There's nothing much to say about this at this point, just read it, see what you think.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bones...still wondering why that is.
April 1st
Black is my favorite color. It's the color of shadows, of darkness. It's the only color that pulls you in while simultaneously pushing you away. It hides all my mistakes and fears. Hides all my secrets. And it illuminates the strength I pretend to have. Black is the color I wear. It is the color I draw with, the color I fear and embrace.
"Would you lay off the Chow Mein?" Booth pulled the box across the table and his firearm report to get it away from Brennan's prying chopsticks.
"What? You haven't touched it in four minutes!" She protested, reaching over her desk to retrieve the noodles.
"So you were counting?" Booth teasingly moved the box in and out of her grasp.
"Yes, and legally I can claim the Chow Mein once you've displayed non-interest for at least four minutes." Her face betrayed only seriousness, but the playful glint in Brennan's eyes gave her away. "Now give it back."
"That's a load of crap." Booth shook his head and handed the box to her, studying his report in order to avoid her triumphant smile.
Brennan shrugged and took back the food. "Look it up."
The lab was mostly deserted and the partners had made a silent agreement to go to Wong Fu's fr a drink once the last dotted line had been signed.
"Really the idea should appeal to you Booth. Anthropologically speaking..." Brennan began, reaching for the knob on his radio and instantly filling the car with a heavy bass beat and hip hop lyrics.
"Go ahead Bones. Give me an anthropological justification for my teaching Zach to drive." Booth shook his head and turned left across traffic before reaching down to change the radio station back to the rock he'd been listening to.
"Because Booth," She slapped his hand away and smirked at his glare, "he is a younger male. By teaching him to drive you would be asserting yourself as an alpha over a less prominent member of the pack while simultaneously helping Zach feel his own source of pride and accomplishment at the attentions of the Alpha and learning to do something he thought he couldn't."
"Alpha? Pack? Bones we're not animals here, okay? Besides even if we were…Zach's a squint, I'm a cop. We wouldn't even be the same species."
"Oh really? And what would you be?"
"Well obviously I would be a wolf or lion or something and Zach would be like…a baby koala."
Brennan frowned. "A baby koala?"
"Yeah. You know…kinda cute but generally useless in the wild." Booth nodded to himself as if that argument was perfectly logical and obvious.
Brennan got a sly smile and leaned over toward him. "You think Zach is cute?"
Booth opened his mouth to speak and then shut it, contemplating her meaning. Glancing at her, he turned red.
"Not like that! I mean like…in a baby koala kind of way. A…little brother…kid-I-don't-even-talk-to kind of way. Not like…that." He said hurriedly, changing his mind from wanting a beer when he got to Sid's to something a little stronger.
She makes me drink.
Brennan was now swallowing her laughter on her side of the car and beaming at him.
"What are you doing?" Booth asked, her gaze was burning into his temple and doing nothing for his hot cheeks.
"Currently? Enjoying watching you squirm."
"Nice Bones. Real nice." The clipped edge of his voice made his irritation plain, even to her.
Brennan shrugged and turned to look at the road.
Who would have thought big strong alpha protective Booth would be flustered at the mere mention of homosexuality. I mean…he's certainly not lacking in the masculinity area. Brennan stole a glance at Booth, the sharp, handsome lines of his face were set in high contrast shadow every time they passed under a street light.
She felt her cheeks get hot and immediately chastised her physical reaction to Booth's presence. Why am I blushing? It's a perfectly rational scientific observation. Booth is handsom…no, well structured. That's all. There's no use being embarrassed by the fact.
Brennan's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Booth's cell phone and then prevented from continuing when he suddenly swung the large SUV in a sharp U-turn and headed back east.
"Got it Sir, we're on our way." He shut his phone and pushed harder on the accelerator.
Brennan released her white knuckle grip on the door handle and rearranged her seatbelt to be more secure, all the while glaring at her partner.
"Why is it again that I can't drive?"
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Booth walked away from the shallow grave on the beach of Harrington Bay to retrieve the small case file from another officer, while Brennan bent low and gently began brushing away the particles of sand.
"Ready?" She called over her shoulder, eyes wide and scanning every inch of the body she could see.
"Go ahead Bones." Booth stood behind her a few paces and took note of everything she said.
F / 12-16yrs / Cauc./ dead approx. 1yr./
COD frac skull
"Anything else you can give me?" He asked eagerly.
If there was anything he disliked about their partnership, it was that he was just about useless until she gave him a lead. And she couldn't give him a lead until she examined her bones. And she couldn't examine her bones until…
"No, I need to get the body back to the lab first." Brennan stood up carefully brushing off her clothes so as not to disturb the scene and completely unaware of the exasperated look Booth was giving her.
"I can't see much with the body half buried and I don't want to uncover it until I get it back to the lab." She turned to face him and he handed her the file to look at.
"Tell Forensics to get all the sand from one and a half feet around in all directions, including underneath. Hodgins will need as much as he can get." She mumbled, marching past him to the car and reading the short history of the case. Booth reiterated Brennan's instructions although they'd all heard the first time she said it, and then joined her in the SUV.
"Okay, so ready to buy me that shot of Scotch?" He asked grinning and turning the key as they pulled away from the crime scene. "The body won't make it to the lab until tomorrow because of all the sand they'll have to collect."
Brennan put down the file. "I thought it was beer and who said I was buying?"
"It was beer, it became Scotch after your whole 'cute Zach' thing and you're buying because I truly feel women and men should be treated equal." He said, placing a hand over his heart.
Brennan rolled her eyes. "So you're saying you would buy me a drink then?" She was looking out the window and didn't see the look that passed over his eyes when she said that, though it is doubtful she would have recognized it if she had.
"Anytime Bones. Anytime."
He smiled when all he got in return was the silent treatment and reached for the radio knob, instantly killing the harsh bass beat resonating in the car. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a small smile quirk her lips when the next song began to play.
Figures. Bones likes the Grateful Dead.
Black. The color of death, the color of my life. The color of my heart, hard and sheltered. I won't risk being broken again.
So, let me know what you think, and just to be clear, the short comments at the beginning and end are NOT Booth or Brennan, but an OC that will be introduced later.