What I Wish I Could've Said

By: Lesera128

Rated: T

Disclaimer: ::stares:: ::blinks:: ::stares again:: Yeah. I still don't own anything…but, you knew that from the stares, right?

Summary: Hindsight is always 20/20. Everyone has a single moment that they wish they could have said something better than what they actually did. A completely random series of what-if vignettes.

Ch 41: That Time Brennan Kept Looking

It had been a very, very long night.

Even for one who normally had reserves of reserves of energy in place, Dr. Temperance Brennan couldn't lie and not admit she was tired. By the time that Booth had bought her enough time to check one last thing in the Ookie Room, to see if the bones that Mr. White of the General Services had brought into the lab were potentially JFK's remains or not, she was exhausted. However, adrenaline at finding the answer to the truth of the question kept pushing her forward. But, the reason she wanted to find the answer wasn't for the sake of the answer itself―although she was curious to know if she was right or not, and of course, such knowledge for knowledge's sake was important.

But, no, the reason why she'd returned to the Ookie Room for one last non-invasive experiment was because she wanted to find an answer for him. Because it was so important to him. She kept working because she wanted to find the answer for her partner. She wanted to find the answer for Booth.

So, she'd retired to the Ookie Room, and kept working, not also ashamed to admit that the final attempt to get an answer for Booth also meant that she could hide from Andrew's attentions.

Not that I'm hiding, Brennan thought. Because I don't hide. Dr. Temperance Brennan does hide or back down from anything or anyone. I mean, he's very nice and all, but…I-I just…I don't want to deal with him right now.

Knowing she was conflicted about the mixed signals that she was giving to Booth's boss, the only thing that Brennan did know after such a sleep-deprived night after a terrifically long and hard week was that she was tired and short on patience. But, still, she wasn't going to leave the lab until she had a conclusive answer for her partner.

Brennan blinked back a small yawn as she then added a minute amount of cornstarch to the plastic tubs of the chocolate pudding that sat in front of her as she conducted her own experiment. Because Hodgins and my interns aren't the only ones who are capable of doing experiments to prove a point. I'm fun, too. I know how to find the joy in science beyond typical qualitative or standard quantitative analyses. I just don't think I'd like for that bit of information to become widely circulated, lest it ruin my image.

Outside, Brennan heard a shuffling, and she winced when she thought it might be Andrew looking for her. As she looked up from where she was working in front of the metal table which held the pudding, a smile cracked her face when a familiar―and welcome―head popped into the room.

"Hi, Booth," she greeted her partner.

He walked towards her with a nod, and then gave her a suspicious glint as he looked at the plastic tubs in front of her. "Is that pudding?" he asked.

For a minute, Brennan thought about telling him that no matter how hungry he was―and despite how much he loved chocolate pudding―that no, he couldn't have any because she didn't have any extra and was in the middle of a very important experiment. But, when she looked into his eyes and saw that it was not the familiar Booth-hunting-for-food-look shining out of them, she bit back her preemptive admonition.

Nodding her head, she gestured with her white gloved hands as she answered, "Yes. I adjusted the specific gravity with a thickening agent to assure the test's efficacy."

Booth's brow furrowed, as he took a few seconds to translate Brennan's squint speak into plain English in his mind, and then he arched an eyebrow at her. "But, pudding?" he asked, clearly not convinced.

Brennan was about to reevaluate her initial assessment that Booth was hunting for food, since he seemed quite perplexed as to how one of his favorite desserts could actually play a vital role in a significant and valid scientific experiment, that was being conducted by Brennan of all people. However, even as she opened her mouth, her pale blue eyes darted to the tubs of pudding by pure chance. Her eyes widened in shock as a small gasp escaped her lips.

"Whoa," Booth said, gesturing towards her as he stepped closer to the table. Even if he didn't know what had just happened, he knew it was pretty important if it made Brennan light up like a Roman Candle on the Fourth of July. "Something happened," he said, definitely more a statement than a question since he knew he could read his partner's body language like the back of his own hand.

"Yes," she confirmed, as she looked and saw the bone in the tub of pudding to her right had gone to the bottom of the container. "One of these bones sank, and the other one floated."

"In the pudding?" Booth blinked at her, still not quite certain what he was still clearly missing.

Taking sympathy on him, Brennan smiled as she gestured with her hands at each vat as she spoke. "Yes. The heavy bone is healthy," she said, pointing to the plastic tub that was situated to her left even as Booth wagged his dark brown brows in clear confusion. "The one that's still floating is riddled with osteomyelitis," she explained as she motioned to the other contained of pudding that was sitting to her left. "President John F. Kennedy never had osteomyelitis."

A sudden look on intense relief crossed Booth's face as he stepped towards her and didn't even stop to wait for her to come to him. "Come here," he said quietly.

As he pulled her into one of the tightest embraces they'd ever shared, Brennan felt a flush of pleasurable warmth spread throughout her body as she realized all her efforts had just been made worth it by the look of relief that had shown on her partner's face. The fact that she was getting to spend some of the longest amounts of time she'd ever had in his arms was only a bonus to her. She let herself melt against him for a moment as he pressed his body to hers, rest his chin on her shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her back.

"Wow!" she said with a bit of a nervous laugh.

She knew, in that moment, that she wasn't nervous or laughing because of Booth's reaction, but because of how she was feeling rather lightheaded in his arms at that moment. Savoring the sensation, she didn't move to embrace him. It wasn't because, a small sliver of her remaining rational mind thought, because she didn't want to get the pudding that stained her gloves on his black leather jacket, as it might've seemed to an outside observer. Rather, because she didn't want to leave the warm and enjoyable comfort of his arms. However, even as she felt him smile against her check, feeling the slight stubble of his jaw as he pressed against her skin, she knew it would only be a matter of time before the embrace was over, and once more she was alone.

After a few seconds, when she felt Booth start to move away from her, she lamely added, "You really didn't want this to be JFK."

"You know," he said as they pulled apart, even as his hand lingered on her arm for just a bit longer than it really should've. "You kept looking because of me." His dark brown eyes were alight with gratitude as he tried to let her know how much her efforts meant to him. "Thanks, Bones," he told her quietly.

They stared at each other for a long minute, another look in a string of intense looks that had only been getting more and more impassioned since that night when Angela had interrupted them at the opening of the Anok exhibit. This time, however, as they stared at one another and said more without words than either had ever verbalized, there was no one to interrupt them. The air crackled with electricity as each one waited to see what the other would do.

This time, it was Brennan who acted first. Moving towards him, she closed the distance, leaving only a fraction of an inch between their two bodies. Her invitation was clear, and this time Booth didn't hesitate to take it. He leaned in, pressing his lips to hers in a gentle kiss, brushing over her pale pink mouth in what could be brushed off as a chaste kiss if either one or both of them felt the need to backtrack. When he drew back, he leveled his questioning stare at her to see what she wanted to do in response to what he'd just done.

After a moment, when nothing but a quizzical smile tugged at her lips, even as her bright blue eyes danced in mischief, he breathed her name in askance of what he should do next. "Bones?"

"Yes, Booth?" she responded, her voice light and airy in its cadence so that it almost seemed to be music to his ears.

"Thanks," he tried again.

"You're welcome, Booth," she breathed, her voice somehow having become no more than a whisper when she spoke the second time. However, just so that there would be no doubt between them, she added, "You know I'd do anything for you, right?"

He continued to stare into her eyes, never breaking his eye contact, as he asked, "Really?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Whatever you need from me―all you have to do is tell me. All you have to do is ask."

Taking another step towards her, he tilted his head as he asked softly, "And, if what I needed was for you to agree, after we get out of here, that you should come back with me to my place…what would you say?"

Another smile broke out on her tired face as she said, "Then, I'd say, we better stop for some coffee on the way there because we're going to need some caffeine since I imagine we're going to be occupied in pursuits that will keep us awake for awhile."

Booth, grinning a toothy grin at her response, leaned in for a second kiss. When they parted once again, he said, "Don't worry. I've got killer DnD at home, so we're good."

Brennan had only one response to his statement. Arching an eyebrow at him, she asked with a playful grin, "Then, when can we leave?"

-TBC-