Chapter 1 – Before the Worst

This is my remade version of chapter one. It's not really an update but I'm hoping it'll hold you over for a few hours while I decide which version of the next chapter I'm going to use.

For those who have no idea what I'm talking about, I deleted the first four chapters of the story and then forgot to replace one of them with this. And now I've realized how to fix it... TWO CHAPTERS STUCK IN ONE!!

I'm going to stop talking now and write. Sound good?

...

Once again the Jeffersonian team had a case.

To most of the squints, and Booth, it was just another case.

A girl was badly beaten, raped, shot in the back of the head, and dumped coincidently behind the diner. She was only a teenager, about seventeen, her life was just starting.

"Apparently" Booth said upon getting the call on their way to that very same Royal Diner, "Whoever put her here didn't know that D.C.'s finest murder solving team came here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They must really have some bad luck!"

Brennan probably would've agreed if she hadn't found a small piece of evidence that she tucked quickly into her pocket, after recognizing it. In that moment the case was different. The body being there was not at all a coincidence.

Bones was quiet all the way to the lab and was even reluctant to discuss the case.

Zach had picked up that something was wrong with Dr. Brennan and he took it upon himself to explain to Angela and Booth what they needed to know to continue working.

Hodgins was able to determine that the victim was killed someplace else, and that she was move to the diner sometime this morning.

They had found evidence of rape, just as Brennan had thought, and were able to find some traces of DNA.

Cam had found that the victim was most likely drunk at the time she was raped but found no evidence of any date rape drugs.

Angela had done a facial reconstruction and had come up with a name, Lindsay Richards. She was an aspiring model who had been living in New Jersey while working for a modeling agency in New York.

In fact Angela had to re check the paper work four times before concluding that Richards was from Brennan's home town. Well not home exactly, but it was where she had lived with her last foster care family before becoming of age and meeting Angela in college their freshmen year.

Angela still remembered how unnerved Brennan would get every time her last foster family was brought up in any way. Even now, she watched as her best friend struggled after finding out where the victim lived.

Brennan had after a few hours, retreated to the safety of her office to escape the worrying glances from Angela. She could feel the tears in her eyes threatening to fall, but was determined not to let them, not here anyways.

A knock at the door broke her from her thoughts, and standing there was Booth looking ever so charming and yet worried all that same time.

"Hey how are you holding up?"

"I'm fine Booth if that's what you're asking"

She watched as Booth sat down on her couch and motioned for her to do the same.

"Well you don't look fine, so come here will ya and sit with me for a while"

Brennan eyed him suspiciously

"Don't you think that'll break our agreement with Cullen and Cam to remain professional at work?"

"What? No, we're still partners Bones; I can offer comfort to my partner can't I? Besides it's your lunch break so technically you're not working"

Booth could still read her hesitation and tried another way.

"Look Bones I promise I won't make you tell me anything you're not ready to tell me. I just want you to sit with me for a moment"

She finally agreed and moved to sit next to him. Booth wrapped an arm around her and was met with an ice blue glare followed by a warning "Booth..."

"We're on lunch break Temperance, you know the part of the day where you're supposed to take an hour and go out to eat with your hot FBI boyfriend while he tries to get you to go out to dinner with him tonight and let him pay for it for once."

He watched amusedly as she scrunched up her nose with distaste. "You know I won't let you pay and if that's a lunch break then why are we sitting here?"

"Just relax a minute Bones and I'll take you out someplace"

Bones leant back against him, sighing contently.

Angela watched happily through the glass.

They had been going out for only a few weeks and were the talk of both the Jeffersonian and the FBI. Everyone knew it was bound to happen and was ultimately not really surprised after the company Ball where they made their first appearance as a couple and danced together all night, lost in each other.

However as soon as things had settled down, Angela noticed Brennan start to push Booth away, and feared that it would take a bit more work to put them together for good.

If only to complete the fairy tale Angela had created in her mind.

"The Reminder of a Past better left forgotten"

Recap:

Booth and Brennan are on their way to a crime scene where they've just been reinstated as partners so long as they remain professional and they attend their regularly appointments with Dr. Sweets.

Booth knocked once more on the door of apartment 302 in Warrington, New Jersey. His partner stood anxiously behind him waiting to get inside. They had come to talk to their victim's (Michelle Alexander) roommate, Lindsay Richards, to try and find some answers. All they knew about their Victim up to this point was that she worked as a Model and was on vacation from her modeling agency in New York. Her roommate was also a model and the two had rented an apartment outside of New York for when they wanted to get away from the city. Or at least that's what the agency had told them.

As Booth turned to tell Brennan that they should get going and come back tomorrow, they heard someone coming up the stairs. A young girl rounded the corner and walked up carefully, trying not to drop the laundry basket she was carrying that was blocking her view. Booth and Brennan waited for her to get to the top of the stairs for her to realize that they were there.

"Oh I'm sorry I didn't know the agency was sending someone over"

Brennan looked at her confused and then at Booth. "Are you Lindsay Richards?"

"Yes... why?" Lindsay stared at Brennan with a strange expression on her face as if she knew her from somewhere.

Booth flashed his badge "FBI we'd like to talk to you about your roommate, Michelle Alexander"

Lindsay led them into the apartment, setting down the laundry on one of the chairs.

"Shelly's been on assignment in California I haven't seen her since she left"

"When did she leave?" asked Booth

"About five or six weeks ago"

"That's funny because the modeling agency you both work for said that she took vacation." Booth questioned.

"Well she didn't come here" replied Lindsay harshly. Her gaze went once again to Brennan who was trying to look away, which didn't go unnoticed by Booth.

Booth looked at her confused "No one noticed her missing for five whole weeks?"

"Shelly had a habit of disappearing for weeks at a time. The model agency would cut her some slack because of all the publicity she's been getting lately."

"Do you know where she disappeared to?"

"I'd say her boyfriends, she was always over there"

After getting the boyfriends address and asking a few more questions it was evident that Lindsay wasn't going to give up any more information and Booth led Brennan out into the hallway.

Brennan was quiet all the way to the car, with a far away expression on her face. It wasn't until they were inside did Booth break the silence.

"Bones are you okay?"

Brennan put her head in her hands and shook her head "no".

They drove back to the Jeffersonian without another word, and before Booth had a chance to stop her, Brennan rushed into her office shutting the door behind her.

Booth followed her calling her name but stopped in front of her door when he saw her at her desk chair looking the opposite way.

Hodgins came and looked over Booth's shoulder at his boss.

"Trouble in paradise?"

Angela walked by to give Booth a folder. When he didn't take it she also looked into the office.

"Booth what did you do?"

"I didn't do anything. We went to question Lindsay Richards at her apartment and she didn't talk the whole time, and all the way back here."

Angela gave him the folder and patted him on the chest before entering Brennan's office.

"Not now Booth" came Brennan's tear filled voice.

"It's not Booth, but he's worried about you."

Brennan turned around wiped the tears off her face with the back of her hand which shook.

"Did something happen between you two?"

Brennan looked away from her friend.

"Angela, please I don't want to discuss this right now"

"Did you give him that note yet?"

"What note?" Brennan asked irritably

"You know the one you wrote when you and Hodgins..."

Brennan cut her off "I wrote it as I thought I was dying"

Angela sat down on the side of the desk. "Sweetie, if you're not open with him, and tell him how you really feel..."

"I've told him how I really feel"

"Really? You've told him everything?"

"I told him I loved him"

"You didn't tell him how much of an effect he's had on you? How you loved him even before he loved you too? How he was the only one you thought about as you were trapped underground?"

"That's not true I thought about all of you"

"Give him the note Brennan. Maybe that will resolve the fight you're in"

"We're not in a fight!"

Without another word Brennan got up, grabbed her coat, and stormed out of her office. Booth tried to stop her on her way through the doors of the Jeffersonian that she had just came through only minutes before but it was no use.

"I need some time... by myself" She said passing him.

Booth looked towards Angela who only shook her head.

Brennan found her car quickly and sped off, not wanting Booth or Angela to follow her.

After driving around for a while trying to think of someplace to go, she finally decided on the cemetery.

The sun was just setting, which left the cemetery completely open except for Brennan. She walked through rows and rows of graves, some new and some old.

As she walked through, she let her mind wander. She thought about how if she hadn't escaped Hastings, what he would have told Booth. How if her partner had known that part of her life, he would have regarded her differently, they all would.

Temperance Brennan had a past, no one was denying that; but there were some parts of it that she could've stopped. There were some instances she had control over and could've prevented.

This case was a reminder of everything she had tried to put past her. She could tell that Lindsay Richards remembered her; maybe not by her name but by her face. Sooner or later Lindsay would remember and then it would be too late to stop the chain of events that would be sure to follow.

Brennan stopped at one grave. She knelt down and placed a hand on top, letting a few tears fall into the soil.

The deeper this investigation got, the more people they met, the more people would start to remember her. And the more trouble her friends would be in.

Brennan was sure that she knew exactly why Shelly was killed. She was also sure she knew who did it, or ordered it at least.

Brennan couldn't tell any of this to Booth. Once they started their investigation, Temperance would have to stay far away from him. If they saw she was close to him, he would become a target. The same would go for her whole team.

Even if it meant breaking up with Booth, she would do it. If only to keep him safe.

Brennan got into her car and turned on her phone. There were eleven missed calls, eight from Booth. Ignoring them all, she called FBI director Cullen's office. She wiped the tears that were now streaming down her face as she waited for him to pick up.

"Director Cullen of the FBI speaking"

"Hi yes, this is Dr. Temperance Brennan" She said clearing her throat.

"Dr. Brennan, what do you want now" Cullen said slightly irritated. He was still angry about being blackmailed so that she and Agent Booth could sleep together.

"I want to be off this case immediately"

This isn't much of an update I know. HOWEVER I'm working on one now and you'll see in a few hours if you stick around.