Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable. Sorry.
Yes, this was supposed to be up before the Emmys, but wouldn't let my document load. Sorry!
This chapter is for Jean Yanders and Carol Stuard, two of the most amazing people I've ever met. You inspire me, ladies.
A/N#1: This will be the last new chapter for at least a week. It's long, so hopefully it'll tide you through. Please remember to read and review. More author's notes at the end.
Chapter Nine: Secrets and Lies
July FourthGiggles came from the back seat, and Tempe turned around. "What's so funny, you two?"
Parker and Abby just laughed more, and Jordan shook her head and went back to her book. Tempe rolled her eyes and faced forward, meeting Russ's gaze in the rearview mirror and grinning.
She had hoped that all the kids would get along, but Abby and Parker had exceeded her expectations. Five minutes into dinner the previous night, they had been giggling and sharing secrets. They were now fast friends, and when they'd met at the hotel for breakfast, they'd acted as though they'd been parted for years instead of hours.
The giggling continued, but she ignored it, choosing instead to concentrate on the feeling of Booth's hand secretly holding hers, hidden between their legs and beneath her backpack. It was probably the only time all day that they'd be able to do anything like this, and she wanted to appreciate it while it lasted.
In front of them, Sarah was reading through a newspaper insert about the celebration, mentioning various things she thought they'd all enjoy. "There's a juggler at eleven, and clowns at noon –"
"Absolutely not," Russ interrupted, and Sarah glanced over at him.
"Oh, right. Sorry." She crossed the clown act off of her schedule and went on, and Tempe disappeared into the past. Memories of her first and only circus visit at age five, where she had enviously watched the trapeze artists and Russ had freaked when he'd seen the clowns. He'd had nightmares for weeks after. Sarah jolted her back to the present.
"And when are we meeting your friends again, Tempe?"
"Three o'clock, in front of the Jeffersonian."
Behind her, Abby let out a high-pitched squeal of excitement. Without even turning around, Sarah warned her to calm down. There was a brief moment of blissful silence, then the giggling began again.
Russ, battling the holiday traffic on the Beltway, met her eyes again in the mirror and rolled his, and she grinned. As long as they weren't fighting, everything was peachy with her.
Sarah went through a few more things, circling some items, crossing off others, then pulled out a notepad and worked out a tentative schedule. Tempe was impressed with her organization, but not really surprised. The woman was a middle school teacher, after all. Sarah made a copy and handed it back to her.
"Obviously, we don't have to follow this, but Abby works better with some sort of schedule."
Tempe looked it over. Midway games, rides, the jugglers' show, lunch, more games, a magic show, more rides, the squints, more games, crafts booths, more rides, dinner, fireworks – Sarah had included everything. "It looks great," she told her, disentangling her hand from Booth's to fold the paper and put it in her pocket.
In the back seat, Parker and Abby had started singing a song about lazy pirates. Hearing this, Sarah turned and grinned at Booth. "I take it you're a fan of 'Veggie Tales' too?"
He grinned back. "We are. He's got a few of the CDs and all of the movies."
"So do we," she said, turning back around as Russ took their ext. He turned onto Independence Avenue as the song changed to something featuring 'cébus,' and soon they were parked in Tempe's spot at the Jeffersonian and tumbling out of the car.
"You work here?" Abby asked, staring at the impressive building and the fountain in front.
"I do," Tempe replied, helping Sarah get a little red wagon out of the back. "You guys can come visit me here tomorrow, if you want."
She and Russ and Sarah had talked about it, and they had agreed that the girls would enjoy the museum, especially if Tempe gave them a behind-the-scenes tour. "Jordan loves to learn, so she'll have fun. And Abby just thinks you're cool. You could probably take her to a dump and she'd like it." Russ had told her when she asked.
"Cool!" Abby said now, reaching up and taking one of her hands. Parker, seeing this, took her other hand and stuck his tongue out at Abby. She made a hideous face back at him, and Tempe wondered where the happy, singing kids had gone.
Sarah must have sensed impending disaster, because she called Abby over and told her to take a seat in the wagon. The little girl made a face but sat down, and Parker smirked at her and began victoriously swinging their linked hands.
They headed over to the celebration, and Tempe silently marveled at the fact that she'd lived in DC for so many years but had never been to the fireworks before. They went in through the southeast entrance, and she was hit by the sights, sounds, and smells of thousands of people. Parker gripped her hand tightly, obviously overwhelmed, and Booth, on his other side, picked him up and set him on his shoulders.
"Wow," said Russ, holding Jordan's hand and looking around. "I'm glad we have a full day here. What's first on that schedule of yours, Sarah?"
Two hours later they took a break for lunch. The wagon now held a few small stuffed animals, and two larger items: a giant dog in a red collar holding a martini glass (complete with stuffed olive) that Russ had won; and a big stuffed black bear that Booth had received. He'd told Tempe that he was going to put a stuffed human arm inside it, and she'd just rolled her eyes.
They were sitting at a large table under a tent, listening to loud oldies and eating extremely overpriced food. Parker and Abby, friends again, were covered in ketchup, mustard, and pickle relish, and Tempe was glad that she had a change of clothes for him in her backpack. She wished she'd brought something for herself.
"I still can't believe you did that," she told Russ, glaring at him.
"Oh, come on, Tempe," he said, laughing. "You looked hot. I just thought you needed some water to cool you off."
"For your information," she began, waving a forkful of fried okra at him, "I was perfectly fine. And I'll get you for that, Russell." He just grinned, unrepentant, and she narrowed her eyes. He'd get it, all right, she promised herself. She didn't know when, and she didn't know how, but she would have her revenge.
It had been one of those stupid midway games. Shoot a stream of water from a gun into a target, blow up a balloon before everyone else, win a prize. The stuffed animals had been cheap and ugly, but Russ had challenged her, so she'd agreed to play the game. She'd been winning, too, when he'd suddenly turned the water gun on her.
It wouldn't have been such a big deal if she hadn't been wearing a white shirt.
She knew Booth appreciated the view; he'd told her so, whispering it into her ear and secretly squeezing her ass during the juggling act. The shirt was dry now, but she was still a little irritated with her big brother.
Abby and Parker had finished their hot dogs and were now playing some sort of game, running after each other and screaming. "I think it's med time," Sarah muttered to Russ, digging through her backpack and pulling out a change of clothes and a small orange pill bottle.
"Med time?" Tempe murmured to Russ as Sarah and Abby headed towards the restrooms.
"Abby has ADHD," he told her quietly. "She's on Focalin right now, which calms her down and helps her make better decisions. We've been through a couple of different things in the past year, trying to find one that really works, and so far this seems to be it."
Tempe nodded in understanding. A quick glance at Parker revealed that he was now coated in soda, ketchup, and dirt, and she reached for her own backpack to retrieve his clean clothes. She handed them to Booth and watched as they walked off, studying the appearance of her partner's ass in jeans and appreciating the view.
Russ was smirking when she turned back, and she rolled her eyes, knowing exactly what he was thinking. She opened her mouth to say something – she wasn't sure what – but Jordan beat her to it.
"Russ?"
"Yeah, kiddo?" He turned to smile at her, and Tempe let her breath out, relieved. No interrogations now.
"Can I have two dollars please?" She fluttered her lashes at him and grinned, obviously knowing it would get him to agree. It had to be her version of a 'charm smile,' Tempe thought, leading her to wonder what Abby's was.
Jordan and Abby were near opposites, both in temperament and looks. Where Abby had blond curls, big blue eyes, and boundless energy, Jordan had dark curls, the same big blue eyes, and a calm, quiet demeanor. She'd spent the entire drive from the hotel to the Jeffersonian reading. She was, Tempe reflected, very much a younger version of herself with better social skills.
"What do you want two bucks for?" Russ asked her now, raising an eyebrow.
"They have little carved turtles over there, and I wanted one. Please, Russ?" She fluttered her lashes again, and he rolled his eyes and succumbed.
"Sure, kiddo." He pulled a few dollars out of his wallet. "Pick one out and come right back, okay?"
She agreed, and they watched her walk over to the booth and examine the merchandise. "She has a turtle collection," Russ explained. "She absolutely loves them. She wants one as a pet, but Sarah hates reptiles in any form."
Tempe watched Jordan ask the woman in charge of the booth a question, and grinned at Russ. "You remember our first pet?"
"Oh man! Lilly the evil cat!" He laughed. "Evil only to people who weren't in the family, of course."
She laughed with him. "When we went away for Thanksgiving that one year, and out neighbor had to put on his hockey gear to feed her safely? That was great."
"What's so funny?" Booth asked, sitting back down next to her and handing her Parker's dirty clothes, tied up in a plastic bag. Parker himself sat on Tempe's other side and leaned against her, and she wrapped her arm around him.
"We were just talking about this cat we used to have. Her name was Lilly, and she was absolutely evil." Russ smiled as Jordan walked back up, a small paper bag in her hand. "Which one did you get?"
She opened the bag and showed him. "The lady said it was made of bone, but I'm not sure." She handed it to Tempe. "You can tell, right?"
"Sure." The turtle was about two inches long, and white, with the carved details blackened in. It certainly felt like bone, Tempe thought, and it weighed about the right amount, though without knowing what animal it came from, she couldn't be positive. She handed it back to Jordan. "I believe it's bone, but I wouldn't know for sure without testing."
"Okay," the girl replied, accepting this. "Cool, thanks."
"You're welcome." Jordan pocketed the turtle and threw the bag in the trash as Sarah and Abby reappeared. The little girl was asleep, and Sarah passed her off to Russ.
"The magic show starts in about half an hour," she said, putting Abby's clothes into her backpack. "Should we start heading over? These two," and she nodded at Abby and Parker, who had dozed off against Tempe, "can take a nap while we wait, and we can get good seats."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Booth said, standing and scooping Parker into his arms. They threw away the remaining trash and headed out.
"Hey sweetie!" Angela exclaimed, hugging Tempe. "Having a good day?"
"For the most part," she replied, glaring at Russ and squeezing Angela back before letting go to make introductions. Abby and Parker were now wide-awake, having a nap, a magic show, and cotton candy in their systems. They greeted Angela, Hodgins, and Zack enthusiastically. Jordan smiled and gave them a quiet hello, and Sarah grinned and said she was pleased to finally meet everybody.
The group headed back over to the midway, where the guys were eager to pit their skills against one another. Russ claimed that he had the advantage because he'd worked at a carnival and knew all the secrets, but the others disagreed.
"Booth was a sniper and Zack's a genius with physics and stuff," Hodgins argued.
"What about you?" Countered Russ with a grin. "What've you got?"
Hodgins grinned back, not at all insulted. "I have money, my friend. I'm bound to win something eventually." Angela rolled her eyes at Sarah and Tempe.
"Have they been like this all day?"
"Oh yeah," said Sarah. "They called a truce, though, after they both won big prizes." She gestured to the wagon, and Angela laughed.
"The alpha males bringing home the bacon," Tempe said with a grin, glad that she could share in a joke for once.
The guys stopped at a booth filled with balloons and cheap, ugly stuffed animals. About one-third of the balloons had been popped, and brightly colored strips littered the ground inside. From the signs posted, Tempe gathered that one had three darts and therefore three chances to pop a balloon and win a prize. The guys began discussing the best ways to throw the darts, and the girls drifted to the next booth to look at the jewelry.
They reconnected ten minutes and two stalls later. Parker had another small stuffed fish, and Zack was carrying … something. It was small, black, and stuffed, wore a red cape and a diaper, and had two eyes on stalks.
"What is that?" Tempe asked him, and he grinned.
"Nibbler."
"Oh," she replied. She'd make Booth or Angela explain later.
Russ and Hodgins hadn't won anything, and they proceeded to bicker about it for the next ten minutes, until they found the same water-gun game that had soaked Tempe earlier. Some sort of challenge was issued, and Sarah and Angela were both rolling their eyes, but Tempe hardly noticed.
Booth had snuck up behind her and was now running his fingertips under her shirt and along her spine, his actions hidden by their bodies. "Think you can come up with an excuse to be alone with me for fifteen minutes?"
She watched Russ and Hodgins pay the man in charge and choose their guns. "I thought we said we'd go slow," she murmured.
"I just want to kiss you," he whispered in her ear, and she was glad that everyone was distracted. Angela and Russ would have noticed her small shiver.
"I can think of something," she said softly, and she could tell he was grinning.
"You're so smart."
Hodgins and Russ tied five times before calling it a draw, and when the group began to walk again, Tempe asked Sarah if she'd mind watching Parker for a couple of minutes.
"Why?" she asked. "I mean, I will, of course, but why? Where are you and Booth going?" She grinned suggestively.
Tempe rolled her eyes. "It's nothing like that, Sarah. Angela's birthday is next week, and we're getting her a present from one of the craft booths. We just need fifteen minutes to go pick it out, that's all."
Sarah looked disappointed but agreed to watch Parker, and they began to walk away.
"Where are you two going, all by yourselves?" Angela called after her.
"To get you a birthday present, Ange," Tempe replied, turning around and grinning.
"You're just now picking out my present?"
"Well, maybe you're getting two," she said. Angela loved presents, and she knew that would distract her best friend.
But not as much as she'd hoped. "You know what would be a great present?" Angela asked, waggling her eyebrows. "You two –"
"Little kids," Sarah warned her. "You're being edited for content, Ange." She waved. "Have fun shopping!" She turned back to say something to Angela, and Russ added to it, but they were already turning away.
There was something going on there, Tempe thought, but she didn't have time to mull it over. The second they were completely out of sight, Booth grabbed her hand.
"We need to get farther away and find a spot to hide," he told her, and she felt a thrill of excitement. Secret make-out sessions with Booth – yum!
They finally found a spot, hidden between a booth selling t-shirts and a vendor with deep-fried Twinkies. Next thing she knew, she was pressed against a wall and his mouth was on hers, and she forgot about the squints and her brother and Angela's upcoming birthday. Instead, she focused on Booth, on his mouth and his scent, curiously mixed with that of sugar, and the feeling of his hands on her waist.
She was lost, she was gone, and then reality slammed home.
"Crap," she muttered against his mouth, and pushed him away.
"Wha-what? Bones?"
"Zack," she said, looking for her grad student. She'd seen him out of the corner of her eye, and she knew that they had to catch him fast. Otherwise, she knew he'd tell Angela, and she wasn't ready for this relationship to be public, not yet.
"What?" he said again, and she hurried to explain, heading out of the little 'alley' and nearly running down the main road. He caught up quickly. "Bones, slow down. We need to formulate a plan."
"What?" she asked, stopping and facing him.
"You've got Sarah's schedule in your pocket, right? Just look at that to see where they should be, and we can figure out the quickest way to intercept him."
It was a good idea, she had to admit; at least in theory. But the schedule was only tentative, and they could be anywhere. Still, she pulled the paper out and studied it. "Midway," she said finally, "they should still be at the midway. Especially if Russ and Hodgins are still competing."
"Then that's where we'll go," Booth said. "We'll catch him, Bones, don't worry."
And strangely enough, she didn't.
Zack hurried along the midway, searching for Angela, Hodgins, Russ, anyone but Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth. He still couldn't believe what he'd seen – his mentor and her partner, making out like teenagers. What had started out as an innocent trip to the bathroom was turning into a reconnaissance mission.
He couldn't wait to tell Angela. By the looks of things, they'd more than achieved their first goal. He continued on his way, hoping that they'd be nearby –
And then he was flat against a wall, one hand covering his mouth, the other pinning him. "Don't scream, kid, we're not going to hurt you."
He opened his eyes and saw Agent Booth, with Dr. Brennan right behind him, big blue eyes filled with worry. Agent Booth released him and stepped to the side, blocking his only way of escape. Not that he would even try; he knew what Dr. Brennan could do to a guy, never mind what the two of them could do together.
"You saw, didn't you?" she said now, and there was no way he could lie, not to her.
"Yes," he mumbled, not meeting her eyes.
"Crap," she muttered, looking at Agent Booth. Something passed between them, some silent communication, and then she turned back to him.
"You can't tell anyone, Zack. And I mean no one, not Angela or Hodgins or your family."
"What?" he asked, confused. "Why not? This is a good thing, right?"
Again that look, that silent communication.
"Maybe," she said, looking unsure, which was somehow scarier than facing a menacing Agent Booth. She wasn't ever supposed to be unsure; she was Dr. Temperance Brennan, renowned forensic anthropologist and his mentor. "I think so. The thing is, Zack, we're working on it, on this. But it needs to stay a secret."
His neurons weren't firing correctly, because he didn't understand. But he respected her, and he could respect her wishes to keep quiet. Angela would hate him for it when she found out, but –
"Wait a minute – Angela doesn't know about you two, does she?" Because if she knew, and she was leading them to believe otherwise as some sort of joke, he and Hodgins would … well, they'd do something evil.
"Nobody knows. Why?"
"Um, no reason," he said, but he was terrible at lying, and he knew she could see right through him.
"Uh huh." She just looked at him, and waited, and he finally couldn't stand the silence and looked at her eyes. Big mistake.
"There may be a conspiracy to get you two together," he muttered, glancing away. But once he started, he couldn't stop. "Angela and Russ started it, and Sarah and Hodgins and I are in on the whole deal."
"What?" said Agent Booth, looking both annoyed and amused.
But Dr. Brennan had that look on her face, the one that she usually got before she came up with some brilliant explanation or idea. "That explains the way she's been acting, and Russ too," she said, almost to herself. "Did you guys have something planned for today?"
"Actually, the plan was to have you two kiss before the end of June. We thought we'd failed, and then I came up with the idea of, um, losing you here."
"Losing us?" asked Agent Booth, and now the amusement was definitely winning.
"You know, just kind of 'accidentally' walking away, giving you two some time alone. Just to see if that, um, jump-started things, so to speak." He shuffled his feet and wondered how long they would be here. The others would be wondering where he'd gone, and he didn't want to spill the entire plan.
Dr. Brennan looked thoughtful. "So we know they have a plan, and we know what the plan entails …" This time, Zack kept his mouth shut. She gave him and Agent Booth an absolutely evil smile. "We could get revenge for plotting against us."
"Or for us, really," Agent Booth corrected her, and she rolled her eyes.
"Whatever, Booth. But this still gives us a chance to, uh …"
"Mess with them?" Zack suggested, and immediately regretted it.
Dr. Brennan grinned. "Exactly! We can mess with them, just like they're trying to do with us!"
Zack was still skeptical, but Agent Booth was nodding. "It could be fun. And we'd really show them, huh?"
She turned the grin on him, and he was powerless to resist. "What do you say, Zack?"
Despite his misgivings, and his complete inability to lie, he found himself agreeing to keep their secrets, and plot against the plotters.
They began to walk away, and while Agent Booth was in the main road, waiting for them and pretending to browse, Dr. Brennan leaned over.
"Thank you, Zack. You have no idea how much this means."
Thing was, he did have some idea, and that was the only reason he agreed to keep quiet. But he didn't tell her this; he just smiled and told her it was no problem.
He watched as she caught up with Agent Booth, giving his hand a squeeze before dropping it and taking one step to the side.
He'd keep quiet for as long as they wanted.
Purple and green fireworks lit up the sky, and Tempe secretly held Booth's hand as everyone watched the light show. Parker was cuddled between them; Russ was on her other side, a half-asleep Abby in his lap. Surrounded by her family, Tempe felt surprisingly at ease, and it was the first holiday in years that she could remember actually enjoying.
More fireworks were launched, and she watched them explode in brilliant colors, feeling Booth's fingers trailing up and down her forearm. Between him and the chill in the air, she was covered in goose bumps, and when he offered her his hooded FBI sweatshirt, she gladly took it, snuggling deep inside. It smelled like him, a wonderful combination of man and sweat and something else, something she couldn't identify.
The show continued, and she found her head resting on his shoulder, her hand back in his. It was comfortable and cozy, and she knew without a doubt that regardless of how this relationship would end, she was already too far-gone to stop it now.
She glanced to the side and found Zack studying her. She smiled at him, pleased that he was keeping the secret, and that he seemed to understand how important it was. He'd excel at whatever he ended up doing, she was sure of that.
He smiled back, and winked, and turned to watch the fireworks. She did the same, laying her head back down on Booth's shoulder. They could plot against Angela and Russ tomorrow, and worry about their relationship later. For now, she would enjoy the company of the people she loved.
It was the best holiday ever.
Please read and review. Comments and criticisms are always appreciated, and this time, flames will be converted directly into gas, no middleman money involved.
A/N#2: Again, this will be the last update for at least a week. Real life intervenes, and I'll be moving tomorrow and searching for a job. Thanks for all your reviews and good wishes – they are extremely appreciated.
A/N#3: I thought I'd leave you with an idea of what's happening in Chapter Ten: There are more cute kids, some plotting (on both sides) and a major fight between … yeah, I won't tell you that. See y'all in a week!
