Disclaimer: I do not own Bones and never will, but I am obsessed!
Author's note: Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay in updating. Its been a busy week: work, school, travel. My sister and brother are both home this weekend, so I won't be around much. I have the next couple chapters written, but I was trying to have a little bit of a back-stock in case I get busy or writers block, so we'll see. Anyway, my heart was breaking for Bones tonight, when she and Hannah both said, "You're welcome." Poor thing. And I am not a prude, but I really feel no desire to see Hannah and Booth in bed. Not cool. Here's a little fluff to cheer us up. You know what else cheers me up? Reviews :-)
Chapter 9: A Hard Day's Night
July 19, 2005 8:27 PM The Jeffersonian Institution
Angela and Lucy arrived back in the lab stuffed with banana split. The platform was empty but they could hear raised voices coming from Brennan's office. Angela made a cheerful comment, but Lucy wasn't paying attention. She was scowling in the direction of the office.
Angela spoke to her. "Luce, what's wrong?"
"I told him to be nice. He promised to be nice."
Angela smiled knowingly, "Uh, Sweetie, try and listen to what they are actually saying. Go ahead. Get a little closer, they won't even notice you."
Lucy crept closer to the office. Her mother's desk was littered with white containers and the two adults were standing near it, facing each other. Brennan had a fork sticking in Booth's face.
"You did not tell me to save you any of the mee krob. You left the room."
"I went to the bathroom! I never said that I was done eating."
"Well, I am not a brain reader."
Booth was momentarily confused, and then it hit him. "A mind reader, you are not a mind reader."
"Exactly, you should have been more explicit."
"Ok, Bones, you win. Put the fork down. Next time we will just order extra."
She put the fork down and smirked.
"What makes you think there will be a next time?"
Booth failed at keeping his grin under control, but was saved from responding by the office door opening. Lucy and Angela stepped through.
"Mom! Hi." Lucy said with enthusiasm as she went to hug her mother. She studied the agent for a moment and decided that she had forgiven him for his raised voice.
"Hello, FBI guy. How are you this evening?"
"I'm good, Squirt. How was the horse show?"
"Really cool. I got to observe a lot. And I got to ride Ginger. She's Madison's pony. Don't worry, Mom, I wore a helmet, and Madison's dad held the tether the entire time." Brennan accepted that protocol had been followed and began to clean up her desk. She switched gears as she acknowledged Angela.
"Ange, tissue markers are placed. Please be careful with the parietal bones and the left zygomatic arch as I have not finished my analysis of the bone trauma there yet. The skull is on the platform, when you are ready."
"No problem. I'll have an image for you by the morning briefing. Ten AM. Night everyone."
Angela left the office, entirely too happy for someone who was going to spend the rest of the evening with a skull and a computer. Booth and Brennan had no way of knowing that the excitement was personal and in no way professional, but Booth could not miss the energy. "She looks so normal, but she's totally a squint."
Lucy looked up at him. "You've said squint before. What does that mean?"
"Squints, the lab people, they squint at things."
"Don't you think that it is kind of offensive, name calling and all?"
"I never thought of it that way before. Did I offend you, Dr. Brennan?" Brennan was sorting through papers and was barely paying attention to the conversation.
"No, why would I be offended by your judgment of other people?" She said in an off-hand way, never glancing up from the files.
Lucy and Booth smiled at each other. There was a slightly awkward pause as Booth tried to figure out where the conversation had before Thai food and squints.
"Bones, it's getting late. I'm sure that you want to get home." Brennan glanced at a nearby clock. She appeared to be debating.
"We have a few more files that I would like to go over before tomorrow, but it is late."
Lucy piped in. "Mom, you and FBI guy can finish up. I've got my iPod. Oh, and a new book. Aunt Angela and I ran into a bookstore earlier. So I'll just crank up my Tibetan throat singers and I'll wait till you're done." Booth mouthed "Tibetan throat singers?" at Brennan, but she did not understand his expression, and just buried her nose in her files again.
"Squirt, I am going to burn you a CD. No more of this diddly-doo and throat singers. You need to 'Get the Led Out.'"
"Eh, Led Zeppelin is OK, I guess."
"Phew, you at least know who Zeppelin is. I was worried for a second there."
"Aunt Angela's Dad is in the music business, so she's introduced me to some classic rock. She tells me she needs to keep me in Pop Culture, as Mom is a lost cause." Brennan was still engrossed in the files from earlier and Booth and Lucy smiled at each other again.
"Alright, Squirt, give us a few minutes to finish up."
Lucy put in her ear buds and rummaged through her backpack finding her new book. She settled into the couch and looked oblivious to all around her. Booth turned away from Lucy and got Brennan's attention.
"Should we go back on the platform or something? We probably shouldn't be talking about this stuff in front of her."
"I do not think that she would be listening, but you are probably correct. Let's go outside." Lucy smiled to herself as they walked out of Brennan's office as Booth's hand had found its way to the small of Brennan's back and led her into the lab.
They settled on the platform near the body. Booth began to read aloud from some files, trying to outline a plan of attack and who was a priority to question. Brennan nodded and agreed in places but admonished him when he delved too far into guesswork over motives.
"You are just guessing, we do not have all of the facts in. It is useless to conjecture at this point."
"Yeah, yeah, Bones. Let's just finish up here."
They spent another forty minutes going over files before they decided to call it quits. Booth followed Brennan into her office in order to say good bye to Lucy. The girl was asleep on the couch, her book lying open on the floor next to her and a muted tone coming out of the headphones that had slipped out of her ears. He held a finger up to his lips, warning Brennan to stay quiet as he went to the sleeping girl. He shut down the iPod and picked up the book while Brennan gathered her own supplies. Booth handed Brennan the backpack and moved to pick up the sleeping Lucy.
"Booth, just wake her up. There is no need to strain your back carrying her."
"Don't worry about it. She's light. She had a long day. Let's get you ladies home, because tomorrow's a big day for you, you know. You get to go out into the field." He spoke quietly so as not to wake the girl in his arms, but he was acting slightly giddy as well. Brennan's face had brightened at the mention of the world "field" and Booth did not miss the look.
"So where's your car?" Booth nodded his head in the direction of the exit and Brennan began to leave. Booth followed Brennan out of the office.
Angela was able to glance out of the glass windows at exactly the right time. Her eyes had needed a break from the computer screen and she had glanced out of her office and noticed Booth carrying Lucy. It was a sweet picture, but it passed by her field of view too quickly. She took this as a positive sign, however and turned back to her image.
"Alright, Wells, let's give you a face."
Lucy had woken slightly at the jostling that she was undergoing as Booth carried her. She felt warm in his strong arms, but she was also confused. She had fallen asleep? Why didn't they just wake her up? She idly wondered if this is what a Dad did, caring like that. She had never known her father, and her mother very rarely talked about him. She felt guilty at being happy in Booth's arms. Her mother was amazing; she was the best, why couldn't her mother just be enough? Why did she wish so badly to have a father of her very own sometimes? She couldn't rationalize these thoughts, so she decided to just let them go. Booth shifted her weight and she snuggled into him a little bit deeper. She decided to just enjoy the strength and warmth, however brief. She made a mental note to talk to Aunt Angela later. Aunt Angela would be able to explain these confusing feelings to her, help her to understand.
Brennan, for her part stayed carefully ahead of Booth. She did not turn and look back at him. She didn't want to see her daughter in someone else's arms. She especially did not want to see her daughter in the arms of a strong, good-looking and kind man like Booth. She didn't know why. She sighed once, but softly so that Booth woudn't notice. God, she hated psychology. Lost in her own thoughts, the silence became overwhelming and she had to break it.
"You are very good with her, Booth."
"I am a man of many talents."
"Thank you." She wasn't sure what exactly she was thanking him for, but he seemed to understand the sentiment.
"You're welcome." Booth said sincerely and they glanced at each other. Booth's eyes gazed down at Lucy and he held her a little more securely. Brennan's throat felt tight, and she had to look away again.
They had reached her car and she unlocked it remotely. She opened a side door and Booth gently placed Lucy inside. He buckled the seat-belt around Lucy. He heard a whispered, "Night, FBI guy." He also felt the brush of lips against his cheek. He couldn't help grinning.
Booth stood out of the car and he met Brennan's gaze. He thought that he saw wistfulness on her face, but it disappeared quickly.
"Good night, Booth. Please, let me know where I can meet you for our interviews tomorrow."
"Well, I thought I'd stop by. Pick you up. Besides, Angela said that there was a briefing at 10, I'd like to be there."
"It's not necessary. We are still analyzing data; we will have little to report."
"But I'd like to be there. Besides, we have quite a bit of driving to do. We can car pool, save gas. I'm sure the environment is very important to you."
She had a sleeping child in the car and it had been a long day. She let him win this one. Why did it always seem like he was the one who was winning? "Fine, fine. Be here tomorrow at 10 AM. Please be on…"
He placed a finger on her lips. "Don't finish that sentence, Bones." He left the finger and both Booth and Brennan felt a jolt at the continued contact.
Realizing that his finger was lingering, he pulled it away quickly. There was another moment of awkward eye contact and he was the first to turn away.
"See you in the morning. Say good night to Squirt for me."
He slowly flipped his poker chip as he made his way to his car. What on earth was tomorrow going to bring? He was both terrified and intrigued by the scenes that popped into his brain.
