They soon found themselves back in the conference room with their therapist, Emma.
Emma was seated in the chair and Booth and Brennan were sitting on the couch. Emma put down her notes and looked directly at the two of them.
"I've been thinking about how I can help both of you. I remember one statement of yours, Temperance, in particular. He doesn't touch me anymore." The therapist cleared her throat. "You're right…it really is a sign of a deep rift between two partners when all physical contact is absent…when there is no more touching at all." She smiled at the couple. "That's why I thought that we should start there. We'll now find a way…I mean you as a couple and I will work together to eliminate this distance between you two. I have a feeling that if you learn to touch each other again, the relationship will improve accordingly. Of course, you both really need to talk about your problems, too, and I think that'll be part of the therapy tomorrow. However, today I'd like to encourage you to approach each other again physically. "
She rose from her chair and gestured with her hand for Booth and Brennan to get up as well.
"It'll seem a bit strange and awkward to you, but, I assure you, there's absolutely nothing inappropriate or remotely sexual in what I'm about to ask of you. I've thought about how to get you back on track, and this is a tried and tested part of our therapy, with which we've already had very good results."
"Now face each other." She looked expectantly at Booth and Brennan, who positioned themselves and looked at each other as ordered. They were both very tense and insecure as they considered what was about to occur between them. What would happen to them now? What would they have to do to keep their cover while not overstepping their own set boundaries?
Booth was nervous, because he knew Brennan was right. He'd actually, though not intentionally, cut off all physical contact with her. Of course, Hannah was a big reason for that, but even so, it hadn't really occurred to him until Brennan said it out loud. He hadn't really been aware of it. It unsettled him all the more, knowing how important that part of their friendship was to her.
Brennan was nervous too. What would Emma ask of them? Obviously, there would be an exercise involving physical contact. How would Booth feel about that? Eventually he would be forced to touch her again. And that, in her opinion, was something he didn't want to do anymore. Hadn't he marked the boundary for her that night at Founding Fathers after he broke up with Hannah? On the other hand, yesterday he'd put his hand on her back again, a gesture he hadn't been making since before Maluku. Even so, this could also be part of their cover…but he'd held her hand during the night, and that had really only been between the two of them. Had he changed his mind? She was so unsure and bewildered. She looked helplessly at him, only to find that he, too, seemed a little uncomfortable.
Emma spoke again. She noticed the tension between the two, but misinterpreted it as insecurities between spouses. She had no idea how they really felt.
"Temperance, I see that you still have a top under your blouse, so it certainly won't be a problem if you take your blouse off, because I want to bring you together as close as possible, and that involves as much skin-to-skin contact as we can get."
At the same time Booth and Brennan's heads quickly turned towards Emma. She couldn't seriously have meant this. Where would this lead?
Emma laughed softly and raised her hand in a soothing manner. "Don't worry! Like I said, I'm not going to ask you to do anything lewd, because that sort of activity belongs in your private space. The point here is actually for you to come into contact with one another again, and as sensitively as possible. You'll only take off your shirt or blouse. Otherwise you'll stay fully clothed."
She gave them an encouraging nod. "Trust me, I know what I'm doing here, and it'll help you guys to reconnect. That's why you're here, isn't it?"
Brennan and Booth nodded, since of course that was part of their role, but where would it lead? Booth noticed that he suddenly felt very warm and Brennan's face also slightly flushed. What were they getting themselves into here?
Emma sat back down in her chair. She was now just an observer of the situation and would only now and then intervene therapeutically. However, she'd leave it up to the partners what exactly they would do. She'd only make certain suggestions or provide encouragement.
"So, Temperance, I think it's best for you to start. I want you to take Seeley's shirt off for him. Do you think you can do that? Are you still familiar enough with each other that you can do that?"
Brennan nodded. "I guess so." She intensely locked eyes with Booth, needing his support now. To her surprise, he gave her an encouraging wink. Somehow she had the feeling that he was enjoying her insecurity very much, and that made her even more nervous.
She stretched out her arms and placed them on Booth's shirt, near the collar. She was concentrating, but still couldn't stop her hands from shaking slightly as she undid the first button on Booth's shirt. Booth chuckled softly and lightly placed his hand on hers as she was about to undo the second button. "Bones, why are you so nervous? It's not like you're doing this for the first time. On the contrary, I remember you enjoying it very much." He didn't have to say much more, they were both thinking about a day in the bones room at the Jeffersonian, when she was slowly undressing him to secure evidence. "Anyway, you took off a lot more than just my shirt, didn't you?"
Emma grinned slightly. This was exactly what she intended…to recreate a familiar intimacy between the two again. It seemed they'd totally forgotten that she was even still in the room.
Brennan had now unbuttoned all the buttons and was slipping the shirt off Booth's shoulders, which felt very intimate. After all, she had worn gloves back then, but now her hands stroked his skin and she noticed that Booth took a deep breath, too. Apparently, it didn't leave him untouched, either. He tried not to let it show, because he wanted to take the seriousness out of the situation. However, his voice was a little hoarse. "After all, you know what I look like naked, so why are you so edgy?"
He smiled at her and this time Brennan grinned back. "So Booth, now it's your turn. Still feeling cocky?" She had completely removed his shirt and looked expectantly at him. However, she couldn't help but let her eyes wander, admiring his muscular upper body. She realized how long it had been since she'd seen him like this. She dropped her arms and looked expectantly at him.
Suddenly, the mood in the room changed, becoming extremely more intimate. Booth wasn't so calm and amused anymore. Unlike Brennan and her experience with him, he'd never taken Brennan's blouse off, and this was a different situation in general. When a man undressed a woman, it was always a very delicate situation. He hoped that he wasn't inadvertently crossing a line. Now he was the one who needed an encouraging look. He looked deep into Brennan's eyes and at the same time his fingers touched the opening of her blouse. Now it was his hands that were slightly trembling. He hoped Brennan didn't notice.
Of course, he wasn't that lucky. How could he even expect something like that? To his relief, she gave him a slight nod to let him know that he could go on. The first button was easy, but the second one was very close to her breasts, and he just couldn't keep his fingers from lightly touching her. Her breathing suddenly quickened. Hastily, he undid the next button and after undoing two more, the blouse was open.
He breathed a sigh of relief and slowly pushed her blouse off her shoulders and laid it on the couch where his shirt had landed already. Dressed only in a skin-tight top and a lace bra that shimmered slightly through, she stood in front of him and he found out that he liked the sight very much.
She felt his warm gaze on her skin and it affected her deeply as she noticed how obviously impressed he was as he studied her with an intense expression. Suddenly they both remembered that they were not alone in the room, and they looked questioningly at the therapist. What should they do next?
With a slight smile on her face, Emma looked at them both. "Seeley, you'll start since Temperance missed your touch the most," She gestured to Brennan's arms. "I want you to slowly run your fingers up and down her arm. Please remember only to touch skin, no covered parts of the body. You can do this for as long as you like. Just let your emotions guide you."
She thenpointed to Brennan. "If you want, you can take over at some point." She looked at them expectantly. "I'm curious to see what this exercise will do for you."
She gave them an encouraging nod. Booth and Brennan turned back to each other. They were standing very close and Brennan had to tilt back her head to look Booth in the eye. What she saw in his eyes made her stomach flutter, because she saw love in his eyes. How was he able to play his undercover role so well that even his gaze was entirely that of a husband who still loved his wife? This made her even more insecure. She thought maybe it would be better if she closed her eyes, since her insecurity was so irritating, and also she might feel his touch much more intensely as well.
She slowly closed her eyes, and Booth gently took both of her hands in his. At first he just ran his thumbs over the backs of her hands, then slowly but steadily slid his fingers up and down her arms. He felt Brennan take a deep breath. Obviously his touch was having an effect on her, and on him too. He was enjoying it immensely, and felt as if he could go on like that for hours. A deep peaceful feeling rushed through him. Would their relationship start to heal again?
Brennan felt his hands on her skin and was overwhelmed by the sensation. This was something she had dreamed about in Maluku. When she had finally admitted to herself that she loved Booth, she had imagined what it would be like to be loved by him, and his hands on her skin was something she had envisioned at length.
However, here everything felt so different. She didn't know if he was serious or if this was all just part of their cover. Again she thought of the promise she'd made to herself…to enjoy whatever he gave her…so she let herself relax, enjoying every moment.
Booth felt that Brennan wasn't as tense as before, and he decided to extend his touch a bit. His fingers not only slid down her arm, but also over her shoulders and along her neck. She was obviously enjoying it, according to her soft hums, and so did he. He didn't know how long they'd been doing this when she slowly opened her eyes.
He was fascinated by the openness that radiated towards him, and he felt himself falling further and further…falling in love with her all over again. It was all so confusing. On the one hand, he wasn't really over Hannah yet, but his love for Brennan had always been there, too… maybe a bit covert, but it was still there…and now it had come back in full force. All of the sudden playing a husband who falls in love with his wife again was a very easy role to assume .
He slid his hands down her arms again and then took both of her hands and slowly placed them on his chest. Brennan understood immediately. Now it was her turn to touch him. This was very easy for her, because she'd been waiting for this for so long.
Eagerly her hands ran over his torso and shoulders. Every inch of him needed to be explored and stored into her memory. She'd never been allowed to roam his body so openly before, but then the mood became more serious. Her fingers had discovered the scar on the right side of his chest, and her hand pressed firmly to that spot. In one moment, everything came back to her imagination, with every horrible detail. Him holding onto her hand…the blood running through her fingers…his eyes fixed on hers as if she was his lifeline. She was taken aback by the realization that he'd obviously loved her already then, which is why he'd stood between her and Pam Nunan. He had done that dangerous thing out of love for her.
He'd once told her that people leave marks on each other's soul, but here was a mark on his body…a mark that would be there forever. Even through his time with Hannah, even if he doesn't love her anymore…his mark would always say I loved Temperance Brennan.
"You did this for me." Her fingers ran over the scar again and again. "You did this for me". Her eyes were filled with tears, so overwhelming were the feelings that overcame her.
Booth put his hand over hers and whispered softly. "And I would do it again, in a heartbeat."
Did that mean he was still in love with her? Brennan was so confused. She'd kept her gaze on the scar, but now she looked up at him, only to find that his eyes had also become filled with tears. Did he also remember how he felt that time? Did he realize what this scar meant to her? What was happening here? She found that she could hardly breathe.
She wanted to ask him immediately, but, of course, she couldn't do that. They had to play an undercover role here. She hesitated, wondering what would her role ask of her now?
And then Booth sort of made the decision for her. He pulled her tightly into his arms and then his lips pressed firmly onto hers. A little hesitant at first, but then they were hungry and passionate. Everything around them vanished. It was only them…nothing standing between them any more.
She didn't want him to stop. The feeling of him holding her tight and making her feel his need was overwhelming. He didn't want to stop either…she felt too perfect in his arms. How much he had missed her!
They only took a short breath before moving on to the next kiss. They had totally forgotten space and time.
Emma, of course, had heard the words they'd said to each other, but didn't know what any of that meant. The good news was that obviously these two knew what was meant, and it must have been a momentous event to trigger that intense emotional reaction. It seemed as if a knot had loosen here. She couldn't even say how much she was involved in starting this, but she leaned back in her chair with relief and continued to watch the two of them.
When Booth finally pulled away from Brennan, they were both short of breath with swollen lips. He whispered softly. "I love you!"
She shuddered. Of course, this was what the "husband" should be saying to his "wife" now, right? How she wished he was serious.
She regretted all the more that they couldn't talk now…that they couldn't even talk when they weren't in a room with cameras. There was still Angela, who was constantly listening through the earpiece.
This thought sobered her a bit and Booth was obviously more aware, too, that they were under constant surveillance. They now turned back to Emma, whose presence they had briefly forgotten.
Emma beamed at them. Apparently, her therapy here had been completely successful again. Little did she know what she really had started here.
"Okay, you two. I don't think I need to say much more. You should really have a serious chat, but I think the basis is back. I think we'll talk about how your relationship can be completely healed tomorrow."
She got up. "We actually have some time before dinner, but I think we'll end our session here. After all, we've had a very positive outcome." She had an amused smile on her lips. "And I don't think I have to advise you that you might be back on for some love making tonight. I suspect you may not be able to wait until then." She winked at them slightly and left the room. Booth and Brennan looked at each other while they put their shirts back on. Apparently they had no choice but to follow through.
§§§§
They hurried to come to the bench in the park. They urgently needed to talk to Angela. Angela had already seen far too many personal, intimate actions between the two of them, with all the cameras that had been installed were under her surveillance, and she also had the connection via Brennan's earpiece.
It was actually a bit embarrassing that Angela had seen all of this. Hopefully she dismissed most of it as undercover. At least that's how they would describe it to her.
They certainly wouldn't tell her that this wasn't the case and that they'd revealed a lot about their relationship there. Now they had to find out if Angela and the FBI had any success in solving the case. Maybe there was already a lead they were following and their undercover job would soon be over.
They sat on the bench and put the phone on speaker before placing it so they could both hear Angela.
Booth spoke first. "Hi, Ange, is there any news? Were you able to find something?"
Angela cleared her throat briefly. "Unfortunately no, Booth. We've checked all the cameras, and there are currently no records that would prove that videos are being taken there, and we cannot find the control center where all this data is stored. We'll have to wait until there's any activity and then we can follow the trail. Believe me, I'm keeping an eye on everything and will take action as soon as there is even the smallest lead."
Now it was Brennan who asked a question. "So this means we have to keep playing our part and..." She took a deep breath. "We have to pretend to have intercourse tonight so we can rouse the suspect?"
Angela agreed. "Yes, I think this is the only chance to catch the culprit in the act."
Angela was silent now, awaiting an answer from both of her interlocutors, but she heard nothing. She couldn't see Booth and Brennan looking a bit puzzled at each other. They had kind of hoped that this didn't have to happen. Without breaking eye contact with Brennan, Booth asked, "What about the FBI? How long will it be before they will or can intervene."
"Don't worry Booth," Angela replied. "The FBI is already nearby. As soon as I know where the perpetrator is exactly located, which I suspect is somewhere in a secret room at the resort, the FBI will storm the building and you can end your undercover immediately. I promise…I'll give you the 'all clear' over Brennan's earpiece right away. Then you'll have your privacy again"
Booth nodded, although, of course, Angela couldn't see it. "Okay, we get it." He looked back at Brennan, wanting her approval to indicate that she felt the same way.
Booth chewed his lip slightly. "Angela, can you give us some privacy now, too? I mean, put the earpiece off for a while so we can really talk without surveillance? We'll get back to you as soon as we can tune in again." He took a deep breath and grabbed Brennan's hand. "We need to discuss what and how we're going to do with our project tonight. It's already difficult enough that we'll have you as an observer, among others, so we should at least be able to discuss in private what exactly we're going to do. "
"Sounds like a plan." Angela's voice sounded cheerful over the phone. "By the way, I'm totally amazed at what you two pulled out of the hat this afternoon. When did you have time to think up all these events? How did you manage to coordinate what you telland how you act? You haven't had time to prepare right?"
This time it was Brennan who answered. "Oh, we just agreed that we would take what we had experienced together and color it in a bit. The other person shouldn't correct anything. The rest was just intuitive action. "
"Bones," Booth whimpered. She'd just given Angela unnecessary ammunition with this admission so she could dig further to find out more stuff.
Angela sounded surprised. "Wait, wait, you're saying this all really happened? I mean the ice skating and the soaked blouse and stuff? Anyway, I actually know that there was the night at the museum and the Wonder Woman costume. What I want details…you know, like what's true, and what's made up? I need you to tell me now. "
"Angela." Booth cut her off. "Stop, okay? No details…not now, not ever. We don't have time and we won't tell you anything anyway. Privacy, remember? It's our privacy, and we really need that now, so bye, Angela."
"Okay, okay, I'll turn you off now. Please message me immediately when you're ready for me to overhear you again. Until then."
Brennan heard a pop in her ear and knew Angela had kept her word. She looked with uncertainty at Booth. "What do we do now?"
Brennan was still deeply moved by what had happened that afternoon. She remembered her pledge to enjoy every touch, every hug, every kiss, but she also realized how dangerous it was. Would they ever be able to have a normal partnership again? Would there not always be the wish that it would be more than just the partnership that he offered her? Was she risking her own peace of mind here? She didn't know…she only knew that with every fiber of her body she longed for the man sitting across from her…the man who was looking at her with questioning eyes.
"I think we should agree on what we're going to do tonight when we're alone in our room." His voice was warm, and also a bit rough. He was obviously also still touched by what had happened. She had no idea how torn he was himself…that he was just as he was unsure how to proceed as she was. However, none of that mattered now, because they had to concentrate on what they had to do next.
"Bones." He turned completely to her and put his hands on her shoulders. He needed her full attention. "I need to be sure I'm not doing anything that would hurt you. I may have to touch you tonight in places that have been taboo for us so far. I may have to cross our set line, okay? I'll have to lie on top of you at some point, and we'll be skin to skin making intimate movements. That's why I need to know from you what makes you uncomfortable. Undercover or not, I definitely don't want to do anything that you're uncomfortable with, or that you find inappropriate. Okay? You understand that, don't you?"
She nodded and tried to quickly calm him down. "Booth, from the moment we met, there has never been a moment when I felt uncomfortable with your touch or felt it was inappropriate. There's no one I feel as safe with as I do with you. Please believe me, there's nothing that would make me uncomfortable. I absolutely trust you."
Something shifted in him. He was immensely touched by her trust in him. After that afternoon, they'd become closer than ever, but he wondered if that would change even more tonight.
It was all the more important that they would talk about it in advance. They had to work out what they needed to do to give the impression of having passionate sex without actually being intimate. It was going to be a very fine line.
He took another deep breath, letting go of her shoulders but moving sitting closer to her so that their shoulders touched. He couldn't just look at her at the moment. He was now going to describe some very intimate details to her, and if he looked at her, she'd immediately realize how much he really liked to do those things with her, and how much he wanted her.
"I had a few thoughts.. Should I describe to you how I imagine it?" He glanced at her and saw her nod in agreement.
"Okay, I think I'll go to the bathroom first and come back with just my boxers on. Then while you go to the bathroom, I'll wait for you in the room. You also come out of the bathroom, only in a bra and panties. I'll eagerly take you in my arms…I'll kiss you and then slowly lay you back on the bed. I'll pull the covers over both of us and then lie on top of you. I think it'll come across well when I slowly slide down your body. I'll then also hint at removing your panties, but I'll never let the covers slide down so far that they can't see you're still wearing them." Feeling anxious, he glanced at Brennan, but she only nodded to show her agreement.
He took a deep breath. He wasn't really comfortable talking about such intimate details with her. "I'll then slide under the covers for a bit and imply that I'm performing oral sex on you. You just have to pretend you like it and eventually fake an orgasm, too, okay?"
Brennan fidgeted nervously with her fingers. The scene Booth described to her was very intimate and she wished for nothing more than that he really felt that way about her and really loved her that way, body and soul. Booth paused and cleared his throat.
"Oh God…I hope by then Angela has been successful and we don't have to go any further." He glanced at her briefly. "If not, I'll slowly slide back up your body, kiss you again, pretend to take off my boxers, and then slowly slide between your legs. I'll move as if I'm penetrating you and make the appropriate movements. Are you still okay with this?"
He had gotten very hot by now, and he was sure his ears were deep red. The situation he had imagined in his head was too seductive. He looked at her. "Bones, I don't think I'm going to be able to stop my body from reacting to the situation... you know what I mean?" His eyes had darkened a shade.
She had imagined the scene exactly as he described it, and was surprised how much his words alone affected her. "Yes, Booth…you'll get an erection. It's a natural physical response to the stimulation my almost naked body will evoke in you. It's nothing to be embarrassed about. "
"Thank you, Bones." he replied sarcastically. "This was exactly the answer I was looking for." However, he had a slight grin in his eyes. "I actually wanted to know whether this, too, will cross a line with you. Are you still okay with that?"
She nodded. "Yes, of course, Booth. Like I said, nothing you're going to do will make me uncomfortable. I trust you 100%."
He nodded to her. "Okay, then we'll do it like planned. However, I hope Angela succeeds as soon as possible so that we don't have to go that far. Even if the camera is positioned in such a way that only my back or possibly your back can be seen, just the thought that she's watching as well as the murderer is already very unpleasant. I don't even want to imagine that our video will eventually become evidence."
Booth got up and pulled Brennan with him. Hand in hand they walked back to the resort. She smiled slightly as she looked at him. "Although I always tease you for being such a prude, this time I agree with you. This won't be very easy for me either."
He laughed softly to himself. "Bones, how many times do I have to tell you, I'm not a prude, I'm just a private person."
She giggled, shaking her head. "Whatever you say…"
AN: When I have an idea for a new story, there are always one or two scenes that come to my mind first and then I have to write the story around these scenes. For this story it was the part where Brennan found Booth's scar on his torso.
There are also one or two chapters I like the most in each story. So this is one of these chapters too.
If you guys are interested in how this worked for my other stories, please let me know. Maybe I will write it down in my profile.