First of all thank you for the reviews. I'm so glad you all still like my stuff. But I should apologise now because I've really struggled with this chapter. I know it's not as good as the others but I had to get this chapter done and out the way to move on with the story. Please be kind.
As Booth's rented SUV coasts towards Brennan's hotel, she yawns, covering her mouth in an attempt to hide her weariness from Booth. She has barely slept in days and with all this activity she is quickly getting tired. Booth notices but doesn't say anything. Instead he just smiles, thankful to just get some time with her. The more time he spends with her now, the more Booth realises how much he's missed her these last few weeks. More than I should.
Signalling, Booth pulls off the highway and down the wide dirt track to the large hotel set in some woods. After parking at the back of the hotel, Booth walks Brennan up to her room on the third floor. Both are feeling an awkward silence as they walk, neither quite sure what to say.
"So, this tour is pretty tiring huh?" Booth asks as they reach her room.
"I guess." Brennan replies as she opens her door. Stepping inside she turns to face Booth.
"Well you should get some sleep then." Booth says. "I'll be in my room going through the other case files. Agent Rice in New York had them couriered over." He tells her. "Night Bones." He steps back from her door and gives her a little wave as she goes in and moves to close the door.
"Good night Booth." Brennan closes the door on her partner and heads into her bathroom. After a hot shower and changing into black sweats and a white vest, Brennan curls up in bed and tries to go to sleep. But after an hour she gives up. Her mind is racing over the new case and she knows she won't get any sleep until she learns more. She picks up the phone beside the bed and calls reception.
"Can you tell me what room number Seely Booth is registered in?" she asks the night receptionist.
"Room 14, second floor." The receptionist tells her. Brennan hangs up, pulls on a cardigan and slips her feet into her sneakers. Leaving her room she pads down the hall to the stairwell. A few minutes later she reaches room 14 and lifts her hand to knock.
Booth is lying down on the bed, papers and files strewn across the bed, when he hears the knock. He grins, knowing exactly who is on the other side of the door. He rises and crosses the room, pulling the door open.
"Bones, what are you doing here?" he asks with fake surprise. She rolls her eyes.
"You knew I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing you were going through the other files." She whacks him on the arm as she walks in.
"I'm not stopping you sleeping." Booth grins.
"So, what have you got?" Brennan asks before she stifles a yawn.
"As much as I enjoy your company Bones, maybe you should try to get some sleep. It's been a long day and you look tired."
"I'm fine." Brennan smiles. "Now share." Brennan slides onto the bed and starts to leaf through the papers strewn out. Booth slides onto the opposite side and explains the details of the other cases to Brennan.
Half an hour later Booth rises from the bed and picks up the silver ice bucket from the nightstand.
"I'm going to get some ice." He announces. Brennan glances up, stifles another yawn and nods. She turns her attention back to an autopsy report as Booth leaves the room. Her eyes begin to drift shut as she tries to take in the information swimming before her.
A few minutes later, Booth opens the door to his hotel room while balancing the ice bucket in his arms. When the door swings open he stands and looks for a moment. Brennan is sound asleep on the bed, papers clasped in her hands. A content smile crosses Booth's face as he watches her. This case has been a blessing in disguise because he gets some unexpected time alone with her away from the usual distractions in DC. Time he has only just realised he wanted.
Crossing the room quietly, Booth takes the papers from Brennan's hands and tidies up the files on the bed. He then eases himself onto the bed and stretches his arm out across the bed above Brennan's head. Closing his eyes he drifts off into sleep and a world of dreams.
When Booth wakes in the morning, Brennan is sleeping close to him, her head resting in the crook between his arm and chest. Her arms are wrapped across her chest and she looks very peaceful. Booth draws his arm back, slides off the bed being careful not to wake her and makes his way to the bathroom. He showers and changes into clean jeans and a black T-shirt. Ruffling his hair, he steps back into the main room and finds Brennan awake stretching on the bed.
"Morning Bones." He smiles.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep on you." Brennan apologises. "I guess I really was tired."
"Want some coffee?" Booth asks. Brennan looks at the clock.
"I should probably go get changed." She says. "And call Arthur." She rolls her eyes at the thought.
"How about you meet me at the coffee shop down the street and we can get started." Booth suggests. "I'll call in, see what progress was made overnight."
"Okay." Brennan pushes herself off the bed. "I won't be long."
Brennan spends more time than normal getting ready and she knows exactly why. If Booth weren't here she'd just throw on some pants and a top and go. But now that he's around she doesn't want to look just okay. So she digs around in her suitcase and locates the light blue jeans and cute white gypsy top she stuffed in there at the last minute. Leaving her hair down in loose waves and accessorised with a chunky brown pendant she looks good, better than good. Part of her knows she shouldn't be acting like this. But another part of her loves the banter, the sexual tension and the looks he gives her. Playing up to that can be fun and exciting while at the same time safe because Booth is her partner and nothing could ever happen between them.
Brennan slips her feet into her shoes and breezes out the hotel room to meet Booth. She calls Arthur on the way, not at all surprised when he picks up right away.
"Dr Brennan, I've been trying to call you for hours." Arthur says in rather a panicked voice.
"Sorry Arthur, I didn't have my cell on me."
"And you weren't in your room." Arthur adds.
"Arthur, where I am or have been is none of your business." Brennan retorts. Sometimes Arthur can be so annoying.
"On the contrary Dr Brennan, it is. Anyway, I've rescheduled so you have three days to wrap things up."
"Thank you." Brennan says.
"Don't thank me yet, I couldn't reschedule a meet and greet tonight." Brennan sighs heavily and listens as Arthur gives her the schedule. She agrees to go just to keep Arthur off her back but it does mean she doesn't have much of the day to work on the case.
By early evening little progress has been made on the case and Booth and Brennan are frustrated. Angela's facial reconstruction is finished but the FBI is still running a search on missing persons' reports looking for potential matches. Zach has narrowed the weapon down to a large knife but the rough cuts on the bones are making identifying a single weapon difficult. Back in her hotel room, Brennan and Booth have been discussing the case while she gets ready to go to her meet and greet.
"I can't believe I have to go to this thing." Brennan complains. "My time could be much better spent on the case."
"What is 'this thing' you're going to anyway?" Booth calls to Brennan through her bathroom door as he tosses a coin in the air over and over.
"It's a meet and greet with town officials at a lodge on the outskirts of town." Brennan calls back from inside the bathroom where she is fixing her hair and make-up.
"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you?" Booth asks.
"Yes." Brennan calls. "I'm not planning on staying late."
"But it's a party for you, isn't it?"
"Not exactly. There's going to be a few local authors there too." Brennan runs her hand through her hair one last time then takes Booth by surprise as she yanks open the bathroom door. He stands up straight and stares at her.
"Wow." He smiles and looks her up and down.
"It's not too much is it?" Brennan looks down at the strappy black cocktail dress hugging her figure and flowing out at the skirt, which cuts off at her knees.
"No, Bones, it's not. You look…beautiful." I hope that wasn't too much. She stares at him as if he told her she was ugly. "You do." He confirms with a shrug. Brennan snaps her eyes away from his and looks around the room.
"I need my shoes." Brennan says, sounding a little distracted.
"These shoes?" Booth looks down at the floor beside his feet.
"Yes." Brennan takes the two steps over and picks them up. As she lifts one foot to slip the black heel on she falters and grabs Booth's arm to keep her balance. She tilts her head up and flashes him a smile of thanks as she changes foot and puts the other shoe on. As she stands up straight she realises she's still holding Booth's arm.
"I should get going." Brennan announces as she pulls her hand back and heads for the door.
"You might need these." Booth calls to her. She stops and turns, sheepishly smiling when she sees him holding her purse, keys and black satin wrap to match her dress.
"Thanks." She hurries back over to him. Booth walks with her back across the room and out into the hall.
"Have fun Bones." Booth says as he walks backwards down the hall away from Brennan. She smiles before turning and heading for the stairs. As Booth watches her go he wishes he were going with her. Instead, he gets to spend the night alone in his hotel room with case files and interviews to review.
Brennan is exhausted when she finally leaves the party. She is definitely not a social butterfly. And if one more person had asked her about the current case she was ready to drop kick them. One thing she's learned through her work is that news in small towns travels very fast. The night has turned cold and clouds prevent the moonlight from shining through making the drive back extra dark. As Brennan drives along the deserted back road the rain starts to fall. Beginning lightly, within moments it turns into a thrashing storm. As she navigates the road carefully, Brennan suddenly hears a bang and immediately feels the car skidding. She grips the wheel tightly and tries to control the car as it slides across the wet road.
Finally coming to a stop safely at the side of the road, Brennan takes a deep breath. It must have been the tyre she thinks. Braving the pouring rain, Brennan steps out of the car and checks the back tyre. As she suspects, it has blown out. I'll just change it, not big deal she shivers as she moves to the trunk, the cold rain hitting her body and soaking her. Opening up the trunk she looks in and her heart sinks. There is both a jack and a spare tyre but there is a giant rusty nail sticking out of the tyre rendering it useless. Wiping the rainwater off her face, Brennan runs back around to the front and gets back into the car. Reaching for her bag she digs around for her cell. As she tries Booth's number the phone beeps, telling her she has no signal. I need to get to a better signal unless I want to spend all night out here.
Brennan climbs out the car and into the rain again. After walking up the hill a little, she keeps dialling Booth's number, both his cell and the hotel number. She finally gets a connection to his cell.
"Booth it's me." She shouts loudly to be heard over the rain.
"Hey Bones, I thought you'd be back by now." Booth says.
"My tyre blew out." She explains.
"What?"
"My tyre blew out." She yells.
"Are you okay?" Booth is immediately worried. With the bad weather it wouldn't be difficult to crash.
"I'm fine, but the spare has a nail in it so I'm stranded."
"What? You're breaking up." Booth strains to hear his partner.
"I'm stranded!" she yells, wiping the rain falling onto her face from her hair.
"Where are you, I'll come pick you up." Brennan wipes more rainwater from her face as she gives Booth rough directions. Before either can say anything else though, her signal cuts out. Damn she hurries back to the car, careful not to trip in her shoes, and gets in.
Freezing cold now, Brennan tries to start the engine to blow out some hot air to try and warm up a little. But as she turns the key the engine just splutters. After several attempts, Brennan gives up and leans back in the car. She is soaked from head to toe, her cocktail dress is clinging to her and now she has no heat. What a night she thinks.
By the time Brennan sees headlights coming towards her and pulling in, she is shivering and has her arms wrapped around herself. The rain is still pounding down so she waits for Booth to walk over to her with an umbrella shielding him from the rain. He knocks on the window and she grabs her purse and wrap and pushes the door open, stepping out and under the umbrella.
"You're soaked Bones." Booth looks her up and down, taking in what was her gorgeous cocktail dress now soaked and a little dirty.
"I had to get out to look at the tyre and call you." She explains. Brennan meets his eyes and can see he is concerned. "I'm alright Booth, just a little cold and wet." She smiles.
"Come on." Booth places his hand on her lower back and turns her towards his SUV. "We'll arrange a tow for the car tomorrow." He says as they walk to the car. Keeping the umbrella over her Booth walks around to the passenger side and pulls open the door. Brennan slides in and watches as Booth shuts the door for her. He joins her in the car moments later. Starting the engine, he blasts out hot air but Brennan continues to shiver, unable to get warm. Booth twists in his seat and pulls off the grey hooded FBI sweater he's wearing and passes it to Brennan.
"Here, this'll keep you warm." He says. Brennan takes the sweater and thanks him with a small smile. She pulls the sweater over her head and slips her arms in. Relishing the warm material she folds her arms across her chest and pushes herself back into the seat. Booth can't help but reach over and fix the twisted hood at her neck.
"Better?" he asks.
"Yes, thank you." Brennan smiles. Booth turns his attention back to the road and pulls the SUV onto the road to head back to the hotel.
"So, how was the party?" he grins.
A little over an hour later Brennan is under a hot shower in her hotel room, warming her cold body. She spends what seems like forever under the power shower letting the water flow over her hair and down her body. She finally turns the water off, wraps a towel around her body and steps out into the steamy bathroom.
Out in the main room, Booth answers the door to room service and a young man wheels a trolly in. Booth gives him a tip, then closes the door. He grins as he lifts the lid on one of the plates, inhaling the aroma of freshly cooked steak. Meat!
"Are you nearly done Bones?" he calls loudly. He looks up when the bathroom door opens. Brennan emerges in light blue jeans and to Booth's pleasant surprise, his FBI sweater. Her hair is damp and hanging in loose waves around her face, her cheeks flushed from the hot water.
"You ordered food?" Brennan asks.
"I was hungry." Booth smiles. "Besides, I received a few calls while you were off being adored and I thought you'd want to be filled in." Booth lifts the cover off a second plate to reveal a toasted club sandwich with skinny fries.
"I wasn't sure if you'd be hungry." Booth explains. Brennan feels a surge in her stomach. How did Booth know to order my favourite snack? She wonders. "I ordered a bottle of wine too." Booth admits as he lifts an un-corked bottle of red wine. Brennan smiles and lifts her plate off the trolley, taking it over to the bed. She sits down and pulls her legs up, crossing them and resting the plate on them. Booth passes her a glass of wine which she accepts and takes a sip of.
"Cheers Bones." Booth sips his own wine before lifting his plate and joining Brennan on the bed.
"So, what have you found out?" Brennan asks.
"Our victim is Abigail Wyatt, aged twenty one from the right here in this town. She was stabbed at least thirteen times in the chest. Her parents reported her missing to the police when she didn't come home after a couple of days." Brennan bites into her sandwich as she listens to Booth ramble on about how out of character this murder seems. "All the other victims were found in more public places, not warehouses in the middle of nowhere."
"You don't think this case is connected?" Brennan asks as she wipes some mayo from her lip.
"No, I don't think it is and I can tell you why. Well actually boy genius figured it out." Booth admits, referring to Zach. "The stab wounds on all the other victims were calculated, precise, same angle, regimented across the ribs. In our victim, the stab wounds are rough, frantic and unorganised. I don't think the same person killed the New York victims and Abigail Wyatt."
"I go to one party and I miss all the good stuff." Brennan complains playfully.
"Ah, the life of a world famous author." Booth shrugs and grins at her. He likes this Brennan, the relaxed and happy Brennan he so rarely sees.
"So what's the plan for tomorrow?" Brennan asks.
"We talk to Abigail's parents."
