Disclaimer: Nope not yet, probably not ever! HH will keep them.
What do you write after the last episode? I don't know because I am becoming more and more confused and it's getting harder and harder to write for them because of HIM.
Chapter 23 - Padme Cometh
Booth's Apartment Late Friday Afternoon
He was sitting on the couch staring at the hockey game not caring what the score was or in fact not even caring who was playing. Suddenly there was frantic loud pounding on his front door.
"Seeley open this door right now!" He heard his brother yell loud enough to wake the dead.
His headache magnified 10 fold, so did his anger. Stomping to the door he threw it open to find his brother and Padme outside his door and Jared pushing his way through.
"Jared what the fuck do you want the game is on and on top of that I have a migraine. So sorry if I'm not so polite but the two of you can just get the hell out."
"No way Bro" Jared said in his best I'm in charge now voice and the two of them walked over to sit on his couch. Looking like they intended to stay awhile.
Sweeping his hand through his hair and sighing he asked "what do I have to do to get rid of you?"
"Answer a few questions" Jared looked at him.
Booth could tell there was no way he could get out of this so he prepared to give in a little, at least as much as he could without collapsing because he was pretty sure he knew what Jared wanted to know and he wasn't sure if he could answer them and still stay sane. "You can ask three so they better be good ones."
"So why aren't you answering your phone. Pops and Parker both called me asking if you were ok. They even tried you at work."
Shit he thought to himself, he knew they would have asked questions about Bones and want to make plans that included her and working with her right now took all the energy he had. Taking a giant gulp of air trying to hold in the tears he told Jared a half truth. "I guess I missed their calls and we have been busy. You know how it is…"
"No I don't not for you. But anyway, so you are good right the brain tumor hasn't returned?"
Damn he hadn't even thought anyone would think this was the issue. "No Bro that's all good believe me I would have called you and Pops right away."
"So if everything is so good why did we see you out the other night with some new woman. What happened between you and Dr. B.?"
He jumped up and yelled "That is one question I won't answerer you have no right to ask me that."
For the first time Padme spoke up "so your relationship with Temperance is on hold?"
"I said I'm not answering any questions about our relationship to you or anyone else."
Padme looked around the room at Seeley and then began her assessment "so Seeley what you are telling us is your relationship with Temperance is on solid ground and this is why you don't return calls, you ignore your family, including Pops and Parker by the way, you look like crap, in fact you look like someone who had just gambled away his last dollar and doesn't know what to do next" she looked at him in defiance.
He had been getting progressively angrier as she went on. How dare she, a whore no less, tell him… "I suppose you got your degree in psychology while you were working the streets?" he ground out.
At this Jared jumped up ready to defend his wife, who calmly told her husband to sit down. "Yes as a matter of fact Seeley I did. I can tell when a guy is hurting and in this case make a fair guess as to what is causing the pain. She must have hurt you very deeply for you to retreat this far back into yourself. According to Jared you have been patiently waiting for her for over 6 years and now you suddenly felt you needed to move on. It isn't working is it? Tell me Seeley why did she say no?"
With her quiet words the dam broke and all his anger, fears and insecurities came flooding out.
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Temperance's Apartment – Later Friday Evening
She was trying to work, trying being the operative word. It had been more than a week since she had written a cogent sentence. Suddenly there was a loud bagging on her door and she heard Jared yelling "Temperance Brennan open this door right now." Fearing there was something wrong with Booth she ran to the door open. Once it was open she found Jared and Padme pushing their way past to sit on her couch.
"Jared what is it is there something wrong with Booth? What are you and Padme here?"
Jared answered her quickly "I could tell you but I found it more efficient to just let Padme do it." Turning to his wife he said "Go ahead sweetheart."
"Thank you, Jer" turning back to Temperance she said "Temperance I don't have time to play 20 questions with you so I'm just going to ask you a question and I would prefer if you answer it as succinctly as possible. Do you love Seeley?"
"How dare you ask me such a personal question." Brennan snapped at her "that is none of your business."
"Oh but you see it is our business, because your relationship with Seeley is disturbing the Wa, the Chi, in our household."
"I fail to see how Booth and I feel about each other and disturb you and Jared."
"Jared is worrying about his brother, worrying about how he is going to survive you, if he is going to start gambling again."
"Oh" Brennan said as she slumped down into her chair, tears starting to spill. "But everything should be fine. He is dating Katherine and we are Partners just as we have always been. Everything is back the way it was."
"Temperance for an intelligent woman you can be so stupid sometimes."
Jared winced at his wife directness but Seeley and Temperance's inability to see what was right in front of them had been something Jared and Padme had discussed numerous times.
You are trying to turn back time no one can do that. You cannot un-ring a bell, its melody is always out there. Let me ask you something. You told Booth you couldn't be with him because you weren't good enough. Why?"
Her tears were falling like the rain down her face "he deserves someone who is good in social situations, someone who wants a home, marriage, children, a blond…"
"Would you be interested to know why Seeley thinks you said no? He thinks you don't think he's smart enough, that he doesn't make enough money, that he's just a dumb jock who is now a dumb cop..."
As Padme continued to list how Booth thought she saw him her face tool on a look of horror. He wasn't any of those things. Not one of them. She had to make sure he knew that. "I have to go, she said to Jared, "lock up" she said as she ran out of her apartment just barley grabbing her keys.
Padme and Jared looked at each other and smiled maybe…
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Booth's Apartment - Friday Night Booth
10 minutes later she was standing, shivering at his door banging on it, hoping her was home and would let her in.
He saw her and opened it "Bones what the fuck are you doing here at this time of night dressed like that … no don't tell me Padme got to you too didn't she. Come on in before you freeze." He went and got her a pair of sweats for her to put on over her baby doll pj's. In fact as he walked back to the living room he was pretty sure she didn't know that was what she had on and would be very embarrassed when she realized it. After pulling on the much too big sweats she came out with what she had come over to ask him "Booth do you really think you aren't good enough for me."
Trying to blow her off he said "nah I'm the best Partner you ever had right."
"Not good enough Booth I didn't mean Partner and you know it, do you really think the things Padme told me tonight are true?
"Damn I thought I could trust her to keep her mouth shut."
"So that's a yes?"
"Yeah I guess so" he muttered sitting down and staring at the carpet trying to dig a hole in it with his big toe.
"Well your wrong you ass hole. In fact if you keep thinking that way you're going to be the biggest ass hole this side of the Mississippi" she shouted at him.
Getting up and walking over to hover over her chair he said "Oh and you're such a great candidate for truth and understanding yourself. You've been lying to yourself and to me for so long it's become your truth."
Standing and pushing him back she said "just what do you mean by that Mr. I'm dating someone else now?"
"Oh well let's see Miss I can't make a commitment, well you made one for 6 years to our partnership so far, and don't seem to want that to end any time soon like for the next 40, 50, or 60 years."
"That's not fair that's business."
"Well so are most marriages. Not a business the way you think of them but just a way of always needing to work on them, of new agreements always needing to be worked out as things change."
"Well the biggest problem is you like blonds and I'm not in case you haven't noticed" she screamed as she stood nose to nose with him."
"And your biggest thing is you need a man smarter than you!" he screamed back.
Suddenly they looked at each other and blinked.
"But Booth she said as she started to cry you are as smart as me just mot in the same area's"
"But Bones I hate blonds as he started to cry.
They said in unison.
For the slightest second they waited then they grabbed each other and clung onto each other like they being saved from drowning.
He picked her up and carried her over to the couch, "hush baby don't cry" he said soothingly as he brushed her tears away with his thumbs. She turned in his lap and began to wipe his tears away too. They sat for several minutes just reacquainting themselves with each other.
"Booth she said I'm sorry I was so scared when you said you wanted to take a chance on us. I didn't even wait to listen. It was stupid. Then I had locked myself in a corner and didn't know how to get out of it. By the time I knew I was wrong you were dating Katherine and I really do want you to be happy. If she makes you happy I'll remain just your partner."
"Bones I stopped dating her a while ago. It wasn't fair. Every time I was out with her I was thinking of you, and if it matters we never slept together. I told her I wanted to go slow, but in reality I couldn't, it felt like I was cheating on you."
"She was playing with the button on his shirt "we are a pair of fools aren't we."
"Well yeah, but we still have the issue of deciding on working together or being partners. The FBI still has rules."
"OH" she sat up brightly "I know the answer to that one."
"You do?" he asked curiously.
"Yep, I asked Andrew how we could date if there was an issue regarding FBI employees or Consultants dating he said it was ok because he just gave himself permission. So all we need to do is ask him to give us permission. I'm sure he'll do it" she smiled as she lay her head on his shoulder.
So Andrew had used himself to get around the rules had he? Well Booth was sure he could find a legitimate way to get Hacker to give them permission too. Looking back at the delightful bundle in his arms he decided to forgo anymore thinking for the moment and delve into the charms that were Temperance Brennan who if he had read her correctly had just become his girlfriend. One who under his oversized sweats was wearing killer baby doll pj's.
