Chapter One

Dr. Temperance Brennen studied the report that had just landed on her desk. Well flew on her desk actually. Booth had come into her office five minutes and basically threw the file onto her desk, almost knocking over her coffee. That would have been bad for Booth. As she examined the contents of the file, she could feel Booth staring intently at her, waiting for her response. What was inside the file stunned her. It had actually left her speechless. No wonder Booth had thrown the file at her. Dr. Brennen finished reading the file and tossed it on the desk.

"I don't believe what this file says. It must be one of your weird jokes," Dr. Brennen finally said.

"It's absolutely true, Bones, I was at the prison myself."

Temperance laid her head on the back of her chair, and sighed.

"So what you're telling me is that Howard Epps, the serial killer, deranged madman, has escaped from a maximum security, death row prison." Temperance finally said.

Seeley Booth looked over at his partner and slowly shook his head. This had to be the worst day ever. Normally, Booth would have been merely upset that a deranged serial killer had escaped from prison, but this was no normal serial killer, no this serial killer had a twisted fascination with his partner, and he could tell by the hairs standing up the back of his neck that this was going to be trouble.

"Ah, listen Bones, I know you have some vacation time coming, why don't you go find a mass grave somewhere in a foreign country, and by the time you get back we'll have Epps back into his comfortable cell on death row."

Temperance looked at him with a mighty glare. She couldn't believe he had actually suggested that.

"Listen, Booth, there is no one who is going to scare me out of the country, and you know that, I don't know why you even bothered to ask."

"I figured it was a long shot," Booth said, "but I had to ask. You know he has a sick obsession with you, and I just want you safe."

"Booth, I appreciate your concern, but there is nothing to worry about you, I am sure that Howard Epps will have enough to worry about evading the police and FBI to concern himself with me."

Booth did not look convinced.

"Seriously, Booth, I don't think there is anything to worry about."

"Bones, I gotta tell you this is serious, and I don't like that this sicko could be coming after you."

"Booth, I am fine, but the sooner we catch him, the better."

Booth agreed with her in that matter. "Well if you refuse to leave the country, then I want you take a few extra precautions until we find this son of a bitch."

Temperance gave him a look of, oh please, but agreed to do it nonetheless. Booth left her office a short time after that, and Temperance went back to her work of examining the bones of a two hundred year old man found in an old mine shaft in Colorado. It was well after 10:00 p.m. before she finally left the Jeffersonian and walked to her silver car. The parking garage was well lit, and as she passed the security guard she gave him a short wave.

"Good night, Dr. Brennen, drive safely."

"Thank you, George," Temperance said tiredly.

She walked briskly and chirped her alarm. She opened the door and got in. She started the car, and was about to pull out of the garage, when she smelled the unmistakable smell of human decomposition. In fact the odor was so strong she was surprised that she hadn't smelled it when she opened her door. She looked into her back seat and noticed the jar right away. It contained a human ear. Oh great she thought, that was going to be easy to identify. At that moment, the CD player in her car clicked on.

"Hello Temperance, I wish I could be here to talk to you personally, but since that would be too easy, I figured this was best I could do right now."

Right now? Temperance, managed to control a shiver and kept listening.

"Dr. Brennen, I left you a present, and I hope you get the same enjoyment I did when I found it."

The CD player clicked off, and Temperance picked up her cell phone and immediately called Booth.

The phone picked up, "Booth, here."

He sounded like she had woke him, and his voice sounded really sexy. Whoa, Tempe, where did that come from.

"Booth, it's Temperance, I'm having a little bit of a problem."

Booth was startled to hear Bones voice.

"Well you know Bones, I never knew you were the booty call kind of gal."

"Booth, I don't know what that is, but I am having a problem here at the Jeffersonian, and I was wondering if you could get here as soon as possible."

"Bones, what's up? Are you in trouble?"

"Not exactly Booth, but if you could get as soon as possible, I would appreciate it."

"You got it Bones, see you in a few."

Booth hung up with Bones, and wondered what was up. He knew that she would never call him, if it wasn't an emergency. He'd only been half kidding with what he said about the booty call. Hell, he wished. He didn't know exactly when Dr. Temperance Brennen had gotten under his skin, but she had. In his head he knew that messing around with his partner was bad news, but his body and heart just wouldn't listen. He didn't know when it had happened, but he knew he felt something other than partnerly affection for her. He knew they had chemistry, hell everyone knew they had chemistry, even Cam. She was very observant, and even though they had slept together last month, she knew his heart wasn't in it. After they were done, she had asked him how he felt about Tempe, and he had try to lie, but Cam saw right through him. She then looked him straight in the eye, and told him that he deserved happiness, and when he was with Dr. Brennen he was at his best. She knew that he no feelings for her, and that they had only slept together to relieve an "itch" as Tempe would have called it. He hoped that Bones wasn't calling him down to the Jeffersonian to lay him out for sleeping with Cam. But that would imply jealousy and he didn't know how she felt about him. Booth hurridly put on some jeans and a tee-shirt and made it to the Jeffersonian in fifteen minutes. He found Bones in her office, looking a little scared. Now that was unusual. Usually Bones hid her fear very well, but he knew the tell-tale signs, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up for the second time that day. Bones looked up when she heard him come in.

"Booth, thanks of coming so quickly, I hope I didn't wake you?"

"No, Bones you didn't wake me."

She looked at him like she knew he was lying.

"Ok, you did wake me, but what are partners for, now what is going on?"

Tempe got up from behind her desk and walk out the front door to her office towards the elevator,

"Are you coming?", she asked.

Booth followed her but wondered where they were going.

"Tempe, what is going on?"

Temperance looked at him for a moment. He never called her Tempe. She wondered what that meant. The got onto the elevator and she pushed the button for the garage.

"Okay Booth, here's the deal. I have something in my car I want to show you."

The elevator dinged and they strolled out towards her car.

"Get in," Tempe said.

"What Bones, you want me to drive you somewhere, I am a heck of a chauffer, but not usually at this hour of the night."

Tempe walked around to the passenger side and got in and sat down. Booth sighed and followed her directions and sat in the driver seat. Tempe turned to face him,

"You smell that?"

He did, immediately as she said it.

"Fuck", he said, and turned around the back seat to find the offending smell.

He saw it immediately. Tempe then pressed play on the CD player, while Booth was still processing the ear.

"Fuck," he said again when he heard the voice on the CD player.

He immediately got out of the car and ran a hand through his short hair. Tempe got out of the car and followed him. She walked up to him and placed a hand on his arm. He turned around and grabbed her by the upper arms.

"I told you, Bones," he said and gave her a little shake.

"I told you this sicko had a thing for you, but no, you wouldn't listen, and now this fucker is this close to you."

To emphasize how close this close was, he pushed his face so close to hers that their noses were brushing. Tempe craned her neck back to get a better look into his face. He was really angry, in fact he was practically bristling with it. His body was stiff, and she could feel the muscles in his chest bunch against her body. Booth gave her another little shake.

"Booth, if you would stop manhandling for a moment, I would tell that I am perfectly safe, nothing is going to happen to me."

That statement seemed to anger him even more and he growled.

"Bones, you are nothing but NOT safe, if he could get into your car to leave you a little present he could have been in the car himself or put a bomb there or whatever, but the point is you are not safe."

The last of his proclamation was practically shouted. They stood there for a minute still touching, eyes locked. Then Booth did something that she wasn't expecting at all. He kissed her. He didn't know why he did it, he only knew that he had too. She could have been killed. That sick bastard could have been waiting for her, and she could be dead, but thank god, she was still alive, and he just needed a little taste of her to assure himself of that fact. As soon as his lips touched hers, she gasped and then stiffened, but less than a second later she relaxed and the warm pressure of her lips matched his. He could feel the beating of her heart through her thin shirt, and it slowly increased its rhythm. His mouth ground into hers, willing her lips to part. Oh God, he thought, if I don't get inside her mouth soon, I'm going to die. His tongue slowly swept the seam of her lips and begged them to open. He dragged his lips away from hers and whispered,

"Open your mouth."

She went to say something, and that was his opportunity. He immediately closed his mouth over hers swept his tongue inside. Ahhh, the feeling was exquisite and he knew he should stop, but he just couldn't.

Temperance was stunned when Booth suddenly kissed her. At first she had tried to resist. She had always wondered what it would be like to kiss Booth, but she hadn't thought it would ever happen. He made it clear when that he didn't want to ruin what they had, and that there were too many strings in their relationship. At least that was what she got out of that conversation. Now she knew what it was like, and she didn't think she would ever get enough. Booth tasted like honey, the sweetest honey she had ever tasted. She could feel the knot in her stomach and she wished she could wrap her legs around his waist and take him right then and there. She knew it was lunacy, but she couldn't seem to pull away. His mouth was hot and his tongue exploring her mouth was making it very difficult to think. She didn't want him to do all the exploring, and she pushed her tongue past his and ran it along the length of his perfect white teeth. She darted her tongue in his mouth and found his again, their tongues sparing like warriors preparing for battle. Finally Booth broke his mouth away from hers, and took a deep breath. They were both breathing hard. Booth broke free from her arms and strode away from her. He turned his back to her, struggling to get control over himself. Finally, he turned back toward her and spoke,

"I'm sorry Temperance, I don't know what came over me."

"Booth, it's okay, it's a normal response to stress, I was feeling the same stress you were. That's all it was, a biological response to stress."

She was trying very hard to convince herself that it was only a biological response to stress, and not the chemistry between her and Booth that threatened to boil over at any moment. Booth was hurt by her explanation of the kiss they had shared. And while the explanation was correct, he had reacted out of stress, it was something much more than that, and she knew it. Booth pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number for the FBI. He explained the situation to the Agent in Charge and told Bones that they should wait up in her office for the forensic team to finish their jobs.

"Booth, I want the ear."

"Bones, I don't think…" Temperance cut him off.

"Booth, you know that Epps is toying with us, like he did before, and you know they only way were going to catch him, is if we follow his clues."

Booth knew that she was right, but still didn't like the idea of having her any more involved than she already was. He also didn't want to think about that kiss. That hot, steamy kiss, that had threatened to engulf them, past reason. A few more moments, and he would have had her shirt off, her pants, and that would have been the point of no return. His mind could not forget the taste of her lips, and the sweetness of her tongue in his mouth. He pulled his thoughts together and faced Bones.

"Bones, let's go to your office, and wait for forensics to get through with car."

"Ok, Booth, but remember I want that ear."

Booth sighed to himself, they were in for a long night.