The Tequila in the Anthropologist

Epilogue III: Who you gonna call? Dam busters!

Disclaimer: The evidence is both compelling and conclusive: BONES does not belong to me.

A/N: Presenting the closing Epilogue... 'Tequila' has been a lot of fun to write. It represents a personal challenge that I set myself to produce around 1000 words a day of 'coherent' story for the Bones FF community. Eighteen days later, it ('tequila') lives, and almost has a life of its' own. The five time zones did present a small issue - I did have to silence my Blackberry at night.

To the many, many thousands of people who have visited this story, thank you – reading and lurking in the shadows is cool by me, because the stats are evidence of your presence. To the hundreds of people who have alerted, favourited, messaged, and particularly to those who took the time to write a review – my profound thanks to each and every one of you & a special shout out to MadDelight – this Epilogue is for you.

Booth conceded that the twelve-year old had chosen the right analogy. The dam had broken, but not in the way that Sweets had thought it would. It wasn't a kiss, or a state of undress, or any of the numerous acts of love that he had willing participated in that night. The moment had occurred at the point when he had taken her outstretched hand and granted himself permission to go forward without placing a wager on the outcome.

* * *

Booth and Brennan had been walking along the long curved top wall of that dam for years now. Sometimes the top of the wall was solid and smooth, at other times it was treacherous, and it had been in various states of repair over that time. On one side of this wall that they walked along, was a long descent to the depths of loneliness, with a small controlled stream of potential happiness for their futures. On the other side of the wall lay the cool, dark, little known depths of their collective passion for their work, life and ultimately each other. The cumulative pressure of all that the dam wall contained was enormous and potent, they were right to fear it because it created a synergy that was bigger than either one of them combined.

The first crack in the dam appeared as their fingers touched. As the cab drove them back to her place, they tried to ignore the small quakes and tremors that warned of an imminent breach. The ten minute ride was outwardly silent. In the cocoon formed by the backseat of a yellow cab they simply sat within the circle of each others' arms; looking, caressing, touching, and simply allowing themselves to be in all those moments that had fallen outside the line which formed the guard rail along the top of the dam.

Upon arrival at her apartment building the temperature had dropped another five degrees, or perhaps the heat between them had raised by a corresponding amount, Booth could not tell. He paid the cab fare. She fished the keys out of her bag. They both entered the elevator, his arm over her shoulder, her arm around his waist. As the doors closed they were cocooned again. As she turned her body into face his in a standing embrace, Brennan had something that she needed to share.

"You know it will be hard for me to change. You have to know that I want to change, because I want you."

Booth squeezed her against his chest so that she could hear and feel his voice.

"I know that Bones. I'll be there with you, just like always, every step of the way. Y'know, you don't need to change a whole bunch. The things that make you...you, are what make you so special."

"I'm not sure what that means..." she faltered.

"It means that your heart is more open than you know Bones."

"Oh..." she realised, as the elevator pinged at her floor and the doors opened onto her hallway. The dam wall cracked. High pressure jets of the depths contained behind the wall sprayed forth carrying the detritus of delays and denial.

There was no turning back.

* * *

The moment that her apartment door slammed shut, they were caught in the maelstrom. Brennan dropped her bag and keys to the floor, which made a noise similar to a starting pistol. Like Pavlov's dog, Booth responded, and he had Brennan pinned to the door in a hungry kiss before she had even decided what to do next. The taste and aroma of the tequila that they had used as the catalyst in their experiment served to confirm and remind them of just why they were here, without the need for words. This was fortunate, because their tongues were currently engaged in the glossal smack down of the century.

Brennan grabbed his Cocky belt buckle and used every remaining erg of her dexterity to remove it and the belt, because tonight it was part of the wall. It dropped to the floor and was swept downstream with the small flood from the breaking dam. Booth responded by simply breaking the kiss and picking Bones up and carrying her directly to her bedroom. His chivalry had just been swept downstream. He was caught in the powerful current, heading toward that somewhere that he had always known they would go to. Booth surrendered.

Brennan, however, was still making a few desperate strokes of control against the breaking dam, it was counterintuitive but instinctive.

"Booth! Your back! I'm heavy" protested Brennan as he picked her up.

He gave her a cocky grin. "Want me to guess your weight Bones?" he asked.

"No thank you" she replied primly, as he pushed open her bedroom door with his shoulder. It would be unnecessary conjecture, and she would provide him with accurate data if he really needed to know.

As he placed her on her bed and settled himself above her, with a charm smile on his face. "You'll still fix my back for me Bones? Any time I need it?" he wheedled.

She locked eyes with him and placed her palms on either side of his face. Feeling herself being dragged along in the direction that she wanted so much, yet feared so irrationally, Brennan concluded that she must face her fears. But with Booth by her side, she did not need to face those fears alone. It was logical to let go of this irrationality, and so she surrendered to her newborn open heart.

"I will fix anything that you want me to. All you have to do is ask..." replied Brennan in a husky tone, in the key of sensual. The roar of the flood from the decimated dam became their collective passion for each other in that moment.

"Oh, I'm askin' baby!" said Booth into her hair as he started nibbling at her earlobe and attacking the fastenings of her clothes with his hands.

"Don't call me baby!" retorted Brennan as she grabbed his shirt. Buttons popped off and scattered in all directions. She chuckled as Booths' head popped up.

"Hey!", as he took the opportunity to frantically divest himself of items of clothing and assist Brennan with hers, which led to slapping away of hands and a light tussle ensuing. Booth kissed her into breathless submission; it was time for him to get handsy. Revenge was sweet – he intended to prove it.

* * *

"You have extremely pleasing musculature Booth" commented Brennan, as their mutual exploration of each other continued.

"Temperance? Are you saying that you think I'm hot?" teased Booth

"Absolutely," she confirmed with a slightly lopsided smile, indicating that there was going to be an additional request. "So you won't mind if I request page 187? I did write it with you in mind after all. Do you remember how it goes Booth?"

"Easy as pie Bones" he quipped.

"But I don't like p..." she began, as Booth smothered her mouth with his own.

* * *

Temperance Brennan would not require any outside inspiration for the sex scenes in her next book. In fact, she seriously considered making an amendment to the manuscript with her publisher before the paperback was released. It worked even better Booths' way...or perhaps this was one of those things that should just belong to them. She smiled to herself at the thought of that as she curled up against the sprawled slumbering body of Seeley Booth, and hooked a leg over his. She felt more wanted and loved than she could ever recall, not realising that these were the seeds of change germinating within her. And that could be categorised as irony.

* * *

The Royal Diner – next morning

Booth and Brennan were sat at their usual table. However, there were a few changes this morning. They were not bickering as usual and both were wearing dark sunglasses. The waitress arrived with a pot of coffee and poured it into their empty cups. She glanced at their fingers intertwined over the laminated tabletop and smiled because she was going to win fifty bucks from the manager.

"Rough night, huh?" commented the waitress, as the partners as they thanked her for the coffee refill.

"You could say that" replied Booth, as she walked away.

Brennan stirred sugar into her black coffee and unlaced her fingers to tap on the back of Booths' hand.

"Do want some more Tylenol?" she asked with a small smile.

"No thanks, I'm all good" replied Booth, reweaving their fingers together absently. "Drinking that much tequila has a cost Bones. It's a price I'm willing to pay for the payout that we got on the experiment"

"I agree." She said in an exaggerated stage whisper. "A successful outcome...and the sex was fantastic."

Booth groaned and smiled in defeat, as guffaws and scattered sniggers were smothered by their fellow diners.

Fin

A/N: My next fic is in the pipeline. It is called "The Rings in the Heart" – I hope to see you all there!