Hodgins saw his watch, it was one am. six hours before the weekend was over and they had to go to work. Tempe would turn into Dr Brennan, when the clock stroke at dawn his Cinderella would go back to her prince and his life would go back to a bunch of pumpkins and mice. She was sleeping by his side with her head resting on his arm; her breathing caressed his face like the spring wind. He couldn't sleep partly because of the end of their vacation and also the thoughts playing on his brain.
Would it be so bad if they started to go out together? After all neither of them were officially seeing anyone. Booth and Brennan were only friends both insisted on it and if Angela no longer loved him and moved on, why would she have a problem with him dating her best friend? Why wouldn't she just want them to be happy?
If things got too messy at work they could go away and travel the world. The perfect weekend could last forever; they were wealthy enough to make it so. He could take her away from the death, gore and crime she dealt with on daily basis, far from the dangers of her chaotic life and… the man she actually loved, a single tear ran through his cheek at the realization that he could never do that. It was pointless; the only thing that made sense was to leave this weekend behind. Fantasies are only that and by morning today their relationship would fade away like the sweet dream it was.
They decided to sleep below some trees a few feet from his car in case it rained again, he resigned having a relationship with Tempe but he wanted to let her know how much it had meant for him. She taught him there was life after heartache and that happiness wasn't something that knocked on your door but you have to search for it yourself, even if you could only find it in a lie. An idea lit in his mind and he decided to act on it, gently he left her side careful not to wake her up, if he hurried he might make it in time.
Temperance woke up on her own bed, she had a vague recollection of being carried to Hodgins' car and then laid on her bedroom, and she also remembered the smell of wet earth and flowers. He was sitting beside her, already changed as if ready to go to work.
-"Morning beautiful"- He said sweetly
-"It's not morning"- She pouted, knowing what it meant.
-"Yes Tempe, it is"- He admitted sadly looking up to her bedroom window, rays of sunlight barely lit the room. –"It's still too early to go to work you can sleep a little more, I left your breakfast on the kitchen table"-
The word "stay" was trapped on her lips, her throat wanted to blurt it out but her tongue refused to move. She knew that if the word was pronounced he would obey, she could see it in his eyes but he understood what her foggy mind hadn't yet realized. He gave her a kiss on her temple and left, she rose from her bed and stared at her window, a sunrise had never looked so hideous.
Booth knocked on "bones'" door loudly, she usually was awake at this hour but if not he had to wake her up. When she opened the door he believed the hectic day that awaited both of them had at least a nice start, she was wearing a silk robe and her hair was damp, he could smell her fresh floral soap and the mint on her breath. She looked so beautiful glowing on the morning light, she had a dreamy and melancholic expression on her eyes, looking at them his heart skipped a beat.
He entered on her apartment before she could even say hello and handed her the coffee he bought on the way there but she refused it kindly saying she had breakfast already.
-"We have a big case bones; you'll need the extra caffeine"-
-"What happened?"- She asked but he didn't respond as he stared at the window of the main hall in disbelief.
Below the window there was a large collection of plants, hollyhocks, mountain laurels and wild roses all planted on neat terracotta pottery. It was the gift Jack had gave her, a private garden that would always remind her of the dream they shared.
-"I didn't know you were into gardening, I thought you said you didn't have time to take care of plants or pets"- he said still shocked.
-"I'll make time and I'll take good care of them"- She vowed not to let the reminder of the weekend die, she would cherish those plants as the memories themselves.
-"Where did you get them and why hollyhocks? I thought you liked daffodils"-
-"What is this case about?"- she changed the subject, Booth had a way of reading people, specially her, if she wanted to keep the previous nights in secret she would have to be careful.
-"Creepy stuff, four teenagers were murdered last night: one was buried alive, another was burned, a girl was hung from a nearby tree and another girl was drowned. To make things worse there was a pentagram drawn with blood in the middle of the square we found them, looks like a satanic cult"- he shivered a little.
-"I don't like jumping to conclusions before we review all the evidence, you said they were murdered last night are they recognizable?"-
-"Three of them are in Cam's hands but the burned guy it's all yours, he was just transported to the Jefersonian and it's waiting for you"- he didn't even try to make a joke this time, as a catholic man this case struck a cord.
Behind him a butterfly flew. Vanessa Anabella Jack had called it, a sparkling orange jewel fighting through the dark gore waiting for her at the lab.
Not even Booth knew how much her work affected her sometimes, behind her cover of cold efficiency she had many times faltered and pained for the victims, in this particular day she felt more sensitive than usual and realized she needed a little more time to get herself together, to say goodbye to her beautiful dream and face the dark reality.
-"If the remains were already transported without my supervision I assume the structural integrity is not compromised, in that case I need some time to do a few things first. Booth you go ahead of me and see what you can figure out I'll meet you at the lab by noon and tell you my findings"- she was more stoic than ever, not because she was mad or blocking herself but because she didn't wanted Booth to see any sign that would tell him her secret.
-"It was a public place in the middle of the city they had to remove them fast otherwise pedestrians would freak or taint the evidence. Is everything okay bones? You look different. I could help you do those things if you want, you could save some time."- He squinted a little studying her face, she looked vulnerable.
-"I'm fine meet me at the lab Booth"- She guided him outside, he resisted a little first but eventually he left.
She leaned on her front door and sighed in relief, that was close. Hopefully the new case would keep him so busy he would stop poking into her life for the rest of the day.
Temperance drank another cup of the tea Jack had left her on the thermos; lazily she walked to her window following the butterfly and opened it so the east coast lady could fly away.
-"Bye Anabella"- she wiped the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath, by the time she finished changing Dr Brennan felt like her usual self.
She had walked a few steps from her apartment when she ran into her partner
-"Booth what are you doing here? I told you to go ahead"- She was nervous, maybe he was suspicious already.
-"Maybe I needed a few minutes myself and decided to take'em here"- He said with his usual sexy smile, she wanted to ask him why but that might lead to him asking a few questions back, if there is something he was good at was to get information out of people. He threw one arm casually around her shoulders and she stilled herself not to wince when he inadvertively touched the bruised mark Jack had left on her shoulder. -"You sure you're okay bones? You're shaking"- he was getting more preoccupied by the minute.
-"I'm fine I just hate Mondays"- She steadied herself
-"Since when? You're a workaholic I thought you got bored on Sundays and couldn't wait to go to work the next day"-
How could he know that she had no idea, she had never told him but it was true, he was even better than she imagined.
-"Since now, from now on I'm gonna hate Mondays"- she said cryptically
-"O-kay, lets go I'm driving you to the lab"- His bones would always be a puzzle for him, just when he thought that he knew every little detail of her personality and life she gave a complete turn and threw him off balance, it was complicated at times but it never got boring.
Jack was working with the mass spectrometer, he had worked hard all day and he hadn't even analyzed half of the evidence, this case was getting messier by the minute. At least the excessive amount of work kept him busy enough not to think about Dr Brennan; otherwise he would have twitched and trembled like an addict without its fix.
He realized the weekend had been a mistake, now he would always be haunted by the memory of her sweet body and the beauty of her true self, the one she hid behind her lab coat.
He was torn between the happiness of knowing that he had moved on from Angela regardless of the love he felt for her and the torture his body suffered at the realization that he would never be able to touch Tempe's velvet skin ever again.
-"Who is she?"- Angela said from behind him, he froze in horror but managed to mask it before he turned and faced her. She was smiling warmly; those magical dark eyes still had the power of making him shiver.
-"I beg your pardon?"- He said as calmly as she could.
-"The girl you met, the one you thought about all day"- She sounded sweet and friendly, he was by now sure that woman had the power to read his mind.
-"What are you talking about?"- His nervous laughter might have been a confession
-"You could work for twenty four hours straight and you wouldn't be finished processing all the samples, four teenagers were murdered in the spookiest way possible, the press is harassing every member of the investigation and Brennan confirmed the burned guy was the mayor's son."-
-"I know, what does that have to do with…"- in a superb effort he hid his panic
-"And in spite all that you haven't stopped smiling all day, either those blood samples were hilarious or you had a very good reason to be happy regardless of this awful day. I haven't seen you so happy in a long time Jack, I'm glad."- Her smile got sadder
-"Thanks Ange"- He relaxed a little
-"so who is the lucky lady?"- She asked playful
-"Why do you wanna know?"- He tried to sound detached
-"I'm curious that's all"- she had always loved gossip, if she wanted to be Jack's friend she should be able to speak with him about issues like this.
-"I'd rather not say"-
-"Why not?"-
-"Because you taught me that mixing work with my personal life is a big mistake"- his voice never sounded so cold. Immediately he regretted it, he had been harsher than he intended. –"Sorry Angela I didn't mean it like that, I'm not seeing anyone yet but I did got a lucky break and those don't come easy. Still when I do date someone it won't be a workmate, I learned my lesson."- he looked at her meaningfully even when he was actually thinking about Brennan, now he would have to see that vixen every day knowing he could never have her. It had been less than twelve hours since he left her and he was fighting a frustrating arousal already.
She got the point; he would never be with her again. Its not that she wanted to get back with him on the near future but the finality of his statement hurted her.
-"Good night Jack"- she said softly, she had to get out of the room before her tears showed.
-"Good bye Angela"- he responded staring absently at the computer screen.
Brennan looked at the glass of milk in font of her, after a long day of work Booth invited her for drinks. She couldn't afford to drink alcohol for that would lower her inhibitions, which would result on her throwing herself at Hodgins for another round of passionate sex and coffee was out of the question since the last thing she needed was a sleepless night.
-"Earth to bones, wake up!"- Booth shook his hand in front of her eyes.
-"What?"- She had almost forgot he was by her side
-"What the hell is going through your head? First you rather have a glass of milk instead of wine and now you got disconnected from the world for almost a minute."- He was now sure something was definitely wrong.
-"I was just thinking about the case. It doesn't seem like a typical satanic ritual, it has many other elements from very different religions such as Oxala-Oxum, Voodoo and Santeria"-
-"So? It all seems the same to me, just sick stuff"-
-"Satanism is a branch of Catholicism Booth; it worships the devil which is the opponent of your god while the other religions believe in their own gods that have nothing to do with Satan. Whoever did this had no idea of a proper satanic ritual or an African based cult."-
-"First of all don't say it's a branch of Catholicism they're devil worshiping freaks not Lutherans and for the other religions it does make sense. I think it was all done by a bunch of teenage monsters that didn't know what the hell they were doing, it doesn't surprise me if they gathered all the things they thought was creepy and forbidden and gathered them all up."- He was definitely having nightmares tonight.
-"If that is the case and they didn't know what they were doing. Why did they leave such little evidence of themselves? All the blood samples we collected belonged to the victims. Besides according to my measures the force required to cause the wounds could not come from a teenager, it had to be a full grown man and a very tall one at that. If and adult were interested in joining a satanic cult wouldn't he at least do a proper information search?"- She was just blurting the first ideas that came to her mind, anything to keep Booth from probing into her personal life.
His eyes widened and he smiled, she could see a piece of the puzzle clicking in his head.
-"Maybe you're right; maybe it was all just a pose it did seem too histrionical. Whoever did this probably thought that by the time the police finished interviewing every Goth kid in town the trace would get cold. I'll keep my mind open about the type of suspects"- He saw her with his deep brown eyes as it he could scan her soul, as physically impossible as it was. –"Now I know that big brain of yours, you can easily think of two different things at the time. One was the case, which was the other?"-
He might have read through her many times but right then she was a complete mystery, he could look into those beautiful blue eyes all night and never figure out what was hidden behind them.
She looked into the distance, her face unreadable. The answer she gave him would dance inside his head long after the case was solved: -"Butterflies Booth, I was just thinking of butterflies"-