Just a one off, haven't planned any more Bones stories but you never know! Read, review and enjoy :)
Angela Montenegro, Forensic artist and best friend of forensic anthropologist, Temperance Brennan, open the door to the office and shut the door behind her. Tempe looked up from her work when she heard the recognisable sound of the doors lock clicking into place.
"Angela?" Tempe asked with a frown, "What do you want?" There was something in Angela's eyes that Tempe recognised and she was instantly wary of her friend's intentions, "Angela," Tempe sounded out slowly as a smile grew on Angela's full pink lips. Angela walked to Tempe's desk and leant her hands on the edge.
"Are you going to tell me or do I have to force it out of you," Angela said, raising an eyebrow.
"Tell you what?" Tempe asked honestly. She had no idea what Angela was on about. Her expression blank, something neither was used to. Angela sighed and rolled her eyes, she twisted her body and slid onto the desk, "You know there is a chair," Tempe motioned to the chair behind Angela.
Angela waved her friend off and continued her questioning, "I'm talking about yesterday."
"I'm fine Angela," Tempe flashbacked to yesterdays incident, just glad her bones hadn't been disturbed in the incident. She leant back in her chair and played with the biro in her hands absentmindedly.
"Hello?" Angela waved her hand in front of her friends face, "Look," Angela started as Tempe snapped out of her thoughts, "I have it on good authority that something happened between you and Booth yesterday."
"Where did you hear that?"
"Aha!" Angela exclaimed, "So it is true!"
"I never said that," Tempe shook her head, "I only expressed interest in where you heard such a rumour."
"Come on Honey, throw me a bone here!" Angela paused as she realised what she had said, "Pun not intended," Her large smile contagious.
"Okay, something, nearly happened, emphasis on the nearly."
"Yes!" Angela punching her fist in the air, "I want all the juicy details."
Tempe gave Angela a look, "There are no juicy details, he saved my life that's all."
"That is so not all."
"Fine," Tempe gave up, knowing that her friend wouldn't give up until she knew all the details.
"You're very quiet today," Tempe observed as they drove to the crime scene.
"Maybe I just don't feel like talking", Booth replied curtly as he turned the corner and entered the park where a skeleton had been found in a woodshed.
"Come on! Any other day and I can't get you to shut up," Tempe stared out the window at her surroundings as she spoke.
"Me? I'm not the one who doesn't know the meaning of "let me do the talking," Booth snapped. Keeping one hand on the wheel he brought his other hand up and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"You're tense again."
"How about we go back to not talking huh?" Booth parked the car a minute later and stepped out of his government issue SUV without waiting for his partner.
"Hey! What's wrong with you!" She asked him as she ran to catch up with him. They were both heading to the flashing lights and commotion just ahead of them. The Woodshed had been set on fire and Temperance could smell the thick acrid rancidness of burnt wood and flesh.
"Nothing Bones, but I want to thank you for the tactful way you asked," He replied sarcastically, "Lets just get on with this Bones," He added as he lifted the police tape up for the both of them. Police had already taped of the area and were waiting for Booth for more instructions.
"We're just waiting on the bucket boys to give us the go ahead," An unfamiliar detective told Booth while Tempe stood behind with her arms crossed, Booth's attitude today was irritating her, "There's some containers with flammable liquids inside that overheated in the fire, they just want to make sure the site is safe before letting anyone near it."
Tempe pushed past Booth to talk to the detective, "Please tell me they haven't touched my bones!" The detective looked over the top of his sunglasses.
"I'm no rookie miss," Tempe held back the urge to lunge at the guy for calling her "miss" ,"But I'm sure given half the chance the bucket boys would love to touch your…bones," The look of lust that past across the detectives eyes made her skin crawl. She was about to teach the chauvinist pig a lesson when Booth stepped in-between them.
"I want a progress report from the fire chief now Detective, before I let her break your arm," The stern look in his eyes told the detective he wasn't joking around. He stalked off as Booth turned back to his partner.
"I didn't need protecting Booth," She responded, still annoyed at her partner.
"I don't care if it was you or Britney Spears, no woman she be talked to like that," He explained before stalking off. Temperance sighed and shook her head, she followed Booth to where the tape was. It was as near as she could get to the bones till she was given the all clear. She studied Booth for a second and then made up her mind. She lifted up the tape and ducked under it. She stalked over to the bones with determination. She wasn't going to lose any time with the bones just because some paint tins might explode. And if they did then she might not have any bones to work with. She needed to get a good look at them now just in case she couldn't later.
"Bones!" She heard Booth shout from behind her. She ignored it and carried on walking, "Bones!" He shouted again, "Get your ass back here now!" He ordered, like she would obey. She stood over the body and examined the remains. A second later she felt Booth's approach. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to face him, "Are you nuts?" He asked.
"I have to get a look at the remains now Booth," She tried to explain but with mood he was in she knew he wouldn't listen. Everything after that happened in a blur. Booth grabbed both of her arms tightly and pushed her to the ground, he threw himself on top of her as she heard a loud explosion. His arms protected her head while his body protected her body from the heat of the fire and debris which fell around them. As the noise died down Booth lifted his head up slightly so they were looking into each other's eyes. Tempe suddenly became aware of the strong muscles that were pinning her to the ground and the hand that was brushing a piece of stray hair back behind her ear. She tilted her head slightly, keeping eye contact as he lowered his head. Tempe's heart began to race as their lips almost met. A second later and they would be kissing.
"Are you okay?" A voice asked and their heads snapped apart as if they'd been burnt. Booth rolled off Tempe and pulled himself up into a sitting position. He groaned, lifting a hand to his head, "Can we get some paramedics over here!" The fireman who had come to help them shouted.
"Bones, you okay?" Booth asked, avoiding eye contact.
"I'm fine," She replied, "What about you?" She asked concerned.
"I'll live," He winced as the fireman prodded the gash on the back of his head. A paramedic rushed over and took over from the firemen.
"You'll need to be checked out at the hospital sir", The paramedic told Booth as he placed gauze on the bleeding wound.
"No arguments!" Tempe said sternly before Booth could open his mouth to protest. Booth was helped to his feet and led to the ambulance. Temperance waved off any help and picked herself up. She stretched, hearing her vertebrae click as she bent backwards. She then caught up with Booth and helped him into the ambulance, "I'm coming with you," She told him as the ambulance doors closed behind her and they sped away.
"And?" Angela prompted after hearing her friend's story of events.
"And what?" Tempe asked, "He got checked out, had his cut stitched up and then sent home a couple of hours later, end of story," She shrugged.
"Honey, you and Booth almost kissed!" Angela said, as if Tempe didn't know.
"Emphasis on the almost Angela."
"Well are you going to finish what you started?" Angela asked with a wink.
Tempe rolled her eyes, "I didn't start anything Angela, nothing happened," She emphasised for the hundredth time.
"Honey, do you really think that things will ever be the same between you and him? You're always going to be wondering what would have happened if you weren't interrupted. Things are gonna be weird between you two if you don't talk to Booth straight away and resolve things."
Temperance frowned, "You really think so?"
"I know so, trust me," She nodded her head towards the door and Tempe turned her head to look out the office window. Sitting at his desk was Hodgins, blissfully unaware that he was being watched. Angela smirked, "Talk to him Sweetie," She advised before pushing herself up and out of the chair. She left the office silently and Tempe watched as she sat down in the chair next to Hodgins and the pair smiled at each other goofily.
Later that evening Tempe knocked on the FBI agent's door with hesitation. She'd been debating whether or not to come here all day. So distracted with her internal debate that even her assistant Zach knew something was up. She shifted from one foot to the other as she waiting for Booth to answer. She knocked again impatiently.
"I'm coming I'm coming," A grouchy voice answered from the other side of the door. A second later the door swung open and Booth appeared, "Bones," Booth greeted, "What are you doing here?" He asked.
"I came to see if you were alright."
"Ah you know me Bones, I've got a hard head," He knocked a fisted hand against his skull to prove his point, "You bring food?"
"Was I supposed to?" She asked with a frown.
He shrugged, "Come in, I'll order, what do you want?" She followed him into the house and into the living room. She'd been to his house a couple of times before. His house was masculine without being a typical bachelor pad. The few toys and games on a shelf reminded Tempe that her partner was a father, if only a couple of weekends a month. A pile of files and folders on the coffee table told Tempe that Booth had ignored doctors orders and kept on working from home, "Whatever," Tempe replied with a small shrug. Booth picked up the phone and called Wong Foo's for his usual times two.
"So," He begun as he hung up and put the phone back on it's cradle, "You find anything from the bones yesterday?"
"Male, late sixties," Tempe replied.
"And?" Booth prompted as he dropped onto the couch next to Brennan.
"Died in the fire," She responded, "Won't know anything else until Zach's finished cleaning the bones."
Booth nodded, "So."
"So," Tempe copied.
"We should talk."
"Yes we should," A silence fell over the pair, neither one wanting to start the conversation they had been avoiding for over a year. Tempe sighed, hating the stalemate, "I should thank you," She began.
"Why?"
"You saved my life Booth."
"Ah that, was just doing my job. I thought you didn't like protecting?" Booth asked, raising an eyebrow.
"There are always exceptions," She replied.
"Are we going to talk about what happened after the explosion?" Booth blurted.
"Nothing happened," Tempe reasoned.
"Something nearly happened," Booth argued. Tempe didn't reply, "Bones we almost kissed"
"Almost! What is it with you and Angela! Something almost happened but it didn't why do things that don't happen need to be discussed?"
"Why not!"
"Why can't we just forget it ever happened!"
"Because I want it to happen again!" Booth shouted without realising what he had just said.
Tempe's head snapped up, her eyes wide as she took in his words. Did he really mean what he said? "What?" She asked in a whisper.
He sighed, "I said I want it to happen again," There was no point in trying to talk his way out of this one, "I like you Bones, more than as a partner or friend," Booth waited for a reaction from Brennan but none came, "Look, I saw the way you looked at me after the explosion, I know because it's the same way I was looking at you. If you don't feel the same then say something so I can stop embarrassing myself," The doorbell rang, interrupted any further discussion. Booth knew Brennan probably needed time to think anyway. He paid for the Chinese and set it out on top of the coffee table, "Are you going to say anything or am I going to have to eat in silence?" He asked as he opened a tub and dipped the chopsticks inside.
"Say we were going to begin something," Tempe began and Booth raised his eyebrows at her suggestion, "Then what would happen to our work partnership?"
"Why can't things stay the same?" Booth replied.
"What if things don't work out?"
"Look, our work relationship has always been so effective because I know you respect me as much as I respect you. I respect that you know what you're talking about. I trust that you'll have my back. Even if things don't work out between I know that it won't change my respect and trust for you," Tempe smiled, "Did I say the right thing?" Booth asked, unsure where this was heading. Tempe laughed, "What?"
She shuffled across the couch so she was next to him and looked into his eyes, "Maybe we should finish what we started. In a strictly scientific experiment," She spoke.
"Scientific experiment?" He asked as he smiled back at her.
"Of course," She replied as her heart beat began to race again. She placed a hand on his chest and moved even closer so their lips were just millimetres apart. Suddenly the phone rang. .
Booth groaned, annoyed at the irony, "Just ignore it," They waited but the phone continued to ring.
Tempe pulled away first and sighed, "Get it," She said, leaning back into the couch.
"We will continue this afterwards," He told her as he leant over the armrest and picked up the phone, "Booth," He answered, "Yes Sir, I'm feeling fine….Yes Sir I'll Be in tomorrow," Booth turned to watch Temp as he listened to his boss speak. The smile of her face and the look in her eyes was just too tempting and he didn't want to wait any longer or risk being interrupted for the third time, "Excuse me sir, there's something I have to do," He hung up the phone and through it away, almost instantly he pulled Tempe against him hard, cupped her cheek and pressed his lips to hers. Tempe got over her shock quickly and began enjoining the deep passionate kiss. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck, pulling him even closer then tilted her head to deepen the kiss even further. His free hand went to the small of her back, holding her comfortingly in the embrace. Less than a minute later they break apart, needing air just slightly more than they wanted to continue what they were doing, "Well?" Booth asked.
"Well what?" Tempe asked, her brain still fuzzy from the kiss.
"What are the results of the experiment?" He asked with a smirk. She hated his arrogance and high self esteem most days but today it was making her want him more. He knew he was a good kisser and now she knew too, "I don't know," She replied teasingly, "I think more experimentation is needed," She explained before capturing his lips in another deep kiss.