I like this one a lot. For those of you who aren't aware, a pogo ball is basically a rubber ball, sliced through the center by a platform of sorts. You stand on the platform, squeezing one end of the ball between your feet, and jump up and down on it. I don't know how else to describe it. Anyway, it's a very cool toy. (:
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"Booth is a man full of surprises."
They were in the car, on the way home from a crime scene.
"You see, Booth? This is what marriage leads to." she was saying.
"Come on, Bones! That's ridiculous! That is not a good example of a marriage, and you know that." he said, rising to the bait.
"But it is an example. And there are more just like that. Almost fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce. The rate of marriage has been dropping steadily since 1998. Society is progressive, people see that getting married isn't practical, and-"
"That's ridiculous." he interrupted.
"Just because you say it's ridiculous doesn't mean that it's not true. I'm merely stating facts, Booth." she said calmly.
"Marriage is sacred- just because our society leans one way or another doesn't mean that way is right, Bones. Marriage is right." he stated.
"I don't understand how you can maintain that point of view. I'm presenting a very logical argument. It doesn't make sense to disagree with irrefutable fact."
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." he said.
She was so surprised at this statement from him that her next argument died on her lips.
He smiled, watching the road.
"I didn't know you were a fan of Aristotle." she said, her tone completely different.
He continued to smile. "Well… I guess I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."
She chuckled at him. "I guess so."
----
"Bones has an unexpected playful side. Also, her feet are very sexy." He remembered this occurrence more clearly than some of the other ones. It was one of his favorite memories of Bones, actually. They had gone out to interview a victim's brother. The man, Cal White, owned a vintage toy store. Bones did her usual wandering around, inspecting her surroundings while Booth talked to Cal. She usually stuck close, observing and occasionally commenting and asking questions about the things she saw, but this time she said nothing. When he finished asking questions, Booth turned around, but didn't see Bones. Stepping over a pile of cabbage patch dolls, he turned a corner to see her studying something he couldn't see.
"What is it, Bones?"
"A…pogo ball." she said, her tone indiscernible.
"A pogo ball?" he clarified. What, was this the murder weapon, or something? It was his impression that the guy had been stabbed, not beaten to death with a popular eighties toy.
"Yeah…" she sounded faraway. "I had one of these."
"Did you?" he didn't do a very good job hiding his surprise.
"I was a child once, Booth." she said, finally looking at him. She sounded a little defensive to him.
"I know, Bones. I just…"
"Saw me as more of a chemistry set-toting kid?" she asked, her voice now portraying no emotion, which was worse.
He didn't know what to say. Yes, perhaps he pictured a young Bones, inside her house, playing with her chemistry set or putting together a plastic human body toy, but he didn't want to say that to her. It was hard for him to separate the Bones she was today to the Temperance Brennan she had been before her parents' disappearance- a young, carefree, normal kid with normal toys.
"It's okay, I understand." she said, turning away from him.
He felt awkward, which was why he blurted, "I'll bet I could jump more than you, Bones."
He had expected her to turn on him, say something about acting his age, or perhaps citing the weight capacity of a toy like that, but she surprised him again.
"That's highly unlikely." she said, laughing.
"You're on!" he said.
"Fine, you first." she retorted.
He make seventeen jumps before losing his balance. "That was a warm-up." he explained. "Your turn, and when you're done, if you've beat seventeen, I'll beat your number."
She looked at him and chuckled again, then slipped out of her heels.
After twenty five jumps, he said, "Yeah, I can still beat you."
After sixty seven, he said, "Okay, fine, you win."
After ninety nine bounces, all he could do was stare at her, completely consumed by the mess her hair had become, her heavy breath, and especially her tiny bare feet.
After one hundred and fifty one bounces, she gracefully stepped off and smiled at him, then slipped back into her shoes and led the way to the exit, leaving a stunned Booth in her wake.
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I've gotten a few reviews from people who say they're confused about the story, so I thought I'd take a moment to address this. I'm sorry that the chapters are jumping around and you don't like that, but that's just the way I wrote it. I think it makes it interesting and dynamic and I really like it. If you're really confused, you can read the odd chapters first, then the even chapters, or vice versa, but I don't recommend it. I also am not sure how long I will be keeping it consistent like that, so I suggest just reading them in order. I am sad to hear that it's confusing, though. I hope not everyone is befuddled. :/
The other thing a few people have mentioned was how awkward it would be on the show if our two main characters were to actually fight. To tell you the truth, I love it, it's buckets of fun to write, and I think it is a distinct possibility in the show. They're are obviously loads of sexual tension between them and they're both passionate characters. I think that sooner or later they will have a real fight- they already bicker quite a lot. Also, I think a fight is the perfect way to lead to some honest truth telling- perhaps revealing their feelings for one another? Just saying...
Thanks to all of my kind reviewers! I am enjoying your feedback immensely. I also appreciate all of the people following the story through alerts- even if you aren't reviewing, it's nice to know you're reading! I'd love your thoughts! And if you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them. Not guaranteeing anything, of course... ;)
Hope to hear from you!
-Hanna