A/N: From the bottom of my heart, I apologize for the delay in this story, it's entirely my fault! (This is Willgirl by the way). Life got in the way, I will do my best never to let it happen again! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you very much for the reviews!
Brennan sat at her desk, her fingers idly drumming. It was eleven o'clock and she hadn't gotten a thing done all morning. It was Booth's fault entirely. If he hadn't picked a fight with her then everything would have been fine and she would be happily working away.
He didn't pick a fight with you. Her conscience whispered.
It was true, maybe she started it but that wasn't the point. After all, he left without a goodbye kiss right? That hurt more than the fight, she could barely remember what they were fighting about yesterday anyway. But him leaving this morning, so cold and angry, it was like a slap in the face. A look at reality.
He could leave her. She never thought that was possible before, but the look in his eyes this morning betrayed that truth. They could fight and he could leave. Her heart pounded rapidly when she thought about this.
This is why you aren't in relationships, Temperance.
She sighed and looked at her open document once more, trying to get the right words on the page, when a knock at the door made her turn her head.
There he was, leaning against the doorframe like he belonged there, and he did, really, even though he refuted it in the beginning stages of their partnership. He flashed her a look and before she could discern it, his professional demeanour was in place.
"We have a case, Bones."
Dear god, a case.
What the last six months had taught them was that being together did affect their work entirely. When they were happy together, it improved their working relationship. They were faster, better, almost anticipating each others moves. But when they were fighting, it all went to hell in a hand basket. They snipped at each other and got frustrated easily.
She nodded her head and stood up, grabbing her jacket and following him out the door. He walked beside her and she keenly felt the absence of his hand on her back. She didn't know what to do, was unsure how to fix this rift between them.
"What's the case about?" she asked, as they got into the car.
There. Good idea, talk about the case. That will get you started.
"Body found in an alley behind a restaurant." Booth stated. "That's all I know."
Silence it is then.
She looked out of the window at the passing streets and realized that she had to apologize. Yes, he was a stubborn, irritating, pain in the ass, that was no doubt and him trying to be spontaneous was really not what they needed. But she could concede that part of it was maybe her fault as well.
"Booth?" she said hesitantly. "About this morning…."
"Later, Brennan. We're at the crime scene." He said gruffly, parking the car and getting out quickly.
She blinked back the tears that stung in her eyes.
He never calls me Brennan.
Then she took a deep breath, steeled her gaze and exited the car. It was time to work.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Booth rubbed his eyes wearily and stared at his computer, hoping the report would miraculously do itself. He was now beginning to feel guilty for leaving the house with their argument unresolved.
He loved her, she knew that, but she drove him so god damn crazy sometimes. Their relationship was not what he thought it was going to be. Somehow he had bought into that perfect couple crap that Angela was selling and then became disappointed when it didn't come true.
They were different people and not just in the big ways but in the little ones too. He thought this wouldn't bother him but it did. She was stubborn, obstinate, headstrong…
Not just her.
It was true, he did have a bit of a temper which somehow got exacerbated every time he was around her.
A knock on the door made him look up.
"Body found in the back alley of Morton's." Cullen said. "I need you and your bone lady on it right away."
"Yes sir." He grumbled.
"You and the bone lady fighting again?" Cullen smiled knowingly.
"No sir, not at all." Booth replied, grabbing his coat and making his way towards the door. The last thing he needed was to be reprimanded for his relationship. It had only been a month since he'd 'signed off' on the new added dimension of their partnership. Of course he made it perfectly clear that their personal affairs could not have any bearing on their working partnership. It did, but Cullen didn't need to know that
"Glad to hear it." Cullen replied, handing him the file.
Booth made his way to the parking garage, for once, disappointed that there was a case. He loved working on cases with Bones but when they were fighting, the situation was never a good one.
Finally making it to the Jeffersonian, he bypassed all the squints, in no mood to talk to them and went straight to her office. He took a moment and watched her work, her face getting that furrowed brow thing that happened whenever she concentrated.
Don't deny it, you think she's hot.
That thought reminded him of the fight they had and how she had made it clear that he wouldn't be getting any for a while, and it renewed his pissed off state.
He knocked at the door.
"We have a case." He said grimly.
She nodded and got her jacket on, and they made their way out of the Jeffersonian. He wanted to reach out and touch her like he always did, but that seemed too masochistic.
After giving her the sparse details of the case in the car, he remained silent and concentrated on the driving, feeling himself get angrier and angrier as they drove.
Why couldn't they just work this out? Why was she being like this?
He would admit that it was partly his fault too but it still made him mad to think that she thought he was basically a caveman with a tiny penis.
"About this morning…" he heard her say as he parked next to the police car.
"Later Brennan, we're at the crime scene." He spouted off, before wrenching open the door and heading toward the scene, leaving her behind, not even realizing his slip of the tongue. He pushed back the oncoming guilt and looked down at the body.
He didn't need to be a forensic anthropologist to know what he was looking at. The body of a small child.