A/N: aadams00, Guest and RobinAngelena wanted a little more, so this is a sequel to chapter 28. If you haven't read chapter 28 yet, you might want to read it before you read this chapter.
I don't own Bones.
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At first Booth just meant to leave the painting leaning against the front door, but thought of a better idea while he was walking towards the Adams home. Hurrying back to his truck, he placed the painting on the passenger seat then drove down the street until he was in front of the Adams home. As quickly and as quietly as he could, he got out of the truck, leaned the painting next to the oak tree in the middle of the yard, reentered his truck and parked it two doors down in front of the Richards home.
After he turned the engine off, he removed his phone from his pants pocket and made a call. "Is this the police department?"
Yes, it is. How may I direct your call?
"One of my neighbors, Adam Adams has a large painting of a naked woman leaning on a tree in his front yard. Now, I do believe in the first Amendment and I fought for my country to make sure everyone has a right to speak about stuff that they believe in, but a picture of a naked woman in the front yard isn't a great idea. There are a lot of young kids in this neighborhood and I think there are going to be some very upset parents calling you in a while if you don't have the painting removed from the yard." Booth gave him the address of the Adams household and waited to see what would happen next.
While he was waiting two young boys rode their bikes past his truck and stopped in front of the painting. "Shit!" Before he could leave the truck and chase the boys away a patrol car turned the corner, drove past Booth and parked in the Adams' drive way. The boys spying the policeman park in the driveway, quickly hopped on their bikes and pedaled away.
In a matter of minutes, the policeman had Ella Adams at the front door. Gleefully, he watched the officer point at the painting and Ella turn pale. "That'll teach you to sell a painting like that to my little boy. I don't care if your husband is an assistant deputy director at Homeland Security. Don't screw with me or my kids." The painting now removed from the lawn, Booth drove back home.
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Brennan stopped at Whole Foods to do some shopping on the way home. While she wheeled her cart towards the fresh vegetables, she spied Ella Adams checking out the mangoes on display. "Hello Ms. Adams." She had seen Ella several times at PTO meetings and found the woman pleasant to talk to. "I hope your daughter Tina is well. My daughter told me that Tina sustained a broken wrist."
"Um, Dr. Brennan." Ella felt her cheeks warm at the sight of her neighbor. "Yes . . . yes she is." Her husband had surmised that Seeley Booth had been the one to return the painting and to call the police. Adam had been furious that the Deputy Director of the FBI had embarrassed him and his wife about the painting, but there wasn't too much he could do about it. They both agreed that from that point on, they would not have any more garage sales. It wasn't worth the aggravation. Ella had pointed out that selling a painting of a nude woman to a young boy had been the mistake, but her husband was adamant that they weren't going to have any more garage sales. "Thank you for asking."
Picking up a mango, Brennan palmed the fruit to make sure it was firm. "My son said he went to your garage sale last Saturday. He said you had a few sports paintings for sale." Brennan loved art and nudity didn't bother her. She even enjoyed some pornography since it glorified the human body. On the other hand, she did mind pornography being sold to her son who was a young child. When she had seen the painting in her garage she had decided that it wasn't what anyone would consider a classic nude painting and when she found out that the Adams' had sold it to Hank she had almost called them to complain. Booth had stopped her and told her that he had already got revenge and it wasn't necessary for her to chastise the Adams'. He was sure they wouldn't do it again.
Her cheeks a bright red, Ella nodded her head. "My nephew paints sports related paintings . . . His mother didn't want them in her house, so I told him I'd sell them at my garage sale . . . They're actually quite tasteful and he is a very good painter."
"Um, I would say they aren't really tasteful enough to sell to a young boy." Brennan watched as Ella quickly look around. "My husband doesn't collect nude paintings. He collects sports accoutrements which includes posters, but not paintings."
"Yes, I understand." Ella wanted to leave. This whole conversation was very embarrassing. "Hank had told me he wanted to buy the painting for his father. Since your son wasn't buying it for himself I didn't see the harm." Of course, her husband had thought it would be great prank to pull on Seeley Booth, but now they both knew that the man didn't have a sense of humor and could be vindictive as hell. "We didn't mean to cause you or your husband any distress."
Brennan smiled. "Oh, we weren't distressed and my husband paid Hank back the $5 he had spent on the painting, so that he wouldn't lose his money. Of course, you did get the $5 and the painting."
Ella understood the hint. Brennan's hint was as hard a two by four to the head. "Yes, you're right." Removing a five-dollar bill from her wallet, Ella handed it to Brennan. "Here you are." Placing the wallet back in her purse, Ella sighed. "You know, your husband didn't really need to call the police. He could have just returned the painting to me."
"Yes, he could have, but my husband has an interesting sense of humor." Brennan leaned closer to Ella and lowered her voice. "He also is very protective of his children. It's not a good idea to tweak his nose. He will tweak back harder. He likes to win."
A slight chill running down her back, Ella nodded her head. "Good to know." Bagging two mangoes, she walked away.
Pleased with the exchange, Brennan decided to buy blueberries instead of mangoes.
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After Booth helped Brennan unload the groceries into the kitchen, they cut up an apple pie and grabbed a beer from the fridge. While they sat at the table, they both appreciated the fact the children were spending the day at the Hodgins home. They loved their children, but they also enjoyed some alone time when they could get it.
Before she forgot, Brennan removed a five-dollar bill from her pants pocket and handed it to her husband. "Here you go."
Not sure why he was being given money, Booth stuffed it into his shirt pocket. "Okay, sure."
Amused, Brennan laughed. "That is from Ella Adams. Since she got her painting back she thought it only fair that you got your money back . . . I met her at Whole Foods. She seemed a little uncomfortable meeting me."
"I can't imagine why." Booth's smile was sly, his eyes glinting. "Adam Adams is a prick and he likes practical jokes too much. I'll bet he doesn't top the one I played on him last week . . . and he'd better not try." Adam had played a prank on him at a community picnic the year before and Booth had told the man that payback was a bitch. He was certain that Adam hadn't counted on Booth waiting almost a year to get even. "He thinks he's such a hot shot being an Assistant Deputy Director at Homeland Security. Well not in my book."
"No, I don't think he will try to get even." Brennan knew that Ella had taken their conversation seriously and she would warn her husband to leave Booth alone. "I wonder what Ella did with the painting?"
Booth shrugged his shoulders. "If she had any sense she'll give it back to her nephew. Let him deal with his paintings . . . that painting Hank bought was kind of nice . . . not as nice as you of course, but still the girl was pretty." He loved to tease Brennan. He loved to see that green eyed monster crop up once in a while.
Her eyes glinting, Brennan placed her fork down. "I've posed for paintings for Angela."
Filled with worry, Booth placed his fork down and swallowed his bite of pie. "What kind of paintings?"
Enjoying the look of alarm on his face, Brennan sipped some of her beer and picked up her fork. "Paintings of me, I just told you. Weren't you paying attention?"
"Bones . . . what kind of paintings?" He was now starting to worry. Did she pose nude? If she did, how was he going to get those paintings from Angela?
Brennan shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Angela wouldn't let me see them when she was painting them and when she was done, I didn't bother to ask to see them."
"Were you wearing any clothes?" His mind racing, Booth sighed when he saw Brennan grinning at him. "You know, Bones. You're a pain in the ass sometimes."
The look on his face made her laugh. "Do you remember that today is April 1st?"
"Bones . . . not nice Bones." Booth laughed. "You do know now I'm going to have to get you back."
"That's the price I am willing to pay. Good jokes shouldn't be avoided just because there is a possibility of retribution." Brennan saw her husband purse his lips and she knew he would find a way to joke her back. "You really do hate to have your nose tweaked, don't you?"
His eyes dark and hooded, Booth picked up his beer bottle, sipped some of the brew and placed the bottle down. "Would you like to pose for me?"
"I didn't know you can paint?" She thought she knew everything about Booth, but apparently not.
Booth stood up and leaned over his wife. "Who said anything about painting?"
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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.
