Vigilante Justice

Chapter 11: Ocean City

Drizzling, chilly and misty, Saturday morning was not off to a promising beginning for a day at the beach. Booth knocked at Bones' door before 7 AM, knowing she'd be up and preparing for the three hour drive to the coast.

"I'm just making you some coffee," she mumbled over her shoulder as he followed her in. He gave her an approving look: it wasn't often he got to see her dressed so casually, and yet he thought she looked more beautiful than ever. She was wearing faded denim cutoffs, a butter yellow sweatshirt faded and washed to touchable softness, and had a light blue windbreaker tied around her waist. Sunglasses hanging around her neck on a knotted rope completed her beach look.

"You might not need the sunglasses," Booth advised, thinking of the heavy mist outside.

"Well, just in case," Bones replied. She stirred sugar and cream into his coffee and handed him a generously sized travel mug. He usually took it black, but Bones always put something delicious in the coffee that made him willing to drink it the way she prepared it. After an appreciative slurp, he sat it down on the counter and wandered over to the couch where Bones' oversized bag was sitting open.

"Yum."

"I thought you might like to eat something on the drive down there," Brennan explained as she brushed her hair into a ponytail and fastened it.

"I'm all for food," he approved. Reaching into the bag, he pulled out a wrapped loaf.

"Did you--?"

"It's banana nut bread. I had some over ripe bananas; I had to bake last night."

"When I have overripe bananas I throw them in the garbage," Booth quipped.

"Actually," Bones admitted with a sheepish smile, "so do I. But since we are going on a day trip, I decided to pull out the recipe book."

"I'm impressed," he said. He raised the bread to his face and sniffed appreciatively. "I'm suddenly feeling hungry."

"You can have some in the car; I'll drive first. Let's go."

Booth wasted no time helping himself to a slice of banana bread as soon as they were underway. The smell of coffee and warm bread filled the car. Booth sighed happily.

"Maybe we should just stay down at the shore," he said.

"Do you always get like this on a trip?"

"What do you mean?" He licked his fingers and helped himself to another warm, gooey slice.

"I remember when you went to the Caribbean on a vacation by yourself several years ago. You said you might not come back home. Are you always tempted to run away when you are vacationing?"

Booth thought about it for a few minutes before responding. The look on his face was dreamy.

"Don't you ever want to run away from all the stress and strain of your work? All those long hours, the lack of sleep, the pain of dealing with bereaved families; haven't you ever been tempted to just dump it and live a life of pleasure on a tropical island somewhere?"

"No," she answered with straightforward honesty.

"Really?" He sat up straight in mid-chew.

"I am living the life I always dreamed of right now, Booth. I love what I do, both in the lab as well as my career as an author. Sure, a tropical paradise would be fun for a week or two, but I know you pretty well by now. You'd get bored and then you'd get cranky. You need something significant to do with your life, just as I do."

"Not a chance," he protested weakly, although he knew she was right. "Cranky? Why would you think I'd get cranky? I never get cranky… do I?"

"Booth," she said with a chuckle, "you definitely can be cranky sometimes."

"Yeah, maybe." He started to say something, thought better of it and pursed his lips.

"Yes, Booth, I can be cranky too sometimes."

Booth took a long drink of his now lukewarm coffee. "I'm glad you can admit it, Bones," he said.

"Booth, I'm glad we're getting away, even if we do have to go back to our real lives on Monday. I haven't been down to the shore since I was a kid. I can't wait to see the ocean. I mean I've seen lots of oceans, all over the world… but Ocean City is different. For a few hours I get to be a kid again, and eat greasy pizza, cotton candy and saltwater taffy. Oh! We always bought a box kite and flew it out on the beach because the breeze is so strong. Can we buy a kite, Booth?"

He laughed. "Of course. It wouldn't be Ocean City without a kite. If it doesn't rain all day, that is."

The day was growing gloomier and fat drops of rain had begun to escape from the threatening clouds overhead. Bones waved her hand dismissively.

"We'll find something fun to do whether it rains or not," she predicted with glee. "Here's the Bay Bridge," she announced, slowing down to pay the toll. When she rolled her window up and got back up to the speed limit, she glanced over at Booth.

"I was wondering something," she began in a tone that instantly alerted Booth that her next comment would not be small talk. He watched her steadily, and he hoped with an encouraging expression.

"What?"

"Did you really mean what you said the other night? Do remember how you told me that you like me just the way I am?" The car swerved just a little in the lane. Bones gripped the wheel with both hands and forced herself to concentrate on driving, but the action betrayed her nervousness.

"I didn't say I liked you the way you are. I said I love you just the way you are."

"You love me but you don't like me?"

Coming from anyone else, Booth would have thought that response was flippant, but Bones was genuinely confused. It was just another trait in a long line of reasons why he loved her so much.

"Of course I like you. I meant that I feel more for you than just liking. Understand?"

"I think so," she replied, chewing her bottom lip.

"So, you love me," she repeated cautiously.

"Yeah," Booth said firmly. "Hey, Bones, we don't have to talk about this right now. Let's just go to the shore, have fun and enjoy ourselves. It's been a rough few weeks; let's just relax."

The road went from four lanes to two lanes and the dark sky suddenly began to lighten. The rain stopped. Booth began to hope the weather would be on their side, just this once, so they could have a perfect day together. There were fewer cars on the road and the rural landscape on either side lulled them both into a sense of being far away from everything. During the summer months, this road was bumper to bumper, but this time of year they practically had the highway all to themselves. Booth's head drooped against the side of the car. Within minutes, he had dozed off.

"Wake up, Booth. We're here." Her voice sounded far away. Sitting up he shook his head a little and blinked.

"I'm awake," he mumbled.

"Come on; let's go see the ocean." Bones sounded like a little girl again. Booth headed toward the steps up to the boardwalk. A brisk breeze and a few patchy clouds were all that remained of the storm. Feeling sand under his shoes, Booth kicked them off. Bones did the same and they left their shoes together in a corner on the boardwalk.

"Wait for me!"

Bones was already at the water's edge, kicking up the foam with bare feet. A wave splashed at her legs and she paused to roll up the legs of her jeans. Another wave splashed up onto the rolled up part and she laughed. Eyes shining with pleasure and hair blowing in the wind, she looked adorable. Booth could hardly breathe. With a big smile, he caught up to her and took her by the hand.

"This was a good idea," he said. "It's almost sunny!" Booth pointed at a bright cloud. "Are you warm enough?"

"I wouldn't object to being a little warmer." She pulled him closer and wrapped one arm around his waist. "It's colder now than when we first got here, probably because my clothes are wet."

"Ya think?" They strolled along the edge of the water, taking care to above the level of the waves. They both sighed contentedly when the sun managed to free itself from the clouds and they were engulfed in its bright rays. Pulling on his arm, Bones climbed up the dune a few feet and plopped down on the sand, dragging Booth with her. Somehow he ended up with his head in her lap, staring up at the sky, laughing. Gulls flew overhead and their piercing cries filled the air. Bones slowly sank back until she too was lying down in the sand. She reached down at the same instant he reached up. Their hands joined.

"Looking out over the ocean makes me feel like a speck; even tinier than a speck. It's a good thing to remind ourselves once and a while how big the universe is."

Booth closed his eyes. He wasn't thinking about anything beyond how great it felt to hold her hand.

"What do you feel when you look up at the infinite sky, or gaze out over the horizon? That's the edge of the planet, right there," she pointed. "It makes me feel like I'm part of something grand and amazing."

"It makes me feel hungry. Let's go get something to eat on the boardwalk." He hauled her up off the sand and brushed her off with such enthusiasm she began giggling.

"Careful there," she protested, stepping away. He took a step at the same moment and continued brushing down the backs of her legs.

"Wow, you have sand everywhere."

"Well, so do you," she replied, turning on him and swiping her hands down his back, his stomach, his arms and legs until Booth was laughing and running away from her too. She chased after him until he tripped in the sand and they both went down in a pile. Sand once again was all over them. Booth grabbed her and helped her back up, taking the opportunity to hug her around the waist for a few lovely seconds.

"Come on." They ran back to retrieve their shoes and see what the boardwalk had to offer.

By afternoon the sun had come out full force and their noses and shoulders were turning pink. They had collapsed onto a bench with cherry snow cones. Booth had a kite, recently purchased, tucked under his arm. They had spent over an hour running up and down the beach flying it.

"Whoa," Booth exclaimed. "Brain freeze."

"You eat too fast," Bones reproved. "Watch. Take little bites." She demonstrated her superior method of eating a snow cone.

"Give me a bite? Mine's gone."

She hesitated, looking into her bright red treat and looking back at him, considering whether she really wanted to share. Booth gave her his puppy dog eyes.

"That's not fair," she said, ladling a spoonful into his mouth.

"Oh, yes, that's good." He tried to grab the spoon away from her to get more.

"Patience," she counseled, holding the next bite just out of reach before giving it to him. But when he grabbed for the paper cup again, she gave it to him, spoon and all. They'd eaten so much junk already she just wasn't hungry enough to fight for her snow cone rights. With a sigh she slumped against the back of the bench.

"We should get on the road soon, she pointed out. It's almost five. I don't want to go home yet, Booth. This was really a good day. The best, actually. Thanks for coming with me."

"My pleasure, Bones. I'm glad you asked. Hey. We could stay for dinner?"

"No, you look sunburned and tired and I have to be at work early tomorrow. Angela and I are putting the finishing touches on a new computer modeling program and we want to show it to Cam ASAP. I am going in around seven. Booth, are you going to insist on escorting me to work again?"

"No, I will be asleep," he announced firmly, drinking the last few drips of snow cone, balling up the paper cup and tossing it into the nearby trashcan.

"Really? You're not going to be my bodyguard any more?"

"That's right. Hey, it's been quiet for weeks. I think we're in the clear."

Standing, he pointed down the boardwalk in the direction of their car. As they walked, Bones was quiet and her forehead was wrinkled in that way that Booth knew meant she was bothered by something. After long minutes of silence, he sighed loudly and stopped to face her.

"What?"

"You've been watching me around the clock for weeks, and now you're just going to stop, just like that. I don't understand. You know something, Booth, something that you're not telling me. "

To be continued…

Kind of a fluffy chapter, but now it's back to reality!