17Last one I have for you here, because I've finally gotten home. =)
"That interrogation was a complete and utter waste of time." Temperance Brennan muttered to Seeley Booth as they walked through the J. Edgar Hoover FBI building. "We're even farther away from the killer than we were before, thanks to you."
Seeley scowled. "You thought she did it just as much as I did, Bones. Don't blame me when you made the same mistake."
Temperance didn't respond, which was her way of admitting that he was correct. Seeley, knowing that she would not be speaking about that anymore any time soon, said, "Come on, let's just get back to the lab so that you can keep looking at those bones, Bones."
She rolled her eyes before pressing the button. "Very clever."
"Well, I do try." He grinned as the doors opened in front of them. "After you, ma'am."
If it weren't for the fact that Seeley looked at things in an unscientific way that was uncommon for the lab, Temperance would have told him to go away, in slightly less polite terms. "Aren't you a gentleman." She spoke through gritted teeth.
They had just passed the third floor, where the only other agent in the elevator had gotten off, when it suddenly pulled to a halt. Halfway between floors.
5 MINUTES LATER
Seeley hung up his cell phone and smiled at Temperance. "Good news. The fire department is on its way and is going to figure out what's wrong."
Temperance groaned. "That could take hours. I have dinner obligations!"
5 MINUTES LATER
"Are you sure you won't tell me who those 'dinner obligations' are with?" Seeley persisted.
She glanced at him. "Why does it matter?"
He shrugged. "Just curious. Will you at least tell me if it is one of the male variety?"
"Yes, he is one of the 'male variety'." Temperance rolled her eyes.
5 MINUTES LATER
Seeley was tossing his box of tic tacs into the air, and then shaking it, and then hitting it against the floor. Temperance was getting slightly annoyed.
"Booth, I swear to God-"
"I thought you didn't believe in God." He interrupted. It's difficult to say if he said this as a helpful gesture or just as an obnoxious gesture, although one must, in all honesty, lean toward the latter.
Temperance was leaning toward this one as well. "That's insignificant! It's just an expression, Booth."
5 MINUTES LATER
Once Temperance had thrown the tic tacs against the wall, it became quiet in the elevator. But Seeley and Temperance seemed to have a gift for arguing with each other or going on tangents that could lead to arguments.
"I bet Hodgins is doing it right now." Seeley muttered. "He promised, but he's probably getting impatient…"
"Booth, he promised you that you could. He doesn't break his promises." Temperance assured.
He rolled his eyes. "Did you see that thirst in his eyes as he pictured it? It was obvious he hated agreeing to let me do it instead."
5 MINUTES LATER
"I am not just defending him because you are my only other option, Booth – are you out of your mind?"
Seeley laughed coldly. "Right. Okay. Then why are you defending him?"
"I've known Hodgins much longer than I've known you; I trust him. A lot."
5 MINUTES LATER
They sat in angry silence.
5 MINUTES LATER
"… and when he was 3, we dressed him up like a Corn Flakes box, and all of our neighbors praised the wonderful costume idea…"
Temperance hit her head against the wall and groaned. Hearing about the old Halloween costumes of the Booth family was not her idea of fun, even if the only other option was arguing.
5 MINUTES LATER
Temperance walked the distance of the elevator. Glanced down at her watch. Walked in the opposite direction. Glanced down at her watch again. "It's been 40 minutes. What is taking them so long?"
"I don't know. Maybe they're waiting for you to stop pacing the damn elevator. I'm getting dizzy here."
5 MINUTES LATER
"So you're not allowed to get dizzy, but I am?"
Seeley stopped and looked down at her. "What would you rather I do?"
Temperance shrugged. "What about something useful?"
He blinked down at her. "Bones. We are stuck in a box that is supported by tons of wires and cables in a freaking metal shaft. There is not much that I can do, let alone something useful."
5 MINUTES LATER
Seeley Booth sat on one side of this "box supported by tons of wires and cables in a metal shaft", while Temperance Brennan sat on the other. They glared at each other in annoyance.
5 MINUTES LATER
They had moved closer to the center of the floor, already making up. "And I'm sure that I could have come up with something more constructive." Seeley was saying. "Maybe even target practice."
If he had made this joke as little as 3 minutes previously, Temperance would have been the one to consider target practice. But she laughed. "We've been here for 55 minutes. Not as long as some people have been stuck in elevators."
5 MINUTES LATER
Seeley was moving closer and closer to Temperance, his hands lifting to cup her face carefully. Her eyes were closed, and she was waiting silently.
The elevator began to move.
By the time they reached the first floor and the doors finally opened, Seeley and Temperance were standing, leaning against one wall of the elevator, with a considerable distance between them. They both thanked the representatives of the fire department hastily and were on their way (after one of them recognized Temperance as an author and man and got his book out of the truck for her to sign).
"So…" Seeley said eventually. "About those dinner obligations…"
She raised her eyebrows at him. "Yes?"
"Is there any way those could be canceled for an alternate person of the male variety?"
"Well," she said slowly, pretending to think for a few moments. Then she looked up at Seeley and smiled. "I think that could be arranged."