CHAPTER 10: Answers

AN: Hey, sorry it took me so long to update, I'm a horrible person… I know. Anyway, here's the next installment, you know what to do. R&R please!!

P.S. Temperance was grazed by the bullet, not shot. And Booth doesn't know yet.

"I think it's time we meet with Agent Willis and his friend." Booth told her, breaking the silence. Temperance glanced at him, offering a weak smile. She was tired. Confused. And more than a little embarrassed. She had confessed her love to him in silence, not expecting him to hear, she wasn't ready for that yet. But he had heard anyway, and she didn't understand how. Was it possible that she could project her thoughts now? Or did she and Booth share a bond so strong that they were able to meld their minds?

"I'll call him when we get to the Hoover building." He went on, "right after we drop off this son of a bitch."

Temperance found herself looking back at the young man bleeding all over Booth's SUV. His nose was a mess, and yet she didn't feel sorry. Maybe she was on her way to being the sociopath everyone called her. No! Her mind screamed, he was going to kill Booth, and then he was going to kill her. Why the hell should she be sorry that she broke his nose? She should have broken his fucking neck.

"Shouldn't you bring him to the hospital?" Temperance asked, "He is going to need reconstructive surgery on his nose."

Her partner shrugged. "Not our problem."

"Ruthless."

"Hey, you're the one who broke his nose." He said smiling.

She felt her own lips tilting upward. "I was having a bad day."

Booth let out a bark of laughter. "Are you sure it wasn't because he was trying to shoot me?"

Before she could answer, there was a groan from the back seat. "Just do it already."

Booth frowned into the rearview mirror. "Do what?"

"Have sex. You've been verbally copulating ever since you opened your mouth."

Whipping out his glock, Booth aimed it at the guy's head, never taking his eyes from the road. "It's not too late to shoot you." He glanced at Temperance. "What do you think? Resisting arrest?"

She shook her head. "Nah, that's too simple. You could tell them that he had a knife concealed and tried to stab me."

"Okay," the man grumbled, "I get the point."

Booth re-holstered his weapon. "If you're in the mood for chatting, you can start by telling us your name, we'll find out anyway you know."

His lips turned up in a wide smile, making him look like a bloody Joker. "You guys are so good, figure it out your self." His smug response caused Temperance to lean over the seat and poke the bridge of his nose with two fingers, causing a deafening roar to emit from his throat.

"Geez Bones, you call me ruthless."

It was her turn to shrug.

"What happened to his face?" Cullen frowned at Booth over the top of his desk.

"He tried to shoot me," Booth told him, "He wanted me out of the way so he could kill Bones. So she knocked me out of the way, saved my life."

"So you punched him out?" His superior asked. "Damn, that must have been a pretty hard hit to do damage like that."

"I didn't hit him, sir. Bones did."

Cullen's jaw hung open for a brief second before he recovered. "I don't know why she surprises me any more." He said more to himself than Booth.

"No matter how much you think you know her, she'll keep surprising you." He smiled wistfully, "The woman never ceases to amaze me."

Studying his expression, Cullen asked, "Are you in love with her Booth?"

The Deputy Director had never been more than an acquaintance to Booth, and a boss. But he had always respected him. Cullen had been with the force for thirty-two years, seventeen of which had been working in the field. He was crusty as a barnacle, and as tough as an old boot. Blunt and often irascible, he didn't suffer fools or slackers, period. But he was also a straight arrow—honest, fair-minded, and sharp.

"Yes sir, I am."

"Then go protect her." He said in a fatherly manner. As Booth rose to leave Cullen added, "Just don't go pissing her off, huh?"

Temperance lifted her shirt and grimaced, the bullet grazed her rib-cage, leaving a six inch gash across her skin. She should have told Booth, but she knew he wouldn't leave her to get the suspect if he thought she was hurt. She had on a black shirt, that hid the blood from Booth's eyes.

She looked around the restroom for a first aid kit, but saw nothing. Damn it, she was going to have to tell him. If she didn't clean the cut, it might fester. With a sigh of resignation, she tugged down her shirt and went off to find her partner.

Rounding the corner, Temperance ran into Booth's chest, his arms came around her instantly and he smiled. "Miss me?"

Shoving him lightly, she said, "Look, before you get angry let me just tell you that the bullet didn't do much damage."

"What? What bullet?" His frown deepened as he watched her fidget. "Temperance, did you get nicked when you pushed me out of the way?"

She nodded. "It's no big deal, I just need to clean it so I don't get an infection. Is there a first aid kit around here?"

"Go." He ordered, pointing in the direction of Cullen's office.

"That's not necessary—"

"Go."

She scowled at him briefly before turning on her heel and marching to his superior's office. Booth opened the door and pushed her inside.

"Everything alright?" Cullen asked.

"Do you still have that medical kit in here?" Booth asked, sounding weary.

Cullen frowned, nodding. "Sure, right here." Reaching in his desk drawer, he pulled out a box of supplies, and handed it to Booth.

"Let's see it."

Temperance glanced at Cullen and then back to Booth. "I don't think that's such—"

"Damn it, Bones, just let me see the cut!"

She clenched her jaw, staring at him through narrowed eyes. "Fine." She bit out. Grabbing the hem of her shirt she pulled it over her head and threw it at him. She should have been embarrassed, standing in front of the Deputy Director wearing nothing up top except for a black lace bra, but she felt only anger. Who the hell did Booth think he was, ordering her around?

"Bones!" He gasped, moving to cover her from his Superior's shocked eyes.

Cullen jumped to his feet, muttering something about coffee and damn assistants, before rushing from his own office, with a suspiciously red face.

"What's the matter Booth? You told me to show you."

He put up his hands in surrender. "Fine. I'm ass, now can I clean you up? Or are you going to stick something in me, if I touch you."

A ghost of a smile touched her lips. "Aren't you the one who is supposed to be sticking things in me?"

Booth groaned at the image, and stepped toward her. "Soon." He vowed.

A few minutes later, Temperance was all bandaged up, as Booth led her from Cullen's office. "I talked to Willis, he told us to stop by. Evelyn should be able to answer most of your questions."

She met his gaze. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

Booth maneuvered his SUV up the long, winding drive through woods, that led to Willis' rural home. The big, rambling house sat about a half mile off highway on fifty acres of wooded land ten miles north of DC. Reaching the clearing that surrounded the house, he noted that Willis's car was parked in the circular area out front.

"Ready?"

The woman beside him fidgeted. "Are you sure this is a good idea, Booth? You know that I'm not so good with the whole social thing. Agent Willis is your friend, and I'll probably offend him in some way."

He gave her a reassuring smile. "It takes a lot to offend him."

He parked behind his friend's pickup truck, and got out of the car. Not waiting for him to get her door, Temperance got out and followed him, some what wearily, up the front steps. Booth put his hand on her back in a protective gesture, and knocked on the door.

Temperance gained comfort from Booth's touch, and the pride she felt coming off him in waves. He was proud of her, not embarrassed, as she'd feared.

The man who answered the door was in his mid thirties and drop-dead gorgeous. Tall, broad- shouldered and leanly muscled, he had black hair, and strange pale eyes that were surrounded by ridiculously long eye-lashes.

As he and Booth embraced, slapping each other on the backs good naturedly, Temperance was taken aback at the sight the two of them made. God help all unsuspecting females when these two went out together. When Agent Michael Willis turned his attention to her she smiled. "You have an amazing facial structure." Ones the words were out, she kicked herself. She never did have a filter from her brain to her mouth. Booth let out a bark of laughter, and Willis looked surprised, obviously unaccustomed to blunt women.

"Thank you, Dr. Brennan." He said once he recovered, "so do you."

They followed the Agent into the foyer, where a young woman sat with her back to them. She turned once they entered, and Temperance felt the air leave her lungs. The woman was… stunning. She had long black hair, stick straight, with white skin, and pale violet eyes. Her eyes held the weight of the world in them.

"This is Evelyn." Willis told her. "Evie, this is Dr. Brennan, and Agent Seeley Booth."

Smiling, the woman stood and took Temperance's hand, the moment their skin touched, Evelyn gasped. "My God…"

"What?" Temperance asked, she didn't feel anything from the contact, other than hand clasping hand.

"The power inside you is humbling." Evelyn said, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's been progressing, has it not?"

"I guess so, I can feel Booth now, even when we aren't touching. And he heard my thoughts this one time." She said, trying not to blush.

Evelyn looked between the two, and smiled. "That's because you're in love." Temperance made a face, causing the woman to laugh. "It's okay, I was the same way when Michael first pursued me. But eventually I gave in, and now we're getting married."

"Congratulations, you son of a bitch." Booth said happily, slapping his friend on the back.

"Does he hear your thoughts?" Temperance asked.

Evelyn nodded. "It takes practice, but once you learn to direct your thoughts properly, he will hear you."

"Even if we aren't touching?"

"Yes."

Temperance raked her hand through her hair, betraying her weariness. She wasn't cut out for this, her job was to find out the facts by using hard science, not ESP. She didn't know if she could handle it. Glancing at Booth she wondered how he felt about this, it seemed like it was an evasion of privacy, and would probably scare off most men.

He met her gaze, with an intense look. "Don't even think it." He said fiercely, as if reading her mind. "I'm not going anywhere." He stepped forward, ignoring everyone else in the room, and took her into his arms. "I love you, Temperance. And no power on this earth could take me from your side."

Temperance looked up at him, with all she was feeling—all the pain and confusion, all the relief and weariness, all the love she felt for him—brimming in her eyes. "Promise?"

He smiled, kissing her lightly. "I promise."