Yes! I have finally ventured into the Bones fic universe! And the romance genre universe, incidentally, because this is my first story to be categorised here! Well, it had to be Booth and Brennan, didn't it? Man I love those two. Anyway, I know this whole idea has been done quite a few times, but I like to think this is a different take on it. I hope you guys like it, cos I'm so excited to be part of the Bonesfic clan at last! I would love to hear your thoughts, good or bad (I'm not even scared of flames any more, though they're still not very nice). Thanks for reading! Assuming you do!
-Poison
Disclaimer: (Tries to hide lock pick, rope and balaclava behind back) What?"Good morning, Agent Booth."
As per usual, Zach received no acknowledgement.
"Time to go, Bones."
"What do you mean, time to go? Time to go where?"
"Hick country. Some farmer went into his barn this morning and found a corpse sitting in with his pigs."
"Dr Brennan has very important work to do," Zach tried to protest, but it didn't make the slightest bit of difference.
"Come on, Bones, get your stuff. Rotting flesh waits for no woman."
"Exactly how far along is the state of decomp?" Brennan asked, grabbing her coat from the back of a chair.
"I'll tell you everything you want to know, on the way," Booth promised.
"Everything?" Angela echoed slyly. Booth shot her a glare that was not quite serious before turning back to Brennan. Angela gave Hodgins a smirk and a poke in the chest as she made her way to the second level.
"I knew you'd kick my ass if I let them touch anything before you got there," Booth continued, "so I told them to leave it all exactly as it was until we could get there. But being in a pig pen as it is, the pigs aren't the only ones who want it out of there as quickly as possible."
"I'm coming," was all Brennan said.
As the pair started to leave, Booth's hand in it's comfortable place on Brennan's lower back, Zach called, "When will we be able to get back to our work?"
Booth opened the door for Brennan. They were already deep in discussion, and both certainly unaware of anything outside of each other. Still, Zach tried one more time.
"It won't take long, though, will it?"
Jack Hodgins, who had been observing the young protégé with a knowing smirk and a tactful distance, now came up behind him, shaking his head.
"I really don't know why you keep trying."
Zach's puppy-hopeful expression darkened.
"I've got work to do."
"No you don't. You can't carry on without Brennan. And I think it's a fair speculation. I mean, the guy's never paid you the least bit of attention, and yet you keep sidling up to him like one day he's going to turn around and be your best friend. Don't you get discouraged, or offended, or something?"
"I'm just being friendly," Zach grumbled.
"But you're a squint," Hodgins reminded him, barely suppressing a smile. "In fact, you're the squintiest squint of us all. Agent Booth is very clear on the point that he does not befriend squints."
"He's befriended Dr Brennan," Zach muttered resentfully, obviously missing the teasing sarcasm in the bug guy's voice.
"Of course he has," he grinned, in a tone of one stating the glaringly obvious. "For one thing, she's his partner, so he didn't really have any option but to get on with her. I don't doubt that working with Brennan with no generous feelings from either party would be an excessively unpleasant experience. But he likes that she argues with him. He doesn't get challenged very often. Usually, he says something that he knows is wrong and that everyone else knows is wrong, they agree with him anyway because he's a superior. Brennan doesn't accept that straight up. He has to earn her respect, and he likes that. He likes that she is smart enough to catch the worst bastards, the ones no one else can catch, and yet she still needs him to explain things to her."
"Plus," called Angela from above them, never able to resist a discussion on her favourite couple, "she's gorgeous, and he's pretty much wanted to drag her up against a wall and kiss her until both their knees give out ever since she got back from Guatemala."
Hodgins grinned in Angela's direction before his focus returned to Zach.
"Sorry Zacko, he wouldn't have eyes for you even if he was half as much in love with her as he is now. You don't stand a chance."
Zach's eyes were as wide as Japanese anime. He followed Hodgins' glance up to Angela, then looked back at him incredulously.
"Angela's infected your brain," he said finally. Jack smiled.
"Fine. Keep at it. You'll see. The two of them are as clueless as can be, but you my friend are pretty tough competition."
TBC!