This chapter is set in Season 2, before the drawing of the infamous line. The words I used are midsummer, steamy, and haunted, and the holiday is Labor Day.

I may have bent the timeline a little bit since I sometimes have a hard time figuring out exactly when Booth broke up with Cam, but Bones' time is fluid. I hope that won't bother the reader too much.

The Sunday matinee's intermission was almost over, and Seeley Booth groaned softly, settling once again into a plush seat as the lights blinked and then dimmed in the theater. Glancing at his companion, he muttered to himself in frustration, wondering how he'd been roped into this trip…and, by extension, into seeing this ridiculous show.

Cam had suggested a weekend trip to New York City several weeks ago, but, as often occurred in their line of work, criminal activity had gotten in the way of their plans, and they'd put it off until now. He'd tried to avoid it even longer, but she wouldn't take any more of his lame excuses, so eventually he'd decided just to give in. I guess since we're kinda dating, I've gotta just suck it up and go along for the ride…maybe I might even enjoy myself…at least I hope so…

Sighing in annoyance, Booth shifted slightly in his seat as the curtain rose, revealing the stage for Act 3. He had to admit…he actually hadn't been too disappointed when they couldn't make the trip after Cam had first suggested it. It'd been a while since their time working together in New York City, and he would've preferred to leave that part of his past behind, but she'd somehow ended up in DC, and they seemed to fall back into the habit of being together. So there they were, back in New York again, where the whole messy affair had started. At first he didn't mind rehashing everything with her. After all, she was beautiful, and he'd enjoyed her company for the most part, even if she could be abrasive from time to time.

However, in what seemed to be a recent development, whenever he went out with Cam, a feeling akin to anxiety welled up inside of him. He couldn't figure out why he'd feel uncomfortable being out with her, since he hadn't felt that way before, but he definitely noticed it now. As far as he was concerned, things were very weird between them at this point in time, and he was questioning whether or not he should stay on his present course, especially since he knew their relationship would never be a long term situation. Both of them were just having fun, perhaps at the other's expense, but that was all it was between them…going with the flow and sort of having fun.

Here it was, Labor Day weekend, and he and Cam were finally taking their trip to New York. They'd visited some of their old stomping grounds for a few hours, but then it was time to think about their plans for the evening. Since they'd made the trip on the spur of the moment, they hadn't bought any theater tickets in advance, hoping instead that they could be lucky and score a couple seats to some fabulous Broadway production. Unfortunately, all of the good shows were sold out, so their options were limited.

Finally, after a lengthy discussion, Cam had given him a choice: they could either see a musical or an off-Broadway Shakespearean production. It seemed like a no-brainer at the time, so Shakespeare it was.

He soon found himself regretting that hasty decision. His extreme prejudice against inane plays which featured endless strings of stupid songs and numerous boring dance routines in lieu of a coherent plot had landed him in the audience of a spectacularly awful production of A Midsummer's Night Dream. This 'new and experimental version of Shakespeare's renowned comedy' had been a 'modernization' of the original play, so the setting was no longer ancient Athens, but instead was San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury District in the late 1960s.

Watching as people dressed as 'flower children' recited Shakespeare's antiquated script while pretending to be the characters in a fantasy play written in the 1500s was sheer torture for Booth. It was a hard story to follow anyway, and it wasn't helping that the actors seemed to be literally stoned or high as they tried to deliver their lines, so nothing made much sense. He soon found his mind wandering to other things…like wondering what Bones was doing that weekend.

Even though he was dating Cam at the moment, Booth could sort of justify all the time he spent thinking about Bones, since she was his partner and they often worked long hours together. Of course, the fact that she was a very well structured woman might've played a part in his lingering thoughts of her, no matter how much he tried to brush that fact aside. But that was beside the point, since he respected her tremendously. She was a brilliant scientist and a formidable investigator. She could be fearless in the face of danger, but she also had a vulnerable side…she was still haunted by her parents' abandonment and numerous failed relationships. He'd been privileged to see that 'sad little girl' side of her on more than one occasion, as well as witnessing the workings of her generous heart. She was a woman who said she didn't believe in God, and yet she'd quietly paid for religious funeral services for two deceased individuals when their family couldn't afford to do so.

She was a bundle of contradictions, and Booth found that aspect of her personality to be fascinating. Bones was like a difficult puzzle, just waiting to be solved, and he looked forward to the challenge…if she'd trust him enough to allow him to be her friend. It had been over a year, and he felt like he'd been making progress in that regard, but he couldn't help but wonder how his present relationship with Cam would affect his tenuous connection with Bones. Would she still trust him? Would she still consider him to be her friend?

Both Bones and Cam were strong, intelligent women who held important jobs in traditionally male fields. Neither of them were willing to compromise on things they considered important, and both of them thought they were always right in every decision they made. That meant there was bound to be some conflict between two alpha females over the available territory in the Jeffersonian labs, right?

He grinned to himself as a thought occurred to him. He was currently part of that territory. Maybe it'd be kinda fun to have them fighting over him. Which one would he favor? They were so similar, and when it came down to it, it was like comparing apples and oranges. Either one would work…

He quickly shook off that thought. Being caught in the crossfire between those two incredible women would definitely be a no win situation…and between the apples and the oranges, he'd become part of a very messy fruit salad…

A wave of laughter from the audience interrupted his thoughts, and his attention turned back to the action on the stage. The queen of the fairies had fallen in love with a man who'd been turned into a donkey, and the dialogue…from what Booth could understand, anyway…was very funny. He tried to focus on what was being said, but the woman playing the fairy queen was tall and slender with auburn hair, and her skimpy costume barely covered the essentials, leaving a lot of flawless ivory skin exposed. Almost immediately, Booth's mind was back on Bones and the erotic dreams he'd begun to have about her over the past few weeks.

As Bones had explained it one night after a difficult case had been solved, everyone had biological urges based on the need to propagate the species. Of course, Booth knew that to be true. In fact, as a healthy adult male, he felt those urges all the time, but he was a gentleman, and he could control himself while he was awake. Unfortunately, when he was asleep, his subconscious took over and now his very steamy dreams were full of lustful thoughts about his partner!

It thoroughly embarrassed him to remember what he'd dreamt about…even if the dreams were pleasantly stimulating. In fact, they were so stimulating that his breathing had become shallow just thinking about what had happened between him and his partner in his vivid dream last night. Soon his pulse was racing and he became flushed. He tugged at his tie and reached for his handkerchief so he could wipe his face. Jesus…it's hot in here…

He was thankful that the theater was dark so nobody could tell how aroused he was. After giving Cam a sideways glance, he gingerly placed his copy of the playbill on his lap and rested his hand on top of it. I gotta stop thinking about those sexy dreams! I gotta focus on the play, okay?

"Booth?" Cam lay a hand on his arm and spoke in a husky whisper. "Are you okay? You sound like you're short of breath…almost like you're hyperventilating…"

"Yeah, I'm fine.," he whispered in reply. "It's just kinda stuffy in here, that's all…"

"Oh." She nodded as she glanced over her shoulder. "Maybe you should try to slip out of your jacket so you can cool off…"

"Nah…that's okay." He waved off her concern. "I'll be fine. Let's just concentrate on the show, okay?"

"Okay…if you say so…"

After what seemed like a month, the curtain closed as the actors took their final bows at the end of the fourth act, and the lights came up in the theater. Cam shook her head as she picked up her purse. "Well…that production was…interesting…for lack of a better word."

Booth shrugged as he smoothed his tie. "Yeah…but I guess it was better than a musical…"

"Maybe so." Cam checked her phone and smiled as they turned to walk up the aisle. "Hey, it's only nine o'clock. Why don't we go to Sardi's for a late night snack and a glass of wine before we head back to the hotel?"

Booth nodded as he held the lobby's door open for her. "That's a good idea." Suddenly a thought flashed through his mind. But I'd rather be eating Thai take out with Bones after we've wrapped up a case.

There it was…he suddenly realized that was the issue lurking between him and Cam. No matter what he was doing with Cam at any given time, there was always something he'd rather be doing with Bones.

Now all he had to do was figure out how to solve the problem. It wouldn't be easy…and Cam might even put up a fight…but he knew that the effort it took to end up with Bones would definitely be worth it.

And then, maybe one day, some of those steamy dreams can become a reality…

Thanks for reading. If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it. Laura