AN: I know, promises promises. lol But this is indeed longer and truthfully it wouldn't have been the same if I had posted on Tuesday. I think this is much better, I hope you guys like it.

Chapter 4

When Econ ended at noon, it was time for the seniors to go home. Mr. Lattrell had finished explaining the project and had even given everyone their income. The first assignment was to create a budget using both partner's incomes. Unfortunately for the new kid, he'd have to do it twice, once for each of his 'baby mamas'.

Brennan was one of the first ones out of the class, and Booth was hard-pressed to catch up to her. "Hey, um do you want to come over to my house and work on the project?"

She turned to look at him coldly, Booth had never felt such rejection at the hands of a high school girl. "That's not necessary, just give me your information and I'll create the budget."

"Um, okay. If you want to do it that way." Booth handed her the paper that said his job information, she quickly slipped it into her binder and left without another word. Booth watched her as she walked away from him, wondering why he bothered her so much, and why that bothered him.

Temperance walked briskly to the spot where her foster father would meet her. Unlike other homes where she'd have either have to walk home or wait for hours for her foster parents to pick her up, Mr. Sweets was always there waiting. He said it was no trouble, but nevertheless she hated to make him wait. He was such a sweet old man, he was even teaching her to drive, which was something that as a seventeen year old girl was imperative that she learn.

As she reached the Buick, Mr. Sweets got out of the driver's side and walked towards the passenger side. "Hello sweetheart. How was school?"

"It was good, Mr. Sweets."

Frank Sweets wished she felt comfortable enough to call him by his name, but he knew better than to push her. After all, he'd had experience earning the trust of a child who trusted no one.

Brennan was an excellent driver and they were home in no time. And as always when they got home, Mrs. Sweets had a lunch ready for them. Not only that, but she respected Temperance's choices and made her vegetarian meals.

Frank and Jo were the nicest foster parents Brennan had ever had. Besides taking her in after the events that had led her to be transferred 6 times, they also had a son they had adopted 8 years ago. Lance Sweets was now a freshman in high school, who despite his dubious choice in music was a good kid at heart.

"How was school, Tempe? Did Mr. Stires let you have Jane Eyre for your term paper?"

"Yes, in fact he's also giving me an opportunity for extra credit by preparing a presentation on the book."

"That's great, so what are you planning on writing about?" Jo Sweets had been an English teacher before she had retired.

"Well, I'm going to focus on the Byronic hero. How Mr. Rochester wasn't considered handsome, because at the time only fops were handsome. The Byronic heroes were generally more rugged and marred by tragedy."

Frank listened to his two girls discussing the merits and faults of the gothic novel, and thought of something. "Tempe, I've been thinking. What with Lance starting high school this year and you having to do all these projects, the computer's really gonna be put through it's paces."

"Well, I could always use the computers at work. That way Lance won't be put out."

"No, no honey. I'm thinking that it's time to get another computer. How about we go to the electronics store this weekend and you can pick out one you like?"

"I wouldn't want to impose."

"It's no imposition honey. Besides you're graduating this year. Consider it an early graduation present."

Brennan felt guilty taking such a gift from them, but knew from experience that the Sweets would buy her a computer anyway. They were good people like that. Mr. Sweets was always trying to prepare her for the real world, he'd been orphaned at the age of 16 and knew what it was like. While Mrs. Sweets would just try to be there for her, she'd say that she was there for the listening.

Temperance went to do her homework before work. She breezed through all of it, but she had to admit it took a bit of fiddling to make an appropriate budget for Econ. Anthropologists were severely underappreciated and only made $35,000. Booth's career choice hadn't been any better from a financial standpoint, as a police officer he would only make $30,000. At the moment she was so angry with him, she was even blaming him for their lack of funds. Why couldn't he have been intelligent and picked something that paid more? Because he's an alpha male, she thought, he probably just wanted to imagine himself carrying a gun.

Two hours later, Temperance had finished her homework and it was time to pick up Lance from school and for her to go to work.

Temperance pulled up to the same spot where she had waited for Frank, and Lance climbed promptly into the car. He said a quick 'Hey' to Brennan and turned to Frank as he put on his seatbelt. "Hey Dad, I need to go to the library with Temperance. I don't know how long I'll have to be there."

"Okay, then I'll just pick the both of you up at the same time."

When they arrived at the library, Frank gave them both money. "This is for dinner, stay safe." he said as he got back into the drivers' seat.

Brennan had started at the library by simply shelving books, but the ladies she worked with soon trusted her enough to run the circulation desk. She started her shift right as most of the schools got out, so it was relatively busy and loud for a library. Her favorite part of the day was later in the evening when almost everyone had left. However, her boss made her go get dinner just as it was quieting down.

Lance and Temperance ended up eating at Chipotle, where she could order a veggie burrito and he could get steak tacos. They sat at the same table, but it was as if the lights had gone off in the restaurant and Temperance had no idea that there was someone else at the table. She found it hard to relate to Lance, they read books on completely different subjects and it was the same with their music and television program choices. Besides this, it was an awkward situation living in his home, in other foster homes the parents always seemed to make a distinction between the foster kids and their own, but here at the Sweets' house the line blurred. But Lance didn't seem to have any such inhibitions.

"Hey Tempe, who was that guy who walked you home last night?"

Temperance almost choked on her bite of burrito. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, I was up late reading and I saw you come home late last night, with some guy. Don't worry I won't tell Mom and Dad, I was just curious."

"How did you see me if you were reading?"

"I heard a noise and looked out the window and I saw a guy walking away from the house. Is he your boyfriend?"

"No! I barely met him last night, why would you think that?"

"I don't know, I thought maybe you'd left a boyfriend behind when you moved. It was just a theory. So who was he?"

"His name is Booth."

"Seeley Booth? The school's star Running Back?

Of course he'd be the star, thought Brennan. "Yes, that's him, well I was at the school planning on collecting a specimen when this naked boy runs into me."

"And what Booth rescued you from the perv? What was he even doing there?"

"He was under the bleachers with a girl, and there was no rescuing, he was the naked boy."

"No way!"

"Way." Brennan nodded. "Whoever the girl was had found out that he had been with someone else and stole his clothes as revenge. Not to mention his car."

"Wow, that explains so much." Lance thought back to the gossip that had been coursing through the halls that morning. "So what happened next? How come he walked you home? And he wasn't naked when I saw him. I would have called the cops."

"I felt sorry for him and gave him my sweater. Then he broke into the Boys' Locker Room and got some clothes. He insisted on walking me home, which was ridiculous, it won't happen again."

"You don't sound like you like him very much."

"I don't! He's a... a..."

"A player? Yeah, he is. He's not as great as everyone thinks." Lance thought back to the Harlan Kinney affair. "But the girls like him anyway. It's the charm, all the guys at school wish they were half as smooth as him."

"Why would they wish to decrease their body hair? It's not very masculine to have no chest hair."

Lance had to burst into laughter at that little tidbit.

Booth made his way to the parking lot, kinda bummed that Temperance apparently couldn't stand to be around him, but as soon as he saw his car he cheered right back up again. He opened up the back and was relieved to find all his clothes there. his cell phone was even in his pants pocket. He got in the driver's side and just sat there for a few minutes, caressing the steering wheel and remembering the first time he'd sat in it, when he was twelve years old. When he turned the ignition, he savored the sound and pulled out of the parking lot.

Booth had never been the smartest kid in the class, but he'd done his work, and now he was a senior and unlike some of his buddies, he didn't have to repeat any classes. That meant he had a couple of hours to kill 'til football practice. So after his last class, he'd head over to the local library and do whatever homework he might have that day. Booth knew that would make him see like a dork, but the fact of the matter was doing it this way freed up his afternoons for work and his nights for girls. Like most days, he'd finished his work by the time he had to head back to school.

After football practice, Booth was waiting by the bleachers for Jared's cross country practice to end, when a Gridiron Groupie sidled up to him.

"Hi Booth." she breathed out as she took in the body beneath his muscle shirt. "What 'ya doing?"

"Um hey, Britney. I'm just waiting for Jared."

"Aww, you're such a good big brother." she simpered.

"I guess. It's not like I could ditch him."

"Oh, well, I was thinking you could ditch him later tonight." Britney shrugged both her shoulders pushing her breasts up against her low cut shirt. Booth had no doubts about what she wanted to do later that night, but he was a little skittish after last night.

"Um, I don't think so Britney."

"Oh come on Seeley. It'll be fun." This time she was glanced at his fly and licked her lips.

Booth thought about what the other guys said of the petite blonde, how she was the perfect height for...

"Hey Jerk! You're so lucky you didn't ditch me this time! Pops is pissed!" Booth was actually relieved to see his little brother, his mind had been wandering into dangerous territory.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around Britney." said Booth as he grabbed his equipment and left for his car.

"Hey wait for me!" called Jared as he jogged behind Booth completely ignoring Britney.

When Booth and Jared got home, Pops was sitting in the kitchen waiting for them. "Jared, go upstairs and take a shower."

"Why do I have to take a shower? I'm not the one who stinks."

"Jared, don't you think you're a little old to be fighting me about taking a bath? Besides I need to talk to your brother."

Jared suddenly remembered that Hank was mad at Booth and decided it wouldn't hurt to take a shower.

"Um, what's up Pops?"

"Seeley, tell me the truth did you have a girl in your room last night? Is that why you left early and left your brother behind?"

"No! What are you talking about Pops? I would never have a girl stay the night."

"Then why was this in your room?" he said as he held up Temperance's sweater.

"Look Pops, it's not what you think. She wasn't here, I took a girl home and she forgot her sweater. That's it."

"You aren't lying to me?"

"No, her name is Temperance and she's my partner for the Life Skills project. She's a straight A student and everything."

"Alright, it's okay Shrimp, I believe you. But why didn't you take your brother to school?"

"I was just in a big hurry to get to school and I guess I kinda sort of forgot?" Booth shrugged guiltily.

"You know better than that Shrimp, I'm afraid you're gonna lose your car privileges for the week."

"But Pops!"

"I'm sorry son, you just cancel any plans you may have for the weekend because you're not going."

Booth decided to back off, deep down he knew he deserved this and more. He kept the way he spent his nights a secret for a reason, and that was because he knew Pops wouldn't approve.

Oh yeah! How could I forget? I was floored by the wonderful response to the last chapter. Thanks so much everyone who reviewed. It means a lot to me.