This is a Bonesology Valentine's Day fanfic gift exchange story. Galaxiegurl wants an unusual story with an unexpected twist. She also wanted Booth's parents to act like real parents at least once, so here is my take on her idea. She didn't care about the rating.
I'm sorry you didn't get your Valentine's Day story. I hope this will fulfill your wish. It will be a little angsty at first, but it will not end that way.
I don't own Bones.
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Seeley Booth had been leery for days. It was October and his father had stopped drinking. Edwin hadn't drunk any alcohol since September 16th, his wife's birthday. Edwin had sworn off alcohol on that day after a very bitter fight the previous day had left his wife with a black eye and a broken nose. Sober the next day, he had regretted hurting his wife and scaring his children. He didn't understand why he had hurt Marianne, but it had frightened him. He was terrified of the rage that lived inside him and he was worried that if he didn't get control of his drinking he could do something worse while drunk than break his wife's nose. Alcohol freed the demons in him and he needed to keep them locked up deep inside. To let them out was dangerous for everyone around him including himself.
His children were afraid of him and he didn't know when that had started. He'd been angry for a long time and it was worse when he drank alcohol. His life had been a mess ever since he had been given a medical discharge from the Airforce and his drinking hadn't helped. The fights he had with his wife were loud and usually ended with slaps and shoves, but this time he had hurt his wife enough that she had had to go to the doctor and he was mortified. He made a vow to his wife that he would never hit her again. He would quit drinking and he would be the old Edwin she had married. She wanted to trust him, so she believed him.
He was going to AA meetings and business at the barber shop was picking up. Both Seeley and Jared rarely saw their parents be nice towards each other and they weren't sure what would happen next. The Booth household was often times a house of rage and terror. Edwin and Marianne shouted and screamed at each other often. Edwin slapped and shoved and threatened. Up to that time he had used Marianne as a focal point for his rage and disappointment and he ignored the sons that lived in his house. This armistice seemed surreal to both boys and they didn't understand what was going on, but they hoped it would last. Their parents were almost normal or what they thought normal should be.
The days were almost pleasant and the nights were more so. One evening the boys stared in wonder and they were in just a little awe at what was happening in the living room. Edwin and Marianne Booth were slow dancing to 'Magic' being sung by Olivia Newton-John on the stereo and they both seemed to be having fun doing it. Edwin held his wife in his arms as their feet moved in time to the music. Marianne had a smile on her face, something that her boys rarely saw. The steady movement around the living room was mesmerizing and Seeley vowed that someday he would learn to dance like his parents. It seemed magical just like the song. His parents were calm and at peace. This was a magic he could believe in.
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The calm lasted a few more weeks. Seeley had asked his mother to teach him to dance and they'd had a few lessons. The boy liked it and he hoped he'd improve. His mother was sure he would and told him he had a natural talent. All was going well for Edwin until his friends had invited him to a party to celebrate the Phillies winning the World Series, their first championship. Edwin had been there at the game with his son, Seeley and his boy had considered it a perfect day. It was to become his one and only perfect day.
His father came home drunk and when Marianne shouted at him about breaking his promise, he had flown into a deep rage and beat her. Seeley had tried to protect his mother and he too was beaten. The armistice was over and the drunken abuser was back. This time though it was worse. Edwin would drink until the beast inside came out and then he would beat his family until they were unable to lift a hand in defense. Their fear felt empowering to him and he relished the power he had over his family. It was the only power he had. He didn't care if they loved him or not. He was in control and he liked it.
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Hank Booth has suspected that something was wrong in his son's house and when Marianne was hospitalized and then disappeared, he knew that he needed to find out what was going on. One evening, after work, he drove over to Edwin's house and found his son beating his grandson. Horrified, Hank had struck his son and forced him to leave. While his son was gone, he packed his grandson's possessions, loaded them in to his car and took the boys back to his house. He would not allow Edwin to ever come near his sons again.
At first the boys were quiet and Hank and his wife weren't sure if they should get some help for them or not. Two boys, aged10 and 5 should have been active and raising hell, but those two boys sat in their bedroom and the only time Hank heard them was when Jared cried for his mother. It was heartbreaking and Hank wished that he could help them, but he knew that time would probably help more than anything. Once the boys saw that they were safe then they would become more like the little boys they were. His wife was certain that all they needed was love and they would be healed. Hank hoped that was true.
One evening, Seeley heard the radio playing downstairs. He loved music, but the batteries for his little radio had died months ago and he hadn't been able to get new ones. Eager to listen to the music, he crept out of his bedroom along with his brother and moved over to the staircase. Sitting on the top step, they witnessed their grandparents dancing below in the living room. The music being played on the radio was jazz and the music seemed to fit the mood of his grandparents. Moving in sync, their arms around each other, they moved around the room stepping in time to the beat.
Fascinated, Seeley and Jared moved further down the staircase so they could watch Hank and Marie dancing. The old couple were graceful and danced like many partners do after years of dancing together. They moved with confidence around the room and they seemed so at peace with each other. It was almost like the way his parents had danced the week before the World Series, but not quite. Clearly there was no tension between the pair. They smiled as they moved around the room and seemed to exude love and warmth. As magical as his parents dance had been, Seeley decided that this was real magic. He wasn't sure what his parents dancing meant, but his grandparents were still in love and it showed in their dance. He vowed that someday he would find someone that he could dance with like this and he prayed that the magic would be with him when he danced.
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They had been together in a relationship for three weeks. The death of Vincent Nigel Murray had changed their lives forever. Both knowing that the bullet that had ended the intern's life had been meant for Booth, they sought solace in each other's embrace and they had been together ever since.
Their relationship was new and Booth was still trying to figure out the rules. He knew that Brennan was afraid of losing her independence and he tried not to box her in. He wanted her to grow comfortable around him and not worry that he might try to change her. Booth loved her the way she was and she would see that over time.
In the meantime they had their ups and downs. They had both known that their relationship would be a little bumpy because that was how their friendship had been for years. They both liked to win and neither liked to lose arguments. Sometimes their fussing got the better of them and they stayed in their own apartments because they knew they needed a break. But when they made up the next day, it was intense and almost ground shaking.
After a rather intense argument, Booth decided that he would not withdraw from Brennan's apartment. He was done with that. They needed to learn to stay even when their arguments got intense. Sitting in the living room, Booth stared at the stereo system Brennan had set up in the living room. She had an interesting collection of music and though some of her CDs were a little out there for Booth, she did have jazz and it was a great collection. They both shared an interest in music and most of the time there was music playing in the background while they cooked dinner or they did chores around their apartments.
Moving over to the collection, he picked up a CD, popped it into the CD player and started it. Satisfied, he moved back to the couch and sat down. His eyes closed, he leaned back against the couch and let the melody wash over him, relaxing him. The soft strains gave him a sense of peace and that was all he needed.
He knew their argument had been rather dumb since it had been about the type of laundry soap they used. Now that he thought about it, the only reason why the argument had escalated had been because he used the same brand of soap his grandmother had used and he didn't see a reason for change. It was his grandmother who had taught him how to clean a room, do laundry and cook. She had been more of a mother than his birth mother had ever been and he would always appreciate all the things she had done for him when he was growing up. He still missed her even though she had been dead for twenty three years. He would always miss her.
"I thought you went home." Brennan had heard the music begin and was surprised that her boyfriend was still in the apartment.
"Nope." Booth kept his eyes closed. "From now on, I'm not going to go home just because we had an argument. I'm an adult. We're adults and we need to stay when we've had words. Running home doesn't solve anything . . . I was wrong about the laundry soap. If you want to use that eco friendly stuff then go ahead . . . My grandmother taught me how to do laundry and I just hate to do things differently from the way she taught me, but I guess that's just silly. Times change and I can change too."
She knew that he loved his grandparents and thought of them as his parents. They had given him love when he couldn't get that at home. "I understand . . . Perhaps we can use your laundry soap at your apartment and my soap when we're here."
Booth smiled and opened his eyes. "Now that is a good idea, Bones. Compromise. We need more compromise . . . You do know no matter how much we argue I will never walk away from you. Fussing is part of who we are and that's okay. I'd think that something was wrong with us if we didn't argue sometime."
Surprised to hear his words, Brennan moved over to the couch and sat down next to him. "I was thinking the same thing in the bedroom. We don't need to compromise about everything, but surely we can compromise about the mundane things."
"There are going to be big things we need to compromise about too, but let's not worry about that right now. Baby steps Bones. We'll take this a day at a time until we get it right." Booth stood up and held his hand out towards her. "Let's dance."
They had danced in the past, but not as a couple. She stood up and smiled. "Do you want to change the music?"
"Nah, jazz is good." Booth led her away from the couch and closer to the stereo. The soft tones meant a slow dance, but he thought that was what they needed. As they came together, he placed his hands on her hips and she placed her hands on his shoulders. They began to move slowly and Booth could feel the magic move through him. He had always wanted to feel the magic that he had been shown when his grandparents had danced in their living room and he had never experienced it until now. A sense of peace and love flowed through him and he wanted that for his Bones. "This is nice."
Brennan hummed, moved her hands down so that her arms were around Booth's chest and she leaned her head on his shoulder while they barely moved to the music. "This is very nice . . . I don't believe in magic, but my father once told me that when you dance with the person you love there is a kind of magic to it. He meant that you can feel the connection between you and that person you're dancing with and somehow you'll know that you are with the right person. He said I would know when it happened. I scoffed at the idea, but now I think he was right. This is right Booth. This is magic."
Surprised, Booth stopped moving and kissed her cheek. "It is magic, Bones. You and me, what we have is special and I think we're going to have forty or fifty years to live with that magic." Moving again, Brennan moved with him. "I love you Bones."
"I love you, Booth." Brennan let the music move through her and with it came a peacefulness she hadn't felt in a long time. It was terrible that her intern had been murdered, but his death had been a new beginning for her and she would always be grateful to Mr. Vincent Nigel-Murray.
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I really hope this is what you wanted. Let me know what you think of my story.