Authors Note: Ok here is my newest fic. I want to give a huge shout out to Dr. Temperance Brennan. She is amazing and the best beta ever. I owe you so much and this Fic would not be on here if not for your advice and criticism. All of you should check out her work it is amazing…after you read this story of course. Random note but this fic was inspired by my own car shopping experience, take that for what you will. Please review I want to know what you think!
Booth shifted uncomfortably in his chair. No matter how often he came here he would never get used to the common place wallpaper, fluorescent lights, and year old magazines. The room reeked like a doctor's office; all that was missing was the sick patients and crying infants. Booth fiddled nervously with his tie for what seemed like the hundredth time. He noticed his partners eyes shift slowly from her magazine to glance at him. Bones always hated his fidgeting; he reminded her of an eight year old who was scared to get a shot from the big, bad, old doctor. Booth shifted one last time, trying to find a comfortable position before finally settling. Brennan went back to her magazine, happy that Booth was now quiet. Less than a minute of silence passed before Brennan heard the jingling of Booth fixing his watch- a clear sign of his agitation. Brennan finally had had enough of his anxiousness and decided to take advantage of his discomfort. "You're scared of a twelve year old Booth?" She mocked as she slowly began to lower her magazine to her lap. He returned a playful glare.
"No. I just don't like this kid barging into my personal life. We are not his life size action figures Bones." Booth leaned back in his chair, and placed his arms behind his head, attempting to give off a calm persona. In reality, he was sweating bullets. Brennan was able to see straight through his facade. After almost four years of working together, she was always able recognize his discomfort with a situation. Brennan was ready to continue mocking him, but the receptionist spoke up.
"Dr. Sweets is ready for you now." Booth put on his best fake smile; Brennan rolled her eyes in response.
"You are unbelievable." Brennan shot sarcastically at him, and then chuckled as she walked through the door of Sweets office. Booth gave her a charm smile as she held open the door.
"Why thank you Bones." He said, equally sarcastic. Brennan smirked and proceeded to sit down in front of Sweets' desk. The psychologist sat in his chair studying Booth and Brennan while they joked with each other. He would never get used to the ease they had interacting with one another. After Booth had sat down as well, he began his questioning for the session.
"So how is everyone doing today?" Sweets asked cheerfully. Booth was slouching in his chair, arms crossed. His only response was a shrug. Brennan was the first to speak up, as usual.
"I'm actually having a good day." Booth raised an eyebrow at this, she actually sounded sincere. Sweets was just as shocked.
"Care to elaborate Dr. Brennan?" he inquired, leaning forward in his chair.
"Well, I identified a few unknowns that have been waiting, caught up on my paper work, and I'm almost finished writing my new book. Oh! I've also decided to get a new car." Brennan explained, smiling slightly. At the words 'new' and 'car' both of the boy's ears perked up. Booth immediately came out of his slouch and was listening intently.
"A new car? Really?" Sweets asked, excitedly, smiling to himself. He was secretly a car nut.
"Why are you getting a new car? I thought you liked your Mercedes?" Booth questioned, looking intently at her.
"The lease is up this month and I'm kind of tired of my car. It's a little small." Brennan answered. Booth gave her a look. He knew that wasn't the whole truth. He made a hand motion signaling for her to continue. Brennan gave a frustrated sigh.
"And seeing as how my book is nearly completed, the publishing company offered to buy me a new car." Brennan blushed modestly as both of the men chuckled together. Sweets was the first to recover.
"That sounds like a very convenient deal Dr. Brennan. Any idea of what kind of car you are going to get?" This was the question Booth had been dying to ask. After seeing Bones' first set of sweet wheels he couldn't wait to hear what she picked out now. Brennan paused a minute to think.
"I was thinking either a Subaru outback or a hybrid." The room went silent. Booth cringed. Disbelieving, he simply stared at her- he was speechless. Sweets was the only one who did not show emotion, but Booth could have sworn he saw the corners of his mouth turn up.
"You cannot be serious Bones! An outback is a frickin' grandma car!" Booth eventually exclaimed. Sweets couldn't help but chuckle. Brennan gave Sweets an angry glare before turning her true anger towards Booth.
"They are perfectly good cars Booth. They are safe and fuel efficient. I actually care about the environment unlike you and that gas guzzler of yours." Booth scoffed at this.
"First off Bones, I didn't pick the car- the government did. And second you're one to talk about the environment and saving gas while you're driving around in a sports car. You are just as bad as those SUV owners." Booth turned away smiling triumphantly. Brennan was now the one slouching with her arms crossed, fuming. Sweets thought it was time to break it up before it turned into a full blown argument.
"What I think Agent Booth is trying to say is that he can't see you driving either of those cars, not that you have bad taste. Am I right Agent Booth?" Sweets gave him the guy look and Booth nodded in agreement.
"Yea, what he said Bones." Booth told her passively, "Look, I wasn't trying to make fun of you. It's just that after seeing that Mercedes of yours, none of those cars can compare." Brennan gave him a skeptical look, and then sighed.
"Booth, to be honest, I didn't pick out the Mercedes. My publicist did, she said it gave me an edge, whatever that means. I've never been one to be up to date with cars. That was always my brother's interest."
"Why don't you have Angela take you car shopping? She's knows about all the latest stuff. I'm sure she'd help you find a sporty fuel efficient car; one that gives you a bad girl edge." Booth said this last part hoping to take revenge for her mocking him earlier. He was rewarded with a chuckle and a smile.
"Thanks for the suggestion Booth, but if shopping for a car with Angela is anything like shopping for clothes with her, I'd rather not." Booth looked at her confusedly.
"Why? I like the clothes you wear." Booth admitted honestly. Brennan's cheeks flared pink; she had never realized he was looking. Booth just smiled- he loved when he could make her blush.
"Booth, the clothes you see me wear aren't the ones I buy with Angela. I always wear the ones she buys once, when it's just us girls, and then I burn them. Thanks though." Brennan gave him a small, flattered smile, and laughed at her antics along with him. Booth could only imagine the outfits Angela would pick out for the modest anthropologist. 'Thank God Bones can't see what I'm imagining right now. Damn! I should tell Angela what she's doing with those outfits.' Booth thought to himself.
Sweets looked on with confusion, then it hit him; the perfect trust exercise for the partners. The smile on Sweets face could have rivaled the Grinch's.
"I have a new assignment for the two of you." Sweets announced, causing Booth's smile to quickly fade and revert Brennan to doctor mode.
"Don't even think about it Sweets; we are not going on another double date so you can look good in front of your new playground sweetheart. Go pull her pig tails just like all the other eight-year-olds. Leave the grown ups out of it." Brennan quickly elbowed Booth in his side, causing him to jump. He then silently rubbed his ribs, glaring at Brennan while he did so.
"I'm not making you go on a double date; this assignment does not involve me at all. I want you to take Dr. Brennan car shopping." Sweets explained calmly, a smile on his face.
"Excuse me?" Booth asked, confused. He then looked over at Brennan but was having trouble reading her expression.
"You seem to know a lot about cars, while Dr. Brennan's knowledge in that area is limited. If you want to grow to trust each other, then your help in making a big decision is a fantastic way to get on the right path. Am I wrong Dr. Brennan?" Sweets asked, directing Booths attention toward Brennan.
"If you think it will help us grow as partners than I don't have a problem with it." Brennan gave Booth a quick smile, which told him she was ok with the assignment. Sweets just smiled at the partners, happy they were open to his idea.
"There are a few conditions." Sweets said calmly. Booth just rolled his eyes. Brennan, of course, was expressionless.
"The first requirement is that you must keep the arguing to a minimum. Secondly, and this should go without saying, is have fun. Lastly, you must both agree on the car she buys." Both the partners stared at each other communicating with their eyes before turning back to Sweets and nodding. Sweets just stared, shocked at their complacency, before smiling.
"Gosh, I wish I knew how you guys do that." He mentioned quickly, before continuing, "Anyways, this will be a great growing exercise for the both of you. I can guarantee it." Sweets assured them, sounding slightly like a car salesman himself. Brennan quickly squashed his excitement by turning to Booth.
"If you expect me to just let you pick out a tank because you're acting like an alpha male, than you are sadly mistaken." Brennan said suddenly. Booth looked at her, shocked.
"I'm offended Bones," he responded, "do you really think I'm that controlling? I wouldn't make you do anything you didn't want to do." Brennan rolled her eyes at him before poking him in the arm.
"That is so far from the truth and you know it!" She accused. Sweets quickly jumped in to stop what was now escalating into a screaming match.
"Hey! No arguing, remember?" Booth and Brennan went silent and turned away from each other, both now slouching with their arms crossed. If Sweets did know any better he'd swear they were children trapped in adult's bodies.
"Why don't we switch over to our next activity?" Sweets asked, attempting to move along. "Let's do a little role play for the rest of the session. Agent Booth, why don't you be the fire fighter this week?" He suggested. As Booth argued with Sweets over the worth of role playing, Brennan mused to herself. 'Ah, Sweets has no idea what he's gotten himself into. Then again, Booth and I didn't either. We didn't understand our relationship then, and we don't understand it now. Thank goodness we have a preteen to help us figure it out.'
The argument over, Booth turned to Bones and asked, "So, Sweets is gonna make us do this. You wanna be the person trapped in the fire?"
Brennan smiled, and inwardly laughed at the irony. 'Trapped in a fire…yeah, that's a good way to describe it.' "Sure." She agreed.
The rest of the session, though slightly awkward, was amusing for all parties involved and as Booth and Brennan turned to leave, he asked her, "You want some pie?" The two walked out, Brennan defending her dislike of pie, and Booth attempting to change her mind. 'Just another day for them,' Sweets thought, 'Just another day.'