Hello FF friends! Welcome back, we're already on Chapter 35!
SO… I still don't own any of the Bones characters. I only own this story line and a few of the minor characters…
Just in case any of you thought otherwise… I felt the need to clarify. LOL
This one is not as long as the previous chapter, but I hope that you like it anyway. It's a pretty calm one, but contains some very interesting bits!
Enjoy! Please let me know what you think!
Booth was relieved to see Charlie still sitting at his desk, just like he'd promised. He was more relieved to find Bones and Parker right where he left them, safe in his office. When he entered, Bones looked surprised that he was back so soon but Parker's attention was completely on the game he was playing on the laptop.
Booth sat down in the hollow by Bones' abdomen, as she was lying on his couch. He reached out and lightly rubbed her arm, "Hey. How are you feeling?" He smiled warmly down at her, trying to hide the concern he was feeling deep in his soul.
"Hey back. I'm OK… stressed and a little tired, but alright."
Booth nodded in understanding. "I wanna take you guys upstairs with me. There is a conference room that shares a glass wall with Cullen's office. I'd like you guys to hang out in there. I think Cullen wants to talk to you, anyway, Bones, and this way, we're all up there together. And I can keep an eye on you..."
Bones eyed him suspiciously, knowing there was something else. She might not be good at reading the general population, but when it came to Seeley Booth, she could always tell when he was hiding something from her. She moved her eyes over to Parker and saw that the boy was not even paying attention to them, so she raised her glance back to Booth's soulful brown eyes. "What's going on, Booth?"
"Whatdya mean?" He tried to sound unassuming, but he knew she would read right through that guise.
She simply cocked her head sideways and leveled her stare. "Tell me what else is going on, Booth…"
"I will… just not yet. Let me figure it out first." He nodded his head sideways, trying to get the point across to Bones that he didn't want to discuss the topic in front of his son just yet. He knew that even when it appeared kids weren't listening, they had the uncanny ability of hearing everything. "But Cullen will want to see you, Bones; I think he likes you, wants to see you safe. So please don't argue with me on this, OK? Just let me take you up there. There's a couch that you can sit or lay on, and it's even more comfy than this one; Parks can sit that the conference table with the computer and amuse himself." His eyes pleaded with her to just give in and not question him.
"Of course I'm not going to argue with you, Booth. I just wanted to know what was going on. Usually Cullen doesn't invite people to just sit in the conference room, does he?"
"No, but today's different. C'mon." He helped her sit up and she surprised him; rather than leaning sideways, for him to pick her up as they had been, in a bridal-carry-style, she pulled herself onto his lap and straddled him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.
"Can you get up like this, or should I have waiting until you were already standing?" She asked, almost as an afterthought…
"Umm...no Bones, I, uh, can get up, alright…" He blushed at the hidden double meaning of getting 'up,' but he stood up with relative ease, wrapping his arms around her bottom, supporting her weight as they got themselves sorted. She tightened her legs around his waist, allowing them to rest just on his narrow hips and she pulled her torso flush against his, as she rested her cheek on his shoulder.
"This OK, Booth?" Her words were whispered, and the feather-light feeling of her breath on his neck caused him to shiver. She knew her effect on him, and smiled knowingly. I shouldn't do this to him at work, but I just can't help myself…I need to feel him close. There's something wrong, I can see it in his eyes, but until I know what's going on, I just want to be close…Please don't fight me on this Booth… I need this… I didn't fight you, please don't fight me…
He gulped and took a deep breath, "Yup,'s good, Bones." He glimpsed at her sideways, knowing that she knew what she was doing… but letting her do it anyway. He smiled and turned his attention to Parker. "Parks? Pause the game and bring it with you, please. Can you grab Bones' bag, too? She might want something while we're up there."
Almost as if Parker was just processing that his Dad was even in the room, he looked at them with slight confusion. "Where are we going? We just got here."
"I'm taking you guys upstairs with me. In case you need anything, you can get me. That way, we don't have to bother Charlie." Booth smiled at Parker as his boy closed the laptop and put it inside Bones' bag, to carry everything up together.
They exited the office and Booth thanked Charlie again, for keeping an eye while he was upstairs. They moved to the elevator and Booth let Parker push the buttons for their destination.
When they reached Cullen's floor and headed into the conference room, Booth was pleased to see Cullen's part-time, motherly, secretary leaving some food on the table.
"Oh, Agent Booth, how nice to see you again," she remarked, as she looked confused about the 'bundle of Dr. Brennan' he held tight against his chest. "I, uh, well, Director Cullen asked me to provide some refreshments for Dr. Brennan and your son. So, I ordered up some cut veggies and dip from the cafeteria, and I thought that Parker might enjoy some chocolate chunk cookies, which I baked last night, so I pulled them from my lunch for him." She gave him a conspiratorial wink then looked back to his father. "There's a pitcher of ice water and a few cups in there, too, but if you need anything else, please let me know."
"Sweet!" Parker exclaimed as he squeezed past his father and into the conference room, heading straight for the cookies. "Thank you ma'am!"
Booth smiled at how his son just made himself at home, and turned his attention back to his boss's assistant, "that's very kind of you, Mrs. Wembley, thank you."
Bones unburied her face from Booth's shoulder and smiled at the older woman. "Yes, Thank you very much, I find that I am quite hungry, now that you mention it."
"You're very welcome, Dr. Brennan. I must say, I am very happy to see you. I was so worried when I heard what happened, we all were. But we all knew, like Director Cullen said from the very beginning, that if anyone could find you, it would be Agent Booth. He wasn't going to rest until he had you back in his arms… uh, er, well, um… back by his side, I mean…" She blushed at her slip, but kept her attention trained on the young woman's pale blue eyes, and smiled gently. "He's a good Partner to have in a pinch, isn't he, dear?"
"Yes, ma'am, he is...And thank you for your concern, you are very kind." It was Brennan's turn to blush as she realized that the mature woman knew exactly what was going on between the Partners. "I am very lucky to have such a caring Partner, you are right."
Booth felt the end of the conversation drawing near and excused himself as he moved Bones into the conference room. "Perceptive old biddy, isn't she?" he whispered to his best friend, causing them both to laugh, as he placed her on the over-stuffed couch. He pressed and held his lips to her cheek, savoring the feeling of her smooth skin; he smiled against her as he heard her appreciative hum from deep in her chest and her fingers intertwined into the short hairs at his neck. Then, reality set in, almost simultaneously, reminding them of where they were. They pulled apart and blushed furiously, as they heard Director Cullen clear his throat from the doorway.
"A-hem… Excuse me?" Cullen laughed quietly as he entered the conference room. He walked up behind where Parker sat munching on cookies. He ruffled the boy's hair and looked down at him, "How ya doin' there Parker? Mrs. Wembley makes some awesome cookies, doesn't she?" The Director gave his attention to the young Booth, allowing the 'Partners' to compose themselves once again.
"I'm good, sir. Yeah, she makes great cookies!" Parker resembled a chipmunk with his cheeks bulging full of chewy chocolate chunk cookies.
Booth's boss laughed at him, then turned back to face Booth and Dr. Brennan, finding them smiling guiltily as they sat side by side. "Still just 'partners', huh?"
"Um, well, sir-" Booth began, as he sat up straight in his seat on the couch.
"Zip it, Booth. It's about time" he laughed at the pair. "I'm going to pretend that I didn't see anything, because I would hate to have to split up my star-team." He gave them a friendly smile as he approached. "Temperance, how are you feeling? You look well; someone's been taking good care of you…"
"Thanks, Sam, I am getting there. I'll be happy when I can move around on my own, but if I have to be incapacitated, then I guess I am in the best possible care available." She smiled at Cullen but leaned towards Booth. Her feet were resting up on the cushion next to her and she shifted, slightly uncomfortable, but she didn't want to show too much to the FBI Director.
"I'm glad to see you, and I hate to pull your partner away so soon after getting you and Parker settled, but I am going to have to steal Booth from you for a bit. If you need anything, we'll be right over there, just let us know. Or let Mrs. Wembley know, she'll be out at her desk." He indicated towards his desk, which could be seen through the shared windows between the two rooms, then towards the door that led to the reception area.
"Thank you, we'll be fine, I'm sure." She moved her gaze to Booth, "maybe you will share with me what's going on after you're through with your meeting?" She spoke loud enough for Cullen to hear, hoping that one of the stubborn men would give in...
"I will, Bones. Let me go talk to Cullen. I'll be back soon." He gave her a heartwarming smile as he moved away from the couch, brushing her arm as he stood. "Need anything?"
"No, just go. Then come back and talk with me."
Booth smiled and moved towards the door, closing it softly behind him. Bones could see him enter Cullen's office through the glass and she admired his stature and the proud way he carried himself. "Parker, can you please hand me my laptop before you get wrapped up in your game? I think I'll work on my chapter while we wait for your father."
Parker hopped up from his spot at the table, where he was parked in front of his Dad's computer, once again absorbed in playing one of his favorite games. "Sure Bones, is it in your bag?"
When he saw her nod the affirmative, he moved to her bag and dug down until he wrapped his fingers around the computer. After he handed it to her, he walked back over to her, carrying a plate of fresh cut veggies. "You should eat something, Bones. Dad will be worried about you if you don't eat." He smiled at her, his rich brown eyes so very reminiscent of his father's. "We can watch something together on dad's computer while you eat, if you want. I'll bring it over here. It's more fun to eat when you're eating with someone, rather than alone."
"Thank you Parker. You're right; he will be upset if I don't eat something. This looks great, Parks." She smiled as he walked back over to the table and grabbed the laptop he was using. Her eyes drifted over to where her best friend sat opposite his boss, and she wondered what was being discussed. She didn't like being omitted from the meeting, but she understood that Booth needed her to be with Parker as much as he needed to ensure she was safe. Booth didn't look happy, but neither did Cullen… What is going on…I hope we're not in trouble... I hope that they can figure out what the hell is going on and who left that letter. I just want to get better and move on with our lives…I just want to make this thing with Booth work; I want to be able to name this thing with Booth… OK, concentrate, Brennan… Watch whatever Parker wants to show you and then WRITE - The publishing House is still waiting on the next installment of my draft… Brennan spoke to herself in her own mind. She was still somewhat confused about her feelings and her lack of concentration, but she was feeling more secure about Booth's feelings towards her. She felt good when they were together and she missed him terribly when they were apart. Good grief, I have to get a grip on myself… We can't spend every minute together; and I can't be overly surprised when he sends me back home… it's bound to happen…He's a healthy man who is going to get tired of waiting on me… Wait a minute… not necessarily. He said he's in no rush for me to leave, and he said he's happy to help me recuperate. Oh, Christ, stop it, Tempe! Just stop thinking! ggrr… She berated herself as she started to munch on her carrots and cucumbers, letting her eyes once again wander to the strong figure, who was now standing over Cullen's desk yelling about something unknown to her.
B/B/B
"Booth, sit." Cullen indicated, as Booth entered his office, pointing to the chair opposite his desk. "Tell me what you know about this shit."
"Sir, all I know is that I took Bones home today, so she could gather some of her clothes and personal items; and while we were there, I replaced her deadbolt, which was busted when Baker broke into her place. While we were in the back room, someone dropped that letter through the letter slot, and Parks found it on the floor. When he brought it to my attention, I searched the place and found the flowers outside the door. I don't know anything more."
"Booth, have you received any other emails or phone messages? None? Whoever this is obviously has knowledge of where you are and that you have Dr. Brennan. The fact that he waited until now to contact you doesn't make a whole lot of sense."
"I don't know what to say, sir. Look, I called Hodgins and he said when we're ready for him to come collect this stuff, let him know and he'll make his way over here with a collection kit, so he can take everything back to the lab. Maybe he can get the photo to Angela and she can see what information her magic machine can gather from it. But, first…" Booth took a deep breath. "Look, sir, I want to talk to you about my status. I want to be reinstated today. You know I didn't do anything more than any other Agent would have done if their Partner was held prisoner."
"Booth, I can't do that. You know that this has to be taken to the investigative board. Now, listen to me. I will release the evidence to Dr. Hodgins, but you cannot have contact with the lab during this case. You are on suspension, that's all there is to it. As soon as we can get you cleared to return to work, we will. But, Booth, you can't come back yet."
Booth stood up, leaning over Cullen's desk with his fists planted shoulder width apart as he supported his weight. "Bullshit, Cullen. You can reinstate me. You're the fucking Deputy Director, you can make that call."
"Booth, you're out of line, sit the hell down," Cullen rose from his chair to meet Booth's angry glare.
Booth was struggling to control his anger at the moment and remained standing, meeting his boss's eye level. "No. I am not out of line, and you know it, goddammit. What would you have done if it was your wife that was kidnapped? What if the woman you loved was being tortured and you were receiving texts and photos showing you the progress every step of the way? What would you have done if it was your wife's voice screaming for you to come find her – begging through sobs for you to save her? How would you have reacted?"
Cullen schooled his features, and spoke through clenched teeth. "Agent Booth, sit the fuck down. Do not preach to me about what I would or wouldn't have done if my wife was kidnapped. Dr. Brennan is not your wife, Booth. She is your PARTNER, right? I'm going to let you rethink your argument here, Booth."
"My argument, sir, is that if someone you cared about was captured and going through what Bones was going through, you would have reacted the exact same way I did. Now, all I am asking is to be reinstated until we catch this motherfucker. If, after that, you need to suspend me again in order to rake me over the coals of the investigative board, then fine. But I need to be able to protect my son and my partner, now; today, tomorrow, until we find this guy. And I need to know that I can do that as an Agent, not only as a civilian." By the end of his rant, Booth's temper had cooled a bit and his voice dropped, almost to the point of dejected begging. He flopped down into his chair and held his forehead in his hand, breaking the stern eye contact with which he'd been challenging his superior. "Sir, I just - I need to know that I can keep them safe. I need my badge back; I need to keep the SUV; I want my guns back. I swear, you can have it all returned after we finish this case, but for now… I need to do this."
Cullen sympathized with Booth. In reality, he knew he would have reacted the same way. He knew that his best Agent was in love with his partner. He knew it long before he witnessed it that day; everyone who knew Booth and Brennan knew they loved each other. He lowered his gaze to the photo on his desk, then to the letter that was brought into him by the very man sitting across from him. Softly, he continued, "Booth, listen to me. I know this is hard…" Cullen sighed in resolution, "you have to trust me. You will get your badge back, and keep your truck and get your guns. You'll get it all, but you've gotta give me a few hours. I'll make some phone calls, I'll call-out a few favors due to me and before the end of the day, you'll have it all back. Do you think you can manage to sit tight for a few hours, and not pummel someone? Namely me?" He waited for the soulful brown eyes to meet his, and he smiled at the younger man.
Booth nodded in agreement. "I can do that, sir. Thank you." He turned his head to look through the common glass wall, separating his present location from the one in which he'd rather be. He saw his son, sitting on the floor, his back against the couch where Bones was lying. Parker held his laptop on his raised knees and they were both laughing at something on the monitor. Bones' arm was snaked down around Parker's shoulders as he sat, just about even with her chest area; her other arm was crooked, holding her head up so she could watch the screen that Parker was sharing. He smiled and sighed, feeling his sour mood soothed as he observed their interaction. As if on cue, Bones raised her eyes and met his across the distance, flashing him a smile that seared his soul. Without moving his gaze from his Bones, he spoke to Cullen. "I'm sorry, Sir. I was out of line. I just go…crazy when I think of someone hurting her, or my son." He winked at Bones and turned his head back to face the Director. "I didn't mean to get so angry with you, Sir."
"ah - Forget about it. I know you…You've got a shit-load of passion, Booth. That's what makes you such an excellent agent. Besides, you're just about one of the only people around here with enough balls to give me a good run for my money in an argument. It feels good to get that outta your system sometimes." He turned and looked at the scene that Booth was just observing. "Now, listen. I want you to go over there and sit tight for a bit. I'll bring you back over here when I can officially talk to you about the case."
"Thank you sir. Do you think, that while we're waiting to get permission to talk, maybe you could send a team over to my apartment and sweep it for bugs? Whoever this is knew we were going to Bones' place, so unless he was following us, or tracking my truck, then he was listening to us. We haven't been anyplace other than my apartment since I got her back."
"Booth, go over and sit with your girlfriend and son, huh? Let me do my damn job?" Cullen smiled at his agent, full well planning to do as Booth requested, but reluctant to let his subordinate know that he had called the shot.
"Um, sir, we haven't really established our relationship as such; I'm not sure Bones would approve of being regarded as my 'girlfriend', since she's not a 'girl' anymore… she's pretty literal."
"Tomato, Tom-ahto. Call her what you want, Booth, that woman's your girlfriend." Cullen observed Booth falter a little as he started towards the door. "Don't worry, Booth, your secret is safe with me…for now. Get Caroline to find you two a loophole, though, you won't be able to keep this secret for long."
Booth bowed his head in slight embarrassment, but he was full of appreciation for his boss. "Yes sir, thank you. Please call me as soon as possible. Bones is anxious to know what's going on too." He moved out of his boss's office and moved over to the conference room and entered with a warm smile for his two most important people.
"Hey guys, whatcha watching on there?" Booth reached onto the conference table and grabbed a handful of veggies and moved over to sit on the couch with Bones. She raised her head slightly then lowered it onto his thigh as he sat, smiling up at him.
"Parker was showing me the video you took of his last soccer game."
"Match, Bones. It's a soccer match, not game." Parker corrected her from his perch on the floor. "It's OK, Bones. You'll learn. And you gotta come to my matches, too. Now that you and dad are together, you know, I will expect you to be there." He was very matter-of-fact in his statement.
"Parker! You can't invite Bones to come watch you like that! And it's not polite to tell someone that you expect them to be there. Now, apologize to Bones, and ask her nicely if she's like to come watch you one day."
"No, it's OK, Booth. Parker was not trying to be rude, he was just being honest. Right, Parker?" Bones, of all people, totally appreciated how blunt the eleven-year-old could be. She wished that more people were frank and honest rather than giving in to the socially expected "politically correct" mannerisms.
"Right. Dad, I didn't mean anything by it. I just, well, I want Bones to see me play more often. It's been a long time since she saw me on the pitch and I'm a lot better than I used to be! And I figured that now, since you guys are, you know, together, that she'll come see me when you do."
"Alright, well, just remember your manners. Not everyone is as accepting of bluntness as Bones. Now, start it over, that was a great play, I wanna see it again." He grinned and made himself comfortable, rubbing his fingers through the soft tendrils that had fallen over his leg.
Bones looked up at Booth, silently questioning him about what was going on. He winked and smiled, quietly indicating that he would fill her in later. She accepted his notion and closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his fingers dancing through her hair.
While they waited for Cullen to work his magic, Booth and Parker logged onto Fox Soccer Channel online and watched some highlights from the Barclays Premier League, cheering as they watched Rooney kick another spectacular goal. Bones napped, still resting her head against Booth's thigh, obviously exhausted and able to sleep through their soccer chants. She had rolled onto her right side, so she was facing Booth's torso, and he continued to rub her hair between the fingertips of his left hand, knowing that the sensation was relaxing for her, while he kept her safe from rolling off the couch by keeping his right hand firmly on her hip.
Mrs. Wembley came rambling in about an hour after Booth joined his family, and she came bearing more food, sent up compliments of Dir. Cullen. There were sandwiches for the Booth boys and a fresh feta garden salad for Brennan. Noticing that Dr. Brennan was sleeping, she made her entrance and exit with almost no sound. Parker eyeballed the sandwiches and raised his eyebrows at his father, asking permission to dive in…
"Go on, Buddy. Get something to eat; I'm sure you're hungry."
"Dad, aren't you hungry too? You only had a few carrots when you came in, you must be starving by now…!" Parker's views on hunger were charming to Booth and he smiled to his boy.
"I'm OK for now, Parks. I'll wait til Bones wakes up and eat with her. But you go ahead and have your sandwich." He winked at Parker and then looked back down at his sleeping best friend.
"Bones won't be too hungry, I don't think, Dad." Parker once again took on a matter-of-fact tone, in between shoving bites of Turkey and Swiss into his mouth.
"Why would you say that, pal?" Booth was confused about his boy's opinion; Bones, too, had skipped breakfast and it was well past lunch time now, and there were still snacks left on the table from when they had first arrived.
"When you were in talking to Mr. Cullen, I gave her a full plate of veggies. And I mean a FULL plate. I told her that she had to eat because otherwise you would be worried about her and she said she didn't want to make you worry. And she ate it all. She didn't even argue with me." He smiled at his dad, "I don't know why you always say you have trouble dragging her out of the lab for lunch or for dinner. You said she never wants to eat. She didn't give me a hard time…Just tell her that you worry about her, Dad. She'll eat." His son gave him a smugly satisfied smile then went back to his sandwich, feeling like he'd solved the world's hunger problem by just telling his Dad how to make Bones eat.
"Is that so, bud? She ate, just like that? No arguing or pouting or anything, huh?"
"Nope. She wanted to eat so you didn't worry. So, next time she balks at you, just tell her you care."
Booth chuckled at his son's offer of grown-up advice. If only she was so simple, he thought to himself. Maybe I'll just bring Parker with me on the days she's being difficult, then she won't put up a fight. Heh heh.
By the time Parker had finished his sandwich and moved the laptop back over to the table to continue playing his video game, Bones started to stir from her nap. Rubbing the hair off her forehead with gentle fingertips, and allowing his other thumb to make lazy circles on her hip, Booth waited patiently for her to come out of her sleepy state. "Hey, gorgeous. D'you have a good nap?"
"Mmm, Booth. Sorry. I didn't mean to doze off like that; I just wanted to rest my eyes." She wrinkled her brow sleepily, "why are we still here? How long was I sleeping?"
"Cullen's trying to get me reinstated today. I wanna wait to see if he's successful, then he'll talk to me about the case." He looked up just as Cullen was rising from his desk chair. "Hodgins was by just a little while ago and collected the items we brought in, along with something else that was left here. He's taking it all back to the lab. He waved, but didn't come in. I think Cullen told him they couldn't discuss much with me yet."
"What was left here, Booth? What else needs analyzing by the lab?"
Booth looked over to Parker to ensure that he wasn't paying attention to them; he was deeply engrossed in his game, making faces and all, so Booth continued. "There was a photo left on Cullen's desk. No one knows who dropped it off, or how it got as far as this office. But, ah, it's a photo of us."
"Of us? From where? When?" The concern in her eyes was immediate.
"From this morning; it was taken from behind as the three of us entered your building this morning." Booth paused to let that sink in. "So whoever this is, he's either staking out your building and waited for us to return, or he's staking out my place and followed us."
"Booth-" She looked up at him, her tears threatening to break free.
"I know, Bones. I know." He bent over and kissed her forehead. "We'll get him, whoever it is." He brought his hand up from her waist and stroked her cheek. "You hungry? Cullen sent a salad in for you and a sandwich for me. I'm a bit famished, but I wanted to wait for you."
"OH, Booth, I'm sorry. I'm not really very hungry just yet. I had a big plate of Mrs. Wembley's veggies earlier, while you were in with Sam."
Booth grinned knowingly. "So I heard…Parker said you didn't even put up a fight about eating." He smiled widely, "thanks, Bones."
She just blushed in reply and snuggled her head against his strong abdomen.
"Well, I'm gunna eat, then." He raised his head to look at his son, "Hey, Parks, can you pass me my sandwich, please? You were right, Bones doesn't want her salad yet." He thanked his son and started to unwrap his lunch. "Parks, I'm gunna bring you with us to lunch the next time Bones complains about leaving the lab, OK?"
Parker, of course, agreed readily, but Bones gave him a look of disbelief. "What's that all about, Booth? I never complain about leaving!"
"Oh, yeah, right. Next time I'll record your moans and gripes about the civil war bodies waiting to be ID'ed and the thesis papers that need grading and the chapter that your editor is waiting on and…"
"OK, OK… I get it. It's just that you pick inopportune times to want to eat, Booth. You think that just because you're hungry it's lunch time, and everyone should be hungry."
"That's because it is lunchtime, Bones… Weekdays between 11:30 and 1:00 – anytime in there is an acceptable lunchtime for the rest of humanity."
She didn't argue with him, because she knew he was right. Sometimes she just liked to give him a hard time, so she yelled and pouted about leaving. But she always had intentions of joining him for whatever meal he was ready to take her to. Before Booth came along, she thought nothing of skipping lunch and often times, skipping dinner too. But, from the very beginning, he always wanted to make sure she was eating properly. At first he did have to practically drag her from Bone Storage, but she quickly learned that it was his way of showing her he cared; it was one of the only ways she would let him show her how he felt – for 7 long years, she wouldn't let him get in any closer. I was such a fool; I should have taken the chance with him back when he first asked me. He's been taking care of me for years, now…
They both looked up at the door as it opened, and Cullen entered the spacious conference room. "Agent Booth? I have some papers I need you to sign and we have a case to discuss, if I can have your attention for a while?" Cullen smiled as the partners both grinned at him in appreciation.
"Yes, sir. That's great. 'Scuse me Bones, got stuff to do." He scooted out from beneath her rested head, and removed his button-down over-shirt, rolling it for her to use a pillow. "I'll be back." He spoke quietly to her and she admired him as he exited, following behind his boss. She loved to watch the play of his muscles beneath his tight t-shirts. She had watched him earlier that day, but before they left his apartment, he had donned an over-shirt to cover the t-shirt, thus covering his ample muscles. She was glad to see him again… She felt heat flush up her neck and to her cheeks; God he makes me crazy with want… Breathe, Tempe, breathe…
B/B/B
"Booth, sit. Listen." Cullen took on his no-nonsense boss-tone as he pointed to the chair he expected Booth to occupy.
"Yes, sir. Hey, I want to say thanks for-"
"Yeah, whatever, Booth. Don't talk, sit and listen."
Booth sat. Booth listened.
"You better not screw up, Booth. I put my neck on the line for you. I cleared you of any improper actions against Baker. And you owe Sweets, too. You can thank him when he gets up here, he's on his way. We both attested that you were, and still are, in complete control of your actions and emotions. We both attested that your actions in Maryland, at the location of Dr. Brennan's captivity and rescue, were not taken in impulse, but instead out of the fundamental requirement to maintain security under the circumstances. There was no unnecessary force used, and the fact that you killed Baker was very simply because he was wielding weapons. Is that understood?"
"Yes sir."
"Good. Here's your badge and you can collect your firearms downstairs. You will not keep your SUV, however."
Booth started to interrupt but was, once again, cut off by his boss.
"Instead, Booth, you are getting a different vehicle. On the off-chance that whoever followed you planted a tracking device on your truck, we can't risk you continuing to drive it, until we have had a chance to give it a complete going-over." Cullen paused to let that sink in, just as a knock at the door drew both of their attentions to Dr. Sweets as he entered the office. Cullen and Booth both nodded, but Cullen turned and continued to speak to Booth. "Agent, gimme your cell phone," he held out an evidence bag and waited for Booth to drop his phone into the plastic. "Now, we'll send this down to forensics and have them look it over, make sure there's no tracking or bug devices in it. There's a team waiting to gain entry to your apartment, so I need you to call your super and give the go-ahead to have them permitted; they will sweep your place and if there's anything there, it will be found. Dr. Hodgins took the items back to the Jeffersonian to be tested, so we will have to wait until he completes his tests to get further information."
"Thank you, sir." Booth was humbled by how quickly everything was going, meaning that Cullen made the arrangements quickly. He turned to Sweets, who'd been sitting quietly since he came into the office. "And thanks, Sweets. Cullen told me that you were instrumental in getting me reinstated. I – well, I really appreciate it, I won't screw up."
"I know you won't Agent Booth," the young doctor smiled at him. "But you and Dr. Brennan will have to continue attending joint sessions with me, so I can justify my evaluation."
"Great – look forward to it," Booth's voice was flat, but he knew that it was a small price to pay, to be able to protect his son and Partner from this newest psycho.
Booth looked back to Cullen and spoke, "I'd like a run down on all of Baker's known associates, before and while he was in prison, and I'll review their files. Someone is going to know something. Someone knows who he would have teamed up with; someone would have contacted him for this scheme. Whoever he is was obviously aware that Baker was into weapons, he must know of Baker's history. I want to begin by going through all the files to try to find this guy. I'm going to especially focus on anyone with whom Bones & I were involved in putting away – someone who would have a grudge against one of us."
Sweets scooted forward and produced, from his pocket, a photo copy of the letter that was left at Brennan's door. "Well, Agent Booth, you may want to keep your options open. I had a look at this, and while I haven't yet had the chance to decipher any hidden messages or clues in here, I do believe that you will need to broaden your spectrum of who you're searching for."
Booth and Cullen both gave Sweets simultaneous questioning looks.
Sweets nodded to each of his colleagues, "Agent Booth, Director, in my opinion, we're searching for a woman, not a man."
Booth's mind reeled. "Wha-what? What are you talking about? Why do you say that, Sweets?"
"The handwriting in this letter belongs to a woman; again, my opinion. We should bring in an expert handwriting analyst to be sure, but the slant, the precision of the lettering, the phrasing, all point towards being that of a woman's handwriting more than a man's." He looked back and forth between the two older men. "I would be interested in seeing the original so I could study the indentation caused by the pressure of the pen; that would also provide some insight on the composer of this letter. But I am sure that whoever is studying it at the lab will observe that."
Booth looked at Cullen, then back at Sweets. "A woman? A woman is behind Bones' torture?" Disbelief was written all over Booth's face. How could a woman be part of stripping another woman of her dignity? Physically having her stripped and beaten… that's harsh. Not something I would expect of another woman. He turned this over in his mind as he let has gaze turn back towards the woman in the next room. He turned back to Sweets, "do you think she has a beef with me or with Bones? What would drive a woman to do this?"
"It's really hard to answer that just yet, Agent Booth. Without having more details with which to work, I can only make a premature educated guess." He inhaled deeply and focused his eyes on the Agent. "In addition to what I see in the handwriting, I have to consider the bouquet of flowers left at Dr. Brennan's door. The lock of hair that was affixed – that stands for something. A woman who might be jealous of Dr. Brennan – whether it be of her success, her status in life, her beauty, her relationship with you – whatever the reason, an overly jealous woman could easily take out her frustration and anger by defacing Dr. Brennan's appearance. Her hair had been crudely cut; her earring had been torn out, causing her lobe to rip and need the stitches that Cam provided; the whipping caused injuries that will surely leave scars; the mental anguish that she was subjected to will leave emotional scars; the lies that were told to her about you – they will always be in the back of her mind, potentially causing her to distrust you or shut you out of her life, thus depriving herself of love…Injuring her to the extent that she has had to become completely and utterly dependent on someone – you – she has been stripped of her independence, and we all know that Dr. Brennan is a very independent woman. Her current dependent situation must be weighing heavily on her mind. Individually, these treatments would not necessarily point to a woman, but when taken as a whole, as a complete picture, whoever was behind this has a vendetta that is only satisfied by taking action against Dr. Brennan. I believe this unknown woman wanted to take away some of Dr. Brennan's most positive attributes." Sweets lowered his eyes momentarily, before re-establishing eye contact with Booth. "Now, I can't say if it's someone who was involved with a case or someone with whom Dr. Brennan just had conflict, but whoever she is, she's smart and she probably blends in quite well with those around her. Otherwise, she would be noticed or recognized." He sat back in his chair and folded his hands across his stomach. "Or, on the complete flip side of the coin, it could be a woman who has something against you, Agent Booth, and she wants to hurt you by hurting the woman you love – uh, the partner with whom you are so close…" The boy-doctor blushed at his slip-up. He knew they loved each other, but he didn't know for sure if they knew it yet… or if they admitted it yet… "Beyond that, and with this little bit of information so far, that's all I have to offer; but I'd like to go to the lab and see what else I can gather from the rest of the evidence." He looked hopefully at the Agent, hoping to be invited along when they went.
Booth just nodded his head, looking once again through the windows separating him from his family, longing to be with them both. He wanted desperately to take them both into his strong embrace and never let them go. "Yeah, sure Sweets. Let me know what you find out; I'm going to gather some of the files and take Bones and Parker home. I don't want to have them out in public right now, so I don't plan on going to the lab." He turned back and looked at Cullen. "Can I go now? I want to go sign out my guns and get home."
"Yeah, Booth. The clean-up-team is probably still there, sweeping for bugs, but can work around you. I just suggest that you are both careful about what you say." He reached for another document from his filing drawer, "here, take this form downstairs with you, sign out another phone. When we hear back from forensics about your phone, I'll give you a call."
"Thanks, sir." Booth stood and extended his hand to his superior. "Thank you for everything, Director. And, again, I am sorry if I said anything out of line earlier."
"No worries, Booth, just get the hell out of here. I'm sick of looking at you today."
Booth nodded to the twelve-year-old shrink and patted him on the shoulder. "Thanks, Sweets. Let us know if you have any other shrinky break-throughs, huh?"
He moved towards the door and made his way to the conference room, leaving his boss and therapist standing in the now-quiet office, watching the interaction between him and his partner. They observed as Booth walked with purpose over to the couch where Dr. Brennan was resting, and he squatted down, settling face to face with her. They talked, they each nodded in their conversation and Sweets gasped as Agent Booth leaned in and seized Dr. Brennan's lips with his own, cradling her face between his large hands.
Sweets turned his paling face to the Deputy Director, and was met with a sly smile. "Yup, Doc, you and I are privy to some knowledge that we need to keep between us for now… You know, doctor/patient confidentiality." He smiled and looked back at the couple who were now talking to Parker as the boy packed away the laptop he'd been using. "They've obviously moved beyond 'just partners', finally, but we need to find a loop hole so they can stay together. So, for now, we're going to pretend we didn't see that, right? We especially will not be telling Hacker; he'd go out of his way to get those two separated otherwise. I don't want my best team broken up."
"Uh, yes sir. Between us… confidentiality… loop hole…" Sweets babbled in slight shock as he turned to leave. "They're more than partners now… they just kissed…a real kiss… yeah, loop hole…"
Cullen shook his head in humor at the young doctor as he sat back down and continued making phone calls. Booth and his brood left the conference room without ceremony and waved to him as they passed his open door, heading back to the elevators that would take them back downstairs. Booth carried Bones close, holding her on his hip, much as an adult would carry a child, as she held his strong shoulders and rested her head against his neck. The young Booth trailed behind, carrying a duffle bag on his shoulder, and smiling at his Dad and Bones as they quietly spoke to one another.
"Bones, they think it's a woman…"
Postscript A/N
Wow… a woman? Did you see that coming? My Muse is evil, isn't she? But who could it be? Is it someone we already know? Or could it be someone that we've never met before?
I guess we'll all have to wait to see what chapter 36 brings!
Please review and let me know if you hate this or like this!