Déjà Vu Chapter 10

Déjà Vu Chapter 10

Author's Note: Hey guys, someone pointed out to me that I was being an ass. I will continue to write, I'd just like a little more feedback, is all. Don't feel you have to review, but I will definitely appreciate your opinions. Writer's thrive on feedback, so all I'll do is just say this: please review!!

Oh, and as a present for sticking by me, here's a second chapter today!

Disclaimer: "BONES" and other related entities are owned, (TM) and © by 20th CENTURY FOX TELEVISION. Some dialogue and cases will be taken from the series, but character interactions will certainly be different!

"Here," Temperance said, thrusting a steaming mug of coffee into her partner's hands. Gratefully he took it and brought it to his face, taking a deep breath to savour the heady aroma and bring him back into the world of the living. After a few moments, Seeley raised his head and gave Temperance a pained smile.

"Thanks, Bones," he said. She stayed silent, allowing her amusement to show in the twinkling of her eyes and a single elegantly arched eyebrow. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, "laugh away. You don't feel like you've not slept in a week." Temperance quirked a grin around the coffee cup.

"You only have yourself to blame for falling asleep in that position, Booth, and you know it. You could have gotten up and moved to the spare room, you know." Seeley laughed derisively.

"As if either one of us could have moved. We were exhausted," he pointed out. He ignored the flash of amusement he saw in her eyes at the innuendo and blithely carried on. "Felt good to get it out, though," he admitted. "Guess shrinks do have the right of it sometimes, after all." Temperance made a non-committal sound and rose to remove the croissants from her grill.

"Hungry?" she asked. Seeley nodded, and then made a face when confronted with the buttery breakfast food.

"Yeah, but not for that junk. Do you ever have any real food?" he complained. Sporting a small smile, she pointed a dirty knife at him threateningly.

"Stop whining, you're not five. In fact, I believe your son whines less than you do. So, unless you want me to kick you out, be quiet and I'll see what I have. I wasn't expecting to have a guest, you know," she said. Seeley looked offended at the insinuation his son was more mature, but wisely decided to stay silent.

"Don't suppose you have a spare toothbrush? My mouth feels like I ate a carpet," he said. Temperance failed to conceal a snort of mirth and waved her knife at him again.

"Please don't say things like that at the lab. Angela would have a field day," she said. Seeley felt his cheeks go pink but rallied and rolled his eyes.

"Please, I'm surprised you know what that means," he said. Her answering grin was wicked.

"You forget, Booth, I have a healthy sex life. I know what all kinds of things mean in the bedroom." She wiggled an eyebrow meaningfully, causing him to choke on a mouthful of coffee. She laughed and tore off a chunk of a croissant before popping it in her mouth.

"Are you flirting with me, Bones?" Booth asked. She scoffed and waived a hand negatively.

"Of course not, Booth. I'm just enjoying some friendly banter over breakfast. I'll stop if you like. I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable," she said. Booth blinked and fancied he had almost imagined the ever-so-slight emphasis she had placed on the last word until he spotted the artful smirk hidden behind her mug.

"Don't worry about it, Bones, I'm man enough to handle things," he replied with a silky smile. She chuckled and shook her head. "So, breakfast? I'm starving!" he enthused. Gracing him with a smile, she rose and crossed to her cupboards.

"I have muesli, some French toast, cereal bars…not much else I'm afraid," she said, her voice muffled by the hardwood doors. Seeley sighed and placed his head in his hands.

"Not even corn flakes?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Unless you'd like a potato for breakfast, no, nothing else," she replied dryly.

"Guess I'll have to have the foreign fancy stuff," he muttered, nodding his head at her half-eaten croissant. Giving him an apologetic smile, Temperance loaded the last of the croissants onto the grill and the small in-built timer.

"Sorry. I'll buy you something later for next time," she said and resumed eating her croissant. Seeley wondered if she knew that she had given him carte-blanche to stay over whenever or not. Shrugging the thought away, he hunkered down over his coffee and greedily drank in its scent again.

"Mmmm…you do great coffee, Bones," he cooed, a blissful smile on his face. She shrugged.

"It keeps me going. Especially these days," she added darkly. Seeley shared a solemn look with her and nodded in commiseration.

"Yeah, I get that. I know that I'm really toeing the line at the Bureau these days. Cullen'll soon take me aside and tell me to stop poking my nose in. I'm getting some pretty nasty looks from the other agents whenever I come near their ready rooms. My casual 'hints' aren't welcome any more." He sighed. "Apparently being a 'brilliant' agent is a bad thing, these days." Temperance offered him a conciliatory smile.

"I understand. Just look at it from their perspective. If a senior agent came over whilst you were on your case and casually remarked on something that was staring you in the face for hours or days, you wouldn't be happy about it if it began to happen all the time. You'd feel as if he was attempting to steal all the lime-light," she said. Seeley grimaced and nodded as he ran a hand down his face.

"I know, but it's the only thing that's keeping me sane, Bones. Aside from you," he added candidly. "Having to jump through all the hoops to catch guys I know are guilty as soon as I lay eyes on 'em is a nightmare. Do you know how many cases I have that I don't get to involve you guys in?" he asked. Temperance shook her head.

"About three-quarters of all of my cases I have no reason to call you in on. It's driving me batty, not having anyone to tell all this stuff. At least you have the guys at the lab," he said tiredly. Temperance pursed her lips, but refrained from speaking, knowing her partner had to vent. "I just want to pull you guys in, but I can't find a reason that'll pass muster," he admitted.

Temperance laced her fingers together and thought carefully before answering.

"Booth, I know you want to get us involved, but I think it might be risking too much," she said. Seeley frowned at her in confusion.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"What I mean is, you know how things will play out, right?" she waited for his answering nod of confirmation before continuing, "Then if you introduce something that could change things a great deal, wouldn't it stand that something you expected to happen could not? And then something worse could happen, and so-on and so-on." Her partner gazed at her with a horrified expression on his face that disappeared behind his large hands.

"Shit, why is nothing ever easy?" he muttered. She knew it was rhetorical, but answered anyway.

"Because it's life, Booth. Just look at the two of us. Every day is a struggle," she pointed out. He nodded, but looked even wearier than before. "Look on the bright side," she said, "we still need to go shopping for a new fridge." He chuckled and gazed at her warmly for a moment, making her feel the slow prickling of a blush steadily rise up her neck before he spoke.

"Thanks, Bones," he murmured.

"You're welcome," she said, rising to clear away her mess and bring the toasted croissants to her partner. Ten minutes passed in companionable silence before the familiar chirp of her partner's cell phone pierced the comfortable quiet. Diving for his jacket tossed carelessly over Temperance's lounger, Seeley managed to pick up after an impromptu display of juggling his keys and phone at once, bringing the small device up to his ear.

"Booth," he said crisply, and then listened to the voice on the other end of the line. "You sure? Where? Okay, fine. I'll be there in ten." Flipping the phone shut, he tossed a grin at his partner who stood at the entry to the kitchen, croissants balanced on an upraised hand. "Bones," he announced, "we have a case." She rolled her eyes and transferred her gaze to the plate she held in her hand.

"I guess these are 'to go' then?" she said. He nodded and retrieved her jacket.

"Where's your kit?" he called, glancing around for the forensics equipment.

"In my car!" Came the muffled response. Seeley rolled his eyes and briefly scuttled around the apartment picking up his partner's things she would invariably demand to come back for, dropping the smaller items into her voluminous purse. "I just have to get…oh. Um, thanks, Booth," Temperance said, looking faintly surprised as he hovered near her apartment door holding her handbag and jacket.

"Just call me Mr Congeniality," he joked, handing her the items and filching the small, plastic lunchbox from her hands as he did so.

"I don't know what that means," she muttered as they exited and she locked up. Seeley opted to remain silent; a small, content little grin on his face. "You look happier," she observed. "I didn't know you liked my croissants quite that much." His grin grew and he slung an arm over her shoulder.

"It's a good start to a day," he said in lieu of explanation. She eyed him disapprovingly.

"It's a good day when someone is found murdered?" she asked. He frowned and spoke just as the lift doors opened.

"No! God, Bones, what the hell? No, I meant that it was a nice start to the day. Coffee and breakfast with a friend. Jeeze." Temperance blinked.

"Oh. Yes, I concur," she said. His frown abruptly morphed into a smile again as he assumed a snooty air.

"Oh yes, a spot of tea, what?" he said, the fake upper-class English accent sounding horribly contrived. Temperance sighed and crossed to her car.

"You are a big child," she accused, fighting to hide her smile at the affronted look her partner shot her.

"I am not!" he protested.

"Yes you are," she replied.

"Am not!" he said, crossing his arms across his chest defensively. Temperance merely poked the top of her head over the roof of her car and eyed him witheringly in response.

"Are you going to wear that to the scene?" she asked, her eyes dipping down to linger appreciatively on his t-shirted chest. "It's not very professional." Seeley glanced down at his jeans and sneakers guiltily and shuffled.

"Well it'd take too long to get to my place and then to the scene," he said. The flat look of her eyes told him the excuse wasn't flying. "Well what do you want me to say?"

"We're going to your place," she stated, finally locating her field kit and blue hazard gear and hauling them off of the back seat of her sports car. Booth looked ready to object, but gave it up for a bad job and headed to his SUV.

Ten minutes later, he hopped down the hall of his apartment, frantically tugging on a sock and his shirt at the same time. Landing awkwardly from a hop, he managed to eek out a yelp before his face met the floor with a decidedly embarrassing splat.

"Ow," he murmured. His sensitive ears suddenly picked up a muffled sound and his head shot up to peer over the back of his couch. Upon seeing him emerge with one bright sock perched jauntily on the top of his head, Temperance gave in and collapsed against the wall laughing. "Thanks, Bones. Way to make a guy feel better. Can you help me out? We're late as it is!" he groused.

Failing to smother a grin, Temperance approached as he lumbered to his feet and set about helping him to button his shirt.

"So what was it I was saying about your son being more mature than you earlier?" she asked rhetorically. "And now I'm dressing you. Should I bring a diaper next time?"

"Are you going to be dressing me, more often, Bones?" Seeley interjected dryly, shooing away her hands as they approached his stomach. "I asked for your help, not to do my buttons for me," he added, seeing the rising blush on his partner's face.

"Shut up, Booth," Temperance said, retreating to the safety of the front door. He smirked and finished looping his Donald Duck tie before tucking his shirt into his suit trousers. She glared in response and crossed her arms under her chest.

"Score for the Boothster," Seeley muttered gleefully to himself. Temperance narrowed her eyes at the overheard comment.

"I was under the impression that 'scoring,'" she quoted, "was far more impressive and involved an exchange of bodily fluids. You, most assuredly, have not scored, Booth." He stared, momentarily stunned into immobility as he shrugged on his suit jacket, before speaking.

"Okay, we are so not doing this now," he said, forcefully pushing her back and out the door.

"Booth! Get your hands off me! Hey!" Temperance said, her outraged voice echoing along the hall. "Stop pushing!"

"We're late, Bones! Will you get moving?" Seeley said, gently propelling his partner before him until she dug in her heels and glared at him over her shoulder. "Don't do this now, Bones, please?" he begged. She huffed indignantly before acquiescing silently. "Atta girl, Bones," he said cheerfully, his body moving on autopilot to pat her on the buttocks. They froze, Temperance's head slowly revolving until her wintry glare pinned him in place.

His hand jerked back as if it had been burned and he stared at it as if it had betrayed him. His eyes lifted to his partner and he essayed a weak smile.

"Sorry, Bones," he stammered. A soft growl met his ears. Swallowing, Seeley lifted his hands and pointed down the hall. "Late?" he tried, his eyes darting nervously to the balled fists of the woman in front of him.

"This is not over, Seeley Booth!" Temperance snarled after him as he fled down the corridor.

"I'm sorry!" he called back, picking up the speed of his walk until he was trotting. It would not be a pleasant drive.

Ten minutes later, and Seeley was praying for an act of god to strike him dead. The atmosphere in the SUV was so frigid he was surprised he didn't get frostbite.

"I said I was sorry, Bones," he ground out. Chilly silence was his answer, his partner preferring to glare furiously out the windscreen. "Okay, just what is it you're so angry about? This isn't just about a pat on the ass," he demanded. A glance to the side confirmed that, yes, she was now glaring at him and yes, she really did look like she wanted him dead.

"You were patronising! 'Atta girl, Bones?' You…" she trailed off, obviously too angry to say anything else without descending into profanity. "That was one of the most chauvinistic, demeaning things you've ever done!" she continued.

Obviously she can talk without swearing, he mused wryly.

"Look, I'm sorry, I didn't think when I did it, okay?" he paused. "And why aren't you more angry at the- y'know what? Never mind. Let's just say I was a sexist pig and leave it at that, okay?" Temperance stared at him, mystified for a moment, before her logical mind deconstructed his statement and focused on a particular segment.

The pat, she realised, he thinks I'm mad about the pat. In truth it was something she barely registered. She was used to his touches, like the hand at the base of her back, and thought little of it. a part of her acknowledged that it was even a little pleasant. But his words had implied ownership, not something she would let go easily. She sighed and returned her gaze to the road ahead, feeling too stubborn to just let it go without a fight, despite knowing he had truly spoken without thought.

Damn, she thought to herself, I can't stay mad over something so trivial.

"Fine," she said aloud, "just…don't do it again." She covered a wince by looking out the passenger window. That had sounded weak, even to her. A warm hand on her own startled her out of her thoughts.

"It won't. I am sorry, Bones," Seeley said, his eyes earnest. Temperance mentally stomped on the slight fluttery feeling the look evoked and wrestled away the urge to smile at his proclamation. Instead she merely nodded and returned her gaze to the road ahead. Unbeknownst to her, Seeley had spotted the flash of affection that had appeared in her eyes and the tiny upward curl of the corner of her mouth and felt himself beaming thoughtlessly at nothing as he drove.

Stupid feelings, he thought, unable to stop grinning. The thought of 'what feelings?' immediately chased it before he brutally quashed the thought just as they pulled up at the scene. They stared at the flaming devastation numbly, the horribly familiar and unwanted sensation crawling over their flesh until Temperance frantically groped in her kit behind her and vomited into a plastic container.

Feeling his own stomach surge rebelliously, Seeley made a noise of protest and clapped his hand over his mouth, desperately seeking to avoid bringing up his breakfast. After a moment, the intense sensations passed and he sagged, panting and feeling his skin prickle with sweat.

"Shit," he muttered and leaned over to rub circles on his partner's back. "You okay?" Temperance glanced up, her face ashamed, and nodded.

"Yeah," she whispered, her voice scratchy. "That was a bad one," she murmured. He nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. Still, at least we're on form," he said. Temperance grimaced and located a discarded napkin sitting on the back seat with which to wipe her face.

"So, the victim is Hamid Masruk?" she said. He nodded.

"Yeah, and his fanatic brother Farid." He sighed. "Let's go nail a bad guy, Bones."

"Sure," she said. With a last glance at each other, they stepped out into the flaming chaos.

Author's Note: Many thanks to all my reviewers! I am currently combing through my emails and will be replying to you shortly :D