Things to Take Care Of

Written By: writingforthemoney Tied

Disclaimer: Looking around Nope no sign of the ownership papers…must of lost them at Fox Headquarters.

Summary: Tag to 'The Women in the Garden.' What would happen if she were to find out why he was late?

Spoilers: 'The Women in the Garden'

Rating: K

Brennan looked at him, hurt clearly sprawled across her features, "Where were you?"

His heart ached, "I had something important I had to take care off."

Her head had turned to face him, eyebrows raised, "More important than a funeral?"

He tried a small smile but it failed as his words came out, "I thought so at the time," And he still thought so. Call him selfish but no matter how hurt she might be right now, he was relieved; she was alive and that was all that mattered to him.

…The Next Day…

She sat at her desk finishing up on the paperwork from the latest case, and thinking about why Booth had missed the funeral. He knew that it was important to her, and she thought she was in important to him; maybe she wasn't as much as she thought. She had felt as if they'd grown past being just partners and were fast becoming friends. Apparently not.

At that moment a man walked into her office, "Dr. Brennan, I'm Agent Gilbert." Brennan nodded for him to continue, "Have you seen Agent Booth, we can't find him anywhere?"

"No I haven't seen him," But she knew where he probably was. "Why do you need him, maybe I can help?"

The young man stepped closer to her desk an envelope in his hand, "Can you give this to him if you see him?" She extended her arm, taking the envelope from him, "It's rather important." Brennan looked up at him, "It's from the gang task force unit."

She nodded to him dismissively; once he'd left she read the words on the back of the envelope, "To Agent Seeley Booth concerning one Gang Leader Ortiz."

Without thinking she opened it, after all it was about the latest case, he'd tell her anyway. "Agent Booth, this letter," she read aloud, "is in regards to the hit placed by Ortiz on your partner Dr. Brennan." Her voice caught in her throat, "We've been informed that as of yesterday afternoon the hit has been called off, for reasons that are unknown." She let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Reading that they didn't know why the hit had been called off, was enough for her to jump to an illogical, irrational and emotional conclusion: the reason was one Very Special FBI Agent / Knight.

She walked into the dark atmosphere of Wong Foo's and saw him at the bar nursing a shot glass of what looked to be whiskey, one right after the other. She was pretty positive that whatever he had done to Ortiz had taken place during the funeral. She hadn't the slightest clue as to what he did but it had gotten to him and she was pretty sure that her fussing at him for not being at said funeral didn't help. Sitting on the stool next to him, she placed a hand on his forearm for but a second and then brought the glass Sid had placed in front of her to her mouth; the cold water hitting the back of her throat soothingly.

Five glasses of water and ten more whiskey shots later she stood to leave but then turned and placed her hand over his, "Thank you." Turning to the door she laid the reason for her being here, beside him.

Only having taken one step she found herself being stopped by a touch on her arm, "For what?" he asked barely sober.

Still standing she used her free hand to slide the envelope closer to him, "An agent was looking for you, told me to give you this."

He took the opened envelope and smiled for the first time that day. "And you opened it." At her shrug he shook his head, reading the paper inside, "What? You think I had something to do with it?" He said letting go of her hand to swallow back the whiskey in his glass.

She snatched the hand back and held on to it, "No," he looked at her confused as she shook her head, "I know you did."

She once again sat beside him, this time interlacing their fingers; they sat like that for the rest of night, in silence drinking the water and whiskey that was placed in front of them.

THE END

A/N: I forgot Ortiz's full name so I just had to throw 'Gang Leader' in there! I thought it sounded a little funny, so I'm explaining that.

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