Moments—Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Of course they don't belong to me silly people.

Author's notes: Okay, so there I was sitting at my laptop, hands hovering above the keyboard, ready to write the next chapter for "A Pain That I'm Used To" when the next potential scene for this story popped into my head. After a "what the f#" moment, I realized that some of the wonderful people who took the time to review were right….this one shot needed a little follow-up. Yes, yes, that will teach me to say that a story is complete. (sigh) So for good or bad (I'll let you folks decide), I ended up writing this chapter. Hopefully it will be at least somewhat enjoyable and if it's not…well, just promise not to throw anything at me that will leave a mark.

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"Okay my wonderful squints, whatcha got?" Booth scanned his card and quickly ascended the stairs to the platform area. He rubbed his hands together awaiting the impending magical information that Brennan and her team seemed to virtually pull out of thin air. "Lay it on me."

"Lay what on you Agent Booth?" Zach glanced around the platform for any implements the agent could be referring to.

"The information about our victim here, Einstein." His dark eyes focused on Brennan who sat off to the side at one of the terminals away from her team. "Bones, do you have an id on her yet?"

Cool blue eyes, with a hint of exhaustion, met his as she shook her head. "Sorry Booth. Zach has continued to check dental records to no avail." She sighed as she stood and placed her hands in the pockets of her lab coat. "I take it you were unable to match Angela's sketch to anyone in the missing person database."

He watched as she walked over to the examination table and stood beside Angela. There was an aura of sadness surrounding her today as she stared at the remains of the young girl. "No, no luck yet. I'll call and have them widen the search. Maybe she was a runaway from out of state or something."

"It still doesn't explain how a fifteen to seventeen year old girl ends up dead inside a wall in a relatively expensive house," Angela commented as her eyes skimmed over the remains.

"Well, it would have been a relatively expensive house if it hadn't been so dilapidated. She never would have been found if that money hungry real estate team hadn't decided to 'flip' the place and make a nice profit." Booth's eyes traveled over to Hodgins. "How long was she in that wall?"

"Two to three years max," Hodgins answered. "Didn't you say that the house had been vacant for over twenty years?"

Booth nodded as his gaze returned to his partner. He was glad it was just them—her, him and the squints—without Cam. He had spent the remainder of his weekend mulling over his relationship with Brennan, attempting to flesh out his feelings for her.

At the mere thought of "flesh", his mind quickly recalled his early morning dream on Sunday. It had to be a coincidence that she was wearing the same silky blue blouse that he had slowly and methodically unbuttoned in his dream.

"Whoever she was, she died fighting." Brennan's voice, tight with anger, brought him back to the situation at hand. "As I told you at the scene on Saturday, her hyoid bone was broken…"

"So she was strangled to death. Yeah, I remember."

"She also suffered several broken phalanges, the carpal bones in both of her triquetrums…"

"Those are her wrists Agent Booth," Zach explained when he noticed Booth's confused look.

The agent shot him a look as Angela and Hodgins suppressed their laughter.

"The carpel bones were fractured," Brennan continued, ignoring her coworkers. "She also suffered fractures in her right ulna and radius. Since she was right handed it makes sense that she used her dominant hand to fight off her attacker."

"Okay, so that's it?"

"Yes, Booth, for now, that's it."

He sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I spent most of the morning talking to the construction crew that was beginning work on the place. Of course they didn't know anything…"

"Previous owners?" Brennan inquired as she looked past Booth at something that caught her attention.

He noticed that her gaze fell on something happening behind his back. Twisting his upper torso slightly to observe what had garnered her attention, Booth saw Cam—Cam and a tall, athletic, trim man with sandy blond hair and rugged tanned features. It was funny how the sight of his ex-lover with another man didn't even faze him. Their time together in the last few weeks had indeed just been sex.

"The, uh, previous owner," he answered as he turned back to his partner, "was a Thomas Fielding, confirmed bachelor…died in 1993."

His revelation about the previous owner was lost on the squints as they stood and watched Cam with her new "friend". Brennan had once again retreated to her original place at one of the terminals.

"Hmmm, looks like Cam's milkshake continues to bring all the boys to the yard," Angela said as she sent a pointed look in Booth's direction. His eyes bore into hers and he knew that she knew. Damn psychic-like Angela.

Her gaze left his, traveling back to Cam and the uber-handsome man with her. Angela's dark eyebrows quirked as Cam pointed to their position on the platform. A few seconds ago, the good Dr. Saroyan had been smiling. The smile had now turned into a small scowl.

Swiping her id card, Cam led the man up to the platform. She paused briefly and stared at Booth with a hint of hurt mixed anger flashing through her dark brown eyes. His gaze quickly found its way to his shoes—a fact that was not lost on Angela or Hodgins.

"Everyone, this is Dr. Sean Weatherman. He is apparently being courted by the Jeffersonian to head the Archeology Department," she announced. "Dr. Weatherman, this is Dr. Jack Hodgins, Zach Addy and Angela Montenegro. And of course, that is Dr. Temperance Brennan."

Sean flashed a smile at the group, allowing his bright green eyes to rest on Brennan, who had once again moved back toward her team.

"Please call me Sean," he requested in a deep voice as he extended his hand to Brennan. She smiled slightly as she accepted his hand. "It's a pleasure to see you again Temperance."

"Sean," she replied as she nodded at him. The air of familiarity between the two doctors struck Booth like a bolt of lightening. Narrowing his eyes, he began mentally sizing up the other man.

Sean eventually released her hand and continued speaking. "Dr. Goodman mentioned that I might want to tour the facility, including your lab, and speak with you and your team."

Before Brennan had the opportunity to respond, Booth stepped forward, placing his body between them. "Special Agent Seeley Booth," he introduced himself. "I'm Bo…uh, Dr. Brennan's partner."

"Oh, nice to meet you too."

"Yeah, I'm sure Cam here was going to get around to introducing me in just a moment." Booth's gaze settled on his former lover for a brief moment. "Anyway, Dr. Woodchuck…"

"Weatherman," the other man corrected.

"Whatever," Booth said dismissively. "Dr. Brennan and her team are busy at the moment with a case. Our case…an FBI case. So unfortunately you're gonna have to take a rain check on that whole touring, speaking thing."

Sean glanced past the agent to the skeletal remains lying on the table. "I'm sorry I didn't realize…"

Brennan stepped past Booth, nudging his shoulder with hers to move him away from Sean. "No, it's okay. We're still attempting to identify her and Booth has currently run out of leads so if you would like to tour the area…"

"I'm not out of leads," Booth countered. "I'm simply waiting on some results…there's a difference Bones."

"Bones?" Sean's brow creased as he stared at Booth.

"Long story," Brennan muttered as she placed her hand on the doctor's arm and turned him away from the others.

He watched as his partner and the archeologist descended the stairs. Had she really just walked away from him and their case? True, at the moment the examination of the body was complete and they didn't have anyone to interview but they still hadn't discussed possible motives for the crime. He had anticipated sitting at the diner, smacking her hand as she stole one of his fries, listening to her chide him as he threw out hypothetical situations of how their vic had ended up in that wall—sharing their usual moment.

Cam moved past him and the others, heading for her office, a smirk firmly in place on her face.

"Looks like he wasn't interested in Cam's milkshake," Angela muttered just loud enough for Booth to hear.

He glared at her as he followed Cam's path to her office.

Entering the sterile area, he slammed the door behind him. Placing his hands on his hips, Booth paced in front of Cam's desk. "I think we need to discuss how to proceed with our professional working relationship…."

"I think I was very professional out there," the pathologist countered coolly as she sat down behind her desk.

He stopped pacing and ran his right hand over his face. "Angela knows," he said with a sigh.

"Knows or suspects? There's a difference." Their eyes met and they stared at each other for a long moment. Cam smiled and shook her head. "Seeley, it doesn't matter if any of them know or even think they know. What we do…what we were doing…is none of their business."

Sighing again, he dropped his lean form into a chair across from her. "I'm sorry," he said softly.

She leaned back in her chair and watched him. "I am too. Your concerns do have a certain amount of validity to them…"

He nodded as he leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees and resting his head in his hands.

"Ahem, Seeley, this is the part where you say 'and you were right about me having feelings for Brennan'." She laughed as his head shot up and he glared at her. "Don't even try to deny it, please. Not after that display of machismo out there with Dr. Weatherman."

He looked away from her, his gaze traveling to the busy lab area outside her office. Brennan and Sean stood together on one of the platform areas—a little too close together for his taste. The fact that they knew each other and that he had used her first name bothered Booth greatly. Had Sean been one of her "on occasion" guys? Not that he had any right to judge her or her choices, especially in light of the choices he'd made as of late.

"Bones definitely factored into my decision, Cam—that I won't deny."

"Okay, fair enough." She smiled at him again as he turned his face toward her.

"So are we okay? I mean, this isn't going to affect our cases, right? Or the way you work with the team?"

"Seeley, I am a professional person. I am a damn good pathologist and I want to ensure that each and every one of the victims that pass through this lab get the justice they deserve. Whatever happened…or happens…between us is not going to affect that." She paused taking a deep breath. "I don't really understand why I was so mad at you on Saturday. We were just having fun…"

He grinned at her. "Yeah, it was fun."

"You know if you change your mind…."

"I won't."

"You might."

He stood and adjusted his tie. "But I won't Cam." He offered her a friendly smile before he walked to the door.

"Seeley, you may want to reassess your relationship with Brennan, especially if you don't intend on making a move."

He turned and stared at her.

"Dr. Weatherman out there….let's just say that it doesn't take a genius to see that he likes Brennan. She could be a deciding factor for him joining the Jeffersonian."

Booth quickly turned and exited her office. As the door slowly closed behind him, the sight of Brennan touching Sean's arm as they stood near the lab's exit assaulted his eyes.

"Crap," he whispered.

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"I must say, Temperance this lab…this whole place is quite impressive." He smiled at her and chuckled. "I can certainly understand why you turned down Stanford's offer a few years ago."

She shrugged as she returned his smile. "You're also looking at Stanford I suppose, since their department is in need of an archeology director."

"I am," he said as he nodded his head. "Well I appreciate you taking time away from your busy FBI case to show me around. I certainly have a lot of things to consider." He stepped forward, moving closer to Brennan. "I think you should consider something as well."

"What would that be?" She wasn't uncomfortable with Sean's close proximity. He was a familiar presence although it had been awhile since their last contact. Brennan languidly took in his chiseled features and his strong upper torso as she breathed in the clean scent of his cologne.

"Have dinner with me tonight," he answered. "I know you're busy but surely you have time for food and…"

Brennan smiled at him as she touched his arm. "And drinks?"

"Okay," he said as he chuckled. "Let's say seven o'clock, you meet me in the lobby of my hotel. I think I saw a nice Italian restaurant nearby."

"Seven. Sounds good."

He backed away, walking backward toward the exit. "I'll see you tonight."

Angela stood nearby and watched the exchange between her best friend and Sean. After the archeologist left the lab, she approached Brennan.

"Big date with Indiana Jones tonight sweetie?"

"No, I'm having dinner with Sean," Brennan replied as she turned and began walking to her office. Angela rolled her eyes and quickly followed.

"How do you know Dr. Hottie anyway?" She took a seat on the couch in Brennan's office as her friend removed her lab coat and placed it on the coat rack near her desk.

"His name is Sean, Angela. And we met two years ago while he was on a dig in the Middle East."

"The Middle East? That really narrows it down Bren."

"I was on an assignment for Homeland Security—I can't say where in the Middle East I met him." Brennan took a seat behind her desk and logged into her email.

"That's convenient," Angela said as she chuckled. "Did you two date?"

"No." Brennan's typing filled the room as silence hung between the two friends. She didn't feel the need to feed Angela's fantasies about her sex life.

"Bren, sweetie, is something bothering you?" Angela settled further into the couch, making herself comfortable. "It seems like you've been avoiding me…and the others…lately."

"I'm fine Angela." Her eyes never left the monitor.

She knew Angela was right—she had been avoiding her and the rest of the team. They worked together but beyond that, she had not been out with her team—correction, Cam's team—since their self-proclaimed ring leader had perverted evidence to achieve her definition of justice. Even if it meant the possibility of a killer going free, Brennan knew she could never alter the truth of her findings. The truth—backed by undeniable scientific findings—was what mattered most. And Brennan's team, her friends, the people she thought searched for truth with her, had gone along with Cam's plan.

"No, you're not fine. Something is bothering you and it started a few weeks ago…" A realization suddenly dawned on Angela. "Is this about Cam and Booth's relationship?"

Brennan's hands stilled on her keyboard and she slowly turned to face her friend. "Relationship?"

"Oookay, so that's not what's bothering you," Angela attempted to backtrack the conversation.

"Booth and Dr. Saroyan are dating?"

"I don't know about dating but they are…you know."

"Sleeping together?"

"I don't think it's affecting how we do things around here," Angela said quickly. "I mean, they haven't been so obvious about it that you noticed it so their 'relationship' shouldn't affect any of our cases…"

"Let's drop this subject Angela. I'm fairly certain that it falls within the parameters of gossip." She turned back to her monitor and swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat.

What was the sensation coursing through her chest? Why did she suddenly feel sick to her stomach? There was no logical reason for her to feel anything about Booth's relationship with her boss. Cam and Booth shared a history—a history that included sleeping together. They had a sexual rapport and it was instinctual for one to seek out a partner with whom they shared that rapport. It was the same anthropological reasoning she had given Booth for his fling with Rebecca. Why didn't her sound logical reasoning make her feel any better at the moment?

"Okay, Bren, if it's not that, then what's bothering you?" Persistence was Angela Montenegro's middle name.

"Ange," Brennan sighed. "I have a lot of work to complete before I meet Sean for dinner. We'll talk some other time."

"I'm going to hold you to that sweetie." She lifted herself from the couch and left her very conflicted friend pondering the sudden intense burst of emotion that had spilled forth with Angela's revelation about Booth.

Author's notes: Alrighty then, looks like there will be yet another chapter. That is if you all want to read another one….push the button and let me know.