Part 3 in the Alphabet Series. The planets revolve around the sun. The squints revolve around Booth and Brennan. They are the centre of it all. Maybe they can revolve around each other for a bit.
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He found her on the steps by the reflecting pool. It seemed fitting, really, when he thought about it. This was where he'd admitted his feelings and had his heart broken. But he was finally realising that her heart had been broken in those moments too. It seemed right that they might start again here. He was nervous – his palms sweaty, the hair on his neck standing up; not exactly sniper traits. It felt like a lot was riding on this. He didn't want to mess things up again. He'd already done a good enough job of that.
Smiling to himself he watched her, apparently lost in thought. Her hair was curling around her face in that way he liked. It made her look vulnerable. Completely the opposite of what she was. He walked into her line of vision, startling her out of her reverie.
"Booth, what are you doing here?" She smiled as she said it, making Booth's heart fill with warmth. He was going to do this right this time. Slow. Gentle.
"Thought you might like something to eat." He sat next to her, his hands resting on his knees. She mirrored his pose and looked up at him. She seemed sad. There was melancholy behind her brilliant blue eyes. Booth had an inkling as to what had caused that and was determined to drive it away.
"That would be nice. Where did you have in mind?"
"Founding Fathers?"
"Alright. I have to go home and change first." She moved to stand. Booth followed suit.
"You're gorgeous as you are," Booth said, quickly walking away to cover his blushing face. He hadn't meant for that to come out. Brennan watched him, momentarily stunned. Had he really said that? It was not like Booth at all. Deciding to shrug it off she followed him.
"Where did you park?" He was asking her as she caught up.
"My car is still at the Jeffersonian. I walked here."
Booth looked at her incredulously.
"You walked all this way?"
"Its not far, really. And yes, I did. I find it helps to clear my head." She shrugged, not thinking much of it.
"I'll give you a lift then." He placed his hand on her lower back. It was his usual spot, considered it his. But his fingers tingled at the contact. He tried to steer his mind elsewhere. He led her to his car, parked nearby.
The drive to hers was short. Booth didn't know whether he should follow her upstairs or wait in the car. He was saved when Brennan stuck her head back into the car.
"Did you want to come up for a beer?" She was smiling, seemingly relaxed. Booth found himself nodding. He pulled his keys out of the ignition and followed her up. This was familiar. They'd done it a thousand times before. He would come up to her place for a beer after a case. They'd sit and chat and laugh. She'd tell him about her latest book, he'd tell her about Parker. It was normal. It was right. But there was a growing charge between them that was putting him off ease. It made him feel left of centre. Off balance. It didn't seem to matter how well he knew Bones, how well they got along. He always felt as though he was teetering on the edge of something bigger, something dangerous. But it was tantalising too.
"Sam Adams?"
"Huh?"
"Did you want a Sam Adams? Its that or Tiger." She was talking about beer. Booth nodded, before realising he had to make a choice.
"Sam Adams is fine." He agreed. Bones nodded and handed him the beer. She sipped her own quietly. They moved to the lounge, sitting in their regular spots on her super comfortable couch. Booth couldn't shake the feeling of nervousness that enshrouded him. They were just drinking beer, right? He could feel it hitting him right in the middle.
"Why were you are the reflecting pool?" He asked, hoping he sounded casual. He didn't like the air of sadness that was hovering around Bones. It was never a good thing when she was introspective.
"I was thinking. It is a peaceful place. I enjoy the tranquillity. And it is usually quiet there. I enjoy having some space and some quiet sometimes." She looked at him with her big blue eyes. Booth took another swig of his beer.
"What you thinking about? We solved the case. You did great." He wanted hr to know he appreciated her. He wanted her to know he wasn't angry any more. He wanted so much. But he wanted to take this easy, slow. He needed to make sure he wouldn't scare her off.
"Do you remember what Caroline said before you went to Iraq and I went to the Maluku Islands?"
"Which part? The whole – don't go! You're crazy, part?"
"The "you two are the centre" part." Brennan said softly, looking at him with a serious expression. Booth remembered that all too well. Caroline had only made his decision that much harder. But at the time he'd thought leaving was the right thing to do. Now, after Iraq, and Hannah, and Bones confessing her love, and Booth breaking her heart, and everything, now he knew that staying was the right thing to do. He just had to make her see it too.
"Do you think she was right?" Booth asked, keeping his voice light. He took another sip of his beer, watching Brennan do the same. His eyes focused on her lips as they wrapped around the bottle and he felt the strongest urge to kiss her. He wanted to kiss her. Brennan swallowed the amber liquid and looked at him.
"I think that we are an integral part of the team. But everyone adds to that. It is not just us. Cam is in charge and she keeps everyone in line. Hodgins often finds the piece of information that is integral to solving the case. The interns help, in their way. Angela keeps us human, as she puts it. Caroline is the one who actually makes the judge put the criminals in jail. Everyone plays their part." She watched him intently.
"Yeah, but none of that would happen if you and I weren't at the centre of it all. They revolve around us, Bones."
"I don't know what that means. Are you referring to the earth revolving around the sun? Because I think that may be a bit egocentric to liken ourselves to the sun."
Booth chuckled, listening to her.
"Look at what happened while were gone, Temperance." He couldn't help but notice the way goose bumps appeared on her arms when he said her given name.
"What happened?"
"The team broke up. Angela and Hodgins went off to Paris. The interns all went off and did some crazy stuff. Cam was on her own. They put a mastodon in the lab for crying out loud! Without us there is no team." He willed her to understand what he was saying, underneath the obvious. He wanted her to realise that he was trying to say that they had to be united, in more than just a work way. He wanted that. He wanted her.
"That is all circumstantial. You cannot possibly attribute everything that happened to us leaving the Jeffersonian."
"I cant?"
"No. There are too many factors to take into consideration."
"Trust me on this one, Bones. You and me? We're the centre of this whole shebang!" He gave her his charm smile. Brennan couldn't help but smile back. It was that unsure one that she gave when she knew that Booth had told her something important, but she still wasn't quite sure what it meant.
"The centre of it all?" She said, almost to herself. "It sounds so conceited." She snorted. Booth chuckled and raised his bottle to her.
"Here's to being the conceited centre of it all, then," he smiled, and they clinked bottles. Both of them took a sip and sat back, more relaxed.Booth couldn't help but smile, and Brennan, seeing it, smiled back. To an onlooker they must have looked pretty silly.
"What a year it's been, hey Bones?" Booth said, smiling at his partner.
"It has been busy. And interesting."
"You getting attacked by guerrillas in the Mookies."
"Maluku's, Booth." Brennan rolled her eyes. "And you going to Iraq and meeting Hannah."
She said it so casually and without emotion. Booth couldn't help but cringe. He still couldn't work out what had taken over him when he'd taken up with Hannah. He'd been lying to himself more than he'd ever lied in his life. Trying to convince himself that it was love and not a rebound.
"And Angela's pregnancy." Booth continued, not wanting to talk about Hannah.
"And this whole sniper case." Brennan agreed. She'd noted Booth's reaction to the mention of Hannah. She was willing to let that lie. She was happy that hers and Booth's relationship had seemed to be moving forward. She wasn't going to bring Hannah up and rub salt into the open wound.
"Yeah, it's been crazy."
"Are you glad that you are back?" Brennan asked suddenly, wanting to know but scared of the answer. Booth gazed into her eyes and Brennan recognised it as one of those moments that they had. There had been more of them lately, after such a long time without them. She sighed.
"Yeah, I'm glad I'm back." Booth said. He held her gaze for as long as he could. She looked away first, covering it by taking a swig of her beer. Booth followed suit and leant back against the couch. "Are you still impervious?" He asked, surprising both of them. He hadn't meant for that to come out but now that he'd asked it he was deadly curious to know the answer.
"Am I still impervious?" Brennan asked, thinking over the question. She felt thrown off balance by it. She hadn't expected it. But now that Booth had asked, she had to think about it. Was she still immune to hurt, to feelings, to love? She knew that she wasn't. Hadn't been in some time. She cared deeply about Booth. Had all but told him she loved him. And it had hurt when he'd rejected her. Had hurt for months afterwards. So was she still impervious? No. Did she still love Booth? Yes.
Booth could read her response in her eyes long before she spoke. He tried to control his grin.
"I don't think that I am." She finally said, a smile threatening to spill from the corners of her beautiful mouth. Once again Booth wanted to kiss her, but he controlled the impulse. "Are you still angry?" She asked, her eyes catching his and waiting for his answer. Booth didn't make her wait long.
"I haven't been for a while." He said sincerely. Brennan's smile erupted and Booth felt his heart leap with joy. She suddenly grew serious again.
"What does that mean?" She asked, not willing to jump to conclusions. Booth considered her question. What did it mean? Were they finally ready to take that next step and have a relationship? Or was that going to ruin their friendship, their partnership? He wasn't sure. But he knew that that was part of the fun of being in love. The uncertainty.
"Depends." He said, shrugging, trying to stay casual.
"On what?" She raised her eyebrow suspiciously.
"On whether or not you love me." He gave her his charm smile, winning her heart. Brennan recognised that he was asking her sincerely, but that he was also playing. She rolled her eyes and sighed. Looking back at him she smiled.
"Do you love me?" She asked, challenging him. She wanted to hear him say it. But she was also nervous about admitting it, especially if she wasn't sure that he would return her feelings.
"Temperance," he said, catching her chin with his fingers and holding her gaze. "I have loved you since that very first day. It's just taken me this long to admit it to myself." He gave her a soft smile.
"That is a very long time to take to realise that you love someone." Brennan teased. Booth rolled his eyes and groaned.
"Are you going to answer my question?" He asked, feeling slightly desperate.
"Do I love you?" Brennan asked, raising her eyebrows innocently.
"Yeah."
"Well you know what my opinion on love is. It's a series of chemical reactions in the brain."
Booth felt his heart deflate and he must have shown it on his face. Brennan gave him a soft look and cupped his cheek.
"And I, too, have been experiencing those chemical reactions." She smiled. Booth, registering her words, felt his heart leap with joy. He grinned and leant forward, capturing her lips with his in a gentle kiss. Brennan melted into him and Booth couldn't help but want to scream for joy. There was one words echoing around in his brain and it was finally!
Pulling back they were both flushed and short of breath. Booth grinned at Brennan, completely unable to contain his joy.
"How do you feel about being the centre of it all for the next thirty or forty or fifty years?" He asked playfully, although his intent was serious.
Brennan looked up into his chocolate brown eyes and thought about it. Could she commit herself to this one man for the rest of her life?
Booth's heart was in his throat as he awaited her reply. It wasn't until he heard her words that he found out what true happiness was.
"I think that I would find that acceptable."
Awwwwww! What a nice pointless bit of fluff! Couldn't help myself. Hope you liked it. I feel a bit at sea after the season finale. Because of the implication that Booth and Brennan are really going to be together it makes writing fan fiction hard. The whole point is we write what we want to happen on the show but then they may have just given us that. ARGH! Still not sure how I feel about it. I am taking suggestions for D onwards. If you have any ideas shoot them through with a review. Hahaha that rhymes! Looking forward to hearing from you.