Temperance's P.O.V
'How could she not love him?' Temperance walked toward her fridge and pulled out the remainder of a Chinese that she shared with her best friend Angela last night. Staring at the microwave as it turned the food. Her mind wondered to the man she loved. Seeley Booth. An FBI agent that she had worked with for nearly 4 years now before he was cruelly taken away from her. She knew him before they worked together briefly and she knew when she met him that there was something between them but she never acted on it. She could not and would not be able to withstand loosing another person. Her view of love became clinical when her mother and father abandoned her and her brother Russ. Whose real name as she discovered was actually Kyle. Her true name, the name her now dead mother and fugitive father gave her was Joy. It did not suit her. It was a lie in her mind. The microwave binged and caused her train of thought to waver. She stared at the food absentmindedly. Her arms around her stomach. Deciding she should leave the food she turned and walked toward her couch. Setting down a class of red wine she went into her bedroom. Looking around and finding what she had been looking for in an instant. A white shirt crumpled, covered in creases, unwashed and the white dull and faded. Picking it up she lifted it to her face and sighed. Content as the familiar scent of aftershave, coffee and surprisingly a clinical smell from her workplace hit her. Seeleys' shirt was far too big for her. When she slide it over her vest top she felt dwarfed in it. The grief inside her threatened to spill over as she buttoned the shirt up and as if in a dream she walked back toward the couch sitting down she curled up. The tears that filled her eyes would not fall. She couldn't let this swallow her. If she cried just once then she would not get up again. She would not go into work, a job she loved so very much. She would not be able to cope with any part of her life. Her friends were all concerned. Angela refused to leave until she had fallen asleep. Temperance knew she loved her best friend but true enough she just wanted to be left alone. Alone to grieve. Over the man that she loved. Over the man that took a bullet for her.
Booths P.O.V
" what do you mean she doesn't know? You have got to be kidding me?" Booth snarled at the agent on the other end of his cell phone. " She was on the list of who to tell she was the first person why wasn't she told?" anger boiled in him as he thought of his partner alone. Alone, she would never let anyone see her upset so she must be going through hell. The voice on the end was Lance Sweets. A psychologist that had been assigned to both him and Temperance some time ago.
"I'm sorry Agent Booth" Sweets spoke slowly. Having taken the phone from the frightened agent. " but I think this would have been a good opportunity to bring out Dr Brennans real self unfortunately I have seen no signs of her grieving she seems to be dealing with your 'death' quite well' Sweets paused " but, when you return I believe that will cause her despair. If she does accept your death which I think she will, you returning will perhaps a more negative effect on her than your death had done'
" You have to tell her Sweets" was all Booth could manage as he stared at the same four walls he'd been confined too for the last week. He was going out of his mind slowly and the only thought that brought him any comfort that he was doing the right thing was that Temperance would know and he'd be able to catch a complete scumbag in the process.
" Agent Booth, I have been given the authority whether to, or not to tell Dr. Brennan of your condition and I have chosen not to. To try and develop her mind"
Clenching his teeth together, Seeley stood up and threw the cell phone against the wall. A small smash echoing the poorly lit and furnished bedsit that he had been ordered to remain in until the date of his mock funeral. ' I can't let her suffer' he told himself over and over. His mind racing with what she must be going through. Staring at the door he took in a breath and walked out of it. Pulling a hooded jacket over his white shirt and pulling the hood up he made his way outside seeing a yellow cab. He called it over, got in, gave Temperance's address and sat back. His heart thumping hard in his chest. Doing this would cause him to loose his job. He could see his boss now frowning and taking the resignation.
As the cab pulled up he pulled out a handful of notes and stuffed it into the old mans grease covered hand uttering "keep the change" Booth climbed out and stared at the building making his way inside he felt his heart thudding. Wondering how Bones would actually react to seeing him. Soon he stood outside of her flat. Staring at the familiar sight and he raised his hand knocking three times.
Temperance's P.O.V
The combination of an empty stomach and half a bottle of wine was never a good thing. Completely out of character for her. Temperance knew that she had changed ever since she lost Booth but this was too much. Her limbs ached in response to her wake up call. She didn't want to move. Having fallen asleep a matter of moments ago. Climbing off of the couch causing her body to ache more in further protest. All she wanted to do was climb into her bed and curl up. So she never had to face the world again. So she would never get close enough to someone so it hurt when she lost them. In her line of work she was bound to loose a lot of people. Pain ran through her back and she winced. The late hours at work, little sleep and lack of food was a horrid and disturbingly painful combination. Crossing the wooden floor her feet padded over the rug before she reached the door "who is it?" she half yawned, and half muttered.
Leaning tiredly against the door she heard no response so she looked through the hole and saw someone tall hooded their face hidden. She reached toward the table right next to the door and pulled out a gun. Small but effective something Booth had insisted on. Her stomach felt like it was being wrenched when she thought of Booth the pain ran up her body to squeeze her shattered heart and cause her head to throb. Or was that the wine?. Musing to herself she sighed and held the gun behind her back moving the lock aside she opened the door cautiously.
In a moment, several things occurred. Her mind slowly processing every thing. The hooded figure walked in past her and she moved the gun out from behind her back. In a second the person. Assumingly a man removed the hood. The moment their eyes met Temperance felt tears slip down her face and the gun hit the floor with a dull thud. His arms were around her in an instant. Only to feel herself tense more. When Booth backed away slightly she felt a dull stinging in her hand and she realised moments later she slapped him. Having staggered back Booth stared at her in bewilderment and amusement. ' This is not funny!' she screamed in her mind. Causing her head to throb harder in annoyance.
"Hey Bones" Booth looked at her wide eyed. " What was that for? Though I'm glad that you didn't shoot me" he smiled his charming smile and it broke her heart all over again. He was alive. He was here with her again. In that instant she felt save. But then confusion met that safety and took away the pleasant numbness she had grown accustomed to. The tears wouldn't stop and it soon caused her body to shake.
"Booth… you…you're alive!" stating the obvious was something she never liked to do. But all her mind had done since he died as dreamed of this. Since he passed out in that club. Since the paramedics told her there was no hope. Since she went to his flat to find the bed unmade cold coffee on the side. The place smelling so strongly of Booth. The smell both torturous and blissful.
"Yeah I'm alive and kicking… well stinging now. Jeez Bones you know how to slap remind me never to get on your bad side" He looked at her realising that she needed to process what had happened before he continued he stood there the door of her flat open. His eyes searching hers as she scanned him. He wore his ' Cocky' belt buckle, the pants and shirt that she could see under his hoody were his usual FBI get up. He was here. Really here. Then it crossed her mind. He has been alive for all this time and not told her! He had some explaining to do.