Chapter 10

Seeley usually picked him up in the drive through lane outside Hudson Elementary school, but when Jared walked outside, he didn't see his brother's black Toyota anywhere. Jared paused, shifting his backpack from one arm to the other, and then stood on his tiptoes to see if his brother was just at the end of the line.

No Seeley. For a moment Jared wondered if maybe Bones had come to get him driving a different car, but he didn't see her either. Jared trotted back to the front doors, resigning himself to sit on the steps.

As he sat on the hot concrete, the door opened, a blast of air conditioning ruffling his dark hair. Jared glanced up automatically, his eyes widening when he saw who was walking through the door.

Jenny McCoy!

Yikes!

She looked totally ugly today, with her glossy hair brushed back and her big blue eyes crinkling at the corners as she squinted into the sun. Really, really ugly, Jared thought, entranced. A spray of freckles dappled her nose, and he had this alarming and sudden urge to throw pebbles at her until she looked at him.

Holy Jesus, she was looking at him! Jared quickly looked away, pretending to be interested in the roly poly slinking across the cement. A shadow crossed him, but he refused to glance up. He could feel her standing there, just watching him.

She sat down right next to him. Of course she did. He ignored her.

"Hi Jared," she said, and her voice sounded just like summer, kind of bright, happy, and popsicley.

"Hi Jenny."

"Your brother isn't here?"

"Nope." He studiously avoided eye contact.

"Oh. You know I really liked your brother; he's very handsome. Thanks for inviting me to your birthday party."

It did the trick. Jared's eyes shot off the ground and flew to her face. "What? Seeley? He's not handsome," Jared scowled, biting back the part of him that felt disloyal for saying it. Seeley was… Seeley. He wasn't handsome or ugly. He was just Seeley.

"That's not true, he is handsome! He's like…" Jenny drifted off, trying to think of the correct comparison. "He's like… a prince in a Disney movie, only better because he doesn't wear fancy clothes all the time. So maybe like Aladdin. He's kind of like Aladdin."

"You think my brother is like Aladdin?" Jared asked, nonplussed. He didn't like it.

"Yup."

"That's dumb."

"Are you jealous because I think your brother is handsome?"

"No," Jared said quickly, scowling at her. "You're just a girl. I don't think you know what you're talking about."

"That is so rude, Jared Booth! Now I don't want to do it anymore."

"Huh? Do what?" Jared sat up straighter, trying to figure out what the maddeningly girl was thinking.

Jenny squinted at him, glaring. "No. I'm not going to tell you. Hey-" Jenny cut off, her gaze clearing from anger as she looked over at the playground. "Isn't that your brother now?"

Jared looked over at the playground, stifling a groan. What was his brother doing? He was going to have to have a long talk about boundaries when he got him home.

"He's playing on the playground! With that girl. I liked her too."

This is embarrassing, SEELEY. Jared berated his brother in his head, grudgingly standing when Jenny hopped to her feet. They started walking to the playground. He was still smarting from Jenny's confession that she found his brother to be handsome and…. Aladdin-like. That was so dumb. Aladdin wasn't even real.

She was so ugly, he thought savagely, as they walked to the playground. So ugly she was kind of pretty. And he didn't like her at all, except for the very large part of him that liked her too much.

"That's Bones, his girlfriend," Jared said, placing a big emphasis on the world girlfriend. Okay, he didn't know if it was true, but he was sure it would be soon. Besides, he didn't like this whole Jenny-thinking-Seeley-was-handsome thing she was doing.

"Yes, his girlfriend," Jared repeated, desperately filling her disconcerting silence with words, lies and all. "They might get married. And she told me once that she gets really, really mad if anyone else thinks Seeley is handsome. She's an older woman," Jared said meaningfully. Older than me, he amended with a guilty sigh. He knew Seeley was older than Bones.

They crested the hill, the playground looming before them. Jared could hear Seeley's big laugh, and it brought an involuntary smile to his face. Despite the fact that the girl he liked—hated—liked, thought he was handsome, and even though it was embarrassing to have his brother running around like a little kid on the playground with Bones, he loved seeing him happy.

Seeley was pushing Bones on the swings, pushing her hard and fast until she was swinging nearly as high as it would go. Jared watched in a sort of oddly paternal amusement as Seeley stopped pushing her, dodging her flailing legs and moving to stand in front of her. He could hear Seeley from where he was, and Jared couldn't take his eyes off his brother's grinning face. He'd been sick for the past few days, and even before that, he couldn't remember ever seeing Seeley look so carefree and happy.

"Jump!" Seeley was saying to Bones, holding out his arms encouragingly.

"No! Booth, no. I'll knock you down."

"No you won't, just jump!"

Jared glanced to the side to see what Jenny was looking at. She was looking at him, the breeze ruffling her hair.

"They're funny," she said, giving a little laugh.

She smelled like vanilla and cookies. Mmm…

Jared corked his wayward thoughts and rolled his eyes. "Aren't you jealous of her? Because he's so handsome?"

Jenny smiled at him, making his stomach flip flop.

"I'm not jealous of her, silly, because I think you're even more handsome."

With that, she blushed, her smile turning shy. "Bye, Jared. My mom's here."

And with that, she took off down the hill, running like the hounds of hell were at her feet. Jared stood in a shocked numbness. What did she just say?

Near the swings, Brennan finally acquiesced to Booth's teasing and jumped, knocking him down flat as he tried to catch her.

She landed on top of him with an oomph, and as Jared watched, she gave a little laugh and brushed her hair out of his eyes. He then leaned up and kissed her, right there on the playground.

Jared swung around, pushing both hands through his hair.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Too much going on right now.

Way… too… much.

Jenny McCoy thought he was handsome.

His brother just kissed Bones.

Jenny McCoy thought he was handsome.

Jared sat down abruptly on the grass. He needed to digest all this. His brain might explode. He stole a glance over to his brother and saw that Bones had gotten off of him, and that he was smiling at her in that way he did. Jared knew Seeley's different smiles like he knew the signature moves of every Pokémon.

Darn well.

Seeley had his normal smile, which he typically showed to the world, but Jared also knew he had a broader, more charming smile that he used to get his way. Seeley also had a hard, angry smile that he used when he was trying to intimidate people in their neighborhood who played their music too loudly and cursed around Jared. That smile terrified the bejeepers out of him.

Jared had his own Seeley-smile, which he knew Seeley only used around him, which was nice, but he'd never seen Seeley smile like he did when he was with Bones. It was softer, almost not even a smile, and Jared felt oddly excluded when Seeley would look at Bones that way.

Finally, Bones turned her head to the side and spotted Jared sitting atop the hill, his backpack sprawled next to him. She nudged Seeley's side and he checked his wristwatch, jumping guiltily.

Jared waited for them to collect themselves and make their way over to him, still a little shell-shocked by it all. He was unbelievably happy for Seeley, because this meant he wouldn't have to chase Bones off if she broke his brother's heart. Plus, he really couldn't remember ever seeing his brother so flustered and content. He was holding Bones' hand as they walked toward him, almost like he couldn't bear to let her go. Jared studied them as they approached, noting the way Seeley's big hand completely enveloped Bones' tiny one. For a minute Jared wasted his time wondering how small Jenny's hands might be. He wanted to find out at school tomorrow.

Seeley and Bones finally reached him, looking a little chagrined.

"Sorry, J, I lost track of time. I meant to be at the front when you got out of school," Booth began with a noncommittal tone.

Feeling like a parent, which he'd been feeling like more and more lately, Jared shook his head and laughed, the wild butterflies he'd had in his stomach since Jenny had left lessening. "It's okay. I'm glad you're feeling better, Seeley. Can we NOW go to the diner, Bones?" Jared wheedled, giving Brennan his own charming smile.

"I told him we had to wait for you to get better," Brennan said by manner of explanation to Booth.

"Darn right you did," Booth concurred, reaching over to pluck Jared's backpack from him. "I'll carry this. Tell me about your day, Jared."

As Jared began to chatter, he felt better, more normal and less like parent/recipient of a Jenny McCoy compliment. He tugged on Bones' hand, beyond relieved that she was still there and obviously in love with his brother.

Things had been so dark for so long, Jared thought. They were finally turning around.

Jack Hodgins felt like the original and ultimate creeper as he watched Chase Duranceau knock on the door to Angela's apartment later that night. The man was dressed in a crisp buttoned up shirt, his hair perfectly coiffed. He twisted a single red rose around his fingers, a self-assured grin on his face. What a douchebag.

This was a stupid idea, he thought sullenly as he shuffled the grocery bag of takeout behind his back. He had Angela's cell phone in his pocket, having guiltily ignored calls to it throughout the day. He knew Angela was probably trying to call it, but he had wanted to bring it to her in person.

He'd met Angela Montenegro last semester, in the Speech/Communications course that was mandatory for students in Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science programs. It was a massive lecture class of two hundred, but the class was broken up into smaller groups taught by Teaching Aides. She had sat next to him all semester, and because their small groups were determined by seats, she'd been in his speaking group as well. He'd thought she was gorgeous the moment she'd sat down and introduced herself, but he hadn't really began to obsess over her until she'd given a speech on some wild theory on art, sexuality and Freud.

The girl was utterly fearless, and Jack had been hooked. He began to think of things to make her laugh, and he brushed up on his knowledge of art, which was pretty much zero. He was even taking an art history course this semester, Jack thought wryly, a totally unnecessary addition to the 18 hours of advanced sciences he was already taking. The woman had him spellbound. They were friends, though, and Jack was content with that.

Well, he had been until he'd seen her waltz off with Chase Duranceau, the smarmy jackass of the century. He had no idea why every male knew Duranceau was bad news, while the females of the species still remained clueless.

God. Women. Insects were a lot easier to understand. Male insects especially. Female Praying Mantises ate the male's heads while they mated, which was grisly and sadistic and wholly unnecessary. Women were sick. Even the insect world had its crazies. All female, of course.

All of his pre-Feminist musings disappeared when the door opened a few moments after Duranceau's knock. Jack had a rough time even catching his breath. Angela looked… god, she looked freaking gorgeous.

That dress… that slit up the side… The entire thing looked like it should be wholesome and appropriate, but the porchlight revealed a flash of bare thigh when she walked, and a glimpse of sun-bronzed cleavage when she bent to retrieve her purse. The damn dress was exactly like Angela herself. Angela Montenegro looked like she should be frolicking with the angels, only the wicked tilt of her brown eyes betrayed her.

Jack wanted to shove her inside and wrap her in a comforter, away from Duranceau's appreciative gaze. Furiously snapping the rubber band on his wrist, Jack dropped the food where he stood. Chinese food exploded on the cement, but he left it there. If she wanted to go out with Duranceau, then she could wait and get her phone later, Jack thought snidely, his lip curling with disgust. He pushed back his concern as he tried to focus on his anger.

Duranceau had a rough reputation with women. He wasn't above getting them drunk to take advantage of them. Jack gnashed his teeth. It was her own damn fault for agreeing to go out with him. She was a big girl who could take care of herself.

He couldn't follow them. That'd be ridiculous. That would be creepy. That would be…

Aw, hell.

Jack vaulted over the low gate to the left of him, dashing to where he'd parked his Mustang. He had to hurry if he was going to catch them on the road. He jumped in, and the engine roared to life.

There was no fucking way Chase Duranceau was going to be taking any liberties with Angela tonight, he thought savagely. He found Duranceau's car on the street and stayed behind it, a guilty and self-righteous flush on his cheeks. He'd just double check where he was taking her. If they went to a restaurant, that was fine, he'd leave them alone. If he tried anything else, Duranceau would have to face the wrath of a seriously pissed off Jack Hodgins. He might be a little shorter than the guy, but he was sure as hell smarter, and he knew his rage would make him into a formidable opponent.

He felt vindicated when Duranceau pulled into a bar. The place was nice enough, but it was still a bar. They still sold primarily alcohol with a few appetizers. Jack had heard enough of Duranceau's escapades to know that he wasn't above ordering drinks extra strong and preying on women who didn't know their own tolerance.

Well Angela, Jack thought bitterly. Congratulations. You've got a date with Duranceau and your very own watchdog compliments yours truly.

He was going to watch that man like a hawk.