A/N: YAY It's my birthday!! woohoo XD I turned 17 today and why would I be the only one receiving gifts I thought so..I uploaded a new Chapter of HoH especially for you guys (and girls :p) out here
Make this the best birthday ever and leave me a revieuw with your thoughts !!
Chapter 9: Just Partners
I awoke slowly, delicious covered with warmth of a blanket, and I didn't have a single nightmare since…
The images of last night came rushing back.
The nightmare, the yelling, my meltdown and the embrace.
Booth had comforted me, or more important, I had let him.
He had carried me inside where I, totally exhausted, had collapsed in his arms on the couch.
When suddenly something moved around my waist, my eyes shot open.
And it seemed that the warm blanket was made of hands and arms!
Booth's hands and arms.
Slowly and a little uncomfortable, I slipped out of his embrace, hoping I wouldn't wake him.
Succeeding, I moved towards my improvised bathroom and washed myself a little, throwing my duffel bag for the day together and just when I was about to leave…
"Bones???" I heard him call out groggily, still half asleep.
Sighing, I put my bag down and went to Booth.
"What?" The one, simple word left my mouth.
I wasn't in the mood for conversations, and especially not with my partner.
As he pulled himself into a sitting position he looked at me, his gaze somber, an uncomfortable air in the room.
"Why are you running?" He asked, his voice sounded hurt.
"Booth I'm going to work, I'm not running." I replied.
"That's not what I meant and you know it." He argued, rubbing the back of his neck. "After four years, I think I'm worth a visit…but no, all I get is an e-mail. I tried to understand you, to cope with the fact that maybe nothing will ever be the same again, that maybe our unbreakable bond was broken at least, and then the person I cared the most for except Parker runs from me, like she's telling me I am the monster who did this to her."
In complete shock I stared at Booth, nailed to the ground.
This isn't what I wanted, never had I meant it to end like this, never I had wanted Booth to get hurt, hurt like I was.
I crossed my arms in front of me, simultaneously hugging my torso. My voice shook slightly as I spoke up, keeping my gaze focused on my bag. "Booth, I - I really need to go to work..." I had already hurt him enough. I hoped he would let me go, so I wouldn't hurt him more than I already had.
"No," He replied. " You're staying. I'm staying, until we worked this out, because you can try all you want, Temperance. You can't push me away."
Sighing, I dropped my bag again and planted myself onto the other end of couch, as far from him as possible.
Burying my head in my hands, I mumbled.
"What do you want me to say? What do you want me to say! Because honestly, I have no idea. I have no idea what to do or say, and sometimes I don't even have a clue of who I am…It's just—It's killing me, Booth. And obvious it's also killing the people around me."
For minutes there was a silence between us.
Not the usual silence, the comfortable one.
But also not the pregnant and uncomfortable one.
Just silence.
When Booth scooted closer, I was surprised, he wasn't mad like I thought he would be, instead he just placed an arm over my shoulder, pulling me closer, until my face was flat against his chest.
His nose buried in my hair he whispered, "We'll get through this, Temperance. I promise, all I want you to do is trust me."
Looking up to him, my eyes bore into his.
"I trust you." I whispered, hoarsely. And I meant it. My breath quickened and my gaze flickered from his eyes to his lips, and slowly I brought my face towards his, our lips inches apart. But then right before our lips met, the sound of my cell phone tore us apart.
A little awkwardly I shoved aside and got it out of my bag, answering it.
" Brennan."
"Dr. Brennan, are you ok?" Kathleen Simons, one of my colleagues at the dig asked.
"Yes, Kathleen, I'm fine, I just Uhm—Overslept."
"Ok, So you're still coming?"
"Yes," I replied. "I'll be down in a few minutes, see you then."
"Bones…" Booth whispered, a little whine detectable in his voice. "Don't –"
"I have to." I cut him off. "You can stay, there are some books on the shelf, see you later Booth."
I closed the door behind me, a muffled "Yeah, later." The last thing I heard.
Carefully I looked at the scull in my hands, it was female, defiantly.
A young female, probably in her teens when she was still alive, the, few, artefacts that were found beside her suggested that she'd been from an important tribe, most likely the leader's daughter.
But the most fascinating thing was that there weren't any bodies found around her, out of which we concluded that this wasn't a traditional grave, not a family grave like the one we usually bumped into. She'd been robbed.
My thoughts wandered further, had she fought her attacker?
What had the robber done to her? Just taken her belongings or more?
Question after question seeped into my head.
Had the person assaulted her? Physically, sexually or maybe even both.
Had she been brave, and fought the guy? Or had she been a coward just like me, and had she let him control her?
Had she…
"Tempe?"
My eyes blinked rapidly as I tried to shake myself back to reality.
Standing in front of me was Kathleen, the youngest of one of the doctors I worked with, her red hairs in a bouncy ponytail and some unruly locks curled behind her ear, her big green eyes, worried.
Kathleen sat down in front of her and spoke up again: "Tempe? Are you okay? You seem to be a little distracted. Are you okay?"
I looked at her and realized that I was, as a matter of fact, not okay. The thoughts about the victim I had been examining kept running around in my head. I sighed and stared at the remains.
" I - Kathleen, could you please handle the processing of this set of remains?" I got up and started to walk towards the hill, walking away from the site. I kept on walking till I was completely surrounded by nature, needing it's calm and reassuring qualities soothing to me. As the thoughts that were flowing through my head became too much, I sunk down on my knees, cradling my head in my hands.
What had happened this morning…or what had could have happened?
If there hadn't been an interruption..would I have kissed my partner?
My very attractive and comforting partner.
Would I have let him…or would I have backed away in the last seconds?
Was my fear for Patrick still too big to let people in…and was I over him at all?
He had damaged my trust, really damaged.
In that one year I thought I'd finally found love, I had wondered that maybe Booth was right, that I would find love eventually, and then, in one single moment, everything shattered.
It felt like everything had turned into shades of grey. That there wasn't a single happy thing left. Everything was broken…and I was, still am, the most.
Numerous thoughts wandered through my mind, and I couldn't focus on one.
I hated being this fragile.
For the first time since I came here, I watched the panorama.
My breath caught when I saw how pretty it was, this was truly beautiful.
I was surrounded with hills, a gorgeous flora and a fog hung over the mountain I was sitting on. It was quiet, peaceful and free of worry from any kind, the place I'd been looking all over…fatigue overcame me again and slowly my eyes fluttered close.
---------------
A rustling sound shook me awake…
Strange, I didn't remember dozing off in the first place.
When I opened my eyes I was shocked to find Kathleen standing in front of me, clearly out of breath.
"Thank..God, we ..found you!" She breathed.
Wait…we? When I looked further I saw my partner standing behind her, a relieved smile on his face.
"Bones!!" He smiled at me. "We kinda got worried… well I got worried, you'd been gone for hours according to..-"
"Kathleen." My colleague anthropologist replied.
"Yeah, Kathy here. She told me you already went home, but I'd been there the entire day… so it was impossible I could have missed you and we went searching and ..well now we gotcha."
From the corners of my eyes I saw Kathleen smiling when I let Booth pulled me to my feet, and accidently stumbled in his arms, flat against his chest.
A flash of yesterday evening shot through my mind and quickly I removed myself from Booth's arms.
Silently we walked back downwards and once down I thanked Kathleen and confirmed I would be back tomorrow. Without a further word Booth and I walked to my new house.
As I softly closed the door behind us I was startled to see him looking at me.
Booth inched closer, gently placing a finger under my chin, lifting it up, forcing me to meet his hypnotizing eyes.
"Hey , Bones you ok?" He asked me softly.
"I've been better but, yes, it's ok now…I'm glad you found me, it can be pretty cold up there in the middle of the night."
A heart-melting grin broke across his face.
"Yeah, guess it can be."
He leaned even closer and my breath caught as he lowered his face towards mine, so close I could feel his breath on my face but right before he could press his lips against mine, I backed away.
"Booth.." I whispered, stunned and ashamed of my action. "I—I can't do this… I'm sorry."
Also my partner stumbled aside, a little taken aback by my reaction I guess.
"Shit," He cursed, rubbing his face. "No… I'm sorry—I should have known… With Patrick and stuff.."
Suddenly Booth moved towards the, somewhat apart, kitchen and I was left wondering if I had hurt him that much with one rejected kiss.
I had wanted to kiss him, feel close to him, I really did.
But something still scared me, and I wondered if that little insecure part would ever go away.
I was shaken out of my thoughts when I heard him return, with a slight smile on his face and a pan in his hands.
"Pasta alla arrabiata… with some local spices I found in the shelf."
I took place on the table and nodded gracefully when a plate full of wonderful smelling pasta was set in front of me.
"Thanks." I said and speared a few penne's on my fork, bringing it to my mouth.
As several flavors filled my mouth I had to contain myself from moaning, damn I had never known Booth was such a good cook.
Swallowing, I asked smiling.
"You never told me you could cook this well."
Grinning from ear to ear at my compliment, he replied.
"You never asked…and since I'm alone and haven't got that much spare time at home…"
"Well, it's great. Thanks Booth."
We ate the rest of our plates in silence, and as I almost finished, Booth shocked me with a question.
"Hey, Bones…"
"Yeah?" I asked.
Fidgeting in his chair he finally asked, "We're good, huh? I mean back to normal,.. back to partners?"
"Yes," I answered him. "We're partners."
Just partners…
(---------------------------End Chapter 9---------------------------)
