Payback


"I'm totally going to get you back for that stunt you pulled yesterday." Angela seethed as she leaned her hip against her friend's couch. Bones was working on her book after everyone had gone home for the day. Angela made a last ditch effort to get her friend to relax and go home before ten. Bones looked up and grinned.

"The look on your face was priceless though Ang. I wish I had a camera."

Angela rolled her eyes and grinned. "But did you see Booth's face? He was shocked!"

Bones laughed a little and recalled her partner's strange behavior the day before. "Yeah, he was."

"I think he was a little disappointed that it was only a joke." Angela stated conspiratorially.

Only a joke. Right, it was only a joke.

"You're incorrigible."

"Did you expect anything less?"

"No, I guess not. But I wish you'd give it a rest. Booth doesn't feel that way about me." Her voice dropped to almost a whisper, and Angela's sixth sense immediately picked up on it.

"How do you feel?"

Bones paused. What she felt could not be articulated. Not yet, anyway. She'd had inklings of it before, when they'd gotten close, but yesterday it felt stronger than ever.

"He's my partner. And my friend. Nothing more."

Angela saw the wheels turning. "Alright, then, I'll let it be. For now." She warned and headed for the door. "I don't want you staying here until all hours of the night working. Go home and relax, buy a T.V. or something."

"Goodnight, Ang."

"Night sweetie."

As Angela clicked her heels down the hallway, she spotted Booth's distinct stride coming toward her and she immediately grinned.

"Hi, you."

"Hey, Angela. She still here?" Somehow, he knew he didn't have to say who he was talking about.

"As usual. Good luck." She winked as she passed him and he smiled at her with a little confusion. How on earth she seemed to pick up on so much, he had no idea.

"Hey Bones." He greeted, entering and plopping on her couch comfortably. She barely glanced up.

"What're you doing here?" She asked, not bitter or threatening, just softly.

"I'm here to kidnap you."

"Did Angela send you?"

He laughed, "No, but I figured someone oughta force you to take a break once and a while."

"Booth, you don't have to look out for me all the time. I'm fine."

"I know, I know. But I was kind of hoping you'd want to come get some food with me."

She couldn't help but grin at his hopeful expression and she couldn't refuse him.

"As long as you're buying."

"As usual."

"And you let me drive."

"No way." He responded automatically.

"As usual." She rolled her eyes.

They didn't debate over where to go for dinner. Wong Foo's was assumed, and Bones didn't mind. She liked it there, and liked to consider it their place. They talked about the case a little, but Booth maneuvered the conversation to other things, as he liked to do.

He drove her home, walked her up to her door, despite her feeble protests.

"Just humor me, okay Bones? It's a gentlemanly thing."

"I thought you said I was essentially a guy to you. Would you walk your guy friends to their doors?"

Booth narrowed his eyes at her. "No, but you're different."

"Because I'm a-"

"Woman? Yeah, that has something to do with it."

Bones smiled and shook her head a little, still not really understanding. She unlocked her door and smiled back at him.

"See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah." He replied softly, his voice suddenly giving out on him, his pulse picking up.

She crossed into her apartment, but his voice made her turn.

"Bones, one more thing."

He walked surely toward her, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her body tightly against his. Her eyes widened and her lips parted to exclaim an objection, but his lips stopped the words and all objections were forgotten. Slowly, her hands snaked up around his neck and he kissed her thoroughly. He inched back, and Bones pressed one last kiss to his lips before leaning back to catch her breath.

"I know you felt that."

The power of speech eluded her at that moment, so she nodded. He grinned and stepped away.

"Good. See you tomorrow. Night, Bones."

She sent him a smoldering look, leaning against the door as he took a few steps backward down the hall, and blew him a kiss like she'd seen in the old movies she loved. He laughed and pretended to grab it out of the air and put it in his pocket. She laughed and shook her head as he passed out of sight. Closing her door, she leaned her back against it and sighed. That was definitely out of the ordinary. But she hoped it would become another one of their usuals that she'd come to love almost as much as the man she shared them with. Bones laughed out loud. Angela is going to freak!


"Don't toy with me, Brennan, I can't take that trauma again."

"I'm not kidding. He just grabbed me and kissed me and-" she sighed, remembering, "it was amazing."

She heard a thud as the phone fell to the floor and her friend's muffled scream.

"Angela?"

"Oh my God that's incredible! And then he just left? You didn't ask him to stay?"

"No, Ang! I don't even know what's going to happen now."

"Listen to me, don't analyze this to death, please? Just let it be. Let it happen like it was meant to."

"If you're going to lecture me about us being made for each other, it's completely irrational-"

"Yeah, whatever, I know. But you know you want him."

She was silent for a moment, but Angela knew she was grinning. The artist laughed.

"Now go to sleep and dream about him."

"I don't know if I'll be able to fall asleep now." She sighed happily.

"Sweetie, you've got it bad."

"Got what?" Bones asked innocently.

"Never mind. Night, Bren. Call me later."

"Goodnight Angela."


Ashlynn - of course they fall in love for real, silly.

Bella mi amore - hahaha I'm glad I got you excited!

collegeavatar - I feel bad for Booth all the time, because he clearly has 'got it bad' for Bones and she's just so clueless...thanks for t he review!

Thanks everybody else for the fantastic reviews. I love it when you review to tell me hi, too. I know I said I had an epilogue, but it was short so I blended it into this chapter. That means, yes this is The End. For this story, anyway. I've got another in the works, so put me on your author alert list: D

Hope everyone has a good rest of the week! TTFN,

Austin B.