My entry in the Secret Cupid Challenge for cmol8806. She was looking for fluffy (no angst) B&B with a secret Valentine (gift or person).
Disclaimer: I do own Bones. But only on DVD.
Thanks to nattylovesjordy, razztaztic, and mendenbar for read throughs, suggestions, ideas and general moral support.
Chapter 2 – The Pitch
Making her way to the office of her best friend, Angela Montenegro-Hodgins thought about her dilemma. She had Cam's assurance that if she could get Booth and Brennan to say that they agree to participate in the gift exchange, then she could get others on the team to go along as well. Confident that she had her strategy well thought out, Angela entered the office of Dr. Temperance Brennan to make her case.
"Angela, why would you even suggest such a thing to Cam? You know that Booth and I don't believe in Valentine's Day. It's just a retail holiday, although I have to admit that I really appreciate Half-Price Chocolate Day on the fifteenth! That's a retail holiday I'm willing to celebrate!" Brennan chuckled and continued, "I know that the economy needs to be stimulated and it would appear that Valentine's Day gifts certainly have that affect, for some retailers. I really cannot believe the amount some people pay for flowers for a day that isn't even a real holiday. I do not need some fake holiday to guilt me into getting a gift for Booth. I don't need an excuse, I can get him a gift for no reason at all, and I frequently do!" She smiled.
"But sweetie, it's a great idea!" Angela made a mental note to further explore that 'frequently do' smile at a later time when she wasn't so invested in getting Brennan to agree to the Secret Cupid. "Besides," she continued, "doing a Secret Cupid would be in keeping with the original idea of Valentine's Day. I checked it all out on Wikipedia," Angela grinned confidently.
"Yes, I'm sure you did." Brennan rolled her eyes. "You're referring, of course to the comment about 'courtly love' that is in the current entry. You know, I hope, that courtly love was generally not practiced between husband and wife, right?"
"Exactly! So that's why Secret Cupid is such a great idea . . . it would be between co-workers and colleagues, not partners or spouses!" Angela replied.
"So, what you are saying is that I would participate in this Secret Cupid gift exchange which is associated with Valentine's Day which, for adults, is marketed towards couples in intimate relationships. But, I would be receiving a gift from some anonymous giver and I would be purchasing a gift for someone to whom I would also, hopefully, remain anonymous? Do I have that right?" Brennan looked at Angela skeptically. "Why would I want to do that?"
"Well, when you put it like that, it doesn't sound like quite as much fun. But it's still a great idea. C'mon, Bren. I'd really like to do this and if you and Booth agree, Cam will go along."
Shaking her head, Brennan asked, "So when you researched Valentine's Day, did you also look up Cupid? I'm just not sure why anyone would want a naked chubby toddler with a weapon in charge of their love life," Brennan scowled.
"But, Bren. Cupid has been accepted by many cultures, Roman, Greek, Latin, even Christians in the Middle Ages. He's not always been portrayed as a naked chubby toddler with a weapon! Sometimes he's been thinner!" Angela smiled and continued, "Anthropologically you understand that, right? Of all of the digs you've been on you've come in contact with peoples with beliefs and idols that may not make sense to us, but that they cling to. So, maybe you could view the Secret Cupid exchange as an opportunity to observe other societal behaviors!" Angela grinned.
Brennan playfully glowered at Angela. "You planned this all out didn't you?" She chuckled. "Okay," she continued," if you can get Booth to agree, I'll go along with it." Brennan sat back in her chair and smiled at her best friend, confident that there was no way Booth could be convinced to agree.
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Author and Story Alerts are viewed as anonymous positive reviews. Although I really do enjoy "the real thing".