Author's note: Ok. This is my first story in years and my first Bones story ever. So, if you can please let me know what you think about it. Also, English is not my first language so please point out to me if there are any mistakes and I will gladly correct them.
This is my take on why Brennan has so many issues with Psychology.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bones or its characters or the book mentioned below. They're just borrowed for fun.
She is sitting on her couch, cross-legged with her computer on her lap and several files spread over the small table on the center of her living room. She's startled by the knock on her door and quickly realizes it's probably her partner with take-out and trademark charm smile, ready to complete the paperwork on the case they'd just closed.
She lets him and leads him to the kitchen, where he sets down the containers of Thai food and helps her gather plates and cutlery for their dinner on the counter. This routine is so familiar they don't even register how unusual it is for just partners to know their way around the other's kitchens.
They have their meal along with amenable talk about their last case, remains of a Psychology professor found in his office by his secretary. The victim's profession definitely livened up their last session with Sweets, resurfacing the everlasting confrontation between Dr. Temperance Brennan and the soft science she so vehemently despises. For the FBI Agent, it was a great session, he loved seeing Bones and Sweets all riled up with their geek modes on. While they finish their dinner and start the dishes (she washes, he dries – as always), Booth brings up their therapist and she subtly but effectively avoids the topic. She's getting better at subtlety, he thinks but lets her believe he didn't notice her odd behavior – The great Dr. Temperance Brennan never passes an opportunity to point out the flaws of Psychology.
"So…" He begins. "I was thinking we should watch that movie I got you last week and then we can do the bureaucratic part of catching the bad guys. What do you say, heh, Bones? I bet you barely ever use that awesomely huge plasma screen you got."
"That's true. In fact, the only time I used it when you weren't here was to watch a documentary on cultural anthropology that Mr. Vaziri recommended to me. It was quite good actually, even though cultural anthropology is not my favorite field of research."
"Aw, Bones. What a waste! So, let's put that baby to use and watch the Batman movie I got you!" He said as he put the last of their cutlery on the top drawer of her kitchen counter and starts toward the living room after her.
"No, Booth. I told you I am not watching another comic-based movie. That Spider one was implausible enough. Not to mention the poorly constructed relation between a spider bite and the impossible changes to his body. Now stop stalling. The sooner we start the paperwork the earlier we can sleep and I'm exhausted." She said, not so elegantly flopping down on the couch for effect.
He looks down at her from his position standing by the coffee table and analyses her face to see if she's just refusing to watch the movie or if she is, in fact, as tired as she claims. He notices the way her eyes are just a fraction smaller than normal and the area under them a little darker, indicating lack of sleep as well as the way her face holds less color than normal – her cheeks are slightly less pink. I guess this case really took its toll on her.
"Okay, Bones. But you have to promise me that we will watch it. Soon. Alright?" He flashes her the infamous Booth smile and at the faintest upwards quirk of her lips he knows she's agreed.
"Fine, Booth. I promise to watch it with you." She relents, finally succumbing to the smile his grin always provokes on her. "But for tonight we'll just finish this paperwork. So sit down so we can get started."
As he sits on the chair to the right of the couch something catches his eye. There, on the bookshelf usually so neatly organized on the opposite wall, an old book with a poorly conserved cover stands out from the newer ones. It lays haphazardly in front of the row of books it belonged to, making the remaining ones tilt to the right. From his position, he can only make out the word 'Discontents' in the title, the rest of it a little worn out. Ignoring her questioning of where he was going he walks toward the bookshelf and picks it up, entirely surprised not so much by the title, but by the name of the author on the cover.
She looks at him slightly startled. "Put it down, Booth. It's fragile". He senses a hint of urgency in her voice and does as she asks but not without teasing her a little, "Sweets is so gonna have a fit when he finds out about this." Then, her face contorts into despair as she asks him not to say anything to their twelve year old therapist. Booth is kind of intrigued by this, he half expected her to spout out some mumbo-jumbo about liking to be well versed in a variety of topics and another half a dozen squinty excuses.
"Oookay, Bones." He says, drawing out the word. "But there's nothing wrong with a little curiosity on the matter. Plus, it's a classic – I mean, everyone would understand that you, a genius, would be interested on reading Freud at some point. Although I don't see why you can't buy a new copy, what with being rich and all that." He finishes, expecting to lighten the mood a little.
"I don't have an interest in psychoanalysis, Booth. In fact, I hadn't touched that book in a long time. And if you could please not mention it to Dr. Sweets I would be very appreciative." She says in a detached tone he hadn't heard her use in a long time.
"Alright, Bones. I won't. Promise. And I'm sorry I upset you, but please talk to me. You know you can tell me anything. What's the big deal about the book?"
She sighs and looks down at her folded hands on her lap for a few seconds before returning her eyes to his. She takes a deep breath and briefly closes her eyes before starting "It was my mother's. She loved it. Even though she was a book keeper – as Christine, that is, she was constantly reading about Psychology. She had the entire Freud collection, but I couldn't take them all with me when I went into the system so I chose Civilization and Its Discontents. I hadn't even stopped to look at it since I moved here, but it was the first thing I noticed earlier today in the victim's office. I guess that's why I was so offensive in Sweets' session." She turns fully to him and with worried eyes and continues "Do you think I hurt the feelings of our baby duck?"
He can't help but wonder how she can give people the impression of being cold when he knows that deep down she cares – too much, sometimes - and is just afraid to let that on. "Don't worry, Bones. I'm sure he's fine." He sits down on the couch next to her and gives her a hug. She's surprised when she leans her head on his chest and heaves a big sigh. "I'm sorry, Booth. I'm not normally this emotional; I don't know why this particular case bothered me so much." Her words are muffled by his shirt but he understands her, even like this – better than anyone.
"It's fine, Bones. Nothing to worry about." He knows why she's more emotional, her mother's birthday would be tomorrow, but he decides to let that one go and just sits there with her, content to just be able to comfort her when he knows how hard it is for her to let people in.
"Bones? Did you like Psychology when you were a kid?" He asks in a soft voice after several moments of silence.
She lifts her head and looks at him, trying unsuccessfully to hide a smirk. "No. I always thought it was a soft science. My mom and I used argue about that quite often, in fact." He laughs as the usual sparkle returns to her blue eyes and she smirks at him, getting serious and pointing one finger at him after a second. "And that is another piece of information you cannot share with Sweets."
He smiles at her and thinks – not for the first time – that for someone who doesn't put much stock in Psychology, Bones definitely had a lot of it. "Never, Bones. What's between us is ours remember?" He smiles at her and pulls her into another one of their "guy hugs".
A/N: So? What do you think? If possible, please let me know what you think and thanks for reading.
Marina.