Three A.M. - by AnaG (AnabelleG) - [10/09/2007]
:: Fanfiction
Page 1 of 1 • Share •
Three A.M. - by AnaG (AnabelleG) - [10/09/2007]
by CheeseBK on Mon Jun 02, 2008 2:28 pm
Chapter 1
Okay…so this is kinda my version of the ‘life gives you lemons, make lemonade’ saying, only it’s more like ‘can’t sleep, write a one-shot’…
Hope that the structure doesn’t make it confusing…i kept picturing those split screens they sometimes use to show two people talking on the phone…one of them in a bubble bath while the other makes a tuna fish sandwich or something…that kind of thing…kind of.
Anywhoo…that was what i was shooting for…it didn’t turn out quite like i wanted…but do hope that you enjoy….ana
***
This was the night. It was going to happen, she was certain of it. It had to be. She didn’t think she could stand one more night, one more minute like this without losing her mind. Her body literally ached with the need. All day long, it was the only thing that she could think about. She could only imagine what everyone must be thinking. Staring off into space. Clumsy calculations, waspish words and today…today she had misidentified a small bone from a bear as a human phalanx. A mistake a first year grad student would have been ashamed to make. Enough was enough. She truly needed to believe that as she slipped beneath the soft sheets and rested her head against the cool pillow, that tonight would be the night. That after all of this time, she would finally be able to…
…get some sleep soon, he was going to shoot something just to make himself feel better. Let them send him back to the shrink. After a week of nearly sleepless nights he was bone tired. Yet, here he was again, staring at the glowing digital numbers on the alarm clock that mocked him in bright, cheery green. He knew what would be next. Twisting and turning to find a comfortable position. Flat on his back, arms at his sides. Left side with one leg bent. On his stomach, face turned to the right. His head under a pillow at the foot of the bed. Then, when he finally…finally, found the spot so perfect that he was sure that he would sink right into the mattress and sleep for days, something would happen to screw it up. The sheets would be too scratchy, too heavy, too…something…until he ended up kicking them away. Or it would be a creaky spring in the mattress. A heavy truck rumbling by his building. Questions running through his head about the case they were working. He groaned at the prospect of the long night ahead of him. He hit the mattress once with his fist, kicked at it with the heel of his foot. Then, tantrum spent, he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. It was inevitable, so he may as well get..
…something accomplished. She stared down at the boxed pages of her latest manuscrïpt. It was the last thing in the world that she wanted to deal with right now, but at least it was more productive than looking up at the ceiling half the night. She reluctantly picked up the box and trudged over to the sofa, flopping bonelessly onto the cushions. Breathing deeply, willing herself to be coherent, she lifted the lid of the box and began to flip through the…
…channels, the flickering blue-white light from the television screen casting moving shadows around the dark room. Frustrated, he hit the mute button and tossed the remote on the coffee table. Magic blenders that could chop anything from fruit cubes to wood screws with virtually no clean-up! Six pack abs with no diet or exercise! A maniac in a pink suit with yellow question marks all over it hawking books on free government money. God, he would pay the guy himself just to burn that suit. Shaking himself from infomercial hell, he stood up and began to search for something else to distract himself until he could try to sleep again. By default, he found himself in the kitchen, looking …
…into the cold light of the refrigerator as if it had some magic solution to sleep deprivation. Slightly browning apple slices. A jug of chocolate soy milk. A white carton that contained either congealed noodles or soggy egg rolls. None of which would exactly be conducive to sleep. She let the door swing closed and rested her forehead against the brushed aluminum surface, trying to not to cry. She was exhausted and out of ideas. Except for one. Giving into temptation, she turned and reached for her…
…keys from the table and dropped them in his pocket, knowing that there was no chance of sleep anytime soon. The harder he tried the worse it got, and the walls were starting to close in on him. At least there was one place that he could go in the middle of the night and know that he would be…
…unable to decide between the apple pie and a plate of fries, so in the end she shrugged and ordered both. There had to be some benefit to being awake at three o’clock in the morning, and ordering whatever she wanted from the diner’s menu would do for now. She had just poured ketchup onto her plate when she sensed a presence on the other side of the table. She spoke without looking up.
“You couldn’t sleep again?”
“Nope. This is what…the seventh night in a row?”
“Eight. Hey….get your own!”
“Seven. And what…you were really gonna eat the pie and the fries?”
“Yes, I was…..”
“C’mon, Bones…this is me…your partner…can’t you share just a…..”
***
As the sound of their bickering grew louder, Vera looked up from the tray of salt shakers she was refilling. Shaking her head her head at the sight of the two of them. He was right. It was seven days. Sometime between 2 and 3 o’clock every night for the last seven days they had shown up, one right behind the other. They’d sit there for a bit, talking about insomnia this and insomnia that. Vera knew better. It wasn’t insomnia that was bothering the two of them, kept them acci-dent-ally showing up here at the same time. If they couldn’t figure out what was keeping them up at night, then far be it from her to interfere. But by the sounds of it, she better get over there with another piece of pie before somebody got hurt….
Okay…so this is kinda my version of the ‘life gives you lemons, make lemonade’ saying, only it’s more like ‘can’t sleep, write a one-shot’…
Hope that the structure doesn’t make it confusing…i kept picturing those split screens they sometimes use to show two people talking on the phone…one of them in a bubble bath while the other makes a tuna fish sandwich or something…that kind of thing…kind of.
Anywhoo…that was what i was shooting for…it didn’t turn out quite like i wanted…but do hope that you enjoy….ana
***
This was the night. It was going to happen, she was certain of it. It had to be. She didn’t think she could stand one more night, one more minute like this without losing her mind. Her body literally ached with the need. All day long, it was the only thing that she could think about. She could only imagine what everyone must be thinking. Staring off into space. Clumsy calculations, waspish words and today…today she had misidentified a small bone from a bear as a human phalanx. A mistake a first year grad student would have been ashamed to make. Enough was enough. She truly needed to believe that as she slipped beneath the soft sheets and rested her head against the cool pillow, that tonight would be the night. That after all of this time, she would finally be able to…
…get some sleep soon, he was going to shoot something just to make himself feel better. Let them send him back to the shrink. After a week of nearly sleepless nights he was bone tired. Yet, here he was again, staring at the glowing digital numbers on the alarm clock that mocked him in bright, cheery green. He knew what would be next. Twisting and turning to find a comfortable position. Flat on his back, arms at his sides. Left side with one leg bent. On his stomach, face turned to the right. His head under a pillow at the foot of the bed. Then, when he finally…finally, found the spot so perfect that he was sure that he would sink right into the mattress and sleep for days, something would happen to screw it up. The sheets would be too scratchy, too heavy, too…something…until he ended up kicking them away. Or it would be a creaky spring in the mattress. A heavy truck rumbling by his building. Questions running through his head about the case they were working. He groaned at the prospect of the long night ahead of him. He hit the mattress once with his fist, kicked at it with the heel of his foot. Then, tantrum spent, he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. It was inevitable, so he may as well get..
…something accomplished. She stared down at the boxed pages of her latest manuscrïpt. It was the last thing in the world that she wanted to deal with right now, but at least it was more productive than looking up at the ceiling half the night. She reluctantly picked up the box and trudged over to the sofa, flopping bonelessly onto the cushions. Breathing deeply, willing herself to be coherent, she lifted the lid of the box and began to flip through the…
…channels, the flickering blue-white light from the television screen casting moving shadows around the dark room. Frustrated, he hit the mute button and tossed the remote on the coffee table. Magic blenders that could chop anything from fruit cubes to wood screws with virtually no clean-up! Six pack abs with no diet or exercise! A maniac in a pink suit with yellow question marks all over it hawking books on free government money. God, he would pay the guy himself just to burn that suit. Shaking himself from infomercial hell, he stood up and began to search for something else to distract himself until he could try to sleep again. By default, he found himself in the kitchen, looking …
…into the cold light of the refrigerator as if it had some magic solution to sleep deprivation. Slightly browning apple slices. A jug of chocolate soy milk. A white carton that contained either congealed noodles or soggy egg rolls. None of which would exactly be conducive to sleep. She let the door swing closed and rested her forehead against the brushed aluminum surface, trying to not to cry. She was exhausted and out of ideas. Except for one. Giving into temptation, she turned and reached for her…
…keys from the table and dropped them in his pocket, knowing that there was no chance of sleep anytime soon. The harder he tried the worse it got, and the walls were starting to close in on him. At least there was one place that he could go in the middle of the night and know that he would be…
…unable to decide between the apple pie and a plate of fries, so in the end she shrugged and ordered both. There had to be some benefit to being awake at three o’clock in the morning, and ordering whatever she wanted from the diner’s menu would do for now. She had just poured ketchup onto her plate when she sensed a presence on the other side of the table. She spoke without looking up.
“You couldn’t sleep again?”
“Nope. This is what…the seventh night in a row?”
“Eight. Hey….get your own!”
“Seven. And what…you were really gonna eat the pie and the fries?”
“Yes, I was…..”
“C’mon, Bones…this is me…your partner…can’t you share just a…..”
***
As the sound of their bickering grew louder, Vera looked up from the tray of salt shakers she was refilling. Shaking her head her head at the sight of the two of them. He was right. It was seven days. Sometime between 2 and 3 o’clock every night for the last seven days they had shown up, one right behind the other. They’d sit there for a bit, talking about insomnia this and insomnia that. Vera knew better. It wasn’t insomnia that was bothering the two of them, kept them acci-dent-ally showing up here at the same time. If they couldn’t figure out what was keeping them up at night, then far be it from her to interfere. But by the sounds of it, she better get over there with another piece of pie before somebody got hurt….
CheeseBK- Therapist
- Number of posts: 3762
Age: 27
Location: Austria
Say What You Want: don't provoke the lunatic!
Registration date: 2008-06-01
Re: Three A.M. - by AnaG (AnabelleG) - [10/09/2007]
by CheeseBK on Mon Jun 02, 2008 2:29 pm
Posted 10/09/2007 08:50:22 PM by AnaG
Chapter 2
Well…it took forever and a day, but here is the next part of Three A.M…..the split-screen structure fell apart…but something is still keeping these two up at all hours of the night…..hope you enjoy! --ana
***
2:13
2:14
2:15
Brennan narrowed her eyes at the red numbers shining into the darkness and had an inexplicable urge to pick up the clock and throw it against the wall. It just sat there, mocking her inability to close her eyes for more than a minute or so at the time.
2:16
Groaning in frustration, she kicked away the duvet and sat up in the bed. There was no use in lying there watching the minutes pass until dawn. Now, the only question was….what could she do that would not require too much effort from an exhausted mind and body?
2:23
Hair pulled back in a slap-dash ponytail, hands on her hips, she stared into on perfectly organized desk drawer. She’d done that last night. The linen closet the night before. There was no way that she was going to try to edit in this frame of mind. How was she going to keep her mind off of how tired she was?
2:27
Keys in her hand. Keys back on the table. Keys in her hand. She couldn’t go to the diner again, could she? No. No. Stay home. Try to get some rest. Beside, that waitress kept staring at her…them…hmmm, but what if he was there? She couldn’t leave him there to sit by….The trill of her cell phone interrupted her thoughts, and she pounced on it, relieved to finally have a distraction from….
“Brennan”
She paused, trying to ignore the little tingle in the back of her knees when she recognized the voice on the other end of the line.
“Um, no…I wasn’t asleep….you too,hm….what, open the door? You’re here?”
She walked briskly to the door, talking as she went.
“What…do we have a case or….fine, okay, okay….I’m opening the door.”
She flung open the door to be greeted by a quick smile and box filled with takeout cartons leaking apple pie smells.
“Booth….what?"
“Just thought I’d cut out the middle man….and besides that waitress…’
“….stares too much….”
They both paused, each a little thrilled and a little unsettled by how quickly she was able to complete his sentence.
“Um, yeah…and I also brought….” He stopped, searching amid the cartons in the box. ‘Ah-ha….here it is….”
He smiled proudly as he held up a thin plastic case for her to see.
“Stagecoach?’
“Yeah, Bones…thought maybe you could use some help with your impression of The Duke…”
She grabbed the DVD case from his hand, indignant at the insinuation that her John Wayne impression was sub-standard.
“Hey! I don’t need the practice…you…you’re the one….”
The sound of a throat clearing from down the hall startled her into silence. They both slowly turned to find a wrinkled face topped by massive pink curlers peeking from behind an open door down the hallway.
“Sorry, Mrs. Baumgartner….”
“No worries, dear. But perhaps you and your gentleman caller could….”
Brennan’s cheeks flushed as she tried to explain to her elderly neighbor.
“Oh, he’s not my gentleman….”
“Not a gentleman? What’re trying to say, Bones?”
“Booth! I’m just clarifying that….”
“Here I am….bringing you food since you can’t sleep….”
“Because I can’t sleep! You’re the one….”
The pointed return of Mrs. Baumgartner’s throat clearing finally brought them to an embarrassed silence.
“Sorry, Mrs. Baumgartner.” They replied in unison.
“No need for apologies. Mr. Baumgartner and I remember what it’s like to be young and in love, but if you don’t mind….”
The old woman motioned towards the open doorway to Brennan’s apartment and then smiled indulgently as she slowly closed her own door.
“See what you did!”
“What I did?”
“Now my neighbors think…..Oh, never mind. You may as well come in before she sends out Mr. Baumgartner. He won’t be so easy to deal with….”
“What? I’m supposed to worry about an eighty year old man….”
“An eighty year old that likes to walk around in his boxers. Without a bathrobe.”
Booth followed her into the apartment without another word, his face blanching as the unbidden image of an octogenarian exhibitionist ran through his mind.
***
She woke slowly, not opening her eyes as she nestled further against the soft sheets. She didn’t want to lose the moment, knowing that the real world would intrude soon enough. This was as rested and peaceful as she had felt in a very long time and she didn’t want to let it go. She allowed herself to float along in the cozy warmth, the gentle rhythm of….someone breathing?
Her eyes snapped open, her senses suddenly on alert as information poured into her sleep logged brain. The weight across her shoulders. The t-shirt that she was clutching that was definitely not her Egyptian cotton sheets and the firm plane of muscles beneath it was most definitely not a memory foam mattress topper.
Her eye fell on the two uneaten slices of pie on the coffee table in front of her and it all came back to her in a rush. The movie. Booth next to her on the couch. Suddenly so being so tired that she struggled to focus on the screen, found herself tempted to close her eyes for just a second and…..
His arm slipped from around her shoulder as she stood up quickly, her hand covering her mouth. Oh, god. They had slept together. She had slept with Booth. Not “slept” slept together. Falling-asleep-by-accident-on-the-sofa-slept-together.
“Booth!”
She leaned forward, tentatively shaking his shoulder in an effort to wake him. But as he continued to sleep, her efforts became more hurried, more rushed. She had to get this dealt with, now. Get this…them back to normal.
“Booth!”
She was finally rewarded as he began to open his eyes, a lazy smile breaking across his face.
“Bones……Bones?”
The smile left his face as reality set in. He sat up quickly, assimilating the fact that he had not been asleep in his own bed, but was….
“Uh….what….’
“We must have fallen asleep while watching the movie.”
He couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped as he ran a hand through his hair.
“Impressive conclusion, Bones. Tell me…was that inductive or deductive reasoning that you used…”
‘Deduct…..not funny, Booth.” She stared down at him, arms crossed over her chest.
“I take it you’re not a morning person then…”
He stood, stretching muscles stiff from sleeping upright on the sofa as he waited for her to respond. When she didn’t, he looked over to find her staring at him with a glazed look in her eyes.
He waved a hand in front of her face to gain her attention.
“Still tired huh, Bones?”
Startled from her thoughts, her eyes immediately focused on his face.
“Um, no. Actually, I feel more rested than I have in weeks.”
“Yeah. Me too….think maybe the insomnia’s cured?”
“Could be….though one decent night’s sleep hardly qualifies as empirical evidence.’
Maybe it was because he was still half-asleep. Maybe the fact that he was more relaxed and rested than he had been in days. Whatever the reason, the next words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.
“Well….then maybe we should sleep together more often….’
Chapter 2
Well…it took forever and a day, but here is the next part of Three A.M…..the split-screen structure fell apart…but something is still keeping these two up at all hours of the night…..hope you enjoy! --ana
***
2:13
2:14
2:15
Brennan narrowed her eyes at the red numbers shining into the darkness and had an inexplicable urge to pick up the clock and throw it against the wall. It just sat there, mocking her inability to close her eyes for more than a minute or so at the time.
2:16
Groaning in frustration, she kicked away the duvet and sat up in the bed. There was no use in lying there watching the minutes pass until dawn. Now, the only question was….what could she do that would not require too much effort from an exhausted mind and body?
2:23
Hair pulled back in a slap-dash ponytail, hands on her hips, she stared into on perfectly organized desk drawer. She’d done that last night. The linen closet the night before. There was no way that she was going to try to edit in this frame of mind. How was she going to keep her mind off of how tired she was?
2:27
Keys in her hand. Keys back on the table. Keys in her hand. She couldn’t go to the diner again, could she? No. No. Stay home. Try to get some rest. Beside, that waitress kept staring at her…them…hmmm, but what if he was there? She couldn’t leave him there to sit by….The trill of her cell phone interrupted her thoughts, and she pounced on it, relieved to finally have a distraction from….
“Brennan”
She paused, trying to ignore the little tingle in the back of her knees when she recognized the voice on the other end of the line.
“Um, no…I wasn’t asleep….you too,hm….what, open the door? You’re here?”
She walked briskly to the door, talking as she went.
“What…do we have a case or….fine, okay, okay….I’m opening the door.”
She flung open the door to be greeted by a quick smile and box filled with takeout cartons leaking apple pie smells.
“Booth….what?"
“Just thought I’d cut out the middle man….and besides that waitress…’
“….stares too much….”
They both paused, each a little thrilled and a little unsettled by how quickly she was able to complete his sentence.
“Um, yeah…and I also brought….” He stopped, searching amid the cartons in the box. ‘Ah-ha….here it is….”
He smiled proudly as he held up a thin plastic case for her to see.
“Stagecoach?’
“Yeah, Bones…thought maybe you could use some help with your impression of The Duke…”
She grabbed the DVD case from his hand, indignant at the insinuation that her John Wayne impression was sub-standard.
“Hey! I don’t need the practice…you…you’re the one….”
The sound of a throat clearing from down the hall startled her into silence. They both slowly turned to find a wrinkled face topped by massive pink curlers peeking from behind an open door down the hallway.
“Sorry, Mrs. Baumgartner….”
“No worries, dear. But perhaps you and your gentleman caller could….”
Brennan’s cheeks flushed as she tried to explain to her elderly neighbor.
“Oh, he’s not my gentleman….”
“Not a gentleman? What’re trying to say, Bones?”
“Booth! I’m just clarifying that….”
“Here I am….bringing you food since you can’t sleep….”
“Because I can’t sleep! You’re the one….”
The pointed return of Mrs. Baumgartner’s throat clearing finally brought them to an embarrassed silence.
“Sorry, Mrs. Baumgartner.” They replied in unison.
“No need for apologies. Mr. Baumgartner and I remember what it’s like to be young and in love, but if you don’t mind….”
The old woman motioned towards the open doorway to Brennan’s apartment and then smiled indulgently as she slowly closed her own door.
“See what you did!”
“What I did?”
“Now my neighbors think…..Oh, never mind. You may as well come in before she sends out Mr. Baumgartner. He won’t be so easy to deal with….”
“What? I’m supposed to worry about an eighty year old man….”
“An eighty year old that likes to walk around in his boxers. Without a bathrobe.”
Booth followed her into the apartment without another word, his face blanching as the unbidden image of an octogenarian exhibitionist ran through his mind.
***
She woke slowly, not opening her eyes as she nestled further against the soft sheets. She didn’t want to lose the moment, knowing that the real world would intrude soon enough. This was as rested and peaceful as she had felt in a very long time and she didn’t want to let it go. She allowed herself to float along in the cozy warmth, the gentle rhythm of….someone breathing?
Her eyes snapped open, her senses suddenly on alert as information poured into her sleep logged brain. The weight across her shoulders. The t-shirt that she was clutching that was definitely not her Egyptian cotton sheets and the firm plane of muscles beneath it was most definitely not a memory foam mattress topper.
Her eye fell on the two uneaten slices of pie on the coffee table in front of her and it all came back to her in a rush. The movie. Booth next to her on the couch. Suddenly so being so tired that she struggled to focus on the screen, found herself tempted to close her eyes for just a second and…..
His arm slipped from around her shoulder as she stood up quickly, her hand covering her mouth. Oh, god. They had slept together. She had slept with Booth. Not “slept” slept together. Falling-asleep-by-accident-on-the-sofa-slept-together.
“Booth!”
She leaned forward, tentatively shaking his shoulder in an effort to wake him. But as he continued to sleep, her efforts became more hurried, more rushed. She had to get this dealt with, now. Get this…them back to normal.
“Booth!”
She was finally rewarded as he began to open his eyes, a lazy smile breaking across his face.
“Bones……Bones?”
The smile left his face as reality set in. He sat up quickly, assimilating the fact that he had not been asleep in his own bed, but was….
“Uh….what….’
“We must have fallen asleep while watching the movie.”
He couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped as he ran a hand through his hair.
“Impressive conclusion, Bones. Tell me…was that inductive or deductive reasoning that you used…”
‘Deduct…..not funny, Booth.” She stared down at him, arms crossed over her chest.
“I take it you’re not a morning person then…”
He stood, stretching muscles stiff from sleeping upright on the sofa as he waited for her to respond. When she didn’t, he looked over to find her staring at him with a glazed look in her eyes.
He waved a hand in front of her face to gain her attention.
“Still tired huh, Bones?”
Startled from her thoughts, her eyes immediately focused on his face.
“Um, no. Actually, I feel more rested than I have in weeks.”
“Yeah. Me too….think maybe the insomnia’s cured?”
“Could be….though one decent night’s sleep hardly qualifies as empirical evidence.’
Maybe it was because he was still half-asleep. Maybe the fact that he was more relaxed and rested than he had been in days. Whatever the reason, the next words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.
“Well….then maybe we should sleep together more often….’
CheeseBK- Therapist
- Number of posts: 3762
Age: 27
Location: Austria
Say What You Want: don't provoke the lunatic!
Registration date: 2008-06-01
Re: Three A.M. - by AnaG (AnabelleG) - [10/09/2007]
by CheeseBK on Mon Jun 02, 2008 2:29 pm
Posted 10/09/2007 08:55:41 PM by AnaG
Chapter 3
Okay…well, this certainly didn’t head where I expected it to when I sat down to write but I couldn’t seem to stop the idea once it started. Mostly filler to transition to the last chapter…and Brennan gets a little OOC...but hope you enjoy. –Ana
***
Well…then maybe we should sleep together more often.
They both froze, the two feet of space between them filled with the not-so-hidden implication in his words. Neither knew what to say. Ignore it? Would addressing it acknowledge something that neither knew how to deal with?
The silence stretched from discomfort to almost painful awkwardness. Until they both jumped into the breach with their own solution.
“Well, not sleep sleep with you….”
“Um, I need to head to the lab…”
“Talk about a stupid mistake….”
“…lots of….skeletons to, um,….hey, what?”
He had only meant that his word choice had been a mistake, but judging by the expression on her face, she hadn’t taken it that way. Suddenly, the only thing he was certain of, was that any thing that came out of his mouth at this point would only make it worse. Booth shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and decided to exercise his right to remain silent.
“A mistake? And not just any mistake…but a…stupid…one?”
Brennan went straight to hurt and ticked off so fast that she didn’t take the time to second guess if this conversation was going to upset the carefully orchestrated balance between the two of them. Right now, the only thing she wanted to know was….what was so terrible about the idea of sleeping with her.
Booth belatedly decided that the best way out of this was to pretend that there was nothing unusual or awkward at all about the conversation. He quickly retrieved his shoes from beneath the coffee table, his leather jacket from the adjacent chair. Holding them both in one hand, he headed for the nearest exit.
“So, Bones.” He offered a tentative smile. “You okay to get to the lab on your own, cause I’ve got….stuff…to you know, um..….”
He almost made it…the door was open, one more step and he would have been in the hallway on his way out of this conversational mine field. But Brennan was hot on his trail and pushed her way in front of him, cutting off his escape route.
“Let me guess. Tall. Blonde. Lawyer. Did I forget anything?”
Booth stood in the middle of the hallway, completely flummoxed not only by the uncharacteristic outburst from his normally staid partner but by the urge to show her just how little he cared about blond lady lawyers. For her part, Brennan could only wonder why she continued to push the situation. And why he wasn’t saying anything….
They were locked in a standoff when the sound of a door opening came from further down the hallway, followed by a not-so-girlish sigh.
Brennan leaned around Booth to find her neighbor holding the morning paper in two hands as she stared at them with a sly, knowing smile on her wizened face. With a nervous glance towards Booth, Brennan forced a smile of her own and half-heartedly waved at the older woman.
“Good morning, Mrs. Baumgartner.”
“Hello, dear. Lovely morning, isn’t it?”
Booth used the interruption as a diversion and with a hastily muttered goodbye, fled the scene. Mrs. Baumgartner stepped to the side to allow him to pass. She took a long moment to stare at the departing figure before turning to speak to her young neighbor.
“There’s not trouble in paradise so soon is there, dearie?”
Brennan could only open and close her mouth, still stunned at her own behavior. The older woman continued on, unfazed by the lack of response.
“Oh, I hope not. He seems like such a nice boy and handsome too. Much better than that last one. David, wasn’t it? Did you know he once knocked on our door…tried to get Mr. Baumgartner and I to join his cult? The Path to the Enlightened Grand Poobah or some such nonsense….”
The woman’s chatter had given Brennan an opportunity to gather her thoughts to the degree that she thought she could coherently respond.
“No. David was….and then Sully…but he’s….Booth’s not my…..partner…..I mean, he is my partner.”
“Exactly, you partner. Is that what you young people call it these days?. I saw the rumpled clothes, the what is it, oh shoot…...oh, bed hair, is that it …?”
Brennan took a step closer, compelled to clarify the status of her relationship with Booth to the other woman. And to herself.
“No, no, Mrs. Baumgartner…we work together. I mean…we are partners. At work. Why does everyone….why did I…..care if he didn’t want to…oh, god..”.
Mrs. Baumgartner smiled indulgently as the younger woman flapped her hands through the air in a useless effort to come up with a rational, coherent thought. Placing a hand on the other woman’s arm, she led an unusually complacent Brennan towards her own apartment.
“There, there. Don’t worry. We can figure everything out over a nice cup of tea. Tea is just wonderful, don’t you think, dearie? Nothing like a good cuppa tea to…’
The old woman paused as she realized her companion had come to a sudden stop.
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll make sure that Mr. Baumgartner is dressed this time. If I’ve told that man one time, I’ve told him a thousand times, …you gotta make sure you have your pants on when we have company….”
***
Brennan took a sip from the cup of watery, bitter tea that the old woman kept refilling, and then with a deep breath, finished her extremely comprehensive explanation of her complicated but very platonic relationship with Booth.
“….and so you see, Mrs. Baumgartner….I mean, Gerta…We really are just partners…work… partners. Even Dr. Wyatt said that I didn’t stay because of Booth. Not that I take much stock in psychol….”
Her words trailed off as she saw the knowing smile appear on the other woman’s face. She slowly shook her head and sighed as she placed the china cup on the table.
“You don’t believe me, do you? No one seems to….”
“Oh, I absolutely believe you.”
Stunned by the unexpected sign of understanding, Brennan sat unmoving as Mrs. Baumga….as Gerta continued.
“Yes, you see….many years ago, I was in a similar situation. There was this boy….Edgar….oh, sweetie…if you could have seen him. Movie star handsome, he was. And, if I do say so myself…I wasn’t that bad on the eyes either. In my prime, I was quite the fox.”
Gerta smiled slyly and wiggled her eyebrows and Brennan couldn’t help but smile, suddenly at ease as the woman continued her story.
“And well…of course, all of our friends…even our families, thought that we should fall in love and live happily ever after. Perfect for each other they said. Kismet. Ha….there’s no such thing, I said.”
Brennan unconsciously nodded in agreement as the woman’s words validated her own perspective.
“Oh, but the matchmaking. Heavens! I thought I would be ready for the asylum if one more person said anything about the two of us making googly eyes at each other. Pfft. We were school friends…but I was no more interested in marrying him than I was in showing up at Sunday services in my bloomers. Besides, I was going to be an in-de-pend-ent woman….”
Suddenly sure that she had found a kindred spirit, Brennan was on the edge of the chintz covered chair, anxious to hear what happened next.
“So I finally got so darned aggravated. I told my best friend…I said, I’m going to march right up and just kiss him and when sparks don’t fly…then that’ll show you all that there is nothing between us…
“Empirical evidence….”
Lost in memory, Gerta talked right over Brennan’s whispered comments.
“So, that is what I did…..walked right up to him and laid a smooch on him that should have scorched his socks. And that was that.”
“Very rational, Gerta. You proved your theory. Then they had to leave you alone to find your Mr. Baumgarnter. And here you are happy after of these years….”
In writing her own end to the other woman’s story, Brennan had broken her own rule and jumped to a conclusion. She never noticed that the chatty woman had grown quiet, suddenly very interested in the contents of her own tea cup.
They chatted a few more minutes before the younger woman noticed the time and hastily said her goodbyes before dashing off to work. Gerta Baumgartner remained in her chair, staring into space as she remembered that day so many decades ago. She didn’t notice as her husband shuffled his way into the small breakfast nook.
“Gerta, that wasn’t nice, puttin’ ideas in that girl’s head.”
"Shhh, old man. I know what I’m doing….”
“All I’m sayin’ is that you shoulda told her the rest of the story.”
"Hmmmphh.”
The old man chuckled then leaned down to place a gruff kiss on top of his wife’s head.
“Scorch my socks, hmmm?”
Gerta clasped his wrist, holding him near.
“And that was that.”
Edgar smiled down at the love of his life, still grateful after all this time that she’d had the nerve to walk up and kiss him that day.
***
1:15
1:16
Brennan paced the room, crossing and uncrossing her arms. Another night of not being able to sleep, but this time she wasn’t exhausted. She felt energized as Mrs. Baumgartner’s story ran through her mind, the seeds of an idea taking hold.
1:17
1:18
All of this tension between her and Booth. How much of it was due to the suggestion of others? Angela was always throwing those knowing looks and outright suggestions at the two of them, and now she had Hodgins in on it too. Add in the fact that they spent so much time together…working, of course…, and it was little wonder that she hadn’t been able to think straight this morning.
1:20
What she needed was proof. Empirical evidence that there was nothing between them but friendship and the intimate understanding between partners.
And with Gerta’s words echoing in her head, she knew just how to get it.
1:21
She grabbed her keys with one hand, hit speed dial on the cell phone with the other as she made her way out of the door.
“Booth? It’s me….”
***
Okay…well, I hope this isn’t getting too convoluted….one more chappie to go, and I have the idea ready….so if either insomnia strikes tonight or work goes well tomorrow (meaning that nothing happens so that I can sneak some writing time!)…then I should have something ready tomorrow evening….ana
Chapter 3
Okay…well, this certainly didn’t head where I expected it to when I sat down to write but I couldn’t seem to stop the idea once it started. Mostly filler to transition to the last chapter…and Brennan gets a little OOC...but hope you enjoy. –Ana
***
Well…then maybe we should sleep together more often.
They both froze, the two feet of space between them filled with the not-so-hidden implication in his words. Neither knew what to say. Ignore it? Would addressing it acknowledge something that neither knew how to deal with?
The silence stretched from discomfort to almost painful awkwardness. Until they both jumped into the breach with their own solution.
“Well, not sleep sleep with you….”
“Um, I need to head to the lab…”
“Talk about a stupid mistake….”
“…lots of….skeletons to, um,….hey, what?”
He had only meant that his word choice had been a mistake, but judging by the expression on her face, she hadn’t taken it that way. Suddenly, the only thing he was certain of, was that any thing that came out of his mouth at this point would only make it worse. Booth shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and decided to exercise his right to remain silent.
“A mistake? And not just any mistake…but a…stupid…one?”
Brennan went straight to hurt and ticked off so fast that she didn’t take the time to second guess if this conversation was going to upset the carefully orchestrated balance between the two of them. Right now, the only thing she wanted to know was….what was so terrible about the idea of sleeping with her.
Booth belatedly decided that the best way out of this was to pretend that there was nothing unusual or awkward at all about the conversation. He quickly retrieved his shoes from beneath the coffee table, his leather jacket from the adjacent chair. Holding them both in one hand, he headed for the nearest exit.
“So, Bones.” He offered a tentative smile. “You okay to get to the lab on your own, cause I’ve got….stuff…to you know, um..….”
He almost made it…the door was open, one more step and he would have been in the hallway on his way out of this conversational mine field. But Brennan was hot on his trail and pushed her way in front of him, cutting off his escape route.
“Let me guess. Tall. Blonde. Lawyer. Did I forget anything?”
Booth stood in the middle of the hallway, completely flummoxed not only by the uncharacteristic outburst from his normally staid partner but by the urge to show her just how little he cared about blond lady lawyers. For her part, Brennan could only wonder why she continued to push the situation. And why he wasn’t saying anything….
They were locked in a standoff when the sound of a door opening came from further down the hallway, followed by a not-so-girlish sigh.
Brennan leaned around Booth to find her neighbor holding the morning paper in two hands as she stared at them with a sly, knowing smile on her wizened face. With a nervous glance towards Booth, Brennan forced a smile of her own and half-heartedly waved at the older woman.
“Good morning, Mrs. Baumgartner.”
“Hello, dear. Lovely morning, isn’t it?”
Booth used the interruption as a diversion and with a hastily muttered goodbye, fled the scene. Mrs. Baumgartner stepped to the side to allow him to pass. She took a long moment to stare at the departing figure before turning to speak to her young neighbor.
“There’s not trouble in paradise so soon is there, dearie?”
Brennan could only open and close her mouth, still stunned at her own behavior. The older woman continued on, unfazed by the lack of response.
“Oh, I hope not. He seems like such a nice boy and handsome too. Much better than that last one. David, wasn’t it? Did you know he once knocked on our door…tried to get Mr. Baumgartner and I to join his cult? The Path to the Enlightened Grand Poobah or some such nonsense….”
The woman’s chatter had given Brennan an opportunity to gather her thoughts to the degree that she thought she could coherently respond.
“No. David was….and then Sully…but he’s….Booth’s not my…..partner…..I mean, he is my partner.”
“Exactly, you partner. Is that what you young people call it these days?. I saw the rumpled clothes, the what is it, oh shoot…...oh, bed hair, is that it …?”
Brennan took a step closer, compelled to clarify the status of her relationship with Booth to the other woman. And to herself.
“No, no, Mrs. Baumgartner…we work together. I mean…we are partners. At work. Why does everyone….why did I…..care if he didn’t want to…oh, god..”.
Mrs. Baumgartner smiled indulgently as the younger woman flapped her hands through the air in a useless effort to come up with a rational, coherent thought. Placing a hand on the other woman’s arm, she led an unusually complacent Brennan towards her own apartment.
“There, there. Don’t worry. We can figure everything out over a nice cup of tea. Tea is just wonderful, don’t you think, dearie? Nothing like a good cuppa tea to…’
The old woman paused as she realized her companion had come to a sudden stop.
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll make sure that Mr. Baumgartner is dressed this time. If I’ve told that man one time, I’ve told him a thousand times, …you gotta make sure you have your pants on when we have company….”
***
Brennan took a sip from the cup of watery, bitter tea that the old woman kept refilling, and then with a deep breath, finished her extremely comprehensive explanation of her complicated but very platonic relationship with Booth.
“….and so you see, Mrs. Baumgartner….I mean, Gerta…We really are just partners…work… partners. Even Dr. Wyatt said that I didn’t stay because of Booth. Not that I take much stock in psychol….”
Her words trailed off as she saw the knowing smile appear on the other woman’s face. She slowly shook her head and sighed as she placed the china cup on the table.
“You don’t believe me, do you? No one seems to….”
“Oh, I absolutely believe you.”
Stunned by the unexpected sign of understanding, Brennan sat unmoving as Mrs. Baumga….as Gerta continued.
“Yes, you see….many years ago, I was in a similar situation. There was this boy….Edgar….oh, sweetie…if you could have seen him. Movie star handsome, he was. And, if I do say so myself…I wasn’t that bad on the eyes either. In my prime, I was quite the fox.”
Gerta smiled slyly and wiggled her eyebrows and Brennan couldn’t help but smile, suddenly at ease as the woman continued her story.
“And well…of course, all of our friends…even our families, thought that we should fall in love and live happily ever after. Perfect for each other they said. Kismet. Ha….there’s no such thing, I said.”
Brennan unconsciously nodded in agreement as the woman’s words validated her own perspective.
“Oh, but the matchmaking. Heavens! I thought I would be ready for the asylum if one more person said anything about the two of us making googly eyes at each other. Pfft. We were school friends…but I was no more interested in marrying him than I was in showing up at Sunday services in my bloomers. Besides, I was going to be an in-de-pend-ent woman….”
Suddenly sure that she had found a kindred spirit, Brennan was on the edge of the chintz covered chair, anxious to hear what happened next.
“So I finally got so darned aggravated. I told my best friend…I said, I’m going to march right up and just kiss him and when sparks don’t fly…then that’ll show you all that there is nothing between us…
“Empirical evidence….”
Lost in memory, Gerta talked right over Brennan’s whispered comments.
“So, that is what I did…..walked right up to him and laid a smooch on him that should have scorched his socks. And that was that.”
“Very rational, Gerta. You proved your theory. Then they had to leave you alone to find your Mr. Baumgarnter. And here you are happy after of these years….”
In writing her own end to the other woman’s story, Brennan had broken her own rule and jumped to a conclusion. She never noticed that the chatty woman had grown quiet, suddenly very interested in the contents of her own tea cup.
They chatted a few more minutes before the younger woman noticed the time and hastily said her goodbyes before dashing off to work. Gerta Baumgartner remained in her chair, staring into space as she remembered that day so many decades ago. She didn’t notice as her husband shuffled his way into the small breakfast nook.
“Gerta, that wasn’t nice, puttin’ ideas in that girl’s head.”
"Shhh, old man. I know what I’m doing….”
“All I’m sayin’ is that you shoulda told her the rest of the story.”
"Hmmmphh.”
The old man chuckled then leaned down to place a gruff kiss on top of his wife’s head.
“Scorch my socks, hmmm?”
Gerta clasped his wrist, holding him near.
“And that was that.”
Edgar smiled down at the love of his life, still grateful after all this time that she’d had the nerve to walk up and kiss him that day.
***
1:15
1:16
Brennan paced the room, crossing and uncrossing her arms. Another night of not being able to sleep, but this time she wasn’t exhausted. She felt energized as Mrs. Baumgartner’s story ran through her mind, the seeds of an idea taking hold.
1:17
1:18
All of this tension between her and Booth. How much of it was due to the suggestion of others? Angela was always throwing those knowing looks and outright suggestions at the two of them, and now she had Hodgins in on it too. Add in the fact that they spent so much time together…working, of course…, and it was little wonder that she hadn’t been able to think straight this morning.
1:20
What she needed was proof. Empirical evidence that there was nothing between them but friendship and the intimate understanding between partners.
And with Gerta’s words echoing in her head, she knew just how to get it.
1:21
She grabbed her keys with one hand, hit speed dial on the cell phone with the other as she made her way out of the door.
“Booth? It’s me….”
***
Okay…well, I hope this isn’t getting too convoluted….one more chappie to go, and I have the idea ready….so if either insomnia strikes tonight or work goes well tomorrow (meaning that nothing happens so that I can sneak some writing time!)…then I should have something ready tomorrow evening….ana
CheeseBK- Therapist
- Number of posts: 3762
Age: 27
Location: Austria
Say What You Want: don't provoke the lunatic!
Registration date: 2008-06-01
Re: Three A.M. - by AnaG (AnabelleG) - [10/09/2007]
by CheeseBK on Mon Jun 02, 2008 2:29 pm
Posted 10/09/2007 09:00:26 PM by AnaG
Chapter 4
Well, it took forever and a day, but finally...here it is, the next bit of 3 A.M....hope you enjoy. -ana
***
He studied the reflection in the mirror as if it could provide the words, the courage, the….the whatever it was that he couldn’t seem to get a handle on. After what seemed like an eternity, but was really only a minute or so, he worked himself up to a smile, willing every ounce of charm that he could muster into it. Then, before he could second guess himself, he plunged forward.
“So, um, Bones…wanna take a nap?”
And, God help him, he winked.
He groaned in embarrassment, covering his face to the avoid the sight in the mirror. But the lure of a good night’s sleep proved to be too great, and he found himself literally shaking it off and gearing up to try again.
“Hey, Bones…listen, I thought…see, it’s like this, I was thinking that….that…that I am a complete idiot!”
Giving up, he threw his hands into the air and flopped onto the edge of the bed, feeling like a bigger dork than when Jared had caught him practicing how to ask Kerriann Bradley to the freshman dance. At least that had turned out well, he thought. That was until old Mrs. Hendricks had caught them sneaking out from under the bleachers after the dance.
For a second, he allowed himself to escape on the trip down memory lane, but his wry smile disappeared when his mind wandered back to the matter at hand. This was a hell of a lot different than asking the cute blonde in your algebra class to a dance held in a high school gym.
He fell back against the mattress, ignoring the knot of twisted sheets beneath him. God, he had slept better last night, curled up on that rock of a sofa with his arm around her, than he had in a long time. And he wanted to do it again.
The only problem was…exactly how did you go about asking your partner…your very beautiful, amazing, brilliant and very, very female partner…to sleep with you? In an absolutely platonic, let’s kick this insomnia, sort of way?
Especially when every other thought in your head was of the decidedly non-platonic variety?
Muttering curses under his breath, he forced himself up from the bed. It was time to accept that heading over to her place would be a dangerous mistake. He just needed to cowboy up and deal with another sleepless night like a man. Maybe he could find a game on…..
His thoughts were interrupted by the insistent ringing from his phone. Irritated, he crossed the room and grabbed it from the dresser top. When he saw the name in the blue light of the screen, the annoyance was replaced by a fuzzy feeling behind his kneecaps and what he swore was a skip in his heart beat.
He hesitated for a second, then flipped open the phone and held it to his ear, forcing a light tone into his voice.
“Hey, Bo….”
“Booth, it’s me….I didn’t wake you, did I?”
“No, in fact, I was just…”
“Good. I mean, not good that you couldn’t sleep. Good that….never mind. Listen, we need to talk.”
“Oh-kay…”
“I have a theory about what is keeping us awake at night.”
“Uh, yeah…about that…”
“Great. I’m on my way.”
Booth started to respond, but found himself talking to a dial-tone. For a moment, he stared at the bleating phone completely dumbfounded. Until he was hit with the fact that at this very minute, she was on her way to his apartment. To see him. Right now.
***
This time, he examined the image in the mirror with a much more critical eye. He ran a hand over his stomach, smoothing the faded fabric of the t-shirt over his torso. Maybe the red one would be better. No…that one made him look…no, not the red one. The dark green maybe.…He stole a glance at the clock on the nightstand and felt a rush of adrenaline. She would be here any minute and he was….He changed his stance, and looked at his reflection again. Okay, so the blue shirt would have to do, but these jeans were too….
His eyes widened at the sound of a hurried knock on the front door of the apartment. How did she get here so fast? Damn. He hadn’t even had time to fix….He leaned closer, using his fingers to smooth down the stray strands of hair, wishing that he had time to apply more product before….
Another impatient knock sounded at the door.
“Booth! What are you doing in there?”
The sound of her voice echoing from the hallway, brought him back to reality with a resounding thud. He hurried to the door, knowing that the rest of the tenants on the hall would be made keenly aware if she was kept waiting much longer. And most of them would make dealing with Mrs. Baumgartner seem like a piece of cake. With a last look in the mirror and a shake of his head, he hurried towards the door.
Time to see what this theory of hers was all about.
***
Okay….no sock scorching….but there is one chapter left to go……
(and it is partially written….so promise, not such a long wait this time! –ana)
Chapter 4
Well, it took forever and a day, but finally...here it is, the next bit of 3 A.M....hope you enjoy. -ana
***
He studied the reflection in the mirror as if it could provide the words, the courage, the….the whatever it was that he couldn’t seem to get a handle on. After what seemed like an eternity, but was really only a minute or so, he worked himself up to a smile, willing every ounce of charm that he could muster into it. Then, before he could second guess himself, he plunged forward.
“So, um, Bones…wanna take a nap?”
And, God help him, he winked.
He groaned in embarrassment, covering his face to the avoid the sight in the mirror. But the lure of a good night’s sleep proved to be too great, and he found himself literally shaking it off and gearing up to try again.
“Hey, Bones…listen, I thought…see, it’s like this, I was thinking that….that…that I am a complete idiot!”
Giving up, he threw his hands into the air and flopped onto the edge of the bed, feeling like a bigger dork than when Jared had caught him practicing how to ask Kerriann Bradley to the freshman dance. At least that had turned out well, he thought. That was until old Mrs. Hendricks had caught them sneaking out from under the bleachers after the dance.
For a second, he allowed himself to escape on the trip down memory lane, but his wry smile disappeared when his mind wandered back to the matter at hand. This was a hell of a lot different than asking the cute blonde in your algebra class to a dance held in a high school gym.
He fell back against the mattress, ignoring the knot of twisted sheets beneath him. God, he had slept better last night, curled up on that rock of a sofa with his arm around her, than he had in a long time. And he wanted to do it again.
The only problem was…exactly how did you go about asking your partner…your very beautiful, amazing, brilliant and very, very female partner…to sleep with you? In an absolutely platonic, let’s kick this insomnia, sort of way?
Especially when every other thought in your head was of the decidedly non-platonic variety?
Muttering curses under his breath, he forced himself up from the bed. It was time to accept that heading over to her place would be a dangerous mistake. He just needed to cowboy up and deal with another sleepless night like a man. Maybe he could find a game on…..
His thoughts were interrupted by the insistent ringing from his phone. Irritated, he crossed the room and grabbed it from the dresser top. When he saw the name in the blue light of the screen, the annoyance was replaced by a fuzzy feeling behind his kneecaps and what he swore was a skip in his heart beat.
He hesitated for a second, then flipped open the phone and held it to his ear, forcing a light tone into his voice.
“Hey, Bo….”
“Booth, it’s me….I didn’t wake you, did I?”
“No, in fact, I was just…”
“Good. I mean, not good that you couldn’t sleep. Good that….never mind. Listen, we need to talk.”
“Oh-kay…”
“I have a theory about what is keeping us awake at night.”
“Uh, yeah…about that…”
“Great. I’m on my way.”
Booth started to respond, but found himself talking to a dial-tone. For a moment, he stared at the bleating phone completely dumbfounded. Until he was hit with the fact that at this very minute, she was on her way to his apartment. To see him. Right now.
***
This time, he examined the image in the mirror with a much more critical eye. He ran a hand over his stomach, smoothing the faded fabric of the t-shirt over his torso. Maybe the red one would be better. No…that one made him look…no, not the red one. The dark green maybe.…He stole a glance at the clock on the nightstand and felt a rush of adrenaline. She would be here any minute and he was….He changed his stance, and looked at his reflection again. Okay, so the blue shirt would have to do, but these jeans were too….
His eyes widened at the sound of a hurried knock on the front door of the apartment. How did she get here so fast? Damn. He hadn’t even had time to fix….He leaned closer, using his fingers to smooth down the stray strands of hair, wishing that he had time to apply more product before….
Another impatient knock sounded at the door.
“Booth! What are you doing in there?”
The sound of her voice echoing from the hallway, brought him back to reality with a resounding thud. He hurried to the door, knowing that the rest of the tenants on the hall would be made keenly aware if she was kept waiting much longer. And most of them would make dealing with Mrs. Baumgartner seem like a piece of cake. With a last look in the mirror and a shake of his head, he hurried towards the door.
Time to see what this theory of hers was all about.
***
Okay….no sock scorching….but there is one chapter left to go……
(and it is partially written….so promise, not such a long wait this time! –ana)
CheeseBK- Therapist
- Number of posts: 3762
Age: 27
Location: Austria
Say What You Want: don't provoke the lunatic!
Registration date: 2008-06-01
Re: Three A.M. - by AnaG (AnabelleG) - [10/09/2007]
by CheeseBK on Mon Jun 02, 2008 2:30 pm
Posted 10/09/2007 09:01:28 PM by AnaG
Chapter 5
Here it is…and promise…no more cliffies! This is the fifth and final chappie in my little “one-shot”, so (hopefully!) all the questions will be answered and ‘theories’ proven…. Thanks to everyone for the reviews and encouragement along the way…
And a2b…you rock sweetpea….thank you!
Hope you enjoy! -AnaG
***
Booth took a deep breath and opened the door. He had tried to form his features into the perfect balance of welcome greeting and reasonable expectation, but the minute he saw her face he completely forgot everything right down to his own name.
Her eyes sparkled like blue ice in the sunlight, her pale skin flushed with heat. Anyone who didn’t know her would think she looked feverish. The more romantic might think she looked like a woman that had been in a passionate embrace with a lover. But he knew her better than anyone. This was what she looked like when the excitement of an idea, a hypothesis, took hold of her. And, heaven help him, she was beautiful when it happened.
He hesitated a moment too long, and she pushed past him, already talking in her eagerness to explain her idea to him. Closing the door behind her, he turned and tried to get her to slow down so that he could follow what she was saying.
“Whoa, Bones, let’s just slow things down a bit here…”
Hands at her waist and eyes narrowed, Brennan looked at him with exasperation.
“I thought you wanted to find out what was causing the shared insomnia so that we could finally…”
He braved a few steps, closing the distance between them.
“Yeah, I agree. I think we both want to finally…”
He meant to say something about the insomnia, he was sure of it. The words were there on the tip of his tongue, yet, almost of their own accord, his eyes drifted to her mouth as his thoughts drifted to what ‘finally’ could really mean. He leaned closer, close enough to…and found himself blinking at empty space.
Clearing his throat, he straightened and looked over to her, tensing when he found that a thin film of panic had replaced the shine in her eyes. Every time it seemed that…
“Wait! I…I didn’t explain the…if we are going to do this…there has to be..”
As she moved her hand back and forth in the air between them, it dawned on him, that maybe, just maybe, they were on the same page at the same time. That was until she continued her explanation.
“Rules, Booth. The only way that we are going to end the insomnia is to prove that there is nothing between us, and to do that…”
“Wait a minute. Prove what?”
She sighed heavily, shaking her head.
“Gerta’s story made it clear to me. The reason that we can’t sleep is due to this perceived sexual tension between us that has been promulgated by Angela’s innuendo and the constant emotional and physical intimacy of…”
“Wh…what?”
“I’ve made you uncomfortable again, haven’t I?”
“Um, no. But uh, why don’t you start at the beginning…like with who this Gerta is and what she has to do with us…’
***
He stared at her open-mouthed, struggling to make some sense of the twists in the logic of her little experiment. She stared back, more patient, calmer, now that she had returned to what she saw as a perfectly rational plan.
“Um, so let me see if I understand…the reason that we can’t sleep is…that there is nothing between us but we think there this because of everyone else…”
“Exactly and…”
“And so to prove that there is nothing between us….we’re supposed to….
“Kiss…”
“Un-huh. To show there’s nothing between us.”
Booth was trying to find a tactful way to point out the big fat gaping hole in her logic, namely that ever since she had walked in the door he had wanted to do nothing more than kiss the rationality right out of her and then carry her into the bedroom to finish what he started. Unfortunately for him, her new found patience was short-lived.
“Right, Booth. Now, kiss me.”
He watched dumbfounded as she dropped her arms to her sides, closed her eyes and leaned forward slightly, her lips pursed. And as much as he wanted to carry out her wishes, he could only stand there, frozen in place by her expectations.
He was still standing there slack-jawed, when he saw an eyebrow arch as she opened one eye to ascertain exactly what was taking him so long. A nanosecond later, both eyes were wide open, looking at him with disbelief.
“Booth, why aren’t you taking this seriously?’
Scrambling for a response, his mouth grabbed onto the first thing his mind had to offer.
“Well, Bones, it is hard to, you know…get in the mood…when you look like you’re getting ready to face a firing squad.”
“Wh-what?”
Jumping headfirst into the distraction, he imitated her rigid stance, squeezing his eyes closed and pursing his lips tightly. When he opened his eyes, he expected to see her smiling, ready to laugh at the oddity of this little scenario. Instead, she had her hand over her mouth, and her face was burning with embarrassment.
“Ah, Bones. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to….it’s just that this is a little…”
“Ridiculous. You’re right, I….I don’t know what I was thinking.”
Shaking her head to clear it of the newly recognized absurdity of her actions, she began to gather the coat and bag that she had unceremoniously dropped in a chair near the door when she’d arrived.
When she brushed against him, he gently placed a hand on her shoulder, and tried to make amends for his unintended carelessness.
“No, Temperance, you…your heart was in the right place.”
He flinched when she looked back at him, eyes shiny with unshed tears.
“No, Booth. Obviously, my heart is…..” She shook her head and resumed her dash for the door before he could see anything more.
“Let’s do it.”
She stopped as his words reached her, but still couldn’t bring herself to face him.
“I mean…the experiment. The test.”
He watched as she turned, waited for her response. And when she remained unmoved, he closed the distance between them.
“No, Booth, not if you’re not…”
The brush of his lips against hers was so brief, that both wouldn’t have been sure it had happened if it weren’t for the pulse of electricity still coursing through their bodies after the connection was broken.
He couldn’t look away, not now, not ever. He prayed for a sign, any indication that she had felt what he had, hoped that they hadn’t just proven the point that she had intended with this test.
“So, what’s the um, verdict? Did we prove your theory that…”
His words faded as he watched the emotions playing across her face, waited as she assimilated her reaction and analyzed the evidence she’d found in their brief kiss. Confusion. Wonder. Need. And then…resolve. He didn’t know what to make of the determination in her eyes until she stepped even closer, aligning her body with his before she spoke, the husky undertones in her voice almost sending him over the edge.
“I’m…not sure.”
“Oh, so maybe we should…”
“Try again?”
“Mm-hmm…just to be sure.”
And this time, when he captured her mouth with his, there was no hesitation, no doubt about what was happening. He laid claim to her, proving to both of them with the heat of the kiss that there was no theory, no experiment that could define what he felt for her. And as the kiss deepened and he felt her hands clutching his arms, sliding along his shoulders, running through his hair, as he felt her pulling him closer, needing more, he knew that she was his.
A minute, an hour, half a lifetime later, they broke apart, but only slightly, neither willing to completely loosen their hold on the other, still caught in the grateful disbelief that it had actually happened, that after all of this time they had finally crossed that line into each other’s arms.
And as Booth looked into her eyes, saw the heat and the excitement and need reflected in them, he felt the line itself begin to…
His breath caught as he felt the light trace of her fingertips along the back of his neck, saw the wicked mischief appear in her smile.
“You know, Booth. I have another theory.”
“Mmm….is that so?”
She leaned forward to whisper in his ear, her breath a feathered trace against his skin that nearly drove him out of his mind. The undisguised invitation in her words accomplished the rest.
“Want to help me prove it?”
***
Vera absently wiped the counter as she stared into the empty diner. Out of habit, her eyes wandered to the table in the corner. Her favorite clueless couple seemed to have finally gotten over the insomnia. They were probably sleeping now, snug under the covers dreaming the good dreams.
Her hand stopped moving the rag across the worn formica surface as another possibility occurred to her, causing a chuckle to echo into the lonely room.
Or maybe not. Maybe, just maybe, those two had finally figured out that there were better things to do at 3 a.m.
Chapter 5
Here it is…and promise…no more cliffies! This is the fifth and final chappie in my little “one-shot”, so (hopefully!) all the questions will be answered and ‘theories’ proven…. Thanks to everyone for the reviews and encouragement along the way…
And a2b…you rock sweetpea….thank you!
Hope you enjoy! -AnaG
***
Booth took a deep breath and opened the door. He had tried to form his features into the perfect balance of welcome greeting and reasonable expectation, but the minute he saw her face he completely forgot everything right down to his own name.
Her eyes sparkled like blue ice in the sunlight, her pale skin flushed with heat. Anyone who didn’t know her would think she looked feverish. The more romantic might think she looked like a woman that had been in a passionate embrace with a lover. But he knew her better than anyone. This was what she looked like when the excitement of an idea, a hypothesis, took hold of her. And, heaven help him, she was beautiful when it happened.
He hesitated a moment too long, and she pushed past him, already talking in her eagerness to explain her idea to him. Closing the door behind her, he turned and tried to get her to slow down so that he could follow what she was saying.
“Whoa, Bones, let’s just slow things down a bit here…”
Hands at her waist and eyes narrowed, Brennan looked at him with exasperation.
“I thought you wanted to find out what was causing the shared insomnia so that we could finally…”
He braved a few steps, closing the distance between them.
“Yeah, I agree. I think we both want to finally…”
He meant to say something about the insomnia, he was sure of it. The words were there on the tip of his tongue, yet, almost of their own accord, his eyes drifted to her mouth as his thoughts drifted to what ‘finally’ could really mean. He leaned closer, close enough to…and found himself blinking at empty space.
Clearing his throat, he straightened and looked over to her, tensing when he found that a thin film of panic had replaced the shine in her eyes. Every time it seemed that…
“Wait! I…I didn’t explain the…if we are going to do this…there has to be..”
As she moved her hand back and forth in the air between them, it dawned on him, that maybe, just maybe, they were on the same page at the same time. That was until she continued her explanation.
“Rules, Booth. The only way that we are going to end the insomnia is to prove that there is nothing between us, and to do that…”
“Wait a minute. Prove what?”
She sighed heavily, shaking her head.
“Gerta’s story made it clear to me. The reason that we can’t sleep is due to this perceived sexual tension between us that has been promulgated by Angela’s innuendo and the constant emotional and physical intimacy of…”
“Wh…what?”
“I’ve made you uncomfortable again, haven’t I?”
“Um, no. But uh, why don’t you start at the beginning…like with who this Gerta is and what she has to do with us…’
***
He stared at her open-mouthed, struggling to make some sense of the twists in the logic of her little experiment. She stared back, more patient, calmer, now that she had returned to what she saw as a perfectly rational plan.
“Um, so let me see if I understand…the reason that we can’t sleep is…that there is nothing between us but we think there this because of everyone else…”
“Exactly and…”
“And so to prove that there is nothing between us….we’re supposed to….
“Kiss…”
“Un-huh. To show there’s nothing between us.”
Booth was trying to find a tactful way to point out the big fat gaping hole in her logic, namely that ever since she had walked in the door he had wanted to do nothing more than kiss the rationality right out of her and then carry her into the bedroom to finish what he started. Unfortunately for him, her new found patience was short-lived.
“Right, Booth. Now, kiss me.”
He watched dumbfounded as she dropped her arms to her sides, closed her eyes and leaned forward slightly, her lips pursed. And as much as he wanted to carry out her wishes, he could only stand there, frozen in place by her expectations.
He was still standing there slack-jawed, when he saw an eyebrow arch as she opened one eye to ascertain exactly what was taking him so long. A nanosecond later, both eyes were wide open, looking at him with disbelief.
“Booth, why aren’t you taking this seriously?’
Scrambling for a response, his mouth grabbed onto the first thing his mind had to offer.
“Well, Bones, it is hard to, you know…get in the mood…when you look like you’re getting ready to face a firing squad.”
“Wh-what?”
Jumping headfirst into the distraction, he imitated her rigid stance, squeezing his eyes closed and pursing his lips tightly. When he opened his eyes, he expected to see her smiling, ready to laugh at the oddity of this little scenario. Instead, she had her hand over her mouth, and her face was burning with embarrassment.
“Ah, Bones. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to….it’s just that this is a little…”
“Ridiculous. You’re right, I….I don’t know what I was thinking.”
Shaking her head to clear it of the newly recognized absurdity of her actions, she began to gather the coat and bag that she had unceremoniously dropped in a chair near the door when she’d arrived.
When she brushed against him, he gently placed a hand on her shoulder, and tried to make amends for his unintended carelessness.
“No, Temperance, you…your heart was in the right place.”
He flinched when she looked back at him, eyes shiny with unshed tears.
“No, Booth. Obviously, my heart is…..” She shook her head and resumed her dash for the door before he could see anything more.
“Let’s do it.”
She stopped as his words reached her, but still couldn’t bring herself to face him.
“I mean…the experiment. The test.”
He watched as she turned, waited for her response. And when she remained unmoved, he closed the distance between them.
“No, Booth, not if you’re not…”
The brush of his lips against hers was so brief, that both wouldn’t have been sure it had happened if it weren’t for the pulse of electricity still coursing through their bodies after the connection was broken.
He couldn’t look away, not now, not ever. He prayed for a sign, any indication that she had felt what he had, hoped that they hadn’t just proven the point that she had intended with this test.
“So, what’s the um, verdict? Did we prove your theory that…”
His words faded as he watched the emotions playing across her face, waited as she assimilated her reaction and analyzed the evidence she’d found in their brief kiss. Confusion. Wonder. Need. And then…resolve. He didn’t know what to make of the determination in her eyes until she stepped even closer, aligning her body with his before she spoke, the husky undertones in her voice almost sending him over the edge.
“I’m…not sure.”
“Oh, so maybe we should…”
“Try again?”
“Mm-hmm…just to be sure.”
And this time, when he captured her mouth with his, there was no hesitation, no doubt about what was happening. He laid claim to her, proving to both of them with the heat of the kiss that there was no theory, no experiment that could define what he felt for her. And as the kiss deepened and he felt her hands clutching his arms, sliding along his shoulders, running through his hair, as he felt her pulling him closer, needing more, he knew that she was his.
A minute, an hour, half a lifetime later, they broke apart, but only slightly, neither willing to completely loosen their hold on the other, still caught in the grateful disbelief that it had actually happened, that after all of this time they had finally crossed that line into each other’s arms.
And as Booth looked into her eyes, saw the heat and the excitement and need reflected in them, he felt the line itself begin to…
His breath caught as he felt the light trace of her fingertips along the back of his neck, saw the wicked mischief appear in her smile.
“You know, Booth. I have another theory.”
“Mmm….is that so?”
She leaned forward to whisper in his ear, her breath a feathered trace against his skin that nearly drove him out of his mind. The undisguised invitation in her words accomplished the rest.
“Want to help me prove it?”
***
Vera absently wiped the counter as she stared into the empty diner. Out of habit, her eyes wandered to the table in the corner. Her favorite clueless couple seemed to have finally gotten over the insomnia. They were probably sleeping now, snug under the covers dreaming the good dreams.
Her hand stopped moving the rag across the worn formica surface as another possibility occurred to her, causing a chuckle to echo into the lonely room.
Or maybe not. Maybe, just maybe, those two had finally figured out that there were better things to do at 3 a.m.
CheeseBK- Therapist
- Number of posts: 3762
Age: 27
Location: Austria
Say What You Want: don't provoke the lunatic!
Registration date: 2008-06-01
Re: Three A.M. - by AnaG (AnabelleG) - [10/09/2007]
by CheeseBK on Mon Jun 02, 2008 2:30 pm
Posted 14/09/2007 02:58:16 AM by gemsgems
Apsolutly brilliant, I loved it! You are a good writer
Apsolutly brilliant, I loved it! You are a good writer
CheeseBK- Therapist
- Number of posts: 3762
Age: 27
Location: Austria
Say What You Want: don't provoke the lunatic!
Registration date: 2008-06-01
Re: Three A.M. - by AnaG (AnabelleG) - [10/09/2007]
by CheeseBK on Mon Jun 02, 2008 2:30 pm
Posted 10/10/2007 07:05:32 PM by ToZiKA
Great story.
Especially the first chapter was very good.
I like the way how you changed the POV in the middle of a sentence.
It showed the similarity of their situations in a totally new way.
And I like Mrs Baumgartner. With her little story she finally achieved that Bones and Booth came together.
Great story.
Especially the first chapter was very good.
I like the way how you changed the POV in the middle of a sentence.
It showed the similarity of their situations in a totally new way.
And I like Mrs Baumgartner. With her little story she finally achieved that Bones and Booth came together.
CheeseBK- Therapist
- Number of posts: 3762
Age: 27
Location: Austria
Say What You Want: don't provoke the lunatic!
Registration date: 2008-06-01
Re: Three A.M. - by AnaG (AnabelleG) - [10/09/2007]
by CheeseBK on Mon Jun 02, 2008 2:31 pm
Posted 11/10/2007 00:56:19 AM byJAXTIG
I loved it! It was so cute. Grace leaving the part out about edger was too funny. Booth being so worrird about how he looked had me rolling. Great job. Is there going to be a sequal?
I loved it! It was so cute. Grace leaving the part out about edger was too funny. Booth being so worrird about how he looked had me rolling. Great job. Is there going to be a sequal?
CheeseBK- Therapist
- Number of posts: 3762
Age: 27
Location: Austria
Say What You Want: don't provoke the lunatic!
Registration date: 2008-06-01
Similar topics» New lan server Fifa 2007!!
» Algunas fotos de EUROMILITARY 2007
» My azalea 2007-2009
» Kanuma Satsuki Festival 2007, etc.
» Revisi Permendagri No.2 Th 2007
» Algunas fotos de EUROMILITARY 2007
» My azalea 2007-2009
» Kanuma Satsuki Festival 2007, etc.
» Revisi Permendagri No.2 Th 2007
:: Fanfiction
Page 1 of 1
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum