Here is the new chapter. I went in a little different direction with it then I originally intended, but I've been reading a book with a character who kind of reminds me of Temperance and got an idea from it.
Awaking from another restless sleep, she kicked the covers off of her body and sighed. Her dreams were becoming more realistic in design, causing her waking moments to be filled with a tangible loneliness.
It was Saturday and normally it would be like any other day for her. She would go to work in order to catch up on assignments and projects that had been cast aside for a case, unfortunately for her; however, she was so far ahead of schedule that Cam had exiled her to a mandatory weekend off.
Finally pulling herself out of bed, she took a quick shower and picked up the newspaper that had been left on her door step. She read up on her current events while standing in her kitchen in a pair of boxer shorts and an old, stained tank top and ate half a bagel with organic jelly. After becoming bored with all of the redundant articles and horribly misspelled words, she tossed the paper into her recycling and attempted to think of something to do.
Angela was out of town visiting her father on tour this weekend and Brennan became suddenly struck by the fact that she only had two friends. She dug her cell phone out of her bag and dialed the familiar number and waited for an answer.
"Hey Bones!" the delightfully smooth voice that always brought a smile to her face answered.
Brennan blushed at his greeting and leaned on the kitchen counter trying to sound casual, "Hey Booth."
"What's going on? Did you find some murder victim from the 12th century in limbo or something, because honestly, I don't think the FBI would care too much about cases so cold they've turned to popsicles." He joked.
"No." she laughed, "Actually, I've decided to take the weekend off." She lied.
"Mmhmm…" Booth hummed skeptically, "Cam kicked you out, didn't she?" he asked.
"What! No, Booth! Is it so hard to believe that I occasionally like to partake in some TLC?" she asked.
Booth paused for a moment, "I think you meant R&R, Bones. Rest and relaxation. TLC stands for tender love and care."
"Oh." She said, smacking her forehead lightly, "Right, of course."
She could hear Booth laugh lightly over the phone, "So what do you have planned for your big weekend off?" he asked, "Writing new chapters of your salacious novel? Volunteering in Haiti?"
Brennan rolled her eyes, "I actually finished the book a week ago and I think Haiti is too far to fly to for only a weekend."
"Yeah, I guess your right about that." She could hear the smile in his voice.
"So…" she said casually, or as casually as she can ever sound, "What are you doing today?" she asked.
Booth paused for a moment before answering. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest hoping that he would say 'nothing, let's hang out', and yet at the same time she almost hoped that he was busy, "Actually," he started, "I'm going to pick up Parker in a little bit and we were going to play some football in the park."
"Oh." She said, not only feeling disappointed but actually sounding disappointed.
"Yeah, sorry." He said softly.
"What? No. What are you sorry for, Booth?" she asked.
"Umm… I just assumed that you wanted to hang out today." He said.
Brennan straightened her stance and put her hand on her hip, "Did I ask you if you wanted to hang out?" she said defensively.
"No." he said cautiously.
"If I had wanted to, Booth, I would have just asked you. So don't feel sorry for me. I have plenty of things that I need to do today."
"Then why did you call me?" he asked.
"Well… I just wanted to see how you were. And you're obviously well, so, I have to go now. A lot of things need to be done around here." She said, hitting the end button on her cell phone.
Booth looked down at his phone and found that she had indeed hung up on him. Booth smiled and shook his head. Last night had been a terrible night for him. Sleeping was never something that came easily to him as he always found something to feel guilty or embarrassed about that would in turn keep him up all night replaying the images over and over inside his head. For the past few years now, and most frequently since his coma, it was the visions of her that replayed themselves in his head at night.
Sometimes, just on the verge between sleep and awake, he could imagine himself falling into her arms in the dead of night, feeling the immense pleasure of finally being on the right path in life. Sometimes his fantasies would make him feel so whole, so completed that he would feel a sense of inadequacy upon wakening, knowing that this dream version of himself was the only version of himself that could make her love him the way he always hoped that she could.
He bites into a piece of toast and picks up his phone and dials the familiar number and waits, "Hello?" says his little man on the other end of the line.
"Hey Parks." He says, then taking a sip of milk.
"Dad! What's up?" Parker screams on the other end.
"Just checking up. How was school yesterday?" he asked.
He could hear the rustling of a windbreaker and assumed his son shrugged, "It was alright, I guess. Science is way boring now though, 'cause Max taught me all this stuff but in way funner ways."
Booth rolled his eyes, "'Funner' is not a word, Parker." He scolded.
"Whatever." Parker responded.
"Okay, bub. I know you have Brian's birthday party, laser tag thing today so have fun okay?"
"Okay, Dad!"
"I love you, bub." Booth said.
"Love you too, Dad. Bye!"
Booth heard the phone click on the other end and hung up his phone. He chugged the rest of the milk in his glass and went to his bedroom to get dressed.