Title: The Couples in the Costume
Summary: Angela's having a costume party.
Rating: G
Genres: humor
Pairings: Booth/Brennan, Hodgins/Angela
A/N: Written for Cullen's Bullpen Challenge! And co-written with my sister Lexi. Who chose the costumes (except for Zack's)
The Couples in the Costumes
"Oh, come on, Bren, it'll be fun!"
Brennan glanced over her shoulder at Angela, then turned back to her work. "No. Angela, I really find the whole concept of putting on a costume and pretending to be someone else just for a party childish."
"But, Bren, it's fun," the artist replied, smiling. "I promise you'll have fun. And hey, I'll even help you pick out your costume."
Giving a sigh, Brennan turned around towards her friend and nodded shortly. "Okay, fine. I'll come to your costume party."
"And?"
Brennan rolled her eyes. "And I'll wear a costume."
Angela let out a happy squeal. "We'll go to the costume shop right after work."
"Great," Brennan muttered under breath.
---
Angela was flipping through the costumes in Catie's Costume Corner for a costume for Brennan when she came across one that amused her to no end. She pulled it out, and held it up towards her friend. "Hey, look, Bren," she said with a grin. "You can be Daisy Duke."
The forensic anthropologist cocked her head slightly to one side. "I don't know who that is."
With a sigh, Angela turned and put the costume back on the rack. Of course everything was lost on Temperance Brennan, the least pop-culture aware person on the face of the planet.
"Never mind," Angela muttered.
She continued searching through the costumes on the rack. She pulled another one out with a grin. "Oh, here's one you'll recognize," she said. She held it up. "You can be a beer can!"
Brennan planted a fist on her hip, and raised an eyebrow. "That has got to be one of the stupidest ideas ever."
"Well, it's not like you know who any of the other costumes even are," Angela retorted, returning the costume to the rack. She pulled out another one. "Aww… Cupid."
"Angela, no," Brennan said firmly.
The forensic artist whirled and planted her hands on her hips. "Well, then you come find yourself one. You're like impossible to shop for."
Brennan actually stepped towards the rack and kept flipping through the costumes. Most she shook her head at, and some she just ignored all together. And Angela was greatly surprised when her friend stopped at a Lady Liberty costume.
But then she smiled at it when she realized how the "robes" would look and hang on Bren. "Well, at least you found someone you recognize." She started pushing Brennan towards the dressing rooms. "Go try it on!"
The anthropologist groaned lightly, but obediently closed herself in a changing room. Waiting outside, a costume hanging up in the men's section caught Angela's eye.
Immediately, a grin crossed her face. She threw a glance at the changing room door before pulling out her cellphone and dialing a number.
"Hello?" came the familiar voice on the other end of the line.
"Hey, Booth, it's Angela," she replied. "Listen, you're coming to my costume party on Halloween, right?"
"Uh, yeah…" the FBI agent answered slowly.
She crossed her fingers hopefully. "You don't have a costume yet, do you?"
"No," Booth answered—causing Angela to pump her fist in the air in silent triumph. "I was going to try and find one this week."
"Well, I found a great one I think you'd like at Catie's Costume Corner," Angela said, trying her hardest to sound casual about it. "Do you know where that is?"
"Yeah, I think so."
She smiled to herself. "Good."
Booth paused for a moment. "Do I know what the costume is?" he ventured.
"Not until you get to the store," Angela answered. "I'll have them set it aside for you." She looked up to see that the dressing room door was opening and Brennan was coming out. "I've gotta go, bye!" she said quickly, closing the phone and rapidly shoving it back into her purse before the anthropologist got a chance to notice.
-------
"So, Bones, did you get talked into going to Angela's Halloween party yet?" Booth asked, glancing sideways at his partner.
She nodded.
"Are you wearing a costume?"
Again, Brennan nodded. "Yes."
Ha, Booth thought to himself. I wonder just how Angela managed to do that. Aloud, he said, "So, what're you going to be?"
Bones gave him a vaguely smug smile. "Angela told me I couldn't tell anybody. That it had to be a surprise at the party."
"Oh, come on, Bones," Booth said. "That's no fun. You won't even tell me, your partner?"
Brennan firmly crossed her arms. "Nope. Not even you, Booth. You'll just have to wait and see."
-----
Drawing her head back some, Brennan examined her painted gray-green face and hair once more in her car's rearview mirror. She straightened her spiked crown one last time, and opened the door. She stepped out of the car careful not to step on the ends of her "gown."
Truth be told, as she walked towards Angela's door, Brennan began to feel a bit apprehensive. She felt a little awkward in the costume, especially with her skin painted the color that it was.
But the sounds of a party going on behind Angela's door helped to booster Brennan's courage a bit, and she rang the doorbell.
The forensic artist herself answered, dressed as Cleopatra.
"Bren!" she exclaimed. "Come on in."
Brennan complied, walking into the house. Her eyes scanned across the people gathered there—there were far more than she'd expected—and she almost immediately spotted Zack. She made her way towards him.
"Oh, hi, Dr. Brennan," he said upon noticing her.
She took in his costume, which consisted of military BDUs—on the shoulders of which were patches with strange crests—and a pair of big, round glasses. She raised an eyebrow. "Who are you supposed to be?" she asked.
Zack gave a faint smile. "Doctor Daniel Jackson, SG-1."
She frowned. "I don't know who that is," she said.
Her assistant sighed. "Nobody does."
Brennan opened her mouth to reply when Angela cut in, coming up beside her. "Bren, have you talked to FB-eye-candy recently?" she asked.
Ignoring Angela's absurd nickname for Booth, Brennan shook her head. "No. He isn't here yet?"
"Not yet," she replied with a sigh. Just then, though, the doorbell chimed and Angela hurried to open the door. "Speak of the devil!" she said.
Though Brennan's view of the door was blocked by her friend, she could clearly hear Booth's voice answer, "Oh, so I'm the devil now?"
When Angela stepped aside, Brennan's mouth dropped open at the sight of her partner. He was dressed, head to toe, as Uncle Sam. And when he looked up and spotted her, his mouth likewise fell a bit open.
Both of them turned accusingly to Angela at the same time.
"You set us up," Booth blamed.
She just grinned and shrugged. Behind Brennan, a slight chuckle was quickly suppressed. She turned to glare over her shoulder at Zack.
A familiar voice broke in. "Hey, man, sorry I'm late, I…" Hodgins started, coming up in the doorway behind Booth. He stopped, however, at seeing Angela.
Booth, Brennan, and Zack all broke out in laughter. Angela was dressed as Cleopatra, and Hodgins was, surprisingly, dressed as Marc Antony. A perfect pair.
"Now who's been set up?" Booth asked.