Chapter Fourteen: I Can't Help Myself
Author: Duckypantz
Disclaimer: Can't afford Bones or its characters… It's September, so that means just a few weeks and they'll be making it up to us for the teaser of last season's ending… Starbucks bought by me today… nothing exciting about that, except my coworker harassed SB workers to get her to be the Customer of the Week, funny stuff.
Author's Note: Thank you all SO much for all of the reviews! I am answering all your questions in the chapter and via PM… thanks so much for reading and writing me! OH! And this chapter is dedicated to one of my epic friends… Jackie…because my favorite line in this entire chapter is all her. Can you guess which one?
"Angela, just for clarification, the victim is Matthew Brennan not the murderer?" Booth asked.
"Yeah, sorry I wasn't too clear about that. The first victim is named Matthew Brennan. Here is my rendering from the skull and here is his missing persons' picture." Angela held up both pictures, her drawing and the picture from the missing persons' database.
Bren took a deep breath and interrupted saying, "Matthew Brennan was my dad's alias when we were kids. But it's not him, since he's in all of the databases, with many identifiers in NCIC and AFIS. And I talked to him yesterday on my way to picking Booth up."
"Sweetie, we know the victim is not your dad, but he's really just trying to mess with you. I bet it was really hard to find someone with your dad's alias' name and have the guy kind of resemble Max as well. I wouldn't call them twins but it's still creepy."
Sweets, who had followed the partners into Angela's office interjected, "Not that killing is ever a good thing, but he went off script, didn't he? I haven't read the book, but I don't think that Dr. Brennan would ever name one of her murder victims after a friend or family member."
"Of course I wouldn't. That is sick. My first victim's name was Steven Harrison. Do you want to know about his profession and his brief profile?"
"No! Thanks for not divulging that information. We don't know if the killer deviated a little or a lot from the manuscript and that'll keep our minds clear to find any particles or evidence tying the perp to the crime."
"Perp, Sweets, really?" Booth questioned.
"Yeah, I'm trying out new words: perp, dirt bag, goon, evil doer, bad guy, UNSUB…"
"You have been watching too much TV. I think you've run the gambit: NCIS, Criminal Minds, Psych…"
"Booth, how do you have the kind of time to watch all those shows?" Bren asked.
"DVR, baby. It's all about getting it when you want it." His eyes widened at the suggestion in his comment and he coughed, saying "Eh, I didn't mean it like that. It's just so convenient. I love it. Totally worth the money."
"Are you the spokesperson for these DVR things?" Bren asked, laughing.
"Dr. Brennan… it's amazing. This phenomenon of not scheduling your life around the TV schedules. Now you watch when you want to watch." Sweets explained.
"I don't know. I am more interested in the real world where we catch killers and people stalking me to worry about what's on TV or what I've recorded to watch later."
Sweets looked a little sheepish, "Ah, yes, we should focus all of our attention on the case so that your life can get back to stalker free. So essentially, by the stalking killer dude deviating from the book and not finding a guy with your character's name or physical similarities, is a good thing. It means that the killings are definitely secondary to his stalking of Dr. Brennan."
Sweets continued patting Bren's arm. "And his choosing of a guy with one your father's alias' means that he is trying to prove that he is smarter than you are, and emotionally break you, Dr. Brennan."
"Too bad my partner is unbreakable, especially since she compartmentalizes everything so well." Booth smiled and put an arm around Bren.
Bren walked away from the men crowding her, to the other side of the Angelator. Sweets responded to Booth's statement saying, "He will try anything to break you, I hope you can mentally prepare for the next victim to either have something to do with your mother or another female close to you."
Bren and Booth were pouring over her manuscript in her office, not on the platform where Bren was itching to be. She couldn't be involved in the squint side of the investigation because of legalities. Caroline Julian had been adamant that Bren not be involved with the evidence. Unfortunately, the partners hadn't contacted Ms. Julian until after they had brought in the second body, which did not make the prosecutor happy at all.
Since the case had a lot of gray area, Caroline couldn't force Bren to not be involved with the investigation at all. She just couldn't cloud the evidence with the clues from her manuscript. Not that the logical, supremely rational Dr. Brennan would, but Caroline Julian knew better than anyone, that people are fallible.
Angela started to enter Bren's office but stopped, hovering at the doorframe. "Sweetie? Can I have a moment?"
Bren stood up and followed her best girl friend and coworker out of the office towards the stairs. I guess Angela wants to go to that break area on the catwalk. Must be something important.
"I think you need some good news. I have good news to share. But before I get into that, how are you doing? Are you handling this?"
Bren looked at her friend strangely, "I'm fine, Ange. This isn't what one would call ideal, but I can handle it. I have you all going through the evidence and I have the utmost confidence that you will find something to get this guy. I also have Booth to protect me, even though I can protect myself, it's nice to have someone else looking out for me."
"You compartmentalize freakily well. It makes me nervous because you won't be able to keep this all together. No one could. I don't want you to break, but I think this compartmentalization is unhealthy." She held up her hand to stop Bren from responding, "I just want what's best for you. I love you and want you to be happy, like me."
Bren just rolled her eyes and sat down, curling her right leg underneath herself. They had taken seats on the couch in the break area on the catwalk above the lab platform. "So, what did you want to talk about?"
Angela smiled and clasped her hands together. "Well, I've been keeping a secret from you. I know that's weird because I am definitely a sharer, but I've kinda been seeing someone for the past few months. I broke the whole celibacy thing with him."
"Wow." Bren looked shocked. Angela was an over sharer about everything, especially sex, or even flying solo. Bren started to laugh, remembering when Angela came into her office one morning limping because she had pulled a muscle in her hip from going solo and immediately told Bren the story. "Sorry I am not laughing about the guy, I am laughing about when you hurt your hip, you know, pleasuring yourself."
Angela laughed, "Oh my goodness! I completely forgot about that… but wow that hitachi hand wand… amazing. He's been on vacation for a few months now… maybe I should get you one, especially since you've been single for a while."
"Ange! I am perfectly capable of handling my own pleasure without help of machines."
"Key word: handling." Angela hooted.
Bren stopped to think about what she had said, understood the implied joke and laughed. "I get it! Yeah, that's funny," which sent the ladies into another fit of giggles.
"Ok, ok, don't be worried if you get a package in the mail… does WONDERS!"
"Actually I think I am ok. I had the most amazing dream last night. It was so vivid. I know, in the middle of this horrible case where I have a real life stalker, I am having hot intense dreams. Before you ask, not about anyone in particular. I know what he smells like, but I can't see his face. But it was intense. I finished. Never ever done that before from a dream."
"Woah! Neither have I! And I am an artist with a very very vivid imagination!"
"Well, I guess that means that I too have a very good imagination. Almost can't wait to get back to sleep tonight! But wait, we came up here to talk about you and your news."
"Ok, so you have heard of him before… I mean we were just messing around, but not messing around with anyone else. It was implied, but then all of this stuff is going on with your stalker and serial killer guy… and he took the leap. He wants us to be together together."
A little confused, Bren smiled, but didn't quite get what her friend was talking about, "That's good. Usually in intense circumstances strong reactions like this do happen. Not to say that they wouldn't have without this stressor of the killer/stalker… but the stress has helped push the feelings to the forefront of your minds." Bren paused, "Crap, I sound like Sweets. I hate psychology."
"Don't you want to know who it is?"
Bren, clearly knowing who her friend was going to name, tried to look curious, "Who?"
"As if you didn't already know; Hodgins."
Bren smiled, "I am so glad that you all got back together. You have proved me wrong at every turn about relationships and I am really happy that you will go on proving me wrong together. It's nice to have a good example of an adult relationship."
"Aw, thanks Sweetie."
"Question: is it on facebook? I've heard that a relationship isn't really official until it's on facebook. The only think I don't get is, what is facebook?" Bren asked.
"You are just adorable!" Angela laughed and proceeded to explain the networking site.
"Wait, Bren, you never told me about Booth staying over at your place."
"Oh yeah, so he got really drunk with Hodgins last night, but was going to stay at my place anyway, because of the stalker, but he was essentially useless drunk… but he couldn't get home."
"Oh to get the chance to take advantage of a drunk Booth." Angela shuddered at the pleasure of that image.
"He was hilarious, talking about sexual arousal and being lonely in the guest room, so he crawled into my bed. I should have made him go back to the other bed, but he made that sad face and I didn't really care."
"So wait, was he in the bed when you had that hot dream?"
"I'm not sure. He got up a lot earlier than I did. The dream happened in the early morning, so I could guess that he was most likely still in the bed."
"Interesting."
"What?"
"Nothing, just interesting. Especially since you couldn't see your mystery guy's face. Maybe it was Booth."
"Ange, you are constantly trying to get us together. If it hasn't already happened, don't you think it is most likely to never happen?"
"I have faith in your stubbornness and his gentlemanness. I also have faith that your attraction will break through those two very prominent traits." I can't believe she came while he was in bed with her! The dream guy has to be Booth… you don't just get that into a dream and finish… that doesn't happen unless there is outside real stimulation…
"Ange, you are just going to be disappointed. How about we just agree to disagree on this topic and go get back to work?"
"Ok." This is far from over, Angela thought.
Bren turned while on the stairs, "I am really glad that you and Hodgins are back together. You are right for one another, somehow. It really doesn't make sense, but I can see that it's right."
Angela smiled at her friend's nice words. She said in a soft voice to herself, "And you and Booth are right for one another, you both just need to man up like Hodgins and I did… take that leap. Maybe this crazy scary case will pull them together to move into more than just friends."
Author's Note: I really wanted to get this out to you all before I went home (from work) for the weekend. I like to avoid computers on the weekend since I am on them all day at work! Thanks in advance for the AMAZING reviews that I am sure all of you will have for this chapter. I can't wait for the emails!! The blackberry does NOT count as internet… so I'll get the emails!!! Thanks!