The Shoe (T) [Complete]

Oh, Please give us more. I love her willingness to share her story with Booth. This is a good story. Can't wait.

The Shoe
Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I only bones I own are the 206 that are mine. Too bad.

“Well I had hoped we’d have a little more self control” Booth smirked as Brennan sat up beside him in bed, wrapping the sheet around herself as Booth slung his arm around her shoulders.

“I didn’t hear you complaining,” she shot back nestling her head against his chest.

“I wasn’t,” he chuckled running his free hand through her mussed curls and pulled the wisps out of her face, “I just figured that after all this time we would be used to holding off.”

“I don’t think that it works that way,” she laughed, “besides, there are many scientific cases and mathematical models in which the occurrence of an event only increases the probability of the reoccurrence of that event,” she said seriously, her face clearly indicating that she thought this point was completely valid and relevant.

“Oh it does, does it?” Booth asked, but the sarcasm was lost on her so she ploughed on trying to enlighten him.

“Well, for instance, the continuous-time Markov probability theory states that the state of the process at time s is conditionally dependant on the history of the process before time t, which is actually a quite interesting as the state space clearly indicates-” before she could finish expounding the theory Booth cut her off, groaning.

“Come on Bones; I get enough of this squint talk at work.”
She bristled at his comment; leaning up on her elbow to look at him.

“You don’t exactly complain when that ‘squint talk’ helps catch murderers!” she exclaimed.

“Of course not Bones, I would never complain. It’s just that right now we aren’t at work.”

“Well then, what would you suggest we talk about then? If you haven’t noticed I don’t exactly do small talk.”

“Well what did you think about the date?” he asked cockily.
The evening had started out simply enough- Booth had taken her out to a fancy restaurant in the heart of the city where she was certain he had spent far too much money on her. Not that he would let her pay- his insistence on fulfilling all the usual alpha male tendencies was always entertaining to her. Afterwards they had left the city- driving for well over a half hour before they reached an old-fashioned drive-in movie theatre where they were playing the 1932 version of The Mummy. She had been very touched that he would put so much thought into the evening, but he’d insisted that it was pure luck that it was even playing. She suspected otherwise, but said nothing.

After the movie he had driven her home, insisting that he wouldn’t come up- that he wanted to be respectful (it was only their first date after all, as he reminded her). She argued with him and although he tried to resist she eventually convinced him otherwise.

“I thoroughly enjoyed myself Booth, but I felt a little overdressed just like I told Angela- that dress was ridiculous, not to mention impossible to get out of.”

“Well I think you looked perfect, though I won’t argue with on the removal part,” he laughed, “who knew that dresses could be so complicated!”
They laughed before Booth continued on a more serious note,

“How about I stop with the interruptions and I let you finish your story. That is if you still want to finish it.”

“I do. Definitely,” she confirmed, laying her head back down against him, “not that there is much left to tell.”

“Well we have as long as you need,” he said, pulling her in even closer.

“Well after the Langley’s kicked me out I was sent to a more unusual foster home. Dr. Blake was a chemistry professor with the University- he really was a very rich and brilliant man and was always donating money to a variety of causes, including the foster care system. He was an incredibly generous person, but was always so consumed with his research that he never married, or had kids- I think that he was a very lonely person. In his later years he felt that he wanted to help in a more personal way, something he had always avoided in the past because of his work. Because he donated so much money, the foster system allowed him to take in foster children, whereas normally he probably wouldn’t have been allowed.
He was the one who showed me that movie; he was the one who helped me learn the power of knowledge. He really woke me up to my potential- I always knew that I was smart, but until I met him I never realized what that could mean for me. I was with him for a little under a year, and it honestly was one of the best times of my life. He was still teaching and doing research and he allowed me to attend his organic chemistry lectures when I wasn’t in school and helped me to organize college and scholarship applications. He even gave me the first anthropology text book I ever read the day that I got my early acceptance into the program. I will never forget what he did for me.”

As she spoke, tears started to well up in her eyes and stream down her cheeks, but she did not stop to wipe them away; once she had started it was like a dam and she couldn’t stop.

“The month before my high school graduation he suffered a major heart attack; he didn’t even make it to the hospital. He wasn’t even an old man, but the doctors said that he had a pre-existing condition and the combined stress of taking care of three kids, plus his work at the university was too much. When he was diagnosed two years previously he was told that he needed to stop working; that he needed to slow down, but he refused.”

“Sounds like someone else I know,” Booth said gently.

“No,” she whispered, tears still streaming “I don’t think I could ever be like him.”

“Oh Bones,” Booth responded, taking her face in his hands, his thumbs smoothing away the tears, “you don’t see yourself- you are all that and more. You are one of the most generous and kind people that I know.”

“You are among the minority Booth, most people find me annoying and rude,” she said bitterly.

“Just because people don’t immediately see what I do, doesn’t mean they’re right.”

“I guess,” she said, still looking disbelieving.

“Come on Bones- if you’re looking to please everyone that’s not going to happen. All you can do is be yourself because that person is amazing.”

“I don’t know Booth…”

“Really Bones- you’ve got to trust me on this one.”
She looked somewhat convinced, but her features still bore the same hurt expression.

“What’s wrong Bones? I know there’s more bothering you- don’t bother lying to me.”

“I just wish that Dr. Blake was still here, he was the first person to really believe in me, and look, look-” she tried to talk, but only sobs broke through instead.

“Bones, shh, don’t cry,” he said comfortingly, pressing his forehead to hers, holding her face in his hands.

Brennan kept crying, unable to stop the outpour of emotion, so Booth just held her close until the sobs slowly started to subside. He didn’t try to stop her, but simply continued to hold her, not saying anything, and stroking her back until she was able to continue.

“I just wonder that if I hadn’t gone to live with him, if I hadn’t been such a burden to him, maybe he’d still be alive.”

The pain that was clear on her face made his heart ache; he wished he could remove all the horrible things that had ever happened to her, but he knew that part of what made her so strong and determined, part of who she was, was the pain of her past.

“Bones, you need to listen to me. Things happen, horrible things, and people die all the time; people that deserve to live. And there are people who deserve to die, but who live anyways. There is nothing that we can do to change things-it’s not up to us. Dr. Blake wanted to help you, he wanted to support you; there is nothing that you could have said or done to change that or make him live. You cannot even begin to think that you are responsible for his death.”

Brennan made no response, but simply lay against Booth, considering his words carefully. They lay there like that for a while, wrapped in each other’s arms until Brennan, again, broke the silence.

“I wish I had done this sooner- I never would have guessed that telling someone, telling you would make me feel like this.”

“What do you mean Bones?”

“Well, I always have tried to suppress everything, tried to focus on nothing but work. I guess that I always believed that the past was better left alone- that people would think less of me if they knew everything about me. That’s why I’ve never told anyone what I’m telling you. Even Angela doesn’t know all the details. It’s just nice to know that someone understands.”

“Bones trust me when I say this; there is nothing that you could do or say that would ever make me think less of you.”

“Even when I tell you that I don’t believe in God, or marriage? Because I know that bothers you.”

“All that is, is a difference of opinion,” he said soothingly.

“A pretty big one Booth.”

“Not enough to change how I feel about you. Besides, you’ll come around eventually,” he teased.

His light tone did nothing to detract from his words, and he felt Bones stiffened in his arms- this was the exact reaction he’d been both fearing and expecting. He knew that he shouldn’t have said what he did, but it was just too hard to stop himself.

He half expected her to jump up right then and there, but, as she had been doing for five years already, she surprised him. No doubt she was terrified, but she stayed where she was; that was a good sign at least.

“Booth,” she started, removing herself from his arms and sitting cross-legged in front of him, “what are we doing here?”

“Bones- do you really want to get into this right now?” he asked pleadingly, knowing that he probably would not like where this conversation would end up.

“Yes Booth. You- you” she stuttered, unsure of herself, “you aren’t like most men I interact with. I’ve never felt the same… emotional attachment that I feel with you. So the reason we need to talk about this is because I cannot hurt you- I’m no good at relationships and feelings, and, well all the things that you are so adept at. I know that I care more for you than any man- you are one of my best friends and your friendship is not something I can stand losing.”

“Lose me? Bones I’m not going anywhere, no matter what happens; you’re my best friend too you know.”

“Friends; is that all this is?” she asked desperately.

“Well, do you want me to be completely honest?”

“Always,” she said sincerely.

“Bones- you have always fascinated me; you are an amazing woman and I would like nothing more than spend every night like this.”

“I’d like that too.” She said meekly, looking down.

“You would?” he asked, surprised at the turn of the conversation.

“Booth, I don’t really know what’s happening here- that is one subject that I know little about, so I don’t really know what to say or do. What are the rules? Where do we go from here?”

“Bones, this isn’t something that there is a simple answer to.”

“That is the second time I’ve heard that today.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Angela really likes to give me advice.”

“Well it’s good advice,” he said.

“But what does it mean? I’m not used to not having definitive answers.” She exclaimed, frustrated.

“Well, I’ll try to answer the best that I can. Do you like me?” he asked gently.

“Yes, of course,” she said, blushing.

“And would you like to be with me?”

“What does that even mean?”She asked anxiously.

“It means that we like each other, and we like to spend time get together, and we get to do this,” he said, placing a small kiss on the corner of her mouth, “whenever we like, and it means that we go slow and just take this one step at a time.”

“Well-” she said, hesitating.

“What’s the problem Bones? I will never force you to do anything you don’t want to- not that I could- and we will take this one day at a time, together.”

“What if it goes wrong Booth? What do we do then?”

“Bones I promise you that no matter what happens I will not leave you, but we deserve to take this shot. Our friendship is amazing, but we could have something even greater if we give it a chance. And don’t you for one second think that you need me more then I need you. There is a reason why we make such a good partnership.”

“We are excellent,” she conceded, smiling.

“The best,” he replied, “so what do you say?”

“I say,” she paused, taking a breath and for the first time in her life, took a giant leap forward, “let’s see where this goes. Let’s give this a chance.”
He smiled, returning her radiant grin.

“You won’t regret this.”

“I know Booth. I trust you,” she said, sliding her hand from around his neck to trace the muscles of his shoulder, “so… what do we do now?”

He laughed, grabbing her and pulling her against him.

“This,” he whispered in her ear before kissing her soundly.



The next morning was just like the previous in so many ways. The sun streamed in across their tangled bodies at precisely the same angle (or so he thought, but then again, math and science was never his strong suit) and her head was nuzzled against his chest in the same way, her curls sprawled across his torso. Their clothes lay all around the room after being torn off the night before (her dress from the previous evening in particularly bad shape) and the sheets were crumpled and askew. It was so much an identical picture to yesterday, yet still completely different. For one thing, he knew that she cared for him; probably even loved him, though he wasn’t going to push her to tell him. She already had done so in her own unique way, and maybe in time she could put it to words. He also knew that they were going to be ok. For so long he had felt his feelings grow for her, grow and flourish into something totally new. He had thought for some time that what he wanted could never happen, but while their first night together taught him to hope, last night had confirmed it. It wasn’t going to be easy, but he had a feeling that after all the hurt that the two of them had gone through they both deserved something more, something real and attainable.

He lay there for quite some time watching her until she awoke. Brennan groggily came to, shifting slightly and pushing her hair out of her eyes. She looked at him, smiling before addressing him;

“I’m happy,” she said by way of a greeting.

“Me too,” he beamed back.

“But I don’t feel any different- should I?” she asked.

“No Bones- remember; it’s still me and you.”

“I know, I guess I just expected things to change.”

“Afraid not,” he said to the anthropologist snuggled against him, “it’s just boring
old us.”

“Well that suits me just fine- I’m just glad that I listened to Angela’s advice about you.”

“She advises you about me?” he laughed.

“Constantly- it can get quite annoying sometimes actually- especially when I’m trying to work.”

“Well do you think I’m going to be a distraction at work?”

She looked up, grinning.

“That won’t be a problem.”

“It won’t?” looking slightly insulted.

“I’m good at compartmentalizing,” she said saucily.

“You are, are you?”

“I’m extremely good at it,” she confirmed.

“Even if I do this?” he asked, leaning forward slowly, and kissing her gently.
She wound her hands around his neck, trying to deepen the kiss, but he pulled away before she could.

“Not fair,” she pouted, “besides, you will not be doing that within a kilometre of the lab or the FBI building.”

Before he could respond, Booth’s cell phone began to ring and buzz violently from the floor. Booth made to get up from the bed, but his feet got caught in the tangled sheets and he ended up face first on the floor. Brennan didn’t move to help him but just laughed as he got up, sorting through the clothes, looking for his jacket. On the last ring he finally found it and answered the phone breathlessly.

“Booth,” he said, motioning to Brennan, who was sitting up, leaned against the backboard and still chuckling, to stay quiet.

She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her laughter as he finished the conversation.

After a few short moments he snapped the phone shut.

“See Bones- just I told you, nothing’s changed,” he said grinning.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“We’ve got a body.”

She immediately returned his grin, hopping up from the bed.

“I’ll go grab my things.”


A/N: Thanks for reading! Please let me know if you what you thought:)
-Hannah (a really unfortunate name to have right now, I know...)

It's well written. It's a bit alternate universe, and I'm not sure that was your intention. Brennan has stated to Booth that she was twenty-three when she lost her virginity, and in the has in various ways - like in the high school reunion ep - indicated she wasn't remotely sexually active.
It's still an enjoyable read.

Ya I know! I started writing this well before that epi so there are a few points where it doesn't line up with cannon. Thats the problem with being a slow writer I guess lol, it started out cannon and ended up AU. Lol.