A/N OK, so I had to re-post this because I made a big boo-boo with it. It was brought to my attention and then I took it down to rectify it, so if you have this story on alert and got more than one email, I apologise. Right, so I have one more chapter in the pipeline, and I'd like your advice - do you want to see a romantic element to this story, or do you think I should leave it as just a friendship story? (I think I already know the answer!) Reviews please? Enjoy!
"You mean you actually want to do something else
"You mean you actually want to do something else? You haven't had enough?" If he had allowed himself to bet on it, he would have said that she would have quit before the needle came out of its sterile packaging. He would have bet good money, maybe even his car, he was that sure. But her will to keep going was a little unexpected.
"Are you kidding?! This is such a rush! Even though you did disfigure me."
"Hey, I said you could back out at any time! I'm still amazed that you actually went through with it. You kicked baloney-phobic ass!"
"I think the adrenaline took over."
"Don't sell yourself short, Bones. I know it took guts for you to overcome your fear – I'm actually a little proud."
"Well, you're the one who dragged me in the store!"
"Encouraged," he corrected her, "Not dragged."
"I still think you should have got something pierced."
"I'm not really an earring kind of guy…"
"I wasn't thinking of an earring."
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
"You know I just realised something. You are in control. You said I had to learn to let go and relinquish control, but do you not think that was a little hypocritical of you? I mean, if you really wanted to play this game fairly, then I should take a turn in being in control."
"Oh, this isn't a game, Temperance. It's a learning experience. I'm only trying to help you."
"No, you just don't like relinquishing control!" She laughed triumphantly, as if she had finally worked out a difficult puzzle. "Admit it, if I took over, you would freak out!"
"No I wouldn't!"
"It's perfectly normal, Seeley – as a strong alpha male, not being in control would be seen by other males as a sign of weakness on your part."
"Hey!" She always found it amusing how, whenever she belittled his alpha male status, he puffed out his chest and clenched his jaw. He was subconsciously playing into every evolutionary cliché.
"Prove to me that you aren't being ludicrously hypocritical, then, and let me chose something for you to do."
He sighed, knowing full well that she wouldn't give up until she got her way. He was about to curse her for being so stubborn, but realised if the roles were reversed, he would do the same. And the worst part of all was that she was right.
"Fine. What did you have in mind?"
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
It took Temperance a surprisingly long time to come up with something reckless for Booth to do. She had come up with plenty mediocre scenarios, but kept them to herself, deeming them to be too tame or easy. She wanted to show him that she could take control just as well as he could. But for someone of above-average intelligence, she was having some trouble.
"How's it going?" Booth asked, coming back to join her in the car, armed with coffee, where she waited in the warmth. It had grown increasingly cold as the evening went on, and now that it was officially dark outside, the temperature had dropped significantly. She was regretting not having brought a more substantial jacket.
"Fine, thank you."
"Come up with anything?" He grinned, knowing full well that she hadn't.
"As a matter of fact, I have." She hadn't, but he didn't have to know that. She could buy herself a little more time with distraction techniques.
"Oh, well do share it with me."
"Not yet. You kept me in the dark for long enough, now I'm going to do the same to you."
"Alright. But if you could hurry it along a little, that'd be great."
"Why, got somewhere better to be?"
"Maybe. Or maybe I've just got my next turn all planned out already."
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
"You've already got a tattoo. And you completely shot down the piercing idea. So I thought to myself, 'what is Seeley Booth scared of?'"
"I think you'll find that I'm not scared of anything, Bones."
"We both know that's not true."
"Well, enlighten me. What am I afraid of?"
"Oh no, I don't want to ruin the surprise. What I will say is that I called in a pretty huge favour for this, so you better not back out."
He started the car and turned to her. "Which way are we going?"
"Get back on the highway and go south. I'll direct you from there."
"Yes, ma'am."
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
While Temperance was busy trying to direct Booth in the right direction, she heard her cell phone ringing in her bag on the back seat. She reached back to retrieve it.
"Brennan."
"Hey, sweetie, it's Angela. We were supposed to have a movie night, remember? And you aren't here, so I guess it's safe to assume that you forgot."
"I suppose I did. When did we say we were going to do it, because I don't even remember talking about it?"
"Tuesday. You did seem like you were in your own little world, but you definitely wrote it down in your date book; I saw you do it."
"Ah. Booth confiscated my date book." She had to hold the phone away from her ear slightly as Angela laughed loudly down the line.
"Why did he do that? Were you naughty?"
"Excuse me?" She tried to get Booth's attention by waving her left hand in front of him, in an attempt to get him to go that way.
"Nevermind. He must have had a pretty good reason to take it away from you. And I'm surprised you've held it together long enough to be able to answer the phone. I'd say a freak-out is long overdue."
"He said I have to learn to relinquish control. I did that, so now it's his turn."
"Right. So you'd rather do that than movie night with me?"
"No, but I didn't have much choice. He can be quite persuasive."
"I'm sure he can. You know, all this 'I'm in control, do what I say' stuff could lead to some seriously kinky situations, you do realise that don't you?"
"I don't know what that means."
"I'm just saying, this 'game' that you're both playing sounds like a cover for something else."
"Well it isn't." Something else? Like what?
"Well alright then. You two play safely." They both hung up, and Temperance put her cell phone into her pocket. She had no idea what Angela meant, and just assumed it was her trying to be funny.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Eventually, they were almost at their destination. Booth hadn't guessed where they were going yet, but Temperance had a feeling that he was about to.
"Wait a minute, I know where we are! This is the zoo! I bring Parker here all the time."
"Finally, I was beginning to think we weren't in the right place."
"What are we doing here?"
"You'll soon find out."
"I hate to break it to you, but I'm not afraid of giraffes or zebras. And there is no way they would let you into the lion enclosure."
"Well then, it's a good job we aren't here for the giraffes or zebras or lions."
They parked the car, got out, and started walking up to the main gates. Booth was relieved to find them locked with a chain, but had a horrible feeling that that wasn't going to stop her. She walked right up to them and pressed the intercom button. For a few seconds there was nothing but static, then it crackled to life and a man's voice spoke out into the otherwise silent area.
"We're closed."
"Tommy, its Temperance Brennan."
"Oh, sorry, come right in."
A buzzer sounded and a side gate opened about twenty feet away. They went through, and waited patiently for Tommy to make his way over to them. Booth couldn't tell what his job was from what he was wearing – his khaki uniform seemed to be part security guard, part gamekeeper. He began to worry about what Temperance had in store for him.
"Right this way, Doctor Brennan." He led them down one of the many stone pathways, passing a sign the showed they were headed towards the insect habitat, the reptile enclosure and the bird area.
Neither of them had ever been in the zoo at night. She found it to be strangely calm, a little mysterious, and thought it to be the perfect setting for her next book. He found it to be eerily quiet, like something was about to jump out at him and chew his face off.
"Are you scared yet?" she asked, seeing the change in his body language and facial expression.
"Of what? I see nothing to be scared of."
"Well you're about to." They came to a building that was designed to look like a hut on an African reserve. Tommy unlocked the main door and ushered them both inside, but not before waving to the security camera that was placed nearby. "Welcome to the Bird House."
"Oh boy," he said, looking around. The room was dark except for the dim lamps in the glass enclosures, illuminating some not-so-friendly looking birds. "Owls and pigeons I can deal with. It's the angry ones I'm not so mad about." He immediately cursed himself for thinking out loud.
"Fabulous. I think he wants to hold that one, Tommy." She pointed to one of the glass boxes and Tommy went to work finding the falcon inside. Once he'd located it, he began to bring it slowly out and towards Booth, whose hands were shaking by this point.
"No way! It's horrible!" he shouted. Instead, Tommy handed the bird to Temperance, who held it without the slightest hint of disgust on her face.
"I'll leave you to it, Doctor Brennan. If you think he's about to pee himself, take him outside. My boss won't appreciate me letting you in here, and he definitely won't like you making a mess."
"I never understood how birds peed, I mean, where does it come out?" Booth asked, genuinely interested, but also trying to prolong having to hold the bird.
"I was taking about you, tough guy." He laughed as he went out, closing the door behind him, leaving Booth and Temperance (and Quigley the falcon) on their own.
"How did you get him to let us in?"
"The Jeffersonian has links to this zoo. Some of the anthropology students get work placements here. Tommy just happens to owe me a favour."
"Why?"
"I covered for him once. He had one of the meanest professors, who was a real stickler for punctuality, and when he was late I said that he'd been helping me out and his lateness was my fault." Seeing the look Booth was giving her, she felt compelled to add: "I felt sorry for the kid!"
"So you do have a heart!"
"Just remember, I'm the one holding the scary bird, Seeley."
"Sorry. How did you know I don't like birds?"
"I've seen you almost jump out of your skin when they fly towards you."
"Oh."
"What makes you so afraid of birds? They really aren't frightening."
"I thought you didn't put much weight in psychology."
"I don't. I'm just wondering."
"You ever seen the Hitchcock movie, 'The Birds'?"
"I vaguely remember watching it with my mother. What's that got to do with anything?"
"I watched it with my mom when I was a kid, too. Do you remember the scene where all the birds come down the chimney and through the windows?"
"Not really."
"It's a major part of the movie, Bones. It just really freaked me out, because they just kept coming and they were caught in people's hair and everything. I couldn't go to the beach after that movie, I was afraid of the seagulls."
"Quigley isn't dangerous. At least, I hope not…"
"What?!"
"I'm kidding! Relax!"
"That's not funny. That movie traumatised me!"
"Then I think you should hold the bird. It will help you."
"Do I have to?"
"Yes. Start of by just touching the feathers on the wing." Quigley was perched on her shoulder now, like a parrot. He sat there for a little while, but finally began to reach out his hand. His fingers inched towards the bird, until his fingertips finally came in contact with it.
"I think I'm going to be sick."
"No you won't. Now, do you think you can progress to holding the bird?"
"No."
"Come on. How about just the tail end, and I'll hold the rest." After much coaxing, he finally had a grip on Quigley and was actually beginning to enjoy the experience. "See, this is just like cognitive therapy. You have to throw yourself in at the deep end to overcome your fear."
"If you keep talking like that, you'll start believing in that stuff."
"No I won't. You know, I thought your fear of birds might stem from your religion. If you sin, aren't you supposed to die then have your body devoured by birds of the air and beasts of the earth?"
"That probably would have been a better story to tell. Instead of the one where I was mentally scarred by a movie..."