Scenes that Should've Been

This is a series of fillers based on the Season 5 eps:

“Do you want me to tell you something really subversive? Love is everything it's cracked up to be. That's why people are so cynical about it. It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don't risk anything, you risk even more.” -Erica Jong

Harbingers in the Fountain

Booth paced the floor of the ER waiting room for the hundredth time, alternately cursing himself for not getting to her before the crazy cult doc could stab her and thanking God that he had gotten there when he did in time to save her.

He couldn’t take it any longer and he blew past the nurses with a quick flash of his badge and began hunting her down. She was just hopping down off of one of the beds and the doc who was seeing to her offered his hand to steady her.

“You okay, Bones?” he covered the distance between them quickly, sliding a possessive hand around to rest on his place on her back.

“I’m fine,” she assured him, holding up her arm to show him the flesh-colored bandage that now covered the stab wound, “It only took a few stitches.”

“Look at that,” he grinned, “you can barely see it.”

“I’ve informed Dr. Brennan that she should take the pain medication as needed and refrain from overusing her arm,” the doctor addressed Booth directly, “Call right away if she experiences any light-headedness or nausea.”

“Got it,” Booth said, cutting off Bones’ reply and steering her out of the room, “Com’ on, Bones, let’s go find some friendly furniture for you to rest on.”

“I’m perfectly capable walking under my own power,” she scolded him, "and it's you who is prone to odd side-effects when taking your medication."

“Yeah, I know,” he said, “just, lemme do this, okay?”

She nodded, slowing down so that he could return his hand to her lower back as they walked toward his SUV, “This is not your fault. In fact, if anything you saved me.”

“Avalon sent me,” he muttered, brushing off the thanks.

“Regardless, I am grateful for your assistance,” she gave him a small smile, melting his heart just a tiny bit more.

He regarded her in the yellow glare of the streetlights, thinking that it didn’t matter what light she was in, she still looked beautiful to him.

“I-“ he started, remembering his conversation with Avalon about the difference between his brain and his heart, but wimping out before he could follow through, “I’m glad you’re okay, Bones.”

She gave him a long look like she knew he was hiding something but couldn’t figure out what it was.

“I am, Booth,” she repeated, “I’m fine.”

The drive was silent, but it wasn’t the awkward kind and soon enough he was dropping her off at her apartment.

“Call me, you know, if you feel lightheaded or anything,” he said, standing just outside of her door as she unlocked it.

“I will,” she promised.

He gave her a little wave and she waved in return and he headed out to the parking lot. From the SUV he watched as the little shadow he knew was his Bones moved around her apartment and he cursed his cowardice.

The next time they were alone- no matter what happened- he would tell her how he felt. How he really felt. That he loved her. And maybe, just maybe, she would feel the same way too.

“A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.” – Winnie the Pooh

The Bond in the Boot

Dr. Temperance Brennan stepped into the Paige Turner bookstore on a mission. Above her head, a soft bell chimed, announcing her presence whether she wanted to or not. The musty scent of aging paper mixed with a hint of vanilla from the candle that burned at the counter filled her lungs, evoking memories of similar boutiques that she had visited around the world. Row upon row of neatly shelved books that had been organized first by genre, then by author, beckoned to her to set aside any personal agenda and plumb their depths.

Plumbing- Booth’s plumbing to be specific- was what had brought her here today in the first place, however, and she was singularly determined to complete the task before indulging any of her own whims. Beginning in the self-help section and moving to the home improvement one she hoped that it would be worth the effort. She had scoffed at Sweets’ suggestion initially, but the issue did seem very important to Booth and she wished to be a good friend.

Her eyes alighted on the book in question and she smiled smugly. Booth’s lackeys had wasted several hours frequenting book retailers across the metro area and it had taken her mere minutes in a shop that no doubt was overlooked by the common passerby. Task complete, she determined that she still had a good deal of time before she was needed at Booth’s office, so she could now indulge herself.

Her first stop was the mystery section, where she confirmed that there still were no copies of her book present. Paige, the owner of the small boutique, had assured her the first time she’d shopped here that, in the used book industry, the absence of a book was a good thing and meant that a majority of her readers had chosen to keep their books rather than trade them in for something newer.

Next she moved onto the classics section with a brief sojourn in the reference area to see whether any useful osteology books had come in since her last visit. By the time she needed to leave, she had an armload of books that she had decided to purchase.

“Would you like any of these gift-wrapped, Dr. Brennan,” Paige asked as she rung up the selections.

Brennan considered it for a moment, then shook her head, “No thank you and would you please ring this one up separately,” she indicated Booth’s book.

“Of course,” the other woman smiled congenially, tucking the separate receipt into Booth’s book, “Would you prefer a separate bag for it as well?”

Nodding, Brennan paid both totals and exited the store, feeling very pleased with the venture’s outcome. Now not only would she be enabling Booth to regain a lost skill, but by allowing him to pay for the book himself she would not be drawing undue attention to the monetary disparity that existed between him, nor would she insult his virility.

I loved both of these, the first is what we'd expect from Booth - I mean really, "Atta girl"? Puh-leeeeze. The second though, too funny, especially the way Brennan justifies it all in her mind,

"Now not only would she be enabling Booth to regain a lost skill, but by allowing him to pay for the book himself she would not be drawing undue attention to the monetary disparity that existed between him, nor would she insult his virility."

That is just so Brennan, it slays me.

RM

Reading these makes me wish that we could get these two to do some more of their little bits that they put out on youtube a season or two ago. That'd be cool. Thanx Thnx!

Waiting on The Plain in the Prodigy...

There were so many notes that could've been picked for this one. Hope I chose the right ones. - Gum

“Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.” – Mark Victor Hansen

The Plain in the Prodigy

From the moment he had dumped it unceremoniously on his bed along with the rest of his clothes that he had gone into the hospital with it had been staring at him. He’d double-checked with Cam when she’d dropped him off that it belonged to him and despite the huge smirk of her face, he had to believe that she was telling the truth.

His first thought was, “Why?” He hated chickens in all forms, so to wear one, seemed more than a little strange. Then, of course, there was the obvious phallic reference and he wasn’t really sure he wanted people’s eyes to be drawn there all of the time; didn’t seem like a serious “cop” thing to do. Finding his way back had definitely set his self-confidence back a notch, so it didn’t sit well with him that way either.

The odd thing was, that he remembered it being in his coma dream. There, though, he thought it had been better placed. Jared, after all, had always been the more self-assured of the two Booth brothers and putting his sexual prowess on display seemed like something Jared would do too. But then, he also could’ve sworn that Cam was Jared’s partner and that Bren was his wife, so the dream impressions could only get him so far.

The thing had really started eating at him once Bones was back and they were back to solving cases again. At the fountain she’d questioned his lack of garish socks, flashy ties, the belt buckle. Every day after that he’d questioned whether or not he should put it back on. The socks had been easy to go back to, being super comfy on his aching feet, not to mention they made him smile. The ties he wasn’t so sure about, but he knew he’d get around to that eventually. The belt buckle, though made him wonder if he still even was the man who used to wear it.

Then came the call about the body on the tracks. He’d called Bones as usual and told her he’d swing by and pick her up on the way to the crime scene. He’d hung up, slid on a gray tie instead of his black one, and once again, the belt buckle had called to him. This time, instead of ignoring it, he picked it up, brushing his fingers against the smooth, cool metal and triggering a firestorm of memories. The ship. Completing the circuit. His rescue. Her graveside gift.

It still made him feel a little uncomfortable and he wasn’t sure exactly why he was doing it, but he slipped it on anyway. If it was that important to her that she would replace it, well, he owed it to her to give it a shot. If, that is, she even noticed its return at all.

Gum, I'd forgotten all about Bones having to replace it after the ship! Wow, that puts it in a whole new perspective. I definitely think you chose the right one to write on, but by all means, if you have more then no one says you have to limit yourself to one per episode. Do they??

Now I'm off to look up Mark Victor Hansen ...

Thnx, but I usually stick to one per ep. I'll post some from eps past, starting with the Pilot.
-Gum
*****

The Pilot

She stared at the bones in front of her, going over them first with her eyes, then again with the computer’s magnifying lens to make sure that no minute detail went unnoticed. Though she would never admit it to her more esoteric colleagues she had enjoyed being out in the field with Agent Booth- despite his crass comments and even crasser nicknames. It had given her a much broader context to draw from than the one she received working solely from the lab.

It was also very invigorating to think that the work she did here today could possibly help bring this girl’s killer to justice in a short amount of time. The digs such as she had just returned from often helped with identification, but those responsible were hardly ever brought to justice and the opportunity to see justice served appealed to her.

And so as she went over the bones yet again she made up her mind. The next time the opportunity presented itself, she would state her conditions for working with Agent Booth: full participation in this and any other cases that he brought to the Jeffersonian including field work. He didn’t need to know that Dr. Goodman would continue forcing them to work together whether he acceded to her demands or not, and she didn’t particularly care what means she would have to employ to get her way- she could think of several right now that she was reasonably sure would work. Chuckling silently to herself she thought of the tactic Angela had used at the airport to get what she had wanted- Brennan certainly would not be employing that method, but whatever she chose she knew it would have to be something drastic.

It was time to show Special Agent Seeley Booth that she was just as capable at solving crimes as he was- time to show him that scientists possessed just as much drive as law enforcement officers and that sometimes the scientists saw what the officers could not.

These older ones come from my completed 100 Themes over on FF. And this one is probably my absolute favorite, so I'll end the night with it.

****
The Graft in the Girl (Fairy Tale)

“Once upon a time” and “happily ever after”- that is how fairy tales begin and end.

They started out right, at least. Man and woman meet in college, flirt for a semester, date the rest of the way through, and marry halfway through senior year because impatience is the hallmark of young love. After a few years of enjoying married life, they embark upon the ultimate “American dream”- parenthood. They buy all of the right books, and do all of the things that expectant parents are supposed to do the first time around.

Then their daughter is born- the perfect mix of him and her- and life could not be better. He feels slightly overwhelmed at all of the responsibilities that are bound up in this seven-pound human being, but he’s up to the challenge. He jokes about walking softly and carrying a big stick once the boys start coming around, but secretly he is already imagining what she will look like in her wedding gown.

Every time he is sent out on a dangerous assignment, he prays he will make it back safely for his girls and when an administrative position finally comes up he pounces on the opportunity to be out of harm’s way. His first day on the job he grins, knowing that now he will be there to watch his little girl grow up, graduate from high school, and marry into her own “happily ever after.”

It is not to be.

Which is why he is angry. Standing at his daughter’s bedside he listens to two of his best agents tell him that his daughter’s impending death might not be a mistake- that someone may have deliberately put Amy, and many others like her in mortal danger. He gives them permission to do whatever is necessary to put the SOB’s away for life. They do, but it is too late for Amy, and he is still forced to stand by her bedside, powerless to help her live.

He stands in a church, consoling her mother until it is time. This is not the aisle that he pictured taking her down, surrounded by pallbearers instead of bridesmaids, but it is the path that he must walk, so he holds his head high and does his duty as a father the best he knows how.

Life is supposed to be a certain way- to go through a specific series of events until one is old and gray with a gaggle of grandkids watching in the wings. You bury your grandparents, you bury your parents, you may even bury your spouse. But no one should have to bury their own child- no one. There will be no graduation, no boys, no weddings, no “happily ever after” for the Cullen family- only wistful, fleeting memories of “once upon a time.”

Thanks for those, Gum. I really enjoy extra bits like these of the episodes. You captured the missing part from tGitG very well.

Something for the hiatus.

“A thorn defends the rose, harming only those who would steal the blossom.” –Chinese Proverbs

The Woman in the Garden

He should’ve seen it coming, but he hadn’t, and right now it was taking every ounce of self-control that he possessed not to react to the news. Once the other agent turned the corner, Booth found the first place he could trust his legs to get him to and sat down.

He ran his hands through his hair, sucking in air and fighting the urge to put his fist through the nearest wall. Not wanting anyone to ask questions, he quickly stood up and made his way to the elevators. A gawky-looking kid who barely looked old enough to shave let alone be FBI tried to hop on with him, but Booth’s cold glare made him back off, stammering that he’d catch the next one.

Booth gave a curt nod as the doors closed and sank back against the back wall as he dropped toward the parking lot. When she’d been in here the last time, did she have any clue what kind of trouble she’d stirred up? Probably not.

She’d probably been all cool and confident, smirking at herself for putting the gang banger in his place. For whatever reason it seemed to be important for her to how the world that she didn’t intimidate easily. In fact, there was no doubt in Booth’s mind that his partner had enjoyed the fracas and would gladly do it again if given the chance.

Of course, he thought, hopping into his SUV and gripping the steering wheel tightly, it also hadn’t crossed her mind that the gang would get ticked and put out a hit on her. They’d make good on it too, he grimaced. They’d send a pack after her, give her a good thrashing, and leave her for dead just like they’d done to Jose. If Booth was lucky, they’d leave a note and dump her in a high-traffic area; if not-well-he wouldn’t think about that.

He was half-way home when she called, eagerly informing him about the double funeral she’d paid for and instructing him on where and when to show up. He managed to convince her he’d be there before snapping his phone shut.

As he changed for the funeral, he realized he had three options: warn Bones, tell Cullen, or deal with it himself. If he told Bones, she’d probably go try and pick up where she’d left off. Telling Cullen would just make the other man even more ticked at having to clean up another mess stemming from taking Bones in the field and if he didn’t split them up, he’d definitely ground Bones. That meant it was up to him.

From the back of his closet, he grabbed his most intimidating-looking gun, then hopped in one of the beater cars he was working on, and headed for the barrio. The entire way there he mentally replayed memories of all of the good things he and Bones had done together, allowing them to fuel his cool rage. He thought about how he’d feel if anything happened to her. Like a second nature, his mind switched easily into hunter mode as he pulled over to wait. He wasn’t out for blood yet, but he wanted to make sure they knew he would be if pushed.

It was later than he’d hoped by the time his target showed up in Booth’s rear-view mirror, but he shrugged it off as he left the car and pursued the gang banger on foot. Better to be late to today’s funeral, than have to go to hers.

Booth's thought process for one of the most intense scenes in the whole series. Very well done, Gum!

Woweeee! I likey Very good details on Booths thought process.

Oooohh Gum! *whistles, echoing off the walls* Got any more Scenes that Should Have Been??

DBCrazy wrote:Oooohh Gum! *whistles, echoing off the walls* Got any more Scenes that Should Have Been??

Working on 'em around the whole mother of a teething baby thing There's one on the tip of my brain for Chicken and the one for Dwarf is 90% done.
I'll be back!

Thnx4theGum wrote:

DBCrazy wrote:Oooohh Gum! *whistles, echoing off the walls* Got any more Scenes that Should Have Been??

Working on 'em around the whole mother of a teething baby thing There's one on the tip of my brain for Chicken and the one for Dwarf is 90% done.
I'll be back!

I'll be here waiting!

“The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.” – Nathaniel Branden

The Dwarf in the Dirt

“That,” Brennan commented as they sat down across from each other at the diner, “was a very impressive display of your shooting prowess.”

He thought of the far more complicated shots he’d made in his sniper days and chuckled, “I qualified.”

“Quite impressively,” she repeated with an encouraging smile. “You must have practiced.”

“Maybe I got lucky,” he waggled his eyebrows.

“Because you wished on a gold coin found at the end of a rainbow?” she rolled her eyes.

He smiled, “Maybe. Or maybe it’s because you were there with me.”

“I’m your friend, Booth,” she smiled back, shaking her head, “not a talisman.”

“It worked,” he grinned, thinking about Gordon Gordon’s theory.

“You were less agitated this time,” she rationalized, sipping her coffee. “No doubt because of the extra practice.”

“Bones,” he laughed, “why are you so hung up on the practicing angle?”

He’d been teasing, but he caught the serious look in her eyes just before she ducked her head and became extremely interested in the pock-marked table.

“Hey,” he said softly, “is something wrong, Bones?”

She shook her head, still not meeting his eyes and without a second thought he covered her hand with his own on the top of the table.

“The truth?” he coaxed gently.

Slowly, her gaze rose to meet his.

“The truth,” she repeated as if gathering courage, “is that since your return you have taken to attributing problems that have nothing to do with your tumor to the tumor, and you ignore the simple solution in favor of the more complex.”

“Like the fact that I’m getting older and need more practice sometimes?” he tested her.

“Precisely,” she all but sighed in relief.

He leaned in close, putting his elbows on the table and smiled, “I agree.”

“You do?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, “the shooting thing had nothing to do with my tumor.”

There was a triumphant gleam in her eyes and all of the concern he’d read there earlier fled.

“We’re the center,” she echoed his words from so long ago; squeezing the hand that still lay atop hers.

He squeezed back, “And the center must hold.”

“Yeah,” he nodded, “the shooting thing had nothing to do with my tumor.”


Hehe!! "And I didn't get any practice either!!!" Sorry, couldn't help myself! Thanks, Gum!

“Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” –Soren Kierkegaard

The Foot in the Foreclosure

Brennan sat on her couch, legs extended along its length, and alternated her gaze between the blank document on her laptop and the antique clock on her wall. An hour later the screen was still blank and she finally closed the lid and abandoned all pretense of completing any work, her mind whirring too much with thoughts of far greater import.

Padding into her kitchen she poured herself a glass of wine, then returned to the couch. Sipping it slowly she contemplated the events of the past week; satisfied that another killer had been brought to justice, yet troubled by the decisions she knew her partner would now have to face.

From the moment he had kissed her hand at the diner, she had been drawn to Booth’s grandfather. His laid back demeanor set her at ease, charming her with a charisma that she was all too familiar with, and giving her a rare glimpse into one of the greater influences in her own Booth’s life. It had been amusing to “gang up” with Hank on her partner and she had enjoyed the time spent with both men over grilled cheese and dominoes.

What she had not anticipated was how deeply Hank’s acceptance and trust would extend; certainly never thinking that he would reveal such a dark secret to her. She sipped at the wine again to mask the involuntary shudder that coursed through her every time she let her mind dwell on Hank’s words. The night after their conversation, she had suffered a nightmare in which she had attempted to rescue a Parker-sized Booth from being beaten within an inch of his life.

Her sympathies had quickly shifted as the week progressed to more current matters. She could see how incapable of caring for himself Hank was and recognized how difficult it was for both men to come to grips with.

Would Booth truly take a sabbatical in order to care for his grandfather? And if so, how long would he be able to bear the financial and emotional toll?

Not long ago she had told Gordon Wyatt that she was willing to do anything for Booth and certainly if that was the course he took, she would live up to her words. Already, she had decided to offer to spend time with Hank so that Booth would not be burnt out and so that he could spend time with Parker. She was also trying to devise a way to help Booth meet his financial obligations without offending his pride. A very small, selfish part of her wondered what would become of their partnership, but that seemed trivial in view of the larger issues at stake.

Lost in her thoughts, she jumped at soft knocking at her door and immediately went to open it, unsurprised at the person she found on the other side.

“Would you like some?” she offered her partner, lifting her glass of wine as she ushered him in from the hallway.

“Sounds good, Bones,” he nodded, shedding his leather jacket and laying it haphazardly over the back of a chair.

By the time she returned to her living room, he had taken off his shoes as well and was sprawled out on her couch, his eyes half closed in sleep. She touched his forearm lightly and handed him his glass, then joined him on the couch as he sat up.

“Is Hank alright?” she asked, wondering if he was here because they had had a falling out.

“What?” his head jerked up, eyes clearing. “Oh, no. He’s sleeping back at my apartment and my neighbor’s keeping an ear out for him just in case.”

“Good,” she wasn’t certain what else to say.

“Yeah,” he agreed and the room slipped into silence as they nursed the wine.

“Is-Are you okay, Booth?” she broached the question keeping her tone as neutral as possible.

“Pops is going back to the home,” he told her, avoiding the question.

“Is that good?”

“Yeah, I mean it’s what he wants so I guess that’s good,” the words came out as a sigh.

“Then I’m glad,” she offered a small smile.

“He misses his fishing buddy and his, uh, crocheting partner-“ a smirk lit Booth’s eyes as he shook his head. “Don’t ask.”

“I won’t.”

For the first time since entering her apartment he met her eyes, “He asked if you’d go with us to take him back.”

“Of course I will,” she smiled easily, “I like your grandfather very much.”

“He likes you too, Bones,” the response was quick, but sincere.

An awkward silence fell again.

“It’s good, you know,” Booth said finally, “him wanting to go back. I mean I would’ve taken care of him if he’d wanted to stay but…”

“It will be easier for both of you this way,” she finished the thought.

“I would’ve taken care of him,” he repeated.

“I know,” she covered his larger hand with hers, squeezing gently. “And Hank knows too.”

“Thanks, Bones,” he turned his hand over underneath of hers and held onto it.

When they had both finished their wine, he decided he should head back and promised to call her when he figured out what time they were leaving for the nursing home. She walked him to the door as he donned his shoes and jacket, keeping it ajar until he was swallowed up by the elevator at the end of the hall. Turning back inside, she rinsed out the glasses, powered down the computer, and fell asleep confident that she was doing the very best for both Booths that she could.

I am thoroughly enjoying all of these. So very well done, what a great idea! Keep 'em comin'!

Gum, you make these look so simple. Very nice!

Wrapped that up very, very well. Thanks, Gum!

And I might have liked Punky Pong a whole lot more if I'd gotten to play it Booth-style!!

DBCrazy wrote:Wrapped that up very, very well. Thanks, Gum!

And I might have liked Punky Pong a whole lot more if I'd gotten to play it Booth-style!!

Funny, I was thinking the same thing. Of course I really do mean Booth-style. Quick, my loyal Chancellor, you distract him while I go take his place!

RM

Of course my version of "Booth-style" is gonna end up with us losing, because there's no way I can be that close to Em, let alone that amazing neck of hers, and not start nibbling...

THX1138 wrote:

RM

Of course my version of "Booth-style" is gonna end up with us losing, because there's no way I can be that close to Em, let alone that amazing neck of hers, and not start nibbling...

The body dump explaination was for you and the Queen. Still can't believe they dropped that ball. (Well, ok, I can, but I don't want to, you know?)

*evil snicker* You'd sink a shaft with her though, wouldn't you?

Twiddles thumbs waiting anxiously for tomorrow night around 9/9:30 and seriously wishing hubby would agree to move to Canada during the Bones season(I tried to convince him but he's not THAT die hard...).

People, Goop needs to rival ANaTBM b/c while the whole "Booth-uses-a-different-number-base" was somewhat sweet and revealing and TJ was HAWT in that wife-beater, but outside of that....yeah, so many missed moments! (Can we all agree that it wasn't as bad as certain S4 eps, though? I mean, Booth wasn't goofy or hallucinating and he look FINE in that 3-piece so it wasn't ALL bad...). That being said, I've never hated a Bones Christmas ep yet.

:End Rant:

Thnx4theGum wrote:

THX1138 wrote:

RM

Of course my version of "Booth-style" is gonna end up with us losing, because there's no way I can be that close to Em, let alone that amazing neck of hers, and not start nibbling...

The body dump explaination was for you and the Queen. Still can't believe they dropped that ball. (Well, ok, I can, but I don't want to, you know?)

And I thank you for that, since it's been bugging the hell out of me. They almost always give us a reason as to why the body ended up where it did, but this time they just ignored the "Why" behind the dump site.

*evil snicker* You'd sink a shaft with her though, wouldn't you?

Why that's not exactly the way I'd put it, but it's close enough.

People, Goop needs to rival ANaTBM b/c while the whole "Booth-uses-a-different-number-base" was somewhat sweet and revealing and TJ was HAWT in that wife-beater, but outside of that....yeah, so many missed moments! (Can we all agree that it wasn't as bad as certain S4 eps, though? I mean, Booth wasn't goofy or hallucinating and he look FINE in that 3-piece so it wasn't ALL bad...). That being said, I've never hated a Bones Christmas ep yet.

:End Rant:

I can honestly say that there are several S4 Eps that are far, far worse than TGitG. It wasn't as horrible as DDotDD, or even as poorly handled as Cinderella or Scientist, it was just mediocre TV and that's unacceptable for Bones. Not only that but the crass promotion of Avatar still sticks in my throat.

Personally I'd love for Goop to be as good as ANatBM which so far is my all out favorite episode of this season. We're almost half way through, we need another ep like that.

RM