Chapter 10

FUNNY BONES

When Booth reentered the apartment with the other dish of Mac and Cheese, he noticed Bones setting the table.

"Hey, just grab two forks and we'll eat it on the couch right out the dish. It'll be more relaxing."

"Booth, that's not very sanitary."

"Afraid you'll catch cooties from me?"

"What are cooties?"

"Never mind. Look, do you really want to do more dishes or just relax?"

"Relaxing does sound good."

"Then it's settled."

They both went and sat on the couch. Booth turned the TV on and found an old movie. Bones came and sat on the couch, handing Booth a fork and a napkin. They sat there eating and enjoying the old movie.

"Booth, this is quite enjoyable."

"Ssshhhh, you'll spoil the mood." And they both returned to food and TV once more.

Booth got up and carried the dish to the sink, along with the forks throwing away the napkins on the way. Booth returned and started watching the movie once more. After a while, he turned to Bones and asked, "Can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything. If I answer is another question."

"What was Rich's punishment?"

"I don't want to talk about it." She snapped back. 'Whoa, where did that come from." As he looked at his partner watching the movie, her eyes getting a deep blue. He waited a couple minutes and then ask,

"Is everything okay between you and Rich?"

"I told you I don't want to talk about it. And never bring that name up to me again."

He went immediately in protective mood. 'Something happened?' "Bones, did he hurt you?"

"No." again, snappy answer.

Booth turned down the volume and looked at his partner. "Bones, look at me." She slowly turned and stared into his eyes. "Now, answer me and this time tell me in a calming voice. Did he hurt you?"

"No, he did hurt me. See no bruises anywhere." Pointing at her arms, "Now can you turn up the volume please?" and he proceeded to do what he was told. He knew she would start to talk when she was

ready.

He went back to watching the movie once more, taking glimpses at her to read her facial expressions. 20 minutes passed quietly between the two with only the sound of the TV.

"Booth?"

"Bones?"

"Something did happen."

"What happened Bones?" in a very concerned voice.

"Well, you remembered how he said how I never shared anything the other day?"

"Yes. It made me think back to our first case."

"Me too. The bad thing is I knew I did it to him the second he said it. Booth, I thought I've come along ways since then."

"You have Bones. When I first met you, it took you a while to figure out what I said. You picked up on this immediately and knew what was wrong."

She sat there rationalizing what he said, "Well, I decided to open up to him a little." 'Oh, this can't be good." Booth thought.

"Can I ask what you shared with him?"

"It's something I've never shared with you Booth. I don't think you could have handle it but I was sure he could." 'This is really hurting her. She's not even mentioning Rich's name.'

"Tell me what happened Bones."

"Well, I invited him over yesterday I told him I wanted to open up a little with him. He sat there listening, I mean really listening. At the end, he smiled at me and said he understood."

"Bones, you can't be upset about that. What else happened?"

"Well, I then told him what his punishment was. He stood up and started yelling at me saying that it was very sacred to him and that he was not going to do it. He said he couldn't believe how sick and twisted I was." Tears started to well up in her eyes.

Booth reached over and placed his hands on hers. "Bones, you are being awfully cryptic. Can you just tell me what you told him and what his punishment was?"

She looked in his eyes and said, "I don't think you can handle it Booth."

"Temperance, I can handle anything you say to me. You know I'm not going to judge you."

"But Booth, I really doubt you can." 'Good, went from can't handle it to doubt. Just take it slow with her Booth.'

In a very soothing voice, "Temperance, can you do something for me?"

"What?"

"Take your Purple Heart and hold it in your hand." She did as she was instructed. Placing his hand over the top of hers, he said, "This will make us strong together. Just take your time and whenever you're ready, I'll be here for you."

Looking down at his hands in hers with the Purple Heart, she began, "Well, when I was a little girl, my mom and dad took me too a circus."

"What happened at the circus?"

"I was having a really good time, but the best time happened when this....." She looked into his eyes to make sure he would be okay, "this clown made me 6 different types of balloon animals." Booth cringed a little but did not show it on the outside understanding why she didn't think he could handle it.

"I'm okay Bones. You can keep going on if you like."

"Well, ever since that day I had a major fixations on clowns. I mean every time there was a circus in town or a parade, I would just sit and stare at them for hours. They made me laugh a lot."

"What are you trying to say?"

"That next to anthropology and writing, my third best thing in the world are clowns."

"There's nothing the matter with that Bones. I think it's kinda of cute." He gave her a little smile.

"Really?" ,a little smile on her face.

"Yes Bones, just don't expect me to take you to any circuses, okay?"

"Oh, Angela and I go together when they are in town. I knew I could never take you."

"Thank you Bones."

"For what?"

"For never taking me to the circus, but more importantly, for sharing that." She gave him a nice smile. "You want to tell the rest that happened?"

"Booth, the next part is not going to make you any more comfortable."

"Bones, as long as we have this Purple Heart," looking down, "between us, nothing can hurt us."

"But it's subject a you don't like to talk about."

"I can handle it. I promise."

"Well, I came up with his punishment based on this issue."

"What was the punishment?"

"Saturday, when I first saw him in his clown outfit, something biological triggered in me. I haven't thought of him in that way until I saw him in that suit of his." She said, "When I told him this yesterday, that is when he started yelling about it being sacred to him and that he would not do it." Tears coming back in her eyes.

Booth pulled her into a hug. "Bones, I'm trying to understand why he got upset. Can you tell me exactly what you asked of him in something I would understand?"

"I asked him to make love to me while wearing his clown suit." she said nonchalantly.

Booth's jaw dropped at that second and his eyes got big. His grip on her hands and the Purple Heart got a little stronger as images started flashing thru his mind.

"Booth, are you okay?" Not being able to see him due to the hug. "I know how you are when it comes to my biological urges."

"Just give me a second Bones." he stammered. Images of his Bones and a clown were not vacating anytime soon.

"Of course Booth. You have always been very patient with me."

'Take deep breaths.' more images. 'Come on Booth, you can handle this' more images. 'Where did I leave my gun?' more images. 'Think she notice if I went to the kitchen and poked my eyes out?' more images.

After a couple minutes, he started to calm down.

He backed away from her and looked in her eyes. He immediately pulled her back into a hug getting even more imagse as he saw the blue orbs shining back at him.

A couple minute, he backed away once more and again, looked into her eyes. "Bones, it's not your fault."

"But he started yelling at me."

'It's still not your fault. It's just that he probably wears that suit to entertain kids and stuff. Like you said the other day, you think he did it on a regular basis. It was a difference of opinions."

"I don't understand."

"It's just like God with us. You know I believe in Him and I know you don't. We accept that about each other"

"So, God is a clown?"

"For today he is Bones."

"Okay, I trust you. Can we finish watching the movie?"

"Sure Bones."

The volume went back up on the TV while Dr. Temperance Brennan sat back and relaxed in her partner's arms. Booth just sat there with images after images going thru his mind.

"Booth?"

"Yeah Bones?"

"Thank you for being my partner and friend."

"Same goes for me, Bones."

They fell asleep with hands together still holding the Purple Heart.