This Day

The man, tall, and unshaven ran down the back alleys of downtown DC, dodging past rubbish and other human detritus- and occasionally other humans, slumped against doorways. He was barefooted, his grey tracksuit pants and off white singlet a testament to the early morning. To the sun that peeked over the horizon, sending the first few shards of light into the city's underbelly.

Booth yelled and added another burst of speed, forcing his weary muscles to comply with his directions. His gun was in his right hand, unusable in this instance. No matter that the fleeing man had murdered two children and buried them in shallow graves, committing who knew what acts upon them before hand; he was unarmed and fleeing. Booth couldn't shoot him.

A long night had proceeded this moment. Booth had crashed on Bones' couch sometime after two only to be awoken three hours later by his partner, looking like she hadn't slept at all. Every muscle in his body ached, and behind his eyes a headache was beginning to pound. But the most frequent thought in his head was, 'Why today? Couldn't they just take one day off?'

The perp- William Robert Hibbs, 34- turned another corner and was meet by a chain link fence. Not wasting a second to glance over his shoulder, he threw himself at it, scrambling for foot and hand holds to propel him over it. Booth rounded the corner just as Hibbs pulled himself up and over the top. A moment later he hit the ground and scrambled to his feet.

As Booth stopped, panting, the perp turned around and flashed him a grin. "Too bad, Mr G-Man"

Booth growled just as Hibbs turned to run- only to be hit in the head with a plank of wood. He dropped to his knees and Booth registered the presence of his partner standing over the perp, brandishing her improvised weapon and giving him a triumphant grin.

"See this is why I need a gun," she said. At her feet Hibbs groaned.

"Bones..." he said, somehow managing to convey all of his frustration at the suspect, himself, and her in that single word. Putting his gun back in the holster at his side he scrambled over the fence and jumped down next to her on the other side.

"I had him you know," he told her, pulling out his handcuffs to secure Hibbs.

"Sure, I just took him out for you."

Kneeling to snap the bands into place on the perp's writs, he looked back up at her. "Hah, sure. While his attention was on me."

"A fact I exploited to do my job."

She grinned at him and he couldn't help but grin back at her. "My job, you mean."

She shrugged and threw the plank of wood back onto the garbage heap from whence it had come. "A simple thank you will suffice, Booth."

He looked at her as she tuned back to him, his eyes skimming the auburn hair working its way out of her loose ponytail, her pallid features and changeable grey eyes. She was still in the clothes she had worn yesterday, and she looked tired. And absolutely beautiful.

He grinned. "Hey Bones, you doing anything this afternoon?" He yanked Hibbs to his feet and steadied him.

She shot him a look. "Sorry Booth, I have a prior engagement."

He laughed as they escorted Hibbs out of the alleyway. "Come on, I'll drop you back at the Jeffersonion."

Late that afternoon, while she was poring over a set of X-rays a lab tech had just delivered, her phone went off. She answered it automatically, though it did take her a minute to find it in the unfamiliar purse.

"Brennan."

"Honey," at the first mention of Angela's voice, she became instantly alert, glancing at her watch. "Where are you?"

The watch read five forty nine. "I'm sorry, I got caught up. I'm leaving now-" she dumped the file on her desk and picked up her bag. "I should be there in ten minutes."

She hung up the phone and ran out of the lab, the impractical heals she was wearing hindering her process somewhat. Outside the late afternoon breeze toyed with her carefully styled hair and a few more strands worked their way free to land at her neck and gently frame her face.

Most of the Jeffersonion employees had finished for the day so it was a fairly quick drive across to the other side of the campus. She found a park next to what she recognised as Hodgins' small car and climbed out. Down below in the park she could see the group of people dressed to the nines, awaiting her. She ran a hand down her dress to smooth out the wrinkles and started towards them.

Angela met her half way. "Honey..."

"I know, I'm late. Do I look okay?"

Angela looked her best friend over. She was wearing a knee length red sheath dress held up by thin straps. The silk was covered in vague designs that shifted with the light. She herself was wearing something similar but shorter and in black.

She couldn't help the tears that came to her eyes. "Sweetie, you look beautiful. Now come on, they're waiting for you."

Temperance let her eyes run over each member of the group as she approached. Zack and Hodgins were in identical black suits with white shirts and read ties. Angela had told her earlier in the day that she and Jack had taken pity on the younger man and forced him into a suit Hodgins had last worn when he was 16. Zack looked nervous but Jack gave her a big grin. Figured.

Her brother Russ was next. They were still working towards a reconciliation but she had to invite him and was grateful that he accepted. He looked out of place in the group- wearing a cheep brown suit and blue shirt, compared to the smart black of the rest of the men- but she saw a grin on his face anyway. He had told her that he approved and, while she let him know she didn't need his approval, she thanked him for it anyway.

Parker stood next to his dad in his own little matching black suit. He looked a little bored and she couldn't blame him. They, too, were slowly getting to know each other, but already the kid seemed to like her. His father put a hand on his shoulder as she stepped up to them, and Parker lifted his gaze from the ground and stood up straight.

As the group arranged themselves around them, Booth leaned forward to whisper in his partner's ear. "You know, Bones, when I asked if you were doing anything later I didn't think you had actually forgotten. I thought it was, you know, playful banter."

"It was playful banter," she whispered back, a half smile on her face.

He chuckled. "Cutting it kinda close don't you think?"

The sunlight had turned golden and bathed the scene in a summer glow. As she looked at him, dressed in her favourite suit with a bright red tie that was an almost perfect match for the colour of her dress, she objectively noticed, perhaps for the first time, what Angela had been talking about when she had described him as hot. It seemed odd to think of that now, but their attraction had never really been based on looks, but on a battle of wills- and minds.

Another man in a black suit stepped up to them. "Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yes."

Later, at Sid's, Booth's phone rang. The others continued their conversations but Temperance leaned back against her chair and glanced over at him. They shared a look as he communicated with whoever was on the other end.

"A case?" she asked as he hung up.

"Not tonight, Bones. We'll deal with it tomorrow."

"But..."

He leaned over and kissed her. "Bones, I love you, but shut up, okay?"

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AN- As pointed out in reviews, credit goes to The Incredibles for some of this dialouge. And yes, they were getting married. :D