A/N: Thank you for all the reviews for the previous chapter. It was great to hear from you all! Keep them coming:-)
Disclaimer: I don't own them, as usual.
The Jeffersonian was already buzzing with activity when Temperance stepped into the Medico-Lab a little after 8:00 am. Zach seemed to be running all over the place, Dr. Goodman was barking orders left and right and Zach's new student looked nailed to the floor, a stunned expression on her face. She felt someone viciously grab her arm the second she walked through the sliding doors. She turned around to see a very-serious, slightly panicking, Angela.
"What is going on here?" Temperance asked her best friend as the woman pulled her to the examination platform.
Temperance swiped her card before stepping onto the steps.
"There was a huge fire last night in a house outside of Washington. Twenty different bodies were recovered. Zach needs your help. There is no way he will be able to identify all of the bodies. There are also three skeletons that have been found in the closet of a house that has been empty for the past twenty years. Goodman has ordered you to analyze them."
Temperance nodded, stunned.
"Has Ryan called in?" Temperance asked, remembering she hadn't heard from her partner in over a week.
"Nope." Angela replied, shaking her head. "And God knows I don't miss him."
And it was Angela's comment that made Temperance realize that she, herself, didn't miss her partner. She smiled.
"Well let's get started then." She said, cheerfully.
Angela eyed her friend suspiciously.
Temperance was hunched over the second body when a voice coming from a speaker announced an incoming call.
"Dr. Booth line 5 please. Dr. Booth line 5. Thank you!"
Frowning, Temperance slipped her gloves off her hands and headed towards her office. Picking up her phone, she pressed the Line 5 button and was surprised to see Riley's school's name appear on the caller ID. Was it possible that Riley was still sick? She looked perfectly fine at breakfast.
"Dr. Booth."
"Mrs Booth? This is Greta, the secretary at H.D. Cooke. I'm calling about Riley. She isn't feeling too well. She fell asleep at her desk and, when we checked her temperature, the thermometer read 101.6."
Temperance frowned even more. She had checked her daughter's temperature this morning and it had been fine.
"Okay. Either her dad or I will swing by to pick her up soon."
"Thanks, Mrs Booth. Riley will be waiting for you in the nurse's office."
"Okay. That's great. Thanks for calling." Temperance said before hanging up.
She sighed. What was she going to do? She couldn't possibly leave Zach to analyze all of the skeletons by himself. There were just so many of them. She looked back down at the phone. Maybe...
She picked up the phone once again and dialed a number she knew more than by heart. Several rings passed and Temperance was about to hang up when she heard a click.
"Booth." The familiar voice stated.
Her heart began racing like crazy. Was she nervous? Why? Because this was the first time she'd talk to him that day?
"Booth, it's me. Listen, Riley's sick and I was wondering if..."
"I can't go pick her up." Booth said, cutting her off. "I'm very busy here. I have two meetings today that I cannot miss."
Temperance sighed loudly, frustrated.
"Booth, I'm busy too. There are twenty-three bodies to be examined, Zach's in way over his head. I can't let him do it alone."
"Then find a solution, Bones. I just can't leave work. Take pictures, bring them home. Just do whatever you have to do and go pick up our daughter."
"Booth, really... you could be more helpful."
She heard a sarcastic laugh at the other end of the line.
"Seriously, Bones. You should listen to your own advice. Be more helpful? I have been more than helpful in our marriage, Bones, and you know it. I took care of our children while you were running off with your partner, fighting crime and investigating. It's your turn now."
Temperance's eyes grew wide.
"Are we seriously going to talk about that again? It's been six months, Booth. It's time you get over it."
She was pretty sure she felt him stiffen on his end. When he spoke again, his tone was cooler than it had ever been.
"Your daughter's waiting for you."
She heard a click and knew he had hung up. Fighting the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes, she hung up herself.
There was a tentative knock at her door and Temperance turned around to see Angela standing outside her office. She motioned to her to come in.
"Bren, are you okay?" Angela asked, concerned. "Who were you talking to?"
Temperance wiped a single tear that managed to fall.
"I was talking to Booth. Riley's still sick and I asked him to go pick her up at school and he said he was too busy to do it."
Angela nodded.
"But there's more to it, isn't there? You two have been having trouble for a while now, huh?"
It was Temperance's turn to nod.
"Yes, for the past four months."
"What happened?" Angela asked, remembering how her best friend had been happy after the Bradford case.
She had figured that whatever trouble the couple had gone through had been resolved and they would have gone back to being the happiest couple on the planet. But lately, she had sensed something wrong with her best friend and had known immediately that Booth was the reason. She just didn't know what happened.
"I don't know." Temperance replied, shaking her head. "One moment everything was great. We were even planning on having a third child. I was spending more time at home, we were having fun and it felt like the beginning of a relationship."
Temperance wiped a second tear. She cursed herself for being so weak. Why couldn't she stop crying?
"Then one morning, about four months ago, we woke up and Booth was in a pissy mood. I didn't think much of it but when he snapped at Lukas later that day, I knew something was wrong. When I tried to talk to him about it, he said to leave it alone and he didn't talk to me for the rest of the day. And it's been sort of like that ever since. He's been short with me but not our kids. We barely talk and when we do, we argue. We try not to in front of the children but I know they know something is up."
"Do you think you two will get a divorce?"
Temperance shook her head.
"I don't think so. He hasn't mentioned a divorce so I doubt that's what he wants. I just don't know what to do anymore, Ange."
Angela wrapped her arm around her friend's shoulder and pulled her into a hug.
"First of all, you'll go pick up your daughter because she's not feeling well and that is what is important. Second of all, you will forget about Booth and how he didn't want to go get his daughter. You'll focus your attention on Riley because she needs it right now."
Temperance nodded. Angela released her best friend and wiped the third rebel tear.
"Thanks, Ange."
After taking snapshots of her skeletons, Temperance left the Jeffersonian feeling slightly better knowing she would at least be able to work from home.
Riley was sleeping when Temperance walked in the nurse's office at H.D. Cooke and one hand on her daughter's forehead confirmed her fears: she was still sick. She picked her up carefully and flung the child's schoolbag over her shoulder. Thanking the nurse, she walked out of the office.
The ride home was quiet and the only sound was Riley's slightly unsteady breathing. In her rearview mirror, Temperance casted worried glances at her daughter. Riley looked pale, paler than she had been the previous day and Temperance wondered what kind of infection Riley had caught this time.
Maybe it's just the flu. Temperance thought as she stopped at a red light.
Riley wasn't moving. She looked sound asleep. The light turned green. Temperance crossed the intersection and soon turned onto her street. Two corners and Temperance turned into her empty driveway. Parking her car, she then turned off the ignition and climbed out. Riley still hadn't woken up.
Temperance unbuckled the child's seatbelt and carefully took her out of the car. The child's limp body was heavy and Temperance had barely enough energy to walk up the two steps of her porch, unlocking the door and walking into the house. She looked at the stairs in front of her. The second floor immediately seemed miles away. She opted for the couch.
Placing Riley gently down onto it, she climbed upstairs to get the child her pillow, a blanket and her favorite teddy.
As she tucked her daughter in, Temperance couldn't help but notice the blueish colour of the child's lips. She frowned, confused, and wondered once again what kind of infection Riley had.
We definetely have to take her to a doctor soon. She thought.
Temperance kissed her daughter quickly on the forehead before walking out of the room, closing the living room doors behind her.
She fetched the photographs of the bodies from the car and settled at the kitchen table. She couldn't help casting worried glances at her daughter on the couch as she desperately tried to concentrate on her analysis.
She didn't know how long she had been trying to analyze the pictures in front of her when a screeching noise outside reached her ears. The school bus. Lukas was home.
What time is it? She turned to look at the clock. It was past 3:30. Riley had been asleep for the past five hours.