Chapter 5—Pieces

Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with BONES.

Author's notes: Wow, hatred for David all the way around! I don't necessarily hate David but he does not belong with Brennan just as Booth does not belong with some blonde long-legged lawyer or any other blonde for that matter. I didn't kill David in this chapter….I didn't even hurt him physically but hopefully you will still enjoy the story. I had intended to post this and the last chapter tomorrow but I thought you all deserved to read about David's departure now because of all the nice, funny David-hating reviews. Thanks for reading and reviewing.

Suddenly, I'm becoming part of your past/

I'm becoming the part that don't last/

I'm losing you and it's effortless—Over My Head, The Fray

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David paced back and forth in the small hallway outside of Brennan's apartment. Successfully biting his tongue so as not to put Temperance on the offensive, he waited for her to begin the difficult conversation.

"David, what are you doing here at this time in the morning?" She watched the usually calm man pace erratically before her.

"Well, Temperance," he said, stopping in front of her and placing his hands on his hips, "I came by to check on my girlfriend who had informed me that she would be busy all week with a difficult case. I brought flowers for you and intended to take you out to breakfast but instead I find your brother—a brother you've never mentioned before I might add—answering your door. And said brother then informs me that your 'difficult case' involved your mother's remains! Let's see…does that cover everything?"

Brennan stared at him, momentarily unsure how to proceed with an explanation. "David, I'm sorry that I didn't inform you of all of the details but everything happened so fast. Booth and I…"

"Of course Booth knows about this. He probably knew about your brother before this too, didn't he?" David pinched the bridge of his nose between the index finger and thumb of his right hand to stave off the headache he felt coming. Just the name Seeley Booth had that effect on him and he'd found that he had had many headaches in the short time that he had known Temperance Brennan.

"Well yes, he did. He spoke to him a few months ago after I gave him the file on my parents' disappearance." Brennan attempted to shrug off the uneasiness of the inference of David's question about her partner.

"Your parents' disappearance? There's something else you never told me about." He shook his head in wonderment at how little he knew about the woman he had come to care for so much. "So, you've been with Booth all week?" he asked softly, already knowing the answer. Whenever Temperance needed someone, Seeley Booth made it his business to ensure that he was there.

"He came by several times to ensure that I ate….and to talk…." Brennan's answered trailed off as she watched David resume his pacing.

He stopped again in front of her but didn't face her, opting instead to study the carpeted floor of the hallway.

"Don't you realize, Temperance, that I would have come by to check on you, ensure your mental and physical well being, if you had only told me what was going on?"

She did realize that fact. But the other more important fact was that she trusted Booth to help her through the nightmare of untangling the lies that were woven into the little known information of her parents' disappearance. Brennan couldn't deny that if she had only wanted physical comfort to make her forget this waking nightmare for a short while, she would have called David. But she needed more than what David could offer her.

Her lack of response to his question answered everything David had feared for the past few months—she was never going to allow him into her life in the same manner she had obviously allowed Booth. Sure, he was good enough to read her manuscript and critique it, offering praise when she was uncertain of whether part of the plot was working. He was good enough to read about the relationship between her two main characters--characters that were obviously based on Temperance and Booth, regardless of how much she denied it--and offer advice as to whether the relationship was moving too fast or too slow.

David also knew the reason that she never allowed the special agent to read the manuscript—Seeley Booth's opinion meant more to Temperance than she would like to admit. It had not escaped his attention that she had mentally began reworking the title "Bone Free" after Booth had offered his brief opinion. "Eww on the title Bones."

He turned toward her, placing his hands on her arms and kissed her on the cheek. "Goodbye Temperance."

"David…"

"No, this is…it is what it is. I would still like to be friends. And you know, if you ever need anything….well, my offer stands. Take care of yourself."

Brennan nodded as she watched him walk away. She wondered if it was strange that she felt more relieved than upset that her relationship with a really nice caring guy had just ended.

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"Come on Parker." Booth took his young son's hand as he helped him out of the back of his SUV. "I promise we'll go to the park right after we check on my friend."

"But Daddy…the best swings'll be gone!" Parker used his sad brown eyes to plead with his father. Booth momentarily wondered if this was how Bones felt when he used that same technique on her.

"Son, swings are swings. One swing is not better than the other. Besides I thought we were going for the slide today?"

"I want to do the slide and the best swings!" Parker pulled on Booth's hand in an attempt to make his father walk faster. "Come on Daddy…hurry up so we can go!"

Booth laughed at his son's impatience and allowed himself to be pulled by a four-year-old up the stairs of Brennan's apartment building. His laughter ceased when he spied a distressed David exiting the building, walking toward him.

"David. Good to see you again." Not really, but he thought he would try to play nice since this was Bones' boyfriend.

"Booth, gee what a surprise," he responded sarcastically.

Slightly taken aback by David's response, Booth let go of Parker's hand, bent his head close to the young boy's and quietly instructed him to sit on the top step and wait for him. Booth straightened and turned back to the other man. "That was an awfully sarcastic greeting there. Something you wanna talk about?"

David shook his head and chuckled wryly. "What is there to talk about? I asked months ago in that interrogation room if there was something between you two and I got a resounding no from both of you. I was stupid enough to believe it…or maybe I was just so interested in Temperance that I wanted to believe it."

Booth stared at him for a moment. "What the…" he glanced over at Parker and whispered the rest of his question, "hell are you talking about?"

"I heard that Daddy!" Parker grinned at his father.

"Sorry Parker."

"You hafta put money in the jar now Daddy."

"When we get home, I promise. Let Daddy finish talking to his friend now."

David stuck his right hand out and waited for Booth to accept it. When the dark haired agent finally did, David pulled him forward slightly. "I know I don't have to make you promise to take care of her…that's pretty much a given, isn't it?"

Booth nodded and realized that this was David's swan song—he and Bones were over. He squeezed David's hand a little tighter to ensure that he had his full attention. "Did you just dump her at one of the worst times of her life? Because if I get upstairs and find out that you hurt her in any way, I will be paying you a very personal visit later."

"You see Booth, the difference between us is…I didn't know anything about her parents or that fact that she was working on her mother's case." He stared at the agent with sad eyes. "And I didn't hurt her. I think it was a very mutual understanding by both parties that our relationship was not working." David looked down his hand still grasped in Booth's. "You're cutting off my circulation Agent Booth."

Letting go of David's hand, Booth stepped back and studied the other man's face. "Nice knowing ya, David."

"You too, Booth." David turned and left without looking back.

"Come on Parker." Booth opened his arms as his son jumped off of the stairs so Booth could catch him. "Let's go see Bones."

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"That's your boyfriend, huh?" Russ smirked as Brennan reentered the apartment without David.

Choosing to ignore the comment, she walked over to Angela who was preparing to place a stack of pancakes on a plate. "Those smell good Ange." She tossed her friend a small smile.

"Blueberry pancakes can always cure what ails ya," Angela replied with a wink as she set the plate on the counter. Suddenly she turned toward Brennan, her expression serious and pulled her into a hug. "You okay sweetie?" she whispered as Brennan hugged her back.

"I will be." Brennan pulled out of the embrace and studied Angela's face. "I will be, I promise. In fact, before we have breakfast I think I'll have a quick shower. You two go ahead and start without me." She walked down the hall toward her bedroom.

Angela started laughing as Russ grabbed a few pancakes and doused them with syrup. "What? She doesn't have to tell me twice."

Booth's knocking on the door surprised Russ and Angela. "Come in, it's open," she instructed as she busied herself with preparing more pancakes.

Booth and Parker stepped into the apartment, both smiling at the heavenly smell of breakfast. "Looks like we got here just in time, huh, Sport?" Parker nodded enthusiastically as he hurried toward the kitchen.

"Booth, what a pleasant surprise first thing in the morning." Angela smiled down at the blonde moppet who was currently surveying the kitchen, specifically the plate of pancakes that she had just set on the counter. "You wouldn't happen to like pancakes would you Parker?"

Parker's big brown eyes grew wide as he nodded his head. "Even more than hotdogs! But not as much as pete-za…"

Angela placed a small plate in Parker's eager outstretched hands and guided him over to the table to sit with Russ.

"What do you say to Angela, Parker?"

"Thanks," he mumbled as he started shoving the food into his mouth.

Booth looked over at Angela. "Sorry, we're still working on our manners." Angela simply grinned and shrugged.

"His manners are a lot better than most of the guys I've dated."

"That's….wow…that's sad Angela," he replied cheekily. "So where's Bones? Still in bed?"

"No, in the shower. She just got back about 15 minutes ago," Angela responded as she offered him a plate.

"What do you mean 'she just got back'? Where did she go? Out with Dick…uh, David?" Booth inquired.

"No, that putz stopped by just before she got back," Russ supplied.

Parker glanced up at his father, syrup covering his face. "Daddy, what's a putz?"

Booth cringed slightly as he mulled over how to explain the term, hoping that he would not go home and repeat it to Rebecca. "Um, well, Sport, it's not a nice word and Russ there shouldn't have used it," Booth took a moment to glare at Brennan's brother, "but it basically means the same thing as calling someone a moron or stupid. You know, things you should never call people."

"Even if it's an accurate descriptor?" Russ stared at Booth innocently.

"That's almost like sayin' a bad word." Parker turned to Russ. "You're goin' hafta to put money in the jar too," he stated in his most serious tone.

After searching for some loose change in his pant pocket, Russ placed two quarters on the table in front of Parker. "Here you go little man. I learned my lesson today."

Booth laughed at his son's happy expression upon seeing the shiny quarters. He glanced over at Angela who was preparing more pancakes. "Okay, where did Bones go last night?" he asked, his demeanor suddenly serious.

Again Angela shrugged. "Not sure. Russ said that he heard her leave around three this morning. If I had to guess, I would say the lab…"

"And you would be right," Brennan replied as she entered the kitchen area. "Morning Booth. Hi Parker." She smiled at the miniature version of Booth sitting at the table with Russ, swinging his legs back and forth, and happily pushing two quarters around on the table.

Parker looked over at her and smiled shyly. "Hey."

"What were you doing at the lab?" Booth demanded. "I remember giving you specific orders to get some rest."

"I got a few hours sleep in my office this morning. I was finishing up some paperwork so that….so that we can proceed with burial arrangements." She took the plate of fresh pancakes Angela offered her, suddenly finding that her appetite had diminished. "Dr. Goodman will need to sign off on everything on Monday but the file appears to be in order."

"Oh," Booth replied, feeling slightly guilty for the tone he had taken with her. "That could've waited though Bones."

"Yes, it could have but I couldn't sleep last night after you left so…" her voice trailed off as she looked up and found the three adults in the room staring at her. "At least eat some breakfast if you all insist upon staring at me."

Booth and Angela each grabbed their respective plates and sat down at the table. Booth started shoveling the food into his mouth in much the same manner his son had. "Booth there could be another lead…" Brennan began

"Your grandfather?" Brennan nodded in response. "Yeah, I've got somebody checking up on that. Now eat your breakfast before my son crawls over the table and takes your pancakes away." He winked at her, attempting to make her smile.

After a few moments of silence Booth spoke again. "I ran into David outside. What was up with him this morning Bones?"

Glancing around the table, Brennan shrugged and poured syrup on her pancakes. "He came by to check on me, we talked….and then I guess we broke up."

Noticing her nonchalant tone, Booth found himself grinning as he continued to eat. "Hmm, really? That's too bad Bones."

Russ chuckled as Angela winked at Booth. "Yeah that's too bad. He seemed like a really nice guy," he agreed.

"But you said he was a putz," Parker stated innocently.

Angela couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so hard as she watched Brennan process Parker's words, Booth balk at his son's honesty and Russ turn ten shades of red.