Disclaimer- I don't own Bones. If I did, it would suck and no one would watch it.
When Temperance Brennan woke up, she immediately wished she hadn't. Pain seared through her head. She remembered her vodka-filled night. Tempe didn't remember how she got home. She grasped at the sheets beneath her hands, trying to recall what happened the night before. They were satin. Temperance didn't own satin sheets. She shivered and realized she wasn't wearing anything. Tempe opened her eyes and took in her unfamiliar surroundings. She was sprawled on her stomach in a large bed. She could feel the sheets at her feet as if they had been kicked off in the night. Sitting up slowly so as not to upset her headache, she noticed the walls were painted red, unlike her own. This definitely wasn't her house.
"Morning, baby." A voice broke the silence around her. Tempe turned in its direction and saw an unknown man holding a glass of water and some aspirin. "Thought you might need this."
Temperance clutched the pillow over her chest. "Who are you?" she asked wide-eyed.
"I'm Jake. Don't you remember? We danced at the club. I took you here and we had a good f-"
"Oh my God!" Knowing what Jake was going to say, she cut him off in disbelief. 'How drunk did I get last night?' she wondered.
Jake put the glass and aspirin on the bedside table. A high-pitched ring startled Temperance. She looked around alarmed.
"That's been going off all morning. I figured it was your cell so I decided not to answer it. Anyway, do you want to have another go or should I take you home?" Jake asked.
"Um… I'd like to go home. Where's my purse?" Tempe asked as the ringing continued. Jake walked over to the purse lying on its side by the door and brought it to her. He left to give her some privacy.
Temperance rummaged through it and located her still ringing cell phone. The caller ID read 'Booth' so she answered it with a "Hello?"
"Bones! I've been trying to reach you for two hours! Where the hell have you been?" Seeley's voice on the other line sounded apprehensive and vexed.
"I'm sorry, Booth. I just woke up," she said as she began to dress herself one-handed. "I kind of had a late night."
"Kind of?" Seeley was fuming.
"I'm really, really sorry. Angela and I went to some club and I didn't get home until late. Actually… I didn't get home at all."
"What do you mean!" Seeley raised his voice.
Temperance moaned. "Booth… please not so loud…" She slipped on her bra and tried to clasp it with one hand, unsuccessfully.
She heard Booth sigh softly. "Where are you?" he asked in a relatively calm tone.
"I don't know." Tempe sat down on the bed in her skirt and bra. "I could ask him."
"HIM? Who's him!" She could hear Booth's thunderous pacing.
"Booth…" she groaned, her head throbbing. "I have no notion of who he is. I woke up nake… uh…" She stopped herself awkwardly.
She didn't know it, but the phone was slipping out of Seeley's hands as she said this. Suddenly, it occurred to him what she did last night. "Bones?" he asked quietly. "Did you have a one night stand?"
"I wouldn't consider it a one night stand. He didn't ditch me, or anything. I'm at his house."
"Just how drunk did you get last night?" Seeley asked still more or less composed.
"I don't exactly remember…" Tempe trailed off.
The FBI agent shut his eyes and tried to pacify himself. "Get me his address. I'm coming to pick you up."
Temperance complied. She set her phone down, slipped on her jacket and walked out into Jake's hallway. "Um… Jake?" she called out to him.
"Yeah, sexy?" he answered from down the hall.
"Could you come over here?"
"Ok. I'm coming."
Temperance could hear his footsteps as he neared her. He appeared soon. "Um… I'm going to have a friend of mine pick me up. I need your address."
"Oh, totally! I'll write it down." They went back into his room.
Temperance picked up her cell phone. "Booth? Are you still there?"
"Yeah, I'm here. Did you get the address?" he asked, impatiently.
"Not yet. He's writing it down." Jake finished and gave the paper to Tempe. "Ok. I have it now. It's 2947 Denison drive. Do you have it?"
Seeley wrote it down quickly. "Yeah. I'll be there soon. I know the area. I've got family there."
"Ok. When is our flight, Booth?" Tempe asked anxiously.
"We missed it, Bones. I'm going to call the FBI and ask them to get us another one. We probably lost our reservations at the hotel, too," he added.
"I'm really sorry…"
"I know, Bones. I forgive you, but this won't make you any more popular with Cullen."
----------
Shortly after Booth picked up Temperance's suitcase, he arrived at an all too familiar looking house. He got out of his car and walked swiftly to the front double doors and rang the doorbell. One of the doors opened after about thirty seconds. Booth looked into the face of his cousin.
"Jake!" he gaped.
"Yo! Dude! I haven't seen you in years!" Jake Booth slapped Seeley on the back. "Come on in."
"So you're the 'Jake' guy…" Booth furrowed his eyebrows as Jake led him into the foyer.
"You here to pick up, Terri?" Jake asked as they climbed the stairs.
"Terri? You mean Temperance?" asked Booth with and edge of anger in his tone.
"Dude I never remember their names! You would know, man. We talk the same language." Booth snarled under his breath as Jake knocked on his bedroom door. "Terr- Temperance? Your ride's here."
Before the boys knew it, Temperance was out the bedroom door, hurtling down the stairs, sliding out the double doors and flying into Booth's car.
"Dude! It was cool seeing you! Visit anytime! Well… not anytime… I usually have… prior arrangements. If you know what I mean…" Jake turned around finding Booth already gone.
Booth pulled out of the driveway and grabbed his cell phone out of his pocket and speed dialed Deputy Director Cullen.
"Cullen."
"Sir, this is Agent Booth. What's the case info?"
"You missed your flight, but we emailed you and Dr. Brennan your new ticket." Temperance immediately brought her laptop out and booted it up. "You've got a couple hours before your next flight leaves, but I'd get there as soon as possible. The hotel information is emailed as well. Good luck, Booth."
"Thank you, sir." Booth snapped his phone shut. "You got the message?" he asked Temperance.
"Just a second… Is it normal for the alpha male to not say goodbye or is that just you and Cullen? Do you two have 'relationship issues'? I- Angela always wondered about you two. Don't look at me like that! Sorry… not relevant. Ok. We've got coach… "
"It's not big deal. Not as good as first class, but we can handle it, maybe…" Booth suppressed a grin.
"Are you trying to make me feel bad?" Temperance pouted jokingly.
"You should! You slept with my cousin! How can I even look at you, now?"
"I didn't know he was your cousin, Booth. Besides, I was somewhat under the influence."
"Somewhat! Understatement! And it's your fault you got drunk."
"Well… Angela told me to."
"If Angela told you to jump over a bridge, would you?" asked Booth, using the most overused parenting line ever.
"Why would Angela tell me to jump over a bridge?" asked Temperance, obviously unfamiliar with this saying. "Why do you always do what Cullen tells you to do?"
"Because he's my boss. And if I didn't obey him, I'd get fired, and you'd never see me again."
"Wouldn't that be a shame?"
"You're being sarcastic… This is new."
"Are you implying that I typically speak monotonously?"
"Why would I imply that, Bones? Friends don't imply things like that."
"Oh so we're friends now?"
"What's that supposed to mean? We're partners. We've got each other's backs. We're tight!"
"I don't know what you mean. What does pressure have to do with anything?" Booth didn't feel like answering this rhetorical question. He had to get the car parked anyway, because they had arrived at the airport.
----------
The plane ride was full of case discussion, poker, walkmans, and books. Four hours later and without trouble, Seeley and Temperance had arrived at the beautiful island of Maui. They were in the car using the directions sent to Tempe by email, to find their hotel.
After a half hour of deciphering road maps, they reached a very grungy looking hotel called Lei Down Resort.
"Oh joy… bad puns. I can't wait," Booth groaned while Tempe smiled guiltily.
"I think it's… clever."
'Is Bones trying to make the best out of a terrible and hopeless situation? Bones, who usually goes with whatever is given to her and analyzes it as it is and never masks it into something it isn't. Hmm… that was deep! She's probably just trying to make me feel better about her screwing Jake.'
They got out of their rented car and walked into the lobby of the small, dirty hotel. Tempe thought she saw something scuttle across the floor and under a shabby tweed couch. Near it was a fake fichus, its leaves fading to a puce color. The disgusted FBI agent and forensic anthropologist walked on an unpolished hardwood floor, molding in corners, to the desk in the middle of the room. Booth got the keys to their room from a gum chewing, fat woman attempting the 'hooker' look.
Since there was no elevator, Booth and Tempe took the stairs to the sixth floor, panting as they reached room 666 which was theirs… Booth stood there dejectedly, so Temperance opened the door to a shock.
AN- My sorry attempt at a cliffhanger, which I didn't anticipate doing, by the way. I just wanted them to get in their room and go to sleep, but NO! MY BRAIN JUST HAD TO THINK OF SOMETHING CLEVER DIDN'T IT! Ok, I'm sorry for the long wait and I hope this long chapter is kind of worth it. Please review.
