Answering
Author Notes
This is set right after the events on 'Revelations'.
Part Two happens at the same time as Part Three.
Part Four happens at the same time as Part Five.
This is the third and last part of 'It All Started with a Cell Phone' series; but if I think up any other storylines, I'll write more.
I've already thought of another story that encompasses Zack and Booth's entire relationship. (It's going up as a timestamp).
Disclaimer: I do not own Bones or any of the characters. (If I did Zack would've stayed and Vincent would've stayed alive).
Part One
In the break room, Zack decided to be the voice of reason:
"If you would all calm down, we will answer your questions."
"We will?"
"Yes, Seeley." – His voice dropped to a sad whisper. – "I can't help but feel that we should have been open to them for the entire time."
Booth cupped his squint's cheek:
"I'm sorry. I didn't notice how you felt about this."
"It's okay." – Booth kissed his squint gently.
Hodgins coughed loudly and the two lovers broke the kiss.
"Well, since you're answering, how? I thought Booth liked Brennan."
"Not for a while. A long while. I mean, Seeley and I started going out a little after I was blown up by the apprentice."
Everyone's jaw dropped and Angela asked the question in everyone's mind:
"How have you kept this a secret for five years?"
Daisy cut in before they even had a chance to answer the question:
"Are you married or something? I mean, you don't wear rings but that never stopped anyone from getting married before-"
The squint squad cut her off:
"Daisy!"
"Sorry. But are you?" - Booth and Zack looked at each other, guiltily. – "You are!"
The head of the forensics department spoke up:
"This doesn't make sense. Even if you two couldn't wear matching rings, you would have something else. Booth's like that." – The FBI agent and his lover reached inside their shirts and pulled out their dog togs. Zack was wearing the former sniper's and Booth was wearing his squint's. – "I see. You had a ceremony, didn't you?"
"It was small."
"Small-ish. Zack's family is pretty big. And we just invited his parents and his brothers and sisters."
"As well as Jared, Parker, Pops and Rebecca."
Brennan looked hurt:
"You invited Rebecca but not us?"
"We didn't actually invite Rebecca, she was only supposed to drop Parker off. But upon their arrival, she sat down and said 'This I have to see.' So she stayed." – Zack looked down in shame. – "We never meant to exclude any of you. At the beginning we needed to hide it because all of us tend to get too involved in each other's relationships."
Booth coughed:
"Hodgins and Angela."
The original squint continued:
"But when we felt confident enough about what we had, too much time had passed."
Everyone (except for the two lovers) looked around, nodded and left.
Zack sat down on Booth's lap:
"Please tell me that we didn't screw up very much." – He whimpered softly, looking smaller than he actually was.
The FBI agent ran his head through his lover's hair and pressed kisses on his scalp.
"We'll figure it out, Zack."
Hearing the squint squad's footsteps approaching, the couple broke their embrace. The squad had divided themselves in two 'factions': Vincent, Hodgins, Angela, Daisy and Finn to one side and Brennan, Cam, Sweets, Arastoo, Fisher and Wendell to the other.
Angela and Cam were apparently the leaders of each faction. The artist pointed at Zack:
"You're with us."
The original squint rose from the seat and left with them, leaving his lover with a kiss and a 'Good luck, Seeley.'.
Part Two
Zack was sitting on the couch in Angela's office, with his share of the squints surrounding him.
"I think we're past the point of warning you to be careful."
"Sorry, Hodge."
"How did you two get together?" – Daisy's tone of voice made them all flinch.
"Hey, Ange. Can we trade little Miss Big Mouth o'er here with Fisher?"
"Hey!"
"Did you know that from 110 decibels the sound begins to be able deafen people? I daresay Miss Wick's voice may surpass that point."
"He's right. If you want to stay here, be quiet, Daisy." – The faction leader proclaimed before turning to Zack. – "But how did the two of you get together?"
"Despite being called clueless countless times; I noticed that during my stay at the hospital, Seeley wouldn't leave my side for more than 8 minutes at a time. So I started to devise hypotheses as to why. And then I forgot my phone and he held it hostage with the ransom being a date."
"Smart. When did the two of you tie the knot?"
"One week after we caught Broadski. We needed to know we wouldn't be alone."
Daisy raised her hand.
"Yes? In a non-deafening tone, please."
"Do you live together?"
Hodgins connected the dots:
"Yeah. That's why Zack moved out."
"Yes. Is there anything else?"
"You better believe it. Now, you stay here while we go threaten Booth of bodily harm if he ever hurts you."
Zack gave them all a big smile.
"Don't look so happy. You'll also get a round of threats."
Part Three
Booth was still sitting on the couch and his share of the squad sitting at the nearby desk.
"What is this about?"
"We wanted to ask you some things."
The FBI agent raised an eyebrow:
"Divide and conquer, Camille?"
"You know me too well."
"Well, what is it? Ask."
"Why did you two get together?" – Brennan asked. – "From what I remember you weren't very nice to him."
"It was the explosion."
"The one caused by the apprentice?"
"Yeah. I just saw him being thrown across the room. I thought he was dead… And I felt so cold inside." - He took a deep breath. – "That's when I knew I loved him."
"What's a good love story without someone almost dying?"
"Go take your pills, goth boy."
"Don't start with me, Arastoo."
Sweets and Wendell rolled his eyes at the two men and the blond squint actually muttered 'bitch fight'.
"People, please!" – The voice of reason (Cam) decided to control her subordinates. – "Does anyone have any other questions?"
'No' was the general consensus.
"Well, then. I believe we are needed elsewhere." – Bones said as she got up. – "You have to stay here, Booth."
"Alright."
Part Four
Zack waited and one by one, the other group entered Angela's office to threaten him. Brennan and Sweets were first:
"Listen, Zack, Booth is my partner. And it would be very bad for all involved if he was hurt, understand?"
"You two being together shed some light as to why sometimes Booth shares a little more of himself. Don't make him retreat into his mind."
Arastoo was next:
"Don't hurt him."
Fisher, of course, couldn't help but contradict Arastoo:
"To live is to hurt. Don't cause any unnecessary pain to the big bad FBI agent."
Wendell and Cam completed the ensemble:
"He's a friend. Don't break his heart."
"Don't do anything I did and you should be fine. Do anything bad and see what happens."
Part Five
Like with Zack, one by one came to leave their threats. Daisy and Finn were first:
"If you think I talk too much, hurt my friend and you'll see how much worse it can get."
"I would hate to go to jail for murder one. Keep my boy happy and that won't happen."
Hodgins was more direct than the southern squint:
"If you break his heart, I'll break your legs."
Angela and Vincent were the last ones.
"You know what I'm capable of. That's all I need to say."
"Are you aware that if any of us committed murder, the others would help us get rid of the evidence as well as the corpse?"
Part Six
The couple reunited at the diner (Angela dragged Booth and Sweets dragged Zack before either of the draggees could talk to each other).
"It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be."
"It was much worse."
Zack rolled his eyes and smiled as his lover:
"You were not the one being interrogated by Daisy."
The FBI agent smiled and kissed his husband:
"It's nice to be able to do that without fearing."
The original squint gave his agent his 'sex smile':
"And we can do this" - He yanked on his lover's tie and kissed him. – " more often."
"Great."
Holding hands, they made their way to the table where all his colleagues were sitting.