Sorry for the late update. I feel like i owe it to you guys to explain why the chapter was posted late. Well here is my alibi...the interesting version of it anyway. I fell in love with Edward Cullen. Well, you see he and Bella parted ways and he is finding consolation in my arms. I mean i tried to resit his perfect face, sculpted body, sexy grin and those ocher eyes turn black with passion when he kisses me and touches me...Oh my bad i forgot this was a 'T' rated story...I skipped that touching part...Well he left for Italy...there was a job. Now spend my days looking for a silver volvo that comes with a free vampire. those things are hard to find. N-ways right now he is out hunting today thats why i could write this chapter. and always thats to becca for steering me into the right direction ;) Its fun working with you.

BTW thanks for the 15 reviews and endless subscriptions...REview again and a million times more if you want to.

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A few hours later Booth and Parker reached their destination. They were excited to be in DC, but feared the job that awaited them. Packing. That part was dreaded by both of them. The UHALL truck had already arrived at their apartment and the 4 gentlemen were already unloading Booth and Parker's furniture, pool table, and suitcases filled with clothes. As they got out their car, Parker immediately recognized the warm, breezy spring weather that welcomed him to DC. The sun was sign, he thought. A sign for a good new beginning and bright future. Parker liked the rays of the sun that were dwindling on his skin. For the past months, Vermont had forgotten about the sun. The sun would rise as it should every morning, but remained hidden behind a thick group of clouds. Occasionally rays escaped through the clouds and managed to warm the earth just for a short period of time. The lack of sun was definitely reflected on Parker's skin. His skin was pale, with no indication of any sun burns. His face, luckily was free of zits. That was the one of the few positive things he inherited from his parents.

"You ready bub," Seeley said looking at their new apartment complex. The buildings were separated from each other and looked to be in great shape. The landscape architecture wasn't bad either…that was a good sign. Right?

"No point of me saying no," Parker began not looking at Booth either, "We're already here…but yeah, I'm ready."

They stood for a few more seconds looking their new home, house, dwelling whichever word they chose to describe their new place. Booth stole a glance and looked at Parker. He could tell Parker was trying to like DC, for his sake. After all it was his job that had moved them to DC in the first place. The teenager stood there next to Booth with one I-Pod ear phone in his ear, his hands awkwardly shoved in his jean pocket, with his fingers secretly flipping a poker chip Booth had given when they first met. Somehow that poker chip gave Parker courage and hope that he would make it in DC.

"Everything is going to be alright Parker," Booth offered not looking at the boy beside him, "I'll be with you every step of the way."

"I trust you," Parker answered his eyes focused on the apartment complex.

"I know…" Booth paused, "I love you Parker."

"Me too dad," he responded with a sincere voice that tugged Booth's heart strings.

It was these moments that defined their relationship. Since Parker started high school; the sweet, emotional spilling moments and decreased. Not because they didn't care for one another, but because they felt it unnecessary and 'not masculine' to display their emotion on a regular basis. Not wanting to turn the precious moment into something more Booth cleared his throat.

"Ugh we need to get in and start packing," he picked up his feet and started moving.

"I hate packing," Parker whined following Booth a few feet behind.

"I do too…but the sooner we get this done the better." The duo approached their new house without looking back.

Temperance buttoned her blouse with trembling hands. She was leaving him. She walked quickly from the bedroom to the living room. From the living room, Temperance could see the white envelope resting on the kitchen table along side the car keys, rosary and untouched breakfast. She couldn't stand to be in his house any longer. The lingering scent of Booth's after shave still hung in the air and Tempe knew the longer she stayed the more likely she wouldbe persuaded to stay by his scent. She desperately wanted to deeply inhale his scent one more time, but she denied herself. She didn't want to be attached to him, make things more complicated than they already were. Temperance hastily picked up her purse and left Booth's apartment resonating with the sound of her heals and the banged door.

It was semi-dark outside; the sun was casting purple, orange and red hues across the horizon. It would soon be morning, she noted. With many thoughts in her head, Temperance couldn't remember were she parked her car the previous night. She walked in a random direction hoping to find her car, but no such luck. Frustrated and annoyed and angry; Temperance dug for her keys in her purse. Without second thought, she pressed the alarm sound to her car. It worked from more that at 100 yards away. As expected her car wailed and she ran to it. Next thing she knew, she sitting in her cold car, listening to the heaving sounds, the sniffling and the sobs that were coming from her throat.

She tried to take in deep breaths of air to soothe the burning sensation in her lungs, but no such luck. Her heaving sounds we not caused by the need for air, but by the on coming anxiety attack. With her hazy eye sight, Temperance felt of the door handle to her car, or the button to open her window to let the air in. Her hands roamed on the car door and eventually she found the handle. She opened the door with her eyes clamped shut, trying to control her anxiety attack, but what she heard outside opened her eyes instantly. It was a loud explosion only a few feet away from her. She stood up in complete and utter confusion of the new scenery, and then it hit her, her dreams had transported her to a war zone…again. This time it was different. Instead of standing by her car, she started moving towards the explosion. Her senses had taken over. She ran towards the tanker that had exploded, tears streaking down her pale white skin. She knew deep down who she was looking for, but she never let herself admit it.

The tank had been ripped in pieces. The sight of fresh flesh, rivers of blood and the burning smell of hair, skin, human tissue and the broken bones, stopped her dead cold. From were she was standing, she could identify the ages and sex of the bones, but something softly glowing from the fire caught her eye. It was a pair of dog tags. Curiosity burning in side her made her walk through the mashes of blood and flesh to pick up the silver metals. She flipped them over to see the name inscribed on the metal. One side had no writing on it and the other was coated with crimson blood. She ran her thumb over the tag taking the blood along with it.

BOOTH SEELEY it read.

She tried gasping for air; her lungs were burning again in need of air. The heaving began again…next thing she knew she was screaming, jumping out of her dream. Her body was glistening with sweat as if she had been in a furnace.

"Babe," a voice called out to her with dripping concern.

Still in shock Temperance removed the sheets covering her body in one swift motion and jumped out of bed. Her back was glued to the wall and her face was in utter confusion. The man sleeping in her bed was taken back by her reaction. He knew that on occasions his girlfriend had bad dreams, but never had she reacted like this. Instinctively he reached over to the lamp and turned in on. He saw her pale and white as ever leaning against the wall with her eyes wide open, not blinking as if she had seen a ghost.

"Baby it's me," he approached her carefully.

She didn't flinch.

He got to her and gently touched her arms, she didn't move. That was a good sign.

The lack of response from her prompted him to advance. In a matter of seconds he was embracing her against his warm bare chest.

"It's okay," he whispered in her ear.

"It's okay. I'm here baby," he further soothed, running his right hand rhythmically behind her back, while his left held her close to his torso.

"I'm sorry," Tempe responded finally understanding what had just happened. She had dreamt about Booth…again. But here she was in another mans arms. She felt like a cheater.

"It's all right," he kissed the top of her head. "It's not your fault. It was just a dream."

She nodded silently trying to decrease her heart rate and steady her breathing.

They stood like that for what seemed like hours. He swayed side to side softly, trying to calm her drown. It helped. He kissed the top of her head a few times before he let her go. He took her hand and led her back to bed with him. She took a quick glance to the clock on her night stand. 3:37 am it read. They slowly got into bed holding hands. He didn't bother to adjust the sheets, and cover them both because he knew she was burning. They lay down facing the same side. With their right hands intertwined, he moved closer to her and pulled her further towards him. Temperance could feel the faint steady beating of his heart against her back. She felt safe in his arms but something was missing, and she couldn't identify it. The couple remained glued together. Neither one of them moved. Slowly but surely Tempe's breathing was normal.

"Babe," he broke the silence.

"Hmmm," she let out.

"You all right?" his voice was dripping with concern. She had had these dreams lately and he didn't know why. He felt helpless watching her in a state of confusion and pain without being able to help her.

She nodded against him. She didn't trust her voice right now.

"Wanna talk about it?"

She didn't answer him immediately. She waited for a minute before delivering her answer.

"Not really," she whispered.

She didn't know how to talk about a past lover with him holding her so…intimately. He didn't respond quickly. He remained silent thinking of how to understand her more, how make her bring down those walls.

"It helps sometimes to talk about i…"

"Not always," she responded quickly cutting him. She felt him skip a beat in reaction to her harsh unsuspected comment.

"Not for me anyways," she responded immediately in a calm monotone voice suddenly felling guilty for snapping at him. She snuggled into him further hoping it would let him know that, she wasn't shutting him of…completely.

"Sorry," he whispered yet again, though she didn't know why he was apologizing.

Unsure of how to react to his apology, Temperance pulled his hand to her lips. She delayed the kiss and her let warm breath tingle against his hand. Eventually she placed light feather kiss on the back of his hand. She heard him breathe out with satisfaction. They stayed like that for a while until she broke the silence.

"Awake?" she asked.

He dug his nose into her neck clearing the hair until he found her skin and kissed it tenderly.

"Mhm"

"I can't sleep…"

"Nor I." His faint Australian accent hung thickly in the air.

She sighed heavily for him to hear.

"Wanna take a shower?" he asked suggestively.

"Too early," she answered with an obvious tone.

"Yeah…"

Silence again.

"Were did you buy the T-shirt? It looked very vintage," he asked referring to the one she was wearing.

"Back home…" she lied.

"Mmm. I like it," his voice betrayed him, Tempe could tell he was smiling. The implication from his smile was, 'I like how it doesn't fully cover your butt', not 'I like the band nor the color of the t-shirt'.

"I didn't take you for a Led Zeplin kind of girl," he laughed in a low sultry voice.

"I'm not." She wasn't 'a Led Zeplin kind of girl'. It was Booth's favorite Band and somehow his t-shirt found its way in her luggage when she left for Peru.

"It's just a comfortable t-shirt." She was getting defensive.

"Must be. You wear it almost every night." He kissed the exposed patch of skin on her neck attentively this time.

"Mike gave it to me before I left," she lied. Because she had stayed in touch with Michael and Matt regularly her boyfriend knew of them.

"Something to remember him by I guess," she shrugged it off as if it were of no importance.

"They must miss you," he offered. Michael and Matt talked to her at least once a month just to check in with her…alpha males.

"Yeeeaaaah," she said yawning.

He laughed gently and he poor attempt to speak, "You need to sleep babe."

She nodded.

"I love you." He was falling asleep too.

"Me too Conner." After his confession sleep didn't not come. Instead the tried her best to breath slowly and evenly pretending she was asleep.

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Well there you have it. Feel free to respond and write 15 more reviews. Next chapter will be up a quickly than this one.

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