Chapter 21

Monday

11:11 AM

Booth could see her elongated shadow before he saw her. Sitting in his fluorescent orange swimming shorts on a wooden beach chair, with a bright yellow umbrella looming over him, Booth had been staring out over the crystal clear ocean for hours. He was not one for sitting and doing nothing, but there was something about the beating sun, the warm air, and the spectacular view that made him feel relaxed. She stood behind him, her shadow looming over him. Booth waited for Brennan to join him on the chair. She didn't move. He smiled, knowing that she was being coy with him.

"Can I help you?" He asked without turning around to look at her.

"That depends." Her voice was smooth as silk. Just hearing it turned him on.

"On what?"

"I'm looking for my sexy, strapping FBI agent husband. But I can't seem to find him anywhere."

"No?"

"No. He wouldn't be able to sit still out on the beach for this long without having something to do."

"Well, maybe if you join him, he will have something to do."

Her shadow moved. But, instead of joining him on the chair, she walked in front of him and stood, blocking his view. He liked the new view much better. She stood with her feet planted firmly on the sand and her hands on her hips. She was wearing only a black bikini. Her hair was left blowing in the wind. It certainly wasn't the first bathing suit he had seen her in, but out of the ones he has seen since they landed in Honolulu two days earlier, it was his favorite.

"You're blocking my spectacular view," Booth said, pulling his sunglasses low on his nose so that he could really look at her.

"Are you complaining?"

"Nope." She didn't move. "I thought you were going to join me."

"I'm thinking about it."

"Come here," he said as he motioned for her to join him. She took the few steps toward him and straddled the chair so that they were facing each other. He leaned towards her and kissed her.

"You are so sexy," he murmured, kissing her jaw.

"I've missed you," she said. He tucked her hair behind her ear. Hearing her say that she missed him made him smile.

"It's only been two hours," he reminded her.

"Two hours is a long time to be away from my husband."

"I like the way you say that."

"Me too."

"How was your spa visit?"

"Relaxing. My masseuse was a man named Steven. He had very good hands."

Booth felt a twinge of jealousy. "He?"

"Yes, he. He had very large, skilled filangies."

"Oh really?"

"Mhmm…but don't worry, your hands are much better."

"They better be."

She kissed him again before turning around and backing up against him. He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her neck.

"You're going to burn out here."

"What are you going to do about it?"

Booth picked up a bottle of sunscreen from next to his chair and squirted some into his hand. He wiped his hands together and began to apply the lotion to her back. As he worked the white lotion into her skin, he massaged her gently.

"Your hands are definitely better," Brennan moaned.

"And don't you forget it."

Booth moved down to her lower back and then around to her stomach. She giggled as he tickled her.

"So, what do you want to do today?" He asked.

"You mean we can't just stay in bed like we did yesterday?"

"That is tempting, but we are in one of the most beautiful places in the world. We might want to enjoy it."

"I thought we were enjoying it."

"Trust me, we were definitely enjoying it."

"So, let's go back to our room and enjoy it some more." She ran her hand down his thigh.

"I like the way you think."

"I am known for being highly intelligent."

"But…"

"But?"

"But I booked us some surfing lessons."

Brennan turned around to face him. "Surfing lessons?"

"Yeah. I've always wanted to learn. I just never had the time. And since we're in one of the most beautiful places in the world, I figured we could learn together."

"Do you know how dangerous surfing can be?"

"It's perfectly safe."

"No it's not!"

"We'll be fine, Bones. We'll be with a surfing instructor. There's nothing to worry about."

"But we could drown!" Booth smirked. "What?" He didn't answer. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're afraid of the water," he stated.

"What? That's absurd."

"You haven't been swimming since we got here. As matter of fact, since I've known you, you've never gone swimming."

"I have too."

"I've seen you go diving with flippers and air tanks, but never just swimming. You're afraid of the water."

Brennan stood up and walked back towards their hotel that was only several yards away. She crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling very naked. Booth jogged to catch up with her.

"Bones…"

"Leave me alone."

He put his hand on her arm. "Don't run away from me." As she turned, he saw tears in her eyes. "Hey, hey, it's ok." He wiped the tears away with his thumbs. "We don't have to go surfing. It's fine. Just don't walk away from me."

Her gaze was focused on the sand. She was so used to running. Whenever she felt emotional pain, she ran. She was learning, though, that with Booth, she couldn't run.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"You don't have to be sorry. Just tell me what's wrong."

She took a deep breath. "You're right. I don't like the ocean."

"Why?"

"When I was six, my mom took Russ and I to the beach. Russ had to go to the bathroom so my mom left to take him. She told me to stay on the blanket. But I wanted to swim so I…I went into the water. I was fine at first, but there was a big wave and it knocked me down and the undertow pulled me out. I had taken swimming lessons. I knew I knew how to swim, but I couldn't…I was so lost under the water. And it was so cold. I couldn't find the surface and I couldn't breathe and the waves kept swirling me around…"

"Oh Bones, I'm so sorry."

"Some man from the beach saw me out there. He jumped in and grabbed me and pulled me out. If it weren't for him, I would have drowned. Now, when I look at the ocean, I remember the waves and the undertow. I'm not afraid of swimming pools or diving tanks, but the ocean. Around the ocean I just feel terrified. I don't want to have that feeling again."

"Why didn't you tell me before we decided to spend our honeymoon on the beach?"

"I like the beach. Just not the water. And besides, you said it was your dream to honeymoon in Hawaii. I didn't want to ruin that dream."

Booth smiled. "You're incredible, you know that?" He kissed her lightly. "We don't have to go surfing, you know."

Brennan looped her arms around his neck. "You do, Booth. You said you've always wanted to. I got to go to the spa this morning and you should go surfing."

"This is our honeymoon. We should be spending it together."

"And we can…tonight. I've already made us reservations tonight at the hotel restaurant. It will be perfect. You go surfing and I will meet up with you later."

"And what will you do while I'm surfing?"

"I could always see if Steve has any more openings."

Booth narrowed his eyes. She smiled mischievously.

"I love you," she said, pecking him on the cheek.

"You better," he said before crashing his lips on hers. There was nothing light or slow about that kiss. Booth wanted to remind her that she was his. He kissed her a little more passionately than he normally would have considering they were in public.

Someone cleared her throat nearby, causing Booth and Brennan to break apart.

"Sorry to interrupt," the young woman said.

They both looked over at her. She couldn't have been older than her early twenties. Brennan immediately noticed her outstanding bone structure. She wasn't native Hawaiin, but instead was tall, blonde, naturally tan, and in incredibly good shape. The fact that she was wearing a blue and pink polka dot bikini accentuated her obvious attractiveness.

"Are you Mr. and Mrs. Booth?"

"Yes," Booth answered.

"No," Brennan answered.

The young woman looked at them both, confused. Booth gave Brennan a look. Booth had accepted the fact that Brennan had decided not to take his last name, but she needed to me less sensitive about being referred to as Mrs. Booth.

"I'm Kaylee, your surfing instructor," the young woman said.

"Right, of course. There's been a change of plans. My wife won't be joining us, but I am really looking forward to learning how to surf."

Brennan looked Kaylee up from head to toe. "I've changed my mind," Brennan said. "I would love to learn how to surf."

Booth looked at her quizzically. "But I thought you…"

"Have always wanted to learn how to surf. Where are our sticks?"

"Sticks?" Kaylee asked.

"You know, the things you stand on," Brennan answered.

"Boards, Bones," Booth corrected. "They call them boards."

"Of course, boards."

"Ah…right this way."

Kaylee walked in front of them and led them down the sandy beach. Brennan reached for Booth's hand.

"You don't have to do this," he said quietly.

"It's good to face your fears."

"Is that really why you're doing this?"

Kaylee stopped several feet in front of them and bent over to pick up a shell off the ground. Both Booth and Brennan received a good view of her supple behind.

"Of course."

He leaned close to whisper in her ear. "You're more beautiful than she is."

"While that is true, I am still going with you."

"Might I remind you that you just got massaged for two hours by a man named Steve."

"Are you saying you don't want me to come?"

"No, of course I want you to come. I just don't want you to do something you don't want to do."

"I never do things I don't want to do."

"Ok," he responded. He put his arm around her shoulder. Even though he knew the reason why she was going surfing with him wasn't really because she wanted to, he accepted it.

"And by the way, Steve was gay."

Booth smiled as they walked together to where three surf boards were lying out by the water's edge.

After more than a half hour of safety instructions and sitting on the surf boards on the sand, Brennan and Booth were finally out on the water. After struggling a few times, Booth had finally managed to shakily make it onto his knees as he rode the wave towards the shore. Brennan and Kaylee were sitting in the shallower water on their surfboards. Just a few yards away from them, Booth wiped out, falling off his board. He surfaced, shaking his head to wipe away some of the water. With his board in toe, he swam over to where Kaylee and Brennan were waiting.

"That was very impressive, Seeley," Kaylee complimented. "You're a natural on the board."

"I thought the point was to get on your feet," Brennan said.

"I'd like to see you try," Booth replied teasingly.

Brennan looked out into the expansive ocean. Ever since she had stepped into the water, she had felt that familiar fear of being lost and cold and unable to breathe. She tried to calm herself, rationalizing the fact that she was obviously in a very different situation than when she had been trapped under the water as a child. She tried to convince herself that it was just like diving. She was always comfortable with in air tank strapped to her back. She knew she needed to face her fears.

"Ok, I will."

Brennan got down on her stomach as Kaylee had instructed them and began to paddle out into the deeper waters. Her stomach was in knots and even though the water was warm, her body was broken out in goosebumps. When she felt like she couldn't go any further without having some sort of mental breakdown, Brennan turned the board around. Seeing Booth across the water calmed her. If she fell, he would be there to catch her.

Brennan looked behind her and saw waited for the perfect wave as Kaylee had described. She let one wave push her forward. She was too afraid to try to stand just yet. Booth watched her from across the water. He saw her look at a wave, but let it pass her by. He knew she was most likely petrified. He thought about paddling out to tell her that she didn't have to prove anything when he saw her brace for a wave. She waited until the wave was right behind her, pushing at the back of her board. She felt it propelling her forward. Taking a deep breath, she pushed off the board and got onto her knees. Within a split section, she made the decision to go for it. She jumped up and planted her feet. Putting her arms out to balance her, she stood on the board and allowed herself to feel the freedom of surfing on top of the water. She could faintly hear Booth cheering. Her fear disappeared as she rode the wave.

The feeling lasted only seconds as she lost her balance and fell into the water. She felt the familiar swirl of the water around her and she began to panic. She kicked her legs and pumped her arms, trying to find the surface. She felt the tug of the surfboard as it was still attached to her wrist. She opened her eyes and immediately regretted it. The salt water stung her eyes. She continued to flail until she forced logic into her head. She was not that six year old little girl anymore. Brennan kicked upwards and her head broke the surface just as Booth's arm came around her waist.

"Bones, Bones…" He repeated over and over. She coughed and sputtered, dangling her arm around his neck. "You ok?"

"I…I…I was surfing," she stated.

Booth smiled and smoothed back her wet, tangled hair. "Yeah, you were."

"I did better than you."

He laughed. "Yes, you did."

"I want to do it again."

"Again?"

"The feeling of gliding on the water was like…flying."

"Bones, you fell off the board. Are you sure you're ok?"

"I panicked for a minute, but somehow I know I was going to be ok." He kissed her forehead. "And I knew you would save me."

"Always."

"So, I'd like to try it again."

"Ok…my girl."

Author's Note: Well, I hope everyone enjoyed reading this chapter. I had a lot of fun writing it, even though I know nothing about surfing. Don't forget to review!