A/N - So here it is, my new fanfiction. I don't know if anything is going to happen with Booth and Brennan I guess I'll just have to see if the story calls for it. Construtive reveiws welcomed, no flames please! Oh and aside from the obvious, the main characters are not mine. I lost them in a game of snap.

Sleeping With The Past

Chapter One – Send me an Angel

Temperance sipped at the steaming mug of coffee in her hand, letting the caffeine work it's way into her bloodstream. She hadn't gotten much sleep last night. Disturbing dreams about clowns carrying off her parents kept her awake most of the night. She could hardly keep her eyes open and the desperate desire to curl and go to sleep was becoming almost overwhelming.

"Hey sweetie?"

Temperance left her head where it was, her chin resting on her chest.

"Hmm?"

She heard Angela shift deeper into the room, sensing her coming to stop somewhere to the left of where she was sitting.

"There are a couple of FBI guys out there. They said they were sent here by Booth."

Temperance felt suddenly awake, the thought of Booth being hurt hitting her like a sledgehammer, making her raise her head suddenly.

"Is Booth ok?"

Angela shrugged.

"All I know is that there are two very serious looking dudes in suits waiting to talk to you."

Temperance stood and walked out of her office, followed closely by the very curious Angela. The two black suited men, who would normally inspire fear and respect, looked ridiculous in comparison to all the other people running around in lab coats and latex gloves. Temperance studied them with hard eyes, not quite willing to talk to them. She had always hated how FBI people came in with a badge and expected instant respect. They were in her world now and she didn't offer respect unless it was earned or called for. These two had done neither.

"How can I help you?"

The taller of the two stepped a little closer to her and Temperance stood her ground, her eyes narrow. He was slightly taller then her but her was overweight and his stomach strained slightly against his shirt.

"Are you Temperance Brennan?"

Temperance frowned.

"You know who I am, the question is who are you?"

"I'm Agent Michaels and this is Agent Spencer. We were sent here to take you to HQ to talk to Agent Booth."

"Why? Is he ok?"

"He's fine. You just need to come with us."

Temperance exchanged a quick look with Angela, who nodded, before following the two agents to a black car and slipping into the back seat. In complete silence they drove to the FBI's HQ and soon Temperance found herself being pushed into a small white walled room. She only had a second to gather her thoughts before Booth came through a door that she hadn't realised existed. He was dressed in jeans and a plain white t-shirt and he looked tired. He didn't say anything, just pulled her into a tight hug, his mouth close to her ear, his voice low.

"Listen carefully. I'm going to put something up the back of your shirt, so don't flip me ok?"

Temperance said nothing as she felt Booth's hand slip under the back of her shirt, something paper brushing against her skin. He slipped it neatly under her bra strap before removing his hand.

"Read it only when you get back to the lab. And don't say anything about it ok?"

Temperance nodded slightly against his shoulder. His voice had a definite note of urgency to it and his body felt incredibly tense against hers and he had at least two days of facial growth that scrapped roughly against her skin. It felt like they had been hugging for hours but it must have been seconds because not black-suited guys came bursting into the room to break it up.

"Be careful ok Bones?"

She nodded again and her released her, settling himself onto a hard orange chair, Temperance doing the same.

"So how have you been Booth? I haven't seen you at the lab lately."

She tried to keep her voice light and casual but she was desperate to know the truth. Why did Booth look like he hadn't slept in days and why all this sudden secrecy?

"Oh I've been a bit busy."

It was like that for a few more minutes, a brainless snivel of conversation before she was ushered out of the room and back into the black car and just about pushed out of the doors and back into the lab. True to her word, Temperance waited until she was back in her office before pulling out the object from under her shirt. As she had suspected, it was an envelope with a piece of paper inside. Booth's handwriting was frantic and messy as it danced across the page.

Bones,

I've been arrested to murder. That's why I had to see you. I need your help. I didn't do it, I was set up and I need you to find out by whom. You need to go and see a friend of mine Jerry Hanningan at the morgue, he'll help you sort out this mess. And take Angela with you. You made need her to do the talking to the non-science folk. And I need you to hurry on this Bones. If I go to jail, go into the mainstream, I'll be dead within the first week. I've made a lot of enemies in the last few years and most of them are just biding their time before trying to get me. Go and see Jerry.

Booth.

Temperance felt all the air escape from her body and for once; she was at a loss on what exactly to think. Why would someone want to frame Booth for murder? What had he done that was so bad to warrant ruining his life? And just how in the world was she meant to help in something like this? She was an anthropologist; she dealt with bones, not forensics. But then again, if she could identify a four hundred year old set of bones then surely she could do something like this.

"Brennan, what do you know about this?"

Angela was holding up a copy of the newspaper, the head blaring louder then any sound could

War Hero Murdered By Ex-Comrade!

Temperance frowned as she snatched the paper from Angela's hands. The story was very small but it gave Booth's name and she felt her heart sink to the floor. Even if she did as he asked, this could ruin his entire career.

"Angela, you and I need to pay a visit to the morgue. I'll explain on the way."

XxXxXx

Even though she had been to the morgue before, Temperance had always hated the place. In the lab you had lights and noise but here there was nothing but this heavy weird silence, almost as if the dead were reinforcing it. She like noise and life, it reminded her that she was still living even though she sometimes didn't feel it. Angela was by her side but even her steps jolted a little as they passed body after body. It appeared that the morgue was going through a busy period. They swung open the doors and were confronted with a short man of about fifty, glasses balanced on his nose, his hair cut close to his head. He raised his head slightly at the sound of their footsteps, his eyebrow cocked.

"Can I help you ladies?"

Temperance stepped a little closer.

"I'm Temperance Brennan and this is Angela Montenegro. We're here to talk to you about Seeley Booth."

The small coroner gave a wide grin, revealing small white teeth.

"So you're the great Temperance he talks about. Lovely to meet you at last. Though I wish it was under better circumstance's."

The coroner removed his gloves and lab coat, motioning for the women to follow him back out of the room.

"I'm Jerry by the way. Come on, I'll take you ladies for coffee and I can give you what Booth told me too."

Angela gave Temperance a frown as they followed the man to the Starbucks they had passed earlier; her face a clear map of confusion and Temperance knew exactly what she was thinking. How can we trust this guy? How do we know he's for real? Temperance knew that if Booth trusted him then so should she. He would never put her in danger intentionally. They each ordered their coffees and settled themselves in a booth.

"So what can you tell us Jerry? We don't know much beyond this."

She gave him the letter that Booth had given her and watched the man read it with quick eyes. He nodded slowly, all traces of friendliness replaced with seriousness.

"He has been framed. Terry Manning was killed and it looks like Booth did it but I know he didn't."

"How?"

"Because in my thirty odd years as a coroner I have never met a more honest man then Seeley Booth. If he did it then it will be the first time I have ever read someone wrong. And you two must believe he's innocent otherwise you would not be here."

The coroner extracted a file from his coat, one that Temperance had never seen him put there, laying it out in front of the women before opening it to the first page.

"Ok so it went down like this. Booth was the last one to see Terry alive and he was heard threatening him. Next thing you know, he's dead with a bullet between the eyes and Booth's prints and DNA all over the house and the gun in question. Did you see Booth's hands?"

Temperance struggled to remember, before nodding slowly. His hands had been bandaged she had just never bothered to ask, figured that it was all part of the secret.

"Booth claims that they had gotten into a fist fight but they had made up and decided to go to his place for a beer. He handled the gun when Terry told him he had gotten it off the black market and Booth tried to get him to return it. This ended in yet another fight, only this time, Terry kicked Booth out. The killer, whomever he is, knew that Terry and Booth did not get on and he knew that Booth was in his house they night he was to be killed."

Angela, who had been sitting quietly, interjected with her own questioning at this point.

"How come they didn't get on?"

Jerry opened the file to the next page, handing her a long list of offences that had forced Terry out of the service. Rape, murder and robbery were just the two at the start.

"Booth knew he was a renegade. He fought the war not with his heart but with his gun and his hands. He would kill those he thought were bad news, not those that actually were. He was forced out when Booth laid a complaint against him."

Temperance looked over the picture of a very fresh looking Booth that was also in the file. He looked so young and free, as if nothing could prevent him from helping and serving his country. He had told her very little about what had gone on when he had been in the service but she knew that whatever he had done, whatever he had to do it had killed a part of him. The same part that smiled at her from these pictures. She had seen the results of war first hand but that was just with the dead. The living victims were something she had never had to deal with, until Booth came into her life that is. She knew he was victim; just one that hid his hurts and did his best to change the things he had done. She admired him for that.

"So that's why they think Booth did it, because it looks like he did. DNA, his hands and the gun all prove he did."

"Did they find GSR on him?"

Jerry and Temperance both glance at Angela, slightly surprised. Even Temperance didn't know what GSR was.

"Did they find any on him? If he killed this Terry guy, there should be GSR."

Temperance could feel the confusion work it's way onto her face. Jerry gave her a small smile.

"Gun shot residue was absent on his clothes. But he could have destroyed them easily enough. You ladies have a lot to contend with to get Booth out of trouble. The FBI don't believe him and neither does anyone else."

Temperance continued to look through the file, happy to deal with the facts and figures while the others talked. She knew that Booth was innocent. The man she called her friend would never do something like this. It went against everything he believed and every high standard he had ever set himself. This crime was not committed by Booth. She just needed to prove it.

"Hey Jerry?"

Jerry glanced at her, his eyebrow raised.

"Can you take us to the crime scene?"