AN: Sorry for being such a bugger with the last chapter. Trust me, from this point on, it'll keep getting interesting. I promise!
Special thanks to wrthy2bluvd for all her help giving me ideas for this story and helping me make the necessary changes to keep it moving along, and to Gaelen Kerr for putting up with me even though he's never seen an episode of the show. Luv ya!
PSA: Please feed the muses! Every review you donate goes towards their wellbeing (and my sanity). I love all y'all that are watching the story, so please, let me know how you feel! It helps me to write faster. Not to mention it really helps the muses because they're such fickle creatures. They need all the encouragement they can get.
Chapter 1
"Stay back, Bones." To say he was getting on her nerves would be an understatement. Temperance Brennan wasn't some damsel in distress, she was a self reliant, self made, independent woman that didn't need a man to tell her what to do, especially when what she did was comparable to what he did. In this instance, she and her partner, Seeley Booth, were on the trail of a suspected murderer. His gun was held out in front of him as he kicked the steel door of the old building open and glanced inside.
Instead of listening to him, she pulled out her own gun, a very large and very shiny piece of weaponry, checking to make sure it was cocked and loaded just in case she'd need it to shoot a bad guy. The click of the safety being pulled back alerted her partner to what she was doing and from her right she heard him ask, "What's with you and that gun?"
"If it's size intimidates you, I'm sorry," came her matter-of-fact response as she held it out in front of her while they entered the abandoned warehouse a witness had tipped them off to only an hour earlier. They'd rushed to the location, called for backup then went in to investigate. It was something the forensic anthropologist never got tired of. She loved the chase, the freedom, and the feeling of doing good that came along with it. There was a sense of purpose to her life when she went after murderers, especially ones that had killed several times over.
"It's not intimidating. It's just… I'm afraid you might hurt yourself."
"While I appreciate your concern, I think I can take care of myself."
"Why do you always have to be so self-reliant?"
That came out of nowhere. She stared at his back for several moments as he continued to make his way through the labyrinth of decaying wooden crates looking for their suspect. "Is my self reliance intimidating, then?" she asked, stopping and putting her hands on her hips as she waited for his answer.
Booth let out a frustrated sigh as he turned around to shoot her a warning glare. "Can we not discuss this right now? We're trying to catch a serial killer," he shot back.
"Or is it the fact that I'm very independent?" she continued. This was turning into a standoff between the two partners, and she could clearly see he was getting edgy now.
"Bones, we'll talk about this later." His eyes flashed amber in the darkness, and she knew she'd gotten under his skin.
"It is my independence that intimidates you!" she said almost triumphantly.
"It doesn't intimidate me!" he practically shouted at her. Ooh, testy! She'd struck a nerve and would continue to prod until he gave in and told her what was on his mind. But it wouldn't get that far. The shuffle of a box against the concrete floor perked up both their ears sending their eyes scanning all directions until Booth heard it again coming from just in front of them.
He motioned for Brennan to follow as he led them deeper into the warehouse, careful not to make a sound. His earlier outburst had probably alerted their suspect to their presence, and he cursed himself for getting so riled up over her comments. But when she said things like that, he couldn't help himself. His anger would get to the best of him, leading to an unwanted argument.
With his mind preoccupied by his partner's brazenness, Booth didn't see the shadow on the floor in front of him until it was too late and a fist connected with his gut. He immediately doubled over in pain just as his attacker was about to bash him over the head with the butt of his gun. It all seemed to happen in slow motion; the hand coming down, the steel shimmering in the spotty sunlight, his heart racing, his mind bracing itself for the blow. But it never came.
From behind, Brennan had seen everything, yet was unable to help her partner for the initial blow. When he landed on the ground just inches from her feet, her body moved as if on autopilot. Her left leg came swinging up full force, connecting with the suspect's arm and knocking the gun out of his grasp. What she hadn't counted on was the sharp pain that shot up from her thigh and ran the length of her leg as she let it drop. Thankfully by that time Booth had regained his footing and pounced on the suspect, knocking him to the ground face first as he reached for his belt to grab a pair of handcuffs.
Once the man had been subdued, he glanced up at her, and she caught the grateful look in his eyes before he even said it. "Thanks, Bones." That was all. And it was just enough. She gave him a small smile as she leaned against an old, splintering crate to keep the weight off her left leg. The pain seemed to radiate out from her hamstring. Even the slightest weight would send it throbbing. 'Damn,' she thought, rubbing her hand over the affected area as her partner walked past, his brows slightly furrowed.
"You okay, Bones?" Booth asked, pausing for a moment to see if she needed any help.
"I'm fine," she reassured before pushing herself off the box and putting a little weight on her leg to test her pain threshold. It wasn't horrible, but it was bad enough to make her limp slightly as she walked a few steps behind him so he wouldn't see.
As they made it to the door, they were met by several squad cars and officers in uniform. From that point on, things happened in fast forward. They handed the suspect off to the local precinct, all the while Brennan stood in place as her partner did all the talking and walking for both of them. It was the first time she'd sat back and it made her feel slightly useless. But she'd gotten the bad guy, she'd saved Booth from a bad headache, yet she still felt as if she wasn't a part of the bust at all. Feeling slightly deflated, she limped her way back to the Tahoe.
"Bones!" she heard Booth call from behind her and immediately stopped, hoping he hadn't seen the way she walked. He caught up to her moments later, turning to face her as he asked, "Are you sure you're okay? Looks like your leg might be bothering you."
"Booth, I'm fine," she said a little forcefully.
"I'm just saying, if you need a ride to the hospital…"
"Booth, I just need a ride back to the lab. I'll be fine." Her heated tone should have told him to drop it, to leave it at that, but that never stopped him, especially when she was in pain.
"Bones, you're not fine, you're limping."
"Nothing a little ice and ibuprofen won't fix." She started to walk determinately towards the Tahoe, her back stiff straight as she somehow managed a normal gait even though it hurt like hell.
Booth shortly followed, and as she was climbing into the passenger's seat, the pain shot through her again making her wince. He could see the expression on her face, the way her eyes closed tightly, the way she gritted her teeth until she found a position she was comfortable in. Taking his place beside her in the driver's seat, he started to say, "Bones…" but her glare quickly shut him up.
They drove in relative silence all the way back to the lab. No bickering, no friendly banter, just silence. Brennan stared out the window, her head resting on her hand as her mind tried to figure out a way to relinquish the pain with the minimal amount of drugs and effort. It being a hamstring injury, maybe heat would help instead of ice. There was a first aid kit in her office fully stocked with bandages and heat packs. Yes, that would work just fine. That and two ibuprofen. She'd be all right in a couple of days.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Brennan said as she hopped out of the SUV without so much as a goodbye when Booth pulled up to the lab entrance. In a show of strength and willpower, she walked up the steps in a normal gait, pushing through the door with a little more force than she'd expected. Her partner was left slack jawed and wide eyed by her display, but she didn't see the worried look he gave her as he pulled away heading back to his office to finish the paperwork on the case. Instead, she slumped against the door for several moments, catching her breath as the waves of pain rolled over her.
Maybe she did need to go to the hospital and get this checked out… 'No!' her mind screamed. 'You're a doctor, for crying out loud! You know what's wrong and you know how to fix it, so go fix it.' There was no arguing with her logic. Gingerly, she limped towards her office, somehow managing to bypass her coworkers and friends, and made sure to close and lock the door behind her before grabbing the first aid kit from her desk.
Ibuprofen, check; bandage, check; water, check; heat pack, check; she had all she needed in order to take care of herself without going to the hospital. The ibuprofen and water came first followed by the heat pack wrapped around her thigh with the bandage. Brennan eased herself into her chair and leaned back with her hand over her eyes. The day had taken a lot out of her, and going home sounded like a good idea until someone knocked on her door, forcing her to put on yet another front for whoever was behind it. She stood and slowly walked over, forcing a smile on her face as she unlocked the door and let in her visitor.
"I heard you took down another suspect today," Angela Montenegro said as she waltzed into her friend's office. The feisty brunette sat down on the couch and turned to give her friend a smile.
"Who did you hear that from?" Brennan replied, remaining by the door to use it as leaning post. Limping back to her desk wasn't an option when Angela was around. She was practically Booth's counterpart in times like these. Any sign of weakness and she'd be all over you wanting to help. No, not today; today, Temperance Brennan could take care of herself. That fierce independent spirit was really showing itself.
"Who else?" The smile turned into a snide grin. Brennan began to knead her temple with her fingers. "You know what else he told me?" Oh, no… "He said you might have hurt yourself and he wanted me to check on you." Damn…
"I'm fine, Angela. I just pulled a muscle, that's all. I've already taken some ibuprofen and wrapped it with a heat pack. I'll be fine in a day or two," came Brennan's practiced, albeit annoyed, answer. Now that she was standing, it didn't hurt as bad as it had at the warehouse. The heat and the ibuprofen were working. This would probably go away by tomorrow.
"You sure, Sweetie?" Angela needed reassurance. She knew her friend like the back of her hand, and when Brennan was hurting, inside or out, she usually kept it to herself. Sometimes it was a good idea to poke and prod just to make sure everything was okay.
"Yeah, see?" Brennan mustered up whatever energy she had left to push herself off the door and walked a straight line back to her desk all the while keeping her eyes on her toes willing them to move without too much pain. She sat down in her chair and leaned back, glad it was over. The pain came and went as she walked forcing her to revise her earlier assessment that maybe she'd be fine in a few days.
Apparently satisfied, Angela stood up. "Alright, Dr. Brennan, whatever you say. If you think you're fine, and you look fine, then I'll stop bothering you. You are the doctor, after all." She didn't sound too happy, having noticed the way her friend had to concentrate in order to get to her chair, but decided it was against her better judgment to argue with such a stubborn woman. "If you need anything, call me." And with that, she walked out the door. Brennan let out a sigh of relief, but it was short lived when her friend walked back in and added, "At least go home for the rest of the day."
Her head shot up, steel blue eyes surprised, but she nodded in agreement. At least then she could be at peace while her leg healed. Angela walked back out the door, and this time Brennan watched her disappear in the foot traffic. Again she sighed and gingerly rose off her chair. Grabbing her bag and the case file she knew needed to finish by tomorrow morning, she headed home.
