Hi! I was out walking my dog today, enjoying that it is finally starting to get warmer and listening to my iPod, when Mariah Carey's version of Foreigner's 'I want to know what love is' came on. Instantly, I translated the song into a story (typical me) and when I got home, I practically ran to my room to write it down. And now, an hour later, I'm ready to present my newest little one shot to you. :D It's a little short, and I'm warning you; it's fluff upon fluff upon fluff- this is as fluffy as it gets :) But we all love a little fluff now and again, right? ;)
DISCLAIMER: If - for some reason - you got it into you brain that I am male, older than 30, and my name is Hart Hanson then you would be wrong. I didn't come up with the show, and I don't own it - sadly enough. Fox is the owner of Bones and all the characters. All I own is my imagination and computer, from where all these stories spring. ;) The song used in this story doesn't belong to either - because I am certain that I am incapable of going up in the high C while singing... And as Mariah Carey is, in fact able to do this (without sounding like a strangled cat) I would have to conclude that I am not her.
Hope you like this little one shot, and please, tell me what you think! :D
- H
Temperance Brennan had once been a happy little girl, with no trouble whatsoever with expressing how she felt. That all changed when she was 15, in the foster-system, and if that didn't make her a freak amongst her classmates, then the fact that she had skipped two grades, and was already a junior, certainly did. During that time she had become closed off, and hard to reach. The walls she had built around herself were hard to break, but once you got underneath those walls of ignorance, confidence, and brain, you could easily see she was still that insecure 15 year old girl who questioned herself why her parents had left, and her brother too, shortly after their disappearance. Was it because she wasn't good enough? Because she wasn't smart enough?
The answers to those questions, she hadn't gotten before she finally found her father again, after 15 years. But by then it was too late. She was socially awkward and had difficulties with reading people. She hid underneath a blanket of confidence and sex-appeal, and without knowing, she came off as arrogant and self-centered. The truth was she was anything but. As she so often stated she was 'merely stating a fact'.
Some people – like the other Agents at Tempe's partner's office – never understood how one Special Agent Seeley Booth could stand her. All of them questioned whether she 'was for real' or not. But they could see what he did; a broken soul, that needed the assurance subtly but almost constantly, that she was good enough.
The world renowned Forensic anthropologist and best-selling author and her partner, former army-ranger and sniper always had a discussion about one thing or the other. More often than not, that discussion was one about love and/or sex. He kept going on and on about 'making love' and loving one another, and marriage and the white picket fence and what else.
She didn't understand the logic as 'anthropologically speaking, that is ludicrous because the human being is not a monogamous creature'. But their talks had gotten her thinking. Was there such a thing as love? She was certain that the only love she had ever experienced, was the disappointed love for her parents, and the love for her they had, that she sometimes still questioned her ever been there and the love for her friends. Yes, she knew she loved Angela Montenegro as a sister and best friend, but she questioned whether she had ever experienced love for a partner, a partner in all terms.
She wanted to find out. She wanted to know if those weird feelings she felt well up inside her whenever she saw her handsome FBI-partner, were love. She didn't know how, and to be honest, it terrified her, but she wanted to explore them, because they made her feel good. They made her feel invincible.
But she didn't know how to tell him how she felt. Last time she had tried, her throat had dried out on her, and she hadn't been able to tell him what she wanted to. Instead she had blurted some random fact out – of course something that had to do with the situation they were in; she was no Vincent Nigel-Murray – and they had continued as if nothing had happened.
So she turned to the only person she knew would be able to help. One overly excited artist, who was more than willing to help, because she had waited too damn long for this day.
So they put together a party.
Angela knew Brennan could sing, so she arranged for her to give a number. Angela knew that Booth would be able to understand the hidden meaning; he was the one with the people skills after all, and he understood Brennan even better than Angela herself sometimes.
So they planned and arranged, and Angela was like a little kid in a candy store because her two favorite clueless people were finally going to get together. About damn time as well.
The night of the party was finally there, and the entire squint-squad were gathered and having a field day. Booth was there as well, wondering how he had become friends with all those crazy squints, and at the same time thanking God for such great buddies.
Angela had been clever; she had disguised this little 'get-Booth-and-Brennan-together' get-together as a surprise birthday party for Booth. And she knew he was going to love the little extra gift Brennan had planned for him.
Booth noticed that his Bones – wait his? – was getting nervous, and he wondered why. Leaning closer to her, he asked if she was okay. She squeaked out that she was indeed fine; she just needed to head to the bathroom. Booth watched her leave, and once again what was going on in that brilliant squinty brain of hers.
He shrugged it off, and returned to his party and friends. Suddenly, he heard Angela's voice rang out from a microphone.
"Booth, we have a little surprise for you" and with that, the lights dimmed, and Bones stepped out on the stage.
His breath caught in his throat, because she was stunning. His heart-rate speed up a little, and it missed a beat, as the first tone came from her mouth.
I gotta take a little time
A little time to think things over
Mariah Carey's version of Foreigner's 'I want to know what love is' rang out from the speakers. He could hardly believe what he was hearing, but he could feel the warmth spread in his body.
I better read between the lines
In case I need it when I'm colder
He could see how much this song meant for her; how it fitted her so well. Her closed eyes slowly opened, and as she sang, she looked into his eyes and let him know exactly how much she meant what she said.
In my life, there's been heartache and pain
I don't know if I can face it again
He knew it was true, and his heart reached out to her; he wanted to always be there for her, comfort her when she was sad, laugh with her when she was happy and just hold her when she was content.
Can't stop now, I've traveled so far
To change this lonely life
His mouth spread in a soft, loving smile that only adorned his face for her. When he wasn't smiling his charm-smile at her, he was giving her that tender smile that made her stomach flip with butterflies, and her cheeks to flood with color, just because he was smiling like that for her.
I wanna know what love is
I want you to show me
I wanna feel what love is
I know you can show me
A small tear slid down Angela's face as she watched Booth's reaction to Brennan's song. This was just so romantic! She looked at Cam and saw her face was touched by tears as well, and they grinned at each other. Hodgins was watching mesmerized; he knew Dr. B could sing, but that she was this good was just as much as a surprise, as the time Zach had broken into song in the middle of the lab. He glanced at Angela and a soft smile spread across his face with the love he had for her. He pulled her to his side, and kissed her temple, simply because he loved her. Angela smiled a little at the gesture, and squeezed his hand.
Gonna take a little time
A little time to look around me
I've got nowhere left to hide
It looks like love has finally found me
Brennan beamed at Booth as she sang that line; she could see in his eyes what she had been too afraid to see before; he loved her, as she loved him. They were equals – partners – in this as well. She wasn't going to be alone with this, not anymore. She wasn't going to be alone ever again.
In my life, there's been heartache and pain
I don't know if I can face it again
Can't stop now, I've traveled so far
To change this lonely life
I wanna know what love is
I want you to show me
I wanna feel what love is
I know you can show me, show me
I wanna know….
I wanna know what love is
I want you to show me
I wanna feel what love is
I know you can show me
Booth had started to make his way to Brennan, simultaneously with Brennan moving off the stage toward him. As the last tones settled over the stunned crowd, she smiled up at her partner, and lifted her arms to put them around his neck.
"I love you, Seeley Booth" she whispered before she kissed him softly. He smiled against her lips and when they broke apart, they completely ignored all the cheering that came from all the squints.
"I love you, Temperance Brennan" she felt all her insecurities melt away at the words, and lost herself in the kiss of one Special Agent Seeley Booth.
Yo! ;D
So, what did you think? Do I totally stink at writing fluff? I would hope not, as it's mostly fluff I write... :O
Haha, please, tell me what you think, and I'll spare you from my über bad jokes... x]
- H