(This story is written by me (playing Temperance Brennan) and my friend, Nocturnal08 (playing Seeley Booth) It takes place at the end of seasons 3 where Seeley Booth had been shot and was believed to be dead. Temperance Brennan had attended his funeral and is still upset about the fact that Seeley didn't personally tell her he was okay.)
Temperance wore a small frown as she collected her change from the man behind the counter. She grabbed her Starbuck's coffee responding, "It doesn't matter if Sweets didn't tell me Booth, that reaction from him is logical. Like I said before, Sweets knew I could compartmentalize your death, and even though it was a really cruddy thing to do, it's not out of character for him. You on the other hand," She paused to take a drink of her coffee, "I expected more from."
Booth rolled his eyes, impatiently collecting his coffee and hurrying after his partner. "I think your displeasure on that account was made perfectly clear. Look, it's not like I meant to hurt you! This is not my fault. I was just doing my job. I mean, seriously, Bones, can't you just forgive me already. This is getting awkward."
Bones eyebrows furrowed, "Awkward? What's so awkward about me being upset about you leading me to believe you were dead? I know you were doing your job Booth, but we're supposed to be partners, and more so, we are supposed to be friends; I should have known."
"No, that's not... how are we supposed to work together if you're still pissed. Come on, Bones, lighten up on me, huh. I did save your life, you know." Booth looked over hopefully as he and Brennan climbed into the car, but he could tell she was still mad.
Temperance buckled her seatbelt as she responded, "And I've saved your life Booth, that's what partners do. I find your comparison between the two events inconsequential. It doesn't change a premeditated action. Right now you're only justifying your actions to deflect blame from yourself."
"First of all, it wasn't premeditated. They were supposed to tell you. Second of all, it would be nice if you could show a little relief. I mean, you are happy I'm alive, right? So let's just go with that. A new lease on life, whadda ya say? Let's just wipe the slates clean," Seeley suggested.
Booth had pulled up to the Jeffersonian and had parked in front of the building to let Brennan out. Bones opened the passenger door giving Seeley an enduring glare before responding, "Asking whether someone is happy whether you are alive or not is fishing for compliments. Of course I'm happy you're alive and of course getting shot wasn't premeditated, but your plan to catch that guy at your funeral? That was premeditated." She didn't give Booth a chance to counter as she exited his car; and as she closed the door, she added, "It can't be a plan if it's not premeditated. That's kind of the point of a plan isn't it?" She stated more than questioned as she pulled the strap of her purse that had fallen in her agitation back onto her shoulder and turned to leave.
Booth followed Brennan. "What do you want me to say, Bones? I already apologized! You want to smack me around some more? Maybe you want to spank me, teach me a lesson!" Booth said in exasperation, earning a few odd looks from passers by.
Before walking into the Jeffersonian, Temperance turned to face Booth with a tired expression, "Now is not the time to discuss this Booth. I've got a lot of work to do," she pointed to his vehicle, "And you're parked in a fire lane."
"Now is not the time to discuss this," Booth mimicked childishly to himself, making a face at his retreating partner. "You're parked in a fire lane." He jogged back to the car and got in, driving away and trying to think of some way to placate his partner.
Brennan walked into her office and set her things down. She was always early, so she had a bit of time to herself to digest what Booth had said, and she decided that maybe Booth really did need to be taught a lesson. He was supposed to be the empathic one right? Then how come he'd taken her feelings for granted?
She was his partner, and he shouldn't have left it up to Sweets to tell her his plan. He knew that she wouldn't have told another living soul, but instead she'd suffered needlessly for almost a week. She had blamed herself at first, but the logical side of her brain realized the woman who had tried to shoot her was sick, and if it wasn't Booth, it would have been some other poor man or woman unlucky enough to have stumbled across the obsessive woman's path. But that woman was no longer a threat. Temperance had shot her down like a mad dog, and that had also amplified the grief she had felt at the so called knowledge of Seeley's untimely demise.
Booth had been busy working with the downtown police department on a missing person's case, and for Brennan, the day was over and done without much excitement other than Zack and Hodgins creating a big mess with one of their many experiments. The crew had packed up and headed to the house before five, and Temperance was heading out the door herself by six.
By six-thirty, Bones was knocking on Booth's door. She knew he was home because she had seen his car in the driveway and could hear his music blaring through the wall. Since he had given her a key awhile back, she went ahead and entered his apartment to find him sitting back watching a football game bobbing his head to his music as he swallowed the last of the beer in the bottle he was currently holding.
Temperance called Booth's name loudly enough to be heard and Booth glanced up, a look of shocked surprise washing over his face at the sight of her in his apartment. He immediately reached for the stereo's remote and turned the blaring music down.
As soon as the music was turned down Brennan said, "I thought about what you suggested earlier, and I wanted to come over and tell you okay."
She honestly wouldn't have thought of a spanking, but Booth suggesting it made her consider it as a viable option. As an anthropologist major, she'd studied the family units of varying cultures and the fact spanking was a commonly unified practice of discipline. She figured if parents and teachers could use spanking as a learning tool, so could she.
"Okay?" Booth said, after collecting himself. He may have given Bones a key to his place, but it was damn unsettling the way she just barged in on him. Not that he had anything to be embarrassed of, but still. "You mean we're good?" He smiled. "Great. I knew you'd see it my way."
Temperance's brow furrowed in confusion as she responded, "No Booth, we're not 'good' that's why I'm here because I want us to be good again."