Tempe glanced over at the passenger seat of her car where Booth was sitting; she and Hodgins hadn't been able to get him into his own car - it was too high off the ground. Booth wasn't sitting really… more slouching while attempting to look far more alter than he actually was. Did he ever let himself rest? Tempe shook her head, she already knew the answer to that question; no. Why did he hide so much? He should more open and honest with himself.

Hypocrite, whispered a small voice in Brennan's head; it sounded distinctly like Angela's. Temperance rolled her eyes and kept driving. The silence, for some reason was eating away at her, which was odd. She normally liked silence. Oh, well, it was time to act 'normal', as Angela put it, and try to start a conversation,

"So," Tempe began, "What was wrong with Cullen today? I know he doesn't like me that much, but he's usually more subtle about it." Booth turned slightly to face her,

"Go easy on him; he's having a rough time."

"How so?"

"You remember his daughter, Amy?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, well, she's taken a turn for the worse. The doctors are only giving her a few more weeks to live."

"Oh."

"So, yeah, his temper has been kinda short lately."

That was brilliant, thought Tempe sarcastically, what a lovely conversation starter I am.

For the remainder of the drive Tempe held her silence, even if it felt like it was swallowing her whole. After about fifteen minutes, she pulled up in front of Booth's apartment building. Booth tried to straiten up in his seat,

"No wheelchair," he said flatly. Tempe simply glared at him,

"Well, I'mnot going to carry you." The agent's shoulders slumped as he realized that it was useless to argue and, besides, he too exhausted and his mind was in too much of a fuzz to be able to put up much of an argument. Tempe popped the trunk of the car and dragged out what Booth had already started to think of as "the cursed chair." Then, pulling open his door, she helped a very put out Booth into his transportation.

Many stares followed Booth across the parking lot, through the lobby, and to the elevators. Tempe frowned at the many buttons for the various floors,

"Which floor are you on again?" she asked. Booth had his eyes closed in an effort to make the world stop spinning,

"Fourth floor." Tempe pushed the appropriate button and waited as the elevator began to ascend upwards.

"You didn't have to do this, you know…." Tempe glanced over in confusion at Booth,

"Of course I did. Who else would have taken you home?" Booth opened one eye and stared up at her curiously,

"I could have called another agent…."

"But you wouldn't have."

"True…," he admitted, closing the eye again.

"Hence the reason I brought you home." The elevator binged and the doors slid open. Booth remained silent until Tempe stopped in front of his apartment door; he muttered something about coats having too many pockets as fumbled to find his keys, finally handing them to Tempe. With a sigh, Tempe opened Booth's apartment door.

A/N: Review, review, review! It is your reviews upon which I thrive and am inspired to write more! Sorry I took so long to up date! Summer is almost here and soon I'll be able to up date things more quickly!