Letter N of the Bones half of the alphabet. This is a sequel to Seeley, still kind of AU. Enjoy the reading.
A/N: I do not own any of this characters. I'm just having fun writing about them.
NOWADAYS
"Bren… how are you sweetheart?"
"Tired but … I'll be fine once I get a hot shower and some proper sleep." She said her mind still wondering about the never ending journey back from Nicaragua and she sighed.
"So…" - Angela went on taking a sip at her drink – "any spicy details about the dig?" her pupils dilating in anticipation. Brennan had always some good stories to tell every time she came back from her trips around the world.
"Not really." Brennan replied bringing the glass to her lips. Then she paused.
That one had turned into the worst dig ever. Not only because of the place where the excavation was located and its incessant rain but most of all because of the hell she had gone through in the last part of her stay. Jean Du Berry was a well-known archeologist from France. She had met him only once before at a conference in Paris and she had thought him to be a typical French male, nice and polite. Not her type though. Her body had showed no particular inclination for his and she was never wrong about her sexual instinct. It was him, however, who had showed a very particular liking to her and had started to chase her all over the place, doing everything he could to show off and try to impress her. One day she had got so sick of him that she decided to crash his ego by telling him there and then that he was not her cup of tea and never would be. And she had left him in Nicaragua looking like a beaten puppy licking his wounds. That had also meant fleeing the dig two weeks earlier leaving the rest of the expedition very pissed off. To hell with him.
"Bren… honey… over there… there's a… well, very hot guy who's been looking at us for a while now… I'd say he's on the hunt…"
Brennan didn't flinch lost as she was in her thoughts and still rather mad about the whole Du Berry story.
"Listen sweetie, he seems quite insistent and God, Bren, if you're not interested I'd love to give it a shot… you know what I mean don't you?" she stated a huge smile forming on her face. Damn, she thought, long-term celibacy was exhausting. And she hated the idea of going to bed alone another night and waking up by herself the next day. Not to mention the "do-it-yourself" sort of personal care which was starting to be not so amusing anymore. And now… this very studly looking piece of male was making his move walking towards… them!
"Hi Temperance." he said.
Brennan nearly fell from her stool. She had heard that voice only twice and so many years before… but its sound had never left her mind and in time she had found that of all the voices from her past "this" was the one she cherished the most. So she lifted her head.
" Hi Seeley. " she said her cheeks flushing. They looked at each other for what seemed to be a lifetime. Angela was puzzled: what the hell was going on? She definitely felt a vibe, a strong sexual tension surrounding them as they kept their eyes locked careless of everything else.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Brennan asked finally breaking the silence.
He smiled recalling their first encounter. "Because… no matter what I said back then… you are just… stunning." The rather casual dusty clothes she was wearing could not conceal the amazingly attractive woman she had turned into.
"You are too." she said truthfully. The young man she had met fourteen years before had become a gorgeous representative of the human species. And undoubtedly an Alpha male.
Wow – thought Angela – her friend had forgot to tell her about this important piece of her past… those two definitely knew each other and what was more… in a way that sent fireworks cracking all over the Founding Fathers.
"And who do we have here Bren?" asked Angela.
"Ange, this is Seeley Booth."
"Seeley, my best friend Angela Montenegro."
After the introduction Angela thought it was about time for her to leave, sure she wouldn't get more than that from her friend right now. "Listen honey, I'll see you tomorrow at work. Have a nice evening. Seeley it's been a pleasure." He nodded giving her a smile.
"Thanks Angela, see you tomorrow."
They were alone and a little embarrassed.
"Do you like it in D.C.?" she inquired.
"I've just been assigned here. I'm with the F.B.I. and you?"
"I work at the Jeffersonian Institute. I'm an anthropologist."
"So that's you…? the famous Dr. Brennan I was told to look for this morning."
"That is certainly me. Why?"
"A rather complicated case is driving everybody nuts at the Hoover, no flesh, a bunch of old bones. Not much for our M.E."
"They were right then. I could definitely help you with the case. Send everything you have at the Jeffersonian, I have the best team you could dream of."
"Not being modest, are you?"
" Certainly not. I'm in fact a well-known scientist in the field."
He was taken aback but still held her gaze. If she had looked a self-confident and determined teenager now she sure was a real kick-ass, he could see that. One you were not allowed to mess around with. However he couldn't just pretend this was a fortunate twist of fate, that their meeting again was just a coincidence bound to yet another heartbreaking farewell.
He knew that his eyes were giving him away. She was so damn smart he was certainly an open book to her. But as they kept eye contact he could see deep down in hers the old flame still alive, still burning.
Tentatively he reached out and brushed her hand resting on the counter. He let his fingers dance with hers till they finally intertwined of their own volition. And the grip was so strong it almost hurt. He loosened his hold a bit and she complied never letting go of his hand.
"Temperance" he whispered "it was not easy to forget... you. In fact I've never been able to... I simply couldn't... and I know it's crazy because ..." he had to stop, his throat was so dry he could not go on.
" I know, I felt that too... I told myself that feelings are irrational, that it's wrong to let them rule your mind... and ..." - she paused thinking about the lovers who had come after him... some had been so selfish she had to rush to her own satisfaction, others didn't know how to play the strings of her body and if they did they simply were not him and she had to restrain herself from calling out his name when she came. No one else beside him had shown her that gentleness, caring, passion and participation could coexist in one lover. - "… I had to settle for second best, but that was not enough. No one else could ever be... you."
A lump was forming in his throat and he swallowed hard not to cry. Was he really that lucky to be given a second chance? With her? And was she willing to give them another chance after all this time? Was she alone or was she...? Hell he could not even think about that.
He was not going to push this. Not now. She needed time, she needed space, to adjust. And she looked exhausted.
" You should rest Temperance, shall I call a cab?"
" Yes, please." She was so grateful he understood that she wanted to be by herself, tonight.
He opened the door of the cab to let her in. "Sleep tight." was all he said.
She turned around to look at him and the way she raised a hand to wave goodbye meant so much more than he would have hoped for.
Because ... - he said to himself - you cannot predict the future but then... you never know.
A/N: I will be posting two more stories soon, the mountains have been so inspiring.