Title: Now That's More Like It! – The Secret in the Soil
Disclaimer: Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.
Summary: Each "chapter" is a one-shot. I have either rewritten/extended an ending for a single episode or for a single scene in an episode. There are no connections between the one-shots. Therefore, I'm only relying on the episodes to lead me and not others story endings that I have written. Each new chapter/ending will list the spoilers and rating since they are one-shots. These are written by a shipper. *_^
***Spoilers: (2&3) - story content, (6) - author's notes ***
Rating: T
Author's Notes for this one-shot: I hadn't planned on writing a new extended ending to this episode quite this soon, but after seeing season 6 episode 2 (final scene), I felt I needed to have a flashback. In the middle of the scene: (Bren) "Survival is the human imperative. If we don't look out for ourselves, nothing else matters." (Possible Message to Booth) Is our partnership in trouble? Can he still count on her to back him up? Once upon a time, they defined having each other's backs is what a true partnership is. They were explaining that to Sweets when asking them why they were so protective of each other. (Booth) "That's not true. You know that's not true, Bones. That's not true. You know that." He was leaning over the bar counter towards her while talking… just like old times. He took everything else she said calmly but not that. Wake-up Booth! She's regressing because of you. Can I change my username to not-so-hot4booth ?
For a frame of reference: This episode aired after Death in the Saddle and came before Mummy in the Maze.
The Secret in the Soil
(Season 3)
New/Extended Ending
From the Original Final Ending
(There may be slight variations to the words due to error in listening and recording. Some lines may have been eliminated or summarized. – Sorry that this one is so long.)
In the ending scene, B&B were working on trust exercises with Sweets. They learned that they were seeing Sweets because the FBI was considering dissolving their partnership since Booth arrested her father.
Bren: Back. Off.
Sweets: I was just trying to help.
Bren: What? By questioning his humanity?
Booth: Okay Bones… Going a bit overboard? He's just a kid. Alright, the worst thing that's probably ever happened to him is he lost (in mortal) combat.
Sweets: Are you normally this protective of him, Dr. Brennan?
Bren: Well, Booth and I are partners. Our lives depend on being protective of each other.
Sweets: And you feel the same way, Agent Booth?
Booth: Sweets, I can only hope that one day you will know what a real partnership is.
Sweets: You two are very close. That was evident from your superficial standardized questionnaires and my unscientific observations. You complement each other.
Booth misunderstood and claimed that Brennan never gave him compliments. Brennan explained that he didn't say compliment, rather, he said complement. He meant they completed each other as a team. Booth looked shocked. Sweets let them know that he would let them stay together but they needed to have regular sessions with him because of underlying issues.
Booth: Issues?
Sweets: Yes. There's clearly a very deep emotional attachment between you two.
Booth: We're just partners.
Sweets: And, uh, why do you think I would have thought otherwise?
Booth: Because you're 12.
Bren: Don't read anything into what Booth said. We're professionals. There's a line that doesn't even need to be there.
Booth: Not at all. I mean, if there were no more murders, I would probably not even see her. We might have coffee.
Bren: Probably not. What?
Booth: What? You wouldn't even have coffee with me?
Bren: Well, in your scenario, we wouldn't even know each other because there are no murders.
Booth: Were. I said no more murders.
Bren: Then fine. We can have coffee.
Sweets looked on, endeared by the two.
Bren: So that's clear that… I mean we'd have coffee. That's our relationship. Coffee?
Booth: Yah. Let's move on. (Directed towards Sweets.)
They stole glances towards each other.
XOXOXOXOXOX – New Extended Ending – OXOXOXOXOXOXO
Booth took his eyes off the road momentarily to look at Brennan. "Is the diner okay?"
"That sounds satisfactory to me."
"Then the diner it is. I think you should try the pie this time, Bones." He flashed his most charming smile.
"Although your smile is quite charming, it doesn't work on me," stated Brennan seriously.
"Bones? Did you just give me a compliment?"
"No. I was just merely stating a fact to prove a point."
"Right. You complimented me. Thanks, Bones!"
She rolled her eyes and changed the subject. "How long do you think we'll have to see Sweets? I really hate psychology."
"I don't know. This was a surprise to me, too. Maybe I could ask Cullen, tomorrow." He glanced at her. "What do you think he is looking for us to say? Maybe we can skate our way through."
"I don't know what that means."
"It means that you find the answers without too much thought so you can get it done fast and move on."
"So, is that how you got through school, Booth?" she said with a raised eyebrow.
"No. I didn't cheat. Well, maybe I did get a little help in Algebra," he admitted sheepishly. Brennan shook her head as if saying "it figures." But the smile gave her away telling him that she wasn't judging him, at least not harshly.
"I realize that not everyone can be an "A" student in every subject, Booth."
"You're not going to start bragging again, are you?"
"No. I was simply going to tell you that I think you're a great father. And I would doubt that you would want Parker to pick up some of those habits. Although, I can't imagine he would. He's a very smart boy, Booth."
He beamed but instantly frowned at her. "Bones, are you saying that I'm not smart?"
"Of course not, Booth. You're very smart in areas I wish I could understand… like reading people, showing empathy to the loved ones of victims, interrogating… things like that."
"Thanks, Bones. You're on a roll!" He chuckled. "That means I like this side of you... handing out compliment after compliment. Do you have anymore compliments to hand over tonight?" Booth parked the SUV and walked around to help her out. He looked at her almost expectantly. He was enjoying this night.
"I wouldn't want to be the reason for you becoming even cockier than you already are."
"I'm not that bad. This belt buckle is mostly for show." He smirked.
They had just walked into the diner when she dropped her next surprise. "I suppose that could be true. It probably has more to do with your confidence while having intercourse."
He turned scarlet red. "Bones! We're in public."
"Booth, there's nothing wrong with being an exceptionally good sexual partner."
He groaned but waited until they were seated and the waitress had left. "It doesn't have to be discussed in public, Bones. That's a private matter.
"Everyone has sex, Booth. It's a nat…"
He hopped up from his side of the table and scooted in next to her. He swiftly but gently placed a finger over her lips. "Bones, this is not the place for this discussion."
He shouldn't have removed his finger because he just wound up using his whole hand after she very quickly stated, "Does that mean we finally get to discuss your sex life?"
"No!" he said a little too loudly. A few heads turned in their direction causing Booth to turn an even brighter shade of red.
"Did you know that you really are adorable when you blush?"
He laid his forehead in the palm of his hand and shook his head in disbelief. The woman was going to kill him with embarrassment. After a couple of minutes, he leaned over closely to her and whispered, "Those are not the kind of compliments I'm looking for, Bones. And men are not adorable!" She just grinned.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Dessert had just arrived and Booth was still sitting on the same side of the table as Brennan. She hadn't said anything about it, so Booth wasn't rushing away. As much as she had embarrassed him, she also turned him on. And just thinking like that made him hard. He spent nearly the whole damn time sitting there trying to internally talk junior down. So there he sat, torturing himself with her nearness. He didn't want show that fact to the other patrons of the diner. Besides, he liked sitting this close to his Bones despite his condition. When did he start thinking of her as his? He glanced at her to find her studying his lap. Oh God!
She looked up at him and raised a brow. "Does apple pie turn you on, Booth?" She had the horrible habit of saying things like that when he was taking a drink of something. And this time was no exception. He was able to keep the coffee from spraying everywhere, but that only caused him to choke. Just as he was catching his breath, she continued, "It's quite impressive. I can see that I suspected correctly. Your cockiness was established in the bedroom. Booth, are you going to be okay. You have to stop drinking your coffee down your wind pipe."
"Bones," he whined. "I take it back. I don't need anymore compliments of any kind, tonight."
"That's too bad, Booth. I was going to suggest a more private place for more compliments."
Booth gaped at her. It was amazing how she could spurt out phrases like that as if she were reporting details at a crime scene.
"Bones, if I didn't know better, I would think you had been drinking. Because the Temperance Brennan I know doesn't lie. And you very obviously lied to Sweets."
"Like you didn't."
Damn he didn't think he could get any harder. How was he ever going to get out of that diner?
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Author's Notes: So, I have a prediction. Booth may start reestablishing his relationship with Bones by re-teaching her what a partnership is. Hart said they were going to grow close again. I can only hope he isn't joshing us.
Some of my favorite quotes are from this episode:
Hodgins: Well, hello my exotic princess.
Cam: What a charming inappropriate greeting, Dr. Hodgins.
Zach: I think he's talking to a bug.
Cam: Now I feel a bit… rejected.
Hodgins: Looks like something from the ***** family. Where did you come from you gorgeous creature? Do you have any friends?
Cam: Boy, he meant it like ice cream on a hot summer day.
XOXOXOXOXOXOX
Bones: Alligators who swim in pesticide contaminated waters have smaller genitalia compared to their counterparts.
Booth: No way.
Bones: Way.
XOXOXOXOXOXOX
Hodgins: Hey, are you guys going to check out a large compost pile?
Booth (whispers): That's wrong how excited he sounds. Wrong.
XOXOXOXOXOXOX
And from the final scene mentioned above:
Sweets: Are you normally this protective of him, Dr. Brennan?
Bren: Well, Booth and I are partners. Our lives depend on being protective of each other.
Sweets: And you feel the same way, Agent Booth?
Booth: Sweets, I can only hope that one day you will know what a real partnership is.
XOXOXOXOXOXOX
Booth: We're just partners.
Sweets: And, uh, why do you think I would have thought otherwise?
Booth: Because you're 12.