A/N: Cleaning out the notes folder.

OOOOO

"Begin again" Taylor Swift

Took a deep breath in the mirror
He didn't like it when I wore high heels
But I do

Turn the lock and put my headphones on
He always said he didn't get this song
But I do, I do

"What in God's name are you listening to?" Hodgins asked as he turned off her stereo.

"The rap station. Why?"

"It's terrible." Hodgins said honestly.

"Why does everyone say that?" She asked.

"If everyone agrees, maybe there's a common denominator here." He said as he waved his hand over her radio. Brennan shot him a death glare and he put his hands up. "Look, I can appreciate that you're going through…something, with Peter and blasting music he hates is comforting. I get it. I do." She folded her arms defensively at just the mention of her ex's name. "But please, before the rest of the lab walks out, use this." He said as he threw his iPod down on the desk.

"If you disagree about my taste in music, why would you think that I would listen to yours?" She asked as she looked down on the item.

"Keep it. Load whatever you want onto it. I'll get another." He said as he walked out without another word.

"Rap music is very anthropological." She argued to herself as she placed the ear buds in and pressed play.

Walked in expecting you'd be late
But you got here early and you stand and wave
I walk to you

You pull my chair out and help me in
And you don't know how nice that is
But I do

"Bones! Hey!" She paused, knowing that only one person in the world called her that. The nickname seemed to have stuck, despite their time apart, and now that they were working together again, she had a feeling she would be hearing it a lot more than she wanted to. She turned to the right and saw him sitting at a table. She waved and smiled politely but still headed for her usual spot at the counter when he got up and started walking over to her. "Are you meeting someone?" He asked her.

"No. Just here for breakfast." She said with a shrug.

"Me too. Join me." Booth offered with a wave. She opened her mouth to tell him that she wasn't in the mood to chat but he walked back to his table without her answer. He stood at the table and waited for her. She closed her mouth and decided it was just easier to join him. He flashed a pleased smile that warmed her from the inside out and she walked towards him. He pulled out her chair for her and she sat down.

"That's… highly unnecessary." She said, surprised by the level of gallantry for a diner.

"Oh, no, no. My grandfather, he would never let me live it down if I didn't." He brushed off her surprise.

"Your grandfather?"

"Yep." He smiled. "He taught us to always pull out chairs for women. Even ones who are as capable of taking care of themselves as you are." He said with a knowing wink and a subtle rub of his jaw.

"So what brings you here alone on a Saturday?" She asked, changing the subject.

"Well, you know, I like the eggs." He said dryly, skillfully avoiding the question. He danced around the truth more than anyone she had ever met. It was annoying and yet, she would be lying if she said it didn't draw her in. "What about you?"

"My ex-boyfriend is collecting the last of his things today. I needed coffee and an excuse to not be there." Booth's eyebrows lifted ever so slightly as he read her face. She suddenly felt very naked under his gaze and she cleared her throat. He leaned in across the table intimately and lowered his voice.

"Did you hit him too?" He asked, the corner of his mouth ticking up in a smirk.

"With a baseball bat." She answered, shocked by his ability to call that without a single piece of knowledge. "You're a better detective than I thought." Booth's eyes bulged before he whistled. "He was trespassing." She defended as she stole a french fry off his plate.

And you throw your head back laughing
Like a little kid
I think it's strange that you think I'm funny cause
He never did

An hour later, she had reached a conclusion: He had the best laugh she had ever heard.

It wasn't an opinion. It was a scientific fact. She didn't know anyone who laughed with their whole being like that, let alone anyone who would laugh with her like that. Especially after all that they had been through on their case.

She wasn't a humorous person and years of experience let her know when people were laughing at her versus laughing with her. He truly enjoyed listening to her speak and she had no idea why.

And it completely undid her.

I've been spending the last eight months
Thinking all love ever does
Is break and burn and end
But on a Wednesday in a cafe
I watched it begin again

You said you never met one girl who
Had as many James Taylor records as you
But I do
We tell stories and you don't know why
I'm coming off a little shy
But I do

The opening bars to Hot Blooded began to play on the radio and she felt an instant grin appear on her face. Anyone else would have judged her for that Foreigner CD she had hidden away, but not Booth. No, instead, he put it on and danced around her living room like it was the best thing he had ever heard. It was so typical of their relationship. He saw every piece of her that was awkward and strange as endearing and lovely.

But you throw your head back laughing
Like a little kid
I think it's strange that you think I'm funny cause
He never did
I've been spending the last eight months
Thinking all love ever does
Is break and burn and end
But on a Wednesday in a cafe
I watched it begin again

"Why are you so nice to me?" The question was out of her mouth before she could filter it but she didn't bother to take it back. She wanted to know his answer.

"Because." He said. "Because they think they get away with it."

"What?" She asked, totally confused by his answer.

"They burn their victim. They blow him up. They toss him in the ocean. They bury them in the desert. They throw 'em into wood chippers." He listed off. "Sometimes, you know, years go by. They relax. Then they start living their lives like they didn't do anything wrong. Like they didn't spend somebody else's life in order to get what they got. They think they're safe from retribution, but, you know, you make those bastards unsafe. That's why I'm nice to you." He finished with a small smile.

"I couldn't do that without you, Booth." She acknowledged, willingly sharing the credit for the first time in her life.

"Yeah, so, um, maybe you should be a little nicer to me, huh?" He smirked.

"I really should." She agreed with a smirk of her own.

"Yeah." He nodded.

And we walked down the block, to my car
And I almost brought him up
But you start to talk about the movies
That your family watches every single Christmas
And I won't talk about that
And for the first time
What's past is past

She knew why he offered to pick her up instead of meeting her at the Founding Fathers.

She knew why, after he had promised to keep it to just one drink, he had ordered an extra beer and nursed both bottles until she was certain they had each gone warm.

He knew what today was, despite the fact that he would never acknowledge it. He was the kind of man who remembered dates.

She hadn't told her father that she wouldn't be visiting him in prison this week. She wanted him to be stood up by her for once. It was spiteful and childish and she didn't care. She thought about asking Booth his opinion (he was always wise when it came to offering advice about her family problems) but as he walked her back to her car, he was animatedly talking about Parker and she didn't dare disrupt the sight.

"Parker and I always watch "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" every year." He continued and she wondered if Booth knew that he smiled every time he said Parker's name. "But this year he comes to me, as serious as can be, you know, and he looks me square in the eye and says 'Daddy, I'm five now. I'm too big for cartoons." She chuckled and he laughed.

As she got into his car, she realized that he had let her pretend until she didn't have to pretend anymore.

And she loved him for it.

Cause you throw your head back laughing
Like a little kid
I think it's strange that you think I'm funny cause
He never did
I've been spending the last eight months
Thinking all love ever does
Is break and burn and end
But on a Wednesday in a cafe
I watched it begin again

But on a Wednesday in a cafe
I watched it begin again