"Bones, come on, chop chop, we got a court meeting." Booth tried to rush Brennan from her research on rare torture techniques. She was on her computer all night, trying to match the various odd nicks on her newest set of remains. So far she'd found that the male had a limp, due to a torturous accident nearly deeming his leg immobile. This man was definitely not an invalid, despite his leg, which caused much pain. He was a working man, because in most cases where the leg was twisted in such a way, a man usually was recommended a wheel chair. A man usually became an invalid because of the pain, but this man, suffered the pain even more. Why? He was a hard working man. He was between the ages 30 and 35, and he was found next to a bible, but Brennan didn't understand why the killer would leave a bible next to a dead body. Was it a Catholic thing? Anyway, Mr. Palmer had sharp features, you know, high cheek bones, straight nose, wide set, broad shoulders. He was tall, and fast, despite his leg.
"Bones? You-who!" Booth pressed on, still trying almost hopelessly to win her attention over her work. The only time they really spent now was doing paper work together, and though that was something very common in their line of work, and they were very busy, and stressed over their most recent mangled, bodies, or the victims, of the same killer. A serial killer. Booth was worried that they were drifting apart. These kinds of cases always put pressure on them, and made them rethink their lives. Booth was scared- yes, scared- that Brennan was thinking they were too close, thinking that all the time they usually spent was wrong, immoral, illegal, evil maybe? And she was using these cases as an excuse to rid herself of him. He was sure she was.
Because they were putting themselves in danger letting themselves be together, with out actually being together, or apart.
Booth, and Brennan for that matter, knew that it was useless denying their feelings, when they were clearly displayed all over their faces. Written in the lines of their stressed face. They weren't afraid for themselves. They were afraid for each other. They were losing to this serial killer because of their feelings for each other. They were too personal.
They both knew that.
Booth was behind Brennan, so he put his hands on shoulders, and she shivered, but still ignored him. Booth started rubbing her shoulders gently, then he increased the pressure, and realized just how tense she was. He kneaded his fingers into her, working out the kinks.
She was still reading about some ancient tool used on suspected traitors, in the medieval times. Booth rolled his eyes, slightly annoyed, but more amused, and found her adorable for her interest in the case, even when they were supposed to be at Carolyn's, for support, because she was worried they would actually can her this time.
Except little did Booth know that the Doctor had read the same word at least a dozen times- Mangled, mangled, mangled, mangled.
She was trying to block out Booth because she thought she was getting somewhere- this tool seemed heavy enough to knack off the mans fingers if it was used in such a way… Zack would have been very useful to have in the lab right about now. He wouldn't be affected by Booth's strong, capable hands, melting the tension in her joints. Zack with his mac and cheese.
Brennan stopped thinking, her fingers started to shake. She had avoided thinking of Zack for a long time. She had almost forgotten him. But he was... part of her family.
Booth, Angela, Jack, Sweets, Cam, Parker, her father, and Zack.
He shared a piece of her heart, along with the rest of them.
Suddenly, still trying not to think, which she knew was, and is, impossible, she felt Booth caress her hand, to stop the shaking. They looked at each other, Booth's face snug in the side of her face- her hair, her ear...
Then he began with his hands again.
He was very educated in where to apply pressure, his techniques, in certain, tense areas, were very pleasing.
He was releasing her stress momentarily.
"Bones," Booth murmured, "Bones," he groaned this time, "Bones, Bones, Bones,"
"Fine!" Brennan gave in, shrinking away from him. He fetched her rain jacket.
"I can get that my self, and put it on my self."
"I always put your coat on." Booth growled, annoyed she even pestered him about it now- she hadn't for a while- he reached for her clear office door, and instinctively, motioned for her to leave the room first.
"And I can open my own door, Booth." She scolded, reacting strongly to his defensive tone. She folded her arms across her chest, a sour expression clouding her delicate features.
COURT HOUSE
"You're late," Cam shook her head, Angela smirked, and Booth prepared for her most likely inappropriate comment.
"Couldn't resist a quickie before you spend the day in the court room? You realize there are supply closets here, right?"
Booth shot Angela a glare- his most intimidating one. Then Hodgins piped up, "Supply closets? Maybe that's why you two bicker in the court room so much, to get ready…" Hodgins looked smug, thinking he finally figured them out. "Supply closets." He nodded in approval. "High school all over again..."
Brennan looked annoyed, but not enough to comment, she was still mad at Booth, why did he always pity her?
Doctor Sweets, however, could not leave it alone. "I concur," He announced, nodding. "I've never understood your constant bickering in court. Hodgins has a good point- it makes perfect sense." Sweets winked at Hodgins, smirking, but Brennan didn't catch that. Everyone else did, however. Including Booth. And Booth, well, he wasn't too happy.
"What will it take, Dr. Sweets? Would you like to test me for sperm? Would you like to make me take a truth serum? I'm not sexually active! And if I was, then I would not be with Booth in a supply closet, possibly compromising a case, and possibly letting a murderer go free." Brennan exploded.
Booth shuddered, uncomfortable, and then her words sunk in, "At all?"
She was silent.
Cam gasped, Sweets shook his head, not believing, Angela looked ashamed, and Hodgins looked shocked.
"How long?" Sweets screamed.
"Really?" Hodgins asked.
"That's like saying you've given up working with dead bodies to become a nun, or something." Angela said, not able to hold back her squeal. "So, longer then me, Sweetie?" Angela asked, raising her eyebrows, feeling challenged.
Booth looked confused. "Why didn't you tell me?" He pondered out loud, and Brennan clenched her fits.
"Because it had nothing, at all, to do with you! Not in the slightest."
"I'd like to hear you say that with truth serum. Hooked up to a lie detector." Angela quipped.
"If I wanted you, I would have slept with you already."
"Not if you loved him." Sweets said, and Brennan had it with words being forced into her mouth.
"Sure, Booth, is attractive, ravishing- but his personality makes him very undesirable to me."
"Oh, gee, thanks, Bones. I thought we were Mulder and Scully." He sounded hurt.
"And I only let you call me Bones, because if you didn't everyone would think there was something wrong with us, but there is no us. They are completely insane to believe such a thing is happening between us. I'm offended. And plus I don't know what, or who, 'Mulder and Scully' are."
"I guess I'm really not good enough for you, huh? I guess money is everything these days. You know, I've died for you. I've killed for you. The least you could do is tell me that you weren't interested. Gee. What a waste of time. We are partners, Bones! We were apart for a year, and now you have perspective, right? So you've figured out what you're going to do about us? You're going to let me suffer, and give up on you? Push me away? Is that what your bones tell you to do? You're going to lose me, you know that? At least Mulder and Sculley figured it out eventually. I mean, even Mulder had a life! Even he believed in love! You, my God, it takes fives years for you to trust, one doubt to lose your trust, and one year to get prepared to push me away. Well, you are fucked up, Bones. Really fucked up, and you're dragging every one around you, with you, to hell. Do you understand now? Do you understand how much I hate you now?"
"You're right. I'm a selfish, crazy, evil scientist that wants to drag everyone to hell me with me. We've saved eachother's lives, sure, but that doesn't mean we are together. Life partners? I don't even believe in that. You know that. You knew that the whole time. So if this is all my fault, and I'm so evil, then we shouldn't be partners. Unlike you may think, I can't change."
"I know, that Bones, Jesus, do you think I'm stupid? That you'll magically change your views?"
"I will never."
"You are the most close minded person I know. People change, and in fact, you have changed, weather you admit it or not."
"Growing is not changing."
"So then, maybe one day you will grow so much as a person, that you are ready to love."
"You'd be foolish to wait for that day."
"I am stupidly in love with you, then."
She shut up- clamped her jaw, and waited for the horrible feelings to be gone.
Why wouldn't she turn off anymore? A year wasn't enough to erase the feelings. Would it take five years? Six? Until the day she died?
Or would the day she realised how foolish she was being, actually come?
Sooner then expected?