A Pain That I'm Used To—Chapter 15
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters associated with BONES.
Author's notes: Thank you all again for reading and reviewing. All of your great reviews keep me going! Sorry for the delay in updating but exhaustion finally caught up with me. I decided to sleep instead of giving you a less than acceptable chapter. Hopefully I succeeded.
And the award for the longest (and cutest) review I believe I have ever read goes to….WOATCAPIITON! Congratulations! Now, please stop falling out of your chair and find a better use for that wooden spoon! (grin) Like Brennan, I'm not into that whole S&M thing. (LOL)
To BonesDBchippie: You'll do anything to get out of camping and back to the land of fanfic, won't you? Really though, sorry to hear about your injury…maybe this chapter will help a little. If not, you've always got pain killers!
And to elliot02uk (Jean)—I would love to say that my two errors in the last chapter were purely for your benefit since I can't have you feeling as though you are no longer needed but alas, I cannot lie. My brain and need to get the story out were working at a quicker pace than my fingers! I visualized the conversation with Booth and Brennan in the SUV while I was at work and worked quickly to write it down before I forgot it!
I hope everyone enjoys this chapter and if you do, press the little button and let me know!
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The ride to Elaine Thompson's residence was quiet with Booth concentrating on his impending task of interviewing Natalie and Brennan staring out the passenger side window.
She didn't envy Booth's responsibility of speaking to the teenager about the last time she saw her parents. Brennan recalled, with great ease unfortunately, the type of questions officers with the Chicago PD had asked her and Russ. She also remembered their causal attitude towards the situation as her world was falling apart. "Now kids, isn't possible that your parents just wanted to get away for a few days? I'm sure they mentioned it and you two probably were busy playing video games or chatting on the phone."
As if sensing her discomfort, Booth reached out and touched her left arm. "Hey Bones, if you need to sit this one out, I completely understand. I mean, you could always wait in the car…"
Brennan smiled slightly as she placed her right hand over his hand, still grasping her arm. "You know I never wait in the car when you tell me to."
He returned her smile but his concern for her was still present in his eyes. "If it gets to be too much, you'll let me know?"
"How many times do I have to make that promise before you'll believe me?" She sighed.
"One more."
"Fine, I promise."
"Okay, I officially believe you," he joked as he slid his hand down her forearm to her hand. Brennan stared down at their hands joined together, realizing how much she enjoyed Booth's touch. Even the simplest gesture of holding his hand made her heart race and sent a warm sensation through her body.
"The other agents should have seized Fife's other firearms by now. Once they get back to the Hoover Building, the Ballistics people can start doing their thing and hopefully you can do your thingy with the image thingy and bada-bing, bada-boom…we have the murder weapon."
"Bada-bing, bada-boom?" Brennan questioned, her brow furrowed slightly. "You like mob movies, don't you?"
Booth grinned as he squeezed her hand. "I'm a man, aren't I?"
"Definitely," she agreed.
"Thanks for noticing," he said as he winked at her.
"Kind of hard not to," she muttered. Booth glanced over at her, observing a pinkish hue highlighting her cheeks which caused his smile to widen considerably.
He slowed the SUV and parked behind the large black town car that Elaine, Maggie and the family lawyer had been in earlier. Exiting the vehicle, Booth jogged to the passenger's side to meet Brennan. "Got everything?"
She handed him three yellow sheets of paper with the list for the seized inventory of guns. "Don't forget these. After all, I did tell Mr. Keith that you were fastidious."
They walked quickly to the front door and were immediately greeted by Maggie. "Elaine and Mr. Keith were beginning to wonder if you two were coming."
"Well sorry we couldn't give them more of an exact time of arrival but the search of Ronald and Katherine's home took longer than we anticipated," Booth huffed.
Maggie smiled slightly at the agent. "I understand Agent Booth but well, Mr. Keith is…"
"On lawyer time?" He smiled at his own joke.
The small middle-aged woman chuckled as she led Booth and Brennan through the foyer to the main living room. Joseph Keith stood as they entered and gestured for the couple to sit on a loveseat that was situated between the ends of two large plush sofas.
"Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan, this is Natalie," Joseph said as they all sat down.
"We've met," Booth advised the lawyer, who responded by raising an eyebrow. "The other day when Dr. Brennan and I spoke with Mrs. Thompson…"
"Did you speak with them?" Joseph asked, addressing Natalie.
"No, I used sign language," Natalie replied sarcastically. She tucked a long strand of jet black hair behind her ear before crossing her arms like a petulant five-year-old who had been told not to do something. "Of course I spoke with them…I greeted them at the door and then grandmother let them in. Jeez!"
The lawyer let out an exasperated sigh. "And people wonder why I never wanted children," he mumbled. "What I meant, Natalie, is did they ask you any questions?"
"Yeah, they wanted to know if grandmother was home." She smirked as she watched Joseph pinch the bridge of his nose and take a deep breath.
Booth tried to hide his amusement at the exchange. The teenager's smartass answers and argumentative nature reminded him somewhat of Brennan.
"For the love of God! Did they ask you about the case? About your missing and now dead parents?" The lawyer had apparently exceeded the limit of his patience.
"No, they didn't because unlike you these people have some tact." Natalie glared at the man sitting across from her.
"Okay, okay…Mr. Keith, I can assure you that we just need to ask Natalie a few routine questions," Booth interceded before the exchange between the two became more heated. "So, can we start?"
Joseph sighed as he looked over at Elaine. She nodded her approval and the lawyer then nodded his to Booth.
Brennan sat back as she watched Booth turn his body in the loveseat next to her so he could face the teenager. Natalie remained seated in her current position with her arms crossed as if she was warding off intruders into her personal space and personal thoughts. Yep, very Brennan-like, he thought.
"Natalie, do you recall the last evening you saw your parents?" He kept his voice calm, low and gentle.
The young girl nodded, her long hair bouncing around her shoulders. "They came home after eating at the diner on Main Street. They always tried to have some time together without Josh and me—at least once a week."
"Did they seem okay to you when they got home? Were they arguing…or discussing something that maybe they didn't want you to hear?"
"They seemed fine…normal. Well, normal for them." She chuckled as she caught Booth's questioning look. "Grandmother told me that you searched the house, took some guns…you saw my dad's extensive collection. He was a gun freak but he didn't like to shoot anything other than those paper targets in the backyard. He even taught me and Josh how to shoot which pissed mom off."
"Natalie! Watch your language," Elaine admonished.
The girl rolled her eyes before turning back to Booth. "They were fine, Agent Booth. Then they were gone."
Brennan's heart felt heavy at Natalie's words. Matt and Christine Brennan had been fine too that fateful day, leaving the house to go Christmas shopping and then they vanished. She realized that she had been of no help during the interview and although she had not hindered it either, Brennan felt that Booth would do better without her in the room.
"I'm sorry, do you a restroom?" She stood and noticed Booth's head pivot around, his eyes full of worry.
"You okay?" he whispered.
She nodded as Elaine pointed to a long corridor to her left. "Yes, dear, down that hallway, the last door on the right before you enter the den."
"Thank you," she said as she walked away. She didn't need to turn around to feel Booth's gaze on her. After a few seconds, Brennan heard him resume speaking to Natalie.
As she strolled down the hallway, Brennan heard a man's voice coming from the den.
"Joshua, can you tell me what this drawing means?" Dr. Keaton asked the young boy gently. Upon receiving no answer from the child, the man sighed deeply. Brennan peered around the corner to observe the doctor's interaction with his patient.
She watched as the doctor removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Replacing his glasses on the bridge of his nose, Keaton leaned forward in his seat, examining Joshua's face. "Josh, you need to talk to someone, buddy," he said softly. "I know it's difficult but how can I help you if you won't talk to me?"
The doctor's words stirred Brennan's memories of the counselor at DCFS with whom she'd been forced to speak—only his tone and mannerisms had not been so gentle. "Temperance, for this whole counseling thing to work, you gotta talk. And I know you can talk, you've given me enough smartass remarks in the past year! Fine, don't talk. You know you're not the only kid in the foster system that has problems…everybody has problems but they're human enough to actually express their emotions. You're like a damn robot—no emotions, just cold."
That was the first of many times in her life that Brennan could recall being called cold. She had gradually adopted the adjective as part of her persona upon realizing that it was a trait that kept people away and prevented them from asking questions she didn't want to answer.
She stepped away from the den and entered the restroom that Elaine had directed her to, feeling shaky and slightly queasy. Brennan switched on the faucet and splashed cold water on her face. She grabbed a small hand towel lying on the counter next to the sink and dried her face. As she looked in the mirror at her reflection, Brennan tried to convince herself that she was okay, just as she had convinced Booth earlier.
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Booth glanced towards the corridor his partner had walked down yet again as he listened to Joseph admonish Natalie for her attitude. He had noticed that the teenager's affect was flat and she didn't reveal what her feelings over parents' demise were. Again, the traits were similar to Brennan's. Booth couldn't imagine the pain either one of them had experienced at such a young age.
Turning back to the girl, he clasped his hands together in front of him. "Um, Natalie, can you tell me if…uh, did your parents ever argue in front of you and your brother? Over things like finances or anything like that?"
"They never use to yell or argue but about six months before they disappeared, they started arguing all the time. They argued over what to have for dinner…my new boyfriend…and especially Sheriff Fife."
"Whoa…they argued over Fife?" Booth glanced around the room.
"He and my mom were having an affair," Natalie stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
"You…you know this for a fact?"
"I didn't walk in on them or anything but it was fairly obvious to anyone who saw them together…kind of like you and that doctor lady."
Booth froze momentarily at her words. "Uh, what?"
She smiled slightly at the agent's embarrassed expression. "Oh come on, you two have something going on. The looks, the gestures….the way you've been looking down the corridor waiting for her to return."
Elaine sighed from her position next to Joseph Keith. "Natalie Marie Thompson, leave Agent Booth alone about that and answer his questions."
The sound of the doorbell pulled Booth back to the situation at hand as Maggie left the room to answer the door.
Natalie leaned forward. "Look, mom and Sheriff Fife…it's not like it was a big secret. Everyone knows they dated in high school and the sheriff carried a torch for her ever since. Now, are we done? 'Cause that's my boyfriend Billy at the door and we're going out."
Booth nodded and watched as a tall, lean young man with dark blonde hair entered the room. He noted that the young man was at least 25 years old but he still wore a high school letter jacket.
The young man nodded at Booth as he walked over to Natalie and placed his arm around her. "Hey man, I'm Billy Reynolds." He extended his hand to Booth, who reciprocated and shook his hand.
"Agent Seeley Booth," he introduced himself.
"Whoa," Billy mumbled as he looked over Booth's shoulder at Brennan who was reentering the living room. "She an agent too, man?"
Glancing over his shoulder and spying Brennan, Booth smiled. "No, she's a forensic anthropologist and she's my partner."
"Cool," Billy responded appreciatively. "You ready to go, Nat?"
"Yeah," she answered as she turned away. "Oh, one other thing Agent Booth," she said, turning her body back toward him slightly. "Can you tell me exactly how you found my parents?"
"I'm sorry…what do you mean?"
"I mean, the rumor around this small town is that they were buried so that no one could find them and yet…they were found. How did that happen?"
Booth narrowed his eyes slightly at the teenager. "I can't really discuss certain details of an ongoing investigation Natalie…"
"Interesting." And with that one word, she stalked out the door with her boyfriend in tow.
"You'll have to excuse her, Agent Booth," Elaine said as she stood with assistance from Joseph and Maggie. "She's been under a tremendous amount of pressure."
"Elaine," Joseph said with a sigh. "Will you stop making excuses for that girl? She was out of control even before Ronald and Katherine disappeared."
"How's that?" Booth turned his full attention to the lawyer.
Joseph smiled politely once again at him. "We're done here, agent. I hope your conversation with Natalie will aid in your investigation."
Booth returned the insincere smile as he placed his hand on Brennan's back and guided her toward the door. "Thank you for your time."
As the couple left the house and headed for the SUV they heard Natalie shouting from her position next to Billy's classic cherry red Mustang. "You are such an idiot!" She climbed into the passenger's seat of the car and slammed the door. Booth cringed at the ferocity with which the door shut. As a lover of classic cars, it pained him to see one mishandled.
Billy glanced over at Booth and Brennan before nervously shuffling around to the driver's side of the car and climbing behind the wheel. The car's tires squealed as he pulled quickly out of the driveway.
"What do you think that was about?" Brennan asked.
"She was probably upset at the way her boyfriend was checking you out." He watched as she mulled the thought over.
"No he wasn't."
Booth rolled his eyes at her naivety. "Bones, the kid practically drooled when you walked into the room."
"No he didn't." He could see her mentally replaying the scenario in her head attempting to find the moment he was referring to.
"Granted you're not as hot as Dr. Michel Dupuis but you rank pretty high up there Bones," he joked as he opened the passenger door for her.
She stared at him for a moment, registering his comment. "Wait, did you just call me…hot?"
"I believe I did." He leaned in close to her, resting one arm on the open door of the SUV. "Wanna return the favor?"
Brennan smiled as she stepped a little closer to him, invading his personal space much more than usual. "I would but your swelled head wouldn't fit in the SUV despite the massive amount of room." She turned and climbed into the passenger seat, waiting for Booth to close the door.
He stood and watched her for a second, instantly missing the close proximity of her body. Smiling at her, he closed the door and walked around to the driver's side. As he climbed into the SUV, Booth noticed that Brennan seemed a little tired.
"You doing okay Bones?"
"Yeah, I'm good."
"When you left the room…."
She sighed as she looked over at him. "I just needed to leave the room for a moment. Besides, I wasn't really helping you and you handled the situation very well."
"Thanks Bones," he said as he steered the SUV down the long driveway. "So…home or the lab?"
"The lab. Angela and I are going to work on the reverse engineering image. How long before Ballistics completes their testing so we can compare the markings and striations?"
"I don't know. That's a lot of guns to go through…maybe a day or so?"
"Did Natalie shed any new light on this case for you? Give you any more possible suspects?"
Booth sighed heavily as they reached the end of the driveway and pulled onto the main road. "No, just the same one."
"Fife?"
He nodded solemnly. "Fife."