ERASE
AUTHOR: doctortiffanytaylor
SUMMARY: a fic about the certain moment when that line gets erased…BB AH
DISCLAIMER: not mine poor don't sue me
RATING: T
SCREECH! The sound of my brakes is what pulls me back to reality. I slam them on at the red light on 6th street and I only barely miss being struck by the large fuel inefficient monster that has the green light. My hand comes to my face and throw my visor down to block the morning sunrise from my eyes. "Why did you let that happen?" I ask myself in the mirror of my visor. I have opened it to survey my current appearance. Flashes of the night's prior activities come to my mind and I feel the hot tears well up in my eyes. We have a better relationship than they had acquired. How did that happen? Where did we go so right and they go so wrong?
The honking of cars behind me remind me to focus on the task at hand so I proceed to drive home before trying to figure this out but instead I drive to the Jeffersonian. I park my car and sit there. RESERVED FOR DR. TEMPERANCE BRENNAN- the sign is a glaring reminder that I am supposed to know better than to get myself in ridiculous situations like this one. I smile at the horrible joke my mind makes using the word reserved and I once again feel the hot sting of emotion in my eyes. I pull them back and reach for my bag. I find what feels like the strap and its contents spill on the floor of my backseat-if you call the back of my car a backseat. That is when the reality of the next of many mistakes I have made in the past 12 hours becomes part of my reality. I have grabbed your bag by mistake in my haste to exit your apartment.
"Good job genius." I mutter to myself as I put the fallen contents of your things in your bag. My hand stops on something that makes my stomach fill with butterflies. "That is a ridiculous saying for ones stomach cannot fill with butterflies." I mutter. "Did you just literally explain away your own thoughts?" I mutter again. I shake my head and examine the object in hand. It's a book. It's my book and it has been bookmarked by something quite interesting. Page 186-which surprisingly is focused completely on the science and not the sex- is noted by a piece of paper. Written on the paper, underlined twice, and in bright red ink is the familiar letters of your handwriting. It simply says- ERASE THAT DAMN LINE- and as my mind contemplates the words written I once again survey the page.
Third line down from the top is Alex. He and Kathy just had an exchange in which she explained something non-case related to him and he looks at her and says that he loves her and she blushes. The rest of the page is case centric. I put my head back hard against my seat.
12 hours prior
"Angela what in the world caused this break-up to begin with?" Dr. Temperance Brennan asked from her desk chair at the Jeffersonian Medico-Lego lab.
Her best and newly single and quite distraught friend was sitting across from her picking at the ends of her scarf as she asked her advice on her recent breakup. Angela Montenegro and Jack Hodgins had seemed like the ideal couple to the doctor who had never considered herself an expert in the matter but they seemed to have a genuine affection for one another.
"We had this great chemistry but it was like even with that there was something missing sweetie." The artist answered still tugging at the teal and pink scarf she had draped over her matching top.
"Wait so you are saying that relationships based on good chemistry cannot work out and that is why you two broke up?" Dr. Brennan could not wait to pounce on this.
For the past 4 years Angela had been insisting that she and Booth based on their good chemistry should indulge in a relationship and the message had not gone unnoticed particularly after their first couple years of banter and tension had gone by and Christmas well she tried not to think of that fluke at all. Now before her was that same Angela telling her the reason for her sadness and now awkward working relationship with Jack was because they acted on a chemistry induced relationship. Ha! She was not going to let this moment of triumph slip from her fingers.
"We don't really trust each other and he let me walk away." The artist peered at her friend waiting for an answer.
"Didn't you say you got up first?" Dr. Brennan shook in her seat like a leaf.
'We have chemistry and we trust each other whole heartedly.' The realization came as the proverbial smack to the face that she had always heard about. Her brain processed the information and her heart allowed it to enter as fact and her brain did not oppose.
"Yes but he let me leave." Angela reiterated. "A man who loves you won't just let you leave if your sad or doubting something."
"Hey Bones hate to barge in but we got the warrant to go pick up Harold Jacobs and I figured you wanted to go." Brennan looked up at him and then back to Angela.
"Go sweetie. We will have lunch tomorrow and do this thing." Angela gave Brennan an okay grin and exited beside Booth who smiled for he could tell she had been discussing recent Jack things.
"Breakup stuff Bones?" he asked as she picked up her bag and threw it over her shoulder.
"Yes Booth and I trust you." She turned her back to the perplexed Agent and headed for the door.
"You too Bones." He said shaking his head in confusion and walking quickly to catch up to her.
The two rode in near silence to pick up Mr. Jacobs who went quietly and after only a few short moments of interrogation was asking for his lawyer. The two partners decided to meet up for their usual at the diner.
"Bones you are poking your food you okay?" he asked sincerely as he surveyed her pushing the lettuce on her plate from side to side.
"I'm fine. I'm going to go okay." She was not fine. The days conversation with Angela had brought up emotions she needed time to compartmentalize and having him sit across from her was not helping to do that.
She tossed down a ten to cover her meal and stood quickly to make her exit. She had made it two booths up when she felt the warm grip of a harsh truth grab her arm.
"A man who loves you won't let you leave if you are sad or doubting something." The words of the artist rang loud in her ears.
"You are not going anywhere Bones." He spoke to her in that begging way only he could that was really and truly a command. "You are staying with me."
Brennan turned to him and smiled. "Can we go somewhere and talk privately?"
"Yes sure meet me at my place in 30 minutes Bones." He smiled. "We can talk about whatever is making you a sad Bones."
"Thanks." She forced a smile in her delivery.
33 minutes later she stood outside his door and knocked coyly. 'What do you plan on saying Miss World Class Forensic Anthropologist?' her own thoughts mocked her.
"I don't know how to help Angela and I am worried." He had not even opened the door fully when the lie came out.
The topic had been a good one because it was at least a little true and some of the things he said actually made since to her. After almost two hours of talking and near the end laughing Brennan glanced at her watch.
"It is almost one in the morning. I have to go." She yawned and that was all it took.
"Sleep on the couch Bones. You can at least get enough to not have to drive home tired." He offered.
"Well," the pleading charm smile…damn it.
"Okay." She agreed.
It was 5am when she woke up that morning. It was my fault. I was thirsty and came for some water and caught a glimpse of her sleeping on the couch. Some people see the softer side of people when they sleep and they talk about how innocent they look and usually I am no different. But in that moment I am taken back to the line in her book. It was right after a Kathy-Andy exchange about some anthropological something and he just looks at her and tells he loves her and she blushes.
I reach out for a piece of paper off the counter and a pen. ERASE THAT DAMN LINE-I write it quick and stick it in between the well loved pages of 186-187 which hold my most favorite part in that whole book. I toss the book in my black work satchel sitting by hers at the door and marvel at the site of the two bags sitting next to each other. I glance back at you in sleep and I think you are always Bones. "I love you." I mutter.
You stir and I freeze. "What time is it?" you ask voice cracking with sleep.
"5 something Bones." I reply.
30 minutes later
Dr. Brennan stepped out of the bathroom after excusing herself to wash her face to remove the jelly stains of the toast she had been served by her partner.
"Well I am going to go and get ready for work. I will see you later." She stepped toward the door her partner behind her and retch for her bag.
He grabbed her chin gently and placed her eyes directly on his and for a moment both stood like scared children. Then they were reminded by the closes of their bodies that they were not and both came in for the kiss.
Dr. Brennan felt her back come in contact with the door and her hands came around his neck. Booth found his knee come in contact with the door and his hands grabbed at the already rumbled cotton of his Bone's top.
Pulling her back from the door he kissed her feverishly and he was happily surprised at her ability to maintain that feverish kiss style and maneuver the two them to the bedroom.
Her head hit the pillow of his bed and she felt the pull of his lips lift her head to taste him just a little bit longer. She pushed her hands slowly down his side to the edge of his t-shirt when-
"Lines at the grocery store…"
The radio alarm clock went off and both took notice of the first word of the morning DJ. "I have to go Booth." And she stood up, smoothed her shirt, and adjusted her rumpled skirt that had been making its way up her thigh.
She left and he didn't chase her.
Current time
"A man who loves you will not let you leave if you are sad or doubting something." The words of the artist ring in my head. The clock on my car reads 7:14 and I exit.
My current zombie state takes me uninterrupted up to the door of my office and the site that greets me makes me want to scream.
"You finally get out of your car. I first of all want to tell you that the reason I won't let you drive is because you almost got yourself T-boned by that truck at the red light on 6th and do you not have your phone because I called you over and over and you just didn't answer. Bones we have to talk about what happened. I want to erase that line. It was appropriate at the time but we have something and I think that…" you paused, "why are you looking at me like that?"
"You followed me the whole way?" I ask trembling.
"Yes! I was chasing you out of the building but you pick up speed quick and I don't know you got a head start to begin with Bones." You defend yourself and stand there before me trying your hardest to read my mind.
I take two steps so that I am standing in front of you. I pick up a pencil from desk. "Consider it erased." I throw the pencil to the ground.
Dr. Temperance Brennan sat at the Diner waiting for her friend Angela a few hours later.
"Hey sweetie, so thanks a lot for talking this break up thing out with me." The artist smiles then notes the serious look on her friends face.
"Do you love Jack?" she asks.
"Yes I do." She answers honestly and suddenly feeling a wave of tears.
"Was he scared too? And do the two of you put lines around yourself because of personal fears?" she asks bluntly.
"Yes to both." Angela is now crying.
"Then step one is to erase the damn lines when the two of you are ready." Brennan stands up and walks from the table.
"Angela one more thing, I have a relationship with Booth now so could you please stop pestering us to have sex. We have and will continue to do that now." Dr. Temperance Brennan exits.
8 months later
Angela Montenegro and Jack Hodgins would like to invite you to their upcoming wedding at the Botanical Gardens this 15th of July at 6pm.
The invitation was simple and the RSVP card was a small sentiment to the couple lying in the bed on 8th street. A pencil attached to the yes or no card that read- ERASE YOUR UNNEEDED LINES NEATLY, SWIFTLY, AND IN GOOD TIME.
END
REVIEW LITTLE READERS, REVIEW.
A/N THE TIMELINE WAS PRESENT, 12 HOURS PRIOR, BACK TO PRESENT, AND 8 MONTHS INTO THE FUTURE... TO EXPLAIN ANY CONFUSION
