A/N: Hello out there! I know it's been for-evah since I've posted anything, but life has been soooo busy. I know, I use that excuse for everything, but hey, as long as it keeps working, I'll keep using it. I hope ya'll enjoy this little ditty called…
Title: Wrong Turn
Rating: K+
Summary: Booth. Brennan. Hotel Room. Check rating.
Disclaimer: I do not own BONES, Emily or David. But if I ever come by them at a yard sale, I hope I have enough money to buy them.
Shoutouts: Goldy- for betain' this and for being one of my very bestest friend! To Bella- for being you and thinkin' my husband is hot. Chappie- for being you.
Rain poured from the darkened sky; small, fat bullets of pleasure and torture. The warm air wrapped itself around every living thing, smothering by drawing the very breath from the lungs. The rain delivered some relief from humidity of the south, while at the same time causing flash floods where the ground was too dry from a yearlong drought to soak it up. Seeley Booth cursed under his breath as he gripped the steering wheel with both hands and slowed the SUV to a bare crawl.
"Can't see anything through this stuff," he mumbled, and squinted to see past the solid sheet of rain that always seemed to be just ahead of them.
"We're in no hurry," his partner said, never glancing up from the file folder perched upon her lap.
"Easy for you to say," Booth shot. "You're not completely wet." Temperance Brennan lifted an eyebrow, looked over at her irate companion and pointed out that it wasn't her fault he felt he had to rescue a cow. Booth clenched his jaw but refrained from saying what popped in his mind. This was the first thing Brennan had said to him in over an hour, and he was not about to say something to plunge her back into silence. Instead, he pushed himself back against his seat, readjusted the seatbelt and announced, "I could have been on vacation right now."
"Yes, I know," Brennan replied with a roll of her eyes. "I know and the agents at the scene know, and the waitress at the diner knows. You've only said it a dozen times."
"Well, I'm sorry. It's just that this was going to be my first real vacation in years. Just me, a couple of buddies and a whole lot of nothing to do." Brennan looked over at her partner, shook her head and then went back to her file. Booth blew out a heavy breath and went back to dreaming about his lost vacation.
"And in weather, the rain is here to stay. Look for another three to four inches of rainfall before midnight. Unless you're a duck, I suggest that you seek shelter." Booth reached out and turned off the radio.
"Maybe we should find a place to spend the night," Brennan suggested.
"What, you scared?"
"Of course not," Brennan quickly defended. "It's just that the roads are starting to flood, and in the dark things are looking a lot like each other, and it would be safer to find a place to sleep, have a hot shower and start back off tomorrow." Booth gave a scowl, and then relaxed his face into agreement.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right."
"Of course I am." Brennan smiled at the look that Booth sent her and then turned her attention back to the file folder.
After another hour of snail speed, Booth caught sight of a sign for a hotel. He pulled off the road, prayed that they would make it through the lake that was the driveway, and finally came to a stop close to the front lobby. It was an odd looking hotel. The main lobby area was only one story and the rooms themselves seemed to be in small buildings with four rooms- two stacked on two. Booth and Brennan exchanged looks, and then on the count of three, they both jumped out of the SUV, and ran toward the door.
The loud bang of the door hitting the wall startled the old woman at the front counter. She brought old gray eyes up from her book and watched the couple who had run in. She watched as the couple shook the rain off, and as the man reached out and brushed wet hair out of the face of the woman. "Lovely weather," the old woman called out.
"The best," Booth answered, putting on his most charming smile. He walked to the counter and leaned against it. "We would like two rooms."
The old woman returned the smile, and pulled out a clipboard. "I'm afraid we only have one room open."
"You're joking," Brennan accused coming to stand beside Booth.
"'Fraid not," the woman said. "A lot of people got caught out in the rain," she said. "That and the lower rooms are under a foot of water. With all this darn rain, the whole area's floodin'. But ya'll are in luck, the last room is the Master Suite. Nice room with a covered deck to watch the storm."
"We'll take it," Brennan answered, already dreaming of a hot shower and room service. "Can we have some food sent to the room?"
"The cooks all went home hours ago, Sugar."
"I'm sure a gem like yourself could maybe round up something?" Booth suggested showing his pearly whites and handing back the clipboard.
The old lady looked over the information and then said, "For you Agent Booth, I'll see what I can do." Booth took the key, said goodbye, and he and Brennan started back to the SUV to grab their bags.
The room wasn't far from the lobby, but still, by the time Booth unlocked the door, they were both drenched. He flipped on the lights as they walked in, and then dropped his bag. "Not a bad little room," he said, already emptying his pockets on the small table.
"Yeah, but only one bed."
They both looked at the queen size bed for a moment before Booth said, "Shoot for it?" Brennan didn't say anything, only held up her hand. They both pumped their fists three times.
"Rock," Brennan said. "I win."
"Then I get the shower first." Brennan accepted this logic, and Booth picked his bag back up and headed toward the bathroom.
By the time that Brennan took a shower and walked out of the bathroom, Booth was standing by the sliding doors looking out over the deck, watching the rain. His lounge pants were slung low on his hips, and his bare back faced her. She knew that this was a big step for them. That this was his way of saying that he trusted her. Brennan let her eyes scan over his back and then turned her attention to the small table. "You packed all this stuff?" she asked. Booth gave a small jump, letting his partner know that he trusted her enough to daydream.
"Naw, the desk lady brought it by," he replied walking over with an empty glass in his hand. "Not bad really. Want some?"
"Sure," Brennan said, already reaching out toward the platter filled with cold cuts, rolls, cheese and fruit. Booth poured her a glass of wine, refilled his own and then followed Brennan to the couch. As he sat down, he placed one glass on the coffee table and was greeted by one of Brennan's two sandwiches.
"Thanks." He took the sandwich and watched as his partner pulled her legs up under her and then took a bite of her own.
"You haven't shaved today," Brennan suddenly said after a few moments of silence.
Booth gave a small chuckle, and then agreed. "Just too busy this morning."
"I kinda like it," she said, reaching out and running the back of her finger down his jaw line. The touch both surprised and delighted Booth. It was a rare thing that Brennan made contact first. A rare thing indeed. "Makes you look different."
"Different good or different bad?" Booth asked, taking a sip of wine to try and steady out his voice.
"Just…different." Brennan pulled her hand away, and went back to her sandwich.
"Well, what about you?"
"What about me?"
"You look a little different like this," he said, and then touched her loose, wet hair.
"You've seen my hair wet before," Brennan countered.
"Doesn't mean it doesn't make you look different. And no makeup or anything," he went on. "A whole new person." The two looked at each other for a moment.
"I'm sorry your vacation got messed up," Brennan blurted out to create noise.
"It's okay," Booth answered with a shrug. "I would have ended up blistered anyway."
"Yeah, but I know how much you were looking forward to it."
"Company's better here." Again, they made eye contact.
"You know," Brennan said, "it's starting to get late."
"Guess we need to get some sleep."
"Yeah."
"I should get some extra blankets," Booth said.
"There's plenty of blankets on the bed." Silence. "There's also plenty of room." Silence.
Booth licked his lips. "We are adults," he answered, reaching out to touch her hair.
"Fully grown adults," Brennan replied leaning into the touch. Silence. They both jumped when Brennan's cell phone went off. It rang three times, before Brennan got up and snatched it off the end table. "It's Angela," she said, before answering it. "I'm putting you on speaker," she said and then hit the button.
"Oh my God," the artist squealed. "Are you two okay?"
"Of course we've okay, Ange. Why wouldn't we be?"
"The news said that there's rain and flooding. You're not out in it, are you?"
"No," Brennan reassured her. "Booth and I found a little hotel to stay the night at. All safe and dry."
"Well, that's good. The last thing you want to do is make a wrong turn in some Southern town." Booth and Brennan caught each other's eyes as Angela said good bye and then hung up. Silence.
"No wrong turns?" Booth asked.
"No wrong turns." Brennan picked up a blanket and tossed it to her partner and they both began to settle in for the night. They both knew things between them were changing for the better. They both also knew that the last thing they needed was a wrong turn in their relationship.