Title: Goodbye
Author: Alexz Recoro
Summary: A small one shot. Brennan is going out of town, and Booth isn't sure how to say goodbye without revealing anything.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Bones characters.
AN: No, I have not given up on my 'Stalker' story, I've just hit a major case of writers block (though I do have four pages of the next chapter written. Yeah!) and this just popped into my head while I was reading Bone's fan fiction, trying to get inspiration. It worked, just not the way I wanted it to.
BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES
He didn't want her to go.
That was the simple truth, the truth that he had been avoiding for three days, ever since she told him that she would be going out of the country to do some work at an archeological sight. He had been stunned, mostly because the dig was so deserted, she didn't even know if her cell phone would work. She also didn't know how long she'd be gone. He winced as he recalled their conversation. . .
"Booth, I'm going out of town."
"That's cool, vacation?"
"No, work."
"I should have guessed. So, where are you going?"
"Brazil."
"Bones! That's not 'out of town'! That's out of the country!"
"Small detail."
"You're staring to sound like me."
"I am not."
"Why are you going?"
"A college friend of mine is running an archeological dig down there, and he asked me to come down and do some work with the bones that they found in the cemetery. Just basic stuff, age, race, weight, height, cause of death, stuff like that."
"Well, that sounds cool. You'll have to keep me up to date."
"I won't be able to. The dig is in a very remote area, my cell won't work."
"Bones!"
"I can't do anything about it Booth, stop whining."
"Fine. So, how long will you be gone?"
"I don't know. As long as they need me."
"For God's sake Bones! Don't you have this planned out at all? What happens if I need you for a case?"
"Tough Booth! Get Cam to help you. My life does not revolve around you and your precious FBI!"
"No but your work is important enough for you to drop everything and rush off to Brazil, isn't it?"
Booth sighed as he sipped a cup of coffee at Sid's. He hadn't meant to yell at her. At the time, he didn't even understand why he was yelling at her. She just poked at him and got under his skin and before he knew it he was yelling at her, she was yelling back, and it usually ended with one of them storming off. This time, it had been Bones who stormed off, going into her office and slamming and locking the door in his face when he tried to follow her. He had stood outside swearing and begging and threatening her, trying to get her to open the door, but she had ignored him and he had finally left in disgust. But now, three days later, he was starting to understand why he had reacted that way.
'I don't want her to go.' He mussed, staring into the dark liquid in his coffee cup. He really didn't. He had too much fun when she was around. He liked arguing with her, he liked solving cases with her. He liked the way they could each sense when the other was around, even without seeing them. He always knew when she had entered the floor of the Hoover building where his office was, and she always knew when he had entered the lab. He also liked the fact that she had started to trust him. Like when they found out that her real name was Joy Keenan, and she had a minor identify crisis in the barn, sobbing and repeating 'My name is Dr. Temperance Brennan, I'm a forensic anthropologist for the Jeffersonian. My name is Dr. Temperance Brennan. . .' It had broken Booth's heart to see her like that, so he had done the only think he could. He had wrapped his arms around her, held her tight and assured her that he knew exactly who she was. To his surprise and delight she had let him hold her, sobbing into his chest.
Booth sighed and set down his coffee. Bones was leaving tomorrow, and still refusing to answer her cell phone when he called her. So he knew what he had to do.
BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES BONES
"Bones! Hey! Bones!"
Dr. Temperance Brennan spun around at the hated, yet familiar nickname. Booth slid to a stop in front of her and gave her the same 'charm' smile he always gave her when he wanted something.
"Forget it Booth. I'm about to get on my flight, so if you have a case . . ." She started to turn away, but suddenly Booth grabbed her arm, spun her around, and before she could even think about using her knee on a sensitive part of his anatomy, he was kissing her.
Her head spun and her heart tried to climb up her throat. Without even knowing why (or maybe she did know why) Brennan lifted her arms and wrapped them around Booth's neck. One of her hands threaded through his hair and her other gripped the fabric of his shirt tightly. Booth let go of her arm and slid his hands to her hips, pulling her closer and then wrapping his arms so tight around her Brennan couldn't have gotten away from him if she wanted to. But she didn't want to. That was the absolute last thing she wanted.
Booth couldn't believe what he was doing, but he knew it was right. He had her pulled so tight up against him that he was afraid she might be having trouble breathing, but she didn't seem to notice. Her hand was gripping his hair so tight it was painful and he could feel her nails digging into his back, but still he continued to kiss her and she kissed him back.
Finally, they broke the kiss at the same time, but didn't separate from each other. They stayed wrapped so tightly around each other that it was entirely possible that it would take a surgical procedure to separate them. Then Brennan's eyes blazed and her hand connected with the side of Booth's face. He had been expecting it, so he let his head turn away from the blow, so that it didn't hurt as bad. But is still hurt like hell.
"Okay, I deserved that." He told her, still grinning like a fool. He was completely taken by surprise when she slapped him again, on the other cheek.
That one hurt even worse. He whipped his head back around to stare at her, his eyes blazing, his arms still holding her so that they were almost nose to nose.
"What was that one for?" He demanded.
"The first one was for what you said to me three days ago. The second one was because you kissed me."
"That's right Bones. And guess what?"
"What?"
"I'm about to do it again."
And he did. This one was just as hot and intense as the first one, but also seemed more desperate, desperation possible fueled by the fact that they were standing in an airport, and she was waiting for a plane that would take her away from him for who knew how long. This time, he pulled back first, but just far enough to talk to her. His lips brushed against hers as they moved.
"I'm sorry." He muttered against her mouth. "I'm sorry Bones. I didn't want you to leave, but I acted like a spoiled little kid instead of just telling you that I didn't want you to leave me. I'm sorry."
"It's okay." Brennan muttered back before pressing her lips against his briefly and then pulling back slightly. "Truthfully, I had hoped you would tell me you didn't want me to go."
"Yeah, well, I'm an idiot."
"It must be a guy thing." Brennan teased. Booth growled playfully and tightened his hold on her, making her suck in her breath. "But you're adorable, so you're forgiven." She added hastily, a little breathless. Booth loosened his grip, but before Brennan could catch her breath Booth had captured her mouth once again. They kissed for a few more moments before Booth, reluctantly, let her go, and Brennan stepped away from him, just as reluctantly.
Just before she would have been out of reach entirely, Booth grabbed her wrist and pulled her close on last time. "Goodbye." He whispered, kissing her once, softly, and then turning and walking away. Brennan touched her lips and smiled, understanding that he couldn't stand and watch her walk away from him and get on the plane. Her smile grew bigger as she turned and headed toward the plane. He may not be able to watch her walk away, but she was positive he would be there waiting when she came back.
Waiting with open arms.