The Girl in the Alley
Chapter One:
Booth stared at Brennan working over the table. The low hum of Christmas music was making its way from the security guard stand. He let his mind wander on the thoughts of the holidays. Rebecca was letting him keep Parker this year to go gallivanting around Europe with Captain Incredible, Cam would be visiting New York to see family that she normally avoiding, Angela would be joining her father on tour for the next couple of weeks, Hodgins was planning on visiting Zach and flying to Costa Rica for something or another, and Bones, well, she hadn't let him in on any of his plans. He hoped she would find something to do this year.
"Hey Bones, what do you have for me?" Booth asked. Some hikers had stumbled across some remains in the woods, a teenager who had been missing for several years.
"Hodgins is working on the particulate, my grad student is working on the restoration of the skull." Brennan answered him, never moving her eyes from the table. Booth turned, walking toward the window staring outside at the early December snow. The streets looked to be a mess and he knew that it would be rough driving the streets tonight.
"I'll be in your office working on signing off on some of the reports from last month." He informed her.
"Yeah, sure. I'll come get you when we find something definitive." She replied, still not looking up from the table.
Booth had fallen asleep while waiting for his partner, only the dim light of the office lamp was illuminating the area. It wasn't the light that roused Booth into full awareness again, it was the sound of his partner tapping away at the keys of her laptop. He shifted slightly, noticing a blanket had been covering him.
"Hey how long have I been out?" He asked her, running his hands through his hair, scrubbing his face. He knew it was time for a shave.
Brennan smiled at him. "Only an hour or so. I have a bad tendency of working a little late and I couldn't bear to wake you."
"What time is it?"
"Around midnight." She replied almost instantly. Her stomach growled, the tell-tale sign that she had forgotten to eat again. Brennan snapped the top of the lap top close.
"We were able to confirm that the remains were in fact Tina Gavin." She sighed. "Blunt force trauma to the head."
Booth nodded, angry at the circumstances that this bright mind had been taken from the world. As a parent, he couldn't imagine having to go through the amount of pain that the Gavins would now have to endure. "It doesn't get any easier, does it Booth?" She asked. Her voice sounded small in comparison to the strong woman he knew her to be.
"It never will Temperance. Want a late night diner run?" Booth asked, checking out the window.
"Yeah.
They pulled up to the diner that they had frequented so many times before. She quickly opened up her side to the vehicle and stepped out. Brennan quickly noted just how cold it truly was. She quickly tightened her coat breathing in the cold air. She loved the cold weather, it was invigorating, it woke up her senses. She turned to walk toward the diner when she noticed a movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned quickly so she could get a better look at what she had seen. She noticed a small child, a girl, with light auburn hair and blue eyes. She was standing close to a trash can wearing a tattered coat.
Booth walked up behind her. "What are you looking at Bones?"
"Don't you see her?"
"See who?" Booth replied. He knew that there were some homeless people in the area, but it was too cold for anyone to be out in the early winter storm.
"There was a little girl over there." Brennan wandered over there. Booth quickly followed behind her, hand on his weapon if need be.
"Bones you shouldn't be wandering into dark alleys all by yourself." He scolded her.
"I'm not by myself. You followed, as I knew you would in your Alpha-male protectiveness, and there was a little girl here." She rationalized with him.
"Where is she then Bones?" He asked. He didn't question that she saw something, but no responsible parent would allow their child out in below freezing temperatures.
"I saw her." Brennan kept sweeping there area. Booth helped her look for awhile, but the cold was quickly getting to him.
"Bones she is long gone by now." Booth reasoned with her. "We probably scared her off." He placed his hand on the small of her back and led her out of the alley. "Come on, we have to go get warmed up. I'll buy you a cup of coffee, some pie, and a late dinner."
Brennan smiled at him. "Yeah, I guess you are right. I would love a late dinner."
He opened the door to the diner, ushering her into a place that was warm and inviting, and so familiar to the both of them.
Booth watched as his partner took another bite of her chosen pie. Over the past year, she had warmed up to the idea of cooked fruit. She had finally found something that she had enjoyed, strawberry pie. There was a whipped cream lingering on the side of her mouth which was just begging to be whipped off. He reached out and wiped the offending substance from face.
She looked quizzically at him. "You had some cream left on your face." He explained to her.
"Thanks." She smiled at him. The waitress came over, and to his surprise Brennan had ordered another round of pancakes to go.
"Are you that hungry?" He teased her.
"No, I'm going to leave some out for the girl in the alley." Brennan explained to him. "I know she was there, and I know what it is like to live on the streets. I wouldn't wish it on anyone."
Booth looked at her. "You never talk much about your past in the system." He told her quietly.
"It was the most pleasant of experiences. Before I placed out, I ran away a couple of times and lived on the streets. I lived off the kindness of strangers when I lived on the streets." She looked down into her coffee. "It was so cold out there. She probably hadn't eaten a good meal in ages."
"Hey you don't have to explain it to me Bones." He reached over and closed his hands around her hands.
She smiled at him, "Thanks Booth." She stood to go to the restroom.
The waitress returned with the check, which Booth promptly paid. He retrieved her coat from the hook and stood patiently by the door for her. She constantly amazed him with her strength and heart. She was constantly a surprise to him. She saw him standing waiting for her. He had the takeout in his hand, and he was giving her that damn charm smile. Brennan would never admit it to him, but she wasn't as immune to his smile as she should be.
"You didn't have to get the pancakes." Brennan told him as he helped with her coat.
"I know, but I figured with it being the Christmas season and all, you came up with the idea, I just footed the bill." He opened the door, bracing himself for the cold air.
"Thanks Booth." They walked over to the alley where she had seen the girl earlier. "I really hope that she found some shelter." Brennan told him.
"So do I Bones." He placed the pancakes on the fire escape for the office building. "No one should have to live like this."
He led her back to the car, driving her back to her condo.
"You didn't have to walk me to the door of my apartment. I am . . ."
"Perfectly capable of taking care you yourself. I know this, but just humor me. I couldn't stand it if anything happened to you." He admitted to her.
"You just don't want to break in a new partner." Brennan joked with him. She opened the door, throwing her keys onto the table next to the doorway. "Do you want to come in for a little bit? You look like you could use another cup of coffee before heading home. I wouldn't want something to happen to you."
He smile and gratefully accepted the invitation. He watched as she went into the kitchen. He settled himself on her sofa. Booth looked over and saw her standing over the stove. She seemed to be lost in thought.
"What's going on Bones?" He stood walking over to her.
"Nothing." She replied quickly. "I'm going to go change into some pajamas while the coffee is brewing."
"Okay." He settled back down on the couch. Booth knew when to pick his battles with her and this definitely wasn't the time to pick a battle.
Brennan walked out several minutes later, ready to bunker down for the night. He heard her walk around the apartment, securing up for the night. She came over and sat down next to him on the couch. "I hope that girl is indoors now."
"I hope so too Bones." He stood, shaking the sleep from his body. "I better get the coffee to go."
"I think you should stay for the night. The roads were slippery on the way over and the news just reported that it is just going to get worse." He opened his mouth to protest, but she held up an arm to forestall him for a moment. "Look, I had to face burying you once this year, I don't think I want to experience that anytime soon. Just amuse me for tonight." She looked up at him.
He looked down at her, she was in her bare feet, in her pajamas, with her hair loosely pulled back. He knew that he would never be able to deny her anything. "Sure Bones."
"I have some sweats that you might be able to fit in the box in the spare room closet. You might have something that was left here from when Kenton was trying to kill me." She told him nonchalantly as they were walking through the kitchen.
Images of her being strung up by that madman were filling his head. He shuddered, shaking those images. She stopped at her doorway watching him make his way down to the spare room. "Sleep well Seeley."
"You too Temperance." He told her honestly. He watched as she turned and the door closed behind her. He turned as well. He found the box and sifted through it until he pulled out some familiar sweats of his. He quickly shed his clothes, jumping into the bed that was calling his name.