A/N: sorry for the delay between chapters. The Fan Fiction site has been rather disagreeable lately, but hopefully things have improved.
The words I used in this chapter were hug, nature, and breathe, and the holiday is Book Lover's Day, August 9.
It was a beautiful August morning as Brennan walked out onto the deck attached to the cabin which she and Booth had rented for an extended weekend trip, in an effort to take a break from the frenetic pace of their lives.
She'd originally wanted to visit a seaside resort, but Booth had wanted to visit a more secluded place where they could 'get closer to nature'. She chuckled softly as she set her book and coffee mug on the low table that sat next to a comfy lounge chair, knowing that he was using that term as another euphemism for sexual intercourse. Smiling, she settled into her seat, wiggling her toes as she put her feet up. They'd already 'gotten close to nature' several times over the last two days, and she anticipated that the trend would continue over the rest of their time at the cabin. At the moment, however, there was a break in the action, since Booth had decided to go fishing that morning.
Soon she was thoroughly engaged in her book, to the point that she didn't hear Booth when he came back from his fishing trip. He grinned as he walked out on the deck and took in the surrounding scenery. "Man…look at all those trees…and listen to the birds singing! God, I love this place!" He inhaled deeply and exhaled with a satisfied sigh. "It's like I can actually breathe again…"
Brennan turned a page in her book. "I doubt that you had actually stopped breathing, Booth. Your autonomic nervous system ensures that respiration will continue, even when you're otherwise occupied…"
He rolled his eyes at her 'teacher' tone. "Okay…okay…so I feel like I can breathe easier, okay? I'm not nearly as stressed right now…not like I was when I got here…."
"Oh." She nodded as she glanced up at her husband with a coy smile. "I suppose that makes sense…especially considering how many times we've engaged in coitus…"
"Yeah…" He waggled an eyebrow at her. "I guess that has something to do with it, too." He paused, surprised that she was so engrossed in her book. "What are you reading? You seem really interested in it…"
She held up the book so he could see the cover, and he was even more surprised. "The Hobbit? Really? A kid's fantasy story doesn't seem like something you'd enjoy. I mean, I know you like Buffy, but, you know…trolls, dwarfs, hobbits, and dragons don't seem like your jam…"
"With the complexity of its plot, The Hobbit is not just a children's story." She shrugged as she opened the book again. "And anyway, it's Book Lover's Day, so I decided to try reading something different…you know, to broaden my horizons…and while I normally don't enjoy fiction of this genre, as an anthropologist, I'm fascinated by Tolkien's works. He went to great lengths to create very different, very extensive cultures for each of the ethnic groups in the story. Each group has their own language…their own alphabet…their own songs and poetry…their own system of beliefs. He must've been an extremely creative person. Each culture is distinct and believable in its completeness, so that even though the story is a fantasy, for me as an author, it's interesting and instructive to see how he weaves those cultures together throughout the plot. There are so many details in the chapters, too, and yet he manages to keep them all consistent. I find that to be quite admirable."
"Wow…" Booth nodded as he listened to his wife's commentary. "...and here I thought it was just about some make believe guys looking for gold…"
"There is a quest trope in the story, of course. The conflict arises from how the different groups interact as they try to achieve the goal. Tolkien does an excellent job of making the reader feel as if they're a part of the traveling group as they go along their way. I'm enjoying the journey." She nodded as she returned to the pages of the novel. "Perhaps when I finish this book, I'll read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy again…and then the Silmarillion…"
"Hmm…" Booth cleared his throat softly, thinking about a different sort of quest…definitely a more pleasurable one than was offered in a fantasy novel. "Well, I suppose you could read some of those stories here…" He sighed softly as he leaned against the deck's railing. "...but…you know…you can also read anytime when we're at home, right? I mean, we're on vacation at the moment, so maybe we should do something…together...you know…something more suitable for being on vacation…"
She knew what he wanted, but she decided to pretend otherwise. "Oh? Okay…I guess we can visit the nearby town. I noticed that they have a small natural history museum on Main Street…"
"Nope…no museums." Raising an eyebrow at her, he held out his hand. "C'mere…"
"What? Why?"
"I wanna show you something…"
She put her book aside and rose from her chair. As she took his hand, he pulled her into a hug.
"See?" He grinned as he caressed her tenderly. "Isn't this nice?"
"Hmm…" She giggled as he tried to kiss her. "...almost as good as my book…"
He pretended to glare at her. "Look…it's book lover's day, right? But the way I see it, we wouldn't have books if we didn't have authors, so I think they should really call it 'author lover's' day, okay? And since you're my favorite author…I should show you how much I love you, right?"
She considered his words carefully. "I see your point, Booth. Fine…let me finish the chapter, and then…"
She squealed loudly as he scooped her up in his arms. "Nope…I'm not waiting any longer." He laughed as she squirmed against his embrace. "Me and you are gonna go to our bedroom and write a brand new chapter of our own, okay? And guess what? It's definitely not gonna be a kid's story!"
A/N: more soon if the website cooperates. If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it. Laura.