"I don't know what that means."
Seeley Booth didn't know so much could be found in six little words. But Dr. Temperance Brennan put more into them than most people realized.
The first time he'd heard her say it he had just made a pop culture reference and she had replied quickly with her now infamous phrase. He had heard condescension in her tone, as if to say, "If I don't know, then it isn't important." And it had royally pissed him off. This extremely intelligent woman, who had captured his attention the moment he met her, had practically declared herself better than he with those six words.
The more he worked with her, the more he realized how cut off from the world she was, probably on purpose. But that little phrase kept spilling from her mouth, and he began to almost look forward to it; he felt a little stab of joy at knowing something she didn't. But he could also hear the frustration in her voice, her annoyance at the attempt to interject something she deemed unimportant into her important conversations.
But as he got to know her, to work closely with her, those words took on new meaning. Now she wasn't the squint queen who never deigned to come down from her high horse to mingle with the commoners. As he heard the words roll from her tongue, he used what she called his "knack" for reading people to take in her posture, her demeanor, and he saw something beneath the surface. There was confusion, and perhaps mild curiosity, no doubt sparked by the scientist part of her that seemed to consume her very being. Too often, he wondered what her reaction would be if he just stopped to explain things every once in while. Knowing her as he did, Booth figured she would probably roll her eyes in disdain and spout some anthropological squint talk. But he still wondered.
Several months into their partnership, events conspired to bring them closer. Booth found himself irrevocably drawn to this enigmatic woman, wanting to know more about her. The loss of her parents, her brother's absence, her meaningless relationships all came together to form this less than complete woman whom he found absolutely fascinating. Her trust in him had solidified and he counted himself lucky to be considered her friend. As he heard Angela make a movie reference he watched and waited. Predictably, she replied and this time Booth took a closer look. Beneath the disparagement and confusion was something he couldn't quite identify; something that pricked his "alpha male tendencies", something that sent a twinge of protectiveness through him. Intrigued, he delved deeper into her meaning and was startled at what he found.
Dr. Temperance Brennan, renowned forensic anthropologist, best selling author, and tough-as-nails woman, needed to belong. Being a genius had separated her from her peers throughout her adolescence and young adulthood. Her traumatic past only added to her isolation, so she cut herself off from the world. Her emotional distance borne from her occupation made her seem cold and clinical. But anytime someone made a popular reference, she often felt an ache of loneliness as everyone got it but her and she felt fifteen all over again, standing alone as her family abandoned her.
Booth felt a wave of understanding wash over him. She was aloof, confused, methodical, irritated, questioning, isolated, and forlorn all at once, all conveyed in six little words. And he found himself more astounded by her. As she and Zack leaned over another body, Booth just stood back and watched them work. One day, he promised himself, he would explain it all to her and let her know she wasn't alone anymore, that he would always be there for her. For now, though, he would have to prove it to her with his actions – listening when she had a problem, fighting his superiors like hell when he thought she was right, or saving her life when the occasion called for it. For Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan, actions spoke louder than words.