only_more_love | Fic: Clean and Detached (#62 in ATLBU)

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Fic: Clean and Detached (#62 in ATLBU)

Title: Clean and Detached
[I borrowed the title from a bit of Cam's dialog in The Verdict in the Story. She said to the team, "Clean and detached, people -- just the way Dr. Brennan likes it."]

Rating: K or PG
Characters: Cam, Booth, Brennan
Spoilers: For The Verdict in the Story.
Timeline: Set toward the end of The Verdict in the Story.
Word Count: 200
Acknowledgments: HUGE thanks to all the folks who have ever commented on this series. I know some people are a little (ha ha) suspicious of brevity, but writing these moments is such fun for me.
Disclaimer: Though I wish Booth and Brennan belonged to me, they don't. FOX owns 'em; I'm just borrowing them for entertainment purposes. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Click here to read the other ficlets in this series.

“I didn’t ask you your opinion of Dr. Brennan’s character. I asked you: did she have time?”

Cam’s breath stutters as she waits for Booth’s answer.

“Yes. She had time,” Booth finally says, implicating his partner as a potential suspect, and as Cam glimpses his face, she knows she’s seeing something intensely private.

She wonders if he knows he’s laid his heart as bare as the hearts of the people she’s examined on her autopsy table.

Her gaze swoops to her jacket sleeve, but it’s too late. Before, it was just a suspicion. Now, she knows. Cam feels an ache in her stomach – a pang of something that isn’t hunger. A self-deprecating smile twists her mouth when she realizes what it is.

Tonight, at home, she’ll sip her wine and finish the book she started last night, her fingertips skimming over paper. Then, on nights when paper turns to skin, the eyes that meet hers will be warm with lust, not the thing gleaming in Booth’s eyes as he looks across the courtroom at Dr. Brennan as if they’re alone.

With Booth, heat’s mellowed into friendship. But is it too much to ask that someone look at her like that?

A/N: If you're wondering why the point of view character in this is Cam, the answer's simple. First, I wanted to try something a little different. Second, I'm working on something a bit longer in response to The Verdict in the Story, and I didn't want to cannibalize it for these ficlets. Still, I did want to write something drabble-y related to Verdict. So then I thought a little Cam POV might be interesting.

Anyone out there write using third person omniscient point of view? I tend to favor third person limited. I'm curious how omniscient feels for you, if you've utilized it.

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Nice change of pace for you, I enjoyed it. Also glad to hear you are working on a post-fic for this episode. It certainly seems to have inspired you. This episode has almost inspired me to write a fic. Almost.

Cam's a silent partner in the patron saints of B'n'B club, so it is fitting to do it from her POV.

Random *in love with your icon* crash!

Thanks, J. :) Yes, it was an inspiring episode -- for many, many folks, it seems!

Cam's a silent partner in the patron saints of B'n'B club, so it is fitting to do it from her POV.

You know, I don't know if I agree that Cam's a patron saint for them, but I did enjoy peeking into her head. ;)

I don't think she will ever actively try to get them together, like Angela or Caroline. I do think she has accepted those two as partners in more than just work. So should the day ever come where those two become more than what they are now, I think Cam will be happy for them, knowing it was inevitable.

Cam's a smart cookie.

Oh, I agree that Cam's smart, and that she'll be happy for Booth and Brennan if/when they officially get together -- that's why while she's jealous of Brennan in this, it's not because Booth loves her. I just don't see her in "the club" precisely because I don't think she's rooting for them to get together. *g*

Don't even get me started on Caroline. As cute as Santa was in some ways, I still think Caroline blackmailing Brennan into kissing Booth is one of the stupidest and not-so-in-character things the show's writers have cooked up yet.

You are correct in your sane reaction to Caroline in Santa in the Slush, but I chalk it up to Christmas magic, because the scene itself was so much fun. I have faith no one but Booth and Brennan will ultimately get Booth and Brennan together.

I liked Cam's POV here, since I to me I felt a bit voyeuristic looking at the look on Booth's face in that particular scene. It's nice that someone else saw it, especially a character -- how could you miss that beacon of a look?

You are absolutely right -- it was "a bit voyeuristic," and it was "a beacon of a look." You nailed it.

Glad you liked this, btw. Thanks!

Wow, I really love that. I really do. I disliked Cam at first because, well, duh, how dare she be with Bones' man, Booth? Haha. But, I've warmed up to her, she's a good person and I like her.

I really love this because I can just imagine her feelings, completely. I wish they had closed in on the team's faces during this scene because this is probably what we would have seen.

That courtroom scene... I swear, David Boreanaz TOOK MY BREATH AWAY. He was amazing. The man is perfection. His face, his eyes, his voice when he says, "that's a lotta heart, Bones". PERFECTION. And Emily @ the end, the smile on her faces and just... looking at Booth and Booth looking at him. CAN THEY BE ANY MORE PERFECT TOGETHER?! NO, the answer is no, they can't. =]

I'd love it if you'd write more little one-shots from this episode. I am still reeling from how awesome this episode is, I had to watch it again this afternoon and just love love love love it even more! ♥

Great thought guys. ICAM with them. Cam is really sharp and she's getting what's going on between Booth and Bren. I agree that she's not rooting for it because on some level, she still cares for Booth but for more than that. She's lonely I think and needs someone herself and Seeley is never going to be more than a friend to her again. She wants the whole enchalada. I do hope we see she and Brennan have some conversation at some point about their feelings in regard to each other and Booth. It's the big purple elephant in the room that everyone knows is there but it's being ignored until the right time.

I really liked the Cam POV.

I've written that omniscient POV before, but I tend to keep away from it now, simply because to me it's a fic cliche and can be cringe-inducing when done badly. I don't think I've ever done it well, and have read a lot of badfic done this way.

Yours was done wonderfully, because Cam DOES see Booth has deeper feelings for Brennan than perhaps he should. Cam knows Booth, intimately, and so if anyone other than Angela is going to spot the sparks between them, it would be Cam.

I think Bones is one of the few shows you could do this, because this season has been full of fanfic cliches. The kiss, Brennan and the baby, etc..

Having said that, your fic did not come across as a cliche. You wrote it with class, and kept the characters true.
I enjoyed reading this :0)

Thank you. :) I enjoyed writing from Cam's POV, so I'm glad this read OK to you.

I'm a little confused by your comments, so I'm going to ask for clarification. When you said that this fic did not come across as a cliche, did you mean that this wasn't a cliched use of the omniscient POV? Because this was written in third person limited, which is what I usually use. I was just curious about the third person omniscient POV, so I asked if anyone else used it.

I think Bones is one of the few shows you could do this...

What is the "this"?

Sorry if I seem dense. *g* I just don't want to assume anything.

I initially read your fic as omniscient POV, as I was reading Cam as someone who knew exactly what was going on between the two characters in the fic. But I see now how it is actually limited POV.

And yes, I have used proper omniscient POV before, but no I don't usually like it. I think the problem with the fics I wrote was that they involved a Mary Sue. Plus, I think it sometimes creates too much distance, especially if it isn't written through the eyes of a character but simply the fanfic writer themselves.
Actually, here's a question: can it be omniscient POV if it's through the eyes of a character? Or does that instantly make it limited?

The "this" was omniscient, simply because of the fanfic feel the show has. Of course any historical show could probably get away with omniscient pov fanfic.

You're not dense, I'm just not reading things properly.

Lovely ficlet. Cam rarely seems to get mentioned in fics (other than "OMG, evol!!1!") so I love seeing things written sympathetically from her POV.

With Booth, heat’s mellowed into friendship. But is it too much to ask that someone look at her like that?
*melts* And this is why I adore Cam. (And you. Obv.) :)

Thank you, Bertie. I'm in the same boat as you. I like her and think she's an interesting character. Sure, I find her annoying at times, but I find them ALL annoying at times. I dislike the knee-jerk hatred that some people have for Cam simply because she had the gall (gasp) to sleep with Booth. They're both consenting adults, and I don't expect that Booth's been saving himself for Brennan his whole life -- or vice versa.

Sully, on the other hand, irritated me. Not because he was smoochy with Brennan, though. The character just rubbed me the wrong way.

*melts* And this is why I adore Cam. (And you. Obv.) :)

Awww... Thanks. *smiles*

ETA: *pulls out appropriate icon*

I'm working on something a bit longer in response to The Verdict in the Story

Nowplz?kthxbye.

*g*

Ha ha. I'll give you a nudge when it's up.

Love your icon, btw!

Poor Cam. I took a liking to her character as soon as the writers removed that silly competition between her and Brennan. Their relationship is just so full of layers (omg! they're, like, Shrek! ;)

"is it too much to ask that someone look at her like that?" Tugged at my heartstrings, you did.

Very well done.
I don't especially like Cam but you make me feel sorry for her. *shakes fist*

In all fairness - she does bring the awesome sometimes. But the ep where she asks him to go to dinner with her family and when her sister kisses Booth she gets mad at Booth - - sort of sealed my dislike. She definately had ulterior motives in asking him but to side with her sister when she knows what Booth (and her sister) are like just seemed....wrong.

I agree with her_lovelyheart - - it would hae been great to see the reaction from the rest of the team. That's been something that was lacking in a couple other eps, too.

quote: "Nowplz?kthxbye."
HEE!

I like the change in POV. You've picked up on a tiny detail in TVITS that I noticed the second time I watched it: namely that Cam is watching Booth on the stand, wondering WTH happened and when. I am so glad I wasn't the only one who noticed it! ::hugs::

And yes: I'd love for Cam to have someone look at her that way. Just not Booth. :-)

Jeez - I wish we could all get together and watch an episode together, with coffee. :-)

hee. Yes, please ^.^

nice work...I can't put words together like the other commenters but I loved the fic :)

Hey, whatever words you put together are just fine with me. I'm thankful you read and you commented. :) Thank you for that.

I loved this. I've been thinking about Cam and her lack of love lately.

This was fab: Then, on nights when paper turns to skin, the eyes that meet hers will be warm with lust, not the thing gleaming in Booth’s eyes as he looks across the courtroom at Dr. Brennan as if they’re alone.

Great imagery with the paper to skin.

Re: Third person omni.. I almost always write like this.. it's just the way stuff comes out. Obv you have to stick to one POV in each paragraph at least (!) and it tends to come in blocks of POV for me, like a conversation almost. Sometimes it feels a little shaky and needs correcting - eg. if I focus too much on one character, then the others POV is a bit of a jolt. Mail me if this makes no sense/you want to ask anything :)

Cam is a smart, funny, and yes, beautiful woman. I think she's happy and whole on her own, but I think she's also looking for love. I can't remember which episode it is, but during one of those musical montage scenes Bones does, they show Cam putting on lipstick. I think she was getting ready to go out.

Great imagery with the paper to skin.

Danke! I liked that, too. :D

Mail me if this makes no sense/you want to ask anything :)

What you said makes sense. I'll harass you if I have more questions. It's just a POV I don't think I've ever really written, and I have some curiosity about it. But I don't know if I'll use it; if the reader knows what everyone's thinking, doesn't that take some of the tension out of the story? (Rhetorical question, btw.)

This is probably because I started watching Bones only recently, and therefore already knew Cam didn't last long, but I like Cam. (Actually, given that she barely impeded B/B I was shocked to discover the amount of hatred for her. I mean, I get shipper hate. I hated both Hannah and Duncan for coming between LoVe on Veronica Mars...but Cam was...well, another story for another time.) I admire her very practical point of view and I think she conducts her duties with immense poise. But she, like Brennan, is very isolated in her own way, which I think you captured perfectly here.

The only time I've ever come close to third person omniscent is switching between people during a fic, which isn't really the same at all. I think so many novels use 3p limited that it's hard to wrap my mind around it when I write.

I like Cam, too. :) And I DON'T get shipper hate. I dislike the knee-jerk hatred that some people have for Cam simply because she had the gall (gasp) to sleep with Booth. They're both consenting adults, and I don't expect that Booth's been saving himself for Brennan his whole life -- or vice versa. *g* It's one thing if Cam just doesn't resonate with a viewer, but to hate her just because of her past with Booth doesn't make much sense to me.

The only time I've ever come close to third person omniscient is switching between people during a fic, which isn't really the same at all.

I do that; it's third person limited.

I've never written third person omniscient, as far as I can remember, but I do have some intellectual curiosity about it.

Thanks for commenting. :)

Nice little story. I have wondered for a while what exactly Cam thinks of the whole thing; how she reacts to it.

I usually write as a weird sort of limited/omniscient point of view- basically I climb into different characters' minds at different times- which sounds strange but (I think) works. Personally, if I had to choose one, I would write in limited because although you can't say everything, you can show details details details about specific things and get into the character's mind.

Thanks. :) I'm pleased you enjoyed this glimpse into Cam's head.

As for POV, I almost always write in third person limited, but I am intellectually curious about third person omniscient. Thanks for weighing in.

Ahh...what a breath of fresh air. Good Cam fics are pretty scarce in this fandom, yes?

Really, I loved the tone of this fic. And you gave Cam such a relate-able (sp?? I don't even know :)) idea to share with the readers. That longing for someone to look at you in a certain way. And not quite sure how much sense I'm making as I'm running on virtually no sleep, but just know that this was a very lovely fic and I'm adding it to my mems for later! :)

I like the closure we get here. The pure emotion in the look on Booth's face and the choked way he says, "That's a lotta heart, Bones.", was very powerful.

Thanks for the Cam POV...Have you posted the larger fic based on this episode? What is the title?

Sid

Excellent.

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Fic: Clean and Detached (#62 in ATLBU)

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As always well done...

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