Moments

Summary: Rebecca wants to make sure that Seeley doesn't miss his moment with another person. Set after "The Truth in the Lye" Season 2 episode.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, the storylines, the props, nada! And they refuse to give me money for writing simple fan fiction.

Author's notes: I know, I know—I should be working on "A Pain That I'm Used To" and I am! I promise! This idea just popped into my head and I felt the need to write it down, especially since I've been muse-free lately. For those of you who have not seen this episode, you may not want to read this story…I would hate to spoil the episode for you.

But if you decide to read this story, please feel free to let me know what you think.

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Rebecca: I think there's a moment for two people…a single moment…where they either catch fire…. Seeley and I, we missed our moment.

He threw open the door of his SUV and quickly climbed out, his eyes searching through the crowd. A loud round of cheering and applause greeted him as he jogged toward the baseball field. Booth grinned as he watched his son amble toward the home plate and take his stance—the stance that Booth had spent a whole day teaching him a year ago.

"Come on Parker! You can do it!" Parker waved enthusiastically at his father, the ball game and his 'professional' baseball stance completely forgotten.

The miniature version of Booth regained his focus, adjusted the helmet atop his blond mop and once again took his stance with a serious look upon his face. Parker swung the bat back and then brought it forward with as much strength as his four-year-old upper body could muster. The bat connected solidly with the baseball sitting on top of the tee and flew through the air into the empty unguarded pocket between second and third base.

"That's my boy!" Booth yelled proudly as he clapped his hands. "Run Parker…go…go…"

Parker ran as hard as his little legs could carry him to first base. The first base coach motioned for him to stop and stay on the base. The boy's efforts were rewarded with a pat on the head from his coach and a large section of cheering parents.

"Seeley, over here." Booth glanced over to the bleachers and saw Rebecca motioning for him to come over. Giving Parker a quick thumbs-up sign, he sauntered over toward his ex and took a seat beside her.

"I'm glad I got here in time to see that," he sighed as he made himself comfortable. Looking over at the rest of Parker's team, Booth nodded at Rebecca's on again-off again boyfriend Drew. "I guess I owe him one for taking over my coaching duties today, huh?"

"He was happy to help out Seeley." She saw the muscle in his jaw clench as he watched the game. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah…fine. I just…you know, I was really looking forward to the first game of this season and seeing Parker." He sighed as he watched his son standing on first base, waiting for the opportunity to run to second. "A case came up early this morning and I…"

"Seeley, I know. Remember? You called me early this morning full of apologies. I understand. Parker understood too but I know he's really glad that you were able to make it." She placed her hand on his arm and squeezed it slightly. He turned his face toward her and smiled.

"As soon as the game is over I have to get back to the lab. Bones should have some information for me by then."

Rebecca chuckled and patted his arm.

"What?" he asked as he watched her shake her head, obviously amused by something.

"Bones…I just can't believe she allows you to call her that. I mean, I don't really know her and I've only met her once but she doesn't seem like the type of woman who would find that nickname amusing. Or appropriate."

"When did you meet Bones?" His brown eyes narrowed as he watched her cheeks flush slightly.

"I came by your office a few weeks ago. You were busy and I ran into her out in the hallway." She shrugged and turned her attention back to the game. "She seemed very nice…a little odd but very nice."

Booth chuckled at his ex's assertion that his partner was 'odd'.

"Bones…Temperance…is different but only in good ways. She's actually very brilliant."

"And very pretty." She felt Booth's arm tense under her hand and smiled. "You can't tell me that you haven't noticed that Seeley. A good, warm blooded all American male such as yourself has a tendency to check out the ladies…"

"I do not 'check out the ladies' Rebecca. You make it sound like I some kind of womanizer." Even as he defended himself, his bedroom romp with Cam entered his mind. What was supposed to be a one time thing had turned into an almost every other day affair. It was—what had Bones called it?—a release. Yes, a release of endorphins and serotonin. Who the hell was he kidding? It was mind blowing sex with an old flame that held no logic or reason.

"Come on Seeley, who are you kidding?"

Booth's head snapped up as Rebecca's voice broke his train of thought. "What?"

"Dr. Brennan…you're going to sit there and tell me that you've never noticed how attractive she is?"

"I never said that I didn't find her attractive…" He stopped as he noticed a smug smile cross Rebecca's face. God, she was as bad as Angela. "Look, Bones is my partner and a really good friend. End of story. Now let's drop this subject, okay?"

He resumed watching the game and smiled as his son rounded second base and finally made it to third base after one of his teammates hit the ball far into left field.

"She cares about you, you know?"

He turned and studied Rebecca's profile as she watched their son. "I care about her too. As I said, she's a good friend."

Rebecca sighed as she pushed a few strands of her blonde hair from her face, her eyes never leaving Parker. "Seeley, there was a moment…between us…when I would have married you. If you had asked me in that moment, we would be together now. But you didn't and I let the moment pass and…we didn't get another chance."

She leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees and turned her face toward him again. "You talk about Dr. Brennan all the time. I don't know whether you even realize it. I'm regaled with second hand tales of her from Parker after he comes home from visiting you. Seeley, can you honestly tell me that you've never had a 'moment' with her?"

Booth stared at his ex-girlfriend for a long time. The sound of parents berating the umpire over an unfair call fell away as he thought about all of the moments that he had indeed shared with Temperance—the feel of her body against his as they danced together in Aurora; dancing around her apartment to Foreigner; watching the 'Grapes of Wrath' in his hospital room after she cancelled her date; her assertion in New Orleans that she should be nicer to him; presenting her with Jasper as she tried to work through the trauma of taking the life of another human being; and the conversation in her office just two weeks ago where they both agreed that there were some people you couldn't 'just have sex with'.

He remembered at the time that he felt himself falling into the warm blue of her eyes as they stared at each other. Booth thought he saw something akin to desire in her eyes before they were interrupted by Angela and Jack.

Feeling pressure on his forearm again, he looked down at Rebecca's hand.

"Seeley, all I'm saying is don't let another moment pass you by. I want you to be happy, really happy."

He chuckled as he studied her face. "And what makes you think that Temperance Brennan is the person that would make me happy?"

She smirked at him and withdrew her hand. "Because of the way your eyes light up every time you say her name…and her nickname."

Before he had a chance to reply to her observation, the slew of parents around them stood and began cheering again. He and Rebecca returned their attention to the game in time to see the little boy who had been at bat running toward first base as their son began his trek toward home plate.

Booth jumped to his feet and watched as his son reached home base giving his team the winning run.

"Let's go congratulate our son Seeley," Rebecca said as she took his hand.

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Pulling his ID card from the pocket of his blue jeans, Booth entered the Medico-Legal lab and was greeted by an almost eerie silence. Even the squints took Saturdays off—with the exception of his partner of course. He found her bent over the remains of their latest victim, her eyes slowing scanning the bones drinking in every detail.

He stopped and watched her for a moment. She was attractive—there was no denying that fact. Of course, Booth knew that he had never denied that fact so much as he tried to concentrate on her other attributes such as her tendency to drive him insane with her constant anthropological takes on every day occurrences.

"Seeley, all I'm saying is don't let another moment pass you by."

But getting caught up in a moment could ruin what we already have, he reasoned. As he watched her tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and move around the examination table, Booth realized that his relationship with Brennan was unlike any other he'd ever had with a woman.

He couldn't deny the sexual tension that existed between them but neither could he deny how much she truly meant to him. If their partnership or friendship ever ended, Booth knew it would hurt him deeply. He also knew how much she needed him. It wasn't an arrogant assertion on his part—Brennan had very few people she actually trusted and he felt lucky that he was in that circle. She would never admit to needing anyone but he knew better. He had witnessed the vulnerable side of Brennan that was not buried as deep as some people thought.

In the last week, since Cam's attempt to have him and Brennan present falsified information to the State Department on a case, Booth had noticed that she had pulled back slightly from her team. Although Cam had told them that she had forced Angela, Jack and Zach to go along with her attempt, he knew that Brennan had been wary of her team lately. Yes lately the only person she seemed to trust completely was him.

He made his way to the platform area and scanned his card. After taking the steps two at a time, he sauntered over to his partner.

"Where's the rest of the team?" He looked around at the empty platform. Before he had left two hours ago, the squint squad had been hanging around…doing their squinty things.

"It's a Saturday afternoon Booth—they had plans." She continued to write down her observations on her clipboard.

"Even Zach?"

"He mentioned something about a performance artist and rabbits…"

"Kinky."

Ignoring his comment, she moved to the terminal on the other side of the examination table and picked up Angela's sketch pad. "Angela gave our Jane Doe a face before she left for her date and Hodgins checked over the particulates from the remains before he left for his date."

Brennan handed Angela's rendering of the victim and Hodgins' report to him.

"And where's Cam?" he asked as he looked around the lab once again.

"She said something about a steamy dinner date and left about thirty minutes ago," Brennan answered as she sighed. "So how was Parker's game?"

"His team won. I would have been back sooner but we went for ice cream…"

"Booth, you don't have to explain. There's nothing you could have done here anyway."

"That's not true Bones. I could've kept you company."

She glanced up at him and smiled. "I'm glad you didn't miss your moment with Parker."

He stared at her as his mouth went dry. This was another moment between them. "Oh…um, you know, even if I had, I would have plenty of other moments…with him."

"Hopefully Angela's sketch will help you when you search the missing persons database," Brennan said as she switched topics on him. "Zach started the process of identifying her through her dental work but we've been unsuccessful so far."

And just like that, another one of their moments had passed.

"Um, okay. Well, why don't we call it a day? You know, enjoy the rest of our weekend. Come on, I'll walk you to your car."

Brennan shook her head at him. "No, I'm going to stay and work a little longer." She resumed her examination and fastidious note taking.

Booth shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and rocked back and forth on the heels of his feet. He knew that he should leave since Cam was waiting for him but he couldn't bring himself to leave Brennan alone.

"You wanna get something to eat?" He began to pray that she would accept his offer.

"You don't have other plans on a Saturday night?" She studied him for a brief moment and tilted her head.

"Well, I…I mean…I do…but it's not a big deal."

She smiled at him again. "I appreciate the offer Booth but you should go and keep your plans. I'll be busy here most of the night anyway."

"Oh, okay. Well then, goodnight Bones." He descended the stairs of the platform and made his way to the exit. He stopped and turned back toward the platform to watch her. I just wonder how many more moments we'll have. He sighed and exited the lab.

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Their dinner sat untouched on the dining room table as Booth lifted his body off of Cam. They hadn't even made it to the bedroom this time. He sat up on his couch and reached for his underwear that was lying on the floor. Cam laid back and watched him as he pulled the material up his legs and over his hips. He tossed her shirt and underwear to her before retrieving his jeans.

"Seeley what's wrong?" Her dark eyes followed his movements as he slipped the jeans onto his lower body.

"Nothing Cam. Let's eat before the food gets cold."

"The food's not the only thing getting cold in here." She stood and quickly dressed.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Never mind." She walked past him to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. After removing two bottles of beer, she closed the door and walked to the dining room table.

"Cam, I don't think this arrangement is working out…"

"Really? Cause I'm not having a problem with it."

He ran his hand through his hair and took a deep breath. "It needs to end."

"You say that every time Seeley and then we end up right back here…well, usually in the bedroom but you know what I mean."

"Cam, this is not a relationship."

"I know—it's sex. I never said I wanted a relationship Seeley." She crossed her arms and stared at him. "What's really going on here?"

"I just don't think this a good idea anymore. I mean, I'm pretty sure that Hodgins and Angela have figured out what's going on and…"

"And you don't want Brennan to know about it." She grimaced slightly as she said Brennan's name. The woman was brilliant in her field but she had been a thorn in Cam's side since their first encounter. "Why does it bother you so much that she might find out…"

"That I'm sleeping with her boss?" he finished for her. "Look Bones and I have a great partnership and friendship. I'm fairly certain that she would be upset about us simply from the standpoint of how 'this' might compromise a case. Can you imagine if we got to court and this little affair makes its way into the courtroom—our integrity, the evidence, everything would be in question."

"You're full of it you know." She moved past him and grabbed her jacket and purse.

"Cam, come on, you know that I'm right."

"I know that you have a thing for Brennan whether you want to admit it or not. What is it you once told me? Oh yes, 'I'm with Bones, Cam…all the way. Don't ever doubt that.'" Anger flashed through her dark eyes. "If that's the case, then go be with your Bones."

He stood dumbfounded as his words were thrown back at him. He had said it and he had meant it—on so many different levels.

She turned toward the door and opened it. "See you around the lab Seeley," she said coldly. "And don't worry, I won't let Dr. Brennan in on our dirty little secret."

As she slammed the door to his apartment, Booth's gaze dropped to the floor. That was one moment he would have gladly missed if he'd been given the opportunity. Picking up the beer bottles that Cam had left on the table, Booth moved back to the living room area and sat down on the couch.

As much as he had tried to refute Rebecca and Cam's observations about his feelings for Brennan, Booth knew they were right. As he leaned his head back and closed his eyes, he wished with all his heart that he would have another moment with Brennan and that he would have the courage to ensure that he didn't let it pass them by.

Author's notes: Yeah, yeah, I know. It wasn't that great but I feel better since I finally wrote it. Now back to my other fic….