Apologies for not having a new chapter up yesterday. I was dragged for a huge walk after which I was only capable of staring inanely at the TV and admiring Danny Messer.
This is also a shorter chapter than normal, but came to a natural ending. The next one will be inevitably longer, once Eldred's finished stuffing himself with easter eggs!
Thank you for all the reviews, some made me smile, some made me laugh and other I just found plain odd. All are loved, and all made Eldred do his little funny dance!
Thanks to Ash for reviewing some of my work on fictionpress!
Enjoy!
Chapter 14 – Food
Wong Foo's was the same as normal. Sid stood at the bar polishing glasses, giving them a slight nod as they entered. In one corner a group of people wearing suits were discussing someone who worked with them in their office, and one man was attempting to do an impersonation that was causing the rest of colleagues to hoot with laughter. A few other people were sat at tables, either on their own or in couples, quietly eating whatever food Sid had had made for them.
Brennan followed Booth to their usual table at the back of the room. It seemed empty without Angela, Hodgins and Zack, but that emptiness soon gave way to feelings of slight nerves and an intimacy that she was unfamiliar with.
"You letting Sid pick?" Booth asked, referring to choice of food.
"Is there any other way?" She replied, not even bothering to look at the menu. Sid glided over and gave the both a questioning look.
"You know, Sid, the usual," Booth waved his hand and Sid nodded.
Brennan looked at her fingers, Booth admired the beer mat. Neither spoke, and the silence was filled with anticipation of the words that would have to happen at some point, but were taking great pains in coming.
"Weather's better," Booth said inanely, looking up at her for the first time since they had sat down.
She returned his look, the rabble of butterflies in her stomach fluttering around rapidly. "It is. It's not so humid, either," she said. He held her eyes, not letting her look away. "Who do you think took David then?" She asked, hating the note of apprehension in her voice.
"I don't want to talk about the case, Bones," he replied, quietly assertive.
She nodded. Sid stepped over and put down their drinks, providing them with 'the usual'. Brennan gulped a little of hers, feeling the soft burning of alcohol helping to dispel the butterflies. Booth let his alone, intently watching her.
"Why did you run from me this morning?" He demanded.
"I didn't," she argued back.
"Bullshit!" She wished Angela was there to mediate. Booth sighed. "I know you don't like talking about how you feel, Bones, but you're going to have to try. I need to know one way or the other if there's any point me having feelings for you, or if I need to get over them." He laid his cards on the table. She felt as if she was soaring once her brain had comprehended his words. Booth had feelings for her, and understood enough to know that the feelings he was referring to weren't ones of annoyance or dislike but the opposite instead. She knew she was smiling.
"I'm thinking that because you're smiling you don't find the idea totally repulsive?" Booth leaned a little closer to her over the table.
She shook her head. At least she was still capable of gestures even if she couldn't actually force out any words.
"Bones, you need to talk to me," Booth's fingers reached out and took her own.
"I don't know how to have conversations like this," she confessed.
"I know," Booth withdrew his hands. Instinctively, she reached toward him, wanting to grab back his hands, seeking the feel of his skin to reassure her that she wasn't alone in this. She felt vulnerable, a feeling she hadn't experienced for some years, since her parents had gone missing. Although this was a different type of vulnerability, it could hold a different type of hurt. He pushed his fingers back to hers and let them entwine. "I'll try to help you make sense of it, Bones," he murmured. "You seemed to be doing just fine with your date when I found you on Friday night. Just pretend I'm him."
She shook her head. "That was easy. That was just going to be a recreational thing," she told him.
"And I'm not?" She knew he was using his best interviewing techniques on her, using negative answers to draw out the positives ones. She felt a little settled with this process; he wasn't demanding great declarations of love, just narrowing down what she did want from him.
"No," she answered.
"Is it because you'd have to work with me afterwards that I couldn't just be a recreational thing?" He stroked her thumbs between his thumb and finger, sending waves of electricity through her body.
She shook her head. "I continued to work with Michael after we had…"
"I don't need the details of what happened with you and Michael," Booth interrupted. She regarded the expression on his face as he said Michael's name.
"Are you jealous, Booth?" She asked, wondering if she was reading him correctly.
He looked away, a wry smile on his lips. Looking back at her he laughed. "Yeah, I was jealous," he admitted, then smiled silently at her for a few seconds. "Why couldn't I just be a recreational thing then, Bones?"
"Is that what you want to be?" She asked him. Was that it? Was that all he wanted? Worry blew through her like an artic wind.
He shook his head and she found herself warming again, nerves settling. "No. I couldn't handle that. I want something more than just sex, Bones."
She nodded, feeling him grip her hands a little tighter, then lift them to his lips and kiss them gently.
"I do too," she told him, noticing how his eyes lit up at her words. She was surprised that she had managed to say them.
"Then how are we going to go about this?" He asked, putting her hands back down on the table, but still keeping hold of them. "Without you running away from me every time you see me?"
"I'm sorry about that, Booth," she said. "I've never planned for something like this to happen and…" she lost the words.
"I understand. But if you decide you don't want this, Bones, then you might end up regretting it. I haven't had this before," his voice was low and soft and filled with emotion. She understood what he was trying to tell her.
"What about Rebecca?" She poked.
"Not with Rebecca. She's Parker's mom, but that's how I see her. That was all she was ever going to be," he replied.
"What about Parker?" She said, a wave of panic washing over her and then subsiding.
"He likes you. Don't look so worried, you'll find that as you spend more time with him – if you want to – then you'll find it comes naturally," he reassured.
She nodded, remembering how she had felt the last time she had thought about Booth's qualities as a father, and this time those sensations came back ten fold. Her body liked him, quite clearly they were a good match, and she could half begin to accept that now the panic was lessening. "I'm scared, Booth," she confessed, keeping her voice steady and strong. "I'm scared that you might disappear and I'll have to learn to cope on my own again." It felt better now she had said it.
"You know my job, I can't promise that nothing will happen to me," he said honestly. "But if it did, you're not a teenaged girl anymore. You have friends who are like your family. You wouldn't be left on your own. And I can promise that I won't let anything happen to me that I can stop."
"I know," a little piece of the worry fell away. She was surprised at how easy this was becoming. She threw something at him that was tormenting her and he shot it down, obliterating her fears.
"You might find that you can't stand being with me like that. That I really am far too annoying," he smiled. She laughed, seeing relief on his face at the sound.
"I like you being annoying," she said, her mouth twisting into a smile, her eyes starting to glow flirtatiously.
"Good," Booth nodded. "'Cause you seem to bring out that streak in me."
She loosened one of her hands and batted him lightly on the shoulder. He feigned mock pain and then pointed two fingers at her, leaning closely into her as she had seen him do when he was interrogating a suspect.
"Do that again, Bones, and I be making you call out in pain. I have my ways," he threatened.
She moved her head closer to his, trying not to laugh. Her forehead almost touched his and she could feel his warm breath on her face. "And I have ways of bringing men to their knees."
"Looking forward to it," he murmured. She knew he was going to kiss her. She didn't move away. His lips were gentle, and the kiss was fleetingly full of promises, leaving her wanting more.
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The fact that her eyes were shining Booth knew was a good sign. He could tell that a little of the wall she had encased herself in had come down, crumbled slightly, enough for him to be able ease into her space and help her chip away at the bricks. He knew that the physical side to their relationship would come easy. She didn't associate sex with love like a lot of women did; he knew that she had had relationships in the past for as she put it – recreational purposes. Yet as they were both now sure, this was more than just recreational fun, and he braced himself for any physical intimacy to be followed by a period of him feeling rejected. Whether it would be worth it, time would tell, but he was willing to push aside any hurt that she might inadvertently cause and see how this went.
Parker was obviously something she was worried about. He knew she was aware that he was a big – the biggest – part of his life, so it would only be natural for her to be concerned about him, particularly as she found it difficult to deal with children – but she hadn't had any experience of them, and they were unpredictable. It was almost impossible to learn any thing about them from only reading a book.
When Rebecca had been pregnant he had read every possible tome available on child rearing, dealing with children, he had even searched the net for instructions on how to change a diaper, knowing that Rebecca would not help him in the slightest. Some how he had managed, everything he had read falling out of his mind the moment he had first held his son in his arms. But he had learnt, and he was sure that if Bones spent a little time with Parker, or another child, she would learn too, forgetting her awkwardness and embarrassment at not knowing what to do. After all, she managed to deal with Hodgins and Zack, and they were big kids.
Sid arrived with their food. He had brought Booth noodles with peanuts and chicken, and Bones stir fried vegetables and mixed meat in a sauce that made Booth's mouth water.
"Thanks, Sid," he heard Bones say as Sid departed. His mouth was too full of food to respond.
He didn't want to push her. He knew that they were going to have to take things slowly else she would bolt like a horse with its tail on fire. He smiled at her between mouthfuls, not quite knowing what to say now.
"How long have you liked me for?" He heard her say, and felt shocked at the question. Her eyes were dancing and he knew that whatever he said next would be subjected to teasing.
"That's not a fair question," he ducked out of it.
"No, Booth, come on! That is a fair question. How long have you liked me for?"
He groaned, half pleased that she was finding her feet more in this new dimension they had created. "I don't know," he answered truthfully.
She cocked her head on one side and gave him a look that meant a certain death unless he gave her a better answer than that.
"Honestly, I'm not sure. Tessa thought that I liked you before I did, but it's been a gradual thing," he explained, moving his chopsticks over to her and grabbing a piece of beef that was currently calling his name. "What about you?"
She shrugged, and he knew he wasn't going to be getting a straight answer out of her. "Your food's good," he told her, diving in for a bit of pork. She tapped his chopsticks with hers.
"I know, and I would like to eat most of it," she said, keeping her eyes focused on her plate. "Booth, do you want more children?"
The question rocked him, and he knew his eyes were now as wide as saucers. "I don't think we're quite up to that point in our relationship yet, Bones," he answered defensively.
She gave him a pleading look, her blue eyes now making contact with his. "Booth, answer me," she instructed.
"Okay. Yes, I do want more children. I like being a dad. I would like the opportunity to be a full time father," he felt his heart break at the realisation that he would never be that to Parker. It was something that hit him at least ten times a day, but it never hurt any less.
She nodded, returning to her lunch.
"Bones?" He tapped his plate with his chopsticks. "You're gonna have to follow up a little on this conversation."
"It… it was just something I wondered," she replied, quickly looking away.
"I know you don't want kids…" he began, putting his chopsticks down next to his plate.
"No, I don't know if I don't want kids," she interrupted, correcting him.
He sat back, a little stunned and even more puzzled. Was this why she had been freaked out? "It's your prerogative," he said, not daring to ask why she may be changing her mind.
She nodded. "I know." He picked up his chopsticks and continued to eat, glancing up from his plate at the woman sat facing him. It felt like many other lunch times; coming to Wong Foo's to discuss a case, or exchange banter, but now it had a little something extra thrown in.
Strangely, it didn't feel that different, just that a little of the chemistry between them had been altered. She was still his Bones, the woman he would die for to save her life, the woman he still got up everyday wanting to see, the woman he wanted to be with when he fell asleep at night, or even better in the early hours of the morning.
She caught his gaze. "Have I got sauce on my face?" She asked, wiping her lips on her napkin.
He laughed. She knew was unlike any other woman he had ever dated. Most would think that he was gazing at them to take in their beauty; she thought it was because she had food on her face. "No, Bones, you're clean."
"You have," she leaned forward and he frowned. Her hand snaked to the side of his mouth and rubbed at something at the corner. "Gone," she said. "That's what happens when you pinch my food," she rebuked.
He automatically went for a prawn that was lying at the top of her plate. She responded by grabbing some noodles from his.
"That's fine, Bones. I share my food willingly. Clearly you have issues with sharing," he said with a straight face.
"I don't have issues with sharing. I share a lot of things, like my books; how many books have a leant you? I even leant Hodgins my car once. I don't have a problem with sharing!" She responded, not taking the humour in his words.
He laughed, picking the last prawn from her plate with his chopsticks and moving it to her mouth.
"No, you have it!" She retorted. He pushed the prawn closer to her lips. She shut them firmly. He began to chuckle more, holding the prawn steadily, refusing to move it.
"Eat it, Bones," he said. She folded her arms, not responding as she knew it would give him the opportunity of pushing the food into her mouth.
He took the chopsticks away and ate the prawn. "You don't turn down good food," he muttered once it had gone to the ocean in his stomach.
"See, I do share," she told him.
"I know," he reached for a strip of pork on her plate, taking advantage that her arms were still folded.
Sid approached them, a smile beaming across his face. "I see you like the doctor's food better than your own, Agent Booth?" He asked, looking with some amusement at the scene in front of him.
"They were both very nice," Booth reassured. He caught Sid's glance and realisation shot through him. Sid had known he wouldn't have been able to resist what he had given Bones.
"Next time I'll make sure I give you what the lady has," Sid said, removing the two now empty plates.
Booth grinned. "Nah, that way was more fun," he looked at Bones, she was smiling, and the light that shone in her eyes he knew was for him.
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Brennan stood up, stretching her legs. The lunch break had provided a nice sojourn away from the realities of the day and what was left of the case. Booth had gone to the bar to settle up with Sid, although she had almost won the argument about who was going to pay.
She watched him, listening to him laugh at something Sid had said, although she hadn't managed to hear exactly what. Just because she had feelings for him didn't mean that she wasn't in control over what would happen, it didn't take away her independence. She admired his broad shoulder and his side profile as he turned round, talking to Sid as he walked to the till. The feeling of desire she was familiar with, but the emotion that was holding hands with desire she wasn't.
She held up her chin as Booth turned around and came back to her, hands in pockets. Apprehension and worry were combined with an overwhelming desire to touch and be touched by this man. She moved her hands on to his arms as he drew close, and smiled as his hands came out of his pockets and grasped her waist.
He lowered his head and kissed her. Not a long, passionate, fall onto the nearest table and mate type of kiss, but a short promise of what was to come, if she let it.
"Come on, Bones," he said to her quietly, resuming his full height. "We've got a principal to annoy and a killer to catch."
She smiled as he opened the door for her, stepping outside into the pleasant heat.
Please review! Dialogue is not my strength, so I apologise if this is a little wooden. And Brennan is a demon to write when she's softening up!
Sarah x
