Now That's More Like It

Title: Now That’s More Like It!

Disclaimer: Bones and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

Summary: Each “chapter” is a one-shot. I have either rewritten an ending for a single episode or for a single scene in an episode. There are no connections between the one-shots. Therefore, I’m only relying on the episodes to lead me and not others story endings that I have written. Each new chapter/ending will list the spoilers and rating since they are one-shots.

Spoilers: 1, 5

Rating: K+

Author’s Note: I included an earlier scene from the show along with the ending because I reference it in my new ending.

This alternate ending is written from the perspective that the characters knew their background as seen in the 100^th episode flashbacks. If I had written from the perspective of the air date, I would have simply ended this version earlier. I will identify that place at the end off the story.

The Man in the Wall

(Season 1)

New Extended Ending

(after the 100^th episode flashbacks)

From the TV Show (Booth is in italics):

(There may be slight variations to the words due to error in listening and recording. Some lines were eliminated.)

Earlier Scene (In the car):

“I think I need to go on vacation and I think you do, too.”

“I’m not the one who is snippy.”

“Snippy. What are you? Like 70?”

“See what I mean? I think you should find a nice relaxing place for that vacation. Somewhere where you can get a massage, maybe do some yoga.”

“I don’t do yoga. Push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups. That’s what I do. Ok?”

“That’s more cardiovascular. Yoga deals more with…”

He interrupted her. “Why, exactly, are we talking about this?”

“Because you’re tense.”

“Because we’re talking.” He turned on the radio. “You switched my music.”

From the TV Show (Booth is in italics):

(There may be slight variations to the words due to error in listening and recording. Some lines were eliminated.)

Ending Scene in the Show (In the bar):

“Getting in the mood?”

“Trying. Ya know, this really isn’t going to be the type of vacation I was hoping for.”

“Oh?”

“Tessa’s not going. Something came up at work.”

“That’s too bad. Sorry. Hey, I like going on vacations by myself.”

“Really?”

“There’s nothing wrong with being alone.”

“No. I mean you like to go on vacation?”

“Yeah. I go places all the time.”

He smiled. “Do you ever just sit on the beach?” His smile widened. He was clearly amused. “Pretend there are no such things as skeletons?” His smile was close to a laugh.

“Is that in anyway fun?”

“When was the last time you got away?”

“Away from what?”

He laughed. “Oh Bones, you know, cuz what usually happens to me… I think about not coming back.” He got up and put on his jacket.

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, you know… You go with someone and you joke about not going back to your real life. The two of you laugh.” He walked toward the door and turned around. “But when you’re alone, the world is full of possibilities.” She slightly smiled. He looked at her as if he was waiting and hoping for a specific response.

“See ya next week,” she finally stated.

He turned around and walked out. She stopped twirling the umbrella from his drink, dropped it and then dropped her chin on her fist like she was disappointed.

XOXOXOXOXOX- New Ending - OXOXOXOXOXOX

He walked back into the bar and stopped behind her without being seen. “You know what Bones?”

She turned around looking confused. “What?”

“Beaches are relaxing. And most hotels have massages. I dare you to go with me and try to relax.”

“Why would I do that?”

He graced her with his charming grin. “Because you don’t know how. All you do is work. And you get “snippy”, too.” Her facial expression said, “Really?”

“Come on….” He dragged out the plea. “I’ll show you what a real vacation is like.” She looked skeptical. “Do you like snorkeling?”

“You were going with Tessa…. One room… one bed.”

“I’ll figure it out when we get there. It’s not like I’m going to try anything. We’re partners… like brother and sister. Right?”

“Okay then. I’ll go.”

“Really?” He was truly shocked.

“Really. That’s if you’re really inviting me and not trying to turn this into a joke.”

“No. No, I’m just surprised that you would go. This is great, Bones!”

“I can be full of surprises too, you know. Like the music.”

“Yeah!” He nodded his head. “You can surprise me. You’re not going to freak me out on this vacation, are you?”

“That’s not hard to do.”

He laughed some more. His vacation may not be bad after all. He was already feeling better. “You need to pack.”

“And call Dr. Goodman.”

“He’ll be okay with the last minute notice. After all, he did make you go with me on the case with the bear…” He looked pointedly at her to emphasize the rest. “… because you needed culture.”

“He didn’t say that.”

“But that’s what he meant.”

“If you want me to go with you, you need to stop insulting me.”

They were quiet while they walked out.

“Are you sure about this?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Partners can share a vacation. Our work requires a break now and then. The real kind.”

“What if I ruin your vacation? We’re always fighting.”

“We don’t fight, Bones. We bicker. There’s a difference. And if you start to get snippy, I’ll send you for a massage and I’ll go to the beach.” He smiled proudly at himself for solving that one. “Stop thinking, Bones. Do something crazy without planning it. Live on the wild side.”

“I think I can do that. The last guy I dated said…”

“Stop. I don’t want to know about your bed partners.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “If you want me to be wild, you could always pretend to fire me.” She gave him a sly smile.

He gaped at her. “What?” He squeaked.

“It was just an idea, Booth. I told you it’s easy to freak you out. What time do you need me to be ready?”

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Brennan opened her door for Booth. “I’m almost ready. I’ll hurry. Five minutes tops.”

“Wait.” She turned around with a questioning expression. “Paybacks are can be shocking. If you can freak me out, I get the chance, too.” He smiled mischievously. Now she looked curious. He walked right into her personal space and placed a soft kiss on her lips. He chuckled softly. “It’s good to know I can silence you.” Her eyebrows rose but she quickly recovered and simply glared at him. “No Tequila this time. Go get your stuff, Bones. The plane won’t wait for us.”

She returned with her luggage. She wasn’t about to let him have the upper hand. She sat her suitcase and carry-on on the carpet and went to get her purse and keys. When she came back to the door, Booth had her suitcase. “Ready?” she asked.

Booth was surprised. “You’re going to let me carry your suitcase?”

“I don’t mind. That way I can do this.” He grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and pulled him close giving him only a moment to process what she was going to do. The kiss reminded him of the one they shared a year and a half ago. “This should be an interesting trip, Booth.” She smiled like she won a gold medal.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

A week later, Brennan and Booth returned from Jamaica.

“Is it good to be back Bones?””

“I thought I wasn’t supposed to want to come back.”

“Dr. Temperance Brennan not wanting to go back to work? Doesn’t seem possible.”

“I think I relaxed.”

“It was a nice start. There’s still room for improvement. We may have to do this again sometime.”

“The FBI may get suspicious of you firing and rehiring me multiple times. Don’t you think?”

He laughed. “That was a great joke, Bones!” Redirecting the conversation he complimented her. “You got a nice tan while we were gone. Angela will probably be jealous.” She looked ready to spout some scientific facts about the sun and tans. “Bones, just accept the compliment. Remember? It’s a nice thing.”

“But you shouldn’t feel a need to offer them all the time, Booth.”

He sighed. “I compliment you because I want to. I’m not making things up.”

The bickering continued just like normal. They were back to their real lives and everything that came with it. Booth would accept it… for now.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Author’s Notes: If I had written this ending from the perspective of the air date, I would have simply ended this version at “She rolled her eyes at him.”

Season 6 Episode 2 Recap and Opinions

Season 6 Episode 2 - Here are some things I noticed.

It was packed with Hannah scenes.

It seemed a little too much. It turns out that Booth didn't know if he'd ever see Hannah, again. But when she did show up, he was happy. Before Hannah showed up, Brennan accused Booth of not loving her. Booth defended himself. I can't remember if Booth ever said it to Hannah that he loved her during the episode.

When talking about it with Sweets, he was defending himself that he really loved her. I can’t remember Sweets saying he didn’t. But Booth said that he didn’t know if he’d ever see Hannah again. There was more blah, blah, blah. And then he ended it with having her there makes him happy. Huh? I think he needs her more than he actually loves her. And how could it have been a “serious as a heart attack” relationship if he didn’t know if he’d ever see her again. Why did he say that to Bones?

Cam thought that B&B would be a real couple when they returned to D.C. Angela tells Brennan that they were a couple... they just weren't having sex. I hope she recognizes this when Booth is no longer touching her and looking out for her well-being.

Brennan told Sweets and Booth that she had fantasies about them being together when she was in Indonesia. This was to prove a point that people who are nothing alike cannot be together (Referring to the case.) She gave them as an example... they didn't work out. Sweets agreed. Then she told them about the fantasies... it wasn't real. I hope Booth better understands her rejection after hearing this. His belief was that background doesn't matter.

Booth has really changed. First, he loves that Hannah can be trouble and get herself into dangerous situations. He was the opposite with Bones. Second, he used to be a private person. What’s ours is ours. Not with Hannah. PDAs are only half of it. He had no problem with Hannah admitting excitedly that she showed her appreciation of being saved by him by having sex with him. They both were laughing about it. Booth even supplied more information… that he never liked fig trees until then. Are you kidding me? And he doesn’t walk with her with his hand at the small of her back like a “gentleman”. No… he has his arm around her, once he seemed to be practically all over her… on the way to his office at the Hoover. It would be so cool if another agent hits on Bones. *evil laugh here* Booth used to get annoyed with Bones when she was boasting about all her degrees and accomplishments, but he smiled when Hannah did it. Why? And did you see Brennan's reaction to Booth saving Hannah's life? She pleaded with him to not be a hero. And then when they returned to D.C., he pretty much lied and told her his job was mostly administrative. And then he gets all excited about remembering his "reward." So much for partners being honest with each other. Booth is a ****

Hannah is already bored with her new job. Booth misunderstood when Hannah said she was jealous of Bones. He assumed she thought that they were close intimately. Hannah wanted to know if there was something she should know. He lied by omission. It was dropped quickly since it turned out to be not an issue because of the misunderstanding. She was jealous of the work they do... it's exciting. Booth realized that she is already bored with her new job. Sounds there are problems waiting to happen.

There hasn’t been any deep meaningful conversations yet between Booth and Hannah. At the Founding Father’s bar, he‘s already had one with Bones. I wonder if he’ll get bored with Hannah.

Brennan has shown some signs of growth when she praises her interns. That was in the premier before Hannah showed up. She is regressing where Booth is concerned. Part of B&B’s conversation at the bar after the case is solved: Referring to the couple in the cave… Bren: He could have walked farther and gotten help. At least on of them would have lived. Booth: He couldn’t leave her. That’s what love is. Bren: So you’re saying that love is foolish and illogical. Booth: No. It’s thinking of someone before yourself. It’s giving your life if necessary to that person. It’s love. Message to Bones: I’ve saved your life more than once. I really did love you! Bren: If a person falls out of love and meets someone else, those selfless acts would suddenly appear to be dangerously irresponsible, wouldn’t they? Message to Booth: She’s thinking he may regret saving her? Not sure. Booth: No, it was still love. He keeps eye contact with her when he said that. Bren: survival is the human imperative. If we don’t look out for ourselves, nothing else matters. Message to Booth: Can he still count on her to back him up? Once upon a time, they defined having each others backs is what a true partnership is. They were explaining that to Sweets when asking them if why they were so protective of each other. Booth: That’s not true. You know that’s not true, Bones. That’s not true. You know that. He was then leaning over the bar counter towards her while talking… just like old times. What you’re experiencing is a rush of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin with Hannah. Message: she no longer believes in love. She’s hiding behind her wall of security once again. A year ago she had made a toast to Jared and Padme that Booth had taught her that maybe there was such a thing as love and the chemical reactions happened second. Major step backwards for Bones. Bren: Those feelings are wonderful. I’ve felt them, but I won’t allow the transient nature of chemicals for my happiness. Message to Booth: She has changed her mind about the rejection. She can’t live like that and said so earlier in the conversation. It may have also alerted him to possibly she may have been changing her mind when having those fantasies while in Indonesia. Returning with Hannah could have prevented him from a relationship with Bones.

Brennan in about the first half of the show was having a discussion with Angela about how Angela and Cam's lives turned out differently than they expected and that they are very happy. This hit Brennan hard as she said she was the only one that's life is turning out the way she thought it would. It was a shock to her ... like not realizing before that it was OK to change your mind from what you used to want.

They showed Booth and Hannah in bed together somewhere in the last half of the show. Seriously could have done without that. Knowing about it is bad enough, but seeing it is just plain mean to the fans who want B&B together. What was Hart thinking?

From the previews for next week's episode, it didn't look like Hannah would be on the show. But I was wrong. I'm irrationally frightened even more by next week's episode. The Fox site says that the team is growing fond of Hannah. No!!!!!!!!!! The only good I see coming out of this is someone slipping and letting Hannah know about how close Brennan and Booth were before he went to Iraq.

I'm thinking that there must be fans of B&B not being together that are not happy with the season so far... No chemistry? No bickering? Still very little crime solving? Brennan going backwards socially? (But this is just an assumption on my part.)

My overall opinion of season 6 as of the conclusion of episode 2:

I feel so sorry for Bones right now. I didn't feel like she had any friends in this episode. She's been abandoned emotionally. It will be worse next week when the team bonds with Hannah. I know some people think she deserves to be jealous, but the writers are being down right mean to Brennan. When Booth was pining for Brennan (not jealous), it was because he was too chicken to go after her (before the 100th episode and then he gave up too easily). And he didn't have to watch her in a relationship... well, Hacker barely counts. But poor Bones is going to start feeling like she has lost all of her friends to Hannah, as well. It's nice that Bones is being brave and she truly is happy for Booth. That's unconditional love. But she's building those walls again and I don't blame her at all. Once Hannah is gone, it's going to take awhile for Booth to tear them back down again which is probably what the rest of the season will be about. He was clearly upset at the end of the 2nd episode. He was pleading with her when she started talking about people should only look out for themselves. And he had to listen to her revert back to love not existing because it was just a chemical reaction. I know people have said that it's not right to make her go backwards, but they intentionally wrote it that way because in real life, that is what would happen to someone like Bones. Cam warned Booth in the premier of the 5th season that it would happen if he chose to try for a relationship with her and it didn't work out. He had to be in for the long haul and obviously he wasn't because he gave up. They're not Booth and Bones anymore. There isn't the same chemistry with the bickering and tension. It's all gone and Brennan is going to realize that while she was trying to keep their relationship she really lost it anyway. They are not close friends. The center does not exist anymore. And she doesn't even believe people should look out for each other. Even the partnership is crumbling. It is so, so sad. Booth is not my favorite character right now. I know he deserves to be happy, but he really scr**ed up big time.

Why did I change my mind and watch the episode?

I guess I can't stay away. I literally didn't know if I would watch it until a minute before it aired. LOL! All summer and the days leading up to the next episode has had me upset because of Hannah and I say I'm not going to watch it and I end up watching it anyway. I realize the writers have a specific reason for including it... It will further justify why they should be together and make it believable in Brennan's eyes. It keeps her in character... even though she is going backwards. That is what she would do. In episode 2, she realized that Angela and Cam have let life change them from what they thought it would be (Angela being in a monogamous relationship and Cam raising a teenager). It hit Brennan hard when she realized that she had missed the opportunity to do the same. She was stuck in keeping her life how she always thought it would be... alone. She had to learn that. But he writers went to far with it when they distanced her friends.