Getting to Know You
Disclaimer for all chapters: these characters do not belong to me.
Hi there folks. While holding out for season five, I decided to blow of some Bones steam, and wrote this little drabble...not sure how far I'm going to take it (I might just leave it as-is). Inspired by events in Intern in the Incinerator, slight spoilers for Con Man in the Meth Lab. Enjoy.
Chapter 1
"How could you possibly have known that!" Dr. Temperance Brennan leaned fervently across the diner table, glaring at her partner with a look of irritated disbelief. His insufferable smug grin only served to further infuriate her.
"I tried to warn you, Bones…" Seeley Booth mirrored her posture, leaning across the table so that there faces were only inches apart. "I know you."
"Booth, it is impossible for an individual to know every aspect of another person's life, regardless of how close their relationship is. Your theory of 'knowing' me is completely absurd!"
That maddening smirk just widened further, eyes dancing with mirth as he met her fiery glare. "So you've got another one for me, huh?" She had the urge to reach across the table and shake that intolerable cockiness from his voice. Instead, she leaned back and pursed her lips determinedly.
"How old was I when I lost my first tooth?" She felt a victorious smile pull at her own lips as she raised an eyebrow challengingly, positive that she had him.
"Aw, come on Bones, you can do better than that."
"You're bluffing."
"I would never bluff in the presence of pie," he said solemnly, pausing to take a reverent bite of the cherry bakery before him.
"Then stop stalling," she crossed her arms smugly.
Sighing, the FBI agent set down his fork and leaned back thoughtfully. He met her eyes with that intense look that always made her pulse quicken, and she felt her stomach perform an unsettling yet somehow pleasant-feeling flip-flop. After drawing out the suspense a few moments longer, he gave her an amused look and shook his head sadly.
"Six years old; you forced Max to take off your training wheels, and then crashed into a mailbox three houses down the street. Front tooth, top jaw," he tapped the corresponding tooth in his own mouth to demonstrate.
Somewhere in the back of Brennan's head, the forensic anthropologist was aware that her jaw was hanging open in a very undignified manner. Staring at her partner, expression dumbfounded, she worked her mouth several times before successfully forming coherent words.
"Wha-…how did you…that's impossible!" She sputtered, face flushing indignantly.
"Whoa, relax Bones, you're gonna pop a blood vessel there." He raised his hands soothingly, but she was already struggling to her feet, pointing a finger in his face as she shook her head angrily.
"You think you're so smart? There are tons of things you don't know about me!" She snatched up her purse, leaning forward stab him in the chest with the accusing finger. "Tons!"
Not waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the empty diner, leaving an amused (though slight bewildered) Booth behind. Watching her retreating figure, the agent just shook his head before allowing a soft chuckled to escape his lips.
She arrived at the Jeffersonian early the next morning, attacking the stack of paperwork on her desk with vengeance. Work always helped Bones settle her thoughts, and as she lost herself determinedly in the seemingly endless pile of folders and reports, she started to feel the tension and frustration of the past day draining out of her.
Several hours later, Brennan glanced up from her computer at the soft knock on her office door. Seeing him hovering hesitantly at the threshshold, she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Come in, Booth," she greeted in exasperation, well aware of the underlying meaning behind the exchange: his knocking instead of waltzing straight in was a request for forgiveness; her invitation was consent.
The unspoken matter settled, the man relaxed fully as he entered, coming to casually sit on the corner of her desk so he could see what she was working on. "Is this the McGregor case?" His eyes scanned the electronic report briefly.
"Yes, I'm almost finished with my write-up."
"We still on for tonight, then?" He absentmindedly picked up her paperweight, tossing it gently from hand to hand as he continued to scan the computer monitor. "I want to combine notes and wrap up the official report so I have the weekend free."
"Parker's coming over?" She inquired knowingly, plucking the paperweight from his hands and setting it firmly back on her desk.
He finally met her eyes, giving a sheepish smile. "Yeah, tomorrow morning. And I hate when I have paperwork on the few days I actually get to hang out with him."
"Well then, we'll just make sure to finish it all up tonight," she promised. "I'll come by around seven. Pizza?"
He grinned. "Chinese," he countered.
"Thai," she compromised.
"Sold," he offered his hand, and this time she couldn't resist rolling her eyes before shaking it.
"I'm serious Angela," Brennan sighed impatiently, raising her voice slightly to be heard over the diner's lunch-crowd. When her free-spirited friend just continued to chuckle, she felt a stab of irritation. "Stop laughing!"
"I'm sorry, sweetie," Angela apologized genially, eyes dancing with merriment, "but I still fail to see what's so bad about a having a big, beautiful FBI hunk with puppy-dog eyes understand what makes you tick."
"I do not twitch!" Brennan objected, voice defensive.
"No, Bren, 'tick' as in a clock…you know, like what makes you work."
"I work because I have a passion for forensic anthropology and hold great respect for uncovering the truth…"
Angela sighed, resisting what she was sure would prove to be an exasperating and ultimately pointless tangent. Instead, she took a drink of her soda and worked to refocus on the issue Brennan had burst out with after ordering their food. "I know. Never mind, just tell me why it bothers you that Booth knows about your life."
"It's not that," Brennan shook her head in frustration, trying to isolate what was truly bothering her. "We've been partners for over three years; it's natural that we would learn about each others life, discuss major events. I know that he was a sniper in the Rangers, has a son named Parker, and likes to fix up old cars."
"Yeah…" Angela trailed off, knowing that Brennan was now so wrapped up in her own internal debate that no encouragement was really needed for the woman to continue.
"But he goes past the basic profile. He knows the little details, too. And not just some of them…" She looked up at Angela, the expression on her face looking like a cross between frustration and horror. "Ang, he knows everything! And the infuriating part is, I don't remember telling him any of it!"
Taking a steadying breath, Brennan crossed her arms and turned to her best friend for guidance. "How is he doing this?" she demanded.
The artist was laughing again, and Brennan felt a scowl pull at her face. Damn her. Damn them both. But before she could stomp away, Angela put a comforting hand on her shoulder, shaking her head in amusement.
"Sweetie, you do tell him, without even realizing it. You slip little details into your conversation without thinking about it, because you see them as unimportant. But Booth…you look at a bone and memorize every little crack and protrusion on it. He does the same thing with people. It's his job, and he's good at it." Her smile widened knowingly, "And I'm sure knowing it drives you crazy is just another perk."
"But that's not fair!" Brennan cried irritably. "He talks just as much as me, and I don't know any of his 'little stuff'."
"Aw Bren, sure you do. You're a very observant person, I'm sure you've noticed one or two of his quirks. You just can't expect to retain as many trivial details as he does…face it Bren, that man's perceptiveness is just unnatural."
Brennan mumbled something under her breath.
"What was that?" Angela asked, leaning in.
The anthropologist flushed slightly. "I said I don't know when he lost his first tooth…"
Angela leaned back, raising an impressed eyebrow. 'Damn, he is good,' she noted silently. Aloud, she spoke to her friend slowly and gently. "…Then why don't you just ask him?"
Chapter 2 is up. Let me know what you think!
