Title: Once Again but This Time without the Brain
Summary: …Just one kiss on her lips was all it took to seal the future. But she didn't know that back then…
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: I write about them… If that isn't enough to own them then I don't know what is… =)
Author's Note: Those spoilers killed me (even though I promised myself and my friend that I won't read them EVER again)! I can't stop thinking about it! So this is something that will make me forget…
Author's Note II: I know! Title sucks but… I hate making up titles. All mistakes are mine. Just keep in mind that English is not my mother-tongue and that I'm doing my best… =) Oh, and I want to thank to ALL of you people who reviewed my previous fics… You make my day EVERYTIME!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! Now the story… Enjoy…
~ Once Again but This Time without the Brain ~
She wrapped her sweater tighter around her body and leaned further into the soft seat of a taxi car. Even though it was summer, this night brought wave of fresh air into the city. A week of working on Havana's sun at 100 degrees didn't bring out the best memory in her. So tonight chilly weather was something she was grateful for.
She pushed the torturing though out of her mind and decided to observe the beautiful night around her. Since the moment she exited the airport to catch a cab, she sensed something sweet in the air. Something flowery-sweet. Or candy-sweet. It reminded her of a sunny summer day she spent with her mother as a child, grassy field covered with flowers. Her mom made her a daisy chain and put it on her head. She felt like a princess. That's one of the reasons why daisy is her favorite flower.
Pushing that memory aside too she refocused on watching the city she called her home. It was night so basically there was no one on the streets. That and the fact that it was Thursday, 11 PM. But she liked the city the way it was now, deserted and peaceful. Bare naked. Street lamps shone her face for a second only to hide it in a shadow again. She observed streets and buildings, counting how many apartments had their light still on.
She wondered if Booth's still awake and if his light is still on. She made a frowning face and silently punished herself for thinking about him. For torturing herself. Like those previous seven days didn't leave her mentally exhausted already. But… wanting it or not, she couldn't help but to think of him. And her. And that whole confused situation they created, which she left behind eight days ago and now is coming back to.
They kissed. Eight days ago. He started and lets just say that she didn't stand there acting surprised. She kissed him back. It was one of those fantastic first kisses she only read about, not so innocent yet not so ravishing. Just perfect. Simply breath-taking. Scary breath-taking. He saw that scary part in her eyes and told her he's not going to push her, he's gonna let her make a decision on her own, without any pressures and that he'll wait as long as it takes. Ten minutes later she got the call saying they need her expertise down in Cuba. Ten hours later she was in a plane wondering what the hell she's gonna do…
That was eight days ago. She still wasn't 100% sure in her decision but right now that was the only solution. There was too much to lose and she wasn't willing to take that risk.
Her mind wandered again in Booth's direction.
"Cut it…", she whispered to herself in semi-darkness of a cab. He's home, probably sleeping or watching rugby on TV and you certainly don't want to disturb him. But the sudden desire just to say 'hello' to him crushed the wall in her brain and slowly made a path to her tongue. And before she was aware, Temperance Brennan dictated a new address to a taxi driver.
Just one quick 'hello' and she'll be on her way to her apartment washing the guilt and the Havana dirt away from her body.
Twenty minutes later and internal reassurance that everything will be fine with each staircase she took, Brennan finally knocked on her partner's door. She smoothed her dark jeans and a beige sweater, pushed a curl of her disobedient hair behind her ear and waited for the slightest sound.
Footsteps followed by a fumble of a door-chain and the door opened.
Look of a complete surprise and smiling face was all it took to make a compete mess in her head. She wanted to groan out loud.
"Bones!"
She shifted on her feet. "Hey… I just wanted to say hi…"
"Are you coming from the airport?", he lowered his voice, step out in the hallway closing the front door behind him.
She noticed that and wondered if he's with someone. But his gray sweats and F(abulously).B(eautiful).I(nspector) shirt told her he's probably watching some game on the TV.
"Yeah… I… I just landed and I wanted to say hi to you… I'm sorry if I woke you up." She stuck hands into her pockets and bit her lower lip.
"No, no… I finished the dishes and I was just watching some game. You wanna come in?" He pointed out with his hand in apartment's direction.
She shook her head. "No, no… Taxi is waiting for me outside and I really need to go home…"
"Come on, Bones." He made a step forward. "We've left some of that ice cream you like so much…" Booth wiggled his eyebrows, hoping to make her say 'yes'.
"No, it's late and you're probably tired…" But she didn't miss the 'we' in the sentence. "And what do you mean 'we'?" She told him this half-casually-half-demanding just like she hoped that her narrowed eyes told him she's confused.
"Parker and me. He's on a sleepover." He flashed her one of those smiles that were only reserved when he talked about his son. "Rebecca's is on a business trip. So the little guy and I are sharing some time together."
"Oooh…" He wondered if she noticed how her face gained totally different expression the second she heard that Parker is his companion for the night. "I don't wanna wake up Parker and besides I really, really need to go home."
"Oh Bones, you know Parker… He can sleep through the war." Booth waved it off with his hands. "I'll tell you this… We share a cup of ice-cream, you tell me all about your trip and disgusting bodies and then I'll call you a cab and you can go home."
"No, Booth really… And besides my cab is waiting for me downstairs…"
"That can be arranged…" He winked at her. "I'll be right back…" Booth ran pass her and pushed her hand away as she tried to stop him.
"Booth!", she hissed at him in the dark hallway. "Booth plea…" But he was already gone. She slumbered against the wall, next to his front door and waited.
He run up the stairs three minutes later and stood in front of her. His breaths were short and rapid, probably from all the running.
"Where is your luggage?" Booth confusedly asked her.
She shrugged and made a sad face. "They lost it at the airport… Luckily, I took laptop with me along with my notes. How… How did you pay the cab?"
"I told the guy to send the bill to the Jeffersonian." Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to protest but he put his hand over her lips before she got a chance to scream at him. "Relax…" He silently whispered. "I had some money in my pocket, that's how I paid the cab."
He could feel her mouth closing underneath his hand and that was his cue to put it down. She still shot an angry looks at him but he didn't care. "Ice-cream?", he nonchalantly asked and pushed her inside of his warm home.
* * *
They were seated on his couch, close to one another, wrapped in a silent conversation for the last hour, their spoons clinking against the porcelain mugs to pick up the ice-cream Booth served for them. She told him all about her trip to Havana, how the weather and the wind made their job a lot heavier, how cockroaches crawled everywhere including her bed, how she didn't have a decent shower and a fulfilling sleep since she left. He told her about his days with Parker, how they burned the french-fries the other night, how Booth took him to the game and how he couldn't stop talking about that same game five hours later, how he embarrassed Booth at least dozen times, how they found a bone in a park and how Parker asked if he could keep it so he could show it to Bones…
"And of course I said 'no' but when I wasn't looking he stuck the bone in his pocket and brought it home." He leaned in and picked up a filthy piece of bone from his coffee table. "And now I'm stuck with a bone in my house…" He handed it over to her.
She wore a smile on her face as she accepted the bone from Booth. "You do realize I can't make an ID out of this piece?" She observed the bone, twirling it, looking at it from every possible angle. Forensic anthropologist in her didn't rest even when it's just a useless bone from the park.
"I do know THAT! But it's just… the way his eyes lit up when he found the bone! You should have seen him… And when he mentioned you…" He shook his head. "I couldn't throw the bone… Anyway…", he shifted closer to her. "When he asks you if you could ID this bone you'll have to play along…"
She looked up at him. "Wha… What? I'm not gonna lie him…"
"Come on, Bones. You have to…"
Brennan shook her head. "I don't wanna lie Parker. Is this one of yours 'deception is sometimes necessary for the happiness of little children' speeches?"
"No…" She titled her head and gave him the look. "Fine. Maybe it is but you weren't there when he found a bone. And you weren't there when his eyes lit up as he talked about you and how he'll be your assistant while you're testing the bone, he'll bring you water and anything you want to eat. And then he said something about finding dog's owner but I couldn't really track him anymore 'cause he started to mumble things. BUT the point is – I can't do that to him. It would kill him…" Brennan opened her mouth to speak but he cut her. "It wouldn't kill him, I know, but it would crush his heart. And I can't let that… So if you play along and come up with a story - you would make yourself his hero and me, the coolest dad in USA…"
She observed him in the same way she observed the bone he handed to her. She watched how his eyes lit up while he was telling her this story. How he was really proud of his son… How he would do anything to make him happy, even if he had to lie.
And who was she to destroy that?
She was silent for a few seconds, simply watching him. She thought about Booth's unconditional love for Parker and the things he would do for his son. That thought made her smile on the inside. She thought of Booth as her colleague, as a man, as a person. Her mind wandered to the fact what Booth means to her. To their kiss. To his decision.
To her decision.
"You are a great dad Booth...", her voice trembled as she spoke this sentence.
Looking now, her decision seemed so stupid. She was embarrassed to the marrow of her bones. Yes, she wanted their partnership. But she, secretly, also wanted to know what it was like to wake up with him beside her, to see his face when he sees her toothbrush next to his in a cup, to sense his perfume on her pillows when he's not around, to wear his shirts and sweats, to fight with him and to kiss him senseless afterward, to make love to him…
She felt so foolish right now.
"You are wonderful person too and you should know that…", she moved closer. Her knee touched his thigh as she turned to face him completely. She silently chuckled and smiled at him at the same time, hoping to lighten up this whole murky situation she created few seconds ago. "Your son is so lucky to have you…" A smile flickered on his lips.
"I am so lucky to have you…"
He blinked. She bit her lower lip, feeling suddenly insecure. He got her message. She could figure that out just from the way he stared at her now. It was one of those deep gazes he gave her whenever he found out something new about her. Something that fascinated him in every way. He nodded once and slightly, barely visible, smiled at her.
She knew what he was thinking so she decided to remove that proud smirk of his lips.
"I hate you…", was all she said before leaning in to kiss him.
There was something different in a way he kissed her this time. It was more passionate. More firmly. Like he poured all of his yearnings into this kiss. Maybe he wanted to show her how much he missed her and through this kiss he was allowed to do that. He couldn't know there will be a second kiss between them, well neither did she, so perhaps this time he wanted to intoxicate her, to bewitch her with his lips.
But there was no need for that.
She was already under his spell right after the first kiss.
Booth broke the kiss and immediately looked into her eyes; his hands remained around her waist. Hers somehow reached his neck and a left shoulder. With her eyes still closed, she tried to catch a breath.
"Why?" He said without taking his eyes of her.
She finally opened them, looking directly into his. "I wanted to. Not in the beginning, definitely not." Brennan shook her head. "I think that the main reason why I came here tonight was to tell you that I made a decision; that I've decided that our partnership is more important, that you are far more important to me as a friend then as a lover and if we lose that - I don't think I'll be able to go on. That I won't take that risk… And then you opened the door all smiley and all of a sudden everything looked so simple. Not so risky any more. I don't know how to explain that… But it just did."
"You were having enlightening moment at my front door…", he chuckled. Traces of his breath ended on her cheek. It felt nice.
"There is no such a thing as a enlightening moment…", she whispered into the darkness and beside his ear.
"Joy killer, aren't you…?"
They both turned their heads at the slight commotion that came from Booth's bedroom. Brennan quickly put some distance between them, taking a seat at the other end of the couch. They listened carefully, expecting to see Parker.
But no one came out.
They both let out a breath they weren't aware they were holding. Brennan turned to Booth with a smile.
"I think this is my clue to leave…" She stood up and looked down at him.
He stood up too, wearing embarrassed look on his face. "Sorry…"
She reached out for her lap-top bag and put it onto her shoulder. "Please Booth… It's pretty late and besides I really need that shower."
They started moving toward his front door. "I'll see you tomorrow?" He was right behind her.
"I'm not starting till Monday… But I'll be home all day probably, cleaning and vacuuming…"
He unlocked the door, let them out before partly closed it behind. "Fine, we'll stop by to help after I pick up Parker from school."
She started to protest. "Booth… You don't have to do that."
"But I want to…" He took a step forward. "And so does Parker." She shot him smugly smile as he wrapped his arms around her. "You really thought you can leave without goodbye kiss? Face it - you're the one who started it…"
She shook her head disapprovingly. "Nooo as I recall, you're the one who started it."
With just an inch away from her face he breathed out. "Well, then you're definitely the one who sealed the deal…"
This time, she was the one who broke the kiss. "It's late. And I need to catch a cab…" They put some distance between them and since he didn't trust his hands, Booth put them in his pockets.
"I would drive you but since Parks is here…", he shrugged feeling slightly ashamed.
"No. I would never ask of you to do that…"
Silence.
She watched him as he watched her. They both smiled at the same time.
"Then… I'll see you tomorrow…"
"Of course you will…", he wore one of those cocky-slash-charming smiles of his. Rolling her eyes, she turned her back to him and started walking down the hallway.
Two can play that game. "Good night, Booth…" She turned head in his direction and flashed him her brilliant-slash-teasing smile.
He gulped. "Good night, Bones…" And she was gone.
Closing the door to his apartment, Booth reversed the events of this night in his head. He thanked God for not having a stroke.
"Dad?"
Booth's heart skipped a beat at hearing his son's voice. He rushed into his bedroom to find Parker sitting in his bed, rubbing his eyes and yawning at the same time. "Jesus Parker, you scared me to death." He put his hand over his heart.
"Dad, was that Bones?"
"Yeah buddy." He sat on the bed next to him. "She just stopped by to say 'hi'. She came back from her trip. Aaaand, I showed her that bone you found and she said she'll help you to identify the dog…"
Parker sleepily smiled at him. "Did you tell her I'll be her assistant?"
"Yeah, I did. And you know what – she was thrilled!" Parker yawned once again and Booth ruffled his hair. "Hey bud, how 'bout you go back to sleep, you have school tomorrow?"
Parker gave him one giant hug before returning to his dreams about dinosaurs and tall trees. And as Booth covered him with his 'action man' bed sheet Parker mumbled to him… "Bones' a great friend dad!"
Booth tucked him in before silently responding with the widest grin on his face. "Yeah buddy, she is…"
~ tHe EnD ~