Hey I wrote this after a night of insomnia hope you like it, sorry if it's ooc. Also if you like Sully, turn back now.
Disclaimer-nobody is mine, I own nothing if I did the show would contain sooooo much more fluff
About the same-
As Temperance Brennan walked on ahead of Agent Seeley Booth he noticed the small fact, that she had been favouring her left side for the past couple days. He frowned when did she hurt her self no suspect has had contact with her he also recalled her wincing each time he placed his hand on the small of her back its usual place. She also had an excuse not to come out in the field with him each time he asked, and had been so preoccupied she couldn't even hold a conversation for any length of time.
"Hey Bones you ok"
His hand instinctively reached out to make contact with her, but she flinched just out of range. He saw the guilty look across her face for pulling away and he realized he must have shown her a hurt expression
"Yes I'm fine"
Booth didn't want to push her to closing up. So he figured he'd break her slowly. He watched her sit down behind her desk
"Ok well… I'll see you later then Bones"
She didn't answer just nodded, her mind already beginning to wander.
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Sitting in his office Booth contemplated what could be wrong with his best friend, as he dialled her number
"Hey Bones"
"Booth?"
"You got it… Hey was wondering if you wanna get rid of some of this paper work tonight? I'll bring Thai food"
Temperance couldn't stop the small smile that touched her lips
"Ok… about seven?"
Booth tilted his head she sounded so small
"Sure Bones, seven it is"
Hanging up the phone Tempe's head snapped up to the door, where she felt rather than saw her boyfriend Agent Tim Sullivan standing there smiling. He approached as she stood up hurriedly knocking her chair over
"Heya Tempe"
"Wha… what are you doing here?"
"I brought you these baby"
Temperance watched as Sully produced a bunch of hyacinths from behind his back holding them out to her, when she didn't stepped forward to take them he stepped closer making her lunge back against the cabinet
"Come on Tempe your not still mad at me are you, I said I was sorry what more can I do"
She noted his voice was beginning to rise
"Sully I think you should leave, I don't feel like arguing with you again"
"TEMPE DON'T SHUT ME OUT. THIS WHOLE THING IS YOUR FAULT"
"MY FAULT I… HO...SULLY LEAve now"
"Fine… but I'll be over tonight to get this sorted"
"Booth is coming round to do some paper work tonight"
Sully glared at her
"Cancel!"
She watched the door as it slammed shut; picking up her chair and sitting herself back down on it.
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6:58PM Apartment of
Temperance sat on her couch waiting for Booth to arrive. Hearing the knock she rose and walked to the door, looking through the peep hole she nodded took a calming breath and opened the door
"Hey Bones"
He noticed the underlaying frown on her face despite her smile
"Hi Booth, come in"
She stepped aside letting him pass into her dining area, he placed the food on the table turning to catch her latching and locking the door, something she never did without him prompting her god she's so tense she looks almost scared
"So Bones you hungry?"
She looked to the food now resting on the table then back to Booth, he knew her answer was no and began putting the boxes in the oven to keep it warm. She smiled watching him then walked into the lounge area where the paper work was waiting. Booth smiled as they both sat down and begun, Booth noticed she was unusually quiet and frowned trying to think if he had done anything to upset her, but came up blank. Turning to face her slightly, he spoke
"Hey Bones? What's wrong? You mad at me?"
She looked up, a guilty look on her face
"No Booth I'm not mad at you"
She tried to smile to reinforce the statement but couldn't quite get there
"Tell me Bones I know you're upset"
Tempe dropped her gaze to the floor
"Its fine Booth, I don't really feel like discussing it"
Booth knew his partner very well. He knew something was wrong but he also knew if he pushed her she'd close up and never tell him what was wrong. So he left it for now as they settled back into paper work. There was a loud knock at the door and Booth noticed, Bones tense as she got up, when she reached the door he heard her sigh then take a deep breath
"Sully… I told you not to come round tonight, Booth and I have work to do an…"
"AND I TOLD YOU… TO CANCEL WE NEED TO TALK"
Booth tensed hearing Sully raise his voice, but knew he had to let Bones handle it herself
"Sully, I don't want to talk what's done is do..."
"DON'T GIVE ME THAT CRAP TEMPERANCE. I SAID I WAS SORRY, NOW CAN WE FUCKING MOVE ON!"
"Leave Sully if Booth hears you, you know who will come out second best"
Her tone was whispered but Booth heard and smiled, she was right but he never thought she would voice her opinion
"YEAH COZ BOOTHS A FUCKING HERO"
"Sul..."
"AND YOU'RE A FUCKING BITCH"
With that Booth was up but the door was shut and Temperance stood against it, Booth watched her relax and he stepped up
"If I ever! Hear him speak that way to you again, I swear to GOD I'll…"
"Its fine Booth he's just a little upset… come on we have to get those files done"
He watched as she walked back into the living area, and sat down to continue where she had left off. After the case files were complete, and Booth had eaten the majority of the food, they watched a little TV together before he said goodnight and left, despite every gut instinct telling him to stay with her.
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The following day Booth had called her, telling his partner he had been selected to run a seminar for the day, and that they wouldn't have a case. He heard the noticeable shift in her tone from light to stiff
"How... how long does it go for?"
"Just the day Bones. I'll be back in town later tonight"
"Tonight! Where is it at?"
"Virginia Conference centre they fly us all there and back. Are you ok Bones?"
"Wha… yes I'm fine… ok well have fun I'll see you tomorrow bye"
She didn't wait for his response just hung up the phone. Booth on his end looked curiously at the phone as if it was going to agree she was acting strange. Knowing she was far from alright but also knowing her as well as he did he knew he had to wait for her to tell him the problem, pulling out his cell he sent a brief text to her before leaving for the airport.
Brennan picked up her cell from her desk
MESSAGE RECEIVED
BOOTH: I'LL CALL YOU TONIGHT. HAVE A GOOD DAY DON'T FORGET TO EAT
Temperance smiled saving the message to her cell, and then headed down to limbo for a day of identifying bones.
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"Hey sweetie wanna grab some lunch?"
Angela entered the small room Brennan always occupied when 'doing her thing' she watched her best friend jump in surprise
"Angela! Don't sneak around like that"
"Sorry Bren, usually you hear me get out of the elevator. What's going on, you've been acting strange all week?"
"I'm fine Ange and I do not act strange"
Angela raised her eyebrows
"It's a figure of… never mind do you wanna go get lunch?"
"No thanks I'm not hungry, I really need to finish this"
With that she turned straight back to her bones. Angela feeling defeated walked out still trying to work out what was wrong with her friend.
Tempe was pulled from her concentration by a vibrating sensation in her pocket, retrieving her cell she answered without reading the display
"Doctor Temperance Brennan"
"Bones… go home"
"Booth… how do you know I'm not already at home?"
Booth smiled
"Because you answered your cell with Doctor Temperance Brennan and I know you… why are you still working?"
Looking up at the clock Booth had placed on the wall, to remind her of the time so she would eat regularly, she noted it was after eight
"I... I guess I lost trail of time"
"Track Bones… you lost track of time"
"Yes that too"
Booth muffled his chuckles on the other end not wanting to make her uncomfortable
"So how was your day? Productive I bet"
"Yes actually it was. Are you back in DC yet?"
"No at the airport, plane doesn't leave for another hour yet should be home by eleven I think"
"Oh… how was your seminar?"
"It was ok I'd have rather been on a case, I hate these things you don't get experience sitting in a room, these recruits should be out getting on the job training but I do as I'm told"
Bones smiled
"Since when? Last time I saw, doing as you were told was not your strong suit"
"Yeah well you get that, so did you eat today?"
He smiled broadly
"Oh ah well… I kind of got… no I guess I forgot"
Booth rolled his eyes still not able to comprehend how you can forget to eat
"Bones! Have you had dinner?"
"No but I will when I get home Booth"
A soft smile touched her lips knowing that he was always taking care of her, the ever diminishing feminist side of her cringed at the thought that she liked being looked after.
"Promise Bone's?"
"Yes Booth I do"
"Ok well speaking of food mine has just arrived, so I'll talk to you later?"
"Ok bye"
"Bye Bones"
They both hung up Brennan set about putting her things away. She was tired and a little hungry not to mention stiff, standing up she left the room heading up to her office then out to her car.
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Walking up the steps of her apartment Temperance realised just how hungry she was, but the feeling passed instantly, when she raised her head to look at her front door
"What are you doing here?"
Sully pushed off the wall taking a step toward her
"Evening Tempe"
Brennan took a step back, her heart beating rapidly in her chest
"Go away Sully. I don't want to see you anymore"
Stepping around him, she put her key in the lock pushing her door open
"Tempe I said I was sorry"
"And I said I wasn't interested, just leave me alone"
Entering her home Temperance was shocked to feel Sully's hands grasp her upper arms tightly, spinning her and slamming her already fragile frame against the back of the door also slamming the door shut in the process
"Oww let me go Sully"
"Tempe why won't you believe me, I said I was sorry for the other night and I meant it. Why can't you just give me another chance? I love you"
He squeezed her hard she didn't have the energy to fight back, she tried to pull from his grip but knew it was better to just wait it out
"You love me? Booth says you don't hit the one's you love, you don't hurt them"
Sully rolled his eyes
"Shut up about Booth. I don't want to hear what Booth says or what Booth does or how wonderful he is, God Tempe it's always Booth this or Booth that just shut up"
Pushing her harder against the wall she whimpered as the wind was knocked out of her. Tempe could feel her already fractured ribs grinding the bones together, making her feel sick
"Oww your hurting me let go!"
Sully shook his head he moved one hand in front of her neck, placing enough pressure to hold her steady while he pulled her blouse sharply sending the buttons skittling across the floor.
"SULLY NO!"
She attempted to push him away
"Stop it, or I'll scream so loud someone will call the police"
Sully stared at her a minute before increasing the pressure on her throat, she struggled against him despite her body screaming at her to stop, she tried to scratch at his face but in her weakened state she was no match for him as he simply captured her hands holding them to her own throat as he reapplied pressure, he unbuttoned then unzipped her jeans pulling them and her panties roughly down to her thighs. Watching the tears fall down her cheeks, her lips silently moving, begging him not to do this. He pinched her nipple hard then thrust into her, not stopping despite the shriek of pain he inflicted. Sully pounded into her completely oblivious to anything, except his own throbbing erection again and again he pushed harder each time until he emptied himself into her. Letting her feet back on the ground and releasing her throat he stood with a satisfied smile, the second he released her she moved away from him, hurriedly pulling up her panties and jeans again
"Get out Sully"
"Why were you so late coming home?"
Brennan stood silently in shock she couldn't believe that she had just been… oh my god
"You were with him, weren't you?"
She stayed silent, her body starting to tremble
"ANSWER ME!"
She raised her tear filled eyes to his angry ones
"Who?"
"Who else Tempe, ole Boothy boy God knows you two are joined at the hip"
"I was at work"
"Oh so I suppose you also want me to believe he wasn't with you?"
Temperance frowned
"No he wasn't"
"Oh come on, if your gunna lie to me, at least make it believable. He never leaves you alone; he's like a god damn shadow and what's more is you let him get away with it. I try to assert a little dominance with you, and you go all alpha male tendencies crap on me but he does it and its Booth is very protective blah, blah, fucking blah"
"I don't know what that means"
"It means he does everything but piss on you to mark his territory, and you never pull him up on it"
Brennan shook her head somewhat confused, how the conversation had gotten to this.
"I want you to leave Sully"
He looked her defiantly in the eyes. Sully walked to her his eyes narrowing in anger, when got close enough his hand went up and came down so fast against her face she didn't have time to react landing on the floor she held one hand to her cheek and the other cradled her side
"Tempe I... I'm sorry I..."
"GET OUT SULLY"
Within seconds he was gone, leaving Brennan still on the floor tears silently rolling down her face. She didn't want to cry that would cause pain to her already tender ribs, and aching body so instead, she got up locked the door and had a long warm shower.
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Booth went to meet Brennan the next day for an early lunch just wanting to see her he walked into her office noting she wasn't there, he instantly thought to try limbo he bumped into Angela
"Hey Ange, where's Bones?"
"Umm I think she went down to her car to get a book, but that was a while ago"
Booth nodded turning his focus to the elevator that led to parking garage instead
"Booth do know what's wrong with her lately? She has a bruise on her face she said she got from a fall in the shower and she's so jumpy. Yesterday she got really mad, saying I shouldn't sneak up on people and she's so unfocused"
Booth's gut twisted, telling him all was not well
"She fell?"
Booth watched as Angela nodded her head disbelievingly
"I dunno Ange I know she's hiding something and I'm working on it trust me, but she is a hard nut to crack"
With that said he turned and jumped into the lift. Getting out in the garage Booth removed his gun from its holster for two reasons, one he could hear crying and two he heard yelling
"…. OVER THIS SHIT TEMPE, I'VE SAID I'M SORRY HOW MANY MORE TIMES DO YOU WANNA HEAR IT. I'M SORRY, I'M SO FUCKING SORRY. DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY IT IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE? WHAT YOU WANT IT IN SPAN…"
"THAT'S ENOUGH SULLY!"
Sully spun around hearing the strong voice of his old friend
"Well look who it is, the man of the hour"
Booth stepped into Sully's personal space taking a quick glance at his partner, who was sitting side ways in her car feet on the ground tears pouring down her flushed cheeks, he turned back to Sully his voice low
"You don't speak like that to her, you got it pal"
"Or what booth, you'll hit me"
Booth looked into his eyes lowering his voice further
"You speak to her like that again, and I'll shoot you Sully. No warning I'll just shoot"
"Booth… Booth"
Booth spun toward his partner her small voice shocking him a little. He kneeled down in front of her his hands resting on her thighs, he looked up into her puffy eyes noting she had been crying for a while she looked tired and pale except the sizeable bruise on her left cheek
"Hey Bones what happened to your fa…?"
"Booth, could you please take me home?"
Booth frowned knowing his Bone's didn't generally ask for help unless she was really having trouble, usually settling for trying to work her problems out on her own
"Yeah sure, come on"
Temperance moved to stand up, but headed toward the ground when her knees buckled. She grasped for Booth's shirt but his arms caught her round the waist and under the knees, he didn't see her wince in pain or clench her teeth to stop from crying out
"Whoa, hey easy there Bones I gotcha"
Holding her against his chest, he spoke into her ear
"Come on, when did you eat last Temp?"
She was silent for a moment
"Umm… when we had dinner"
"Temperance that was two days ago, you can't keep doing that to your body your gunna get sick"
Her response was quiet and weak
"I… I'm sorry Booth"
He looked down to see her eyes were shedding more tears, and tried to pacify her
"Shhh come on it's alright. We'll get something on the way"
Booth felt Sully following behind, and spun to face him holding Bones tightly
"You! God help you Sul. If that bruise on her face was caused by you, you're gone"
Booth's voice was little more than an angry whisper
"Booth you bastard, this is your fault. We'd be happy if it wasn't for you"
Booth frowned unsure of his reasoning
"Just stay away from her, or I will hurt you"
Booth turned away looking down to his chest where Brennan had her eyes closed
"Hey… you ok there Bones?"
"Mmm hmm I just wanna go home"
"Ok Bone's. Let's go"
She nodded as he walked toward his SUV, opening the door he placed her in her seat and closed the door again before jogging around to his own side. Getting in and driving toward her apartment
"First we need to get you some soup from Sid's, so what will it be veggie?"
She looked over to him
"Yes please, but Booth you don't need to buy me stuff"
"I know that, I want too. Besides you need to have something in your stomach and we need to discuss this you not eating whenever I go away, just because I'm not there to drag you out of the lab does not mean you can simply forget to eat. If I have to start calling you to remind you to eat I will"
Brennan smiled knowing he would do exactly as he said
"I know I really did mean to eat last night, but when I got home Sully was at my door and time just flew. Then I really wasn't hungry and just didn't think to eat"
"Speaking of Sully, what is going on with you two?"
Tempe noted his voice was tight
"Nothing he's just persistent"
Booth raised his eyebrows
"You really are a shocking liar Temperance"
She watched his eyes roam her face knowing she wasn't meaning to try and lie just buy some time
"We will talk about it later Bone's and how you got the bruise, but I won't stand by and let him treat you like that Temperance"
Temperance turned her head looking out the window at the passing cars they pulled up outside Wong Foo's Brennan made to get out of the car but Booth placed a hand on top of hers stopping her
"Just wait here Bones please I'll only be a minute"
She nodded feeling defeated.
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Forty five minutes later they were at Brennan's sitting on her couch. Temperance had just finished half a bowl of soup, and Booth noted she was shivering
"You cold Bones?"
"A little but it's…"
Before she could answer Booth was draping a blanket round her shoulders, she smiled sadly thinking not for the first time how sweet he was
"Do you need anything Bones?"
She shook her head
"No I'm just really tired"
He nodded
"Come ere"
Pulling her body to his, and laying her head on the pillow that he placed on his lap. She sighed then relaxed for the first time in two weeks, knowing she could sleep and not have to worry about her surroundings. She closed her eyes to the sensation of Booths fingers caressing her cheek and hairline falling into a deep sleep. Booth smiled once realising she had actually fallen asleep, with her head on his lap he watched her. It wasn't often he got to see her so unguarded, her face was calm and he silently admired her. She really was very beautiful he thought he could easily drown in her and be happy. He smiled as her face unconsciously sought his fingers when he got side-tracked and his fingers stilled; needing no other encouragement he began stroking her skin again. She only slept soundly for an hour or so before she woke slowly, instantly knowing Booth was with her by his familiar cologne she smiled at the intimate position they were in. Her forehead resting against his abdomen, his hand against her stomach and his other hand tangled in her hair cupping the side of her face gently. Thinking back to a time when this sort of closeness would have had her running for the door, it was fast becoming the norm for them of late. Often starting off watching a movie, they would end up lying against one another finally falling asleep and waking up a mass of tangled limbs on the couch. Booths voice pulled her from her thoughts
"Hey sleep ok?"
She gazed up at him a small smile gracing her lips, as she nodded
"Thanks Booth"
He nodded silent for a moment before he spoke up
"Tempe I really need you to let me take care of Sully. I know you can do it your self but I just… I really need to do this"
Brennan tried to take a deep breath, wincing as she did and watched Booth frown slightly
"Temperance?"
Bones nodded knowing he would find out eventually, and be mad at her for not telling him. She stood up and walked slowly over to the window she closed the curtains and walked back to him motioning for him to follow her. She escorted him into the dinning area. Looking him squarely in the eyes she lowered her voice
"I need to show you something, but you have to promise me that you won't leave the apartment"
Well that's chapter one. Let me know what you think