Title: Amongst the Gravestones

Disclaimer: Language, violence; angst possible.

Chapter Ten: Therapy

When Booth returned home he found another message from Cami on his answering machine. He listened to it. She sounded disappointed in not seeing him but never brought it up. She went on to tell him things he didn't really care to hear before asking him to again meet her for lunch somewhere. Like before he erased the message. However, he had taken down the address of the restaurant she said she'd be dining at the following day. Things weren't working out with Bones and he needed some sort of release. Was he really going to run to Cami, though? Again? His New Year's resolution had been to hook-up with Bones one way or another, not with Cami. He crumbled the paper into a little ball before throwing it into the trashcan in his kitchen. Then it was off to bed. His dreams all involved Brennan. Some of them were strange beyond comprehension. Some of them were dirty. When he rolled out of bed at five the next morning he didn't feel any better about anything. In fact, he felt worse.

He kept the radio off as he drove to the office. He really should be swinging by the Jeffersonian first but didn't feel up to seeing any of the Squints this early in the morning. He realized that he wasn't looking forward to seeing any of them. After having spent most of yesterday with them he was looking forward to sitting behind his desk filling out paperwork and doing other non-important tasks. Only, he knew that today wasn't going to go his way. He had to interview the officer that had been attacked and follow-up on the decomposing body. Eventually he would have to go to the Jeffersonian. Eventually he would have to see Brennan. And everything would be the way it was the day before. He didn't want that.

He opted to prolong his delay in arriving at the Jeffersonian by heading to the hospital first. Perhaps by now the officer was awake and could tell him exactly what happened yesterday. If he kept the guy talking long enough he could run it into his lunch break and have another hour before showing up at the lab. As though it could read his mind his cell phone began to ring. Looking at the number he tossed the phone onto the passenger seat. It was from the lab. It was Brennan's number. He didn't want to talk to her just yet. Not until he could figure out what he was going to do.

It had been his goal to ask the scientist out on a date. But every chance he got alone with her they were chasing bad guys or listening to Angela go on and on about the wedding. It was almost like the universe was telling him to just forget about it. And he was beginning to think that it would be a good idea. After all, it was nearly May and he still hadn't found the right moment to ask her out. Like a fool he had gotten his hopes up the other night when she asked him to accompany her somewhere. He thought that just maybe she was asking him out. She was, in a way, but not the way he wanted. He pulled the SUV into a parking space at the hospital and grabbed his cell phone. It chirped once to let him know that a voicemail had been left for him. He flipped the phone open and pushed a button to shut the damn thing up. He would find some other time to listen to it. At the moment he was more intent on checking on the officer.

The nurses were all too happy to help him out in finding the room of the fallen officer. As he thanked them he entertained the fleeting thought that he should ask one of them out. They'd probably say yes in a heartbeat. He knocked on the door to announce his presence before entering the room. Balloons and vases with flowers and cards dotted the various surfaces in the private room. The officer was sitting up in his bed reading through the newspaper. He looked up at Booth when he walked in.

Confusion was evident on the officer's face. He didn't recognize his visitor. Booth pulled out his badge. "Special Agent Seeley Booth," he introduced himself.

He watched as recognition dawned on the officer. "The man who was supposed to show up at the apartment building yesterday?"

"Yeah," Booth offered him an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that."

The officer shook his head, offering a smile of his own. "You couldn't have done anything. That bastard jumped me the minute I walked through the damn door. I should have been more cautious but I thought the place was empty. It sure looked vacant."

"Did you get a good look at the man?" Booth asked. He had pulled a notebook from a pocket and was poised to write down every detail that the officer could remember. His cell phone picked that moment to ring again. He pulled it from the inside pocket of his suit jacket. Brennan again. He shut the phone off.

"Someone trying to get a hold of you, Agent Booth? If you need to be somewhere I won't hold you up," the officer said, turning his attention back to the newspaper.

Booth shook his head. "They can wait. I need to know what happened to you yesterday. I need every detail you can recall. I want this guy off the streets before he kills someone."

"With my gun," the officer finished for him. "Alright. I guess I should start from the beginning. The call that came in about the body was from an anonymous source and made on a payphone. I was the closest officer to the building so I took the call. When I rolled up in front of the place I didn't see anyone around. I figured the place to be vacant. Still, I kept my gun at the ready just incase. But I guess I let things slip when I saw that body in the apartment. It was only a momentary thing, couldn't have been no more than a second or two but that's when he jumped me."

"What did he look like?" Booth asked.

"To be honest, I couldn't tell you," the officer shrugged. "He was wearing a red ski-mask which I though was unusual since most of them wear black. We struggled but he managed to get his hands around my throat and my back up against the wall. Next thing I know I'm in the hospital and my service revolver is gone. Talk about a shitty day, man."

"The guy didn't say anything to you?"

"Nope, not one word. Though he did grunt a few times," the officer told him with a shake of his head.

"Alright. Can you think of anything outside the building that you may have thought was normal but now seems suspicious?"

The officer shook his head. "There was a rusted piece of shit across the street but it was missing a tire on the front wheel. I told you, it was like I was the only one there."

"Thanks," Booth said. "I'll make sure to keep you in the loop."

"Yeah right," the officer smiled. "You Feds are the secretive type."

Booth was smiling as he left the room. A smile that quickly faded when he realized that the interview had taken less than a half hour to conduct. It was still some time before he had a lunch break. Looked as though he would have to head over to the lab. He still wasn't sure he even wanted to. Maybe he should have a talk wit his boss, maybe get somebody else assigned to the case. Of course, he knew that wasn't going to happen. The man in charge knew that the scientists liked working with Booth. They made a great team and no idiot was dumb enough to break them up. He was going to have to head to the Jeffersonian, whether he wanted to or not. With a sigh, he climbed behind the wheel and started the engine.