A one-shot for all you pet-owners out there- especially fellow betta fish owners. Inspired by my very own betta, Camouflage, and of course my love for Bones. Enjoy.
Siamese Fighting Fish
"Hey Bones! We've got—" Booth stopped just inside her office and blinked.
Temperance Brennan sat at her desk staring, unmoving, at a glass bowl. Inside, the bowl, a small blue long-finned fish swam around.
"Bones, you got a pet?" Booth asked incredulously.
"Yeah," Temperance looked up. "I've been told that having a pet can be soothing, especially in a stressful place like the workplace. I'm always at the lab, so I thought, why not?"
Booth moved closer, looking into the bowl. "What kinda fish is this? It's kinda cute."
Betta Splendens. Also known as the Siamese fighting fish. They're aggressive by nature. If two male bettas are put together, they will attack each other and fight to the death." She put a finger up to the glass and the fish followed it. "It is kind of cute isn't it?"
Booth reached out and tapped on the glass, making the water vibrate and spurring the fish into action.
"Stop that Booth. How would you like it if you lived in there and some obnoxious person kept tapping on the glass?"
Booth retracted his hand, sheepish. "Sorry. Anyways, we have a case, Body found in a sealed closet. The remains were mummified."
"Well, let's go!" Temperance stood up and put on her coat. Booth followed her out of the office, turning back for one last glance at the fish, which almost seemed to be watching them.
Temperance reentered her office and spotted Angela nearly cooing at the fish on her desk. "Ange?"
Angela looked up. "Oh Bren, He's so cute! I was just walking by and I saw him on your desk and I had to get a closer look. He's such a beautiful shade of blue."
"That's why I got him." Temperance took out a container of freeze dried bloodworms from a drawer on her desk. Angela wrinkled her nose, slightly disgusted. Temperance laughed. "Yeah, I know. They smell gross too. But betta fish love them." Using the handle end of a plastic spoon, she measured a few worms and dropped them into the bowl. Both women watched the fish gobble them up enthusiastically.
"So, Bren. Have you named him yet?
"No, I haven't come up with an appropriate name yet." Not one that wouldn't embarrass me anyway. Seeing that the fish was done eating, she took out a small mirror and set it up in front of the bowl.
"Uh, what are you doing?" Angela asked.
"You'll see." As they watched, the fish noticed his reflection in the mirror and swam closer to it. He suddenly seemed to puff up. The gill flaps around his face opened and rose, framing his head and his fins spread and stiffened.
"Oh, I get it. The fish thinks he's seeing another male."
"Yep. He's flaring and challenging his reflection." As they watched, the fish bumped into the glass none too gently. "And trying to fight it," Both women giggled.
"Hey guys, What's so funny?" Hodgins stuck his head in and noticed the bowl. "Oooh. A Siamese Fighting Fish! Cool!" He came all the way into the room and bent down to study the fish closely.
"Dr. Brennan, I have those results you wanted. What's everyone looking at?" Zach came in holding a sheet of paper.
"Brennan got a betta fish." Angela said.
"Hey Zach, you gotta see this." Hodgins said, motioning to the tiny fish's show os dominance.
"It's just a fish. What's so interesting?" Zach shrugged.
All three people just looked at him.
Much later in the evening, Zach had finally gotten to deliver his results and he along with Hodgins and Angela had left the office. Temperance thought she had heard Hodgins asking Angela something about dinner. Now, Temperance was typing up a new chapter of her book. However, she found that she couldn't really concentrate on the computer. Her attention kept drifting to the bowl on her desk. Finally, she stopped typing and simple watched the fish swim. Taking a quick look around to make sure the lab around her office was empty and no one could hear her, she moved closer to the bowl.
"Hello, Agent."
End
I have a "challenge" for all Bones fanfic writers: write a story about Brennan or another squint/agent getting a pet. I haven't read a single pet story for Bones. That's why I wrote this one. Anyone else have ideas? Write them down and post them!
I originally wrote this as a one shot, but I can see a continuation where Booth walks in on Tempe talking to her fish and finds out that she named him after him. If anyone want to see that, let me know! If I get enough reviews, I may write it!