Chapter 1 - The Body in the Ditch
A bell chimed above their heads as Temperance and Booth stepped in the restaurant. Taking a quick scan, Temperance immediately saw that the restaurant was crowded and was about to turn to Booth to ask if they should perhaps consider another restaurant when a young hostess approached them.
"Hi, my name is Sally." The young woman said. "Are you waiting to be seated?"
"Yes." Booth replied, glancing briefly into the restaurant. "Will this take long? We're on our lunch break."
Sally chuckled.
"Actually, I just happen to have one table for two left. So if you two would just follow me."
Grabbing two menus, the young woman led them to a table in the middle of the restaurant. She set the menus on the table before telling them she'd be back with water in a minute. The couple nodded.
They both sat down and Booth immediately grabbed his menu. As he opened it, he heard giggles eminating from the person across from him. He looked up from the booklet.
"What's so funny?" He asked.
"Hungry?" She replied, raising both eyebrows.
"Perhaps. Chasing you around would make any man hungry."
Temperace gaped.
"And what is that supposed to mean, Seeley Booth?" She asked, only half-mad.
Reaching over the table, he rested his hand over hers. His thumb drew lazy circle on the top of her hand. He smiled tenderly at her.
"It means that I'm happy we're doing this." He replied, his eyes never leaving hers.
Temperance felt herself blush under his gaze and immediately drew her hand away. She cleared her throat before grabbing the menu.
"Do you know what's good here?" She asked.
Booth pulled his hand away, feeling slightly rejected.
"I don't know." He replied harshly.
He scanned absently his own menu. Why did she always have to do this? Every time he thought he was making progress with her, she went and closed herself from him. He knew that it was her way of dealing when things could too overwhelming for her. That thought cheered him up a little.
He looked up from his menu to find her staring at him once again.
"Are you okay?" She asked.
"Yeah, Bones. I'm fine."
Temperance nodded and the couple both went back to their menu.
When they had finally ordered and had received their food, Temperance immediately inquired about the interview between her partner and William Bingham. Booth snorted.
"The guy's innocent, Bones. He didn't do it."
"What makes you say that?" Temperance asked, taking a bite of chicken. "I thought all the evidence pointed to him?"
"What evidence? The guy has nothing pointing to him. The only thing that is against him is the fact that he cleaned up a crime scene and 'forgot' to mention it to the inspector when he was interrogated. It doesn't mean he did it."
He paused, taking a sip from his water.
"I talked to the coroner. What was her name? Loughlin?"
"Yes. Dr. Loughlin."
"Yeah well, I talked to her and she told me her side of the story. I saw the body, saw the marks on the neck. Bingham had big hands. The hands that strangled Mrs Bingham were small to medium size."
"So you're basing your opinion on the suspect's hands?"
"I guess. You look like you don't believe me?"
"I don't know, Booth. This story just seems too weird. The man found his wife dead in their basement, cleaned up the crime scene, lied about it and, from what the report said, took nearly an hour before calling an ambulance and the police. Based on these evidences, I'd say he's guilty."
"You're neglecting the evidences on the body. You know, for a forensic anthropologist, I'm surprised."
"Maybe you're rubbing off on me." She said, teasingly.
Booth shrugged, a smile spreading over his face.
"What do you want to do tonight? I was thinking maybe dinner and a movie."
"I don't really feel like going out."
"Okay... So how about dinner and a movie at my place? I'll cook."
"You cook?" Temperance asked, surprised.
"Yes ma'am."
Temperance tilted her head, as if considering his proposition. She smiled at him.
"Sure. Why not."
Booth grinned. He had been about to reply when the faint sound of music reached his ears. Excusing himself to his partner, he grabbed his cell phone from his pocket and flipped it open.
"Booth." He said.
He listened quietly at what the person on the other side of the line told him. Glancing briefly at Temperance, he replied:
"Okay. We'll be right there."
Hanging up, he turned his attention back to Temperance.
"Looks like we might have to reschedule this dinner and movie deal."
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Thick gray clouds gathered across the sky and rain started to pour the second Booth drove out of the city. Groaning, he turned on his wipers in hopes of clearing his windshield.
"Not our day, huh?" Booth said, taking his eyes briefly off the road to look at his partner.
"Booth, the road." Temperance replied, annoyed.
How she hated when he didn't look in front of him when he was driving.
Booth was forced to slow down two minutes after the first raindrop. Mist covered his window, thick ropes of rain prevented him from seeing twelve inches in front of him. Turning on his brights, he just hoped nobody was coming their way.
"How far out of the city was the body found?" Temperance asked after a few minutes of silence.
Tightening his grip on the steering wheel, Booth replied:
"About five or ten miles. Fromm told me that they'd be easy to spot. Apparently, half a dozen cars showed up at the scene. Loughlin's already there but she said that your expertise will be needed."
Temperance shifted in her seat, excitedly.
"You mean it's not a corpse?" She asked, delighted.
Booth chuckled lightly.
"It's not a corpse, Bones. You happy?"
"Like a fish in the sea." Temperance replied before turning her attention back to her window.
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What should have taken Booth five minutes actually took fifteen. But finally, he was able to make out the police lights ahead of him. He slowed down once more before coming to a stop behind the last police car gathered on the road.
Temperance was the first one out of the car. Opening the back door, she quickly took out her bag and walked towards the crowd. Booth followed behind her.
A tall man with salt-and-pepper hair met them halfway.
"Dr. Brennan. Agent Booth." He said, nodding politely. "The body is over here." He added, bringing his attention on Temperance.
Temperance nodded before walking off in the skeleton's direction. The rain continued to pour. A strand of hair stuck diagonally across her face. Her bag felt heavy on her shoulder, mud squished under her steps. Finally, she reached it. Even through the rain, she could tell the victim had been dead for a while, making her wonder how come nobody has noticed it before.
She let herself fall into the ditch, a few steps away from the remains. She crouched and began her examination.
The skeleton was complete. Every bone was accounted for and in proper order. A few bones were marked and Temperance had yet to determine their origins. Looking up at Booth, she told him what she could learn from it at that moment.
"Male, approximately in his mid-twenties and definitely caucasian. I'd set the time of death at about one or two months but a thoroughly examination should determine a more precise death."
"So you want to bring the skeleton in?"
Temperance nodded.
"Well aren't you going to help me?" She asked, looking expectantly at him.
"I'm not getting in there, Bones."
"That's right. The suit. Wouldn't want to get it dirty." She replied.
Booth rolled his eyes before calling an officer over to assist his partner. He watched as Temperance climbed out of the ditch and walked back to the SUV. His eyes followed her every movement and he felt his heart race faster in his chest. He still couldn't believe it: he was dating Dr. Temperance Brennan. Even after four dates, everything still felt unreal.
They hadn't kissed after the conversation in the park two months ago but he could honestly say that their relationship had changed that night. They had started seeing more of each other outside of work but Booth couldn't call that dating. They had simply talked on the phone a few times, gone out to Sid's or a movie, gone for a walk when Temperance hadn't been able to sleep.
Then, one day, he had gathered his courage and had asked her out on a date. Surprisingly, she had said yes and they had been inseparable ever since. Not that Booth was surprised. She was his best friend and soon to be his official girlfriend. His gut feeling told him so.
He snapped back to reality when he felt someone punch his arm.
"You're daydreaming." Temperance stated.
"I know. I was thinking about you."
Temperance blushed.
"Yeah, right." She replied, looking down at her feet.
He lifted her chin.
"I really was."
She had been about to reply when a voice beside them brought them out of their little world.
"That's very touching you guys but we have some work to do." Fromm said as he approached the couple.
"Right. Work." Temperance replied, shifting into professional mode.
She jumped back into the ditch and began getting ready to transfer the skeleton from his grassy bed and into a new, plastic one.