Temperance arrived at the Jeffersonian early in the morning, her workout clothing and Fang in tow. She hadn't slept at all the night before, still frustrated over Angela's ill-timed interruption. She blinked sleepily at her e-mail, and then stared blankly at the file on their current John Doe. The tissue depth markers were prepared and waiting for Angela's input into the Angelator. With nothing to do until the rest of her team showed up, Temperance laid down on her couch to possibly get some sleep.
XxXxX
September 07, 6:00 amSeeley lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. He hadn't slept much after the interruption and no amount of cold showers or self-satisfaction would compensate. With a sigh, he rolled out of bed to get ready for his day. He had three interviews to get through and then he could fly back to Temperance. Booth scrubbed a hand over his face and turned on the television.
"The governor has declared a state of emergency for the gulf coast of Texas as Ernesto has increased to a category four. The island of Galveston has been ordered to evacuate as fears of a repeat of the great hurricane of 1900 arise. Isaac's storm, as it has come to be know, was one of the most devastating storms in United States history, with a casualty count between six and eight thousand. The entire island was submerged beneath almost twenty feet of water. Residents and tourists are ordered to finish with preparations and evacuate the city for higher ground."
Booth looked at the television and groaned. Yep, this is going to be a long day.
XxXxX
8:00 am
Angela entered Brennan's office with the information on their John Doe. Temperance was still sleeping on the couch, a worried expression gracing her face. The artist smiled in sympathy before waking her friend from the fitful slumber.
"Sweetie, come on, I've got some information on our John Doe." Angela gently shook Tempe's arm until her friend finally opened her eyes and sat up.
"What information?"
"We've got an id. Rusty 'soft touch' Bodeene. He was a rodeo rider who disappeared about seven years ago."
"Soft Touch?"
"Oh yeah. Christened him myself. He was all set for a breakout year and he just disappeared. According to the pathology report, he had a large amount of Oxycodone in his system. According to his medical records, he had been prescribed the medication for his injuries. Didn't deter his love-making abilities any, let me tell you."
"Angela!"
"What? I didn't call him soft touch for nothing. Now, do you want us to issue a press release about this? It's big news."
"Um, sure. Why not." Brennan's phone trilled in her pocket. She grabbed it and flipped it open, hoping it was Booth. "Brennan." Angela gave a little wave with the papers and left the office to prepare the press release.
"Tempe, darling, it's Brandi. Listen, all the arrangements are set for your trip to the city of angels." Temperance groaned inwardly at her agent. "You'll be flying out this evening. Your flight leaves DC at six on United flight 947, and arrives in Los Angeles at eight. I'll be meeting you at the airport and get you checked in to your hotel. You'll be going straight to a book signing that evening. In the morning, you'll have a few hours to relax and change, then you'll be meeting Harrison Warner for a live interview at noon. From one until six you have several appointments, then the movie premier. Be prepared to go to an after party. We need you to circulate."
"I'm not stale air. Why do I need to circulate?"
"Because, you're the latest thing in the writing world. You need to make connections, connect with the A list. You never know when you'll be working with them."
"Brandi, unless one of them turns up dead and is in some way unrecognizable, I highly doubt that I'll have any contact with them."
"And that's where you're wrong darling. As a New York Times best selling offer, they'll be knocking down your door to get the rights to your books."
"I don't know what that means." Brennan heard her publicist sigh.
"Tempe, don't worry about it. I'll e-mail you the flight information, and see you this evening." The line went dead as the publicist hung up. With a sigh, Brennan got off the couch. Today was going to be a lot longer than she thought.
XxXxX
7:00 am
Booth pulled up to the curb outside of a modest two-story house. The place looked to be at least a hundred years old, and even though the hour was early, the owners of the place were busily boarding up the windows. Booth climbed from his vehicle, and approached the family. They eyed him, and he wished for just a moment that he had chosen to wear a suit as opposed to the casual jeans and Tshirt he currently sported. He flashed his badge to the family, and smiled.
"I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth with the FBI. I'm looking for Edward Haus." Booth reached forward to assist lifting a piece of plywood in place. The young man before him smiled.
"That'd be me."
"I understand you went to Caesar's Head with Shelby Grayson."
"Yeah, I went with her and a few other friends." Edward used a nail gun to attach the plywood to the side of the house as Booth held it in place.
"what exactly was your relationship with Shelby?"
"We used to be an item, but, after Colby was born, we kinda drifted apart."
"So you didn't mind the fact that she had set up plans to meet with someone?"
"Nah. I mean it's rough, you know? I still cared about her, but it wasn't my place to rule her life."
"Did you ever meet the guy she was going to meet?"
"Nope. I heard her talking about him with Candy, but she never discussed it with me."
"So you never heard a last name for Jeff?
"Uh-uh. Like I said, it wasn't any of my business. Now though, I wish I'd gotten a few more details."
"Thanks for your time."
"No, thank you for yours." Edward reached out to shake Booth's hand. Booth handed him a business card.
"If you can think of anything that could help with my investigation, please give me a call."
"Sure." Edward nodded, and Booth helped him with one more piece of plywood before leaving.
XxXxX
9:00 am
Temperance paced in her office, Fang watching her movements from his pillow under her desk. Angela popped her head in the office and looked at her nervous friend.
"Sweetie, what's wrong?"
"My publicist called. I totally forgot about the movie premier for Bred in the Bone. I'm supposed to fly out to LA this evening at six."
"How did you forget something like that? Usually you're on top of your appointments."
"It hasn't exactly been my top priority of late."
"Well, you have to be at the airport in eight hours, and I refuse to let you go in the clothes you have, so it looks like we're taking the rest of the day off."
"I am not going shopping! There's too much to do here."
"It's nothing the boys can't handle. Would you relax? Besides, this will be fun. Now grab your stuff and that little cutie under your desk, and we'll get going." Angela crossed her arms and stared at Brennan until her friend gave in. Temperance picked up the dog and her bag and followed Angela somewhat reluctantly from the building.
"I don't know why I have to pick up new clothes. I'm sure what I have is fine."
"Now sweetie, you're going to be in Hollywood, land of the trend setters. You need something that will make you stand out, something that will wow the fashion police. That is why we're getting you something new."
"When have I ever cared what fashion law enforcement has thought. Don't I dress nice enough?"
"Of course you do, now let's go buy stuff." Angela grabbed her friend's arm and continued to her car.
XxXxX
10:00 am
Booth stopped at a fast food place to grab something to eat. His interviews were done, and now it was down to a matter of getting an earlier flight from Galveston back to DC. With the rush of tourists and residents trying to vacate the area, that would be the tough part. At least he would be able to surprise Temperance by showing up early, like he had last time. The thought of what they could be engaged in spurred him into eating quickly so he could finalize his airline plans. At that moment, his cell phone began to trill in his pocket.
"Booth," he said, trying to keep the fact that he had a mouth full of food hidden.
"Agent Booth? This is Agent Finn from the Los Angeles field office." Booth rolled his eyes skyward. Why did he have to hear from her?
"What is it Agent Finn?"
"Another body has been discovered in relation to the Cliffside Strangler."
"Was it found in Los Angeles?"
"Actually, no. The remains were discovered in Yosemite National Park."
"Let me guess, either hikers or climbers discovered the remains on a small ledge, and called in the local law enforcement."
"Well, you're partially correct Agent Booth. The remains were discovered after some scavengers knocked the remains from the ledge. A park ranger found them."
"Okay, have the shipped to the Los Angeles Field Office, and I'll get out there as soon as possible."
"They're already en route. I also have you booked on a flight leaving Houston at six in the evening on Continental Airlines flight 1795. You'll be arriving in Los Angeles at about eight o'clock. I look forward to working with you again Agent Booth."
"Thank you Agent Finn, I'll see you in the morning." Booth flipped his phone shut and grimaced. The trip was being expanded, not what he wanted, but at least he wouldn't end up in Galveston when the hurricane hit. With the issue of the airline already taken care of, Booth headed to his rental car. He just needed to collect his belongings from the hotel and get the hell out of Dodge.
XxXxX
12:00 pm
Temperance looked at herself in the mirror with a sigh. In the three hours she had been out with Angela, she had tried on more clothes than she had in her closet at home. The dress she had on currently was strapless and a forest green color. While it complemented her skin tone and hair color, Tempe really didn't like it. It seemed too clingy in some spots, and too loose in others.
"Angela, please tell me we're almost done here."
"Sweetie, we haven't even settled on a dress yet. Here, try on this gold one. You should look hot in it." Angela handed the dress over the changing room door to Temperance. The forensic anthropologist looked at it, surprised at it's simple styling. The dress had a v-neck line that plunged to the top of her cleavage, with a matching line in the back. It skimmed her figure to her waist, while the skirt was gently fluted and shifted delicately when she moved in it.
"I think we've finally found one Ange. I don't need to try on anything else, really." Temperance stepped from her stall and showed the outfit to Angela. Her friend looked her over and gave a nod of approval.
"Perfect. Now we just have to get you some strappy gold sandals to match and just the right underwear." With a sigh, Tempe stepped back into the stall to put on her regular clothes. She honestly didn't know if she could take any more of shopping with Angela, but was pretty much being held hostage by her friend. Temperance rubbed at the tension between her eyes, and sighed. This really was turning into a long day.
XxXxX
11:00 am
Booth ran a hand over his face as he made his way to his room. He put his key card in the door, and frowned when the door didn't open. He tried again with the same result. With a sigh, he returned to the lobby of the hotel.
"My keycard doesn't seem to be working," Booth said as he reached the front desk.
"What room are you in?"
"Room 211." Booth watched as the girl at the front desk typed in some information. She frowned, then picked up a phone and called out the hotel manager. Once the call was over, she turned her attention back to Booth. "We had some…problems on that floor this morning. My manager will take you to your room and explain."
"Anything I should be worried about?'
"Um, probably not, but I'll let him explain." Booth nodded and sat in a nearby chair. He tapped his hands on the arms as he waited for the manager. The man was quick in showing up, and he looked apprehensive.
"Mr. Booth? I'm the hotel's manager, Stanton Freely." He held out his hand to Booth, and the agent took it warily.
"Mr. Freely, I'd like to know what's going on here."
"We had a…breach of security in a few of our rooms this morning."
"Someone broke into the hotel rooms?"
"Yes, and while most people's belongings were fine, some had missing items. I'll be escorting you up to your room, and hopefully everything will be in order." A pounding headache was building behind Seeley's eyes. This was not something he needed right now.
They reached the room, and after a moment, Stanton had the door open. Booth stepped inside and swept his gaze around the place.
"Son of a Bitch!" Booth dropped his head down toward his chest and took a deep breath. Everything was gone and the room was in shambles.
XxXxX
4:30 pm
"Looks like that's the last of it Sweetie," Angela said as she forced Brennan's suitcase shut. Temperance looked at the bag and shook her head.
"Ange, I'm going to Los Angeles for the weekend, not ten days. There are way too many clothes in there."
"Bren, you can never have too many clothes. Now if I'm not mistaken, we have about half an hour to get you to the airport. Have you called Booth yet to let him know where you'll be?"
"Oh, God, I forgot." Brennan reached for her phone and dialed Booth's number. She listened to it ring as Angela pulled the stuffed suitcase out to her car. Brennan frowned as Booth didn't answer. Instead, she got his voicemail. "Hey you, I was just calling to let you know I have some interviews and book signings in Los Angeles, so I'm on my way tot the airport. I know you probably can't make it out there, but I would love to see you, so get out of Galveston, and hurry home." She hung up the phone and hurried out of the apartment behind Angela.
XxXxX
3:30 pm
Booth sat, cursing under his breath as he sat in a standstill of traffic. The hours that he spent at the police station filing reports for his luggage had slowed down his day considerably. He was in a bad mood, and his headache had grown to monstrous proportions. With a sigh he inched forward in the traffic. The residents of the area were taking the evacuation serious, and the traffic out of the area was terrible. As he came to a stop once again, he pulled out his cell phone to call Brennan. He flipped open the phone and looked at it.
"God Damn it." He flipped the phone shut. "Battery's dead."
XxXxX
6:00 pm
Temperance sat on the plane as it taxied down the runaway. She still hadn't heard from Booth and was growing just a little concerned. She knew that by this time he should have contacted her, but her phone hadn't rung once. With a sigh, she leaned back in her seat and turned to look out the window. A man sat down next to her, and she could feel his eyes on her. She turned to glare at him, but only found herself facing a very good-looking man with genuine concern in his eyes.
"You look like something's bothering you. If you need to talk about it, you'll find I'm a good listener." His Texas drawl colored the words as he spoke. Temperance offered him a smile.
"Thank you for the offer, but I generally don't speak to people I'm not familiar with when on a long flight."
"Well now, we might just need to change that little fact. A beautiful woman like you should never need to avoid conversation. I promise you, you'll feel better once you get whatever it is off your chest."
"You sure you want to hear about it?"
"Well, it's a long flight, and I'm sure any conversation with you would be more riveting than the book I'm reading, and let me assure you, it's a good book." The man held up the paperback in his hand. It was a copy of her latest book. Temperance shook her head, amused. Of course he was only interested because she was the author.
"I suppose I could get my concerns off my chest."
"And that's all anyone could really ask. I'm Matthew, by the way."
"It's nice to meet you Matthew, I'm Temperance."
XxXxX
6:00pm
Booth sat in his coach seat on the airline and tapped his hands nervously as he waited for the flight to take off. As he fidgeted, the woman next to him just watched, an amused smile on her face.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. We are currently waiting for clearance to leave due to the high winds. Once we receive clearance, then we'll be off to Los Angeles. The remainder of the flight should be clear, so sit back, and we should be off shortly." Booth listened to the announcement and cursed under his breath before he began the tapping in earnest.
"You know, if something's bothering you, maybe you should talk about it." The woman said. Seeley turned to look at the woman. She had shoulder length brown hair, wide eyes, and a smile to match.
"I've been told that before."
"And it would give your fingers a break from tearing through that armrest." Booth looked down, realizing that he was tapping the armrest quite hard.
"I suppose it would. Are you sure you're up for the long and involved tale?"
"Honey, I'm always up for anything that's long and involved. I'm Meaghan, by the way."
"Seeley."
XxXxX
8:00 pm PST
Booth exited the plane, Meaghan with him. He smiled gratefully that she allowed him to use her cell phone. He listened to the ringing and prayed silently that his brother would pick up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Jared, hey, it's Seeley."
"Hey, what's up bro?"
"Not much. I don't suppose you could do me a huge favor?"
"Depends. How huge are we talking?"
"Well, I was in Galveston and had all my luggage, including my credit cards stolen from my hotel room."
"Did you need me to wire you money?"
"Uh, no. I don't suppose you could pick me up from LAX."
"It's gonna take a while for me to get there. What airline did you fly?"
"Continental."
"Fine. I'll be there in about forty minutes." Jared hung up on his end, and Seeley returned the phone to Meaghan.
"Thank you so much."
"Hey, no problem. Anyone who can keep me entertained for almost four hours deserves any help I can offer." She began walking towards the baggage claim and exit gate with Seeley.
Two gates down, another flight was exiting into the airport. Brandi watched as the passengers exited, looking for her client, Temperance Brennan. She smiled at her and approached as Brennan left the plane with Matthew.
"Well, Tempe, starting your schmoozing with the 'A' list early?"
"I don't know what that means." Temperance looked at her publicist, then to Matthew. "It was great to talk to you. Thanks for listening."
"No problem, and for the record, it was great to meet you." He smiled at her and began to walk away. Brandi looked at her client before grabbing hold of her elbow and leading her towards the baggage claim.
"You sat next to one of the most eligible bachelors in Hollywood and all you can say is thank you for listening? You'd better have a darn good reason for not exchanging numbers with him."
"I don't think my partner would approve."
"Your FBI partner, Seeley Booth?"
Booth stopped and looked around. He could swear he heard his name. The exiting passengers filled the terminal, and though he searched, he couldn't find the source of his name. With a shrug, he moved on, heading for the exit.
"Yes, him. We're in a sort of relationship."
"Sort of? Honey, if he looks as good as Andy Lister, then I hope you're more than sort of." With a laugh, Brandi tugged Temperance away from the exit and towards the baggage claim.
8:40 pm
Booth paced along the curb, looking at the passing cars for his brother. He wanted to get to his brother's so he could call Brennan and let her know he was okay. A few more cars passed by, and his eyes lit on a limousine as it pulled up. He shook his head, and returned his search for his brother's car.
Brennan sighed, grateful that the forty-minute wait for her luggage was over. She wanted to get to her hotel and try to reach Booth again. Brandi ushered her from the airport and to the waiting limo. As she climbed in the car, she paused when she heard someone call out "Seeley". Brennan stood up and looked around. There were cars and people everywhere, but she couldn't find the source of the call. With a shrug, she climbed into the vehicle and it drove away, heading to her hotel.
Booth pulled away from his brother's embrace and briefly glanced at the departing limo.
"So how exactly did you manage to lose everything?"
"Someone managed to break into several rooms on my floor. I'm so mad. The credit cards I can replace, but granddad's belt buckle was in there too."
"Man, that sucks. Well, let's get home and you can update me on your life." Jared clapped Seeley on the back before climbing into the driver's side of the car. Booth got in and they took off for Jared's house in the San Fernando Valley.
9:40 pm
Brennan flopped down onto the bed of her suite at the Mondrain Hotel. The soothing cream colors were helping to relieve her headache a little. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and flipped it open. She shook her head in disbelief. The phone was dead. With a sigh, she sat up, then moved to her luggage. She opened her bags and rummaged through them looking for her cell phone charger.
"Unbelievable." Brennan shook her head. The charger was missing. She stepped over to the phone in the hotel and dialed out to Booth's number. Again she got his voice mail. That's odd, he should have called me by now. "Hey, It's me. Seeley, I'm staying at the Mondial Hotel in West Hollywood. Could you please call and let me know you're okay? I'm really starting to worry. Please call. I love you." She hung up the phone and returned to the bed. At least the hurricane won't have hit Galveston yet. She grabbed some pajamas and went to the bathroom to have a nice bath before bed.
XxXxX
"So you two are finally together? I figured that would happen after she dedicated her book to you." Jared sat across from his brother at the kitchen table as both nursed a beer.
"Yeah, well, it took a bit of work and a break up to happen." Seeley knocked back his bottle and took a swig.
"So you joining her here in LA?"
"What?"
"Oh yeah. There's all this hype in town about the movie premier for Bred in the Bone. She's supposed to be on some live entertainment show tomorrow, then at the premier in the evening. You didn't know?"
"No, she didn't mention anything about it. Do you know where the interview is supposed to be?"
"Yeah, Trader Vic's in Beverley Hills, sometime around noon I think. Did you want to go?" Booth just looked at his brother. "Stupid question, right? My girlfriend works for the show. I'll just let her know we need access during the interview and she'll arrange everything."
"Thanks bro. It means a lot."
"Well, there's that and I'll finally be able to meet your girl."
"Just as long as I get to meet yours."
"It's a deal."
"Great. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed. I'll need a ride to the field office in the morning."
"Sure, and sleep well Seel."
XxXxX
Booth woke bright and early with a renewed sense of purpose. He would be in Los Angeles with Temperance earlier than he thought and he couldn't keep the smile off his face at the thought of surprising her at the interview. He traipsed down the hall from his room to the living room and turned on the news.
"Hurricane Ernesto pounded into Galveston last night with wind speeds of one hundred and fifty miles per hour. The devastating storm moved swiftly through the area and up into central Texas, inundating the areas with high winds and heavy rainfall. We go to our reporter in the field, Tom Casey. Tom, what is it like down there?" the news anchorman asked. The image switched to that of a blond man with a serious expression. Tom Casey looked as though he hadn't slept at all the night before.
"Well Steve, the trail of devastation left behind the storm is immense. The entire island was under twenty feet of water. Many of the landmarks were damaged or destroyed from the wind and water. Behind me is all that remains of one restaurant." Tom gestured behind himself to a large plaster crab floating in water. Hanging from one claw was a pair of boxer shorts. Booth squinted at the image and shook his head in amazement. Unbelievable. My boxers made it through the storm.
XxXxX
Temperance stared at the television screen in disbelief. There, behind the reported on screen was a plaster crab with a pair of boxer shorts hanging off a claw. She looked at the shorts and her heart clenched. Those are Booth's. He wore those in Virginia. She was sure they were his. She sat weakly on the bed as the report continued.
"Found among the wreckage was a belt buckle, and it reminds us of the loss of life suffered during this intense storm." The camera panned down to a belt buckle laying on the ground. This was the ultimate proof needed for Brennan. It was his buckle. As she struggled to breathe, Temperance did something she rarely did. She allowed herself to cry. Booth never went without the buckle. That had to be why he hadn't called her back.
XxXxX
"How decomposed was the body?" Booth asked as he walked through the morgue with Agent Finn. He glanced at his watch. His brother would be picking him up in half an hour to head to Trader Vic's.
"It's not terribly decomposed, but scavengers got to it pretty badly. There's no way for us to identify the victim with what we have except for dental records. I'm assuming that with Dr. Brennan already in town she can look over the remains soon."
"Not until after this weekend. She has some promotional work to do for her book."
"I understand. When will you speak to her about the case?"
"After the weekend is over. As it is, there's not a whole lot I can do on this until Monday, so after we speak to the coroner, I'll be heading out. If anything comes back on an id, you'll need to leave a message. I'll get back to you as soon as I can."
XxXxX
"No personal questions. I mean that." Tempe looked at her agent as a make-up artist applied a cream to take away some of the redness around Tempe's eyes.
"I can't guarantee…"
"None. I won't answer them. Is that understood?"
"Yes. I'll go talk to Harrison right now." Brandi left Tempe alone as she sought out the host of the show. Harrison wasn't too far away, and was being briefed by his personal assistant, Pamela Vasquez.
"Just ask her about the dedication. While she's talking about him, that's when it'll happen," Pamela said in hushed tones. Brandi pursed her lips together as she approached the host.
"Mr. Warner, I have a request from Dr. Brennan that you refrain from personal questions currently."
"That might prove difficult, Babe."
"And why is that" Brandi crossed her arms. Tempe was too good of a client to screw this up for her. Pamela smiled at the publicist.
"A special guest has been arranged for Dr. Brennan."
"Why wasn't I told about this?"
"Because it's a last minute program change. It's not something that can be skipped."
"Fine, but just so you know, this will be the last time one of my clients is on your show."
Brennan watched her publicist argue with the host of the show and another woman. She shook her head. Why was it so difficult to leave her personal life out of an interview? Her heart jumped to her throat when she spotted a man watching the argument from the shadows. Booth! He stepped out to speak to the woman and Brennan sighed sadly. He looked a lot like Seeley, but his hair was lighter and he had green eyes. Stop it Temperance. You're starting to see him everywhere. It's just wishful thinking.
"Okay, everything's set Tempe. The interview will start in just a few minutes."
Booth watched from the shadows as Temperance sat next to the host of the television show. She was obviously uncomfortable sitting there. The host of the show, Harrison Warner looked at Temperance and smiled slowly.
"Dr. Brennan, I understand you do a lot of identifications for the FBI."
"I do much more than identify the remains. I also help find out the cause of death."
"So you must work closely with your partner. Close enough that you dedicated your latest book to him." Temperance looked at Harrison, her jaw clenched tightly.
"Where are you going with this?"
"It's just that people don't dedicate a book to someone they don't care deeply about." Booth took that as his cue and moved stealthily around the camera crew, making sure to keep hidden from Temperance.
"Harrison, forgive me if I'm reluctant to speak about my private life. It's just that my partner is currently in Galveston, and I haven't heard from him. I'm worried that he might be…"
"Right here?" Booth stepped up behind her and tilted her head back so she was looking up at him. She gasped just before his lips descended on hers. He felt her arms slide up over his head, pulling him closer to her. She grasped his bottom lip between her teeth as he did the same, and sucked lightly on it. After several seconds, they broke apart, and Brennan sprang from her seat to embrace him.