When You Come Around
Disclaimer - - Don't own nothin'.
A/N - - First shot guys, be nice. Think the story will be 'M' for safety reasons.
Chapter One: Calm
9:35PM. She sat at her desk, clearly exhausted and agitated. The bags under her eyes enhanced her age by ten years. The ever-so-confident forensic anthropologist, Temperance Brennan slouched back in her chair and let out a long breath. She rubbed her weary eyes, and stretched her arms to the ceiling until she heard the satisfying crack of her vertebrae. Brennan was startled by a commanding knock on her office door… none other than her partner… He did not wait for a response to barge into her office. She was greeted by a tall, clean-cut man. Seeley Booth. His tie was gone, and the first two buttons of his shirt were undone. She was almost angry to see him. Memories of their fight earlier that day resurfaced. It was a stupid fight too, but it escalated quickly.
"What is it Booth?" She questioned.
"I think we should talk." Was his reply.
"There is nothing to talk about." Brennan said nonchalantly. He exhaled heavily before walking into her office. He said sternly,
"I don't care if you talk, just listen to me." She tossed her pen on the desk and leaned back in her chair. She crossed her arms and stared into his dark, disturbed eyes.
"What?" she asked, hostility evident in her voice.
"I-I just wanted to say that-that I'm sorry." He finally blurted out.
"Why are you sorry?" She probed, "What would make you be sorry?" He stared into her eyes then at the ground and furrowed his brow.
"I shouldn't have said the things I said. You know I didn't mean any of them, I was just… angry. It was the heat of the moment, and I didn't think before I said them." He stared directly into her eyes, "That's why I'm sorry."
She smiled, proud of herself for not being the first to apologize. When it came to Booth and Brennan, it was competition. They were both stubborn as mules, and they knew it. It always counted as a defeat when one of them broke first.
"Temperance," he used her first name, "I don't want to fight like that. One of us always ends up with damaged pride." Her face straightened out, and her breathing quickened. The competition ending. He never used her first name. He was serious.
"I know. I'm sorry too." She said genuinely. He smiled at her. The peace falling on them. He walked towards her chair and crouched to her level. He looked directly at her eyes and hugged her tightly.
"Let's go for some late dinner, I got some stuff from Cullen today. You might be interested." He said. She smiled.
The two made their way out to his SUV. He opened the passenger door for her and she climbed in.
"What do you have for me?" She asked after he put his seatbelt on.
"You remember that skull that you got a couple of months ago? The one with the puncture wound in the head?"
"Yeah, but what's that got to do with…." She seemed confused.
"Apparently some hikers were on a trail a few hours outside of DC, and they came across a complete skeleton, minus the hand and feet." He interrupted.
"I'm confused, explain the relation." She asked.
"The wound in the head is consistent with the other skull. I pulled up the files on the old one today to try and back up what I got from Cullen."
"Booth, you know we hit a dead end on that one. The remains were too badly decomposed. The puncture wound could have been from an animal."
"I know, but it came to my mind instantly and it peaked my curiosity. I just want to investigate a little." He glanced over at her. She nodded slightly.
"I guess it might be worth taking a look at…." She hesitated.
"You'll understand more when I show you the files." He pulled in front of Wong Fu's and together they went in.
Booth laid the thick folders down on the table. One read, 'Unidentified: Jane Doe March 6, 2006. J-935326' And the other read, 'FBI: Confidential'. They sat across from each other and ordered before looking through the files. Pictures of the new body were shown to Brennan. She observed them carefully.
"Female." She said. Booth nodded, and passed her the picture of the head wound. She furrowed her brow. "Pass me the picture of the other skull."
He followed her instruction and gave he the picture of the decomposed skull. She scrutinized them both.
"Booth, I have to see this body." She said. "Look at the wounds and compare." She passed him the photos, and commentated them.
"The puncture wounds are on the right temple. Assuming this is a murder, that would make the killer---"
"Left handed" he finished.
"Precisely. But more importantly, look at the hole. It's almost perfect, suggesting a drill, or drill press of sorts. An animal claw or teeth would be oblong shaped." She explained.
"So, I'm thinking, that maybe the old skull could possibly be linked. The reason for the oval shaped puncture would be the mass decomposition."
"That's very possible. But the degree of the slant must be taken into consideration. Now take a look at the new skeleton. You see that the hands and feet are missing." She stated.
"Yeah, I saw that." He replied.
"I can't be too sure, but it looks as though they were sawed off." He looked up at her. So she continued, "Firstly, it seems too odd for all of those appendages to be missing. Upon taking a closer look, you will notice that it has been cut. Above the ankles and wrists."
"I'll notify Cullen. We're leaving in the morning." He placed the photos in their respective folders. He looked at her once more.
"Thanks Bones." He said. She shrugged her shoulders.
"It doesn't hurt to investigate."
They talked and laughed like old friends for hours. Earlier confrontations long since forgotten. When they finally left the restaurant, Booth's watch displayed the time, '12:44'. He pulled up to her house, and to assure her safety, he walked her to the door.
"I'll pick you up here in the morning." He stated. She unlocked her door and looked up at him, her conscience heavy.
"Booth, I want you to know that I'm sorry for what I did out in the field yesterday. And I'm sorry for saying what I said when you called me on it." She explained.
"It's okay. You just scared me. I trust you won't do it again." He smiled, and she returned the gesture. She nodded and turned to enter her house, he stepped off her front stoop.
"Bones!" She turned. "Have a good night." He said. She smiled at him and shut her door.
A/N: Worth continuing?