Something I came up with one Saturday night that I've been wanting to do for a while. Hope you enjoy! Feedback is always welcome! Oh, and where Violet ends, my fic Identity picks up and continues.
-Gum
Rainbow
Red:
He had rehearsed the scene several times in his mind on his way in. He would apologize to the security officers, offer to clear up whatever the mistake had been, and sweep her out of the room in a gallant fashion.
Of course he had underestimated how quickly she would catch onto him and call him out- in front of Homeland Security no less- and shoot him a look that would ward off most sane men. That would teach him to try and trick a genius. He made a mental note not to underestimate her in the future- and to beware her fiery temper.
So when the bickering reached a pinnacle he finally lost it and pulled over as she requested. She flounced out, slamming the door behind her and taking off on the sidewalk. Cullen would not be thrilled if he lost the nation's top forensic anthropologist so he took a breath and headed after her.
They spat words back and forth as she hurried away from him, the sunlight catching the red highlights in her hair, until finally he conceded defeat, and asked her what it would take.
It stopped her in her tracks and when she gave her demands he shrugged and said the first thing that came to his mind, "What? You want me to spit in my hand? We're Scully and Mulder."
Orange:
"Proceed with caution." These were his standing orders when dealing with anything remotely related to Bones and her past. Ever since he had seen her pale face when she had realized that her mother had been in Limbo at the Jeffersonian, since he had held her, sobbing, inside McVicar's barn, he had known that he needed to tread gently.
And so he had. Well, he had tried. Admittedly, recruiting Russ without her permission had not been the wisest of moves- though he knew she would have never agreed and as a result they had begun talking again.
He had also, with great caution, guided her through the myriad of feelings that surrounded her father- especially once the man started popping in and out of her life again. He had set Max straight on that score at least and was relieved when the old con man had turned himself in.
Now Max was on trial and the trial was nearing an end. He could've killed Bones for making him cast reasonable doubt onto her under oath; though he understood fully why she had done it and really only had himself to blame for teaching her to feel with her heart.
But when the jury came in to read the verdict and she wasn't there to hear it he decided that he didn't need to be there either. Intuitively- and throwing all caution to the wind- he found her on the courthouse steps, took her into his arms, and held her so that she knew he would be there for her no matter what.
Yellow:
She couldn't believe the nerve of the man. He had convinced Homeland Security to pick her up, detain her for over an hour, and then had pretended to come in and save the day. She hoped he could read the ire in her eyes and the tone in her voice as she attempted to reason with him. When it was apparent that he could not she requested that he pull over and threatened to scream if he didn't.
She was shocked when he acceded. Even more shocked when, only a few minutes later he agreed to her full participation in the cases. This was the opportunity that she had been waiting for- a chance to work through a case from outside the confines of her lab, where she could grasp the full context of each crime.
She accepted his "olive branch" and allowed him to escort her to the cemetery.
The Jeffersonian's black Mac truck with wide yellow stripes greeted her as they approached and she made the decision that- no matter what unintelligent remarks this FBI Agent would hurl at her- she would do show him once and for all why she was the best in her field.
Inside the yellow tape was her domain and if he couldn't accept that then he could find another forensic anthropologist.
Green:
It was Spring. A time for growth. A time for renewal. Or so they said.
For her it was a time of trials- literally. She never thought it would be this difficult to face her father's trial. Her ability to compartmentalize was becoming more and more difficult as the trial waged on. She honestly could not see how Caroline Julian and her ex managed to get along after cases like this and yet she had seen them chatting comfortably between sessions.
Her team had been good. Very good. They had presented the evidence exactly how it had been discovered and were seemingly flawless in their execution. Then Clark had discovered Zach's flaw and had begun to poke holes in their case. Half of her was encouraged; the other half frustrated. This was not going as it should and while the part of her that was Max Keenan's daughter longed to see him be set free, the forensic anthropologist in her saw it as a gross wrong that was being served in the justice department.
She had turned to Booth- had absorbed as he spoke about putting her heart into "gear." Had consulted him about what reasonable doubt truly was and how the verdict was dependent on the jury's human factor. He would surely hate her for making him testify against her under oath but she had no choice if she wished her father to go free.
She couldn't face him in the courtroom as the verdict was being read- couldn't face her father either. The two men in her life that she would not wish to ever disappoint and yet she very well may have disappointed them both in the end.
She gazed up the steps, to the door of the courthouse where her father may or may not emerge and stopped. Booth was coming toward her. In an instant she moved into his embrace, felt his forgiveness and understanding encircle her, and wordlessly understood that he would not leave her to face the rest of the day alone. Together they awaited the verdict.
Blue:
Most people, mistakenly, called her eyes blue. They were not- they were grey, though admittedly they did have a hint of blue from time to time. He should know- he spent enough hours looking at them in a given day.
Right now they were looking aimlessly around restaurant. Anywhere but at him. He supposed that was understandable given what had gone on in Sweets' office just a few scant minutes ago.
He was not sure how exactly, but at some point in the night their relationship had progressed another step- this time a bit deeper than they had ever gone before. They had admitted- to Sweets of all people- that they were in a surrogate relationship with one another. Not that he really knew what that meant but it seemed important and it was definitely getting awkward between them.
For the millionth time he wished that Gordon Gordon had not taken off for England.
"Hey Bones," he half-whispered to her, "You ready to go?"
Her eyes snapped back to him from wherever they had been focused and she nodded.
He motioned the waiter, paid for the food, and helped her back into her jacket.
As they headed back to her apartment they eased into friendly conversation: about the case, about Hodgins and Angela, about who would be the next intern. Slowly, the awkwardness faded and as they drove Booth realized that maybe nothing had changed after all.
Maybe they had been in a surrogate relationship for a while and were just now admitting to it themselves.
Indigo:
She settled into her bed, pulled the covers up to surround her, and turned off the light.
In a span of twenty-four hours she had gone from dating two men simultaneously, to dating neither of them, to admitting to being in a surrogate relationship with Booth. It had been a busy day.
Now, alone with her thoughts, she attempted to analyze her actions. She had certainly been mistaken believing that the two men would be perfectly willing to share a relationship with her. Neither one had been pleased and both had released her from the relationship in rather short order. In retrospect, she probably should have informed them of the arrangements up front and allowed them to choose. She also had admitted that adhering to the strictures of monogamy would certainly have saved her some heartache in this instance. Certainly it would have saved the life of their latest victim.
The problem, however, was that she had been in monogamous relationships before: Michael, Pete, Sully; none of them had done her any good as far as she was concerned and had- in fact- left her with more emotional baggage than she'd had to begin with. If they were the picture of monogamy it wasn't worth the effort.
Her relationship with Booth was a different matter.
The word surrogate meant stand-in, so to be in a such a relationship with him meant that he would be a stand-in for any other type of male/female relationship that she might have. Instead of frightening her as she supposed it once would, it made sense. She and Booth already shared a good relationship both as partners and as friends. He had proven time after time that he was loyal to her and would protect her at all costs.
They certainly shared enough meals together to stand in the place of "normal" dates and the "guy hugs" that they shared could stand in place of other embraces that a true couple would share. They had also already kissed, though to be fair it was egged on by Caroline's puckishness and not their true emotions. She also knew from years of experience that he would not attempt to take advantage of her under any circumstances.
Yes, she decided as she turned over to sleep, this new surrogate relationship with Booth was just the thing she needed to shield her from any further injuries in the relationship department.
Violet- the end of the rainbow:
Dr. Temperance Brennan nervously paced the small room and swore that she would never agree to this again.
First, she was in a church. Not that she did not respect Booth and his beliefs, however she was still unsure as to what her feelings were on the topic and right now she felt more nervous than she ever had been in her life. She knew that Booth viewed their actions today as a solemn vow before God whereas she saw it as little more than an antiquated ritual. One to which she had conceded, but nonetheless one that she ultimately saw as unnecessary.
Second, she was wearing white.
She had argued at length with Booth about this. White, in the bridal sense, represented purity and chastity- neither of which applied to her. Though they had not consummated their relationship as of yet they had each had sexual relations outside of a marriage covenant. She found this especially highlighted by the fact that Parker- Booth's son- was serving as their ring bearer for the occasion. Booth, however, had assured her that she would not be perfectly fine dressed in white. He had pled his case, flashed her a charm smile, and she found that she could not say no to him.
Finally, she was nervous. For thirty-three years she had been a single woman. From this day forward she would be married- attached to Booth for as long as they both should live. This was not a position she had ever dreamed she would find herself in and the questions that assaulted her mind threatened to overwhelm her at any minute.
Would they still like each other once they lived together? Was he a neat person or a messy one? Would he mind her nightly ritual of reading for an hour before she fell asleep? Who would cook the meals? Do the menial housework? Where would they ultimately live? Would he leave the toilet seat up as her father and Russ were wont to? How would their finances be handled? Would she be expected to pay the majority of the bills as she earned more than he in a year? How would-
"Psst," a voice cut through her thoughts, "Bones."
"Booth," she twirled around to find the object of her thoughts peering in at her with the door half-cracked open, "What are you doing here?"
He swung the door wide open and stepped through, gathering her into his arms, "Had to make sure you weren't thinking yourself to death back here, Bones," he grinned, "Looks like I was just in time, too."
"Are we doing the right thing?" she clung to him, her voice at a bare whisper.
"Aw, Bones," he released her and moved his hands to cup her cheeks, "It'll be okay, you'll see."
"But," she met his eyes hesitantly, "What if it isn't? What if we don't like each other as much as we think that we do? What if-"
He halted her with a kiss.
"I would be a fool," he started when he felt that she had calmed, "If I told you that life will be perfect from this day forward. That's not reality, Bones, we both know that. But I can promise you that I will stand by your side no matter what; that I will work through whatever personality conflicts arise.
"We might wake up ten years from now and realize that things aren't as rosy as they seem right now, but I will make the choice every morning I am alive to love, honor, and cherish you. And each one of those vows that we make in front of our friends and family today I will do my best to uphold and keep for as long as I draw breath.
"I am not a perfect man any more than you are a perfect woman," he smiled gently at her and she returned it, "And that means that we'll fight and argue and bicker our way through life some days. It means that we will mess up and have to forgive one another over and over and over again.
"But I love you, Temperance Brennan. You are my best friend and I can't wait to spend my lifetime getting to know you better."
She sighed and melted against him, thankful that he had known her well enough to come back and reassure her.
"Oh please you two," Angela bustled into the room, "Save it for tonight!"
The artist shooed Booth out of the room and closed the door.
"Well, Sweetie are you ready?"
"I don't know, Ange? Is a person ever 'ready' for such an occasion?"
"Probably not," Angela laughed, "But just looking at that man today, honey, I know you'll be fine."
"Yes."
Dr. Temperance Brennan fell silent then. It was time to prepare herself for what would be the biggest day of her life so far.