TITLE: Bones – The Heart Knows What The Heart Wants.
AUTHOR: D M Harper
SUMMARY: How does Doctor Temperance Brennan cope with Agent Booth's absence?
RATING: M Contains sexual content between two female characters. (Be Warned)
DISCLAIMER: This story is written for entertainment only and no profit is obtained. No copyright infringement is indented to 20th Century Fox Television or creators Hart Hanson and Kathy Reichs. All original characters remain my property.
Chapter 5
During the following two weeks, Temperance didn't have any contact with Agent Tanner. No bodies had been discovered, so her services were not required. She was in her office working on a back log of paperwork when Angela flopped down on the couch.
"Hey Bren, are you joining us for drinks?"
"Sure, just give me five to finish up."
"You got it sweetie."
Four minutes passed before Temperance was done and heading out the door with her best friend. The others had already left for Founding Fathers and were sitting around a table when Temperance and Angela arrived.
The group settled into drinking Mad Fox beer and wine and discussing the lack of new cases before ordering dinner.
Just after eight, Angela elbowed Temperance and nodded towards the bar, "It's our Agent Tanner."
"So," replied a less than interested Temperance.
Hodgins looked over, "There's Tanner. I'll invite her over." He got up, but returned quickly without the Agent. "Tanner is waiting for someone."
"That someone could be you sweetie," whispered Angela to Temperance.
"No, Agent Tanner has made it clear about not being interested."
"Are you?"
"Yes, she affects me in ways I've never experienced before."
"Then go get her," urged Angela with a broad grin.
Temperance was defiant, "No Ange."
An hour later, Tanner was still sitting alone at the bar nursing a beer.
"Looks like someone's been stood up," remarked Bray.
"We've all been there dude," joked Hodgins.
Temperance excused herself and said goodnight when she spotted Alex leaving. Hailing a taxi, she directed the driver to follow the BMW that had pulled out fifty feet in front of them.
The trip took her to 114 S Barton Street, Arlington and she watched Tanner pull into the drive then open the double garage door. Temperance paid the fare and approached the house with caution.
The front door opened suddenly and a small child with long blonde curly hair raced outside squealing, "Momma, momma."
Temperance stood still beside a tree as Alex knelt down on the path and picked up the excited little girl, "Shouldn't you be in bed?"
"I wanted to kiss you night night," explained the child before she kissed Tanner on the cheek.
A woman in her mid-fifties with long brunette hair stood in the doorway and explained, "She insisted on staying up Alexandra, even after four stories."
"Well let's get you inside and out of the cold little one."
"Will you tell me another story?" inquired the girl as Tanner walked up the stairs.
"I will, but only one."
The child pointed behind Alex and asked, "Who's that momma?"
Turning, the Agent looked at Temperance, "That's a lady momma works with. Come on in Brennan."
"I didn't mean to interrupt," replied Temperance as she neared.
"It's fine. Doctor Temperance Brennan from the Jeffersonian, this is my daughter Martie and my mother Veronica."
Walking up the stairs, Temperance said, "Hello, nice to meet you."
"Hi," remarked Martie with a grin. "I am three, nearly four."
"I'm thirty-two," replied the doctor.
"Hello Doctor Brennan," said Veronica. "Alexandra has spoken highly of you. It's nice to finally meet you. I'll be off home, goodnight."
Alex kissed her mother and Martie received a hug.
"Bye bye Grandma."
Veronica made her way across the lawn to the house next door and Alex invited Temperance inside.
"If you'll excuse me for a moment, I'll just put Martie to bed? Make yourself at home, the coffee machine is in the kitchen, just help yourself."
Martie studied Temperance and declared, "You are pretty."
"So are you, goodnight."
Martie yawned, "Night night."
Pouring a cup of coffee, Temperance sat at the counter and surveyed the spacious one storey house.
Within five minutes, Alex joined her, "So you followed me home, in most states that's considered stalking."
"I actually already had your address."
"Is there something you wanted to discuss about work?" inquired the blonde as she retrieved a bottle of water from the refrigerator.
"No, but after no communication from you, I wanted to check on your wellbeing."
"Sounds like you are expressing a little emotion, isn't that out of your league?" Alex leaned up against the counter and studied Temperance's face.
"I would do the same for Booth."
"You protect one another, don't you?"
"We do and it works for us. You have a lovely home and your daughter is very sweet."
"Thank you. Martie is four soon and the reason I wake up every morning."
"I considered having a child last year and Booth was willing to donate his sperm," confessed Temperance matter-of-factly.
"So what happened?"
"He had a brain tumour then his offer was withdrawn after he realised he would want to be part of the child's life. I didn't want that."
"Are you always so analytical?"
"Yes, but I have improved over the years."
Alex smirked, "You mean you were worse?"
"Oh yes, much worse."
"Someone must have really hurt you to cause you to lack social skills and use it as a defence mechanism and hide your vulnerabilities."
"That's an extremely clinical observation."
"Why else would you use casual sex partners?"
"To avoid feeling obligated to commit without the proper emotional responses. Why did you seek an informal sexual encounter?"
"To forget and as you said, satisfy biological urges."
Temperance smiled slightly.
"You should smile more often and look less serious," suggested Alex.
"It is my nature to be serious."
"Tell me Brennan, did you feel nothing when we were intimate?"
"I felt gratification and a sense of wellbeing."
"What about when we met again at the Institute?"
"I experienced a churning in my stomach and my pulse rate increased."
"So you were aroused by my appearance?"
"Yes, most definitely and that has not happened before with my previous lovers."
"How many of those have been female?"
"Over three quarters."
Alex drank the last of her water and pressed on, "Temperance, I've been avoiding you because I have conflicting emotions. I find your genius fascinating and your expertise in Anthropology brilliant. I have done some research on you and to discover how respected your work is world wide blew me away. The fact that you are a best-selling crime novelist is staggering."
"So why are you conflicted?"
"I like you Temperance and am physically attracted to you, but I have no business feeling that way."
"Is it because you have a husband and a family?"
Alex shook her head, "I told you before I am not married."
"Your wedding band would indicate otherwise Alex."
Twirling the ring around her finger, Alex explained, "I am not Martie's biological mother, although a number of my eggs were harvested and implanted, I did not give birth to her, my wife did."
"Your wife?" inquired Temperance with shock.
"I'm a lesbian Temperance. I have been since I can remember. I met my wife Martina when I was twenty-three and she was twenty-five. I was fresh out of the NYPD Academy and assigned to the 19th Precinct. Martina was an officer there and I was smitten." Talking a breath, Alex continued, "That was back in 1997 and we started dating. We fell in love and in 1999 I joined the FBI. I was assigned to a New York Field Office with Organised Crime and Martina and I married that same year. We decided to have a baby and my wife fell pregnant in December 2004. We were ecstatic and blissfully content like any other young couple would be."
Alex took a deep inhalation and her hands started to tremble, "When Martina was three months along, we had agreed she transfer off patrol to desk duty, but on her last patrol shift, she was involved as backup on the arrest of a murder suspect."
Temperance reached out and took hold of Alex's right hand.
"She was shot in the head when the perp opened fire. Martina was pronounced brain dead two hours later."
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry Alex."
"As her spouse and only family, I made the decision to keep her on life support until our baby was born by caesarean on August 3rd. Three hours later Martina's machines were turned off and she expired two minutes after that."
Temperance rose to her feet and embraced Alex, "You feel guilty because you feel you cheated on your wife?"
"Yes, it's been nearly four years and I still love her."
"Alex, you always will and I fully understand."
"So now you know why I did what I did."
"Until recently, I never believed in love, but I can see how much you love her."
"I'm sorry for laying this all on you, but you deserved an explanation."
"Thank you, but it's late and I should be going."
Stepping out of the hug, Alex offered, "You could stay here, there's two spare rooms and I could rustle up some sleepwear for you."
"We could talk some more."
"I'd like that Temperance. How about I organise those clothes while you have a shower?"
"That is a good plan."
Alex led Temperance down the hallway, "First door on the left is Martie's room and the one on the right is the bathroom. Second and third on the right are the guest rooms and my bedroom is the third on the left. I'll get you a towel."
"Thank you for the short tour."
"You'll find a stack of new toothbrushes in the top drawer, take your pick."
Temperance opened the door to the large bathroom as Alex opened the linen closet. She handed the brunette a towel then went to her bedroom.
Alex showered in the ensuite then dressed in an old NYPD tee shirt and navy blue boxers. She found similar attire for Temperance and headed back down the hall. Knocking on the bathroom door, she asked, "Are you decent?"
"Come on in."
Alex stepped inside and gawked at the naked doctor. Her eyes roamed over the 34B-24-35 physique then lower to the neatly trimmed strip of light brown pubic hair. "I'm ... sorry," she stuttered. "I'm staring."
"One should never be ashamed to look and you have seen me unclothed before."
Alex handed over the clothes, "I've done a lot more than that Doc." She left a tittering Temperance and went into the living room to wait.
Temperance joined her moments later and sat beside the blonde, "When were you assigned to FBI Headquarters?"
"I wasn't."
"That doesn't make sense, you are there now."
"I'm actually with the Washington Metropolitan Field Office over on 4th Street. I was seconded to Booth's position due to a shortage of available Agents."
"Oh I see, so Hacker isn't usually your boss?"
"No thank goodness."
"Why is that?"
"Hacker fumbles around when it comes to making decisions and the man is obviously besotted with you."
"I have no interest other than friendship with Andrew and have informed him of such. We have dated several times in the past and I admit to enjoying his conversational skills, but am not sexually attracted to him."
"You don't mince words, do you?"
"If you mean I am upfront and honest, then yes."
"That's exactly what I mean."
"I see it as a complete waste of time to allow someone to harbour unrequited feelings. It is best to cease that person's torment."
"So how do you explain your arrival here tonight and don't tell me it was just to check up on my welfare?"
"I told you earlier that I find you attractive and interesting."
"So, it's not just about sex?"
"No it isn't. I would like to know you better."
"I'd like to know more about you too, but as I said before, I am not in a position to offer you more that friendship."
"I guess that is an acceptable start," surmised Temperance before yawning.
"Time for bed Brennan," suggested Alex as she rose from the couch.
"Yes I agree. I will see you in the morning and thank you for your hospitality."
"Goodnight, you go ahead and I'll turn off the light."
The next chapter awaits!