Title: Deja Vu

Disclaimer: Language, violence

Chapter Six: Life of my Own

Temperance sat outside on one of the stone steps, the sun beating down on her. The cooling of autumn could be felt in the air and it created goose-bumps on the exposed skin of her arms. Why was it that she felt as though someone had taken her life from her? So what if that person looked like her, it wasn't her and they probably didn't even have anything in common. Still, it was like having her identity stolen. A cloud swept over the sun creating a shadow over the Jeffersonian. The others were still inside, digging deeper into the mystery of the missing woman. Trying to find a name, a meaning to the death.

Booth sat down beside her. She was instantly reminded of the day with the punk, the day that Booth had left her behind for the busy city sidewalks. Now he sought her out, like she had sought him out that day. Their roles were reversed but this time no one was going to be walking off. It wasn't her style. Her eyes settled on a spider, sitting on the step, waiting for the warmth of the sun to return.

"We figured out her name," Booth said, breaking the silence that had settled between them. "Do you want to know it?"

She gave it a moment of thought before answering him. "Of course, she's just like all the other skeletons that have the misfortune of gracing my table. She deserves to have peace."

He pulled out a little notebook from a pocket of his suit jacket. "Her name is Temira Brend."

"You're kidding me, right?" She asked, looking at him, looking for any sign that he was pulling her leg. "That can't be her name. It's not creepy enough that she looks like me but her initials have to be the same, too?"

"It is creepy," agreed Booth. "But it's only going to get worse from this point."

She scowled. "What else did you learn about her?"

He flipped a page. "She works as a biologist. The two of you are the same age, her birthday coming a month after yours. Her parents were killed in a car accident and her older brother pretty much disappeared off the face of the earth."

She tore the notebook from his gasp wanting to see for herself. Everything that he had told her was written on the pages in her hands. Her bad luck just kept dealing out the worst hands. It scared her to think that this woman, this Temira Brend, had been living a life similar to her own. Had she ever actually watched any horror movies she probably would have thought she was in one. How could this be happening? What would they find at her house? What would her friends be like?

"When are you going to her place?" she asked Booth, not looking in his direction.

"Oh, no," he said as he got to his feet. "You are not going along on this, not after last time. My boss chewed my ear out for having you there."

"I was there of my own free-will, Booth," she remarked, standing up. "There is no way you can expect me to just sit by on this one. I have to go. I have to see…"

"To see if her place is anything like yours?" he finished for her. "Look, I admit that this whole thing is a little out in the Twilight Zone but I'm not going to get in trouble. You are staying here."

With that said he took off down the steps toward his waiting car. She bit her lip in frustration and anger. How could he does this to her? It was in her nature to be a curious person. If she didn't get to tag along it was going to kill her. There was only one thing she could think of that would guarantee her a trip to this Temira Brend's apartment.

"Booth," she yelled after him, making her way down the stairs. "Wait."

He turned to look back at her, his hand on the handle of the driver's door. "What now?"

She couldn't believe that she was about to do this but felt that it was the only way. She looked him right in the eye. "If you take me along to her apartment we can have dinner together."

"Like a date?"

"Yes," she swallowed. This had to be done. She had to see the inside of Temira's place. "Like a date."

He looked at her through slit eyes, trying to figure out if she was pulling his chain. He knew that her curiosity had gotten the better of her and that she wouldn't be able to sleep unless she saw the apartment. He didn't really want her to see it for fear that she'd go over the edge if she found more similarities. His boss would be pissed if he took her along with him. He'd been strictly forbidden to take her. But a date with Brennan?

"Fine, but you had better keep your word or I won't do anymore favors for you," he told her.

"We can make arrangements later. Let's get going," she said as she climbed in on the other side.

Driving down busy city roads toward Brend's apartment neither one of them spoke. Booth was thinking about the potential date. This wasn't how he wanted to get a date with her but a date was a date. She hadn't been returning his advances. Not to mention, he felt like an ass for hurting her by denying any memory of the kiss he gave her. Maybe when they finished with the day he'd let her know that she didn't have to follow through with the date-deal. He'd be a gentleman. Even though it would hurt.

She could only think of one thing, the skeleton and the woman that shared her life. The date with Booth was in the back of her mind, waiting for its chance to spring up on her and make her panic. She didn't know anything about going on a date. It had been so long since her last one. Angela would probably throw her a party or squeal with happiness. Either way, Brennan didn't think she'd be comfortable telling her, or anyone else for that matter.

The apartment building that Temira Brend lived in looked like every other apartment building; too many floors, too many windows, and a dirty brick exterior. Why had she stayed in the city, she wondered. Temira's place was on the third floor. Booth went in first, his gun ready incase any of the shadows decided to attack them. The furniture was simple and the coffee table was covered in science magazines, just like her own. There were pictures of Temira's family scattered around the places mimicking Brennan's own pictures back home.

She had always thought that her life was her own. Now the world laughed in her face showing her that she'd been terribly wrong. Wondering around the apartment she came across a picture on the TV stand that sent a chill down her spine. Temira Brend stood in front of a lab with four other people; a black female, an Asian male, a female with curly hair, and a younger looking female. They reminded Brennan of her own co-workers. Why did she feel like she was looking into a mirror?

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" someone behind her demanded. Brennan whirled around to see who it was. She dropped the picture, breaking the glass and cracking the frame.