Alright, so this is a story I have nearly finished writing over these past few weeks. It is rather long, well over twenty chapters, and I am a bit uncertain of uploading this. These earlier chapters are not exactly intended for fan fiction and this first one did not even go to this story in the beginning. Of course it has been altered some to help it mesh better with the rest of the story.
As said previously this is not written for fan fiction. That means that I would appreciate if you would be so kind as to tell me whether this is something I should continue posting or not. Please keep in mind it was written a little while ago and is certainly nothing impressive. I do hope you can enjoy. Thank you for reading.
Temperance Brennan spent a lot of time at her work. More time than most people would find healthy. For her, however, it was where her life was held. Granted the last few years had pushed her outside of the world of computers and bones and fellow scientists, but at the end of the day she was there again. It was like home to her. Which made sense since she spent more time there then in her apartment.
The platform was where she examined bodies, her eyes closely examining each bone for any anomaly. Limbo, or more accurately modular skeletal storage, was where she spent a great deal of time as well. She found it abnormally peaceful down there, as though she perhaps belonged amoungst the forgotten dead. Her office was her real sanctuary though, that was where she most belonged. It held any of the necessities for her to get by on for at least a good few days. She would sit at her computer and write or complete all of the endless paperwork. She could relax on the couch and read an anthropology journal or whatever else may spark her interest at the time. More often than not she would sleep and eat here. This was a place that belonged completely to her and her alone.
That was why she really wished people would stop pestering her on returning home. When she was good and ready she would go and others, especially certain others who were particularly persistent, should really just allow that. Tonight was no different though. As she stood face to face with her best and only friend of many years, Angela Montenegro.
Angela's eyes stared at Brennan with such determination and an extreme amount of worry, not that Temperance could ever detect such a thing through a look, that Angela pondered how the woman could ever refuse her pleas. She tried not to sound desperate as she asked for Brennan to go home, but eventually it was coming out as whiny and pleadful. "Sweetie, you're exhausted. Just go home for tonight, please?"
Temperance had no intention of backing down though. She did not want to leave so why should she? Besides how would Angela know if she were tired? Brennan was well aware of when she needed to succmb to the production of melatonin and rest and now was not it. "I'm fine, Angela. I will go home tonight, just not now," Temperance tried a bit of bargaining. Her friend sounded sincere in her concern for Brennan's well being so the least she could do is pretend she was going to comply, right? "I just still have some work to do is all. Cam sent over some papers for me to sign." It was not a lie either. Temperance Brennan did not lie, not unless she found logical reasoning in it. However it was paperwork she had quickly pushed aside to be done at a later time when her eyes weren't drawn to what they were for. Signing these papers meant more acceptance on what happened.
"You and I are both fully aware that you will not go home tonight unless I watch you leave and then follow you home and sit outside your apartment."
"Well that would not make any sense..." Temperance pondered off. Her brain quickly comprehending the large holes in Angela's logic but trying to get a slight grasp as to why she would say something to begin with. Damn Booth and making her think of such useless things. Damn Booth in a general aspect for that matter. "It would be much more logical for you to just come inside where you could sleep better."
"A sleepover!" Angela gasped, gladly taking the time to throw Brennan off and then taking full advantage of the opportunity. "What a great idea, Bren. I have some stuff in my car anyway so we don't even need to stop at my apartment." Quickly, Angela grabbed her by the arm and pulled her along, giving Temperance no time to process until she was half way out of her office. No doubt her reactions were shot as well, due to the fact that she had slept maybe ten hours at most in the last week.
"Angela, let me go!" Brennan yelled a little louder than necessary and ripped her arm from her friend's grasp. "I have already told you I am not going home. I do not want to, and so, I won't."
Angela took a deep breath ready for another round. She was fully prepared for the fight that would be put up and Brennan could only go on for so long. "Bren, we're going home and you are going to eat an actual meal and go to bed. Now, your place or mine?" It was times like these she wished that Booth was here to help. Although if not for him none of this would have occured in the first place. She was still extremely pissed for what he had done. Probably would be for about oh, ever. When you cross Angela Montenegro you are in her black book for life.
"I do not want to go. Not now, not later and not with you!" Brennan was well aware that she sounded like a melodramatic adolescent arguing with her parental guardians, but, at that moment, she did not care. She just wanted to go back to her office and work. She would work a lot, until she was so tired she could lean back in her chair and close her eyes and dream of absolutely nothing. That was when she would consider going home. She expected Angela to get upset now, after all she was very emotionally charged, but apparently tonight she had decided that she was prepared for the cruelty Brennan would inflict upon her if she continued to pester.
"Please, Bren?" Here came that pathetic begging again. Angela was not ashamed to ask for things or use her manners but right now she sounded truly desperate, which she was she supposed. "Just for tonight. Let's go back to one of our places and eat something organic and healthy, just as you like it, and then you can sleep just until work tomorrow morning. Which is in only six hours, let me remind you. It would not be for long at all." Angela stopped and held her breath as Temperance contemplated. As her face contorted in such a way to suggest she would refuse the offer Angela opened her mouth with the rebuttle before the next argument could even be made. "Plus if you eat something and sleep a little you will be able to focus on your work and finish it more effieciently."
Using her own logic against her, that just was not right. "Fine, Angela but tonight and tonight only."
"Thank you!" she exclaimed throwing her arms around her best friend despite how ridiculous it was that her reasoning for such gratefulness was that her friend would go home and eat and sleep. It never should have come to this in the first place.
"There will be absolutely no emotional prodding or idle conversation leading up to you trying to get me to admit something or any such ridiculous activities. If you cannot accomodate to these terms I can very easily break our conditions as well."
"Did you just threaten to sneak out, Bren?" Angela questions somewhat increduously as Brennan turns back to her office and gathers her belongings in a few swift movements.
"No," she defuses quickly although she was aware of the fact that that was exactly what she had just done. "Of course not." Temperance slings her bag on her shoulder and lifts her coat but simply does not bother putting it on.
They begin to make their way towards the exit. The artist staying uncharacteristically silent, not that her friend was about to complain. They nod to the security guard as the walk past and he silently nods back, giving them a sympathetic glance. Something that really irks Temperance, angers her to a point of wanting to turn around and put him in his spot. She does not though, instead she just continues the silent and short journey. Suddenly, just before they reach the front door, Angela ceases her movements and Temperance follows suit. "Ange?" she asks as she turns to look at her friend. She had been so excited to get out of the building so why stop now?
"You need to put your coat on," she voices. Booth would make her do it, and I may hate him but he made me promise. Angela was not going to back out on a promise, especially since she understood the motivation behind it. How could she deny such a thing?
"Excuse me?" Brennan questions at the odd demand. This was not something Angela would commonly push her on. Of course Angela looked out for her well being, as much as she could that is, but not usually to this extent. This is something she would indubiously expect from..."Don't," Brennan warns. Her voice icy cold with a demand that she was sure came across clear as air
"Just put it on," she says again. She wants to cry when she sees Brennan's face. Wants to cry and then punch a certain FBI agent's lights out. "I need you to."
"How could you need me to put my coat on? That is not possible."
"Sweetie, can you not question me and put it on? You would put it on for-"
"Stop," she says and drops her bag with a loud thud before sliding her arms into her winter coat. Letting the extra heat warm her before she had to step out into the cold and bitter winter. The air was harsh and the wind caused it to be harsher. Considering it was nearly March Brennan held a hope that spring would present itself soon. "Now can we please go?"
"Thank you," Angela whispers as she passes by Brennan on her way outside.
Temperance has nothing to say but a sigh, one of which quickly transforms into a yawn. Is that all it took now? To make her do something? Threaten to bring up his name? She hated him. More than anything or anyone she had hated before. Well maybe not. Epps had been on hell of a rat bastard and the Gravedigger, that woman sure had sparked up a lot of hate in Brennan. This was worse though, she decided. They were the villans, she was supposed to hate them. Booth, he was the hero. Or at least so she had once thought.
"I hope you have food here, Bren, because I am starved," Angela calls as she disappears into the kitchen. Right now she really was hungry but wanted the food much more so for Brennan than herself. She had had dinner a while ago. Angela would not be surprised if the most Brennan had had today was water. Angela blamed herself for this. She needed to take care of Brennan right now, as much as she would allow at least. That was why today she had told Wendell that whatever they may have had was over.
Brennan and Angela had drifted apart a lot over the last few years but the last few months had been the most drastic. The most productful conversation was Angela seemingly guilt tripping her into giving her money. Yet Brennan was somehow at fault for it. She had been awful these past couple months. She should have been there for her friend much more than she had been and not to mention clearly needed to remember that Brennan was Brennan and that meant that Angela had to have patience and be understanding. She understood the fascinating Temperance Brennan's mind quite well but she had lost her compassion and desire for it all. She had carelessly passed all of those responisibilities on to Booth and that was not fair. Not to Booth or Brennan and not, the most of all, to herself.
She loved Brennan, without a doubt. She was her best friend and her family as well. She was a social person, always had many friends that she could call up to go out with and have a good time, but Brennan was the most special and important of them all. Hence the word best in best friends she supposed. Brennan did not understand caring and that was why Angela had to be there constantly projecting all of that love and care on to Bren until she figured it out a little. Leave it to Booth to teach her the most and then just bail on it all.
"I think I may have something for a salad in there," Temperance calls back. Fairly certain that Angela would not find anything more than a half rotted tomatoe and some lettuce in there. At this point she did not care much. In fact she would gladly welcome Angela having to take an impromtu trip to the grocery store. She needed time to collect herself and find the most effective way to deal with the current situation. For instance wouldn't it be easy to just lay down on the couch and close her eyes and pretend to sleep? Surely Angela would not wake her from her fake slumber considering that she was deeply concerned with Temperance's lack of sleep. Something that even she herself had to admit was very obvious from the dark circles under her eyes.
"Do you mean for a salad for humans or rabbits because there is nothing in that refridgerator to compose a decent meal," Angela loudly states as she enters the living room. Staring down at a clearly exhausted and worn Brennan.
"Look, Ange, can I just sleep now and eat once I have woken? I am really starting to feel the affects of the past couple weeks." It was not a lie, once again. It was a truth she had not wanted to reveal, but it had been for about ten days that she believed she was at a point of true exhaustion. She may as well use it for something beneficial.
Angela unmeaningly sent her a pitying glance. "Sure, Bren. Do you need anything?"
Brennan fought the desire to snap and responded in the most pleasent way she could. "I am fine, Angela. I just want to rest." And with that she stood and walked down the hallway to her room. She found pajamas unecessary and simply stripped down to her underwear and climbed under the covers. She wanted to sleep but at the same time it was as though her mind could not stop fighting it. Trying to ward off any sense of rest. She hated this feeling. When you were so tired that you stopped fully feeling the effects of your exhaustion.
What happened next was worse than just laying awake trying to fall asleep but failing. Worse than the feeling of utter exhaustion. This was when she began to do exactly she had been fighting for two weeks, the exact thing she had compartmentalized away. Now here she lay, analyzing every single possible detail. She really should have stayed at the lab.