Friends with Benefits - Chapter 8
Title: Friends with Benefits
Author:
whatshouldntbe
Fandom: Reboot XI/AU
Universe/Series: Part of the 'What Shouldn't Be' series
Rating: R (NC-17 over all)
Word count: 15000+ for this part, 130000+ so far
Disclaimer: I own Star Trek as much as I own the Sun, which means not at all.
Warnings: always!girl Kirk, angst, action, infidelity, language, rom-com humor, sexual situations, violence, possible amateur world-building
Summary: Jim doesn't end up at Starfleet.
Chapter 8
Monday - July 13th - 3 a.m.
Jim wakes up.
Simply put, just like that.
She wakes up.
Jim knows it's early because her room is still dark, and normally when she wakes, bright ribbons of sunlight stab into her irises the moment her eyelids lift. This is not the case at this particular point, so she knows it's early. She can't determine how early but as far as she can tell, the sun is just beginning to rise. She's lying on her side facing her open windows, and she can see the sky is still dark but drawing near to the horizon it bleeds into a pale color until it reaches the line of orange gathering around the rising sun.
It's beautiful.
Even if the sight is broken by the obstruction of apple trees and clouds.
It's beautiful.
Jim sighs as she turns away from the sight to watch Bones sleep. He's lying face down with his arms cradled under his pillow and head while his shirt rides up, exposing the lean curves of his stomach and hips. The man can wear the hell out of a pair of jeans, but this is something she's always noticed. She draws her gaze over his ass before bringing them up to his broad shoulders and over his (what appears to be) cleanly shaved jaw. His hair is sticking in haphazard directions, his brow is furrowed as his lashes twitch over his cheeks and his lips are pressed in a frown. It's enough to make her smile and think that even in his dreams he can't stop being a grouch.
She reaches out carefully and traces her index finger down the line of his nose.
Bones twitches but he doesn't wake.
Jim bites her bottom lip and does it again.
Bones's nose wiggles adorably and his frown deepens.
Jim grins amusedly and does it again.
Bones mutters out a curse and, before she can blink, grabs her with one hand and draws her close until his lips are pressed against the space between her eyebrows. He says, "Go back to sleep."
Jim smiles as she shifts. "I'm not tired," she quietly replies and kicks him.
"Stop kickin' me."
Jim kicks him again.
Bones sighs and when she glances up, he's glaring down at her with glossy hazel eyes. "Do I have to hold you down?"
"Nah." She kicks him again.
Bones swears and shifts away for a moment before he presses so close that she's forced to tangle her legs with his, her arms become sandwiched between their chests while his wind around her body. His palms lie flat against her back, one between her shoulder blades and the other at the base of her spine.
Jim makes a face as she tries to squirm, but this embrace makes it impossible, not to mention the solid hold he has on her. She continues to squirm before she stops with a wince and a pout-her bony wrists are brushing against her sore breasts in all the wrong ways.
"Finally," Bones breathes when she settles down. "Now will you let me be?"
"But I'm not tired," Jim quietly whines and smiles when she feels a gust of air hit against her forehead when he huffs.
"So just cause you ain't sleep, you decided I shouldn't be either?" Bones grumbles in that whiskey-laced tone of his. "How is it that you can give me grief first thing in the mornin' before the sun's even properly come up in the sky?"
"I'd like to think of it as a natural talent."
"Shut up," Bones mutters but he's chuckling. His hands start rubbing up and down her back. "What is it then? Somethin' the matter?"
Jim shakes her head but rethinks her response when her wrists brush her tender breasts. She says, "My boobs, Bones. They hurt."
Bones makes a thoughtful sound before he leans away. He puts a large hand on her right breast and Jim gives a start at the suddenness of it before she rolls her eyes. "S'normal, Jim," he assures tiredly as he gently caresses her chest. "You're pregnant and-hm," he pauses suddenly as he really starts to palm her right breast.
Jim shivers because the touch isn't exactly uncomfortable. "What?" she whispers and her breath hitches when his fingers contracts against her swollen breast. She laughs at the look of fascination that crosses his features. "Seriously, what?"
"You grew a cup size," Bones replies distractedly.
Jim finds it extremely fascinating that he would notice, and then she gets stupidly warm when she thinks about how much attention he must pay to her to even be able to notice. She tries to play it off as a doctoral trait but that doesn't stop her cheeks from getting pink out of flattery or fondness.
Stupid hormones.
Bones continues to grope away, even alternating between hands and breasts. He's literally feeling her up so thoroughly that Jim is starting to get turned on by it.
Jim shifts her legs away from his so that she can clamp her thighs together against the liquid heat pooling south very quickly. She exhales with another shiver and complains, "What are you trying to size me for a bra or something? Jesus, stop."
Bones glances up at her with a small smirk and a furrowed brow. "Does it hurt? I'm bein' as gentle as I can, darlin'," he promises in a honeyed tone.
"Oh you bastard, you know what you're doing," Jim accuses with a disbelieving laugh and her hips jerk when his thumb strokes over a hardening nipple. It sends sparks through her entire body.
Bones makes a thoughtful sound, like none of this has an affect on him. "Just tryin' to help," he drawls as he scoots closer. "And since you're not tired and all-figure I might as well help put you back to sleep."
Jim laughs and rolls them over so she's on top and she kisses him. She pulls back and rasps, "Fuck you" before she dives back in again before he can reply.
They twist together in the sheets, tucking and rolling across the expanse of Jim's bed as they playfully wrestle, groping and biting in an sensual fight for dominance that Bones eventually wins because he's a dirty (fantastic) cheat.
They don't leave the bed until three hours later.
Jim joins Bones in the shower because he asks her to and she doesn't see why she should refuse.
They take turns washing each other's back and hair, but that just ends up turning into quick kisses which switch into longer kisses which morphs into longer kisses with tongue and eventually Bones is pressing her into the wet tiles of the shower wall with her thighs around his hips. Her face is cradled into his neck as she gasps against the hot steam of the shower and the way his hips thrust up while his large hands grip the curve of her hips and ass to keep her steady.
Basically, they end up having to wash up again because they keep getting deterred.
Really, it's no wonder that Jim is as pregnant as she is now.
But anyway, when they finally stumble out of the bathroom wet, clean, and satiated, Jim climbs into a pair of dark denim cutoff shorts with one of Bones's flannel shirts. After she buttons up the black and white shirt, and rolls the sleeves up to her elbow, she takes a moment to notice that Bones has a fucking drawer of his own in her dresser.
This doesn't necessarily worry her as much as it makes her think.
Jim dismisses the thought as she wanders into her bathroom and wipes away the condensation on the sink mirror. She then grabs her chest and turns from side to side to spot the difference, which is a bit hard because Bones's shirt is kinda large on her. So she unbuttons the flannel shirt and holds it open as she stares at her own boobs which, if she were to be honest, are peeking out, round and full, in her grey cotton bra.
"What are you doin'?" Bones asks as he enters the bathroom, shrugging on a light blue thermal shirt before he does up his pants and buckles his belt.
"My boobs are bigger," Jim simply replies. She stops checking him out long enough to go back to eyeing herself down. "How big are they gonna grow you think?"
Bones lifts a brow as he sends an amused look to her reflection while he brushes his hair. "Hard to say, Jim. The female body is an interestin' but complicated design," he supposes.
Jim doesn't think he means it as a compliment but somehow it manages to sound like one. "I wouldn't mind growing about three cup sizes," she admits and stares woefully at her small chest. "After I have the baby, I get to keep them right?"
Bones snorts and kisses her temple. "You're perfect already," he mutters before he swats her on the ass and walks off.
Jim is partially annoyed, partially flattered. Her cheeks turn pink and her fingers are a bit shaky as she buttons up his shirt, stopping right above her newly gained cleavage. She sighs and grabs the brush Bones was just using before she uses it to part her hair and weave it all into two Dutch braids.
When she's done, she climbs into her calf-high cowboy boots and grabs her communicator on the way out the door, putting it in her back pocket as she skips down the steps.
Eleanora and Pauline are sitting at the kitchen table, chatting away over cups of freshly brewed coffee while Bones stands off to the side, leaning in the open doorway of the back door with his own cup and a thoughtful expression.
Jim waves with a nonchalant grin and ignores the way Eleanora and Pauline send her amused looks as they glance between her and Bones. She doesn't, however, ignore the pleased feeling she gets at the way Bones's hazel eyes follow her as she moves about the kitchen. She pours herself a tall glass of orange juice and knocks back her medicine before she fixes herself a plate of the scrambled eggs Eleanora already prepared for the house with some toast. She doesn't forget to grab the jar of olives on her way back to the table.
She settles across from Eleanora and Pauline and eats.
Bones joins them at the table with his own plate and his second cup of coffee.
"No work today, Len?" Pauline asks, genuinely curious.
Bones just shakes his head as he jams a piece of buttered toast in his mouth.
"Well I'm sure they'll be missin' you. Not as much as we do, mind you," Pauline remarks with a grin.
Bones shrugs with a slight smile before he scrapes most of his eggs onto Jim's plate.
Jim frowns at him. "Stop trying to fatten me up," she complains around a mouthful of eggs and toast and olives.
Bones returns to the stove without acknowledging the fact that he (totally) is. He claims the last of the eggs in the fry pan before returning to the table.
Eleanora hides her amused smile into the rim of her mug and says, "Jamie, have you given thought to the kind of booth you want to run for the Founder's Festival this weekend?"
Bones sends her a questioning look.
Jim ignores it because she doesn't have time to figure out why. She pops another olive in her mouth and after a brief swallow, she replies, "Kissing booth, maybe? I had a lot of luck with the last one I did."
Bones's expression morphs into something not exactly disapproving but more or less disagreeable.
Jim internally rolls her eyes because Bones has never been good at hiding his jealousy and she suspects that he doesn't ever really care to. Just to spite him, she goes on to say, "You know what? I have an even better idea." She turns to face Bones. "How about you operate it?"
Bones blinks and his features become a little less stormy and more confused. "Pardon?"
"Yeah, why not? You're very attractive. Just as attractive as I am. I think you'd bring in quite the flock of customers," Jim supposes as she wiggles her eyebrows with a teasing smirk.
Bones flushes a little before he frowns. "I-I don't think I'd be good to-"
"Nope. Totally settled," Jim quickly interjects and aims her blue eyes back to Eleanora who is looking as incredulously entertained as Pauline is. "There you have it. I think we better get him some lipstick too. People seemed to like that."
Bones bristles. "Now hold on a goddamn minute! I ain't agree to-"
"Or I could do it myself," Jim interrupts again and sends him a knowing look. "But remember that favor you owe me from that hellish day you rung me dry in that clinic of yours?"
Bones sulks.
"No pressure, though," Jim assures gently in a patronizing tone. "I have no problem kissing hundreds of strangers for a worthy cause."
Bones sulks harder.
Jim smirks.
Eleanora huffs and says, "Honestly, Jamie."
"What?" Jim tries to look innocent.
"You don't play fair," Pauline notes with a humored smile. "But then again, guys always make it too easy, don't they?"
"It's almost unjust," Jim agrees and three of them laugh at Bones's sour expression.
"You're all ridiculous," Bones grumbles as he takes his plate with him and stomps out the house through the backdoor.
Eleanora chuckles and shakes her head as she lowers her mug. "My Lord, James. He's never gonna have a dull moment with you, is he? And imagine how my grandbaby's gonna be."
Jim smiles a little before she grows serious. "I do really think Bones could bring in a crowd. But this is also supposed to showcase our innovative skills, so I think I should go a step further."
"Oh? I'm all ears," Eleanora says as she leans forward, as does Pauline.
"Well, you know how well those muffins I made went over? I could make more of them. Different flavors. Creative flavors. Like apple cinnamon, or peach banana, or even strawberry orange."
Pauline nods. "Sounds like a good plan to me. I'll lend my hands with that if you need. That'll be a lot of bakin'."
"Surely true," Eleanora agrees. "Tell you what-you let me make some calculations and we can work from there." She goes on to say, "In the mean time, you might wanna soften up the future father of your children. No one's gonna come round if he keeps up that surly attitude of his. Always did have poor bedside manner, that one."
Jim flushes partially but she finishes the remainder of her food before she stands. "I'll see what I can do. No promises," she warns as she drops a kiss to Eleanora and Pauline's cheek.
Eleanora and Pauline wave her off before they bring their heads together in order to plan for the weekend.
Jim takes that as her cue to down the rest of her orange juice and dump her dishes in the sink. She wanders out the backdoor and when she doesn't spot Bones on the porch, she figures he must be at the stables. So that's where she goes. She finds Bones brushing down his horse Saturn with affectionate care. Her nose wrinkles disagreeably against the strong smell of animal and hay and shit.
"What's that face for?" Bones questions as he glances at her from the other side of Saturn. He strokes the brush down Saturn's back.
"It stinks in here," Jim replies as she stays right where she is in the open doorway of the barn. She shoves her hands in the back pockets of her shorts.
"No more than usual," Bones supposes as he works his way around to the other side of the large steed.
Saturn huffs and stamps his front right hoof into the ground as he bobs his head.
Bones shushes him as he pats his side and continues to brush him. "The smell botherin' you?" he asks after a while. He glances over his shoulder at her in concern.
Jim smiles a little and says, "No more than usual."
Bones scoffs but he seems amused. He doesn't appear to be as ornery as he was before. Must be the effect Saturn has on him.
Jim doesn't know what he's going to do when they leave for Starfleet. Saturn wont be around to calm out his more prickly moods when needed. It's slightly worrisome and before she can help it, she begins to feel guilty again for dragging him away.
"Now what's that face for?" Bones questions as he returns the brush to its place of origin and ventures over to her. He crosses his arms as they stand face to face and he studies her.
Jim says, "Nothing."
Bones frowns.
"Well," Jim backtracks because she did promise to be honest. "I was just thinking that you wouldn't be able to see Saturn as much when we go to California." She pauses and shrugs. "Felt a little bad."
"Do me a favor and don't," Bones merely says before he leans down and swipes an apple off the ground. He makes a small clucking sound with his tongue and Saturn tromps over. "Big guy'll be alright without me. Wouldn't be the first time."
Saturn greedily eats the apple from Bones's hand before butting his nose affectionately against Bones's shoulder.
Bones smiles in reply.
Jim swallows because that smile does things to her stomach and heart that she's not ready to analyze. She presses on, "That's not, um, what I meant. I just-you come out here when you're upset and I know I'll upset you someway or another and you'll need a way to vent and-"
"I'm not changin' my mind," Bones carefully interrupts and he turns away from Saturn to give Jim his full attention. "I know we'll fight. Just like I know that you're not always gonna be the source of my stress. Jim, there's gonna be other things that's gonna get to me and I'll deal with them. If I need to go for a walk, I will. If I need to sit somewhere quietly, I will. Hell, if I have to take up knittin', I will. I'll do whatever it takes, but I'll find a way to manage my temper when need be. I'm not leavin' you, Jim. That's absolutely not on the table. Okay?"
Jim nods quickly to cover the fact that his words have managed to reassure her beyond comprehension.
"Okay then. So stop lookin' like you strangled a puppy. I wouldn't leave if I didn't want to," Bones says as he reaches out and cups his hand around the back of her neck. "C'mere," he mumbles and pulls her close.
Jim lets him without a fight. She wraps her arms around his midsection and squeezes as she hides her nose into his neck. She breathes him in for a moment-he smells like straw and sweat and earthy. She loves likes it.
Bones rubs his hand up and down her back before he turns and rests his arm on her shoulders.
"You'll still do the booth thing though, right?" Jim carefully asks because now would be the perfect time as any.
Bones winces but he says, "Yeah, Kid. I'll do it, God help me." He waits a moment before he adds, "Speakin' of which-I figured, since we'd be leavin' whenever we leave, you'd drop out of the competition."
Jim forgets that Bones is cleverly perceptive. "Yeah…" she drawls. "Funny you should mention that."
Bones looks down at her expectantly as he steers her out of the barn and back towards the house.
"There's been this thing with Florence and me and um," she pauses to find the right words. "Well it's mostly her plan and everything, um-I think it'd be better if you just came with me when I go over to her apartment. She can explain this whole thing a lot better than I can, but Bones, you have to promise not to like freak out or go after Chadwick or his dad."
Bones frowns deeply. "I'm not likin' the sound of this so far, Jim," he says honestly. "But I'll hold my questions until we get to Florence's place."
Jim grabs the front of his shirt and surprises him with a long, wet, smacking kiss.
Bones blinks rather dazedly at the end of it and mumbles, "What was that for?"
Jim shrugs because she doesn't really know, and she drags him into the house so he can get his keys.
Florence, of course, welcomes them warmly when they turn up on her doorstep. "Well if it isn't my favorite couple," she says as she ushers them in and locks the door behind them. "Blue I was expecting. But you, Dr. Bones, well-what do I owe that pleasure?"
Bones tucks his hands in his front pockets with a minor shrug. "Jim said you had somethin' to explain to me."
Jim grins weakly when Florence shoots her a glare. "Him and I made up and we got this sort of honesty policy going on and I just couldn't keep it from him okay? He's starting to figure it out on his own anyway," she defensively explains.
Florence's lips curl unhappily and her shoulders tense up. "Go sit down," she instructs as she points at her messy couch. "I'll get you both some water."
Jim grabs Bones's hand and directs him to the couch. She, of course, takes the time to clear it of the magazines and ripped jeans and takeout containers before they settle down. She crosses her legs and leans into his side as he rests an arm behind her on the back of the couch.
Florence joins them a moment later with two icy bottles of water. She sits across from them on the edge of the coffee table, which squeaks under her weight. She takes a moment to tongue at her lip piercing. "So I'm supposing there ain't no delicate way to put this," she says, haltingly. "Blue's being blackmailed into marrying Chadwick at the behest of Mayor Treadway, who we're still slightly unclear of his primary motive but we've done our research and we've mad a good guess of it."
Bones grips his water bottle so tightly that the plastic cap literally pops off and goes flying over their heads. Water and ice bursts up before dripping messily down his hand and onto his left knee.
Florence clucks her tongue sympathetically, leaving a moment to retrieve a hand towel for him.
Jim eyes Bones warily and says, "Don't be mad."
"You realize that there's no way I can comply to that?" Bones hisses back and aims his glare at the bolts of the front door. "You should've told me when it happened."
"I don't want to fight about this," Jim says quietly and rests a hand on his stomach. "Bones, please. I-just let her finish explaining."
Bones says nothing. He looks entirely livid.
Jim chews on her bottom lip and makes to move away but Bones's quickly drops his arm to her shoulders, keeping her there. She looks at him questioningly.
Bones just shakes his head sharply and curls his hand over her shoulder in a silent petition for her to stay put.
Jim worries her bottom lip between her teeth as she scoots back over until they're sides are flushed again and she drops her hand down to his knee.
Florence eventually returns with that hand towel and she hands it over as she goes on to explain, "Don't be mad at Blue, Dr. Bones. In her defense, I told her not to tell anyone about what was happening. My way of doing damage control, you know? But I should've known that you'd end up in the mix. I doubt there's much she can keep from you."
"Florence, get to the point," Jim mutters as her cheeks turn pink and she glares resentfully at her friend.
Florence snorts but nods. "Anyway, I mentioned we've been doing research right? Well, turns out Mayor Treadway has a history of orchestrating things like this. It's all for political gain of course. Man's shooting for the big house, you know. We're thinking that he wants to use Blue as a way to get the big cats up in the high seats of the Federation to pay attention to him. Cause who could resist a fairytale romance, right? Especially when the two main characters got a lot of notoriety when it comes to family. And Blue, well, after what her daddy done, media would love to be all over that."
Bones's expression is worryingly blank.
"But anyway, so the thing is that Mayor Treadway is gunning for the biggest political position there is: president. He's got a good six years, though, before the reelection and let me tell you, he's trying to use that time wisely. Blue's marriage to his son would only be the first stepping stone to getting him through the door," Florence goes on to say. "And you gotta admit that he's being rather guileful about it. And not to mention the fact that Junior is supposed to take up office in his old man's place on top of Jocelyn reaching for the mayoral office in New York. Big things for the Treadway family. More good publicity. Useful in all sorts of ways if you really think about it but, you know, politics."
Bones's jaw gives a little tic and when he finally speaks, it sounds like he's talking between clenched teeth, "Does Jocelyn have anythin' to do with this?"
"Nah," Florence replies. "She divorced you and is pregnant with someone else's child. I don't think she's on Mayor Treadway's good list."
Bones nods tightly and he relaxes a fraction.
Jim tries not to let that bother her. She wonders why it would even matter to him. She pushes the thought away and says, "Tell him about your plan."
"Oh, right," Florence says as she perks up. "So I got this idea, right? About the pageant Blue's in and everything. I been collaborating with Sheriff McCoy and he thinks it's a genius idea too…" She then explains said genius plan as thoroughly and as elaborately as possible.
In the end, Bones's frown only deepens and he says, "That's clever and all. But what I'm hung up over is the blackmail part." He turns to Jim, who by this point, has been slowly drifting off to sleep. He looks down at her and his expression turns almost soft before it hardens into something more questioning. "What exactly were they blackmailin' you with?"
Jim blinks tiredly up at him. She's so not ready for this conversation and instinctively she withdraws, both physically and emotionally.
Bones's expression pinches and his brow furrows when he realizes he's not going to get an answer. "Right," he mutters. He stands and heads to the door. "I need some air."
Jim crosses her arms and she watches him exit with a miserable expression.
The door closes quietly behind him, and it's almost as bad as if he'd slammed it.
Florence just watches her with sympathetic grey eyes. "You know," she says, very carefully. "Eventually you're going to have to trust him enough to let him know about Tarsus."
Jim is being unfairly spiteful when she counters, "Well eventually you're going to have to trust me enough to know about who you used to be."
Florence straightens out her posture and her expression retreats into a blank stare. "Don't," she warns. "Just don't, Jim."
Jim purses her lips and leans back with an unhappy frown. "It's ugly," she mutters. "That part of my life is so ugly. He wouldn't stick around for that."
"Tough shit," Florence says shakily. "You got a good man who'll always accept you for who you are no matter what. I don't got that same courtesy, Blue. You can be blind sometimes."
Jim glares.
"But so can I," Florence concedes and she tongues her lip piercing nervously. She looks a little skittish. "I'm a hypocrite, I know. But I have to be with you cause I want you to have everything I can't. I'm scared, Blue. Fucking frightened, okay? Part of me thinks that when I tell you who I was, you'll be like the others and you'll leave. You ain't gonna want anything to do with me."
"You can't know that."
"But I do," Florence says and she looks miserable. "Just trust me about Len. That guy's got a big heart full of feelings just for you."
Jim grows a little red. "Best friends," she mutters, like it's supposed to mean something, like it's supposed to prove a point. "Anyway," she says, ready to change subjects. "Are you going to come out to the Founder's Festival? It's running the whole weekend."
"Sure," Florence says with a shrug and she seems sincere enough. "What's your role in it?"
"Kissing booth. Only this time, Bones is going to hand out the smooches. I'll be handing out muffins," Jim explains with a slight smile.
"Oh, well, I'll definitely swing around," Florence says with a cheeky grin. She laughs and ducks when Jim throws a couch cushion at her. "Chill, Blue. I got to kiss you didn't I? I should kiss him too. Really officiate things."
Jim rolls her eyes before she curls up on the couch. "That doesn't make any sense."
"It does to me," Florence supposes as she turns on her TV and plops down beside Jim with the cushion she threw.
Jim takes the opportunity to rest her head in Florence's lap. It takes her no time to fall asleep. She's not sure how long she's under before Florence shifts away from her to go and unlock her door. She's kind of half asleep but she can smell pizza.
"You mind vegetarian?"
"Nah, it's all good. I'll eat anything."
"Not surprisin'." Pause. "How long she been sleep?"
"Eh, maybe like two hours or so."
Jim frowns sleepily as she recognizes Bones's voice but she's too tired to open her eyes and actually confirm it.
"So, where'd you run off to, if you don't mind me asking?"
"S'fine." Pause. "I drove around for a bit. Ended up at the Treadway Manor but I didn't go in."
"But you wanted to."
"I wanted to."
A hum. "What stopped you?"
"Didn't think she'd take too kindly to that. So I just-I didn't. I wanted to but I didn't."
"Blue'll appreciate that no doubt. She's a real firecracker but she means well. She just doesn't know how to not fight her own battles, you know? It's good you didn't do anything, though. She needs to learn she can trust you to trust her."
"Yeah. Don't like it any less. You sure this plan of yours will work?"
"That's up to Blue, and I'm completely confident in her capableness."
Silence.
"It's not one-sided."
"Pardon?"
"The thing you and her got. It's not one-sided. Trust me. Blue and I are alike in so many ways. She practically got the same kind of tells I do. It's not one-sided."
"It'll be years before she tells me that, I'm sure. Woman's so goddamn stubborn. But I ain't got much room to talk either. I can be just as bad."
"Yeah, but she needs that though. Otherwise she could drive you off and act as ridiculous as she wants to when she's afraid of her own feelings. She ain't never had it easy, Dr. Bones. You gotta understand that. She's a fighter-it's all she knows."
"I understand. But I have enough sense to fight too. She's gonna figure that out."
"You're good for her. I always thought that."
"She's good for me. I always knew that. Even if she drives me crazy, and she does. To the end of the universe and back."
Jim smiles and turns away from them to face the back of the couch so they can't see. "I wish you two would shut the fuck up," she complains.
"Hey, be nice," Florence reprimands. "We're bonding over your insecurities."
Jim flips her the bird.
"Rude," Florence objects. "How can you stand her lack of manners?"
"I can't."
Jim laughs and sends Bones a sleepy-eyed excuse for a glare from over her shoulder. "You're no sunshine either, Mr. Grinch."
Bones snorts but he doesn't bother to acknowledge that remark. "Come eat," he says and indicates to the open box of pizza on Florence's stove.
"Bring it to me."
"Blue, get your lazy ass up and get it yourself."
"But I'm pregnant," Jim whines and turns away from them again.
"God, she is just going to milk that, I swear," Florence mutters but she sounds like she's making Jim a plate so Jim doesn't bother with a reply.
Jim's drifting off to sleep again when Florence thumps her knee into her back. She makes an incoherent sound.
"Here, lazy ass," Florence says as she balances the plate on the side of Jim's face. "Now can you sit up and eat or should I do that for you too?"
"You can suck my dick," Jim mumbles and waits a few minutes before she grabs the plate as she sits up. She leans back tiredly and rubs at her eyes with both her hands as the plate sits untouched in her lap.
"You could've said thank you," Florence says as she hits the side of Jim's leg. "So rude. That's why you're gonna get so fat."
"Fuck off," Jim laughs as she kicks her leg out but Florence manages to evade it.
Bones joins her on the couch with his third plate of pizza. "Eat," he says.
Jim sticks her tongue out at him but she eats. It's actually pretty decent for a vegetarian pizza, and she figures he got it for her benefit (allergies). She would complain but it's got olives on it so she doesn't. She says, "No more Family Feud. Please. A game's on tonight anyway."
Florence makes a face. "I hate sports."
"But I'm pregnant."
"Oh my God," Florence snaps and tosses her the remote. "You're insufferable."
Jim smiles, white teeth and all, before she flips the station and turns to the game. It's NY Nicks versus OKC Thunder.
Bones and Florence watch amusedly as Jim becomes an exuberate Nicks fan-all gutter mouthed frustration and loud cheering that the neighbors can no doubt hear.
The Nicks lose. Of course they do.
That puts Jim in a terrible mood and Florence doesn't make it any better by pointing her stupid finger right in Jim's face and laughing her ass off at the indignant frustration that rests there.
Bones saves Florence from being strangled by pulling Jim to her feet and guiding her out of the apartment.
Jim can still hear Florence's intolerable cackling even when they exit the complex. She climbs into Bones's car with a frown, buckles her seatbelt and crosses her arms while she mutters under her breath.
Bones doesn't say anything about it.
888
Tuesday - July 15th - Noon
Cikala Closet
Jim doesn't let herself think about how bad of an idea this is.
This is a very bad idea.
But Jim is determined to see this masochist plan of hers through because it's worth a try.
Maybe.
It's just, the thing is, well, it's been eating her up inside. She's been reading up about forgiveness and things of that nature in the bible and it's been getting to her. Not that she believe in Heaven or Hell but the points that those scriptures make sound fairly valid. She feels awful and if she doesn't at least try with Zonta then it'll just continue to fester inside of her.
Jim sighs and loosens the white knuckled grip she has on the paper bag of pastries and pushes away from her parked bike. She shoves through the door and the bell chimes predictably above her head.
Ohanzee is manning the register in a way. He's sitting in the rocking chair with a smoke pipe and a good grip to his walking stick. "James," he greets under a cloud of grey smoke. "It's been so long since I've last seen you. What mischief has kept you away?"
If only you knew, Jim thinks, but instead she says, "The usual. You know."
"Suppose I ought to," Ohanzee supposes as he gazes at her with thoughtfully dark eyes. "You've brought treats. I'd recognize the logo on that bag anywhere."
"Uh, yeah," Jim says with a bland smile and approaches him with it as she looks around. "I brought something for everyone."
"Well," Ohanzee grunts as he hauls himself to his feet and limps over with his thudding cane. "Zuhi is away. As she always is. Zonta is out back on a smoking break. Shall I call her up?"
"No," Jim hastily replies. She blushes a little when Ohanzee gives her a look. "I mean-I can go back and see her myself."
Ohanzee hums thoughtfully before he rifles through the bag, pulling free a glazed bear claw and returning to the rocking chair.
Jim waves weakly as she treks to the back, past the boxes of clothes and sewing machines, to the open back door of the shop.
Zonta's leaning against the brick wall with a cigarette in one hand and her communicator in the other. She doesn't look up when Jim approaches her, almost like she's expecting it.
"I got some sweets. I didn't know what you liked so I nicked a few things," Jim says for the better lack of not having much else to say. She feels stupid for this. It's a stupid way to try and apologize. "I am sorry, you know. For how I-for what I did."
Zonta snorts scornfully and she finally lifts her gaze. "You're not sorry. You just hate that I found out," she corrects and shrugs before she takes another drag of her cigarette. "You shouldn't waste your time with me. I can't see us ever bein' friends."
"Zonta, you have to know that I didn't intentionally do it to hurt you or spite you," Jim says. "It was a dick move on my part though. I know that. I really should've-but I didn't and I am sorry about that."
Zonta stares at her evenly as she puffs away at her cigarette. She says, "My mom used to tell us stories when we were younger. There's one about a scorpion that rode on the back of a frog across the river. The scorpion stung the frog even after he promised not to." She flicks the ash off to the side as she stares at Jim. "I think about that story a lot."
Jim doesn't know what to say.
Zonta lifts her cigarette to her lips and says, "You should probably go."
Jim does. What else can she do? She leaves the bag of pastries with Ohanzee, who thanks her graciously, and she exits the shop. She goes to her bike and drives to the local diner to pick up two orders of chili before she drives it out to the edge of town where the McCoy Clinic is. She parks and carries the bag of food inside to the reception area, where she finds a glowing Asiyah.
That's when she notices the engagement ring.
"Congratulations. When is the wedding? You're marrying Tomoharu right? When did he propose?"
Asiyah laughs good-naturedly. "So many questions," she says and lets Jim grab her hand and study the diamond ring. "No date yet. And yes, Tomo proposed. Sunday."
"Cool. You know that's cool right?" Jim asks and grins when Asiyah shrugs coyly. "Where's Dr. Sourpuss?"
"In the lab," Asiyah says and guides her there so she can use her keycard to give Jim access.
Jim finds Bones at the other end of the lab, studying some kind of blood work with a white lab coat on and blue latex gloves and the use of biotechnology. He's glancing back and forth between the samples on the interactive table and the large touchscreen monitors propped on the wall.
"Who let you in?" is the first thing Bones says when he sees her. He goes right back to doing what he's doing, partially ignoring her for a moment as he pulls up the molecular DNA structure of the blood he's studying.
Jim watches him for a moment before she says, "Asiyah. Did you know she's getting married? I didn't even know things were getting that serious between her and Tomoharu. But good for them, right? True love prevails and all that."
Bones grunts before he spins around to face her fully. He looks to the bag of food in her hand and then up to study her face.
Jim smiles.
Bones shakes his head. "What's the matter?" he asks as he stands and approaches her.
Jim's smile falters before completely dipping into a frown. "How can you tell when something's wrong?"
Bones shrugs as he takes the bag of food from her and fishes for his cup of chili. "You like to act especially cheerful when you're bothered about somethin'. So what did it this time?"
Jim gets that warm feeling again-the one that bubbles up in her heart and her gut. It disappears before she can make sense of it. She doesn't really want to. She says, "So Zonta used to-still has-like a massive crush on you and I knew that long before things between us evolved and she found out and confronted me and I confirmed her suspicions and I've been trying to apologize but she doesn't want to hear it and-"
"You should probably breathe," Bones suggests, amused. He dips his plastic spoon in his cup of chili and begins eating it as he stands before her. "Why are you so worked up about it, anyway?"
"Temporary insanity?" Jim tries, vaguely aware that she might be blowing this way out of proportion. "And maybe because it was a shitty thing to do," she mutters as she frowns at him. "I basically fucked her dream guy and then turned around and encouraged her to pursue a relationship with said dreamy guy."
Bones makes a face. He looks as if he doesn't know whether to be extremely amused or uncomfortable. He chooses the former. "I wasn't aware that Zonta had feelings for me," he says after a swallow. "She's been good about hidin' it."
"Well, yeah, because first you were married and then you weren't and I had to go and jump you." Jim rubs at the side of her nose out of frustration. "I've always had poor impulse control. And you certainly didn't help with your stupid face and…" She does a rather weird miming gesture.
Bones snorts and pushes her shoulder just to watch her stumble and glare at him for it. "So this is all my fault, huh?"
"Yes."
Bones continues to eat his chili.
Jim flushes as she says, "You're attractive, okay? Like unfairly so."
Bones smirks and Jim wants to punch him for it. "To be fair," he drawls. "You're attractive too. You claim poor impulse control, but I ain't never been a stranger to temptation when it comes to you."
Jim's flush deepens and she tries to shrug like she doesn't care.
"The point is, just, you know, don't be so hard on yourself. Takes two, don't it?" Bones offers as he continues to eat his chili.
Jim refuses to acknowledge that his words are severely comforting. She frowns and says, "I'm still the bad guy as far as Zonta's concerned."
"You apologized."
"Failingly."
"You win some and you lose some."
"I don't like to lose."
"Well then I don't know what to tell you."
Jim shrugs and lowers her gaze. "She'd hate me less if you asked her out?"
Bones makes a face. "That's not a good idea."
"Why?"
"Oh, I don't know, maybe because it wouldn't be the least bit honest," Bones drawls pessimistically.
"Yeah but-"
"I'm not interested," Bones says, like it's final.
Jim crosses her arms and glares. "You never want to help me with anything."
Bones rolls his eyes and trashes his cup of chili. "You're bein' unreasonable. You've done all you can. Why are you pushin' me to date her?"
Jim shifts and turns her gaze elsewhere. "Maybe because you might like it? I don't know. You and I aren't-and she's a better fit for you, I think. And, anyway, it's not about her forgiving me so much as it is me trying to help you find someone you can-"
Bones kisses her when she doesn't expect it. His frustration bleeds into it, all tongue and teeth and greed and definite possessiveness.
It makes Jim breathless and weak-kneed. She ultimately forgets everything but her own name.
Bones pulls back and drags her with him when he goes to sit down on his leather stool. He settles her onto his lap and says, "You should eat."
Jim swallows and nods. She grabs her cup of cooled chili, adding crackers and sour cream and sugar, before she wolfs it down. She watches Bones continue his research and she asks him questions here and there, fascinated by the way he explains things with the same level of focus and concentration he gives her when they're in bed together.
She doesn't bring up Zonta again.
Part 2