Long Chapter about 5k words.
Cheyenne woke before Brennan and wandered through Temperance's kitchen finding the pantry she scanned the cereal. She whispered under her breath "Looks like I'm living with miss save the world too." Everything was organic, but Cheyenne really didn't care. Hell, she was just glad to have a free meal. When she was younger she remembered she had to work for it and then in foster care it seemed she lived off spaghetti, peanut butter and jelly or basically anything that went in the large crock pot.
She had no complaints and picked up the gluten free organic and vegan friendly cereal. She opened the fridge and the light shone out illuminating her face in the dark early hours of the morning. She grabbed the coconut milk and searched the cabinets for a bowl. Soon she sat Indian style on the couch with the bowl in her lap. She flipped through the channels on the doctors' television, not much.
She put the remote down after she finished the cereal she put her bowl and spoon in the washer and wandered back to the living room letting her hands wander gently over what she assumed was some expensive artifact. It was pretty and smooth as she ran her delicate fingers along its surface. She closed her eyes and pretended for a second that her parents didn't leave her when she was eleven and her step brother never touched her, that her older sister's had found some sort of better life, somewhere. She wondered if her sister Lacey even knew that she was alive. Though, none of that mattered because Lacy was probably in Vegas working the strip and Gabby was in south Florida last she heard. She didn't give a damn about Michael he had to be what, in his mid to late thirties now?
Then there were her parents. Who the hell knows where they were. They deserted her and her siblings her step-dad had abused her and her sisters. She shrugged, who gave a damn where her parent's were. Though every now and then she wondered about her mom and if she was alive, where she was. Did she even care about her? No, no one did.
Brennan quietly watched Cheyenne in her living room. The girl's eyes were closed and she ran her fingers across an artifact from Guatemala, it was dark green in color and as smooth as marble. Suddenly Cheyenne felt eyes on her and her hand stopped abruptly; her eyelids flew open revealing her dark blue irises.
Brennan stared at Cheyenne and Cheyenne didn't back down but held her gaze in the early morning hours. Cheyenne didn't apologize quickly and profusely for touching the pricey piece like she had seen some foster kids do. No, she wanted to push Brennan's buttons and find out what made her tick. What set her off? Feeling confident she lightly brushed her fingers over the piece as Brennan and she starred at one another.
Brennan watched as Cheyenne's fingers brushed over the artifact she had flown home from Guatemala. She also saw the look in her eyes as she touched the stone. Brennan remembered those types of kids. They were the ones that always pushed her foster parent's buttons, they weren't scared of anything, usually street smart, and they always seemed to have gone through a lot.
"They" used profanity and they never cared what people thought of them. Brennan had made good friends with a girl like that at her second foster home. Her name was Tracy and Tracy tended to run away a lot but when she was in the house she remembered a younger girl calling them T&T. They went everywhere together, she suddenly wondered what ever happened to Trace? She shook the thought, it didn't matter.
Temperance broke the silence "Have you eaten breakfast? We have a lot to do today so if you haven't I would suggest it. I have to stop by my office for a few hours. You can hang out with Angela if you wish."
"I'm guessing my other choice would be the psychologist so I will go with Ange."
"Okay, I'm taking a shower and-"
Cheyenne held her hand up "I got it I will be ready in ten Tempe."
True to her word when Brennan came out of her bedroom dressed in work attire and her hair now dry. There sat Cheyenne on the couch with damp, but brushed hair, wearing jeans, sneakers, and a sweatshirt a large bag sat beside her. Brennan knew that bag. Cheyenne had walked in the door carrying it. That bag held everything she owned. Brennan remembered those days and let Cheyenne take it with her she knew she had to come to trust her eventually and on her own accord.
"Ready?" asked Brennan
"Let's go Doc." Said Cheyenne as she grabbed her duffle bag off of the couch and walked out the door with Brennan.
They were walking up the front steps of the Jeffersonian when a young perky girl walked up beside them. She annoyed Cheyenne. "Hello Dr. Brennan how are you? Oh I'm sorry I didn't mean to be rude, Hello..." The woman's eyes glanced at Brennan then to Cheyenne. "Um, who is this?" Cheyenne gave the young annoying woman a smile in return. Really thought Cheyenne, a this not a who are you, but who is this? Wow.
"Daisy this is Cheyenne she will be accompanying me today."
"It's so nice to meet you Cheyenne. I bet you're very ecstatic about being here." Cheyenne wondered if the woman was special ed or something. I mean did she look excited to be here. Then again, she couldn't really remember the last time she was as ecstatic as the woman who walked the corridors of the Jeffersonian with them. The three of them got into the elevator when a voice yelled to hold it. Sweets stepped in and suddenly the tension in the ascending elevator could be felt by all.
Cheyenne studied Sweets and Daisy as they avoided one another's glances and how Daisy suddenly became quiet. Cheyenne had a feeling an elevator full of people wouldn't quiet that woman, hhmm interesting so Sweets had a thing for Daisy's. Cheyenne learned long ago it didn't matter if you worked the strip in Vegas or were a doctor at some fancy smanshy place. It always boiled down to one thing; everyone just wanted a little loving. Angela had the entomologist, Sweets and Daisy had something going on, and Temperance and F.B.I guy were basically stuck in the movie When Harry Met Sally-or maybe this was called When Harry met Sally guest starring a certain unfortunate journalist Barbie, who Booth seemed to be using to get over Brennan. Cheyenne rolled her eyes at herself and her own thoughts.
She followed Brennan up onto the platform where Cam stood. Brennan swiped her identification card. Cheyenne thought it was pretty neat. The whole place was really nice. Though, Cheyenne had been in nice houses before, it wasn't very often only three times when she was younger. She was only there for the night, hell she had been in the white house too.
"Hi Dr. Brennan, Cheyenne." Cam
Cheyenne and Brennan both nodded acknowledging her existence. They walked further down the corridor toward Brennan's office and almost knocked over Angela as they turned a corner.
"Sorry, hey, how are you guys doing? Everything go okay last night?" Angela asked
"We were fine." Brennan looked to her best friend like she had asked a stupid question.
"Great, see you in a bit Bren I have to drop this off to Hodgins." Angela turned and started to walk down the corridor.
"Wait Ange!" The artist turned around facing Brennan and what reminded her of what teenage Brennan may have looked like. "I was actually wondering something."
"Well am I going to have to guess or are you going to tell me?"
Brennan sighed a bit unimpressed with her friends sarcasm. "Can Cheyenne stay with you while I get some things done."
"Sweetie, the girl is sixteen she doesn't need a sitter, but if you meant could she follow me around so she isn't bored out of her mind then of course. Though, I do have to go now."
"Thanks Ange!"
"No problem sweetie, later Cheyenne." Angela
Cheyenne looked up to Brennan as she let them both into her office. "Well I guess it's just Ange and I later. Where are you and F.B.I guy off too?" Cheyenne plopped herself down in a chair across from Brennan's desk.
"You mean Booth?" Brennan
"Yeah, him. That's his name Booth? I have a feeling it's a last name."
"It is. His name is Seeley Booth although he does not like his given name."
"Kinda cute, he calls you Bones and you call him Booth. A bit like pet names." Cheyenne
"No, I call him by his last name just like most everyone else in the Jeffersonian." Brennan
Cheyenne ran her fingers along her foster parent's desk top. "You said most."
"I did. Cam calls him Seeley and one can't be sure what the whole Jeffersonian staff calls Booth. I don't know the whole staff." Brennan
"Cam sleep with him?" Temperance stopped shuffling the papers and digging through manila folders for a heartbeat. "So, I guess that is a yes." Cheyenne noticed when she met Hannah Barbie Burley yesterday for a few brief moments at the Jeffersonian she called him Seeley as well.
"It's not very intelligent to make assumptions Cheyenne." Brennan
Booth tapped on Brennan's office door and invited himself inside. Two sets of hauntingly dark blue irises stared back at him. "Hey F.B.I guy, what's up?" Cheyenne wondered aloud.
Booth looked to Cheyenne and then to Brennan and back. She was a tiny teenage Tempe, a miniature Bones. Throw in a little of Angela's rock and roll upbringing and the lab had one rebellious, street smart kid on their hands. "Hey, are you there F.B.I?"
"His name is Booth." Brennan
"I thought it was Seeley." Cheyenne said
"I don't care, up to you Cheyenne." Booth
"Well, maybe you don't." She swiveled herself around to face Booth in the chair she sat in and looked up to address him. "But your partner, Bones …Temperance-she does. I've learned it's best to keep the peace, especially when working with a partner. So, whada'ya say partner? Booth or Seeley?" Cheyenne was being a wise ass.
"Booth is just fine Cheyenne."Hannah called him Seeley as did Rebecca and it would feel weird for Bones' foster kid too. She was after all Bones' foster kid.
"Boothie it is." Cheyenne wasn't sure of Booth yet and it annoyed her that he played with barbies. Men are such fools thought Cheyenne as she watched the anthropologist and F.B.I agent interact, it was awkwardly amusing.
Booth clapped his hands together and a smile spread on his face. "Hey Bones, we got a case!"
Brennan looked up to him holding a handful of files, "Then we should go Booth. Cheyenne…"
"I will be fine Brennan. I know, hang with Angela I got it."
With that Brennan hesitated a millisecond sharing a look with Cheyenne. "Go Brennan." Said Cheyenne and with that Brennan closed the door to her office. Cheyenne now alone snooped around the anthropologists' office. She opened her desk drawer and found a newspaper clipping of Brennan and Booth. She smiled and put it back. She found another picture of a teenager maybe eleven or thirteen. It reminded Cheyenne of innocent days, happy times.
She imagined it was Temperance, but irrationally wished it could have been her. She wished she could have been Temperance, she probably grew up in a perfect family with a mother and father who loved her. Cheyenne knew she was a very prominent and successful woman. How else would she have managed to have afforded to go to college, most likely rich parents?
Her mind drifted back to Brennan and Booth, they reminded her of Avril Lavigne's song Skt8er Boi or more of Taylor Swift's song You Belong With Me. Though, it was a bit childish to compare relationships to songs, because real life was nothing like the lyrics celebrity's wrote-most of the time. There was no happily ever after, Romeo and Juliet? Please. She could think of a few exceptions maybe Fuck You by Cee Lo Green a few others came to mind as well.
"How are you and Cheyenne getting along Bones?" The drive to the crime scene had been relatively quiet until now.
"We are fine, we talked a bit last night."
Booth thought of last night's late night jog and the abnormally clear sky. "About what?"
"Irrational wishes and how they are irrational. She also played many songs on the way home from the Jeffersonian for me. Though, I didn't recognize any except one that she mentioned, but never played."
"Irrational wishes huh? What song did you recognize?" Brennan could barely look at him as the title of the song fell from her lips.
"You Oughta Know by Alanis Morrisette." She glanced at him and she could tell he knew it as he shifted in the driver's seat.
"Ouch."
"Cheyenne likes Allanis Morrisette."
"I guess so. The music seems to fit her personality, teenager." Though, Booth wondered what prompted Cheyenne to bring that song up to Brennan, he had a pretty good idea.
Brennan didn't tell him about the song with a profane name. "I'm not sure what that means. She also played another song although I don't remember what it was called. It spoke of going through all different ages in life, starting at fifteen and ending at one hundred. It said something about 'when you only have a hundred years to live."
"Five For Fighting? 100 years?"
"I don't know Booth, maybe though I don't recall."
He turned to look at her, "I like it too Bones."
She smiled and they continued to drive.
Cheyenne wandered into the artist's office, her red duffle bag in her left hand. "Moving in?" Angela said looking up to Cheyenne from the ground where she was sketching.
"Nope, what are you working on?" Cheyenne asked curiously as she sat down on the couch her duffle by her side.
"Nothing, just messing around." Cheyenne eyed her curiously. "It's a picture of a child, a newborn. The innocence seemed fitting for my soon to be new role."
"You pregnant?"
"Yes." Angela said smiling.
"Congrats, Tempe didn't mention it."
"Thank you."
Cheyenne got up and walked over to admire Angela's art. "So, your Brennan's best friend?"
"As opposite as we are and as hard as it is to believe, yes, yes I am."
"She loves Booth, you know that don't you?"
Angela turned to look up at Cheyenne. "Yeah, how did you stumble across that tid bit of information?"
"Actually she didn't really share per se, but it was clear in her eyes she wanted him back, she told me she turned him down." Angela was silent she had learned of that night, Bren had finally said something one day at lunch to her. Cheyenne offered up some more information, I played a lot of songs for her on the way to her place last night. She didn't comment on Cee Lo Green's Fuck You. Though, she had a glimmer in her eye when I brought up the song You Oughta Know by Allanis Morrisette. Though, she liked Five For Fighting's 100 Years best."
"Sounds like a Bren song. Fifteen was a hard year for her." Said Angela an expert on music, she knew the song well.
Cheyenne didn't ask why it was a hard year for her foster parent, it was none of her business. She only nodded in response to Angela.
Suddenly Hodgins walked into Angela's office. He looked at Cheyenne and she thought the strange eccentric entomologist was kinda cute in his own way.
"Hey Babe, Booth and Bren are on their way back. Looks like we have two, three week old bodies and bones coming in, I have a feeling Dr. B is going to want faces for out Vics." Hodgins turned to walk back out of the door then paused. "What's up, Chey? How was your stay at Dr. B's?" He didn't wait for a reply. "See you girls around, we have a massive bucket of maggots coming in."
"I'm glad you have such a passion for your job Jack I really am, but gross." Angela
"Thanks babe." He smiled and winked at her then walked out of the office.
"Yeah, Yeah." Angela shooed him from the room with her hand as she rose from the floor, brushing her charcoaled hands on her pants. "You want to help me out with something?"
"Sure, it's not like I have anything else to do."
"Come on I'll show you the Angelator." Cheyenne didn't ask what an Angelator was only followed Angela down the corridor.
Booth and Brennan were now on their way back to the Jeffersonian. The bodies from the scene were being shipped back and not far behind them.
"Booth?"
"Hhmm?"
Brennan sighed, knowing what she wanted to say, but saying it was a whole different thing. She went with a little bit of a safer subject although to speak of it still felt uncomfortable. "I made an irrational wish last night."Booth was intrigued, for so had he.
"Wishes aren't irrational Bones."
"That's what Cheyenne said, actually she said to screw rational. So I did and I made a wish."
Booth smiled at her. "What was it about?"
She hesitated, did she dare tell him she wished that he and Hannah wouldn't last long. It wasn't a nice wish, but it was an honest one. She was ready to say how she felt, she didn't want regrets. She realized this in Maluku.
"I don't want to share it. It is a wish after all. If one shares it doesn't the myth say that it will not come true?" Brennan said and Booth chuckled.
"Eh, that's only for birthday wishes and when you break a wish bone on a Turkey. " said Booth wanting to know what she wished about.
"Well it's my wish and I'm not sharing."
He chuckled at her childish words. Though, that was Bones, innocent, yet rough around the edges.
Angela and Cheyenne stood on the platform with Cam. Cheyenne observed them and soon Harry and Sally walked in the Jeffersonian's sliding glass doors.
Brennan walked in front but Booth was only a step behind. They both were on the platform in no time. Brennan informed everyone of the new case and walked toward her office. Cheyenne stood walking down the same corridor as the Booth and Brennan to the restroom. As she came out of it she walked into Booth. She scanned the corridor and didn't see Brennan. She passed him not saying a word and walked back out to the platform. She still wasn't feeling the guy even though he seemed well liked by his peers.
Later that night almost the whole Jeffersonian crew sat at the Founding Fathers. Sweets and Daisy who seemed to be on better terms tonight, Ange and Jack, Cam her boyfriend Paul and a teenage girl that looked about her age she supposed it was Cam's daughter, and a British intern named Vincent. Cheyenne was quiet and content just observing tonight. She had said her hello's but let everyone else do the talking.
The girl around her age was seated next to her and Cheyenne supposed she should try and attempt conversation. Though, she had learned girls her age could be real immature bitches but she would try.
"Hey."
"Hi, how are you? I'm Michelle Cam's adopted daughter."
Cheyenne wondered why Michelle felt the need to say she was adopted, but didn't pry. "I'm Cheyenne Temperance is fostering me."
"Oh." Conversation seemed dull at the moment between the two. "I thought you were a relative of Dr. Brennan's. You look eerily like her."
"Nope, just coincidence."
Michelle nodded and the two girls turned their attention too Hannah who was speaking about a story she was on.
Everyone was leaving, Hannah was talking with Cam and Paul. Cheyenne had a gut feeling Cam wasn't very keen on the blonde either, and that she like Cheyenne could see Booth was only using her to get over Brennan. Maybe it was unintentional, but it was what it was. Daisy and Sweets were in their own world momentarily and Cheyenne thought it sweet, happy that they seemed to be on the road to recovery. She sought out Brennan and saw she was talking to Angela, Cheyenne noticed both the artist and anthropologist spoke a lot with their hands. Hodgins waited patiently on his wife as he spoke with Vincent. She looked for Booth and sae he was coming out of the restroom.
She walked over to him everyone else too involved in conversation too notice, but she did feel Michelle's eyes on her. Though, she didn't care.
"Hey, F.B.I." she stood in front of him blocking his path.
"Hey Cheyenne, I heard you played quiet a selection of songs on the way back to Bones' last night."
"I did."
Booth knew he wasn't Cheyenne's favorite person. He was the Agent on her case and couldn't put a finger on it but there was more to it than that. "Why do you have a problem with me Cheyenne?"
She didn't answer him Cheyenne smiled a rye smile, "You remind me of a man in a movie."
"What movie?"
"When Harry Met Sally."
Booth thought of the movie, Rebecca had drug him to see it when it first came out. He knew Harry. He also knew Cheyenne was right. "Okay, but why do you have a problem with me?"
"Honestly, because you are using her." Cheyenne flicked her dark blue ireses towards Hannah. "To get over her." She then looked to Brennan.
"I'm not using her." Booth seemed disgusted with the accusation.
"Okay." she said it as one would say the word whatever.
"I'm not!" He said a little louder in his defense causing Cam to look at Cheyenne and Booth. Michelle looked up at Cam meeting her eyes and shrugged an 'I have no idea.'
"I said okay, it's none of my business, I know and I'm sorry. Well not really because you asked." Cheyenne said and Booth only shook his head and watched as Cheyenne started to walk back to the group, but stopped turning to him.
"I mean really, you mine as well have put a bullet through her heart and told her not to cry." He stood a moment and Cheyenne watched as his jaw line tensed. "I don't think you mean to do it, maybe you don't even know you are. Though, Hannah, she is just a band aid." He stood by himself as Cheyenne turned and walked back to join the group. Now composed, he wondered how did Cheyenne know all of this? Had Bones opened up to her or was the girl just that observant? Were Brennan and he really that obvious?
"Hey babe, ready to go?" Cheyenne and Brennan both looked up at Hannah's voice. Booth was still in his own world. Brennan noted something in Booth's eyes as he looked at her a moment longer then he usually did when saying goodbye. It was one of their old locking of orbs, when brown and blue merged together. She could tell something was wrong, but could only wonder. It wasn't her place to know everything about him anymore.
Michelle walked up to Cheyenne before they left. "What were you and Agent Booth talking about?"
Cheyenne thought a second. "How you live and learn and how he has some more learning to do. Then again don't we all?"
"Was it about Dr. Brennan?"
"Yeah, aren't they so obvious? It's a shame, Hannah I mean. He's using her to get over Brennan."
Michelle didn't look surprised "I didn't know Dr. Brennan and he were ever in a relationship."
"They weren't, but she broke his heart. Turned the guy down." Cheyenne
Michelle nodded and said goodbye to Cheyenne.
On the ride home Cam asked Michelle what Cheyenne and she talked about. "She told Booth he still had some things to learn."
Cam raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yes."
Brennan and Cheyenne walked into her apartment, drained. "I'm stuffed." Said Cheyenne
"I have to admit I did like that restaurant." Said Brennan
"The bar, Founding Fathers was nice after that too." Said Cheyenne
"I concur."
"You want to watch a movie Brennan?"
"Maybe tomorrow night, it's late and I'm tired." Said Brennan
"Tomorrow night." Cheyenne repeated back and Brennan nodded.
"It will give you a chance to think about what you would like to watch." Brennan suggested.
"Alright, goodnight." Though, Cheyenne already knew her pick. She thought of a certain line in the movie she hoped to watch tomorrow night.
Sally Albright: Is Harry bringing anybody to the wedding?
Marie: I don't think so.
Sally Albright: Is he seeing anybody?
Marie: He was seeing this anthropologist, but...
Sally Albright: What's she look like?
Marie: Thin. Pretty. Big tits. Your basic nightmare.
Just turn Sally into Temperance, Harry into Booth, make Hannah into the nameless anthropologist and Marie into Angela and there you have it. Although, the lines that seemed the most fitting came to her as she lay in bed curled up on her side.
Harry Burns: I've been doing a lot of thinking, and the thing is, I love you.
Sally Albright: What?
Harry Burns: I love you.
Sally Albright: How do you expect me to respond to this?
Harry Burns: How about, you love me too.
Sally Albright: How about, I'm leaving.
Cheyenne imagined that is about how it went down when Tempe ripped his heart from his chest. Well, guess Tempe knows how it feels now, but still using Hannah to get over her was low. Even if he didn't realize he was doing it. That's alright, she liked to meddle when bored in that ever so subtle way and found this love triangle amusing at best.