lined lanes of a park. “Booth…where exactly are we? We’re lost aren’t we?”

“Spon-tan-e-ous, Bones…Remember? Gravel crunches as he pulls into a small turn-off and parks, then opens his door. She is staring at the scene before her, “Booth, this is not….” She stops, realizing he has left the car…

And then her door opens, and Booth is standing there, hand outstretched. He helps her from the car, leading her a few steps down a bricked path before stopping. Standing behind her, he waits as she looks ahead in silence.

A few yards away, there is a white gazebo… lighted paper lanterns hanging from the eaves, scattered around the railing and steps, both chasing and creating shadows. A gentle breeze brings the soft sound of music towards them.

***

Chapter 4

Here'e the last installment. Thanks for bearing with me while I work through the writer's block on Dear Diary. Hope you enjoy, and always feedback is most welcome...-belle

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“Exactly what type of event is this…” Still behind her, he steps closer, placing his hands on her bare shoulders. “Well, Temperance, I was sort of wondering, if you..maybe you wanted to go to prom with me…”

She turns to look at him, eyes wide as a series of emotions play across her face… confusion, wonder, and then… She starts to move away, back toward the car. Booth walks quickly after her. “I know it is not much, not the real thing, but….”

He stops when she turns back to face him, startled to see tears in her eyes. “You did this...all this…because you felt sorry for me,” looking down, “because poor little Brennan didn’t get to go to the…”

He closes the distance between them, lifting her chin with the edge of one finger. “No. Not because I felt sorry for you. Because I felt…..” He stops, gazing intently as he tries to define exactly what he felt, why he felt compelled to give her this…. “Because you’re my. …partner. And partners do things for each other, sometimes even impulsive, sentimental…”

The sudden insecurity fades as she listens, a smile appears on her face. “Yes… you big strong tough guys do tend to be surprisingly sentimental...” She steps back, placing a hand along the side of his face. She whispers, “Thank you,” and then begins to walk along the path, toward the lighted gazebo. Turning back, she tilts her head slightly, her smile now reflected in her eyes… “What are you waiting for, Booth? We have a dance to go to…”

A smile breaks across his face as he runs to catch up to her, placing a hand at the small of her back, to bring her a little closer to him as they walk along.

***

“Sorry, Booth. I know I have a habit of trying to lead….”

“Not tonight…” He spins her away from him, then pulls her back, bringing his arm around her waist. “No, tonight you are Ginger Rogers…..”

“Who is…”

He laughs softly. “It’s just a way of saying that you are very….elegant tonight. That you look very…” He falls silent…

A wry smile on her face, “…well-structured?”

“No.” His expression suddenly serious, looking directly into her eyes “Very…”. His eyes shift briefly to her lips and back to her eyes. After a silent moment, he moves her hand from his shoulder, steps away from her, suddenly not able to meet her eyes.

“Booth….?” She starts to move toward him, when he brings his eyes back to hers. “I lied. I’m sorry, Temperance. I lied to you. Lied to myself. I didn’t do this out of pity, but I didn’t do this because you are my partner, either…”

Still holding his gaze, she very quietly asks, “Then, why….”

“Because, I think…” He steps closer, resting a hand along each side of her face, brushing his thumb along the curve her cheekbone. “I know…” He brings his lips to hers with the lightest of touches…

This time, she is the one to pull away slightly, bringing her fingers to her lips, her eyes searching his. Then without thought, she is in his arms, returning his kiss with every feeling that she had been denying for so long. As his arms tighten around her, their kiss deepens, both lost in finally knowing.

They break apart, looking at each other with a slightly startled look before the desire begins to return. He takes her hand, holding it against his chest, “This is how it’s supposed to be, isn’t it? This is right….”

She moves closer, bringing her mouth within a breath of his “Better than right…” And as their lips meet only a single thought is left…

*It’s once-in-a-lifetime…..*

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So...hope to be back to Dear Diary soon. But musie keeps giving me the stink-eye and saying that I am not getting anywhere near her idea again until I learn to balance the fluffy and the funny a lot better. I'm stocking up on the jujubes and red vines, so maybe we can reach an understanding soon..

DBAngelfan
Posted 11/09/2007 00:50:48 AM

very nice

CheeseBK
Posted 11/09/2007 07:21:41 AM

awwwwwwwww sooo cute....

bandbi
Posted 11/09/2007 05:11:51 PM

Oh Ana **sighs**

that was just wonderful!!

A2BOREANAZ

Posted 12/09/2007 00:04:50 AM

ana.......that was remarkable......he took her to their special prom......i so loved it.....could not stop reading..and then they kiss....whooohooo loved it........please write more and more

a2b

miller0259

Posted 28/10/2007 03:46:23 PM

awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.... that was amazing!!! so romantic.... I wish booth took me to the prom...lol