CHAPTER FOUR
PART ONE
Back at FBI headquarters, Booth and his colleagues are interviewing the owners of Black Chevrolets with a partially matching license plate. Booth has just finished with a young woman who clearly has nothing to do with this. He thanks her for her time and walks out into the hall where he meets his Boss, Collin.
"We have a good one Booth." He states.
"Sir?" Booth asks.
"Marcus Lamont." He states the man's name and there is a flicker of recognition in Booth's eyes. "Hired the car a week ago when he owns his own pick-up." He explains. "He can't account for his whereabouts when Dr Brennan was almost run down, nor last night when your vehicle was rammed."
"I want to speak to him."
"I'm not sure that's such a good idea." Collin tells him. Booth sends him and 'I have to' look and Collins relents.
"Where is he?"
"Interview room four." Collin tells him. "And hands off Booth." He warns. Booth raises his hands as a promise but not one he is sure he can keep.
"So Marcus, what is it you have against Dr Brennan?" Booth walks slowly around the room, intimidating Lamont. He can't shake the feeling that he knows this guy.
"I haven't got anything against the Doctor." Lamont claims.
"So why did you try to run her down and then run her off the road?" Booth asks. He leans on the desk with both hands.
"It wasn't me, I swear." He says.
"But you can't explain where you were at the times there incidents happened?"
"I told you, I was alone, I don't have anyone to verify my whereabouts." He insists.
"I'm sure you realise how that looks to us." Booth whispers as he leans real close to Lamont's face. Lamont throws his hands in the air and leans back in the chair.
"I can't prove I didn't do it and you can't prove I did." Lamont smiles. "So I think you need to let me go." The man's cockiness pisses Booth off and he reaches across the table and grabs Lamont by the shirt, pulling him up in the chair.
"I am not someone you want to mess with." Booth grits his teeth. "We'll keep you here as long as it takes to prove you're guilty." He pushes the man back down into the seat and backs towards the door. "You'd better get comfortable." He says as he walks out the door.
PART TWO
Brennan sits back in the chair in Angela's hospital bed.
"So how's living with Booth working out for you?" Angela grins.
"It's…interesting."
"Just interesting?" Angela probes.
"There's nothing to tell Angela." Brennan sighs.
"Come on, I'm stuck in bed all day with crap TV, you gotta give me something." She begs.
"I don't have anything Angela." Brennan leans forward and rests her elbows on her knees.
"You haven't caught a glimpse of him coming out the bathroom shirtless?" Angela probes. Brennan shakes her head. "You haven't accidentally brushed up against him?" she asks. Again Brennan shakes her head, ignoring the voice in her head reminding her about outside the bathroom earlier.
"I don't think of Booth like that Angela." Brennan tries to tell her friend.
"You just think you don't. If you stopped to think about it you'd see what I see." Angela winks then immediately grimaces a she moves in a way she shouldn't have. If only Angela knew I was already thinking like that Brennan smiles to herself.
"Have you seen Zach today?" Brennan changes the subject.
"No, the doctor won't let me move around just yet." Angela complains.
"He's doing much better." Brennan tells her. "I was just in with him and he seems a lot brighter. I think whatever Booth said to him worked."
"Booth talked to Zach?" Angela asks.
"Yeah, I told him he was a bit down and he said he would talk to him. He did and something worked." Brennan smiles.
"Wow." Angela is taken aback and Booth's actions.
"And he's doing better right?" Angela asks
"The Doctor thinks he can go home in a week or so when the burns have healed some more."
"That's great." Angela feigns a smile.
"I know you want to get home Ang." Brennan says softly. "But you just have to stick it out a bit longer and work on getting stronger." She bends down to her bag and pulls a paper bag out. "Here, I brought you a present."
"Awe sweetie." Angela coos. She opens the bag and pulls out a new sketch book and some pencils.
"You keep mentioning the cute doctors so I thought you could sketch them for me. Your drawings are better than photos any day." Brennan grins.
"Thank you." Angela grins for real. Art is her thing and she's missed it the last four days.
"Well, I'd better go." Brennan looks at her watch.
"Booth meeting you?" Angela asks.
"Yeah."
"When this is all over sweetie, you have really got to take him for dinner or something." She smiles. Brennan nods. Yeah, dinner…or something her smile widens.
PART THREE
Brennan is down in the wrecked lab, observing the construction work that is taking place. Okay maybe observing doesn't quite describe it. She's actually inspecting everything that is going on and bothering the contractor to the point that he's actually made up an excuse to get away from her.
Currently standing on her own, Brennan feels her cell vibrate in her pocket.
"Hey Booth." She answers.
"How'd you know it was me?" He asks, surprised.
"Uh, it's this little invention called caller ID." She replies sarcastically.
"Right. I'm going to be a little late picking you up." He explains. "I have some stuff to do."
"I think I can manage to get back to your place on my own. My car is still in the parking lot and besides, I do need to go by my apartment to pick up some stuff."
"No way." Booth states.
"Booth."
"I'm sorry Bones, you are not driving yourself to yours then to mine, it is far too dangerous. Don't you remember that little saucer ride we took in car last night?" he asks.
"Booth, it's only fifteen minutes to my house and another twenty to yours and main roads all the way. What is the harm?"
"I cannot believe you are even suggesting this." Booth is actually getting mad at her. "You know what Booth, I am so sick and tired of not having control of my own life. I don't care what you say, I'm driving home and you know what, I might just stay there!" she shouts. Booth panics.
"Woah Bones, woah." He says. "No need to over react. If you want to drive yourself, okay I won't stop you but you really shouldn't stay on your own." He reminds her. Brennan grins on her end of the phone. She knew threatening that would change Booth's mind.
"Okay." She replies sweetly. "What time will you be back?" she asks.
"Probably around nine." He tells her.
"Okay, see you later."
"Bones." Booth says.
"Yeah?"
"Please be careful." He begs her. "And call me when you get to my place."
"I will." Brennan promises before hanging up. She gins from ear to ear, feeling great at getting some of her independence back.
PART FOUR
Pacing the kitchen floors, Brennan calls Booth's cell again but it goes straight to answer phone. This time she leaves a message since he's obviously busy and can't answer.
"So you make all this fuss about me calling you when I get in and you don't even answer the phone. You'd better have a good excuse for this Seely Booth." She warns playfully. "Anyway, I picked up chinese on the way so don't be late or I can't guarantee there'll be any left." She hangs up and potters around the kitchen, tidying and cleaning. Something niggles in the pit of her stomach but she puts it down to the whole situation. She is feeling a little too at home in Booth's home.
PART FIVE
Booth half walks, half jogs towards his SUV in the underground parking lot. He hears his cell ring but before he can reach into his pocket to answer it, two very large men set about him. Taken off guard, Booth falls to the ground as the two men kick him and punch him. He tries to fight back but his position on the ground gives him little leverage and he curls into a ball to protect himself as best he can.
After what seems like an eternity the punching and kicking stops. Booth hears footsteps running away and he uncurls himself, props himself up on one elbow and wipes the blood from his mouth with the back of his other hand. His cell phone rings again but Booth cannot answer it just yet. Instead he struggles to get to his feet. His chest aches and his face feels sore and swollen but he knows he has to get to his car and get to Brennan. She's alone, what if they go for her next? He worries.
Booth staggers the twenty feet to his SUV and clambers inside. Turning the engine on, he drives as best he can in the pain he is in. I've got to get home.
PART SIX
Booth almost falls out of the SUV. His ribs ache, his cheek is swollen and the cuts on his face are stinging. He holds one arm over his stomach as he limps towards the front door. His suit jacket is ripped and his shirt is dirty, bloody and untucked. He pushes the door open and steps inside.
"Bones?" he calls anxiously.
"You're late." Brennan yells from the kitchen. She turns around and walks out to meet him, ready to give him a piece of her mind for being over an hour late and not calling. She'd been worried. But as soon as she sees him she gasps.
"What happened?" she runs over to him.
"Two guys jumped me." He tries to shirk off his jacket but his ribs are still sensitive and it hurts to move too much.
"Here." Brennan walks behind him and pulls his jacket off. She winces when he jerks in pain. Booth then walks over to the couch and slowly lowers himself down. Brennan quickly analyses his injuries. His face is pretty beat up and he seems to have sore ribs.
"You got a first aid kit?" she asks.
"Top shelf." He says through gritted teeth. Brennan walks to where Booth indicated the kit was and pulls it down. Armed with everything she needs she walks back to the couch and sits down next to him. Booth is lying back into the couch, his head resting against the back.
"Did you see anyone?" Brennan asks.
"They were big and blurry." Booth tells her. He watches her pull out an antiseptic wipe and move towards his head. Remembering what happened the last time she came at him with one of these wipes, he prepares for the pain. The stinging isn't as bad as he remembered and he soon relaxes as Brennan gently wipes the blood from the cuts on his face. She places a bandaid on the larger one above his eye but leaves the smaller ones open to the air to heal. I can't believe I'm about to ask him this she thinks nervously.
"Take your shirt off." She says.
"Are you trying to take advantage of me?" Booth grins cheekily despite his pain.
"I need to check you haven't broken any ribs." She meets his gaze but immediately regrets it. Booth lifts his hands and starts to unbutton his shirt. He opens it to expose his perfectly toned and tanned chest. Brennan has to take a deep breath as she moves her hand in to check his ribs. She can see some light bruising and is worried about hurting him but she perseveres.
Booth leans his head back and closes his eyes as Brennan's fingers meet his skin. Her touch is soft and caring and he feels her warm fingertips tracing over his ribs. Then she presses harder and he winces, his head snapping up and his eyes flying open.
"Owe." He moans.
"Sorry." She apologises but doesn't look at him. She continues to run her fingers over his chest, her heart fluttering as she feels his muscles flex under her touch. She narrows her eyes and feels a lump building in her throat as she imagines what these guys did to Booth.
"Okay, so I don't think anything is broken or fractured." She announces. He hears a quiver in her voice. "I'll get an ice-pack for your cheek." She stands up suddenly and bolts for the kitchen.
Brennan opens the freezer and leans on the door. Hold it together Brennan she tells herself. She takes a deep breath but as she reaches for the ice pack she feels him behind her, almost looming. She sucks in some air, grabs the ice pack and closes the freezer door. Booth's hands come to rest on her arms and he leans forward, his breath on her neck.
"It's okay Bones, I'm alright." He tells her. She doesn't move for a moment, then she turns around to face him. They are standing only inches apart. She has to fight every urge in her body to just grab him and hold him close. "This isn't your fault." He's reading my mind.
"I'm fine." She insists, despite feeling tears burning in her eyes. She's sure Booth can see them but she doesn't want him too. His hand reaches up and cups her face, his thumb stroking her cheek. He's too close Brennan tells herself. She is staring straight as his bare chest. She knows she has to get some distance between them. Whatever is going on with us, this is not the tine or place to explore it. She lifts up the ice pack and pushes it at him. Then she side steps him and removing her face from his hand at the same time. He grabs the ice pack and lets her go. As he brings the ice pack to his cheek he turns and watches her walk to the couch to pack up the first aid kit. She's scared. I pushed it a little too far. He sighs and stays in the kitchen as Brennan tidies up the lounge. She doesn't take long but when she returns to the kitchen she seems to have pulled herself together.
"You should go get some rest." She tells him. "You look exhausted."
"I guess so." He sighs.
"Go." She urges him towards the bedroom. "You are not sleeping on the couch with those ribs." She places her hands on his back and pushes him towards the bedroom. When he walks in she stands at the door.
"Uh Bones." Booth knows he is just about to push her further, maybe right over the line. She meets his chocolate brown eyes in response. "I'm concerned that the guys who jumped me might come around here." He says. Brennan's eyes widen. "And well you can see I'm not in the best of shape right now so I'd feel a lot better if you stayed through here, with me, where I can keep an eye on you." Brennan lowers her gaze but after a moment she looks up.
"I guess that makes sense." She agrees. Booth moves further into the room. "I'll be in the bathroom." Brennan says as she backs towards the door. She picks up her pyjamas and leaves the bedroom. As she moves, Booth peels off his shirt and finds his jogging pants. H contemplates putting a vest on but it hurts too much to stretch up. It takes him longer than usual to get changed but as he moves he feels his ribs easing up some. He figures that by the morning they won't be so bad.
When Brennan walks back into the bedroom, Booth is already in bed and he looks asleep. She notices he has his gun sitting on the table by the bed. She pads over to the other side of the bed, pulls the sheets up and slips in, barely moving the bed. She then pulls the sheets over her and lies on her back. She turns her head and looks over at Booth. Despite his injuries he looks so peaceful as he sleeps. She turns onto her side so she is facing him and slips a hand under her head. She finds herself watching him just breathing. He hasn't told her what actually happened and she figures it isn't something he wants to recount. But she can imagine how he must have felt and her stomach flips when she glances at the cuts and bruise on his face. All this because of me.
PART SEVEN
Booth falls asleep surprisingly easy despite the pain he is in and the worry of the men who attacked him coming to the house. Even having Brennan in the same bed didn't throw him. The moment he put his head down he drifted off.
Brennan isn't so lucky. Sleep only comes in the early hours of the morning. The rest of the night had been spent watching Booth breath in and out. The sight of him all beaten bruised and bloody had nearly ripped her apart, especially knowing it happened because of her. She had been so mad at him for being late and not answering his cell that it hadn't even occurred to her that he might be in danger himself. Whoever is threatening her life did threaten to get to those around her but she never imagined that it would be Booth.
Though her eyelids became heavy and her mind was spinning, Brennan refused to let sleep take over. Booth needed her now. He was in pain, he'd suffered because of her and she refused to let him down. So she kept vigil over him, her heart fluttering every time a breath didn't come in rhythm. But as the early dawn light started to rise, her eyes finally fluttered closed and sleep took her mind to new places where life isn't so complicated.
Booth wakes and as he moves to sit up he winces as he feels a twinge in his chest. Looking down he can see some rather nasty looking purply blue bruises. I wonder what my face looks like? He thinks. As he pushes himself up he is careful not to wake Brennan. She is barely moving a muscle and her eyes are closed tight. He knows he scared her last night, both with what happened to him and with his somewhat intimate gesture at the freezer. I hope she doesn't hate me.
Booth stands before the bathroom mirror and stares at his face. Aside from the large cut above his eye and the few cuts on his cheeks and at his lip, only his left cheek is swollen with a purple bruise shining out. He leans forward and looks closer in the mirror at his war wounds.
A sleepy voice from behind startles Booth and he springs back from the mirror.
"I always knew you were vain but Booth, come on." Brennan says softly.
"Hey, don't you know it's rude to creep up on people?" he reacts defensively.
"Sorry." She cocks her head to the side and stares at him. "How are you feeling?" she asks.
"I've felt worse." He answers.
"Your ribs okay?" she asks as her mind flashes with images of her running her hands over his chest and being closer to him than she should. But he was the one who brought that on. He came up behind her and he touched her cheek. I didn't instigate any of it she tells herself.
With all her thinking Brennan actually misses what Booth replies.
"Are you even listening to me?" Booth demands to know. He turns to face her and she is confronted with the image of his chest again. She tears her eyes away and raises her head to meet his eyes.
"Sorry, I was thinking." She tells him.
"About me?" he asks hopefully. Brennan snaps back to herself and rolls her eyes at him.
"God." She sighs and turns away from him. "I should have just kept sleeping." She mutters to herself as she walks away. Booth stands in the bathroom with a stupid grin planted on his face. At least she isn't acting weird after last night he thinks.
PART EIGHT
An hour later both Brennan and Booth are refreshed and dressed for the day ahead. Brennan is feeling far more comfortable having stopped by her house for more clothes and things. She will never admit it to Booth but she was terrified the whole way home. When she had stopped at her car she was petrified that there was a bomb in it. She was so terrified going into her own home that she grabbed what she needed in a matter of minutes. It was only as she pulled into Booth's drive that she started to feel safe again. Then he was late and she got mad and she forgot all about the terror, until he walked in the door.
"Hey Bones." Booth snaps her from her thoughts again. "What is up with you?" he asks. She lifts her head and turns to face him as she fusses with the food on her plate
"Nothing." She tells him.
"I know you don't listen to me at the best of times Bones but you never totally ignore me." He states. She sighs and turns back to her plate.
"I'm not ignoring you. I was just lost in thought." She explains.
"Anything specific or just…"
"Nothing specific." She answers quickly.
"Well if you had been listening you would have heard me telling you…you know it doesn't matter." He shakes his head and smiles before shovelling a forkful of eggs into his mouth.
"No, come on, I'm sorry I wasn't listening." Brennan apologises.
"Nah, you missed your chance Bones." He grins. "The Booth train has sailed." For the second time this morning Brennan rolls her eyes.
"Can you drop me at the hospital?" Brennan asks suddenly.
"Uh sure." Booth replies. "What happened to driving yourself?"
"Well it's clear you shouldn't be left on your own, you just get into trouble" She smiles. "Besides, I'm used to being chauffeur driven now." She cocks her head to the side and meets his eyes. Despite what happened last night he seems to be his usual self.
PART NINE
Brennan walks into Angela's room and is pleasantly surprised to see Zach sitting in a wheelchair beside Angela's bed.
"Zach, nice to see you up and around."
"Better to be up and around." He nods.
"You feeling okay?" Brennan asks.
"I'm alright Dr Brennan." He smiles.
"Oh don't mind me." Angela. "I'm fine."
"Sorry." Brennan turns her attention to her best friend.
"I have physiotherapy anyway." Zach looks towards the door. "My nurse should be by any moment now." He looks into the hall anxiously.
"Zach's got a cute nurse." Angela explains to Brennan. "I have never seen him so anxious to go anywhere." She smiles.
As if on cue the cute nurse walks in.
"Hey Zach, you ready to go?" she asks sweetly. He nods while staring at her. Brennan smiles thinking about young Zach. He can be so adorable at times like this. Innocent is how she sees him. The nurse walks over and moves behind Zach to push the wheelchair. Brennan moves out the way to let them past then slips into the seat at Angela's beside.
"So sweetie, how is everything going?" Angela asks. Brennan leans her head back and sighs heavily. "Uh oh. That's not good."
"Angela, everything is so mixed up." Brennan says.
"With Booth?" Angela asks.
"With Booth, with life…everything." Brennan sighs.
"Okay sweetie, start with life."
"We're no closer to finding who sent the bomb or who is trying to kill me. The last two days have been crazy. We even thought Tessa might have been behind it." Brennan sighs.
"No way!" Angela gasps.
"She has motive and she turned up during the investigation but her explanation was corroborated." Brennan explains.
"How did Booth feel about that?"
"I don't know, he didn't talk about it."
"Is that what's messed up with him?" Angela asks.
"No, he got attacked last night." Brennan states.
"What? Is he okay? Are you okay?"
"He's a bit beat up but he's okay. Two guys jumped him on his way home. I wasn't with him."
"Do you know who it was?"
"No. But Angela, that's not the messed up part." Brennan isn't sure she can share this with Angela but she needs to sort her head out and Angela is the only one she trusts.
"Go on." Angela adjusts her position a little.
"Last night, after I fixed up Booth, he…well, he kinda."
"Did he kiss you?" Angela gasps.
"No." Brennan shakes her head and Angela fees incredibly disappointed. "But he was…agh, I don't know how to explain it." Brennan rubs her face with her hands.
"Just tell me what happened." Angela begs for details.
"He was different last night." Brennan proceeds to explain how Booth had approached her in the kitchen. Angela looks like a kid at Christmas.
"Oh my God sweetie." She gasps. "He totally loves you."
"With everything that's going on I just don't think I can deal with this right now."
"You haven't done typical Temperance and stopped talking to him, have you?"
"No." she is truthful. "But I don't know what to say to him, I mean I don't know what's going on."
"Don't start to analyse it honey." Angela advises. "My advice, just go with the flow and let what happens happen. You and Booth, mmm. You know what I think about you two, you just need to figure it out for yourself."
"Angela, you should have an advice column."
"I know." Angela grins. "Say, where is the handsome agent anyway?"
"He's at the FBI working the case." Brennan tells him. "It's all in pieces right now."
"Don't worry Tempe, Booth will solve this. He doesn't want anything to happen to you."
"I know."
"Have faith sweetie, I do."
PART TEN
Booth slams the book against the wall in frustration, grunting at the release of energy and the pain it causes his ribs.
"Did I come at a bad time?" Brennan hovers at the door. Booth doesn't look surprised to see her but that's probably because he's too involved in what he's doing.
"How'd you get here?" he asks.
"I caught a cab." She tells him. "You okay?" she asks.
"We've got all this." He gestures to the evidence on the table "And none of it makes any sense." he clasps his hands behind his head and paces the room. Brennan doesn't know what to say to him so she just stands there. After a minute Booth seems to have calmed down.
"So, what are you doing here?" he asks. "I thought you were at the hospital?"
"I was. Angela says hi." She tells him.
"She okay?"
"Getting better every day. Zach too. Whatever you said to him really worked Booth."
"Glad I can do something right." He mutters.
"Hey." Brennan walks in. "You're just tired." She tells him. "You need a break from all this." She says. "Come back with fresh eyes." Booth meets her bright blue eyes and nods.
"Got any ideas?"
"I have one." She smiles. "Come on." She backs out of the room and Booth watches her for a moment before picking up his jacket, slinging it over her shoulder and following her out the room.
Half an hour later Brennan leads Booth along a path in the park. Though not touching, their hands dance dangerously close to each other as they walk. Emerging from the wooded path into a green grassy area with bright sunlight shining down, Booth takes off his sunglasses and gazes around.
"Nice." He nods.
"Thought you might like it." Brennan walks ahead of him about fifteen feet then just sits down. Booth watches her as she lies down on the grass.
"Are you coming?" she asks. Booth walks over and joins her on the grass. He stays sitting up for a moment, then he shuffles down and lies back. He turns his head towards her at the same time as she turns to look at him. Their heads are just inches apart.
"Booth." Brennan finally says.
"Yeah Bones?" Booth asks.
"Everything's going to be okay." She states.
"I know it is." He replies. His hand slides across the grass and covers her hand with his.