(The Finder / The Pinocchio in the Planter)
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Placing his beer bottle down on the bar, Booth thought about what Brennan had said about Walter Sherman and decided that he didn't care. "You know, I don't like the son of a bitch and you . . . you can't make me."
Amused that Booth was adamant in his unforgiving hatred of the Finder, Brennan accepted his statement without argument. "Fair enough."
Finished with his beer, Booth reached over and touched the newly found school science fair medal dangling between Brennan's breasts. "I told you he'd find it . . . You do know that guy wanted to get in to your pants don't you?"
Staring at the medal, Brennan smiled. "Yes, I know. He was very up front that he was interested in me. He asked me if I would have sex with him and I turned him down. I'm not interested in having an affair with him. I already have someone in my life."
His eyes now gazing into her bright blue eyes, Booth brushed a lock of hair from her face and over her shoulder. "Oh yeah and . . . uh, how is that working out for you so far?"
"Well, so far I can truthfully say that I'm satisfied." Her eyes captured by his soft brown eyes, Brennan was drawn to Booth and felt her heart rate increasing. "Of course, we've only been dating for a month and we're still learning what that means."
Booth bit his lower lip and considered that she'd just said. "Do you think we're going too slow? I mean . . . I don't want to push things and I think we have time, but I don't want you to get frustrated if you think this is too slow . . ."
Her hand now on his arm, Brennan shook her head. "I told you I would give you all the time you need Booth. This isn't a 100 yard dash, it's a marathon. We have plenty of time to sort out what this all means to us and how we want to proceed."
Leaning forward, Booth kissed her. "Thanks, Bones . . . Sometimes I think I'm ready to move on and then . . . I don't know. I want to do this right. I want to be on the same page with you and I don't want to screw this up. You're too important to me . . . I worry about our friendship all the time and what it would mean if I screw up again. I want to be careful, Bones. You and me, we can't mess this up. Our friendship is too valuable . . . Do you understand?"
She realized that Booth had been crushed too many times and that he was afraid. Her very alpha male partner and friend was afraid and she felt bad for him because she knew that what he feared the most was her. In the past, she knew she had a tendency to run from hurtful situations and he didn't seem to understand that she had changed. She was strong now and she knew it. She could face anything, but she needed to find a way to assure him of that fact. Unfortunately the only way she could prove it was to stay by his side, take things at the pace he set and try to assure him.
Determined to show him her strength and to let him know that things had changed, Brennan smiled. "I'm not going anywhere Booth. I'm through running away from emotional entanglements. I welcome them. I'm strong and I can take anything Booth . . . Anything."
He heard her and he really wanted to believe her. Booth leaned forward and kissed her once more. "I'm glad Bones. I . . . so you're strong and not impervious?"
Happy that he seemed to understand what she had meant, Brennan moved her hand up and down his arm. "Yes, I'm strong now."
The touch of her hand rubbing his arm a reminder that she had changed, Booth captured her hand and held it in his hand. "That's wonderful Bones. It really is." Swallowing, he turned his gaze down towards their hands and considered what he should do next. "Bones . . ." Their phones rang and Booth knew that their date was over. "We'll talk about this again, Bones. We will."
Answering their phones, they were both informed about a body that had been found stuffed in a trash dumpster at the Japanese Embassy. Standing, Booth paid for their beer. "I'll drive you over to the Jeffersonian to pick up your kit."
Disappointed that they had been interrupted, Brennan gathered up her jacket and purse. "Thank you. We will talk Booth. I won't forget."
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"Booth, are you still angry?" They had had two back to back cases and they had closed them fairly quickly. Their last case had dealt with a group of people who were radically honest and that radicalness had emphasized just how much was left unsaid between her partner/boyfriend and herself. Not because they willingly lied to each other, but more the fact that they both omitted a lot of things from their conversations. Over the years they had grown quite adept in tiptoeing around uncomfortable topics of conversation. Evasion had allowed them to ignore subjects that made them uncomfortable, but it had also caused them both a lot of grief.
Brennan wanted that to stop. She wanted there to be no topics that Booth and she couldn't discuss.
Not sure what Brennan was thinking, Booth slowly shook his head. "No . . . not really. I've accepted that I made some pretty serious errors in judgment the last couple of years and since I can't go back and undo them all I can to do is move forward. I can't live in the past anymore . . . all that does is mess with me. When I worry about the past, I let that influence the present and my future. It's stupid. Do you understand what I'm saying? I want to be up front with you from now on. I know you value honesty and it's dishonest when we don't talk to each other about stuff. I think when we want to talk about something then we should . . . like right now. You want to know if I'm angry and I can truthfully tell you that I'm not . . . not anymore."
His words echoing what she had been thinking earlier, Brennan felt a wave of happiness flooding through her. "We seem to be on the same page, Booth. I was just thinking how I think it would be better for both of us if we no longer evaded topics that make us uncomfortable. If we want to know something from our partner then I think we should be able to ask."
Their conversation quite a surprise to him, Booth licked his bottom lip. "Um . . . I think we should think about moving our relationship forward . . . past that last line."
Surprised, Brennan leaned forward. "Really? Are you sure you're ready?"
Nodding his head slowly, Booth stared at her and tried to think how to actually do that. "Well, I think we're ready, I know I am. Are you? I mean I don't want to push you or . . ."
Pleased that Booth seemed to have moved to where she was in their relationship, Brennan smiled at him. "Yes, I am."
His heart racing a little, Booth reached out and placed his hand on her hand. "That's great, Bones . . . Bones . . . I don't want us to just . . . you know, jump each other's bones. I want our first time to be special. We can only have one first time and I want to show you just how much I love you . . . I want to put in for a few days of vacation and we could go somewhere romantic. This is a special time for us and I want to show you just how special it is . . . how special you are to me." Worried, he cleared his throat. "What do you think?"
Delighted that Booth was ready to cross that last line, Brennan kissed him. "I think it's a wonderful idea, Booth. Would you like to make the plans or should I?"
Pleased that everything was falling into place, Booth shook his head. "No, let me do it. I have to wait a couple of weeks until two of my agents get back from vacation and then we can go. I'll make some calls, get us a reservation at a little bed and breakfast that Hodgins told me about in Williamsburg and then you can put in for some time off . . . this is great Bones. We're ready and . . . this is great."
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