So here it is. I'm finally finished this story and although I'm not 100 happy with the ending I've been reworking it for days and I can't get it any better. it's a lot shorter than the other chapters but everything seemed to be tied up by now. Hope this satisfies all you Bones fans. I tried...
CHAPTER FIVE
PART ONE
Booth is back at the FBI having played hooky from work for nearly two hours. Temperance Brennan is a bad influence on him but she was right. Getting away from work and just lying in the sun in the park did clear his head and give him fresh eyes. Looking at all the evidence now, things are starting to make sense.
The next few hours pass in a blur as he reads reports and watches video footage, including that of his own attack. The men on the tape cannot be seen clearly but their method of attack would suggest a hired hit. They were not there to mug him, just to cause him harm. His hands clench into fists as he watches the men sneak up on him. if he could only get five minutes alone with them he'd really show them what he's made of. Unfortunately the video footage doesn't show enough of the men's faces to make an ID so until he finds out who's behind all this these men are free. The suddden snapping of the pencil in his hand as his fist closes around it snaps Booth out of his thoughts and he returns to the evidence.
Booth picks up the report on the bomb, the thing that started all this. The bomb fragments have been analysed by the FBI's specialists and their components are the same as those used by a criminal known very well by the FBI but Booth cannot confirm it was this same man because not enough of the bom was left and it wouldn't be implausible for someone to copy the criminals MO. Additong to this and much to Booth's frustration, Marcus Lamont was released because the FBI had no proof of his involvement to keep him. It bothers Booth that he knows the man's name but cannot remember why.
Glancing at his watch Booth wonders if Brennan has got back to his place yet. She had been working at the lab and called him to say she was in a cab on her way home. He figures that although she said she was fine, her little solo trip to her apartment freaked her out.If it didn't she'd be driving herself home. Booth had told her he'd pick up dinner on his way. Seeing the time he realises he really should go soon but Marcus Lamont is bothering him. it's that niggling feeling that something isn't right. He picks up the folder with Lamont's details in it and begins flipping through, seeing if anything triggers his memory of the man.
PART TWO
Brennan walks to the front door and peeks out the window. Tessa?
"Hey Tessa." She says as she pulls the door open. "Booth isn't here right now."
"I didn't come to see him. I came to see you." Tessa states.
"Oh?" Brennan is a little wary. She and Tessa have never really had more than a passing word to each other. Tessa strides into the room and Brennan closes the door behind her. "What do you need to see me about?" Brennan asks.
"There are a few things I think we need to clear up." Tessalooks at the photos on the shelf. The one of her and Seely on a weekend away has been taken down.
"Hey, if this is about you and Booth, I have nothing to say. I'm not involved and I don't want to be." Brennan raises her hands defensively.
"How could it not be about Booth?" Tessa demands. "Ever since he met you things have been off. He is always working and he talks about you all the time." Tessa complains.
"Tessa." Brennan starts.
"Don't say it. I don't need to hear again that you're not interested in him. I don't care whether you are or not, it's the fact that he's interested in you." Tessa explains. "Because of you I lost him. If you weren't around we never would have had the problems we did."
"I didn't mean to…" Brennan starts.
"Save it." Tessa glares at Brennan and for the first time Brennan feels intimidated by the woman. She sees something in her eyes that she doesn't like. "I thought things would get better if you weren't around." Tessa turns her back on Brennan for just a moment.
What happens next takes Brennan completely by surprise. When Tessa turns back around she has a gun pointed straight at her.
"Tessa?" Brennan stammers.
"Shut up." Tessa rolls her eyes. "Move over there." Tessa indicates the direction with the gun. Brennan pauses long enough to irritate Tessa and she is rewarded by Tessa smacking her across the face with the gun. Brennan falls onto the couch and grabs her cheek with her hand. The blonde certainly has guts.
"Oh, did I hurt you?" Tessa's puts on a fake concerned voice.
"It was you all along?" Brennan asks.
"Some detectives you and Seely are." Tessa laughs. "He doesn't want to believe that I could do this so he's off chasing some poor guy who was just buying flowers for his girlfriend."
"Tessa."
"Oh shut up." Tessa points the gun at Brennan again. "You ruined my life." She states. "Get up." She orders. Brennan pushes herself off the couch and stands in front of Tessa. Should I risk fighting back? She asks herself. Tessa has a gun but will she really shoot me?
"You're quite the fighter Dr Brennan." Tessa says. "And Seely, he'd do anything to protect you."
"I told you, there's nothing going on between us." Brennan ventures. Hang on, she's tried to blow me up and run me over. She might jsut pull the trigger Brennan panics
"Please." Tessa shouts. "You may not be together but I can see it. The looks, the eyes." She waves the gun around a little.
"Tessa please, I have no interest in Booth." Brennan tries to convince her, desperation flooding through her body.
"How many times do I have to tell you, I don't care how you feel. It's how Seely feels. He likes you, he always has." Tessa looks like she's going to cry. "He met you and suddenly nothing I did was good enough." Brennan is about to speak but she hesitates thinking it might irritate Tessa more.
"You're so smart and pretty and you stand up to him." Tessa says.
"Tessa."
"I told you to shut up." Tessa aims the gun at Brennan.
PART THREE
At the FBI Agent Booth is about to put the pieces of the puzzle together and he won't like the result. Marcus Lamont's file lists previous jobs and when Booth's eyes settle on one firm his jaw drops and everything clicks. He recalls a conversation with Tessa a few months ago.
"It's a major corporation Seely" Tessa said. "And I get to take the case. Wilson & Barnes could be my big break." She beamed.
"That's great honey." Booth replied. "Who's the client?"
"One of the directors, Marcus Lamont. He got himself into a little bother, obviously I can't tell you what." Tessa grinned. She liked when she got to hide details from him like he has to hide from her. "If I get him off I'm on my way."
"Oh God." Booth slams his clenched fist into the table. "Tessa. She bought the flowers, Victoria Fields lied for her." He says out loud. Lamont was a former client she got off on a very sticky charge. He's repaying the favour. Booth picks up his cell and calls home. He needs to warn Brennan.
PART FOUR
"He's figured it out." Tessa laughs when the house phone rings for the third time. "Seely Booth to the rescue."
"What exactly is your plan Tessa?" Brennan asks. "He's on his way over." Brennan is wondering if she can get to her gun which is in her bag lying only ten feet from her. Would Booth hate me if I shot Tessa? she asks herself.
"And when he walks through that door he's going to see me take away his life like I had to see you take away mine." Tessa's eyes narrow and her voice becomes harsh.
"Tessa, you don't need to do this. It won't accomplish anything." Brennan reasons. "Booth won't take you back if you kill me."
"I don't care about that anymore. I just want him to know the same pain I know and for you to pay for taking him away."
"I didn't take him away." Brennan tries to tell Tessa. For a split second Tessa takes her eyes off Brennan and she uses this opportunity to her advantage. She lunges at Tessa, knocking them both to the ground. They wrestle as Brennan tries to get the upper hand. Somewhere in the struggle Brennan loses sight of Tessa's gun.
PART FIVE
Booth screeches the SUV to a halt outside his house. He can hear banging and crashing inside and realises something bad is going down. He rushes to the door, draws his gun, and throws it open. The sight that greets him strikes him like a stab to the heart. Tessa, a woman until a week ago he thought he loved, is straddling his Bones, the women he has been developing feelings for for a long time, on the floor, her arms pinned at her side by Tessa's knees. Tessa has the gun cocked and pointed down at Brennan's head. Booth raises his gun and takes aim.
"Tessa, put the gun down." He warns her.
"Or what, you'll shoot me?" she laughs. "Could you really shoot me Seely? After everything we've been through?" she asks.
Booth analyses the situation. Brennan is pinned. He can see a bruise on her cheek and Tessa has a loaded gun just an inch from Brennan's head. Can I shoot Tessa?He asks himself.
"I don't want to Tessa but I can't let you hurt her." He says.
"Your precious Temperance. Still choosing her over me." Tessa laughs. "Say goodbye Seely."
"Booth." Brennan whispers as she clamps her eyes shut. I can't believe this is how I die she thinks. I'm not ready to die. There's too much I need to do. Booth...When the shot goes off there is a moment of silence. Am I dead? Brennan asks herself. She opens her eyes to see Booth tackle Tessa, pulling her off and onto the floor. Tessa's gun is lying to the side of Brennan's head, a dark burn mark on the barrell.
"Give it up Tessa." Booth grunts as he straddles Tessa who is lying face down on her stomach, wriggling to get free. Booth pulls Tessa's arms behind her back and holds her tight.
"You didn't shoot me, you shot the gun out my hand." She states. "Why?" she asks.
"You should know I don't like shooting people Tessa." He looks over at Brennan. "You okay?" he asks. Brennan is in shock and doesn't reply as she props herself up on one elbow and tries to regain control of her breathing and heart rate.
"Bones?" he asks. He stares at her, needing a response but her eyes are vacant. "Bones?" he asks again more forecfully. She manages to nod which satisfies Booth for now. The sound of sirens approaching the house seems to shock Tessa back to reality and she starts to cry.
"Oh God, what have I done?" she asks.
"Save it Tessa." Booth says. "You know exactly what you've been doing. Hiring people to make bombs, run us over, beat me up..." Booth's voice is filled with hate and he realises any feelings he had for Tessa have gone, completely. Tessa sniffs and immediately stops crying, her fake tears not doing anything. She struggles against Booth but he holds her tightly, afraid of what she might do if she got free. Brennan remains on the floor, her mind still trying to catch up to what has happened. And that's where the police find the three when they storm into the house a few minutes later after a neighbour heard the commotion.
PART SIX
FBI agents and police officers swarm Booth's house. He stands and watches as Tessa is bundled into a police car to be taken to the nearest station for questioning. A heavy sigh escapes his lips and he turns to look for Brennan.He sees her sitting on the wall with a paramedic tending to her. He stuffs his hands in his pockets and walks, with his shoulders slightly hunched, over to her.
"How is she?" he asks the paramedic.
"Fine, it's just a bruise." He places an ice pack over her cheek and announces that he's done. As the paramedic leaves, Booth takes his place.
"What a week huh?" he asks as she sits down on the wall next to her.
"Did something special happen?" Brennan jokes. Booth turns and smiles. She has her sense of humour, that's a good sign.
"I'm really sorry all of this happened to you." He hangs his head and turns to look at her.
"It isn't your fault." Brennan tells him.
"Maybe not directly." He says. "But if I had handled things with Tessa better then maybe…"
"Booth, nothing you could have said or done could provoke her into these actions. She made the decision to act, crazy as it was. I'm really sorry she was behind this, I know how you felt about her." Brennan tells him. "And at the end of the day you saved my life." she reaches over and takes his hand. She loves how her hands feel so small in his. As their eyes lock he turns her hand over and brings it towards him. Whilst staring right into her bright blue eyes he plants a soft lingering kiss on the back of her hand. Then he lowers her hand back down and pulls his away. She watches as a smile tugs at his lips which then spreads until he is grinning like the Cheshire cat, his chocloate eyes sparkling. I haven't seen those eyes for a while she thinks.
"I did save your life, didn't I." He announces as he stands up. "More than once." He adds.
"Don't get cocky now Booth." She warns as she looks up at him. Despite his bruised face, he looks good. Better than good.
"Me? Cocky? Never." He places his hands on his waist, shoving his jacket behind him slightly and flaunting his toned and muscled body for Brennan. Man he looks good in a suit is all she can think when she looks at him.
"At least I get to go home now." she sighs as she rises to stand beside him. She looks tired Booth observes.
"I guess so." Booth says as they start to walk. He causally drapes an arm around her shoulder hoping to distract her from the obvious disappointment in his voice. I don't want her to leave.
"Good because I miss my place." Brennan comments. "I miss my bed and my kitchen and my books." she sighs.
"What's wrong with my place?" he asks.
"Booth, if I took the time to tell you what was wrong with your place we'd still be talking about it next Christmas." Brennan smiles at him.
"I'm going to let that one slide because Tessa was trying to kill you." Booth laughs.
"Gee thanks Booth." Brennan replies. Booth leans down and kisses the top of her head. Brenna closes her eyes momentarily, sucking in every second of the encounter. This feels so right but I can't do this she worries. I can't get involved, can I?
"Oh by the way." Booth smiles, knowing the reaction his next words are going to get. "I'm going to need that gun back."
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I'm hoping for good reviews. I'm also hoping there isn't too much disappointment with the ending. I know some of you would be wanting the two to get together properly. But good news for those who liked this story and my writing. I've decided to develop this budding relationship between Brennan and Booth in a new story. Not quite a sequel but I love the way the relationship has developed here and I want to continue it but I need a fresh storyline to work from.