Part 3

Once Temperance was sure that everyone had fallen asleep, she headed over to the ruins. You would think that she would be tired from the jet lag but she was more interested in the remains than in sleep. As she returned to the remains she had been examining earlier, she began to catalog the man's injuries, not only that but she could see the effects of his life on his skeleton. He was 23, only a year older than she was. He had played basketball well into his adolescence. She could still see where he had broken his bones, even 15 years later. His right arm showed evidence of a Colle's fracture when he was eight breaking his fall, probably from a bike. Then at 17 he had broken it again, this time it was a Parry fracture, judging by the micro fractures on his ribs from the same time, he had probably held up his arm to ward back blows.

"What are you doing here? You should be asleep."

Temperance jumped up and spun around so that she was face to face with Booth. "Where the heck did you come from?" she exclaimed as she tried to calm her racing heart.

"I asked you first."

Temperance and Booth stared each other. Neither wanting to be the one to give in first. Time seemed to stretch on and she still hadn't gotten an answer, so she decided to humor him, somewhat. "Obviously, I am examining remains."

"I could see that. I meant why are you examining remains instead of sleeping?"

"I answered your question, now it's your turn."

"Fine, I just came from smoking my cigar."

"That doesn't tell me anything."

"Neither did your answer."

Temperance again hesitated to answer the question. Booth signed inwardly, getting an answer from her was like pulling teeth.

"I couldn't sleep and I prefer to work."

"You make me wait for an answer, and all it was is that you can't sleep? Haven't you ever heard of reading a novel before bed?"

"Novels are hardly edifying reading material."

"Fine, a book on the mating rituals of slugs. That will put you right to sleep."

"I'm an anthropologist, slugs don't interest me. Besides I feel that more can be learned from practical application than simply reading."

"Well, you know what class time is over. I don't care if you lie awake all night counting sheep, you're going to bed."

"I don't want to and you can't make me."

"What are you ten? You're going to bed if I have to swing you over my shoulder and carry you."

"You try it and I'll scream rape."

Temperance and Booth engaged in their third staring contest in ten minutes. This time it was Booth who gave in, "Fine!" He went to stand at his place to watch over her.

"What are you doing? I don't need a babysitter."

"I'm not leaving you alone; someone has to watch over you."

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Well, the army disagrees, that's why I stay here."

"Fine! Suit yourself."

Temperance looked up a couple of hours later to see Booth sleeping standing up. "Hmm, some watchout." she said as she turned back to the remains.

"I heard that, and its lookout not watchout."

Brennan was startled all over again, "I thought you were asleep! How do you do that?"

"Sniper."

"So being a sniper entails the ability to sleep standing up and hear whispers while sleeping."

"You got it babe."

"Don't call me babe!"

"Look, I promise I'll never call you babe again, if you just go back to your tent. So I can go back to mine and sleep horizontally, like God intended for man to sleep."

Temperance was about to argue that she hadn't finished with the remains, but then she remembered how tired he had seemed at the wall and how his feet had seemed to pain him. Temperance forced a yawn.

"Fine, I am getting tired."

Booth didn't need his ability to read people to see that she was faking. She was a terrible actress.

"Thank you, I'll walk you back to your tent."

"What? You're not going to sling me over your shoulder like a Neanderthal?'

"How about this time I act like a gentleman?" he replied as he held his arm out for her to hook hers through. Temperance took one look at him and started walking without him.

"Okay, so you don't like cavemen or gentlemen."

"Chivalry is just another way that men subjugate women."

Their banter continued until they reached her tent. As they approached her tent, they got quieter and soon they were just standing there looking into each other's eyes. Their bodies were magnetically drawn to each other until there was only an inch of space between them. Their lips parted and their heads tilted. Suddenly, Temperance realized what was happening and she pulled back, leaving Booth feeling stupid.

"Um, sorry about that. You know how us soldiers are, we see a beautiful girl and we lose our heads." he said as he walked away from her.

"Good night," whispered Temperance thinking that maybe with his sniper hearing he would hear it, and sure enough, he turned around and nodded at her.

As she lay there trying to sleep, thoughts of the almost kiss kept intruding. Then right as she was falling asleep, "He thinks I'm beautiful?"