A/N: It has been brought to my attention that the movement from Booth and Temperance's talk to the next chapter was a bit jarring. Upon re-reading the last couple of chapters, I agree that it was extremely disjointed. To that end, I am including this short interlude as a bridge chapter after "The Rest of His Story" and before "Target Acquisition." I will delete that chapter and place it in the proper sequence. "Target Acquisition" has had some minor changes, which, I believe, will also make it more coherent. My thanks to Africancharm for keeping me straight. As always, I welcome any questions and / or suggestions.

"What about your brother?"

"Hmmm?" Seeley asked. Temperance lay nestled in the crook of his right shoulder. Her right hand gently caressing, drawing invisible pictures on his chest.

"What about your brother, Jared?" she repeated. "You haven't mentioned him."

Seeley searched his memory. Comprehension finally dawned upon him. In a somewhat embarrassed voice he said, "I don't have a brother, Temperance…I'm an only child."

"But didn't you tell Sean Cook that you and your brother were playing soldier and you got hurt accidentally?" Temperance accused. "You showed him a scar." Seeley tried to hold her closer, but she pushed herself out of his arms. Though she still didn't get up from the bed. "Well?" she asked, flintily.

Seeley couldn't believe that after everything he had told her, this would be what would drive a wedge between them. Almost ashamedly, he said, "I lied." Seeing her expression harden, he continued, "It was an appendix scar. I was trying to build a rapport with him. If I had a brother, it would have given me a shared reference point where we could build a little bit of trust."

"So you could get him to confess?" she charged. Looking at the hurt filling his eyes, she immediately knew she was wrong.

He looked at her and softly said, "No…No, Temperance." He lay back, looking at the ceiling. "I thought you knew me better than that." He turned to look at her, "I wanted him to trust me so we could find out what happened to his brother. I never thought he was the perp." He continued, "Besides, you lied to me that very same day." Temperance thought through that day. Her eyelids closed in agreement. "You told me your grandfather got you out of the system."

She burrowed back against him. "I'm sorry, I lied," she said into his chest. "I just didn't want to be bothered explaining the situation to you at that time." Seeley hugged her against him. "You know now I didn't have a grandfather. I was in the system until I graduated high school." It felt somehow liberating that he knew the truth. "And then I went off to college…alone."

Softly, Seeley said, "I'm sorry I wasn't truthful…I should have let you know it wasn't the truth."

They lay there a few moments more. Feeling each other breathe. Instinctively, Temperance's toe began brushing the top of Seeley's foot. She could feel him tense. Realization struck her as she immediately withdrew her foot. "I'm sorry Seeley." She thought, "How could I be so dense? His feet were pummeled into uselessness. They're probably extremely sensitive."

He turned his head away and in a strangled voice, "It's okay."

She noticed the tone of his voice wasn't pained or discomforted. The scientist in her won out. She lightly brushed his foot again. "Does it hurt when I do this?" His entire body tensed. She could see him grit his teeth. But his mouth didn't reflect pain. He shook his head. "Are you kidding me?" she thought with delight. She smiled. She brushed his foot again, and said playfully, "Are you ticklish?"

He kicked his feet back, "Just the tops of my feet," he grimaced.

"Really?" she sat up and moved towards the foot of the bed. Playfully, she reached out for his foot, but he kicked it back out of her reach. She looked at him slyly, "Is it just one foot," reaching out for his other foot, "Or both?" Laughing, she caught his pants leg and tried to force his foot within reach.

His leg strength was too much for her arms and she lost her grip on his pants. But his other foot had edged within her grasp. She pinned his foot against the bed with her body weight, and began stroking the bottom of the foot. No reaction. She noted that it was having the opposite reaction of her intent. She lightly blew on the top of his foot. A better reaction she could not have wished for. He yelped and jumped to his knees. He leaned down and placed his shoulder as a pivot point in her mid-section. Wrapping his arms around her thighs, he lifted her onto his shoulder. He laughed triumphantly. She laughingly screamed and gently beat his lower back with open-handed slaps. "Booth!" she laughed, "Put me down."

Instead, he moved off the bed and stood up. He turned at the waist from side to side, causing Temperance to squeal. "I'm not kidding Booth!" she said. "Put me down." Although to be honest, she had an extremely nice view of his gluteus maximus. They were still encased in his pants, but sooner or later…

Seeley started walking to the door, "I think I'll take a quick shower," he said. "Ow!" he jumped as Temperance pinched his left buttock. He jumped again as she pinched his right buttock. "I think what this calls for is a nice long, cold shower!"

Remembering that Sunday a few weeks ago, Temperance surrendered, "Okay…okay. You win, Booth! Please put me down!"

He said, "Who's this 'Booth' you keep referring to?" as he continued walking to the bathroom.

"Seeley!" she shouted. And then more calmly, "Please put me down, Seeley."

He stopped. Bending over, he placed her feet on the floor. When he felt her standing on her own, he straightened up, keeping his arms around her, until they were standing together. Her arms around his neck, his around her back. She leaned against the wall. He could feel through her stretch top her nipples, erect, pressing into his chest. He looked in her ice blue eyes, dilated to almost slivers. Their breathing in unison, he said, "Well…what should we do now?"

"We could always make out for awhile?" she asked hopefully. She edged herself up and gently took his lower lip between her teeth.

He moved his head back, disengaging his lip from her teeth. "You really should stay out of my head. Where's the back seat of a car when you really need it?" He lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers. She wrapped her legs around his waist. He turned and stumbled towards her room.