Thank you for all of the reviews and feedback! :) Hope you like this chapter. I'm sure it's probably not what you're expecting, but I just couldn't resist.
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Chapter 13
Over the course of the next few weeks, Booth and Brennan got Parker's custody paperwork finalized by the court and managed to solve a new case as well. The crime scene had been a blackened hotel suite in which a bomb had been detonated, killing five people. In the course of their investigation, they discovered ties to a Colombian drug cartel, and a State Department worker named Alex Radziwill had helped them to navigate the murky waters of diplomatic immunity.
Once the case was closed, the couple shifted their focus to preparations for Halloween. The holiday fell on a Tuesday that year, and Booth was scheduled to have Parker the weekend before. As excited as he was about getting to take his son trick-or-treating, something Rebecca hadn't permitted him to do in the past, he was slightly more concerned about the news Brennan gave him as they perused the costume aisles of a local specialty store.
"You should pick out something for yourself too, Booth."
"Why? It was hard enough to find a Cars-related costume for Parker that doesn't look completely ridiculous. You really think he's gonna want me to dress up too?"
"No, I meant that you'll need something for the Jeffersonian's Halloween Party. Attendance is compulsory, as are costumes. Since you were required to go to the fundraising gala last year, I assume you'll be expected to attend the party this year. It's an annual thing; there's no getting out of it."
"Whoa, wait a minute, Bones… If it's annual, why didn't I have to go last year? Why didn't you go?"
"It was canceled last year," Brennan answered with a bit of a smirk. "Someone sabotaged the venue at the last minute with a combustive mixture of potassium chlorate, sucrose, and sodium bicarbonate."
"Combustive?" he echoed, looking alarmed.
"It was a smoke bomb," she snickered. "Or rather… quite a few of them rigged to ignite at different intervals. I heard it took hours to remove them all."
"Uh huh… And judging by the look on your face, you know exactly who the saboteur was." Booth didn't bother to contain his grin, and her own sly smile was answer enough.
"Who they were, you mean. And yes, I was privy to that knowledge."
"Hmmm. And why do we have to go this year? I mean, couldn't the Squint Twins come up with a similar...uh...solution?"
"I'm sure they'll give it their best effort, but security has been increased this year," she chuckled. "Cam says that if she has to go, everyone does."
"And it's going to be nothing but grownups wearing costumes?" he asked, cringing at the mental picture. Brennan nodded. "Geez, Bones, why don't they just send everyone to ComicCon? It's going to look pretty much the same."
"I don't know what that means."
"Nothing… I guess I need a costume then," he sighed, paying a bit more attention to the rows of bagged costumes on the wall in front of them. "Hey, what are you going as?"
"The same thing as every year," she answered distractedly, reaching toward a particular costume. "What about this?" she smirked. Booth raised his brows at the Superman costume she held.
"Eh… I don't know, Bones. I mean...tights, really?"
Brennan shrugged, thinking maybe she would come back to pick up the costume another time. He could always wear it around the house…
"I could just wear one of my suits with a pair of aviators," he suggested. "You know, Men in Black style."
"How would that be all that different from your usual wardrobe?"
"Well, that's the point," he grumbled. "At least I'd be comfortable."
"I thought the point of a costume was to pretend to be someone you're not."
"Yeah, I guess… I don't know, Bones," he shrugged, looking helplessly at the dozens of adult male-sized costumes. "Grown men aren't supposed to do this kind of stuff." Brennan snorted a little but continued to think about his options.
"Well… Instead of dressing the way you usually dress for work, what about dressing the way I dress for work?"
"I'm not wearing heels, Bones."
"No," she laughed, "I mean you could wear a labcoat."
"Be a squint for Halloween?" She nodded and watched his expression brighten as he considered it. "Yeah, I like it… And it won't be too uncomfortable, right? I mean, you wear one every day. Think you can get one that'll fit me?"
"I'm sure I can," she smiled, liking the idea of Booth in a labcoat.
Maybe I'll make sure that comes home too…
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Booth sighed wearily as he listened to his girlfriend lecture him and his son about the dangers of excess sugar. He knew she meant well, but Parker was looking a bit worried that he might not be permitted to eat the candy he'd collected while trick-or-treating. Booth gave him a reassuring smile.
"Come on, Bones, it's not like I'm gonna let the kid eat all of it at once. Besides, didn't you ever go trick-or-treating as a kid?" he asked, a little concerned that the answer might be no.
"I do remember dressing up for Halloween, so I suppose we must have followed the modern custom of blackmailing strangers for sweets, but I don't remember ever having that amount of candy in the house," she said, looking at Parker's candy pile with a slightly disturbed expression.
"Bones, we didn't blackmail anyone for candy," he insisted, trying not to laugh at her description.
"Of course we did. Or rather, Parker did. The phrase is 'trick or treat,' which implies that if the person who answers the door doesn't surrender a treat of some sort, the child will then pull some manner of prank upon them. How is that not blackmail?"
Booth scrubbed a hand over his face, trying to make sense of the argument, but before he could return fire, Parker spoke up from his position on the floor.
"What's blackmail?"
"Nothing, Parker. Tell you what, pick two pieces of candy, and then go change into your pajamas, okay?" His son grinned excitedly and studied his candy pile carefully to make his selection. Booth had already checked each piece carefully and deemed them all safe to eat, shaking his head at the uncomfortable thought that such a thing was even necessary.
Brennan decided not to point out that candy right before bed would likely hinder Parker's ability to achieve restful sleep, and instead, she wandered into the kitchen to pour herself a glass of wine. Booth joined her a short while later and found her sipping her wine and sorting through a stack of mail.
"He's in bed, but he's reading for a little while. I figure that should wind him down," he announced, leaning his head down for a gentle kiss. Brennan smiled in approval of that plan and took another sip of her wine before placing it on the counter and turning to wrap her arms around Booth's waist.
"Guess that means you're not mad," he grinned, feeling her hands slip beneath his shirt to caress his back.
"Of course not," she replied, looking confused. "Why would I be angry?"
"I don't know… Parker eating candy before bed, I guess. You disappeared into the kitchen, and now you're drinking," he smirked.
"Oh. No, I wasn't angry. It's just been a long night. Would you like a beer, or would you prefer to wait until after Parker's asleep?"
"I'll wait. He's exhausted, so I'm sure he'll crash pretty soon," he replied, hugging her closer. "Thanks for coming out with us tonight, Bones. I know trick-or-treating probably isn't your thing, but he really wanted you to come along."
"I had fun, Booth. I always enjoy spending time with Parker. Even if it is spent blackmailing strangers for candy," she said, grinning mischievously. He chuckled and kissed her soundly.
"Well, if anyone can teach Parker how to blackmail, it's you."
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"We probably could've just gotten dressed at the lab, you know," Booth called out, raising his voice so that she could hear him on the other side of the bathroom door. He tamed his hair into a smoother style than he usually preferred and buttoned the blue Medico-Legal labcoat she'd brought home the day before. He was pleased to see that it fit his broad shoulders rather well, and he wondered idly who had originally worn it.
"I have in the past, but there was no need this year. We're in between Limbo cases as well as homicide cases right now, so there was no reason not to come home."
"Hmmm. You almost done in there? I gotta say, I look pretty good in a labcoat," he boasted, grinning at his own reflection in the bedroom mirror.
"Yes, just finishing up."
"You never did tell me what your costume is," he reminded her. Brennan smirked into the mirror and adjusted her breasts to fit a little more securely in her Wonder Woman bustier. There had been more than one reason she'd never brought up the subject of her costume after their shopping trip. First of all, she really wanted to see his face when she donned the full ensemble. Secondly, she had a feeling that if he'd known about it ahead of time, he just might have refused to let her wear it in public. Not that she was generally the type to let a man decide what she would or wouldn't wear, but she didn't relish the idea of spending the evening arguing about it.
"I guess I didn't," she admitted coyly.
"Well, are you ready?"
"Are you?" she retorted, opening the door and stepping into the bedroom.
Booth turned to look at her and felt his body react immediately. Not only was he instantly hard, but his throat felt constricted, his jaw fell open, and his eyes widened in astonishment.
"Wow," was all he could manage to say aloud.
Holy Mother of God, he thought dazedly. Booth had the sudden urge to cross himself as his eyes raked slowly downward from her face all the way to the toes of her knee-high boots. She looked like pure sin; the kind for which every good Catholic boy had done penance. Sex in spandex, he mused, his mouth watering as he watched her magnificent breasts rise slightly above the bodice of her costume with each breath she took. Her costume was complete with a Lasso of Truth dangling from her belt and Amazonium bracelets, and his mind descended even further into the gutter as he considered possible uses for that rope.
"How do I look?" she asked, moving her hands to her hips in a superhero stance and taking a moment to admire the way he looked in his labcoat.
"You… You look…" he faltered, trying to find a sufficient adjective. None seemed to exist.
"I assume from your obvious state of arousal that you…like it?" she asked, striding toward him slowly. As if in answer to her question, Booth fumbled clumsily with the buttons on his labcoat, undoing them one by one, and she stopped abruptly. "What are you doing? We have to leave soon."
"Oh no, Bones… We're not going anywhere tonight." He stalked toward her as he finished the row of buttons, but rather than shrug out of the garment, he moved both hands to encircle her waist. Booth pulled her against his body, looking down to admire the way her breasts pillowed slightly onto his chest.
"We have to," she protested weakly as his hands slid slowly around her waist to cup her buttocks. Booth pressed his hardness against the star-spangled bottom of her costume, leaving her with no doubt as to the reason for the change of plans. "Cam is expecting-"
"Use one of your freebies. It'll be worth it, I promise." Booth bent to capture her lips in a fiery kiss, plundering her mouth with his tongue even as his hands gripped her ass more tightly to hold her hips in place against his own.
Brennan moaned into his mouth and kissed him back without reservation, sliding her hands slowly up the hard wall of his chest and slipping beneath the labcoat. She knew there was something she'd meant to say in response to his suggestion that she utilize one of her free passes, but in that moment, all logical thought had abandoned her. She clung to his wide shoulders as he proceeded to kiss her senseless.
Booth's hands didn't stay in one place for long. His fingers skimmed along the satiny spandex until they reached the top of her costume, and he dragged his mouth from hers somewhat reluctantly to look at her again. He didn't ever want to stop looking.
"God, baby, you're incredible. So hot, Bones." He licked his lips and swallowed thickly, watching her breasts move as she panted with her own arousal, threatening to spill out of the costume with every breath she took.
"I rather like you in that labcoat as well," she admitted in her bedroom voice. "I knew I would." Brennan gripped the lapels of the garment with both hands and pulled him forward into another kiss. This time, however, she was the aggressor, sliding her tongue expertly between his lips. Booth groaned and moved his hands to the smooth expanse of her chest, under her arms, and around to the flawless skin of her upper back. When she finally released his lips, they were gasping for air.
Brennan attempted to reach behind her back for the zipper on her costume, but he caught her wrists to stop her, his hands closing around the metal bracelets.
"No," he groaned, dipping his head to taste the skin below her jaw. "Leave it on. All of it."
Brennan shivered at his commanding tone and felt that familiar ache at her center growing stronger with each passing second. Booth stepped backward and pulled her along with him until his legs were touching the side of the bed. He sat down, encouraging her to stand between his parted knees, but she shook her head, pushing them together to straddle them instead. She was still standing, and the shiny silver band at the top of her bodice was at his eye level.
He couldn't resist the urge to bury his face her cleavage, dragging his tongue in an upward motion between her breasts. Brennan moaned, wanting him to pull the top of her costume down for better access, but she didn't want to rush him. His arms wrapped around her hips, and she felt his mouth fasten to the skin directly between her breasts. She knew he was marking her, and the thought made the ache grow even stronger.
When he finally pulled back, his eyes were heavy with desire, and they drifted hungrily toward the junction of her legs. He moved his hands downward, smoothing his way over the outsides of her legs to the tops of her boots and back up again. She was wearing pantyhose beneath the costume, and he realized there was really only one solution.
With a devilish grin, he laid himself completely back on the bed and pulled her with him, encouraging her to straddle his face rather than his hips. He didn't have to resort to words in order to convey what he wanted. She knew from experience what he had in mind when he curved his hands beneath her thighs and inclined his head meaningfully.
She groaned loudly, almost pleading, as she felt his teeth tear a hole in the nylon material. Booth used his hands to pull at the edges in a rather savage manner, widening the opening, and she trembled above him as he moved the blue and white spandex to one side.
Though she was always ready for him, Booth wasn't sure he'd ever found her to be so wet before he'd even touched her. He wasted no time in fastening his mouth to the slick flesh, and she cried out in pleasure. Her hips moved of their own accord, driving his tongue deeper, and Brennan's head fell backward, eyes closed at the exquisite intimacy of his actions. She felt around blindly for something to hold on to, and she found his hands at her thighs. Booth moved to grip her wrists, allowing her to hold his as well, and within seconds she was rocketing toward her first release. She shouted as her entire body shook with pleasure.
As soon as Brennan was capable of movement, she wasted no time in moving to her hands and knees, crawling backward down his body while her gaze locked with his. She removed his pants and boxers quickly but left the shirt and labcoat in place, straddling his hips and moving the spandex of her costume to the side once more. She lowered herself onto him so slowly that Booth had to resist the urge to grasp her hips and bury himself within her immediately.
It was near torture, but the view from below her was stunning. Her fantastic breasts were now almost completely overflowing the cups of her bodice, and Booth could see the edges of each darkened tip peaking over the top of the costume. When she had finally taken his entire length within her, he felt he could wait no longer. Booth reached up to pull the top of the costume down, allowing her breasts to spill into his hands. He groaned with satisfaction at the weight of them in his palms.
Brennan began to move rhythmically up and down, coming nearly to the very end of his length before plunging back downward again. Booth did his best to hold back for as long as possible, wanting to give her another release before he sought his own, and he moved one hand to the place where they were joined, slipping his fingers inside the stretchy material until they found her clit. She must have been closer than he'd realized, because with only the slightest pressure applied to the tiny bundle of nerves, she was coming apart once more.
Her spasms triggered his own climax, and they shouted together, their voices harmonizing and bouncing off the walls of their bedroom. As their tremors slowed, she fell forward onto his chest, drained and exhausted. Booth's arms encircled her immediately, hindered only a little by the suit-like cut of the labcoat.
"Oh my God, Bones. That was…" he couldn't seem to string his words together, and she chuckled at his incoherency.
"I concur," she panted, still trying to recover. Booth held her tightly to his chest, feeling his thundering heart slow to a more reasonable speed as the seconds passed.
"I love you, Bones. So much."
"I love you too."
"I hope you didn't really want to go to that party," he said, smiling a little apologetically. Brennan shrugged against his chest and grinned back at him.
"There's always next year."
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Brennan was pestered relentlessly by her best friend over the next few days. Angela didn't seem to think it was fair that she'd had to attend the party without a 'wingman,' and she demanded that her compensation come in the form of juicy details about the real reason the couple had stayed home. Cam was also less than pleased that Booth and Brennan had failed to show up for the Halloween party, but she didn't have much time to focus on the irritation. The remains of a young girl had been discovered at the District's municipal water treatment plant. The team's attention was soon directed toward solving her murder rather than speculating over the cause of their friends' absence at a 'compulsory' social function.
The victim was identified as a nine-year-old child beauty pageant contestant named Brianna Swanson. She had been reported missing three months previously and had disappeared from a beauty pageant in Delaware. Booth and Brennan interviewed both of her parents separately, and each parent made veiled accusations against the other.
Brennan was appalled by each new piece of evidence they discovered. Not only had the little girl's hair and teeth been cosmetically altered, but it appeared she had also been given medication for acne and perspiration and had slept in a corset each night. Each time the team gathered to corroborate their findings, it seemed that all of them were feeling a high degree of disgust with the rapidly forming picture of the little girl's life.
The day after the remains were found, Brennan was surprised to return from a suspect interview to find Angela waiting on her office couch.
"Hodgins asked me out," she announced, staring into the empty air in front of her while she fiddled with her necklace. Brennan took a brief moment to study her friend, the way she imagined that Booth would do when trying to get a read on someone.
"Is that why you're hiding in here?" Brennan replied cautiously.
"I'm not hiding… I need advice." The tone of her voice was almost desperate, and Brennan felt immediately out of her element.
"On a personal matter… from me?"
"Yes," Angela replied, as though her logic should have been obvious. Brennan sighed and came to sit next to her on the couch.
"Do you like Hodgins?"
"Yes, but… I'm afraid that dating someone at work will get messy. Not everyone can manage it the way you and Booth do."
Cam leaned against the open doorway, unseen by either of the other women, and Brennan's next words kept her from interrupting their conversation.
"It will only get messy if you let it, Angela. It's absolutely possible to keep a professional relationship in the workplace while maintaining a romantic one everywhere else. It's not always easy," Brennan admitted, "but it can be done, so long as both relationships are important enough to you both."
"So… you're saying I should go for it?" Angela asked, a little surprised at Brennan's eloquence on the subject. Cam, however, was even more intrigued by Brennan's advice, and she couldn't help but think yet again that her old friend had finally met 'the one.'
"I think you should go on a date when you think you're ready. Saying yes to a date doesn't mean you're saying yes to a relationship." Angela nodded thoughtfully, and Brennan felt compelled to add a proviso. "But Angela… if it turns out that you're not interested, don't let Hodgins believe otherwise. He's a good man."
"I wouldn't lead him on, Bren," Angela insisted with a sentimental smile. "You know me better than that."
Brennan nodded, wondering how this conversation might have gone if it had taken place a couple of years ago. I certainly seem to have evolved, Brennan mused, having no doubt about the reason for that change.
"I agree with Dr. Brennan," Cam announced from the doorway, and though Brennan's initial reaction was to bristle at the intrusion, there was a softness in the pathologist's voice that soothed her irritation. "There's no harm in a date or two."
Angela looked happier but no less nervous than she had before. She acknowledged Cam with a nod before turning back to Brennan.
"Thanks, Bren," she said, reaching over to squeeze her friend's hand. Brennan returned the pressure and smiled.
"You're welcome. Was there something you needed, Cam?" she asked politely, turning her attention to their boss.
"Yes, actually. I just got off the phone with Booth, and he asked me to tell you that he's coming to pick you up for a visit to the victim's dance class."
"Thanks," Brennan replied, nodding as she rose in preparation to leave.
"Oh, and Angela?"
"Yeah?" she replied, looking back at Cam.
"You know I have to do the boss thing, where I officially request that you and Hodgins keep things professional in the lab, right? I mean, I normally might just wait until the request became truly necessary, but you two have been flirting a lot, so… Just please don't have sex at work."
Angela chuckled and glanced at Brennan, noticing the deep blush that had risen to her cheeks. Cam followed the artist's gaze and raised her brows in surprise.
"Something you'd like to add, Dr. Brennan?"
Brennan shook her head, doing her best to keep her expression neutral in spite of the vivid memory of Booth bending her over the very desk she now stood next to.
"No, of course not. I'm just going to go...wait for Booth," she faltered. "He should be here any minute."
"Bye, Sweetie," Angela called after her, grinning widely at Brennan's embarrassment. Cam had the feeling she might be issuing that same warning to Booth and Brennan at some point, and her discomfort must've been apparent in her features. "Don't worry, Cam. She knows where the security cameras are," she snickered.
If anything, Cam only looked more concerned.
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The victim's mother gave the partners a solid alibi, and they entered the dance school in hopes of turning up a new suspect from amongst the teachers or other parents. It didn't take long for one of the mothers to strike up a conversation with Booth, and Brennan scowled slightly at the woman's overt flirtation. Not that Brennan could fault her taste-he was wearing one of his gray suits today. Booth looked equally uncomfortable, and Brennan recognized that the best way to get information from the woman might be by way of her partner's charm smile. She nudged him slightly with her elbow and pretended to be more focused on the dancing children than in their conversation.
The woman, Kristen Mitchell, proudly pointed out her daughter and informed Booth that she and the victim had taken dance classes together and competed in the same pageants. As Brennan listened to the woman sing the praises of the child pageant world, she couldn't keep the disgust from her features, and she noted that Booth wore a similar expression.
When the class ended, Booth spoke to the instructor while Brennan talked to a small group of girls who had known the victim. She was even more disturbed by the cultural structure of the underage pageant contestants, and she couldn't help but wonder what mother in her right mind would allow her daughter to live that way. Booth returned from his discussion with the dance instructor a few minutes later, and he placed his hands beneath Brennan's arms to lift her from the floor and away from the circle of girls.
He explained that the teacher had shown him a photo of a teenage boy, the brother of a contestant, who had been lurking around the pageant on the day Brianna had disappeared. Only a moment later, the boy in question arrived to pick up his sister, and Brennan noted the steel-toe boots he was wearing, recalling that flecks of steel had been found on the victim. A kick from that type of boot would have also matched the bone trauma.
Booth spoke to the boy and his mother that evening in the interrogation room, and after some chastising from his mother, the boy handed over his boots to be tested. Booth waited at the lab for Hodgins and Zack to finish analyzing them and stretched out on Brennan's couch to watch her working at her desk. He smiled gently as he observed her graceful movements, her flawless profile, and her intense focus on her tasks.
"You're staring," she commented, not looking up from the file she was working on.
"You're stunning," he countered. Booth was pleased to see her lips curve upward in response, but before he could say anything else they were interrupted by Hodgins and Zack. The boots were not a match for the evidence. Booth grumbled, hating that every lead seemed to be a dead end in this case.
As Hodgins left, he announced that he had a date that evening, and although Booth wouldn't have thought anything of it at first, the smile on Brennan's face was enough to intrigue him.
"What's going on, Bones?"
"Hodgins' date is with Angela," she informed him, still grinning as she packed her things. Booth crossed the room and helped her into her jacket, fighting her silently for the burden of carrying her bag. She finally swatted his hands away and switched off the light, leaving him no choice but to follow her.
"They're just now going on a date? They've been flirting for weeks. More like months probably. What was the holdup?"
"Apparently Angela has some qualms about beginning a relationship with a co-worker," she answered, smirking up at him as they stepped into the elevator and descended to the parking structure level. "She actually asked me for advice about it."
"Why shouldn't she?" he asked, smiling tenderly into her eyes. "You're her best friend, and clearly you've been there and done that."
"Been where?"
"I mean that you...have experience related to her problem," he explained. Brennan confusion melted instantly, and she continued to speak as they got into the SUV.
"Yes, I assume that's why she asked. I told her that it would only be a problem if she and Hodgins allowed it to become one, and that there was no harm in agreeing to a date, just to…"
"See where things stand?"
"Yes, exactly. I find that I'm nervous as well as excited to hear how it goes. No one has ever asked me to advise them on issues of a romantic nature."
Booth grinned but felt his chest twinge just a little at the wonder in her voice. It was as though the idea of someone wanting her opinion about love and romance was something completely unexpected and foreign to her. He could hear the pride and astonishment in her tone, and he reached over to hold her hand as they drove home.
For someone who had spent so many years not believing in love, it was remarkable that Brennan had encouraged her friend to give it a chance, and Booth couldn't help but feel proud of her open heart.
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The following day, Cam was able to confirm that a piece of paper found in Brianna's pocket was actually an ice cream bar wrapper. The brand was only sold at a certain type of convenience store, and there happened to be one near the hotel where the pageant had been held. Booth and Brennan paid a visit to the convenience store and walked the area in search of a culvert such as the one in which Hodgins believed the victim might have originally been placed. He theorized that her body had remained there until recent flooding had moved it into the water treatment pipelines.
When they managed to find the crime scene, they also located a pageant medal that was dated 1976. It turned out to belong to Kristen Mitchell, but Brennan cleared her quickly, having determined that whomever had kicked Brianna had suffered from scoliosis. The impact fractures were uneven, suggesting a curvature of the assailant's spine and uneven hips.
As the day progressed, the evidence led them to another contestant: Haley Ferrell, the same girl whose brother had surrendered his boots to the FBI. She tearfully explained that the victim had pretended to be nice to her and bought her an ice cream bar from the nearby convenience store, but then the two had argued in the parking lot. Brianna had bullied her, and Haley had pushed her hard enough to knock her off balance. Brianna's chin had struck a parking block, snapping her neck, and in a panic, Haley had hidden the body in a culvert.
Later that evening, Booth found his partner in the lounge, glancing through the case file and picking at a glazed donut. He greeted her with a kiss and playfully swiped a bite of the donut.
"This is what happened when Rome fell," she remarked.
"What? People ate stale donuts?" he replied, taking the seat next to her.
"Objectification of women, beauty as self-esteem…"
"Well, you know… I think some of those kids actually had a good time." He recalled the small portion of the pageant they'd been forced to endure, remembering that some of the children had looked genuinely happy, even if the rest had seemed anxious and depressed.
"The girl in the pink could really dance," she nodded, tilting her head to the side a moment later. "But then again, Nero could really play the fiddle."
Booth chuckled and caught her gaze, leaning his head closer toward hers.
"You know, Bones… I like to think that, someplace deep inside, people really know what's important."
"It's hard to believe that when you see young women trying to disguise or change themselves. I've never understood that," she replied, shaking her head sadly.
"Well no, of course you wouldn't," he said mysteriously, ducking his head slightly to conceal a widening smile. Her brow furrowed in confusion.
"Why?"
"Well, it's just…" he looked back at her, his brown eyes full of warmth and love. "Someone who looks like you...wouldn't understand. Just because of the way you look."
"What way do I look?" she pressed, still baffled, and he leaned forward to kiss her softly.
Prime example, he mused. Could she possibly look any more adorable right now?
"You're…" he struggled to put it in a term she would understand and, more importantly, believe. "You're structured very well."
The term did indeed earn him one of her sexy crooked smiles, and Booth felt his pulse quicken.
"As are you," she agreed quietly.
The two stared into one another's eyes, mesmerized and perhaps unaware that their noses were separated by mere inches. When Brennan could no longer stand the tension, she closed the distance to capture his lips passionately. Their surroundings seemed to fade even further into nonexistence, and their tongues vied for dominance, the seconds stretching into minutes until the tell-tale sound of a throat being cleared rather loudly interrupted them.
Booth ended the kiss softly and peeked over Brennan's shoulder to the lower level. Cam stood with her arms crossed and brow raised, but the smirk on her face reassured him that all was well. He grinned sheepishly back at her and returned her parting wave.
"Are you hungry?" Brennan asked, reclaiming his attention.
"Yeah. I was thinking maybe-"
"Thai food?" They said the words in unison, smiling conspiratorially at one another. He quickly pulled her out of her chair and helped her gather the paperwork.
"This time, I'm ordering extra mee krob because you ate it all last time," he announced, nudging her with his hip as they rode the elevator to the garage. They bickered about the accuracy of his statement nearly all the way home.
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As Booth's thirty-sixth birthday approached, Brennan was startled by her boyfriend's persistence in hounding her playfully about his gift. After she had told him, rather sternly, that she wouldn't be divulging anything, he'd taken it upon himself to pester the squints for information as well. Fortunately, Brennan had kept her plans entirely to herself.
Unfortunately, however, they were notified of a non-local case just two days before his birthday, and it was unlikely that they would be back that quickly. When Booth announced their destination, Brennan looked up from her half-empty suitcase in alarm.
"Vegas? Are you sure…" she faltered, not wanting to offend him. "Will you be okay with that?"
"Sure," he replied easily. But he caught her eye a moment later, and his features softened in belated comprehension of her question. "Bones, I'll be fine. I've been doing great for over two years now."
"Yes, but...you've called it an addiction, Booth. That kind of thing never completely goes away." She twisted her fingertips nervously, and he nodded in agreement.
"You're right. It never goes away, and it never will. Addiction is something a person fights every day, no matter what it is they're addicted to. But I've been handling it well for a good while now." When she didn't look very reassured, he crossed the room and pulled her gently into his arms. "I'll be fine. Plus, I'll have you, Bones. You have no idea how much it will help just to have you there."
"Okay," she nodded, smiling faintly.
"Would it make you feel better if I went to a meeting before we left?"
"Only if you feel you need to. I trust you, Booth. And you know that if you need help, all you have to do is ask me."
"I know, baby." He kissed her tenderly before resting his forehead against hers. "Let's get packed, okay? Who knows, maybe this case will be fun."
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Okay, so... no, I haven't forgotten that those costumes don't really appear until S3, but it was just too perfect to pass up. Let's just say I have a special place in my heart for that WW costume, and after their case next year, they won't be in any shape to have fun anyway. Also, raise your hand if you think Trick-or-Treating is totally blackmail. (me!) It's pretty obvious what's coming next. I had a great time writing this chapter and the next (and the last). Hope you enjoy them too!
Review if you can, thanks! :)