I forgot to mention something important! Okay, not really important at all, only if you needed help to imagine what Al might look like. If you're happy with your own creation of him in your mind, ignore my suggestion to Google Michael Vartan – cos that's who I'd get to play Al if I was casting my story! *swoons*
The Wisdom in the Friend
Her phone rang, vibrating against the table and blasting 'Hot Blooded.' She'd found Booth fiddling with her phone quite awhile ago, but hadn't realised the change he'd made until the cheeky phone call he had made to her later in that day asking if she liked the new ringtone. Now, every time her phone rang she couldn't help but answer with a smile.
'Brennan,' she said, having stopped her conversation with Sarah and Al to answer the phone. They sat on the couch in a comfortable silence with Booth, who was watching Brennan pace around the living room. He couldn't help but take the opportunity to admire the blue summer dress she was wearing.
The call was from the D.I. she had been assigned, Martin Fuller. Brennan and Martin had swapped a few short emails and a phone call previously, and he had called to arrange to pick her up from the house tomorrow, to show her around the forensic lab and introduce her to the team she would be working with.
She wandered off, trying to get out of earshot.
'And Agent Booth has been given clearance to join me, correct?' She whispered. She didn't want him to hear that his help on this case was not yet finalised on this side of the world.
'He has. There will be limitations set in place for him but he will be allowed to assist you in the case.'
'Good. I can't work without him.'
There was a pause and Brennan wondered if the man was nodding over the phone.
'You're not nodding, are you?' She asked, her voice back to its full volume.
The man cleared his throat. 'No,' he said, not entirely convincingly. Brennan smiled. From the emails and phone call they had shared, Martin seemed nice enough – certainly not as talented as Booth, but she knew that really, no one would ever compare with him, so it was an unfair standard to set.
'I look forward to meeting you tomorrow,' she said, heading back over to the area where the others sat.
'And you, Dr Brennan,' the man said formally, before adding, 'I'll see you at nine a.m. tomorrow,' and hanging up the phone.
Brennan placed the phone back on the table, before heading back to the couch she had been sharing with Booth. In her absence he had stretched out somewhat, his arm draped over the back of the couch, so that when she sat down it was almost as though his arm was around her. He used to be this tactile with her, until Hannah. She hadn't realised how much she had missed those small touches, the closeness of their bodies until he had begun to start his old habits again. He smiled at her cheekily as she sat down, as if he were aware just how much she liked being close to him, and that was the very reason he did it.
Don't get carried away, Temperance.
'That your new partner, Tempe?' Al asked, trying to make the question sound like a passing comment.
'Not my new partner. Just the person I'll be working with for the duration of my time in Australia.' She looked over to Booth, before adding, 'Well, one of the people I'll be working with.'
'Seem nice?' Booth asked innocently, wondering if he would have yet more competition for Brennan. It seemed that every male that came into contact with her wanted her – it was hard enough for her not to be his when they were alone; it was a thousand times worse when there was another man in the picture, vying for her affection.
'Well, I can't tell much from two phone conversations and a handful of emails, but my basic assessment is that he'll be a good person to work with. Seems quite no-nonsense and practical about things.'
'So, a male version of you?' Booth asked, rolling his eyes. 'It's going to be so much fun working with you two,' he said, poking at her gently.
'I wouldn't go so far as to say he is the male version of me, Booth,' she argued, crossing her arms. 'I doubt he's as brilliant.'
Al snorted. 'Still as modest as ever, Tempe.'
Al grinned at Booth. 'I love Tempe, I do, but I don't know you could have put up with her antics for so long, Seeley. You're a special guy.'
Because I love her. In the die for, suffer for, go to hell and back kind of way.
He didn't say that, of course. 'Oh, we have our outlets to vent our frustrations.'
Al and Sarah exchanged a look, and Seeley could see what outlets they thought he meant.
God, I wish.
Before he could correct their assumption, Josephine and Ella bounded in from outside, their faces shining from all the running around they appeared to have been doing.
'Mummy, I'm starving! What's for dinner?' Ella asked. It was the first time Booth had heard Ella speak and thought that the little girl sounded absolutely adorable with her Australian accent.
Sarah scooped the little girl into her lap, and Booth was surprised by how little Ella looked like her mother.
Josephine milled around the couch, looking somewhat wearily at both Booth and Brennan. She hadn't forgotten the presence of the strangers quite as well as her little sister seemed to have.
'We're in for a treat, girls,' Sarah said, hugging Ella tight. 'Daddy and Seeley here are going to make us a delicious barbeque tonight!'
'Yummy!' The little girl grinned, squirming in her mother's lap.
Al stood up, looking at Booth. 'Looks like duty calls, Seeley. I'll fire up the barbeque, would you mind grabbing the meat out of the fridge?'
Booth stood up, nodding. Heading over to the fridge, he grabbed the meat out. Before he closed the door, he heard Al yell from outside, 'Oh, and bring out a couple of beers, too!'
Booth smiled, grabbing a couple of stubbies and heading towards the door. He threw a glance at Sarah and Brennan who remained sitting on the couch, laughing about something. The little girls were sitting on the couch with their mother, and Ella seemed to be trying to butt into the conversation. Too his surprise, Brennan didn't seem to be annoyed by the distraction, instead she smiled somewhat fondly at the child. Bemused, Booth opened the flyscreen door and headed out onto the veranda – a word Sarah had taught him when he'd been shown around the house – over to where Al stood, cleaning off the barbeque.
He placed the meat and plates on the bench next to the barbeque, holding onto the beer. He handed one to Al with a smile, opening his and taking a swig. The beer tasted different to what he was used to in America, but it was still nice.
Al finished cleaning the barbeque before turning his full attention to Booth. Booth had been wondering whether to broach the topic of the case, and ask what the truth was about Al's relationship to the victims. He carefully considered the man – he seemed to be in a good mood, a small smile on his face as he fiddled with the barbeque, beer in hand. Booth looked around the garden, taking in the Christmas decorations and the balmy evening.
This is too nice a night to spoil with talk of murder.
Booth instead decided to talk about the woman they had in common.
'So, Al,' He began, somewhat slyly, 'do you have any interesting stories about Brennan that you think I'd like to hear?'
Al turned to him, a slight twinkle in his eye. 'Oh, a few,' he said, noncommittally, testing the heat of the grill.
Booth took another sip of beer, curious to find out stories about Brennan from her earlier days. He doubted she would have been much of a party girl, but he didn't doubt that she would have found herself in many interesting situations.
'I can't imagine Brennan ever really acting any younger than 35,' Booth said, passing Al the meat, considering him. 'Though, I imagine you were a bad influence on her,'
Al laughed. 'Too true. Most of her more questionable moments usually came from my insistence. Except...' he trailed off, laughing at the memory.
Al paused for a moment, concentrating on placing the array of meat on the grill – the typical sausages, hamburgers and chops. It hardly seemed to Booth that this was a two man job, but he didn't mind the conversation.
'So, Brennan let loose on her own accord?' Booth asked, eyebrows raised.
'Not quite,' Al said, still laughing. The meat sizzled, releasing a pleasant aroma into the summer air.
All looked at Booth, his face alight with a cheeky smile. 'Okay, so this was before Brennan and I had gotten together, though we were living together by then. My girlfriend at the time had been staying over, and decided to bake cookies. Special cookies,' Al said, emphasising the word special. 'She was a bit of a hippie, but fancied herself as a good cook. And I won't deny, those cookies were delicious.'
Booth could see where the story was headed, and the images in his mind were certainly entertaining.
Al paused again, laughing. 'Anyway, so Tempe comes home after Uni and understandably, she was pretty hungry. Erin – my girlfriend – and I were out, and Tempe sees all these cookies cooling on the rack. So naturally, she helps herself to a few. By the time Erin and I get back, Tempe is outside and completely fascinated by the sunlight through her fingers, and kept exclaiming how beautiful everything was to anyone who would listen.' He paused, shaking his head at the memory. 'She was truly adorable.'
Booth laughed, and could picture in his mind how she would have been an adorable sight. He'd never enjoyed 'special cookies' and what went in them himself: whenever he'd tried, he'd only gotten hungry; and the sight of his friends gambolling around him talking about unicorns had hardly enamoured him to the experience. But of course Brennan would have seen everything as beautiful, and then try to convince everyone else of the fact.
'I'll take it she stayed away from your girlfriend's cookies after that?' Booth asked, holding his hand out for the tongs in Al's hands so he could flip the meat.
Handing them over, Al grinned. 'On the contrary,' he said, reaching for his beer on the table. 'She asked for the recipe.'
Booth burst out laughing, just as Brennan and Sarah came out, holding various salads in their hands. The children followed soon after, carrying plates and cutlery.
'What's so funny?' Brennan asked curiously, placing her salad bowl down on the table.
Al hid his smile, as did Booth. 'Just telling Seeley about old times, Tempe.' Al said, beginning to pull meat of the barbeque and place it on a large serving plate.
Brennan looked curiously at Booth, wondering what story could have made him laugh so much.
'Don't worry, Tempe, it's nothing embarrassing,' Al said, not entirely convincingly.
Booth grinned impishly at her. 'No, I assure you Bones, it is.'
She crossed her arms, trying to look annoyed, but found that she wasn't, really. 'What did he tell you?' She asked, looking at Booth.
He grinned at her, winking. 'I wouldn't worry.'
She rolled her eyes before heading back to the door and disappearing back inside. He watched her leave, smiling to himself.
He hadn't noticed Al watching him, or the appraising look in his eyes.
Booth turned back to Al, taking another sip of beer. He was about to ask about the other stories, but Al cut him off.
'Tell me, Booth. How long have you felt this way about Tempe?'
He asked the question quietly, kindly. Booth was taken aback by it.
'What do you mean?' Booth asked, though he knew exactly what Al meant.
Al just looked at him pointedly, as if to say what he meant was obvious. Which, it was.
Booth ran his fingers through his hair, pausing. How much did he want to reveal to this man, that he'd only just met? Who was a suspected murderer, who he found himself trusting, despite it all?
'Since I first laid eyes on her,' he said quietly, knowing it sounded like a cliché. But, it was true. He hadn't realised it himself at the time, he'd denied it too himself once the realisation had occurred, he'd eventually admitted it to her at his own peril, and now he was admitting it to Al. He didn't know why, but he felt better for saying it.
Al smiled knowingly. He patted Booth on the back, and then punched his shoulder. 'Don't give up on her, Booth. She'll surprise you yet.'
The women returned, and Booth was left to think about what Al had just said.
She'll surprise you yet.
What had Al seen that he had failed too?
.-.-.-.-.-.
She climbed into bed, her head buzzing from the red wine she'd maybe had a little too much of that evening, her heart warm from the pleasant evening she'd shared with Al and his family, and most of all, Booth. She'd caught his eye a dozen times that night, and every time she felt her heart swell with happiness she couldn't really describe. As the night had progressed, his small touches had become longer, lingering upon her skin so that even now she felt as though he had left his tingling fingerprints on her. She smiled, remembering how the children had warmed up too both herself and Booth, Ella climbing into her lap come the end of the night. She remembered the glowing look she'd received from Booth as the small child lay sleeping in her lap, and she felt further warmed by the memory.
She and Booth had resumed their banter again, much to her enjoyment; and Sarah and Al's. Rather than be annoyed by it, like their friends back at home, Sarah especially seemed to find it amusing. They'd fought over Booth's mispronunciations of Australian words, much to the girls delight – they had spent of the evening asking him to say certain words, and laughing at his efforts when he said them differently – they'd fought over etiquette at a barbeque, and as the night progressed, what they fought over became more ridiculous and childish. But she'd loved every moment of it.
It felt like they were back, finally back. A team again, the crime solving duo that let nothing get in their way.
Especially now a certain blonde is out of the picture.
She smiled at Booth as he came out of the bathroom, not bothering to hide that fact that she was admiring his body. She figured that if he chose to sleep in nothing but jocks, he was willingly putting himself on display. And so, she would look.
He noticed her looking, and hid a smile.
'Do you realise you have a perfectly proportioned body, Booth?' She asked, looking at him with bright eyes. 'You are the epitome of masculinity.'
He looked at her, surprised. And pleased. The way she was gazing at him filled him with a hunger, he wanted to go over to her and devour her. Instead, he simply said -
'Thanks, Bones.'
He scooted under his covers, looking over at her. She was still watching him intently.
If I could only know what you are thinking!
What she was thinking was how much she wanted to go over to him on that bed, to touch every part of his perfect body, to guide his hands over every part of hers. She was thinking how she wished she was a little braver, or had had a little more to drink, so that she might have had the courage to actually do it.
She reached over to turn off the lamp, and they were both plunged into darkness. Moonlight streamed in through a crack in the curtains, falling at the foot of Booth's bed.
'Good night, Booth.' She said, closing her eyes. She had to be rational. She was here to solve a case and help a friend. She was here to help Booth forget his heartache.
'Sweet dreams, Bones,' he replied, putting his arms behind his head. He thought about the night they'd just shared, how good it had been. How light, how jovial. He hadn't had as much fun in a long time. He listened to the sound of her deep breathing, calm and relaxed.
He smiled as the sound of her gentle breaths lulled him to sleep.
An explanation: I realise the thoughts that both Brennan and Booth have may seem repetitive – i.e. in the last chapter with both of them thinking of the other while they were in the shower, or here, how they both want to go to the other and instigate some sexy fun time. If you find that repetition annoying, sorry! But I'm doing it for a reason – I want to show that they are both thinking about each other in the same way, but haven't yet twigged that the other is feeling exactly the same. In previous seasons of the show, it seemed to be hinted all the time that they each new how much they were attracted to each other, but I don't think that knowledge would remain after all that has happened between them. Brennan is convinced that Booth has moved on, and Booth is convinced that his botched attempt to woe her and then his relationship with Hannah has destroyed the trust between them. Oh, how wrong they are! But the majority of this story is really about the unfolding that occurs for them both to realise how the other feels. And hopefully act on it, this time ;)
Also, for those of you looking forward to hearing more about the case, the next chapter is the one for you! Sorry if the story seems a bit slow paced – I'm just trying to make it flow naturally, and not jump from one thing to another haphazardly. Hope you're all enjoying the story; I'm really enjoying writing it!
And thank you for the reviews :)