Bones Double Drabble: Understanding (#65 in ATLBU)

[only_more_love]

Title: Understanding
Series: All That Lies Between Us
Spoilers: For The Pain in the Heart.
Characters:  Booth, Sweets
Feedback is always appreciated. Thank you.
Word Count:  200
Notes: Lest we forget that Seeley Booth is a dangerous man... ;)

Click here for fic index.
Click here to read the other drabbles and ficlets in this series.

Timeline: Set about a week after Sweets told Brennan why he'd neglected to tell her Booth was alive.

Understanding

A week had passed; it was time.

He was seated at his desk, head bent over a manila folder, when Booth stepped into his office.

“Agent Booth,” Sweets said, leaning back in his chair and steepling his hands.  “What brings you here?”

In ten steps, Booth stood over him.  An image of Brennan standing in his bathroom, eyes filled with hurt, flashed through Booth’s mind; his hands clenched with the urge to haul Sweets to his feet.  Since both he and Sweets bore responsibility, he resisted.  “You were supposed to tell Brennan I was alive.”

“We’ve already discussed this.  I—“

“Shut up and listen to me.”

Sweets blinked rapidly and swallowed, his throat working.

“I know what you told her, and I don’t care.  As far as I’m concerned, you had a job, and you didn’t do it.  Next time you get the urge to play with my life or Brennan’s, think twice.”  Booth leaned over Sweets and narrowed his eyes, bracing his hands on the armrests of his chair.  “Do you understand me?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” He stepped back, straightening his suit jacket.  “Sorry for interrupting,” Booth said, letting his lips curve in a smile that was all teeth.

A/N:  So someone asked why Booth refers to Temperance as Brennan in this.  I'm just going to copy and paste a section of my response:

I wrote Booth referring to Temperance as Brennan because he was dead serious, and he was talking about her to Sweets.  This wasn't therapy or joking around; Booth was trying to make a very serious point with Sweets.  He calls Temperance Bones when he talks to her and often when he's talking about her.  However, he does occasionally refer to her as Brennan when he's talking about her with other people. 

Witness the diner scene between him, Brennan, and Sweets in The Verdict in the Story.  When he's explaining to Sweets why he and Brennan have been split up, he says, "Brennan’s dad murdered the deputy director of the FBI."  So there is precedent for it; I didn't just randomly decide to do it. 

Comments

[last-archangel.livejournal.com]

I love angry Booth, it is so appropriate to the feeling. Sweets, who I love, really was being all kinds of a dick, even with his fanboy motivations.

[lostakasha.livejournal.com]

Feral and dangerous... now that's the Seeley I know and worship.

Brava, baby!

[dabhug.livejournal.com]

...letting his lips curve in a smile that was all teeth.

Angel? AAAAAHHHHH.

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Angel? AAAAAHHHHH.

More like Booth baring his teeth like a dog. :D

LOL You have Angel on the brain. *g*

[mdemvizi.livejournal.com]

This was amazing. You can feel the anger.

[traciebee.livejournal.com]

When he's explaining to Sweets why he and Brennan have been split up, he says, "Brennan’s dad murdered the deputy director of the FBI." So there is precedent for it; I didn't just randomly decide to do it.

Also, when he was talking to Cam, Hodgins, Zack & Angela about the DNA results in "The Headless Witch in the Woods":

BOOTH: Will Hastings killed his brother.
CAM: That certainly explains my result.
BOOTH: Brennan. Wait, she’s with him now.

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. :) I wasn't implying that there was only a single instance of Booth referring to her as Brennan.

It's interesting how much significance the use of a particular name (or nickname) can have.

[heather-berry78.livejournal.com]

PLus in Bodies in the Book:

BOOTH [to Sully]: Yeah, I'm working on it. Brennan called. The publicist took a shot to the back of the neck. She thinks we have three separate killers.

I love when Booth goes all growl-ly!

[obsidianagirl.livejournal.com]

I feel like Sweets got off really easy in the finale, dude needed to have his priorities reorganized. I can see Booth and Sweets having this moment and think you did it well.

It was short but that is my only complaint.

I agree with him calling her Brennan...I think he only calls her Temprance when he is trying to connect on a deeper emotional level, like after they found her mother's remains.

He calls her Brennan when Hodges comes into his hospital room and in that same episode she answers her phone Brennan.

Angela calls her Brennan also on more than one occassion.

I hate when people call her Tempe...Makes me think of a dog or a an office temp. If Booth ever calls her Tempe it had better be in jest.

I also have read more than on fanfic that has Bones calling Booth Seeley...That is just wrong...At least in my mind I think she would still call him Booth even if they were having wild Feebie sex every night.

::Laugh::

Sid

[makd.livejournal.com]

I do love Angry!Booth, and wished I'd seen this in the episode.

I also wish I knew whose idiotic idea it was to have Booth get shot and the next episode be fit and able to shoot a rifle!

[kicks unknown Bones writer and HH.]

[buffyangellvr23.livejournal.com]

Tell him Booth lol. Nice job :)

[evenstar1002.livejournal.com]

Ooooh that was perfect :D How I love angry Booth ^^ I could totally see him doing that on the show *nod*

[aynohyeb.livejournal.com]

oh, I can see that smile at the end literally right in front of me - guess it will stay in my mind for a while =D

[cutchicoo.livejournal.com]

Another storyline that was left unfinished in the imperfect episode that (imo) "Pain in the Heart" was - Booth lashing out at Sweets for causing Bones pain. Thanks for this awesome ficlet, it is totally how it should have been acted out in the episode!

[cutchicoo.livejournal.com]

Edit: I absolutely love your new header!

[mistletoe54.livejournal.com]

Just catching up after the mother of weeks of work. So.... Yay! Angry!Booth so rocks like a rocking thing (bit of a Buffyism there). Sweets should count himself lucky Booth didn't get his gun out.

Why did the writers gloss over this obvious intrusion on Booth/Brennan's relationship? There really were too many loose ends at the end of the season.

I would like to have seen this scene. Put a little fear into Sweets who is definitely just too smug. What does he know about friendship and partners with his little trust exercises? Nothing! Yes he got off far too lightly, Booth wouldn't just circle rounfd telling Brennan to smack him. Bah!

This post was brought to you by the word too and the exclamation mark. (!)

[anadxof.livejournal.com]

I noticed he said Bones when he was talking about her in court in The Verdict. I found it weird, being that a serious and formal situation. I would've made him say Dr. Brennan, if I were the writer =P But hey, Booth always calls her Bones, so I forgive him ;) It's his Bones.
“Sorry for interrupting,” Booth said, letting his lips curve in a smile that was all teeth. I love this part. I can picture Booth wearing that smile.

I hope life is being good with you and you're enjoying it.Hugs.

[charmingkarla.livejournal.com]

hi sweetie, I love thi, I can totally imagine Booth doing that , great work *hugs*

[amilyn.livejournal.com]

Very nice...and perfect time lapse, perfect with Booth accepting part responsibility and not getting physical, and perfect "you had a job to do" attitude. I like it very much...and him calling her "Brennan" here works for me in a way that I didn't even think to question; it just sounded right.

[pharmduh.livejournal.com]

This is scarier than Booth actually punching him. Stupid Sweets.

While I enjoyed Brennan threatening Sweets on her and Booth's behalf, Booth is not the type of person to let this go. Your note says it all.

[heather-berry78.livejournal.com]

Oh this is ace. Part of me wanted Booth to put Sweets through a wall - this has taken the edge off my violent urges.....top stuff as always

[gah-warrior.livejournal.com]

While I love me some Protective/Angry!Booth, I particularly love the Sweets details here. Him leaning back in his chair and steepling his hands shows a bit of his father-knows-best attitude, which explains his actions, but Booth makes him do this: Sweets blinked rapidly and swallowed, his throat working. Love it.