A/N: First, let me apologize. The new chapter for ANTS will be up soon, but a few one-shots have been running around my head. I finally caught them...YAY!
Title: Surpise!
Rating: K+
Summery: I'm not telling! It is a surprise after all.
Disclaimer: You know them by now. I don't own BONES. Blah, blah, blah.
The plot is mine and thus it is © WolfMyjic 2006
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Tell me again, where are we going?" Special Agent Seeley Booth asked, as he looked over at his partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan.
"What's wrong, Booth," she began. "Nervous that I'm driving?" Booth crossed his arms over his chest and settled back into his seat.
"Not at all, Bones," he lied. In truth, he hated being in the passenger seat. And he hated not knowing where he was going. Brennan gave a soft chuckle.
"Oh, relax, Booth."
"Easy for you to say. You know where we're going." Brennan offered Booth a smile.
"You do this to me all the time," Brennan said. "Drive around without telling me."
"That's different," Booth insisted.
"How?"
"It's my SUV." Brennan shook her head.
"You're acting like a child."
"I am not." Brennan slowed the SUV and made a right turn.
"Just chill."
"Did you just tell me to chill?" Booth asked.
"I used that correctly, right?"
"Yeah," he laughed. "You used it correctly." Booth took in his surroundings as Brennan made a left hand turned. His eyes came to rest on the large hotel. Brennan turned right into the hotel unloading area and stopped under the canopy. "Why, Bones," Booth said, waggling his eyebrows. "Didn't know you wanted me."
"Oh, give it up," Brennan said, getting out the SUV and handing the keys to the valet. She then joined Booth and they walked into the lobby.
"This is nice, Bones, did you get us a room too?"
"Well, actually," Brennan began. "We do have rooms." Booth narrowed his eyes and glanced at his partner.
"What?"
"Just stay here." With that she walked to the front desk. Booth watched the exchange, and wondered what was going on. "Here." Brennan handed him a key card.
"Okay, we're at a nice hotel. We have two rooms. What are we doing here?" Brennan flashed him a wide smile, and then uncharacteristically, she reached out and took one of his hands.
"Trust me, Booth," she said, her eyes wide. Booth licked his lips and then nodded. He let her pull him through the lobby and down a hall. "Ready?" she asked coming to a stop in front of large double doors.
"Sure."
"Then open the door." Booth again shot an odd look at his partner, but did as she instructed and pushed the doors open.
"Happy birthday!" a group of voices yelled. Booth's mouth fell open at the sight. The ballroom was decorated in blues and greens. Streamers and balloons were strung up everywhere, and a banner hung from the ceiling that read 'Happy Birthday, Booth!'. A large crowd of people were clapping.
"What is all this?" he asked, and then turned to look at Brennan. "You did this?" Brennan nodded.
"With some help." He turned back to the group of people that were circling him and he found himself being pulled into the room. Booth tried to take in who all was there. He saw the squints, and agents that he worked with. Even a few old Army buddies were there. Music began to blast from speakers and along one wall was a table of food. An open bar stood at the back of the room.
"He was really surprised," Angela said, coming up to Brennan.
"Yeah, I can't believe we kept it from him." She watched her partner shake hands and chat. "And he seems to be enjoying himself."
"You did a good job, Bren."
"I couldn't have done it without you, Angela. Thanks." Angela gave her a hug.
"No problem, sweetie."
Booth stood talking with a man he was in the Army with, Kenneth Jones. "You should have seen the look on your face, Booth."
"I bet. I didn't have any idea. But how…I mean," Booth let the sentence fall short.
"How did I find out about the party?" Booth nodded. Kenneth searched the room before he spoke. "The pretty one over there," he said. "With the reddish brown hair. Showed up on my front porch a few weeks ago." Booth looked over at Brennan and smiled to himself.
"Yeah, same with me," Agent Alex Toddson said, coming up to the men. He took a drink of his beer before he went on. "Dr. Brennan and that black headed chick invited everybody."
"Some partner you have there," Cullen said stopping in front of the three.
"Cullen, sir, didn't see you."
"Just got here, although I can't stay long. That bone lady of yours really did a good job. Honestly, I didn't think she had it in her." Booth nodded his agreement.
"Yeah, me neither," he said, and then caught Brennan's eyes. She smiled at him, and then darted her eyes toward the back of the ballroom. When she brought her eyes back to his, she raised her brows in question- No, he thought. In suggestion. Then she walked off, and Booth lost her in the crowd. He tried to find her again, but couldn't seem to locate her. At that moment, the music changed and Booth automatically recognized the song. "Excuse me," he said, and hurried in the direction he last saw Brennan. He made through the mass of bodies, some dancing to Hot Blooded, and finally saw a glass door leading outside. A smile touched his lips, and he made his way to it. The warm night air greeted him as he pushed it open and stepped out. Even after the door closed back, the music reached his ears. He searched the small courtyard until he caught sight of her. Brennan was standing not far away, watching the water of a large fountain.
"I was wondering if you would get the hint," she said as he approached.
"When did you start giving hints?" Booth teased as Brennan turned to face him.
"Oh, I've picked up a few things," she said with a smile.
"Yeah, the song kinda told me to follow."
"How's that?" Booth smiled at her.
"Guess you could call it our song, Bones." Brennan returned the smile.
"Happy birthday, Booth," she said, pointing to a nearby bench. Sitting on top of it was a small package wrapped in white paper with balloons on it.
"That's…for me?" he questioned, turning from the present to Brennan.
"Well, I didn't buy it for Angela." Booth's smile widened and he walked over to the bench. Picking the gift up, he sat down in its spot. He turned the box slowly in his hands, examining the wrapping and the handwriting. Happy birthday, Booth was written in Brennan's unmistakable script. "Are you going to open it or just stare at it?" Brennan asked. Booth looked up at her.
"It's just," he began. "You've never given me anything before." Brennan crossed her arms.
"It's never been your birthday," she replied. Booth dropped his eyes back to the gift, and then peeled the paper off. He gave her one more glance before pulling the top off of the box.
"Dog tags?" he asked, raising confused eyes to her. "You bought me dog tags?" Brennan simply nodded. Booth dropped his eyes back to the silver chain with a silver rectangle on the end. "Why did you buy me dog tags?"
"Just one tag really," Brennan corrected.
"Right."
"Oh, for goodness sake, take it out the box." Booth smiled at Brennan's impatience, but reached in and pulled the chain out. He put the box aside and clasped the tag in his free hand. Tuning it over, he read what had been engraved.
The only way to have a friend is to be one.
Although I don't know what that means.
"Bones"
A laugh escaped his lips and filled the air. He looked up at Brennan, and she could see his amusement and joy in his eyes. "Did you come up with that by yourself?" Brennan felt her cheeks begin to burn as she nodded yes.
"If you don't like it," she started, but Booth stood and closed the gap between them. He drew her into his embrace and hugged her tight.
"No, Bones, I love it." He was happy to feel her hug him back. "Put it on me?" he asked, pulling back and holding the dog tag out to her. Brennan smiled and took the necklace. Booth ducked his head, and his partner slid the chain over his head.
"Happy birthday, Seeley," she said softly, and then she placed a kiss on his cheek. The gesture surprised him and he place a hand on the spot her lips had touched.
"Thank you, Temperance," he told her. "For the present, the party…your friendship, everything." They stood there a moment, trying to read each other's eyes. The music from inside changed to something slow, and Booth smiled. Holding his arms open, he asked an unspoken question. Brennan returned the smile, and stepped into his embrace. And as they slowly swayed to the tune, above the stars witnessed two partners, two friends, realize that maybe- just maybe, they were more.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks for reading. I have one more one-shot to post. I hope to have it up first thing Friday morning.
-wolfy-