Wonderful World (byGum) Rated T, B/B, H/A, Case fic based on the Sam Cooke song.

by Thnx4theGum Fri Sep 25, 2009 2:11 pm

This was a oneshot that got way out of hand. There are 44 chapters in this one and 56 in the direct sequel, Home. Behind Blue Eyes is the 3rd fic set in this universe and to date has 18, though that's ongoing. I'll do my best to get things up ASAP Hope you all enjoy!
Gum

B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B

Wonderful World

It was late.
Special Agent Seeley Booth suppressed a yawn as he steered his SUV in the direction of his partner’s apartment.
“If you are weary, Booth, I can always drive us the rest of the way,” Dr. Temperance Brennan offered from the passenger’s seat.
“No thanks, Bones,” he shook his head, “We’re only a few minutes out, I can make it.”
She settled back into her seat and they made the rest of the trip in silence.
“Would you like to come up for a drink?” she asked when he pulled into the complex’s parking lot, “I have some beer left over from the last time my father visited.”
“Sure, Bones, thanks,” he replied.
He would have walked her to her door anyway and this gave him an excuse to do so without her chewing him out for being overprotective. For the number of times that the scientist’s life had been threatened in her own apartment building over the past four years you would think that she would appreciate it.
“You were planning on accompanying me anyway,” she shrugged as they headed in the building; it was not a question, “So I decided I may as well offer you refreshment for your trouble.”
He grinned, “My company isn’t so bad is it?”
“Not at all,” she replied, “Though you telegraph your intentions rather clearly you know?”
“How so?”
“Booth,” she sighed, turning the key in her deadbolt and flipping on the lights, “I cannot think of one time in the past four years that you have not accompanied me to the door of my apartment. Your body language was no different tonight than it has been any other night, so I assumed that you intended to escort me to my door as usual.”
“Again, is that so bad?” he accepted a beer from her and they sat on opposite ends of her couch.
“Not particularly,” she smiled at him teasingly.
“Just think of it as me fulfilling your wishes,” he tipped the bottle in her direction, “Following your new credo as it were.”
She looked at him quizzically, “What in the world are you referring to, Booth?”
“’Always swim with a buddy.’”
“We aren’t swimming,” she pointed out.
“No,” he threw back his head and laughed, “No we aren’t.”
They each settled into the couch, nursing their beers.
“Now,” Booth stood up, stretched, and moved over to the stereo, “Let’s put on some tunes.”
“What does that mean?” Bones asked him.
“It means that while you've managed to move into the 21st century and buy a TV, you don’t have cable and I don’t think I’d be up for any of your documentaries or chick flicks at this hour. The only thing left to play is music.”
“You could hardly call ‘Pride and Prejudice’ a ‘chick flick,’ Booth,” Brennan scoffed as he paged through her CD collection.
“Bones,” he gave her a knowing look, “There is not a woman I have met that doesn’t like that movie and the guys who like it are few and far between.”
“It’s an on-screen presentation of a classic novel,” she protested, “Virtually the only scene missing from the book is the epilogue. Nearly every other scene is transcribed verbatim.”
“Chick book made into a chick movie,” he waved her off, flicking on the stereo and popping in a CD that he had found.
“Now here’s a classic,” he grinned as the strains of Sam Cooke’s “Wonderful World” filtered through the speakers. He pressed the ‘repeat’ button so that it would play several times.
He swept her off of the couch and into his arms in one smooth motion and began swaying to the music.
“Booth,” she looked up at him, laughing slightly, “Are you inebriated?”
“Nope,” he said, humming along to the music, “But you’ve gotta live a little, Bones.”
He twirled her around in a tight circle with one hand and then brought her back into his embrace. She laughed and they continued dancing around the room.
I can’t believe she’s letting me do this, Booth thought as the song continued, Two years ago she would’ve slapped me an sent me on my way. Even last year I’m not sure I could’ve gotten away with this. Guess she was serious about the ‘surrogate relationship’ thing.
He inhaled deeply, taking in the fragrance of her perfume, her shampoo, and her soap all mixed into one. It was a scent that comforted him after all of their years together- a number of well-known brands that combined to produce a scent that was uniquely ‘Bones.’
“This song could not apply to me at all, Booth,” her soft voice cut through his reverie.
He looked down at her with a smile and they continued around the room, “How so, Bones?”
“Well,” she cocked her head and he knew he was in for a mini lecture, “I do happen to know quite a bit about biology and science books, you know? And, I remember quite a bit of the French I studied while working as an intern in Montreal.”
“What about history?” he said as the song began again.
“Of course,” she matched him step-for-step, barely noticing that the song had restarted, “Anthropology is nothing if not the study of human behavior throughout history.”
“And I assume you were always an A-student?” he commented lightly, twirling her again.
“Not always,” she shook her head, “My grades suffered a bit after my parents left.”
“Aw, Bones,” he halted their dance and cupped her face in his hands, “I’m sorry.”
“It wasn’t your fault they left,” she said quickly and pulled back from him.
“I know,” he captured her hands again and resumed the dance, “But I didn’t mean to bring that up.”
She nodded silently and he felt her shift just a tad closer to him.
“So do you know what a slide rule is for?” he asked.
“Yes,” she dragged the word out and looked up as if asking why he wanted to know.
“From the song,” he cocked his head toward the stereo.
“Ah.”
As the song faded for the third time, Booth wondered what kind of world it would be if she loved him. He supposed that she would let him run his fingers through her beautiful hair as much as he wanted and capture her soft lips in his own.
He shivered at the remembrance of their only shared kiss. His tongue instinctively seeking out her own to the point that her gum ended up in his mouth.
It was times like this- when she was so close and so relaxed with him- that he dared to dream what it would be like to come home to her every night. He decided he would like it a lot.
“So does it do it more for you then?” she cut into his thoughts yet again.
“What?” he shook his head.
He’d heard what she’d said, but didn’t think her mind was going the same direction as his.
“The song,” she looked up at him innocently, “Does it apply to you more than it does me?”
“Yeah, I guess,” he cleared his throat and dredged his mind out of the gutter, “I mean, I’m not dumb, but I definitely wasn’t an ‘A’ student. ‘B’s’, sure, but not ‘A’s’ really.”
“I never thought you were dumb,” she murmured so softly he almost didn’t hear her.
“Thanks, Bones,” he whispered in her ear.
It may have been involuntary, but he felt her shiver in his arms, and the rooms’ temperature rose suddenly.
They stopped in mid-step and stared at one another. In the background Sam Cooke crooned about knowing that he loved his girl. Time stood still.
Grey and brown orbs met, each probing the other. Auburn hair rose as short brown hair descended until mere centimeters separated their lips.
“Booth?” he could hear the weight in her voice as her breath passed through his open lips.
“Yes, Bones?” he returned softly.
“What are we doing?”
“Nothing,” he could feel the longing in her gaze, “And everything.”
She nodded slowly and closed the gap between their lips.

by Thnx4theGum Fri Sep 25, 2009 2:17 pm

Um, is there some way to copy and paste from Word and keep the format? And how do you turn on HTML?
Thnx Gum

by Thnx4theGum Sat Sep 26, 2009 1:24 pm

It was a surreal feeling.

Dr. Temperance Brennan stood toe-to-toe with her partner of four years, their eyes connected, lips mere centimeters apart, tension so thick it could be cut
with a knife.

“What are we doing?” she heard herself ask, trying frantically to process the situation as it unfolded before her.

For the past four years she had observed Special Agent Seeley Booth under nearly condition imaginable. They had faced life and death together and their partnership had grown stronger as a result. She also conceded that their personal relationship had grown by leaps and bounds as well. He was her friend and confidant and she found herself confiding in him more and more as time passed. At times it seemed as if he was the one person who truly understood her and did not judge her one iota.

They certainly spent enough time together. Most mornings he would swing by with coffee and doughnuts and whisk her away to a grisly murder scene or a suspect waiting to be interviewed. Even on the mornings that he had no official business with her he still showed up and made some lame excuse as to why he was there. She never turned him away.

If he happened to simply drop her off in the morning, she could always count on him to leave and show up again around lunch time. Like clockwork, he would arrive at the Jeffersonian by twelve-thirty with a sandwich, fries, and a drink if he knew she was engrossed in her work. If she got too involved, or was pushing herself too hard, he would drag her out of the lab entirely and force her to eat at the diner with him. It was endearing in a way.

Then at night- or early in the morning if it was a particularly difficult case- he would sit in her office and work through their paperwork with her. They both had stacks of it that had to be completed and he reasoned it was more efficient for them to work together from the beginning than fill things out separately and have to compare notes later anyway. She couldn’t argue with the logic. The two of them would work, eat, fight over egg rolls, and bicker over the nuances of the case until finally they finished and he dropped her off.

That was what had happened tonight. Except tonight she had invited him in for a drink. She had willingly let him take her into his arms and they had danced around her living room floor. They had woven around furniture and bantered back and forth about how the song did or did not apply to each of them. Until finally they were here- now- a hairsbreadth apart.

“Everything,” she watched his lips move in answer to her question, felt his breath, and tasted the Thai chicken he had eaten earlier, “And nothing.”

Unsure of her exact motivations, she closed the gap between her own lips and those of her partner and kissed him.

At first, she was reminded of their kiss under the mistletoe last Christmas. Just as before, she had been the one to initiate the kiss. Both times their lips met hurriedly. Both times his tongue probed her mouth. Both times she felt a headiness that threatened to set her empirical world on its ear.

Only this time was different.

There was no coercion involved. No promise of a favor to be earned. No audience to observe and ask embarrassing questions. And she found that she truly had no reservations left.

After a minute, he pulled back slightly and gave her a questioning look. She nodded and he resumed the kiss, deepening it as he steered her toward the couch.

She had kissed many men before- even Booth- but this kiss topped them all.

Somehow, he was managing to convey a multitude of feelings: years of friendship and what she immediately identified as love, mixed with passion and tempered by a deep, abiding respect culminated in an instant. Oh, there was a fair amount of built up sexual tension that was being released on both of their parts as well, but at no time did she feel as if he were trying to force himself on her. In fact, she suspected that he was holding back in deference to her and would only go as far as she would allow him.

They landed on the couch in an unceremonious heap and she found herself on top of his lap- his desire for her now extremely evident.

“Sorry,” he reddened, repositioning her and willing his body to behave.

She shrugged, “It’s a natural, biological response-“

“Shh,” he put his finger lightly across her lips and halted her, “No biology talk, Temperance.”

“Is that so, Seeley?” she responded teasingly, feeling more playful than she normally would be and attributing it to the alcohol, “Because-“

He cut her off again, this time covering her lips with his own and wrapping his arms around her.

Once again she was taken aback at how different- and yet how natural- it felt to be kissing Booth. She was not one to assess a situation based solely on feelings and yet she had never experienced anything like this before. It was as if she had spent the last several years of her life looking for acceptance and a place of belonging only to find that it had been staring her in the face all along.

Tentatively, she placed a hand on his chest, feeling his smooth, sculpted muscles beneath his thin, black t-shirt.He groaned and the rumble it produced inside of her mouth sent shockwaves throughout her entire body.

He moved his hands through her hair as if he were trying to stroke every last strand while she let her right hand rove from his chest to his face and back to his chest again.

He groaned again. Loudly.

Their lips separated, heads pulling back, eyes opening and focusing on each other.

“Are we still doing nothing, Booth?” she breathed.

“And everything,” he nodded, pressing his forehead against hers, “Is that okay, Bones?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

“Very good,” she smiled, then frowned as she heard something, “I think my CD is broken. It’s still playing that song.”

Booth laughed and set her lightly on the couch with a peck to her cheek, moving over to the stereo and powering it down.

“I set it to repeat the song,” he informed her.

“You can do that?”

“Yep.”

“Interesting.”

Booth sat back down on the couch beside her and she could tell he was amused by her lack of knowledge about her own stereo. She smiled at him to let him know the feeling was mutual.

Abruptly, he stood, “I should get going.”

“Why?” she rose to follow him as he headed for the door.

“Bones,” he said softly, turning to face her, his hand on the doorknob, “If I don’t leave now- I’m not leaving tonight.”

“What if I don’t mind?” her hands were on her hips but her tone was soft and non-threatening.

“No, Bones,” he shook his head and placed both of his hands on her shoulders, “It’s late and we’re both tired and emotional. That’s not how I want things to be.”

“Will you be back in the morning to pick me up?” she tried desperately to keep the pleading edge out of her voice but failed miserably in her fatigued state.

“It’s Saturday, Bones,” he reminded her gently.

“Oh,” her head dropped, eyes looking everywhere but at him.

“How about I come over for breakfast?” he offered, lifting her chin back up with his forefinger.

“I think I would like that.”

“I think I would too.”

“Good night, Booth.”

“Good night, Bones,” he kissed her gently and opened the door, “Sweet dreams.”

by Thnx4theGum Sat Sep 26, 2009 1:33 pm

It took every inch of self-control to propel himself out of her apartment and into his car, but he managed it. Collapsing into the driver’s seat, Booth took a deep breath and sighed, attempting to bring his blood pressure down to a safe level. For a brief moment he wondered what was going through his partner’s mind right now, but then his own emotions crashed over him like a tidal wave.

After four long years of keeping his emotions in check and his body under control, he had lost it. He had taken her in his arms, danced with her, and then kissed her as if the world were ending tomorrow.

No, he realized suddenly as he pulled out of her parking lot and aimed his SUV in the direction of his townhouse, I didn’t kiss her. She kissed me!

Not that it hadn’t happened before, he reminded himself.

His cheek had burned for what seemed like an eternity the night she “thanked” him for allowing Russ to visit Amy and the girls in the hospital. And sometimes all it took was a certain look in her eye to drag him back to that fateful day where she had grabbed him by the lapels and kissed him hard and long under the mistletoe in her office.

But this, here, tonight? This had been completely different.

Not only had she leaned into him and initiated a kiss, but she had responded with fervor as he deepened it and they had ended up in a heap of arms and legs on her couch.

He shook his head to clear it, focusing hard on the road in front of him.
For once he was thankful that it was very early morning as the traffic was virtually non-existent.

Fifteen minutes and two sweaty palms later he was in his house, in his bed, and still mulling over what had happened.

The cold shower had done him no good.

He moved his hand across his chest where she had stroked him. Her firm touch through his thin shirt had left little for the imagination and he could not have stopped the groan that had escaped him if God Himself had been in the room.

Until that point they had been Booth and Bones. Admittedly they had been Booth and Bones making out like lovesick teenagers in need of relief from four years-worth of sexual tension build-up. But in that moment they had become Seeley and Temperance- two very real people headed in one very clear direction. She wanted him and he most definitely wanted her.

They had crossed the line that he had so carefully constructed after Epps nearly killed her and Cam all those years ago.

Who was he kidding? The line had not just been crossed: it had been obliterated and left in the dust.

Hands had roved, tongues had collided, and not once had his Bones pulled back and fled the room in embarrassment as he had feared she would.

Quite the opposite had happened, in fact. She had flirted with him, teased him, and given him the go-ahead to continue every time he became unsure. In the end, when he had pulled away to leave before things got completely out of hand, she had come as close as he had ever seen her to begging him to stay. But as much as his body wanted to, his heart could not.

He wanted their first time to be special. He needed to know that he would not be just another satisfaction for her infamous biological urges.

His phone rang, interrupting his thoughts and he prayed that for once it was not the Bureau calling to inform him that a corpse had been found.

It was not.

“What’s wrong, Bones?” he asked the nervous-sounding voice on the other side of the line.

“Nothing,” she admitted sheepishly, “I just wanted to be sure you got home safely. You seemed a bit shaken when you left.”

“I’m fine, Bones,” he assured her.

“Good,” he heard her say softly, then her tone changed, “I didn’t wake you did I?”

“Nope.”

“Good.”

“Yeah.”

They were silent for a minute.

“When did you want to meet for breakfast?” she asked suddenly.

He squinted at the clock.

“How about ten?” he suggested.

“Isn’t that late?”

“It’s two in the morning, Bones,” he said gently.

“Oh,” she said, surprised, “Ten will be fine then.”

“Okay, Bones,” he tried to stifle his yawn but failed, “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Good night, Booth.”

“Good night, Bones,” he heard the click on the other end and whispered into his phone, “I love you.”

He set his alarm for nine, rolled over in his bed, and fell into a deep, contented sleep.

On the other end of the phone, a forensic anthropologist gasped- and spent the rest of the night tossing and turning.

by Thnx4theGum Sat Sep 26, 2009 1:37 pm

Brennan rolled over for what seemed like the thousandth time and wondered what time it was. She peeked one eye open and surmised that it was close to six in the morning, given the faint rays of sun that were beginning to creep over her through the blinds. She groaned and buried herself underneath her covers, trying to block out the growing light. Perhaps if she closed her eyes and tried one last time sleep would take hold.

The next thing she was aware of was her doorbell chiming. Wondering who was at here so early on a Saturday morning, she threw back the coverers and meandered to the door, shoving her hair into a loose ponytail as she went.

“Booth,” she rasped upon opening the door, “What are you doing here?”

“Ten o’clock, Bones,” he said, smiling gently at her rumpled appearance, “Remember?”

“Oh,” she left the door open, letting him decide whether or not to come in, and moved to start her coffee pot.

“You okay, Bones?” he moved up quickly behind her and felt her forehead, “You don’t sound so good.”

“Couldn’t sleep,” she mumbled, trying in vain to twist the lid off of the jar that held the coffee grounds.

“Here,” Booth eased the jar out of her hands and set it on the counter, “Why don’t you go get a shower and get dressed and I’ll make breakfast?”

“That’s not necessary,” she protested.

“It’s no problem,” he put his hands on her shoulders and steered her toward her bedroom, “Go ahead. Get your shower. Get dressed. I’ll be here when you’re done.”

“If you insist,” she turned around to face him, “I am not sure what I have in the way of breakfast food, however.”

“I’ll manage,” he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and turned her around again, propelling her through the bedroom door.

Once inside, she closed the door and mechanically began picking out clean clothes for the day. His soft kiss had reminded her that he was not here for just another breakfast and she found that her mental fog was fading quickly in light of the events that were surely to come.

Once in the shower she let the hot water cascade down her back and clear her mind. Memories of the previous night washed over her. She remembered them kissing, him leaving before things got too out of control, and the phone call that ended with three words that haunted her all night:

“I love you.”

They had been spoken so quickly, so softly, that she thought perhaps she had misheard. She wondered-given his ease with her this morning- if he had even meant for her to hear them. She also wondered if she would be expected to reciprocate those feelings should he decide to voice them again.

She certainly liked Booth and enjoyed his company. He was a strong, virile, male, and she would be lying if she said that she was not physically attracted to him on some level. Angela had pointed out several times that Booth would make an excellent sexual partner- though the artist seemed completely content to leave him to Brennan. And if last night’s antics were any indication, there certainly was a fair amount of physical chemistry between the two of them.

Normally, this would have been enough for her to accede to a physical relationship without hesitation. Indeed, she had practically begged him to stay last night and sleep with her. This morning, however, she realized that she could not treat Booth as she had so many of the other men who had passed in and out of her life because- well, because he was Booth.

Special Agent Seeley Booth was her colleague, her partner, and most importantly- she realized- her close friend. They had a history together that spanned four years of triumph and tragedy. He had seen her at her most vulnerable moments and had remained her friend no matter what she said or did to him. Whenever she had needed him, he had been there and she found that the more she pondered their situation, the more she saw that needed him as her friend and confidant rather than her sexual partner or a short, romantic liaison. Always before, he had been there when her dating relationships came crashing down around her and if this failed with him she would lose even that. He was too valuable to risk anything else.

Emboldened by her decision, she stepped out of the shower, toweled off, dressed, and debated whether or not to apply her makeup. She went without, deciding that perhaps if she didn’t look as attractive, he would not be stirred to pursue a physical relationship any further.

Walking out to the kitchen she inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of freshly-brewed coffee and breakfast foods.

“Just in time,” Booth announced, flipping several pancakes onto an already leaning stack.

“I didn’t realize I had pancake mix,” she admitted, taking the plate from him and setting it on the table.

“You didn’t,” Booth assured her, “I grabbed some mix on the way over.”

“Oh,” she stared wordlessly for a minute at the table in front of her.

The place-settings were neatly arranged for two. A bowl of scrambled eggs and one with assorted fresh fruit accompanied the large plate full of pancakes along with a pitcher of orange juice.

“Alright,” he said, turning off everything in the kitchen and coming to join her, “Let’s dig in!”

She allowed him to pull out her chair for her and they sat down.

“This looks good,” she observed, unsure of exactly what the correct response should be.

“What do you want to start with?” he asked, pouring each of them a glass of juice and a mug of coffee.

“Well I suppose we should discuss-“

“No, Bones,” he cut her off gently, “I meant the food. We can talk later.”

“Alright,” she nodded, “I suppose I’ll have some pancakes then.”

“Great,” he grinned, “The ones on the top are plain. The bottom ones have chocolate chips.”

She raised an eyebrow at him.

“Hey,” he laughed, “Don’t knock it ‘til you try it.”

“I’ll start with some plain ones,” she said.

“Coward,” he teased.

She reached over and punched his shoulder.

“You know, Bones,” he smiled, “One of these days I’m going to have a permanent dent in my shoulder from all of this abuse.”

She looked at the muscles that bulged underneath his t-shirt and smiled back, “I think you will survive.”

“Hmm, I don’t know,” he wagged a forkful of eggs at her, “I mean, maybe we need to talk to Sweets about this. You know? Partner abuse or something like that.”

She threw back her head and laughed at the idea- then choked as a piece of her pancake when down her windpipe.

“You okay, Bones?” he was at her side in an instant, “Do you need the Heimlich?”

“No,” she gasped between coughs, “I’m fine.”

“You don’t sound fine,” he gave her a concerned look.

Finally, the piece dislodged and she was able to breathe again.

She shook her head at him, “I’m fine.”

“Okay,” he rubbed her lightly on the back and sat back down, “But if you need some mouth-to-mouth just let me know.”

“Funny,” she replied drily.

He winked at her and they resumed their meal without further incident.

When the food was gone and the table cleared they adjourned to the living room and sat on opposite ends of her couch, facing one another.

“So-“ they said simultaneously.

“You go first,” Brennan offered.

“No, go ahead,” Booth insisted.

There was a moment of awkward silence.

“I suppose we should discuss what happened last night,” she said finally.

“Uh-oh,” he said, looking pointedly at her.

“What?” she said surprised.

“I know that look,” his voice became serious and he sought out her eyes, “You’ve already made up your mind about this haven’t you?”

“Booth,” she tried to convey the thoughts that had seemed so clear to her only an hour earlier, “It’s not that, it’s just-“

“Bones,” he moved closer to her until their knees were touching, “Don’t throw this away because you are scared.”

“I am not scared!” she tried to pull away from him, but he would not let
her.

“You are, Bones,” he said gently, stroking her hair and forcing her to meet his eyes, “It’s written all over your face.”

“We can’t, Booth,” she said softly, “There’s too much to lose.”

“But so much to gain,” he said huskily.

She shook her head, “What about the line?”

“What line?”

“The line you drew, Seeley Booth,” her voice rose, “The one that was supposed to keep moments like last night and mornings like this from ever happening!”

“Was last night so bad?”

“No,” she reddened, “But what if-“

“Shh,” he calmed her, “What if we live happily ever after?”

“That’s for children’s stories, Booth,” she sighed, “Not us.”

“You’ll never know if you don’t try,” he urged.

“But who will be there to pick up the pieces if it does fall apart?” she said softly, begging him with her eyes to realize that he was simply too important for her to risk losing.

“I’m right here, Bones,” he drew her into his embrace, “I’m not going anywhere.”

“I can’t lose you again,” she managed.

Finally, he seemed to understand what she was alluding to. His grip on her changed and she thought that perhaps he had seen the wisdom in remaining as they were.

“Bones,” his voice was tender as he pulled back, letting his large hands linger on her shoulders, “Temperance. You are-“

He stopped, as if searching for words, then started again, “What we have, Bones, it’s special. Yeah, we’re partners. And we are definitely friends- close friends. But this-“ he took her hand and placed it on his chest, “This is something deeper than all of that.

“And yes,” he halted the protest as it sprung on her lips, “I know that you have been hurt before by men. I know that they have wooed you and loved you and left you in the dust without a backwards glance. Even the men in your family have left you at one point or another and I know that you are tired of being abandoned and afraid of losing the friendship that we have.

“I also know,” he stroked her face, “That you are not trying to be cold by turning down a relationship with me. I know you are trying to protect us both and that makes me want to care for you even more, Bones, don’t you see?

“I can’t promise you a relationship without problems or complications,” he said seriously, “I’m not really promising a ‘Happily Ever After’ because we both know that’s not realistic. We will fight. We’ll bicker like we always do. I’ll fail you at some point and you’ll do the same. But I promise you with everything in me that if we start this, I won’t give up on us. I won’t use you or leave you for no reason.

“And if there ever comes a day when we realize that we just aren’t cut out for each other,” he kissed her lightly on the lips, “I will still be your friend.”

For a moment, they simply sat there. Looking at one another. Holding one another.

“So what do ya say, Bones?” Booth said finally, “Shall we give us a shot?”

by Thnx4theGum Sat Sep 26, 2009 1:40 pm

He watched her face intently as she absorbed everything that he had said. A myriad of emotions flickered across it and he could almost hear the gears in her mind whirring to keep up with everything that had happened. Slowly, her face rose to meet his and he could see that she had come to a conclusion. He prayed it was a different one from before.

“Those two weeks-“ she stopped voice heavy with emotion, collected herself, and restarted, “Those two weeks that I thought you were dead Booth were horrid. Do you know why?”

He shook his head mutely. He had his guesses, of course, but he didn’t want to intrude on her moment.

“Angela, Hodgins, Cam, and Dr. Sweets all determined that I had realized my love for you and was heartbroken that I had lost my chance at a relationship with you. In truth it was the opposite.

“For the first time I saw how truly dependant on you I had become. How deep of a relationship we truly shared. You were nearly always the first person I would talk with in the morning and the last person at night. If I needed someone to guide me through the complexities of social intercourse you were there. If I drove myself too hard or overextended myself too much, you were there to stop me and force me to interact with people again- even if it was only you.

“The one person-“

She stopped again, tears coursing down her cheeks. He helped her brush them aside and waited for her to start again.

“The one person that could have helped me navigate through such an emotionally tumultuous time was the person who was gone but my mind refused to accept it. At times, I tried to convince myself that you were merely away on vacation, or that you did not have a case for us. You had left a message on my voice mail and I played it again and again just to hear the reassuring cadence of your voice- to hear someone call me Bones.

“Eventually, I concluded that you had deliberately left me just as my father and brother had done before. You had willingly stepped into the path of the bullet and left me bereft of your friendship forever. I became angry and vowed that I would not even attend your funeral service. “

She stopped yet again and smiled softly at him, “Obviously, Angela convinced me otherwise, however, I went under heavy protest.”

He nodded, “I heard your running commentary during Caroline’s speech.”

“I was restraining myself.”

“I don’t doubt it, Bones.”

“I dropped the restraint when I saw you were alive after all.”

“I remember that,” he rubbed his jaw where she had hit him and they shared a smile.

“Then can you understand my reluctance to jeopardize our already-solid relationship for one that is tenuous and unsure at best?”

“Yes and no,” he took her hands into his own again, reveling in the softness of her skin against his own.

“That is not a valid answer,” she pointed out.

“Yes,” he said,” I understand and appreciate why you would be reluctant. I really do get that, Bones, and it would have shocked me if you had said ‘yes’ right away and melted into my arms. That’s not you and I know that full well.

“However,” he halted her before she could respond, “You’ve also just admitted to me that I am the most important person in your life. And while I get that you don’t want to take the risk, I think that given our strong relationship and given our history together through all sorts of different situations that have tested us and made us stronger: the rewards far outweigh the risks.”

“I don’t want to lose you again.”

“You won’t.”

She fell silent and they sat side-by-side for several minutes.

He was relieved to see that she seemed calmer after all of the tears had come out. They had never talked about it after she had barged into his bathroom and reamed him out for not breaking protocol and contacting her to make sure she knew he was still alive. No doubt she hadn’t talked to anyone about it and had been holding it in all these months until she couldn’t hold it any longer. It helped
him understand what she had gone through and he admired her all the more for it.

“So how would this play out?” she asked finally.

“Come again?”

“If we were to embark on a deeper relationship and begin-“ she groped for a word.

“Dating,” he supplied.

“Yes,” she nodded her head, “Dating, what would that encompass?”

“Well I suppose it would mean we’d start out with a date,” he smiled, glad that she was at least thinking about embracing the idea.

“And what would constitute a date?” she wanted to know next.

“There’s no set definition,” he explained, “We’d just, you know, do something together.”

“A prearranged meeting then?” she inquired, “For which I suppose each party would attempt to dress in order to best seduce the other?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” he said, holding up both hands, “Stop the love train right there.”

“What?”

“Bones, the purpose of dating is not to seduce each other,” he shook his head, “It’s to get to know one another better.”

“We already know each other,” she protested.

“Oh really?” he challenged, “How many brothers and sisters do I have?”

“I know of at least one brother,” she said slowly, “However I’m not sure if you mentioned that you had any more.”

“We’re Catholic, Bones.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

“Means there are more than just two of us.”

“Why?”

“Because it does, Bones,” he said, exasperated, “But that’s beside the point. The point is that there are still things about each other that we don’t know.”

“I know what you look like naked,” she smirked.

“Yeah, well one of these days the feeling will be mutual,” he shot back.

“So there will be a physical aspect to our new relationship?” she asked.

“Oh yeah,” he smiled.

“Good,” she nodded, “I wasn’t sure how far your Puritan values extended.”

“I have a kid out of wedlock, Bones,” he pointed out.

“I suppose you do,” she considered that fact, “So, how do we progress, then?”

He shrugged, “It’s not like some science experiment and a controlled environment, Bones. We’ll just start with a few dates and see where it goes from there. In the meantime, I get to do this,” he reached over and kissed her on the lips firmly, “Anytime I want.”

“Does that privilege extend both ways?” she asked coyly.

He nodded and she once again closed the gap between them and initiated a kiss.

For the second time in under twenty-four hours, Booth felt himself become lost in the experience. Tongues collided, hands roved as each of their bodies responded to what was taking place between them.

“I believe,” she said when they came up for air, “That I could adapt very well to this new arrangement.”

“Is that a yes, Bones?” he teased, pulling her onto his lap.

“Yes,” she nodded, “It is. So what comes next?”

“Well,” he traced her face with his finger, “Like I said before, the first thing we should do is go out on a date. We could get dinner together and then go dancing or go to the movies- whatever you’re up for.”

“I doubt that we could find a movie that we are both interested in,” she frowned, “So I supposed that leaves dancing.”

“It doesn’t have to be if you do want,” he shrugged, “That was just an example.”

“No,” she said, “I think I would enjoying dancing with you, Booth. So will you make the arrangements?”

“That is the traditional way,” he caught the look in her eye, “Though I don’t have to if you would rather.”

She pondered the idea for a moment, then shook her head, “No. You would enjoy making the arrangements and it is only fair for me to accede to your wishes as well, so you go ahead.”

“Thanks, Bones,” he said sincerely.

“You’re welcome.”

She hopped off of his lap lightly and turned to face him, “I hope you won’t find me rude, but I do have some tasks that I was hoping to accomplish today.”

“No problem at all, Bones,” he grinned, standing up beside her, “I told Parker I would stop by later today anyway, so I should probably get going myself.”

There was an awkward silence.

“I’m not sure what to do next,” she admitted shyly.

“Here,” he took her hand, “Walk me to the door and see me off.”

She nodded and they walked to the door hand-in-hand, lingering once they got there.

“Do you have anything planned for tomorrow night?” he asked.

She shook her head.

“Good,” he smiled, “Then will you go on a date with me tomorrow night, Temperance Brennan?”

“I would be honored, Seeley Booth.”

He beamed, “Thanks, Bones. Really. I’ll see you at six, then?”

“That sounds satisfactory to me,” she replied with a beaming smile of her own.

“See you tomorrow,” he opened the door and turned to leave.

“Good bye,” she whispered.

He turned back to her, gave her a kiss that left her in no doubt of his feelings for her, and left.

by Thnx4theGum Sat Sep 26, 2009 1:47 pm

Brennan spent the rest of the late morning and early afternoon cleaning her apartment from top to bottom.

After four scrubbed floors, three vacuumed carpets, two loads of laundry, and one sparkling clean bathroom, she was done. Settling down on her couch she made the call she’d been putting off all day.

“Hey, Sweetie, how’s your weekend going?” Angela’s voice was as chipper as always.

“Fine,” she was unsure how much she wished to divulge to the artist over the phone- or at all, for that matter, “I have a date tomorrow night.”

“Oooh!” Brennan held the phone away from her ear until the squealing stopped, “Where’d you meet him? Is it anyone I know? Is he hot? You know what, never mind. You can tell me all the juicy details when I get there.”
Brennan nodded, “Good. You can help me select an appropriate costume.”

“Outfit,” Angela corrected her without thinking, “And from your closet, Sweetie? No way! We are going out for dinner and then shopping. No arguments!”

Brennan sighed but agreed and they hung up.

An hour later she was beginning to regret the decision.

“So,” Angela said as soon as their entrées arrived, “Who is this mystery guy?”

“I’m not comfortable disclosing his identity right now,” Brennan said, picking her words carefully.

“Is he a secret agent or something?” the artist lowered her voice conspiratorially, “Or can’t you tell me that either?”

“I can’t,” Brennan said simply, “And besides, it’s not important.”

“Well, is he hot?”

“He’s well put-together, yes.”

“Bren, cars are well put-together,” Angela sighed long-sufferingly, “Men are hot. Or cute. Which one is he?”

“What is the quantifiable definition of hot?”

“Okay, see that,” Angela stabbed her fork in Brennan’s direction, “You can’t be doing tomorrow.”

“What?” she tried to ignore how many grammatical mistakes were in the accusation and focus on her friend’s point.

“’Quantifiable.’ You can’t use words like that on a date. You can’t go all- all Squint on him.”

“Ange,” Brennan laughed, “If he cannot accept me for who I am or if I have to dumb down my vocabulary for him than he is obviously not worth my time.”

“Is he another scientist or genius-type like you?” Angela wanted to know.

Brennan shook her head, her mouth full of food.

“Then do him a favor and don’t be Squintish on your first date.”

“But-“

Angela held up her hand, “Just trust me on this, Honey, okay?”

“Alright,” Brennan mumbled through her food.

“Now, can you at least tell me what you two lovebirds are doing?”

“Dinner and dancing I believe.”

“Good,” Angela processed the information, “You can’t go wrong with dancing. Will it be at a club or are we talking a ballroom setting?”

“I’m not certain. Does it matter?”

“Not really. We’ll just buy a dress for each and you can call him up and ask him later.”

This made good sense to Brennan and they spent the rest of their dinner planning which stores to go to and in what order. Angela assured her that it was always best to have a plan of attack when shopping for a specific type of outfit. In the end, they found three dresses that the scientist liked and she arrived home later than she had planned, but satisfied with the evening’s accomplishments.

She was about to put up her feet when her cell phone rang.

“Brennan,” she answered.

“Hey, Bones,” the voice on the other end replied, “How was the rest of your day?”

“Extremely productive,” she said proudly, pouring herself a glass of water and relaxing on her bed, “How was your day with Parker?”

“Great, Bones,” she could hear the grin in his voice, “We went to the park, threw the football around. You know? Just hanging out.”

“Is that what you normally do?” she asked.

“Sometimes,” he said, “When it’s nice out. Other times we head to the movies or take in a ballgame or just stay at home and play video games.”

“Oh,” she suddenly realized that this was an area of Booth’s life that she was not as familiar with as she thought, “So where are we going?”

“A guy can’t have a secret?” he joked.

“It would be helpful so that I know which cos-outfit I should wear,” she explained.

“Oh, well then we are going to L’Auberge Chez Francois,” Booth supplied, “A little French place over the Virginia border. Our reservation is for seven o’clock, so I’ll be at your place by six. There’s a Jazz club nearby if you’d like to go dancing there.”

“I would like that a lot, Booth,” she said gratefully, “I appreciate Jazz music.”

“I know, Bones.”

“How?”

“You CD collection.”

“Oh.”

“So whatcha’ doing right now?” Booth asked after a lapse in the conversation.

“Relaxing in bed.”

“Am I keeping you up?”

“Not particularly.”

“Good,” she heard him stifle a yawn.

“Perhaps we should both get some sleep,” she suggested, “We could be up quite late tomorrow.”

“Gonna have your way with me, Bones?”

She blushed furiously, glad that he couldn’t see her, “I- I didn’t mean it that way at all, Booth!”

“I know, Bones,” he laughed gently, “I was just teasing you.”

“Okay.”

“G’night, Bones. Sweet dreams.”

“Good night, Booth.”

She waited a few extra seconds before hanging up the phone, wondering if he would repeat the sentiment from the other night.

Sure enough, just as he had done the night before, she heard him whisper, “I love you, Bones.”

Tonight, however, it brought a strange comfort to her and she drifted into a peaceful sleep.

by Thnx4theGum Sat Sep 26, 2009 1:52 pm

Booth let the hot water of his shower flow over him and calm him down. He had been anticipating what would take place in an hour from the moment Bones had agreed to go out with him.

It had distracted him yesterday when he had been playing football with Parker. It had annoyed him last night when he couldn’t fall asleep. It had downright infuriated him this morning as he sat fidgeting through mass, unable to think of anything but the taste that her lips had left on his every time they’d kissed. Afterwards he had gone on a three-mile run through his neighborhood, followed by a half an hour of weight-lifting. He still felt like he had done five shots of espresso, but at least he had tried.

The phone rang and he raced out of the bathroom naked to answer it.

“Hello,” he stood breathless, glad that his blinds were covering the windows.

It was Hodgins, wanting to know whether or not Booth wanted in on the Jeffersonian Fantasy Football league this year. Booth agreed and Hodgins gave him the date and time for the Draft night party that he would be hosting at the mansion. Booth thanked him and got off of the phone as quickly as he could.

Thirty minutes later he was dressed in a black suit with a white dress shirt, a thin black tie, and his ‘Cocky’ belt-buckle for courage. He would need all of the confidence he could get tonight, he thought as he drove to her apartment. “Hot Blooded” came blasting through the radio and he felt a small smile creep across his face.

When he reached her apartment, he paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door.

“Hello, Booth,” she greeted him warmly. Her smile was wide and warm and set his remaining nerves at ease, “Come in.”

“Thanks, Bones,” he presented her with a bouquet of daffodils and entered the apartment.

“These are beautiful, Booth,” she inhaled their scent deeply.

“Not a beautiful as you,” he reached out and took her hand and planted a courtly kiss on her knuckles.

“Thank you,” she blushed, escaping his grasp and setting about finding a vase for the flowers.

Booth watched her move effortlessly in her high heels and long, blue dress across the apartment. Her hair was done up the same way it had been when she had attended the Jeffersonian donors’ banquet four years ago. That night he had been unsure how to compliment his brand-new partner. He hoped he would fare better tonight.

“All set?” she came up behind him, having found a home for the flowers in a vase on her dining room table.

“I’m ready when you are.”

She nodded and allowed him to help her into her jacket. He offered her his elbow and they walked arm-in-arm into the elevator and again out to the parking lot.

“You look beautiful, tonight, Bones,” he said as he helped her into the passenger’s seat of his SUV.

“You look very handsome yourself,” she replied with a smile.

He swore his heart skipped a beat and he leaned over and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek before closing her door and moving around to the driver’s side.

The drive itself was like their drives always were. They teased, they talked, but mostly they bickered back and forth over the most inane topics.

“I still can’t believe you like rap music,” Booth shook his head as they pulled into the parking lot of L’Auberge Chez Francois.

“As I said before Booth the tribal-“

He cut her off with a hand wave, “Yeah, yeah. Just do me a favor and don’t talk about tribal anything at the Jazz club later, okay?”

She seemed to actually take his advice under consideration, “Okay.”

“Good,” he smiled, “And here we are.”

He was pleasantly surprised that she waited for him to come around and open her door for her and even more pleased when she slipped her arm around his waist and smiled up at him.

They walked past the small gardens and up the front of the building. Booth thought it looked like a building straight out of Shakespeare’s England and was impressed with the comfortable-looking dining room that awaited them inside.

Within minutes they were seated and provided menus to pore over.

Booth looked over his menu and was thankful for whoever had given English definitions for all of the French dishes. He snuck a peek at his partner, who seemed thoroughly engrossed in the menu.

“Know what you want?” he asked.

“I think so,” she answered, looking up, “Do you?”

He shook his head and lowered his voice, “No. And to be honest I have no clue how to pronounce anything.”

“Have you had French food before?” she asked, thankfully keeping her voice lowered as well.

“No.”

“Then why choose a French restaurant?” she inquired, lifting an eyebrow.

“Because of the song,” he muttered.

“What song?”

“The one we danced to, ‘Wonderful World’ by Sam Cooke,” he said ruefully, “Turns out I really don’t remember any of the French I took.”

She smiled, though not in a patronizing way and laid a tentative hand on his arm, “Do you trust me?”

“Huh?”

“Do you trust me, Booth?”

Their eyes met and he saw that she had a solution and was trying to help.

“Sure, Bones,” he answered softly, laying his other hand on top of hers, “I’d trust you with my life.”

“Do you have any food allergies?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Alright,” she closed the menu and looked up just as the waiter came back for their order, “To start, we’ll have Le croustillant au Roquefort et poires d'Anjou confites à la cannelle et au Calvados,” she spoke in fluent French, “For our entrée, Le chateaubriand de L'Auberge, sa bouquetière de légumes, béarnaise et sauce Perigueux pour deux. And two glasses of whichever wine is recommended by the chef.”

The waiter thanked them and left.

“Do I get to know what you just did now, or are you going to make me wait?”

Booth wanted to know once the waiter was out of earshot.

Bones smiled coyly at him, “I’m not certain.”

“Bones,” he said warningly, “You didn’t order some fancy salad or something did you?”

She shook her head, smiling, enjoying her moment of power, “Nothing of the sort.”

“So what’s the appetizer?”

“Try it first, and then I’ll tell you,” she challenged him.

“What, is there some secret ingredient like duck liver or something?”
She laughed, “Not that I know of. But it’s always best when tasting new food to not know all of the ingredients, so that you will be unprejudiced.”

“Unprejudiced, eh?”

“Yes.”

“What is it with women and that book anyway?” Booth wanted to know.

“Well,” Brennan took a sip of her water, “I can’t speak for others of my gender but I myself enjoy the social commentary that Austin gives of her contemporaries. Also, some of the banter between the two protagonists is priceless. I myself have borrowed from her style in writing some of the dialogue that goes on between Kathy and Andy in my books.”

Booth nodded as if what she had said had all made sense to him and decided to pursue a different topic, “So Bones. Moment of truth here.”

“Like Sweets’ ‘Truth Zone?’” she cut in, wrinkling her brow in disgust.

“No,” Booth waved it off, “Not like that. Anyway, now that we are on our official first date, it’s time for you to admit who Andy is really based on,” he sat back in his seat, crossed his arms, and smirked at her.

“Well,” she met his eyes dead on, “To be honest, most of Andy’s romantic qualities are based on my father.”

“Your father,” Booth tried not to look as deflated as he felt, “Really?”

“Yes,” she nodded earnestly, “Much of Andy’s actions and overtures are ones that I remember my father making toward my mother. The two of them shared a deep connection and my father was an extremely sentimental man. He still is, to be honest.”

“Yeah,” Booth nodded, “I can see that in Max. That’s good, Bones. You modeling a character after you dad.”

“In part,” she said, “The other part of Andy’s character was based on-“

“Your appetizers,” the waiter announced, setting a laden plate down in the middle of the table and placing a smaller plate before each of them, “Enjoy.”

“You were saying?” Booth asked as soon as it was polite.

“You,” she answered softly, “Andy possesses some of the traits that I most admire in you.”

Booth smiled at her, though he didn’t feel as elated as he thought he would.
Instead, he felt touched that there were traits about him that she admired, and honored that she was finally comfortable enough with him to admit it. Their eyes met and he sensed she understood what her revelation meant to him.

“So,” he rubbed his hands together, “Let’s dig into the duck liver!”

She made a face at him and placed a portion of the food first on his plate, then on her own.

He took a small, tentative bite and was amazed to find that- whatever it was- he liked it.

“Mmm, Bones,” he said through a mouthful of food, “This is good! What is it?”

“Roquefort cheese, candied Anjou pears, cinnamon, and a distilled cider topping, on top of a puff pastry.”

“Cheese and pears?” he said surprised, “Tastes a lot better than I would’ve thought.”

“And that,” she said, “I why I wanted to wait to reveal the ingredients.”

“Wise woman,” Booth cleaned his plate and took a second helping, “So is the duck liver for dinner then?”

“No,” she laughed, “No duck liver, I promise.”

“I trust you, Bones,” he grinned.

Soon their main dish arrived, along with the wine. Again, the waiter set a plate full of food in the middle of the table and provided them each with an empty plate.

“Now this,” Booth said hungrily, “I recognize.”

In between them was a large, thick, tenderloin steak with assorted veggies and some sort of sauce spread over everything.

“Thought you didn’t like steak?” he questioned her.

“It’s not my first preference,” she admitted, “But this is very good and you, on the other hand, like steak a good bit as I recall.”

“I do, Bones,” he said gratefully, “But you should get what you like too.”

“I did Booth,” she said, reaching over to the lager plate, “I like these vegetables very much.”

“If you say so,” he picked up the wine in front of him and held it up, “A toast, Bones, to us. Whoever it is we are and whatever it is we're becoming.”

“And to our first date,” she added, “So far, so good.”

They exchanged smiles, clicked their glasses together, and ate their meal largely in silence. Booth was blown away by the tenderness and flavor of the steak and he had to admit that Bones seemed to be enjoying the veggies as much as he enjoyed the meat.

“I am stuffed,” he announced when he had finished, pushing back a bit from the table.

“I should think so,” she laughed lightly, “That was a double portion of meat that you consumed.”

“Yeah well,” he shrugged, “I worked out a little bit this afternoon so I was hungry.

Plus,” he grinned, “Someone stole all of the veggies, so I had to fill up on something.”

She grinned back at him, “They were very delicious too.”

The waiter returned and asked if they were ready for dessert. Booth declined, stating that the food was so good they were full, and asked for the check.

“You pay next time, Bones,” he answered her unvoiced protest.

She nodded, though clearly not fully comfortable with the idea.

Booth paid- thankful that he had worked a lot of overtime this past paycheck- and they set off into the night.

“And now,” Booth announced when they were both in the car, “To the Jazz club.”

by Thnx4theGum Sat Sep 26, 2009 1:58 pm

Smoke hung thick in the air as they entered the second-floor Jazz club. Booth offered to find them a table while Brennan excused herself to the ladies’ room.

Once inside she selected a stall and began undoing the fastenings on the lower half of her dress. At first she had been hesitant to buy the dress, but Angela had insisted and she had given into her friend. Thankful that the restroom had a full-length mirror, she exited the stall and inspected the new look before heading out to Booth.

What was once a floor-length gown was now a cocktail dress that cut off just above her knees. She smiled approvingly and placed the lower half of the dress in her purse, thankful that it in easily. She took one last look in the mirror, tucked in the loose strands of hair that had worked their way out during dinner, applied a fresh coat of lipstick, and headed out.

Booth’s low whistle greeted her as she approached the corner table that he had chosen, “Nice outfit!”

“It’s the same dress I had on earlier, Booth,” she informed him, slipping into the circular booth beside him.

“No,” he shook his head, “That might be the same fabric- but that dress is way hotter than the other one.”

“The bottom half of the dress is removable,” she explained, “I was leery about the concept at first, but Angela assured me both dresses would look fine.”

“She was right,” Booth slipped off his suit jacket and leaned back, moving his right arm onto the ledge behind Brennan’s back, “So you told her about us, huh?”

“No,” she said, taking note of his arm placement and discovering that she was enjoying the close proximity that it brought them, “She knows I am on a date tonight but I didn’t disclose who I was going with.”

“Really?” Booth sounded surprised, “Why not?”

“First,” she looked directly at him, “We had not discussed how much or little we were going to reveal about our new relationship status to our co-workers. Also, I didn’t want her making a large fuss over things right away. She’s quite prone to hyperbole, you know, and is extremely excitable concerning situations like this.”

“Angela is your friend, bones,” he smiled at her, “She’d want to know about this and you know it. “

“She has dropped several hints in the past about what a good couple we would make,” Brennan conceded, “Still, this is a very private matter to me. Honestly, the only person I would reveal something like this to is you, Booth.”

“Thanks, Bones,” he answered softly, “But why be so secretive? I mean, you haven’t exactly been shy or private about who you’ve dated in the past.”

“And perhaps that was one of my downfalls,” she admitted, “I am trying to be more deliberate and discreet with my personal life now. Perhaps that will help preserve our relationship.”

“So you’re not ashamed to be here with me?”

“Of course not!”

His right hand moved from around her shoulders to trace her face, “Good, Bones. Me neither.”

“Why would I be ashamed, Booth?” she searched his face for an answer.

“Well,” he pulled back his arm, running his hands through his hair nervously, “I’m just a dumb ex-jock slash cop. Where you, Bones, you are not only a stunningly beautiful woman, but also a genius who had excelled as both a scientist and an author despite all of the chips that were stacked against you as a kid.”

“Booth,” she laid a hand on his forearm, “While I am flattered by your opinion of me I certainly don’t agree with your portrayal of yourself. You are a special agent in the FBI, which means that you had to have at least earned a Bachelor’s degree, in addition to the military and FBI schooling that you’ve received. You are also one of the most intelligent people I know as far as reading a person’s motivations and determining whether or not they are telling truth. For as much as I have observed you I have not come close to emulating you.

“Furthermore, in your job as a ‘cop’ you display courage on a daily basis by inserting yourself into situation the general public would consider highly dangerous. Any woman should feel honored to go out with you,” she smiled brightly at him, “And I do, Booth. I may not express it very well but I truly do.”

“Well,” Booth smiled back at her, “There’s only one way I know how to react to compliments like that.”

“And what might that be?”

He stood up and offered his arm, “May I have this dance, Temperance?”

“It would be my pleasure, Seeley.”

They made their way into the small crowd that was already gyrating to the music. Booth wrapped an arm around her waist and clasped her hand just as she moved to do the same. They shared a nervous smile and she willed herself to relax and appreciate the band’s music.

Four songs later she was completely relaxed, with her head contentedly resting on Booth’s broad shoulder. They moved with a smoothness and grace that made her feel as if they had been dancing together for years instead of just tonight. Booth seemed to be enjoying himself as well and currently had his head buried in her hair.

“We should get headed back, Bones,” he said after a few more songs, “Never know what tomorrow will bring.”

“A wise observation,” she said and allowed him to escort her back to their table to collect their things.

They were headed for the door when an older gentleman came up and touched Booth’s arm, “I wanted to tell you that I enjoyed watching you and your lady-friend dance together tonight.”

“Thank you,” Booth said politely, looking as if he wasn’t sure exactly how to respond.

“Made me think of me and my Mary,” the old man continued, “We used to tear things up back in our day.”

Booth smiled, “I’m sure you did.”

“Now you hang onto that one, Son,” the man pointed a gnarled finger at her, “As the Good Book says, ‘He who finds a good wife finds a good thing.’ Cherish her always and your life will be all the richer.”

“I plan on that, Sir,” Booth answered sincerely, planting a light kiss on her hand.

“And you,” the man turned to Brennan, “Let him pamper you when he wants to. Don’t be like these modern gals who have to do everything themselves,” he waved his arm to the rest of the club in disgust, “Man needs two things in life: to be needed and to be shown respect. Well, I suppose there is a third thing,” he winked slyly at Booth, “But that’s not for polite company, now is it?”

Booth chuckled and Brennan punched his arm playfully.

“You two have a good night,” the man said with a brief wave.

Before either one of them could respond, he had melted back into the crowd and neither one of them could find him again.

They walked quietly out to the SUV, each pondering the words of the mysterious old man.

“I think he thought we were a married couple,” Brennan said finally when they were on their way back to DC.

“Yeah,” Booth looked over at her, “You okay?”

“Yes.”

“Good. You were pretty quite over there so I figured I’d ask.”

“It was certainly food for thought if nothing else,” she commented, still thinking about the man’s advice, “Was he correct about the things a man needs?”

Booth shrugged, “Pretty much. I mean, a life where you don’t feel useful and respected by at least one person would not be a happy life.”

“Hmm.”

“And he was definitely right with the third one,” he grinned wolfishly, waggling his eyebrows at her.

“Sex is important to women as well, you know,” she teased him.

“Yeah well, for guys it’s different,” he informed her.

“That is true,” she conceded, “Males do have the physical need for release-“

“And this is where I stop you from lecturing me on things of which I am well aware and don’t want a refresher course on,” he cut in.

“Oh,” came the short reply.

“I’m not mad or anything, Bones,” he assured her, “It’s just not good girlfriend talk.”

“Oh,” she said, concerned, “Was I treating you like I would a female friend again Booth? I am trying to curb that tendency you know?”

Booth looked as if he were swallowing his laughter, though some of it managed to leak into his voice anyway, “No, Bones. I was saying that I didn’t want to talk about those things with my girlfriend- you.”

“Oh,” she said for the third time in under three minutes, “So does that make you my boyfriend, then?”

“That’s usually how it works, Bones,” he grinned.

“Alright.”

They rode in silence for a while.

“What was the ‘Good Book’ he referred to?” Brennan asked suddenly.

“The Bible,” Booth answered gently.

“So that quote is contained in the Bible?”

“Yep.”

“Where?”

“Proverbs I think,” he said thoughtfully, “But don’t quote me on that.”

“Okay.”

Brennan leaned her head back and closed her eyes. It was late and she was growing more fatigued by the minute.

“Go ahead and sleep if you need to,” Booth commented, “I won’t be offended.”

She glanced out of her window. They were traveling along the Beltway at a snail’s pace with no end of the jam in sight.

“I could put the siren on if you really wanted to get home,” he offered.

“No,” she yawned, shaking her head, “That wouldn’t be ethical and it’s unnecessary at any rate. Though I do think I will try and sleep if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t. And you can use my jacket for a blanket if you want.”

“Thank you, Booth,” she said sleepily, reaching into the backseat for his discarded suit jacket, “This was a good first date.”

“Get enough sleep for both of us, okay Bones?” he teased.

She nodded and was asleep within minutes, comforted by the scent of Booth that surrounded her.

by Thnx4theGum Sat Sep 26, 2009 2:01 pm

Booth looked over at his sleeping Bones and smiled. In the midst of the chaos of the traffic that surrounded them, there she was sound asleep and as calm as could be.

As he inched the SUV through the heavy traffic he thought about the night’s events. The meal had been delicious and he was still full from all of the steak he’d eaten. He was glad that he had trusted Bones to order because he wasn’t sure he would have chosen that dish on his own. He also had found her comments about who Andy was really based on to be insightful and was glad that she had based at least some of the fictional man’s traits off of himself- though he had been genuinely surprised to discover the Max connection.

His favorite part of the night had been the Jazz club. Not only had Bones revealed some of the things that she admired in him, and told him that she was honored to be his date, and turned her beautiful gown into a super hot cocktail dress, but he had also gotten to hold her for close to an hour as they danced. By the end of the night they had been fully pressed up against each other and he had felt as if they were moving as one.

The old man had been a trip too. He had prayed fervently that Bones wouldn’t correct the man about them being a married couple, or tear apart the heartfelt advice piece by piece right there in the club and she hadn’t. If anything she seemed to take his advice seriously and had not said one negative thing about the experience.

Booth had tried hard not to laugh when she misunderstood him and marveled again that someone so intelligent in many areas was so socially inept. Not that he held it against her- it was the opposite really. He found her social awkwardness endearing when it wasn’t frustrating. He’d always thought that if she were as adept socially as she was intellectually, he would definitely be out of his weight class. As it was, they proved a good balance for one another. He helped her navigate through the social mores that she found difficult and she kept him honest with her straightforward questions and opinions. Guaranteed if Bones wasn’t for something she wouldn’t beat around the bush about it and he wouldn’t have her any other way.

And now it was official: they were a couple. Not just partners or close friends or part of some ‘surrogate relationship’ nonsense that he never fully understood to begin with, but an honest to goodness couple. Now he really could call her his Bones. No longer would they have to stand in awkward silence whenever anyone thought they were looked like a nice couple or pull away when a moment became filled with sexual tension.

She was his girlfriend and he was her boyfriend and for once everything felt right in his world.

After what seemed like endless hours but was really only an hour and forty-five minutes, the traffic finally thinned out and he was able to get off of the Beltway.

Still, it was one-thirty in the morning before he pulled up to her apartment complex and parked the SUV in her “Visitor” spot.

“Are we home?” she asked groggily, stretching in her seat.

“Just pulled in,” he said softly, “I’ll walk you up.”

“What time is it?”

“A little after one-thirty.”

She groaned, “I hate traffic on the Beltway.”

“You and me both,” he moved out the door and was opening hers for her before she had a chance to stagger out on her own.

“Thank you,” she leaned into him and let him ease her out of the SUV.

She wobbled a bit on her high heels and he put his arm around her waist to support her.

“Com’on, Bones,” he said gently, “Let’s get you to bed.”

They got up to her apartment and she fumbled a few times with the key before she finally got it in and the door unlocked. Slightly more alert from the walk up, Bones slipped off her heels immediately and began puttering around the apartment.

“Would you like something to drink?” she offered him, moving into the kitchen.

“Water would be good, Bones,” he replied, “And would you mind if I used your bathroom?”

“No,” came the tired reply, “I don’t mind.”

He thanked her and made his way back to the bathroom.

When he came out the apartment was silent and she was nowhere to be seen.

“Bones,” he called softly, peering around the living room and deciding that she wasn’t there.

A glass of water stood poured on the kitchen counter for him, but she wasn’t in the kitchen either. His blood pressure started to rise and he turned back up the small hall toward her bedroom, hoping that maybe she had slipped past without him hearing her.

“Bones,” he called softly again, “You back here?”

No response.

The bedroom door was halfway opened and he pushed it the rest of the way cautiously. He sighed in relief and started breathing again when he saw her. She was curled up on her side on top of the covers, fast asleep and covered with his suit jacket.

“Booth,” she muttered.

“Hey, Bones,” he knelt down beside the bed and stroked her hair back from her face, “I’m gonna take off now. You want me to do anything before I leave?”

“Don’t leave,” she replied sleepily.

“Bones, it’s late,” he soothed, “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“It’s late,” she repeated, “You shouldn’t be driving.”

“Aw, I’ll be okay, Bones.”

“Stay,” she insisted.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” she motioned to the bed beside her, “Plenty of room for both of us.”

He chuckled at the near-proposition but realized that, even half-asleep, she was ever the practical one.

“Okay, Bones,” he said with a soft smile, “Let me turn off your lights and lock up and I’ll be right back.”

“Okay, Booth,” she smiled sleepily at him.

He left, performed all the necessary tasks, drank the water that she had left for him, and returned to the bedroom.

His jaw dropped. She was standing with her back toward him- topless and struggling to get into her pajamas.

He cleared his throat. She jumped a little, then turned around to face him.

“Need some help?” he asked with a grin.

“If you don’t mind,” she blushed deeply, “Apparently my gross motor coordination is inhibited by my fatigue.”

“And yet,” he crossed the room and began to help her get dressed, “You’re still awake enough to use big, fancy words.”

They finished getting her top on and he kissed the nape of her neck before gently turning her back to the bed. He pulled back the covers, she climbed inside, and he tucked her in.

He turned off the bedroom light before moving to the empty side of the bed and stripping down to his boxers. Nervousness crept over him and he quickly moved under the covers before he could over-think the situation. His brain was too tired for it anyway.

He felt rather than saw her shift to face him.

“I told you we would be out late,” she told him.

“That you did, Bones. That you did.”

“I had a good time, though.”

“I did too.”

“Do you think we make a good couple?” she wanted to know.

“I think we make a great couple.”

The room fell silent and he thought maybe she’d fallen asleep.

“Good night, Booth,” she said all of a sudden.

“Good night, Bones,” he reached out and took her hand under the covers and gave it a gentle squeeze, then released it.

They each turned over in the bed and settled down to sleep.

He waited until she was still and her breathing evened out before whispering into the dark, “I love you, Bones.”

by Thnx4theGum Sat Sep 26, 2009 2:10 pm

Brennan woke up slowly, knowing instinctively that something was different this morning and trying to ascertain exactly what it was. She opened first one eye, then the other. Everything in her room looked the same from what she could see. She rolled over on her other side and stopped her search short. Booth was in her bed.

She frantically searched her memories for an explanation. She knew they had been very late getting home from the club and that she had fallen asleep on the drive home. She vaguely recalled being helped up to her apartment, fumbling with her keys, and offering Booth a drink when they had finally gotten inside. He had excused himself and she had poured the water and then gone back to her room to get ready for bed.

She was fairly certain that she had fallen asleep before finishing the task and recalled Booth waking her up to tell her goodbye. She searched deeper into her memory and remembered that she had insisted Booth stay the night, telling him that there was room in her bed for two. At that recollection she could feel her face warming and was thankful that Booth was still asleep.

Also, if her memory was correct, he had helped her get into the pajamas that she was now in before climbing in bed next to her. She remembered their brief conversation and that they had said good night and then turned over to sleep. Her last memory of the night was very faint. Just before she fell asleep she had heard Booth whisper “I love you, Bones” just as he had the previous three nights.

The first night he had said it she had experience extreme inner turmoil for the remainder of the night, even though she knew he had not meant for her to hear him. The second time, she had deliberately gone silent after they said goodbye on the phone, waiting to see if he would repeat the sentiment. He had and she had felt an odd mix of nerves and pleasure. Last night, she had not been expecting it, but when it came, the words washed over her and warmed a place in her heart that she was just beginning to acknowledge existed.

No longer did she doubt that they were an impulsive thought of his that had been borne of an emotionally and physically stimulating encounter, however she was still not exactly certain how or what to do with the knowledge of his love. Nor was she entirely sure how she would respond should he ever knowingly tell her.

For now, she savored the warm feeling that they left her with, deciding perhaps it was best that he did not know as it allowed her to sift through her feelings first without being pressured to respond.

“Good morning, Beautiful,” Booth’s sleep-laden voice rasped with a smile.

“Hi,” she wasn’t sure how to proceed as all of the other times she had woken up to men in her bed they had spent the first moments of the morning reminiscing about the sexual encounter they had shared the night before.

“Did you get a good sleep?” he wanted to know, “You looked exhausted last night.”

She nodded, “Yes. I slept very well, thank you. And thank you for seeing to me last night.”

“No problem, Bones,” he grinned at her, making her heart feel as if it was beating improperly, “I know I always like help when my gross motor coordination is inhibited.”

“You,” she propped herself up on one elbow, “Are mocking me, Seeley Booth.”

“Who me?” he asked in mock horror, “Never.”

“Your tone says otherwise,” she pointed out, “And you are desperately trying to hold back that charm smile of yours. Which I still maintain has no sway over me.”

“Oh really, Bones?” he leered, giving up on his restraint and pasting the ridiculous grin on his face.

“Really.”

He held the grin and slowly inched toward her with his entire body.

“My dear,” he made his voice husky and she could feel her body reacting to it, “You have no idea how much sway I can have.”

“Indeed?” she raised an eyebrow, their faces now only inches apart.

“Oh yeah,” he poured on the charm again and moved his hand under the covers to encircle her waist and pull her close, “You see, Bones, I can make you feel things that you never thought possible,” she felt his breath on her lips, “And this smile can bring you completely under my spell.”

“And what spell might that be?”

“This one.”

Brennan felt more than saw him close the gap between them and once again their lips collided. This time, however, there was a lack of fierceness in their exchanged passion. No longer were they relieving built-up tension or initiating a relationship that had been years in the making. Instead, the passion was steady, but controlled.
Hands roved and she was pleasantly surprised that he was clothed only in his boxers. The smoothness of his back was tantalizing as were his extremely toned pectoral muscles. She was vaguely aware of him removing her own shirt and reveled in his gasp of pleasure when he found what he was seeking.

And then the phone rang.

“Booth,” she gasped pulling back slightly, “The phone is ringing.”

“Let ‘em leave a message,” he said, panting, “You can get back to them later.”

“It’s your phone, Booth,” she pointed out, “Most likely it is work-related.”

He groaned and attempted to get his breathing under control.

“Fine,” he lifted her gently off of him, “But we will continue this.”

She nodded, giving him one last kiss before releasing him.

He rummaged through his clothes until he found the phone, “Booth.”

There was a pause as the voice on the other line responded.

“Yeah, Charlie, what’s going on?” he looked at her apologetically as the man on the other side rambled on with no clue as to what he had just interrupted.

“Where?” Booth wanted to know next.

Brennan moved off of the bed and began selecting her wardrobe for the day, eliciting a frown from Booth when she slipped her pajama top back on.

“Uh, huh,” Booth responded again, “Yeah, Charlie I got it,” another pause, “I’ll contact the Jeffersonian, you just make sure nobody touches anything.”

She heard the query in Charlie’s voice and Booth laughed, “Yeah, Dr. Brennan wouldn’t be happy at all. Well look, I’ve gotta go so I’ll get back to you when we’ve got a clearer picture of what’s going on okay?”

The two rang off.

“I’ve gotta call Cam,” Booth told her.

“A body was found?”

“Yup,” he nodded, “Down in some Podunk town in Maryland.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

“Place is barely even on the map it’s that small,” he elucidated.

“Oh.”

“Anyway, I’ve gotta call Cam and let her know.”

“What are you going to tell her?” she hoped he realized that she was not referring to the case.

He grinned, “Don’t worry, Bones, I won’t tell her anything you don’t want me to,” she nodded, satisfied, “And I’ll even make up an excuse for you being late if you want.”

She glanced at the clock. Even in good traffic she would never make it in the fifteen minutes that remained for her to get to work on time.

“I wouldn’t mind in the least,” she said.

“Okay,” Booth nodded, “But I do want a rain check for where we left off.”

“I believe I can arrange that.”

She gathered up the clothes that she had selected and moved into the bathroom for a quick shower, leaving Booth to take care of things with Cam.

As the water flowed over her she began wondering what would have occurred had the phone not interrupted them. They had clearly been on their way to eliminating every line that had been drawn in the past. The experience had been exhilarating and frightening as she weighed the implications of she and Booth becoming intimate.

As much as his speech the other night had encouraged her to move forward with their relationship, she was still unsure as to how much would change once they crossed that line. Their date last night had possibly been the most fun that she had ever had in her dating experience. He had been a wonderful intellectual companion and she had enjoyed dancing together with him as well.

She was no prude when it came to sexual matters, but it continued to nag at the back of her mind that, while she could eventually let the memories of however many dates they went on fade away and become relatively painless, she would not be able to do the same once they slept together. Even the moments that they had already shared would be with her for weeks, months, possibly even years to come.

She shook off the doubt and completed her shower, determining that now was not the time to contemplate this weighty issue. Somewhere in Maryland a person had lost their life and they deserved one-hundred percent of her focus and energy until she discovered the nature of their death and- if necessary- helped Booth bring the killer to justice.

“Bones!” she heard Booth call from outside the bathroom door.

“Yes?” she opened it to him, deciding that he wouldn’t mind the fact that she didn’t have her pants on yet.

“I think you grabbed my clothes along with yours,” he said, noticing her unclad legs and winking in approval.

“Oh yes,” she answered, “I hung them up to steam.”

“What?”

“Well, they were wrinkled from being left on a heap on the floor for an extended period of time so I hung them up in here,” he still looked befuddled so she went on, “The steam releases the wrinkles in the fabric and makes them appear smooth. As you did not bring a change of clothes with you, I determined that you would not wish to wear a wrinkled suit to wherever it is we are going next.”

“Oh, gee thanks, Bones,” he inspected the suit and seemed surprised that she was correct, “Look, I told Cam that I was picking you up and we were going to grab breakfast before we checked in at the Lab.”

“So breakfast will be coffee and whatever confectionary treat you decide to pick up on our way there?”

“Pretty much, though most people call them donuts, you know?” he smiled teasingly.

“So I’ve heard,” she applied her makeup and turned to him, “Would you like to take a shower before we leave?”

“I probably should,” he nodded, “Seeing how things were heating up a bit back there.”

She blushed, but allowed him to kiss her before exiting the bathroom.
Within ten minutes they were both ready and on their way to the Jeffersonian to pick up her equipment before heading to the crime scene.

****
I think I'm going to stop here for tonight as I'm having to manually insert spaces. Is it worth it for me to keep posting? Reviews are welcomed with open arms and anatomically correct chocolate Booths.
Plz;Thnx;Gum

by THX1138 Sat Sep 26, 2009 2:58 pm

I loved this story on FF, and just finished re-reading it. Now I've moved on to Home and of course Behind Blue Eyes - Love the progression of Brennan from reluctant wife to working mother.

king

RM

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Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Re: Wonderful World (byGum) Rated T, B/B, H/A, Case fic based on the Sam Cooke song.

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