You Make Me Smile Ch 1: Halloween 2009, a bones fanfic

So, this is my second oneshot for BONES, and my first for Booth/Brennan. I am nervously excited for this happy little Halloween story. :P

The song that goes along with this is 'Smile' by Uncle Kracker (which is my current obsession, lol). Since I can't include links, if you'd like to listen (not a necessity, but I recommend it :D), feel free to youtube it - it doesn't really come into play until where the lyrics come in anyways.

This is for Katie because she a.) gave me the idea, b.) proofread allllll week long for it, and c.) because it's her survival fic.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own BONES; the characters used here are the property of Fox, Hart Hanson, et al. I also do not own the lyrics/music, which is the property of all respective lyricists and singers.

Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

"Sweetie," Angela sighed as she pounded on the bathroom door. "We're going to be so late, Bren!" she added as she continued knocking, sighing again before she placed her left hand on her hip. "The masquerade ball starts in…," Angela said impatiently, looking to the clock on the wall opposite her, "five minutes. And it's across town. Everyone's waiting!"

"Ange," Brennan replied, her voice carrying through the oak door. "You know how I feel about social gatherings for work. One for Halloween… a pagan holiday, and 'All Saints Day' in Christianity, mind you… is even more ridiculous. Children dressing up, going door to door, begging for sugary, over-processed and hydrogenated treats…"

"Brennan."

"Aren't we supposed to be proud of who we are? Our identities?" Brennan rambled loudly. Angela sighed again. "Why should we dress up in these… frivolous gowns and masks…. Conceal our identities... so no one can tell who we are?"

Angela rolled her eyes, taking the swishy black material of her floor length gown between her fingertips before knocking on the door one more time. "Trust me, sweetie, it will be fun. Live a little. I look hot, Cam's hot… I saw the guys before they all left – Jack, Wendell, Booth, Clark – all hot. And boy, do I mean hot. Even Sweets is lookin' good."

Brennan chuckled.

"Hey, it's true. I'm a single girl, surrounded by hot, hot men… I have to look!" she defended with a laugh. "Come on, Brennan. You probably look amazing. The boys are all there, anticipating our arrival… and Cam's in the limo, waiting downstairs for us. Get your ass out here and let's get going."

"I look…ridiculous," Temperance argued.

"Just open the door."

The door opened without another word of protest from her, revealing a very dressed up Dr. Temperance Brennan. She was dressed in a pale blue A-line, floor length gown with a fitted, beaded strapless bodice. Her hair was pulled back in a loose, curly ponytail, held back off of her face with a silver headband; she wore her mother's silver chandelier earrings. Temperance held her white, feathered masquerade mask in her hand. Angela motioned for her to hold it up, so she did, her cheeks flushing bright pink. Her cobalt blue eyes shimmered and popped out against the white of the mask.

Angela's jaw dropped.

Brennan's hand fell to her side, and she anxiously gripped the tulle material of her skirt between her fingers. "Is it… too much? Do I… should I change?" she asked anxiously.

"No, hell no," Angela recovered, reassuring her best friend. "Let's get going," she added, reaching out and grabbing Brennan's wrist, pulling her forward, "before your dress turns into your lab coat and our carriage turns back into a pumpkin…"

"I don't know what that means," Brennan protested as she shuffled along barefoot. "Shoes, Ange! I need shoes," she said, stopping in her tracks. She slipped her silver ballet flats back on her feet and took a breath.

"Are you ready, Cinderella?" Angela mumbled under her breath.

Brennan shrugged and nodded, allowing Angela to once again pull her toward the office door, and toward the evening that she had desperately wanted to avoid.

She had immediately protested the idea from the moment she learned about it; Sweets had told them about it during a therapy session. Booth accepted almost immediately, as it was an FBI event – a community fundraiser – and his job required it. Brennan, on the other hand, was much harder to convince, but after threats from Cam, and plenty of begging from Angela, she reluctantly agreed.

Even Booth seemed excited for the gala. "C'mon, Bones," he had said. "It'll be a good time… I'll wear a tux, you'll wear a dress… we'll go out, forget about our jobs for a little while… and when it's over with, we'll go back to the diner… like always. It'll be like prom, Bones. Do it for me."

Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she couldn't resist when Booth asked her for a favor, so she agreed. She ordered her dress online the next day, and asked that everyone drop the subject until the day of the event. So they did, at least in her presence, and she appreciated it.

"Wow," Cam said as the limo driver opened the back passenger door for Angela and Brennan. She set her flute of champagne down on the table beside her and smoothed out the skirt of her knee-length emerald green dress. "Dr. Brennan, you look…"

"Hot," Angela interjected. "She looks hot, right?" she added, and Cam nodded.

Brennan blushed again as she shuffled into the limo after Angela. "Thank you," she replied softly, and the three of them fell into a comfortable silence as the limo pulled away from the Jeffersonian. Brennan bunched the fabric of the dress in her fingers as she stared out of the window, watching the twinkling lights of the city sparkle on this perfect autumn evening.

As they neared the reception hall, the lump in her throat grew. What had Booth meant by 'prom'? She wasn't even sure what one was, and she had certainly never been to one. She remembered the girls from high school agonizing over dresses and shoes, crying over who was going with whom, and sharing pictures after the big event; but of course she hadn't gone to the event herself.

She sighed, taking a deep breath as she tried to calm her nerves.

The moment that the black stretch limo pulled up to the reception hall, though, every ounce of anxiety Temperance had been feeling dissolved. She involuntarily shivered as she stepped out of the limo, and took a deep breath as she smoothed her dress out. A mix of excitement – and a fresh ounce of anxiety – fluttered into her stomach.

"Welcome!" A short round man dressed in a powder blue tuxedo greeted Cam, Angela and Temperance. "Dinner is just about to begin; you ladies are right on time!" he added with a hearty laugh; Brennan shot Angela a knowing smirk. "Louise will get you three checked in, and we'll get you gorgeous ladies seated."

"Thank you," Angela replied, rolling her eyes. "Masks on, ladies!" she teased, pulling her mask over her face, readjusting it so she could see. Brennan and Cam obliged, pulling their own masks on as they stepped into the lobby to check in.

"Lookin' good, Dr. B!" Jack said as she sat down beside him.

Her cheeks flushed pink. "Thank you, Hodgins," she replied. She took a sip of water and glanced around the table. She was seated between Jack and Wendell; on Jack's other side sat Angela, who also sat next to Clark. And between Clark and Wendell was Cam; there weren't any other seats. "Where are Dr. Sweets and Agent Booth?"

"They had to sit with FBI," Jack shrugged, sipping on champagne. "Booth didn't seem very pleased," he added, raising an eyebrow at Brennan.

Temperance shrugged and changed the subject; the group of six fell into an easy conversation that almost immediately fell back to their work. Brennan was distracted, though, as she looked around the room, searching for the one person that she wanted to see the most.

Seeley Booth sat across the room at the FBI-assigned table, nursing the drink that had been placed in front of him. His eyes scanned the crowd, searching for Temperance. She hadn't allowed him to see her dress – in fact, none of the girls did – but he was almost anxious to see his partner all dressed up. He saw Camille first; her emerald green dress shimmered in the lights, her eyes danced behind her mask as she let out a hearty laugh (probably due to one of Henry's corny jokes). Then he saw Angela, who had her eyes only on Jack from the moment she entered the room; he chuckled to himself, wondering whether or not she realized it.

After a long moment's pause – and a brief 'what if she didn't come?' train of thought - he saw her.

Temperance.

The mask nearly covered her entire face, but he could still see her eyes – brilliant, shimmering cobalt blue, contrasting with the white of her feathered mask. Her baby blue gown billowed around her, complementing her perfect frame. She had a timid smile on her face, but he could see her ease up as she approached her assigned table and sat down between Jack and Wendell.

"Dr. Brennan looks nice," Sweets offered, swirling the ice in his glass before taking a tiny sip of the clear liquid.

"Bones looks beautiful," Booth whispered back, not making eye contact with the younger doctor.

Sweets raised an eyebrow at the agent, but didn't say anything; he simply nodded in agreement. Seeley kept his eyes on Brennan, watching as she sat down and made small talk with her colleagues. He smiled when he saw her look away from them… and again when they finally made eye contact.

Her heart fluttered.

She had, of course, made eye contact with several strangers as she scanned the crowd, but she only cared about one sparkly, deep brown pair. Her cheeks crimsoned for what seemed like the hundredth time that evening, but she didn't dare look away. Their stare was intense; she saw Angela watching her in her peripheral vision.

Booth looked away first, but only because the servers brought the first course of the meal to his table. Temperance cleared her throat as she turned her attention back to her co-workers. She shook her head and smiled when Angela raised an eyebrow at her; she knew what Angela had seen … and maybe, for the first time, she herself had seen it, too.

Three courses of meal later, tables were cleared and a live band was set to take the stage, but only after a speech from Henry Davis, who was the chairperson of the committee holding the fundraiser.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen." His loud, rumbly voice boomed into the microphone. "And happy Halloween!" he added with a laugh, his cheeks bright red underneath the spotlight. "We would like to thank you all for coming to celebrate this holiday with us."

"It's not a holiday," Brennan mumbled. Her colleagues chuckled.

"And more importantly, we'd like to thank you all for coming out to support our group. We enjoy working with the community of Washington, D.C., and of course, the alliance between the FBI and the Jeffersonian Institute. We're here today to not only raise money for our community alliance, but to extend our deepest gratitude to the men and women of these institutions who put their lives on the line for us every single day."

Applause rippled through the reception hall.

"Alright, alright," the jolly old man laughed, raising his right arm up to quiet his audience. "Now that dinner is over, we'd like to invite each of you to stay and continue to celebrate – dancing, talking, drinking – all in good company. Get to know one another," he offered, his grin lighting up his whole face. The audience clapped again. "Thank you! Have a good night!" he finished, returning the microphone to its stand and stepped away from the stage.

Within moments, the reception hall had turned into a dance hall. The tables were cleared away; the house lights were dimmed, and sparkling white lights lined the ceiling, creating an atmosphere fit for dancing.

And as much as she had wanted to avoid dancing with Henry, there wasn't a way to politely decline his invitation. So she hesitantly accepted, and tried to remain engaged in the conversation, but found herself once again searching for Booth as the older man twirled her around on the dance floor.

Booth stood at the opposite side of the room, making small talk with Wendell, Clark and a few other FBI agents. But much like his partner, he, too, was distracted, and searched the crowd for Temperance.

"Booth," Angela purred as she sidled up beside him, nudging his shoulder. "Hey."

"Angela, hey," he replied, leaning down and kissing her cheek. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you, Booth," she replied. She took a sip of water. "Did you want to dance, Booth?" Angela asked.

"Where's Hodgins?"

"I don't know, discussing fundraisers with some higher-ups…," Angela rolled her eyes. "How about that dance? You look like you could use a rescue," she whispered with a wink.

"Thanks," Booth replied, taking Angela's arm in his and leading her to the dance floor. He placed his hands on her hips, and they kept a comfortable distance while they danced.

Angela eyed the FBI agent carefully. "You seem distracted, Agent Booth," she observed, raising her eyebrow, a smile curling on her lips.

His eyes scanned the room, searching for the cloud of blue that was his partner. "Ah, yeah, sorry, Ange," he replied, returning his attention to Angela. He offered her an apologetic smile.

"Brennan's dancing with Henry," she said, rolling her eyes slightly. "I think she needs a rescue, Booth," Angela said honestly, her face turning serious.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." She nodded.

"Thanks, Angela," he replied. His smile brightened as he spotted Brennan out of the corner of his eye. He leaned down and kissed Angela on the cheek once again. "Excuse me," he added, stepping away from her.

She nodded encouragingly. "Go get her," she yelled after him, as the music faded, and the next song immediately began.

The next song began, and Temperance was hoping that the requisite dance with Mr. Davis was over, but as he spun her around once more, she knew that there would be no way to politely escape. She stifled a sigh, her eyes scanning the crowd again. She spotted Sweets, and in that moment, she wished he would come over and interrupt the dance. But of course he didn't; instead he stayed in place, chatting with another FBI psychologist.

The music swelled, building up to the first verse of lyrics, and Henry spun her around once more as the singer's voice filtered through the air.

You're better than the best
I'm lucky just to linger in your light
Cooler then the flip side of my pillow, that's right
Completely unaware
Nothing can compare to where you send me,
Lets me know that it's ok, yeah it's ok
And the moments where my good times start to fade

Booth approached the spinning tornado of blue fabric, and he had to hold back a laugh, for this was truly something he would have paid to see. His partner towered over the older man; she moved as gracefully as his steps would allow, the expression on her face was almost tortured. He could tell she was being polite, and for a brief moment, he was glad she hadn't seen him yet. The older man was nice, sure, but he was no dancer. By this time, he was sweating profusely, and was talking Brennan's ear off.

He stepped into her line of vision, and as her eyes scanned the crowd again, he finally caught her attention. 'Help me,' she mouthed above Henry's head, before he spun around again. Her expression was filled with desperation – she almost looked like she was in pain – and it was all he could do to not run over there and rudely pull her away from the man who was hosting this event.

She narrowed her eyes at him; he knew he had to do something.

You make me smile like the sun
Fall out of bed, sing like bird
Dizzy in my head, spin like a record
Crazy on a Sunday night
You make me dance like a fool
Forget how to breathe
Shine like gold, buzz like a bee
Just the thought of you can drive me wild
Ohh, you make me smile

"Excuse me, Mr. Davis," Booth said politely, tapping the older gentleman on the shoulder. "Do you mind if I cut in and danced with Dr. Brennan here?"

"Oh, no," Henry replied, letting out a hearty laugh. He stepped away from Temperance and wiped at his forehead with a handkerchief. "It was a pleasure, Dr. Brennan. She's all yours, Agent Booth," he added with a knowing smile, and turned to walk away from the partners.

"Thank you." Brennan let out a deep breath. She smiled at Booth. "He stepped on my foot – twice," she pouted. Booth smirked and pulled her closer to him. He placed his hands protectively on her hips. He kissed her on the cheek, and she blushed in response as she snaked her arms around his neck. "You look… very handsome, Booth," she added with a timid smile.

"Aw, thanks, Bones," he replied as they began to move to the music. "You don't look too bad yourself," Booth teased with a wink. Her expression fell; he chuckled a bit to recover. "You look beautiful, Bones."

She looked straight into his eyes – sapphire blue on chocolate brown – and smiled. He leaned in closer and rested his forehead on hers; a shiver ran down her spine and goosebumps popped up all over her skin.

Even when you're gone
Somehow you come along
Just like a flower poking the sidewalk crack and just like that
You steal away the rain and just like that

His heart thumped wildly in his chest. "Thank you for coming to this thing, Temperance," he whispered, his lips dangerously close to hers. "I really… appreciate it."

She subconsciously licked her lips, never taking her eyes off of his. Her eyes darkened. "I am actually having a decent enough time, Booth. Thank you for inviting me," she replied with a smile.

Their words hung between them now as they continued to dance. He pulled her closer to his body, his heart going nuts as he stared into her brilliant blue eyes. He took the lead, spinning them around – but the only thing that remained in focus for him was Temperance (and in fact, that was exactly as he preferred it).

He spun them around once more, and without warning, dipped Temperance. She gasped slightly – her eyes lit up behind her mask and a loud laugh escaped her lips. He grinned as he pulled her up. She shook her head at him, their smiles (and emotions) matching.

Her hands moved to his neck; she rested her fingertips on his carotid arteries, and she smiled when she felt how fast his pulse was moving. Her fingertips moved up his neck, toward his ear; she paused for a moment before placing her right hand on his cheek, tracing the edge of the mask with her fingertips. She reached back behind his ear, pulling slightly on the elastic strap.

"Bones?" he barely choked out, taking a deep breath. Her eyes remained locked on his – she was turned on, and he knew it. So was he. "What are you… what are you doing?" Booth asked, his husky voice low and thick.

"I want to see your face, Booth," came her reply in nearly the same tone. She pulled the mask off of his face and dropped it onto the floor; she then ran the pad of her thumb over his cheek. "There you are," she said softly.

It was all he could do not to kiss her.

Don't know how I lived without you
'Cause every time that I get around you
I see the best of me inside your eyes

His right hand remained on her lower back, but his left danced up her side, eliciting fresh goosebumps on her skin. His fingertips brushed against her ear; she shivered slightly and pressed her body even closer to Booth's – and neither of them was sure how that was even possible.

"You too," he said softly, dropping the mask to the floor. He cupped her cheek with his hand, her skin warm to the touch.

"Booth," she whimpered, her voice shaky and filled with need.

He smiled at her, and without second thought, pressed his lips to hers.

You make me smile
You make me dance like a fool
Forget how to breathe
Shine like gold, buzz like a bee
Just the thought of you can drive me wild

She closed her eyes, and almost immediately, deepened the kiss. Her hands flew to his skull, pulling his face closer to hers. He ran his tongue over her lower lip, eliciting a soft moan from his partner before slipping his tongue into her mouth.

In an almost chaotic, frantic way, they found a pattern; their tongues danced together, competing for more. They somehow continued dancing to the music, the jazzy sound of the band filtering through the air, complementing the natural rhythm they had found within one another. Booth's fingertips danced up and down her sides before his left hand came to rest on the small of her back. He broke away from the kiss first, cupping her cheek with his right hand.

"Bones," he said softly as her eyes fluttered open. They were deep blue now – nearly black – her pupils were dilated; he had never seen her like this.

She whimpered in response, moving her hands down to his neck. She looked up at him and bit her lower lip, her cheeks bright red. She was nearly breathless, and her only response came in the form of a nod.

"What do you say," he asked, locking his eyes on hers, spinning her around once more as the song crescendoed, "we get out of here, Bones? Huh?"

She bit her lower lip. "Okay," she nodded. "Where to?"

Booth just smiled.

As the song began to fade out and the first notes for the next one started, Booth grabbed Temperance's hand, and led her through the thick crowd.

"Sweetie!" Angela called out after them.

Booth groaned; Brennan stopped in her tracks, but didn't release his hand. "Angela."

Angela stepped closer to them – by this time, her mask was crooked, her eyes shining, cheeks flushed. "Where are you two running off to so quickly?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at the flustered pair. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Diner," Booth replied quickly.

Brennan nodded in agreement. "We should get going… we don't want them to be out of pie," she stated seriously, her eyes sparkling in the dim lights. "Happy Halloween, Angela," Temperance added as she turned and this time took the lead, pulling Booth through the crowd.

"For the record, I saw that!" Angela called out after them, placing her hands on her hips.

"Saw what?" Jack asked as he stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her stomach and pulling her close. He placed a kiss on her bare shoulder.

"Just a little Halloween magic," Angela replied, watching as the flurry of blue and black left the reception hall, a knowing smile playing on her lips.

Seeley and Temperance walked hand in hand down the street, excitement bubbling between the two of them. "Booth," Temperance said suddenly, stopping in her tracks.

He jerked backward. "What?"

"We took a limo to the reception hall. I don't have a car. And you went with Hodgins…"

"It's a nice night," he offered with a shrug, interrupting her mid-sentence. "We could just walk back to my place – it's about six blocks from here, order something in, maybe watch a movie."

"Like a date?" she asked, her eyes scanning his; she watched him intently as she waited for his answer.

Oh, what the hell. "Yeah, Bones," he replied, watching her carefully as a smile unfolded on her lips. "Like a date."

"Okay," she said simply. Temperance laced her fingers once again with his, and they continued on their journey back to Booth's apartment. They fell into a comfortable silence, their steps perfectly in place with one another's, as they walked down the street in their formal wear.

She shivered involuntarily, and without notice, Booth had wrapped his tuxedo jacket around her shoulders. She sucked in a deep breath, his scent invading her nostrils, and smiled. "Thanks, Booth," Temperance said gratefully. He wrapped his right arm around her and pulled her closer to him, placing a gentle kiss on her head. He gripped her left hand with his left, lacing their fingers together once again.

After a few long minutes, when they had nearly reached his apartment, Booth raised her hand – which was still laced with his – and gently pressed his lips to her skin.

She laughed and shook her head, her eyes sparkling in the dim light of the streetlights.

"Here we are," he announced moments later as they approached the apartment building. He opened the door for her, offering her a wink and a cheesy grin; she rolled her eyes as she led the way to the elevator.

They sat on the couch together about an hour later; still dressed up, empty take-out containers on the coffee table in front of them. Their conversation was easy and light, and for the most part, stayed away from work. A nervous excitement bubbled through Brennan's body as she rested her head on her partner's shoulder. She placed her hand over his heart, feeling his heartbeat with the tips of her fingers.

He instinctively wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer, breathing in the scent of her hair. "Booth?" she whispered a moment later, looking up into his eyes.

"Hmm?" he hummed as his eyes met hers.

"What did Angela see?"

He smiled and shook his head. "Oh, Bones," he said softly. "She probably saw what I see every single day," Booth replied elusively, waggling his eyebrow at her.

"Booth," she said as she sat up and turned to face him.

"What?" Booth grinned.

"I think that maybe I saw it, too," Temperance whispered in response. Seconds later, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, surprising him, pulling his face closer to hers. This time, she broke away from the kiss before it could escalate like before. There would be plenty of time for that later. "Yeah," she said simply, her ice-blue eyes sparkling. "Happy Halloween, Booth," she offered, returning her head to his chest.

He kissed her head, pulling her in close once again, running his fingers up and down her arm. His heart fluttered – she saw it, too. He wasn't sure what that meant, but for now, that didn't matter. Nothing else mattered. He smiled. "Happy Halloween, Bones."

Yeah, you make me smile