Hey folks, I am planning this to be a one-shot, however if I get enough responses, I'll probably continue it. This takes place after 'Man in the Mansion'.

Master Disclaimer: I Don't Own Bones, Fox, or any affiliated entity.

-Chapter 1-

He poured more scotch into his glass. He was a good way through the bottle in front of him. He lowered the bottle he had bought and raised the glass to lips. He drank the alcoholic beverage, hoping it would help ease the pain. He had already had a few rounds of the liquid before he had purchased the bottle, yet so far the pain wasn't going away.

The pain that had plagued him so long wasn't physical, but emotional. Memories of the war, rather nightmares of the war. And… and… something else. This… other thing had bothered him for just over a year now. He engaged in other relationships just to fulfill the emptiness he felt. He knew, or at least told himself, that he could never tell her, because she would freak and close her emotional walls.

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Brennan looked over at Sully. He returned the look, a smile playing across his face.

"Where'd you want to go for dinner?" He asked.

"I don't know… There's a really good Asian restaurant not too far from here. The guy who owns the place has an uncanny ability to predict what you should have." She said, her eyes turning back to the road.

"Sounds good enough to me." He replied.

"Okay then…" She started giving directions to Wong Foo's.

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Sid looked over at Booth. He was hunched over on the bar, drinking round after round of scotch. Sid headed over to him.

"Hey Booth give me your car keys." He ordered.
"No… why?" Booth muttered groggily.

"Your car alarms going off, I'll turn it off for you." He lied.

"Uhuh…" Booth murmured. He reached into his suit jacket, retrieving the keys to the Suburban.

He handed the keys to Sid, who, without Booth noticing, put them on the side as he bent down getting a lockbox off one of the shelves built in to the bar. He put it down and entered the combination in. He then deposited Booth's keys into it, locking it again. It was painfully obvious that Booth was in no state to drive. Booth remained oblivious as he poured himself more scotch.

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They pulled into the parking lot, Sully attempting to open the door for Temperance, who accidently hit him in the ribs with the side mirror as she opened the door. She hastily apologized and he laughed it off, her quickly joining him.

They made their way in the door and headed straight for a small booth on the far wall of the small restaurant. They slid in to the booth, one on each side of the two person booth. Sid walked from behind the bar, and as custom, grabbed two menus for them from the end of the bar and headed towards their table.

"Hey doc." He said depositing the menus on the table.

"Why did you bring us menus, you order for us anyway… oh and hello." She said, confusion radiating from her facial features and voice.

"Because doc, it's proper customs at a restaurant." He said a small grin playing over his face.

"Well, you still order for us so why bother…" The door opened as a group of four entered.

"I'll talk to you later doc, gotta go get those people settled." He took off, greeting the people and telling them to sit wherever as he went and grabbed a few menus for them.

Brennan's eyes scanned the bar as she turned back around to face Sully after watching Sid walk away. Her eyes passed over a broad-backed male wearing a expensive-looking suit, quite a familiar one to her actually, hunched over the bar, working on a round of scotch. Or rather, what she assumed to be scotch judging by the bottle next to him. Her eyes went over the figure, then her neck snapped back as she realized that she'd seen that suit earlier that day, and that suit was covering the same large male torso.

Sully had watched her neck jerk as her head had turned to look at something. He followed her gaze, the bar, some drunk working on a bottle of scotch, the guy Tempe called Sid… there was nothing he could assume she was looking at.

"Hey, you alright?" He asked curiously.

"Yeah… I think that's Booth at the bar." She said concern for her partner evident.

"Hum…" Sully started, "I think you're right."

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A mix of music, mostly classic rock, though with some other stuff mixed in, was playing through speakers playing around the restaurant, not loudly, but loud enough to hear if you weren't talking. A bass beat, backed by rhythmic drumming came over the speakers. Shortly after a guitar kicked in, and soon lyrics. Booth groaned as 'Hot Blooded' played from the speakers. He groaned inwardly. This song always made him think of… of… her. He punched the bar with more force than intended, and said 'the F-word' in a groggy voice, not loudly but clearly heard throughout the restaurant. His hitting the bar caused the bar to shake and two of his knuckles to start bleeding.

Sid spilled the drink he was pouring and nearly cursed himself, however Booth had already done that for him. He put down the bottle he had been holding and stormed down to Booth.

"What's your problem Booth? You made me spill the frigging drink I was making and swore loud enough for everyone in here to hear you!" Sid's voice came in a furious hissing whisper.

"Ch-change t-th-the so-song…" Booth muttered.

"You're done for tonight." HE said taking the bottle of scotch and Booth's half filled glass away. He next skipped 'Hot Blooded' out of friendship to Booth, he didn't know why he ejected to the song. Sid had always thought Booth had liked that song.

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Brennan had never been good at reading people's emotions. She had accepted this. However if she could read anyone's emotions to any extent it was Booth. She was getting better at it, she found she could tell just from looking at him his mood, and sometimes what he was thinking of, through facial expressions linked to topics they had discussed.

She had a vague idea as to what his reaction had just been to. He had been drinking, a lot. She knew that that was one of his ways to cope with his emotional problems. She knew that, for just over a year, he tried to show of his masculinity to her, a not-so-new way for a human male to attract a partner. His actions had led her to believe that it was possible he had, as Angela would say, the 'hots' for her.

What she had just seen had reinforced her hypothesis. He was attempting to numb emotional pain, frustration, impatience, hopelessness, and possibly rapid eye movement images from his memory in Kosovo, or some other conflict he had served in. She guessed he had been having war memories due to his paled, defeated, exhausted demeanor in the last few days, she had wondered what had set them off. She had been tempted to ask him about it, but never felt comfortable about it.

She linked his drinking with his reaction to the song, which brought, to her mind, and most definitely his, memories of the night when he had forced her to allow him to sleep on her couch, as to protect her from whoever was trying to kill her. Well that what he had planned at least. In reality he spent the night in a hospital after setting off a bomb, meant for her, that had been planted in his fridge. If he was burying emotional pain, and if he was indeed sexually attracted to her, then the song could have brought up the emotions he was trying to bury under the liquor.

She debated weather she should speak to him. If her hypothesis was correct, there was a chance that seeing her could upset him further. 'On the other hand, it might help him to have his partner and… and best friend there for him.' Thoughts like these swirled around her mind. She decided on what she was going to do. She turned to face Sully, who had been starring at Booth like most of the restaurant. He saw her head turn and did the same, meeting her eyes.

"I need to go speak to him okay?" She asked him, hoping he wouldn't mind, because even if he did, she'd still be doing it.

"Sure. I'll be right here." Sully replied understandingly.

Brennan was glad for his reaction and slid off the bench seat, making her way across the bar. She tentatively approached him, taking a seat on the stool to his right. She hesitated then began.

"Hey." She said softly. He turned to face her. His eyes were bloodshot, his face twisted in a confused, goofy expression.

"Ugh…" Was just about all he could mumble.

"You're not driving tonight I hope?" She asked wearily. Sid looked up from polishing glasses.

"No he's not, confiscated his keys well over an hour ago." Sid interrupted. Temperance nodded in thanks. Sid nodded back. Booth tried to protest.

"Uh… I… I… ne-need m-my k-k-keys…" Was all he was able to stutter.

"No, no you don't. The last thing you need is to attempt to drive in this condition." She scorned.

He was able to stutter out what sounded like 'call a cab', however Brennan refused.

"No, I'll give you a ride, okay Booth… Booth?" She looked down at his eyes they rolled up and his lids closed, she felt for the pulse, normal. He'd passed out. This was going to be ttrriicckkyy…

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