The Story of Us, a bones fanfic

A/N: This idea just popped into my head a couple of days after the Taylor Swift album came out. I just sat down to type it out and I'm not entirely satisfied with it, but I've got to get it out of my system so my muse will leave me alone. For ExcellentDriver, who knows just how catchy this song can be! Go check out her story of the same name!

Disclaimer: I don't own Taylor Swift or Bones or anything related. This is my own interpretation of their genius.

"Are you guys almost ready to go?" Booth asked as his phone started to ring.

"Almost is a good way to describe it." Angela said. She watched as Booth finally answered his phone.

"Hey babe." Booth said, letting the two women in the room know exactly who he was talking to. "Yeah, we just finished. We're all going to get drinks, do you want to meet us there?" Angela glanced over at Brennan. "Great." He smiled. "I'll see you then. Bye." He said as he hung up the phone. One look at Brennan and Angela knew that she needed a minute before putting on a brave face for Hannah.

"We're going to have to meet you there. We're just about done, but it could take a while to go through all of this paperwork." Angela said. Booth eyed her suspiciously, but didn't say anything.

"We'll try to work quickly." Brennan said to reassure him.

"Okay, I guess I'll see you guys there then. Don't take too long!" He said as he left the office. Angela turned to Brennan.

"Dance party. Right now." She said as she pulled out her iPod.

"In my office?" Brennan said incredulously.

"If we are going to have to sit through Hannah's perfection for the next hour, you're going to have to preemptively release some stress." Angela hooked the iPod up to the computer and glanced around. "Everyone's gone. Come on…you know you want to." Brennan glanced out at the dark lab before relenting and taking off her work jacket.

"Fine." Brennan said, a small smile appearing on her lips.

OOOOO

"Hey are you ready?" Booth asked as he dropped by Hodgins office.

"Yeah man, let me grab my coat." He said as he reached behind his chair. His task was interrupted as the sounds of catchy music began drifting into his office.

"What is that?" Booth asked. Hodgins groaned.

"Taylor Swift." He explained.

"Taylor Swift?" Booth raised an eyebrow. "You mean, like that blonde little thing with the guitar?"

"Yes. Russ dropped the girls off at Dr. Brennan's for a sleepover and Angela went to help out. Apparently the girls listen to her constantly, but now, Angela and Brennan are addicted too. It's all this angry teenage girl music set to catchy country music. They said it's a girl thing and I wouldn't understand. It must have been a bad day for them to break it out here at the lab." Hodgins said. "Oh God…this one is their favorite." Booth paused and walked over to the door, wanting to hear the lyrics more clearly.

I used to think one day we'd tell the story of us,
How we met and the sparks flew instantly
And people would say "They're the lucky ones"

I used to know my place was the spot next to you,
Now I'm searching the room for an empty seat
Cause lately I don't even know what page you're on

Oh, a simple complication,
Miscommunications lead to fallout,
So many things that I wish you knew
So many walls up I can't break through

Booth couldn't help but feel his stomach drop into his toes at the lyrics. They hit a little too close to home to his present situation for his liking. He found his feet moving out the door of their own volition and closer to Brennan's office.

Now I'm standing alone in a crowded room
And we're not speaking
And I'm dyin' to know
Is it killing you like it's killing me?
Yeah
I don't know what to say since a twist of fate, when it all broke down
And the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now

Booth couldn't help but drop his jaw at the unexpected sight of Brennan dancing and singing like a teenager behind the glass of her office. He made sure to stay in the shadows of the lab. He didn't want to ruin the frivolity. For once, he was thankful for his sniper training.

"Next chapter!" They both posed theatrically at the break in the song before breaking out into a fit of giggles.

How'd we end up this way?
See me nervously pulling at my clothes and trying to look busy
And you're doing your best to avoid me
I'm starting to think one day I'll tell the story of us
How I was losing my mind when I saw you here

"But you held your pride like you should have held me!" Brennan shouted out to no one in particular, but Booth knew that every word was meant for him.

Oh I'm scared to see the ending

Why are we pretending this is nothing?
I'd tell you I miss you but I don't know how
I've never heard silence quite this loud.

Now I'm standing alone in a crowded room
And we're not speaking
And I'm dying to know
Is it killing you like it's killing me?
Yeah
And I don't know what to say since a twist of fate, when it all broke down
And the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now

"Ooh, this is my favorite part!" Angela said as she got ready for the lyrics. "This is looking like a contest.
Of who can act like they care less." She sang.

"But I liked it better when you were on my side." Brennan sang along with a laugh.

The battle's in your hands now
But I would lay my armor down
If you said you'd rather love than fight

So many things that you wish I knew
But the story of us might be ending soon

And we're not speaking,
And I'm dying to know

Is it killing you like it's killing me?
Yeah
And I don't know what to say since a twist of fate, cause we're going down.
And the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now
The End

As the song came to an end, both women collapsed on the couch, out of breath but feeling much better.

"This is going to sound completely irrational, but I always feel so much better after we do this." Brennan said.

"I think this is the healthiest thing we've ever done together. Sweets would be proud." Angela said with a tired smile. They chuckled before Angela glanced over at her friend. "One more time?" She asked.

"They're going to be waiting for us." Brennan said. "We should go."

"How do you do it Bren, seriously?" Angela asked her friend.

"I want Booth to be happy." She reminded. "If Hannah makes Booth happy, then I am happy."

"No really, how do you do it?" Angela asked, not bothering to believe her.

"It's been seven years, Ang. One more night isn't going to kill me." She said simply.

"It should." Angela said, the anger in her voice apparent. "That first night we were all back in the States? That was a normal reaction to finding out the love of your life had brought home a hot blonde from the desert. I understand being professional at work, but there's a difference between being professional and torturing yourself."

"Booth deserves everything that he wants out of life. If he wants those things with Hannah, then…"

"But he doesn't!" Angela said, losing her cool. "Look, I'm not going to have this fight with you again. I just want you to know that you don't have to pretend to be happy for him all the time."

"Do you remember what it was like when Booth died?" Brennan said, the hurt that had suddenly crept into her voice surprised even her.

"To be honest, not really. He was there on the floor and the next thing I knew I was crying for two weeks straight." She said. Brennan pulled a ring off her finger and handed it to Angela.

"This was the ring that I was wearing that night. I scrubbed it for hours to get all of his blood out of the setting and I put it away, never wanting to see it again. That first case back, I needed something to remind me that there is always something worse than whatever I am feeling in the present moment." She said. "I've been wearing it every day since." Angela nodded in understanding before giving Brennan a hug.

"You just give me the look when you want to leave, alright? Even if you just need a temporary break, we can always have a dance party in the car." She said.

"I'll be fine, Ang." She said as they walked out of the office together. She stopped suddenly as she noticed Booth sitting on the platform. "Booth." She said, surprised to see him still there.

"Angela, can we have a minute?" Booth requested. Her wide eyes told him that she was just as surprised to see him, but she nodded and headed for the front door.

"Did you forget something?" She asked, looking at him concerned.

"I never left." He said as he stood up. "I was about to, but then I heard the music." He said pointing towards her office. "That was some show you guys put on." He said with a small smile. It was fake and even Brennan knew it. He moved a little closer to her and looked into her nervous eyes.

"Booth…" She looked like she was about to run so he grabbed her hand, wanting to make sure she heard him out. He played briefly with the ring that symbolized his death for her, running the band between his fingers. He shook his head, knowing that he had to speak his piece.

"It's killing me too." He said simply as he looked up into her eyes again. Brennan frowned and looked down at her shoes. "Whatever this is," he said as he gesticulated between them with his free hand "it's not us." She tried to steel herself against his soft words, but she was struggling not to show any emotion towards him. "God, Bones, I'm so sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for." She said coolly, despite her quivering hand still held firmly within his.

"Yes, I do." He said, knowing it was true. He hated himself for hurting her.

"Booth, I was the one who said no." She said. "I had my chance and I passed. I have no claim to you anymore."

"But you do, Bones. You do." He said. "I'm your partner. Our relationship will always be important."

"You're trying make things right again." She shook her head and looked back up at him. "There's nothing to fix here, Booth. You didn't do anything wrong." She said.

"I left you behind!" He said, hating himself more with every kind word she said to him. Brennan looked shocked.

"No Booth, I left you!" She said, starting to lose her cool. "You stood there, looking so sad. You told me that you had to move on. I wanted to go to Maluku. It seemed like the most rational thing for both of us at the time. I just didn't think that…" She paused. "I didn't know it would end up being like this when we got back."

"What happened that first night back?" He asked, desperate to know. "Angela made it sound like…" Brennan nodded.

"I realized that knowing you had to move on and experiencing it firsthand were very different." She said, not giving him any more to go on. For Booth, it was enough.

"We need to be honest here." Booth said. "We owe it to each other." Brennan nodded.

"I agree." She said.

"Bones, do you have feelings for me?" He asked her. Brennan looked up at him like he was crazy.

"You know that I do." She said. "I always have." He nodded.

"Do you want a relationship with me?" He asked quietly. Brennan sighed.

"Booth, we can't even be in the same room with each other right now!" She said.

"That's not what I asked." He said gently, but with a gaze that could cut through steel. She knew that he wouldn't relent until she told him the truth.

"Yes." She said meekly. "But right now..." She shook her head, knowing exactly what they were up against. Booth's arms shot out around her waist and pulled her in close. In her weakened state, she didn't mind resting her cheek against his shoulder and letting him hold her. He would always be the most comforting thing in her life, no matter what happened between them.

"Do you remember that day I told you that you were the standard for every woman that I dated?" He asked against her hair. She nodded, but didn't raise her head off his shoulder. "It's still true." He said, his voice cracking. "There is no moving on from you Bones." He said as he pulled her away to hold her face in his hands. He swiped a tear off her cheek with his thumb. "I love you." The words floated on the thick air between them, lingering and hanging on long after Booth had said them out loud. "I know I didn't say it last time and I have regretted it every single day since then." He said. "No matter what you decide to do, you need to know. You're it for me Bones." He said, the tears back in his eyes.

"What about Hannah?" She reminded him. He looked down at his feet, suddenly feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt.

"She knows."

"I don't know what that means." She said. Booth wanted to smile at her well worn phrase, but he didn't.

"Everyone knows how I feel about you." He broadened the audience. "You and I know. Everyone at the bureau, at the lab." He looked at her. "Hannah's smart. Two days after she arrived, she was asking questions about us." He said. "Starting tonight, I'm going to finally answer them honestly." He said.

"Booth," Brennan looked up at him with those wide blue eyes. "Go talk to Hannah." He tilted his head, trying to read into her request. "You and I have a lot to discuss and we can't do any of that right now." She said as she turned to walk away.

"Wait! Where are you going?" He asked, unable to stop the question from jumping out of his mouth as she left him standing cold.

"Home." She said.

"Now?"

"I'm just putting this conversation on hold until other things are resolved." She said. He looked at her like he didn't quite believe what she was saying. "It's okay, Booth." She reassured him. "I'll wait at home. Go." He stared at her a minute longer before making his decision.

"I'll meet you back at your place." He promised. She nodded as he took off for the front door, his phone already at his ear.

OOOOO

Brennan couldn't believe what had transpired in a matter of minutes. It had always been that way with them, years of build up to something that just exploded in five minutes. She could never be prepared for it, no matter how much she tried. Theirs had always been a relationship of stolen moments, but she refused to let Booth say anymore until he had broken up with Hannah, for his own sake. His Catholic guilt would never be eased if he had done something impulsive while he was still with her. She glanced at the clock on the wall and started pacing again. She knew that it was going to be a while before he showed up, but she couldn't help herself from worrying at how long he had been gone. A knock on the door told her that she didn't have to worry about it anymore. She opened the door and let him in.

"Hey." He said quietly.

"Are you okay?" She asked. He turned around to face her, surprised at her concern.

"I'll be alright." He said honestly.

"Let me get you a drink." Brennan said, desperate for something to do. As she made her way towards the kitchen, Booth followed closely behind. She pulled out a bottle of her good scotch and set it on the counter.

"Let me." He offered from behind her. His proximity to her was arresting. She held her breath as his left hand rested ever so lightly on her waist, holding her still as he reached around her and into the cupboard for the glasses. He brought them down and placed them on the counter in front of them. She knew that if she turned around, he would be mere centimeters from her lips and the thought was enticing, but she stayed where she was. He had just broken up with his girlfriend whom he had claimed to love, she reminded herself. She had waited seven years, she could wait a little longer.

"Ice?" She asked the wall in front of her, afraid to turn around and lose her control. Booth's hand on her waist hadn't moved and now, it slowly turned her around to face him. When their eyes met, she couldn't help but swallow hard in nervousness. His watchful sniper-trained eyes were darker than she had ever seen them, and they were looking at her like she was the target. Silently, he was assessing her every expression, wanting to know how she was feeling in this moment. Without a sound, his lips came down, antagonizingly slow, until she felt the feather light touch of them against her own. Every kiss they had shared before had been passionate, quick, or hard. This was something else entirely. She deepened the kiss, but kept it slow, wanting to experience what he had originally intended for her. The slow burn started in her abdomen and spread like warm embers throughout the rest of her body.

Booth knew that the first time they would be together would be intense and he was desperate to keep things slow. He didn't want to scare her with his feelings towards her. However, from the moment that she nipped on his earlobe and whispered "Bedroom" into his ear, he knew that he was fighting an uphill battle. He pulled away to look into her hazy blue eyes, wanting to make sure this was what she really wanted. The nod would have been imperceptible to anyone else, but for two people who no longer needed words to communicate, it was all that they needed. She reached out and took his hand, leading the way.

Without a sound, they both moved towards each other, picking up where their last kiss left off. Brennan felt the room spin as she clutched tighter to Booth, not wanting to break apart. She had to eventually, desperate to release herself from the unexpected restrictions her clothing was now putting on her body. She broke away long enough to pull her blouse over her head and toss it aside. Booth was caught staring, but he quickly followed suit and before long, they had both stripped.

"God, you're so beautiful." He whispered adoringly, although still out of breath. He closed the distance between them again and before long, they were swept back up into their intense whirlwind of sensation. Brennan found herself with her back against her mattress as Booth climbed over her. His hands were everywhere she could want them to be, but she still needed more from him. She devoured his lips in another hot kiss, desperate to fill the ache that she was feeling in her core, but it wasn't enough.

"Booth, I need you." She begged so uncharacteristically, she surprised herself.

"I'm not going anywhere." He said as he slid a finger along her satin folds, testing her wetness. She let out a purr of satisfaction as he met her clit, playing with it briefly.

"Oh yes…" She murmured, wanting to feel him within her. Booth knew that they had the rest of their lives to discover each other, so he moved on. He positioned himself at her entrance and brushed the hair away from her face.

"Bones," he said tenderly, wanting her attention "open your eyes." She did as she was told and they locked eyes as he thrust himself into her for the first time. His stare was relentless as he took her in, wanting to watch every expression she made. She never took her eyes off of him as he pounded into her, slowly, but steadily picking up the pace as he went.

"Booth." She moaned. She was utterly overwhelmed by the onslaught of the emotions he was evoking within in her and she was desperate from some relief from the intensity. He thrust into her one more time and that was all it took to send her flying over the edge. He followed almost immediately before collapsing into the mattress next to her. They both laid there, eyes squeezed shut as they attempted to catch their breath.

"That was…" Booth exhaled, unsure of what it was exactly.

"Yes." She replied.

"I mean, I always figured that we'd be…"

"Me too."

"Still…" He said as he finally turned to face her.

"I know." She said as she met his stare. They both looked away for a second, unprepared on how to move forward from here. The silence was deafening as they both stared at the ceiling. Suddenly and without warning, Brennan started chuckling to herself.

"What?" Booth asked, wondering what could possibly have her laughing after that kind of emotional experience.

"I've never heard silence quite this loud." She reminded him of the song lyrics she had been singing just a few short hours before. "It's ironic. I thought that this was supposed to stop the awkward silence between us but we're right back to not knowing what to say to each other." She laughed harder but Booth rolled over on top of her and silenced her with a playful kiss.

"We're never going back to that, ever again." He promised. "The Story of Us? It's just beginning." He said with a smile.