This is not the chapter I wanted to post, but organization is not my strong point and neither is remembering the order of my chapters.
Well at least this makes Brennan seem more herself.
The Real Pain in the Heart – Part Two
Made
it 14 city blocks without breathing Its alright, this could be a rough night.
Light breaks from the left and
hits between the buildings
Stop lights change their name from
green to red to green again
Love has its critics but they never
keep many friends
So
hold tight, this is not a fair fight.
Angela caught Brennan's arm just as her legs gave out from under her.
"Sweetie, it's going to be okay" Angela said sitting down next to Brennan against the wall, and hugging her tightly.
"He's not coming back Ange" Brennan said tearfully, looking across the room to a small table where Jasper sat. "He'll never forgive me" she whispered suddenly looking at Angela.
Angela was at a loss for words. Never had she seen Brennan so lost and afraid.
For two hours Angela held her while she sobbed on her shoulder, until she finally calmed down some.
They were still sitting on the floor and Brennan was still staring at her door where Booth had left as if she were waiting for him to come back in at any second.
Brennan knew it was what she had to do, but she never expected it would hurt as bad as it did.
"Bren... why was Agent Collins here at all?"
Brennan bit her lip, as tears fell softly.
"I invited him over" she said, her voice cracking as she held back the tears that would soon fall.
"Why?" Angela asked gently, utterly confused at this radical change in behavior.
"I don't know" Brennan answered a little too quickly. She wasn't a good liar to begin with.
"Look Bren, I'm your best friend. I know when you're lying, even when you're lying to yourself. I also know when something is wrong with you and something is definitely wrong"
Brennan shook her head desperately. She couldn't tell Angela, as much as she wanted too. She couldn't bear to see the disappointment in her eyes when she found out the truth.
"You can't keep everything inside Brennan, you just can't! I can't help you if you don't tell me what this is all about!"
Brennan again shook her head in defiance.
"Does this have to do with that box at the lab?" Angela asked quietly. She had a feeling that Brennan knew more about it than she would admit and it was tearing her apart.
Brennan looked at Angela, surprised that she would guess correctly about that.
Angela must have seen in brilliant blue eyes that she was correct because her own widened slightly.
"Whatever it is... If you're in some kind of trouble, just tell me okay. I'll help you, whatever it is"
Brennan laughed bitterly, taking Angela by surprise. This was all her fault, everything. If it wasn't for her, Angela wouldn't be in danger, and neither would Booth. It was all because of her.
"You can't help me, no one can, not even Booth. Not that he would, and I don't blame him. I made this mess myself, it's all my fault"
Angela was glad that Brennan was finally opening up somewhat, but worried all the same.
"Please, let me help you, we can fix whatever this is together okay? I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you and I could've done something to prevent it"
"No, I've already put you in enough danger. I won't risk it happening again."
"I'm not worried about me right now, I'm worried about you. What happened tonight, with Booth... You love him so much Brennan, I know you do. I just don't get why you would go out and sleep with anyone else, when you have Booth right here. It doesn't add up, because you won't tell anyone what's wrong!"
Angela almost yelled the last part. Brennan usually opened up by now. This time it seemed that whatever it was, she was going to keep to herself.
"Is it that bad that you can't even tell me, so bad that you risk your relationship with Booth?"
Without skipping a beat, Brennan answered "Yes"
Angela closed her eyes, sighing.
"You're not alone in this Brennan, just remember that, you're not alone"
Angela leant her head against Brennan's. They sat there just thinking for a while.
It was an hour or two before Brennan felt Angela fall asleep next to her. Brennan didn't know how she got a friend like Angela; god knows she didn't deserve her. The question, was it worth it? Was it worth sleeping with Stephen to get him to back off? Was suddenly answered, It was.
Her heart was broken, she was hurting everyone close to her, and her actions hardly made sense to her anymore.
It was worth it though, and Brennan couldn't bear to lose Angela.
She had already lost so much...
Flashback
"No Mandy you can't tell the police, you can't tell anyone. You know what Stephen would do, he'd kill us both."
"Temperance, a whole family is dead because of us, because of him. We can't just let him get away with it!"
Temperance looked down sadly.
"Look I know you never meant for this to happen, but it's still wrong and if we don't say something he'll end up killing other people."
Temperance didn't say anything as she thought about the mess her life had become.
"Stephen will say that I made a deal with him for this"
Mandy pattered her on the back.
"Then we'll fight him together. Now you go over there and distract him while I go to the police station. It's less dangerous that way okay?"
"Alright"
"Just trust me, everything will be okay"
...
"Temperance, what's wrong?"
"What the hell happened? You were supposed to start a case against my foster father, not kill his whole family!"
"I know I know. But you see my men had some personal queries with your foster father."
Brennan shook as she stood there glaring at him. She had never wanted this, and now her whole world was crumbling.
Stephen came and stood behind her, kissing her neck. His hand traced down her arm, and onto her thigh.
"Oh come on now. You're free from that bastard. That's what you wanted right?" he whispered in her ear.
"Not like this" Brennan said pushing his hand away.
Stephen grabbed her hard and pulled her to him. "You agreed to my offer did you not?"
Brennan became nervous at the tone of his voice. "Yes.."
"Then what's the problem? Because I can think of something else I'd rather be doing with you that doesn't involve talking."
Brennan shook harder and bit her lip. His trusting eyes got her to say the thing that had been on her mind all night.
"Mandy's going to the police to tell them everything. She's there now."
Stephen eyes narrowed and he pushed her away from him. Temperance fell to the floor and watched as he wrote something in his black journal before picked up the phone.
"I want you to go pick up Mandy Richards at the police station, and shut her up... Permanently."
Brennan's eyes swelled with tears. Instantly she knew that she had made a mistake.
"No! You can't do this! You can't do this!" She screamed running at him.
He hit her in the face with his black book sending her into one of the chairs. Stephen then grabbed her and threw her up against the wall of his office hard enough to make her black out.
She woke up the next morning with a black eye, headache, and a newspaper. Her best and only friend was now dead, and she was to blame.
She
up and died and left you in the fall you could not forget It's alright, this
could be a rough night.
You were
too young you said not yet, not yet, not yet.
That year the
cherries choked from pretty pink, to red, to brown.
You looked
around but she was nowhere to be found.
So hold tight, this is not a fair fight.
It's alright, this will be a rough night.
So hold tight, this
is not a fair fight
Fair Fight – The Fray
Review if you'd like the extended version of Brennan's flashback.
