Disclaimer: Bones and all its lovely characters belong to someone else.
The two friends were sitting in the corner of a coffee shop, sipping two very large hot chocolates. Coats, scarves and hats were piled on a spare chair next to them, along with several bags of shopping. Outside, it was bitterly cold and people hurried from one warm shop to another. The coffee shop was their final pitstop before working up the courage to get back out in the cold and make their way home.
Temperance glared at the heart shaped cookie, which had come with her drink, "Why assume that everyone wants a heart-shaped cookie at this time of year? Not all of us want to get caught up in a festival with shaky historical foundations and which has become poorly concealed money making opportunity for retailers."
"Sweetie, the cookie was free. It's cold in February, people like something to cheer them up. It's romantic!" Angela enthused, dunking her cookie in her drink.
Temperance sighed and tried to stir the cream into the chocolate, "But why does everything have to be pink? Practically every store we've been in has had pink cupids, pink hearts, pink flowers in the window."
"Pink is cute. It's a happy colour." Angela said with a smile.
"I take it you have a date for Tuesday evening?" Temperance asked.
"Uh-huh. Really cute too. It's great, it falls on our third week anniversary."
"Please tell me you're kidding when you say that?"
Angela laughed, "Oh come on, you must have marked some milestones in your relationships?"
Temperance raised her eyebrows and was about to reply, when she felt her phone start to vibrate. She reached into her pocket and pulled it out, checking the caller ID. Angela was surprised at the smile that lit up Temperance's features as she flipped open her phone.
She pressed receive and said, "Hi Booth."
Angela hid a grin, that explained Tempe's rapid improvement in mood - she'd bet that Tempe wouldn't be complaining about hearts, flowers or pink if the Special Agent made a move on Tuesday.
"Hey Bones, you psychic or what?" came the familiar voice down the phone and sent a strange tingle through her body.
"No, it's modern technology. Caller ID. And don't call me Bones."
"Sorry." Booth was sitting at his desk in the FBI's downtown office. His sleeves were rolled up and the first couple of buttons were open on his shirt and his tie was knotted loosely. He looked tired, but was enjoying he conversation enough to smile.
"No, you're not. Why are you calling on Saturday anyway?"
"Can't I call my favourite forensic anthropologist if I want to?" Booth asked, then looked at the case file open on his desk and his expression sobered.
"I'm your only forensic anthropologist, Booth." Unlike the posse of pretty lawyers that seem to trail after you she thought and then clamped her lips shut in case she articulated that thought.
"True, I've got a case. You don't need to do anything this weekend, but I will need to talk to you first thing on Monday about it."
Temperance squashed the feeling of disappointment she felt when he mentioned the case and asked, "Then why are you calling me now? You could tell me this on Monday."
At the other end of the line Booth sat forward in his chair and looked uncomfortable, "Well... I wanted to warn you... So you could add it into your planning for the week. I mean you're in the Jeffersonian now right?"
"No. I'm sitting in a coffee bar, with a hot chocolate - which is going cold I might add - rudely ignoring Angela while I talk to you. About work."
Booth winced, "Sorry, forget I said anything. Enjoy the day off - the novelty should be good in itself. I'll see you on Monday. Say hi to Angela for me."
"Hey, wait a second before you hang up, are you in your office?"
"Uh-huh."
"Fine, I'll call over in half an hour. We're done with shopping and you can fill me in then. Bye Booth."
"No Bones, enjoy your day off..." he stopped talking as he realised that the line had gone dead. He pressed his brow with a thumb and forefinger. Great, now Bones is coming here! He looked up at the ceiling, who was he kidding? He'd called her because he wanted to talk to her, but seeing her was better. If only there wasn't this weird case for them to look into. Then he shrugged, if there was no case then there was no chance he would be talking to Bones on a Saturday. He picked up his coffee mug and walked towards the drinks machine, wondering how on earth his relationship with Bones had gotten so damned complicated.
Temperance put the phone down and knowing that Anglea had her arms folded and was about to switch into interogation mode.
"What? We are done shopping. I can just pop in to see Booth... er that is pop in to talk about the case on my way home."
"Whatever you say sweetie," Angela said, fighting to keep a straight face, "But try not to let the case take over your weekend!"
(TBC)