Title: Breaking News

Summary: Hannah's back and sees just how off things really were before... What was she thinking with trying to outplay a genius all those years ago...

So nertooold was my 50th review for Message in the Circles. I told them as a gift then to give me a prompt to write and I'll give it a go. This is what came out of it. Hope you like.

Let me know what you think.

Prompt: Brennan's hurt and in the hospital. Hannah comes to visit and Brennan reminds her about the social convention of bringing a present. After B&B get together.

Disclaimer: Still don't own.

I've been in New York for the past two months on assignment. It had been years since I had been in the states and after my last overseas assignment my boss had insisted that I return to the states for a few months.

I hadn't even thought about returning since the last time I was in the states seeing as how well that turned out. This time it was different though and I was beginning to think about visiting D.C. and see what had changed.

Maybe see how Seeley was too. I really don't think by this point he'd still be single, but I can't help but to wonder if he did get married like he always wanted.

For now though I decided that I wasn't going to go to D.C. because another part of me didn't want to know.

I was walking down the hallway to get a cup of coffee from the break room. A couple of my coworkers, Bill and Ted, were in there discussing the latest stories that they were assigned. I poured myself a cup of the coffee and was listening to their conversation. Bill was talking and it seemed to be the standard stuff that has been coming in recently.

Ted's next comment caught my attention however, as I took a sip of my coffee.

"Yeah, I get to go down to the hospital and try to get a statement from Temperance Brennan," he had told the other man. I started choking.

"You alright, Hannah?" Bill asked when they heard me. I ignored him and looked to Ted.

"Did you just say Temperance Brennan?"

"Yeah, she was here last night and today for a book signing and it got a little rough this morning when they ran out of her books. She got caught up in the middle of a riot apparently. I got assigned that story. Why?"

"I used to know her fairly well. It caught me by surprise, you saying she's in New York and in the hospital. I'm sure the guy who hurt her the most is in worse shape though after Seeley got to him."

"Who?"

"Seeley Booth. He's her work partner. He's really protective of her. Rarely lets her go anywhere that might put her in danger without him. He told me about a case where her manager got murdered at a book signing when I asked why he normally went to her publicity events so I really doubt he'd not be there."

Bill and Ted started to laugh and I couldn't figure out why. I must have shown my confusion because Bill explained, still laughing.

"Ok. I know you've been out of the country for a while but do you live under a rock. You're a reporter. You should have heard by now that Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan have a kid. Someone's got to stay in D.C. with her."

"Wow…" I had not been expecting that. I found myself questioning them, wanting to know more. "So, are they together or… What's the story?"

"Not really sure anyone knows the full story. Don't think anyone even knew they were together until it came out she was pregnant," Ted started filling me in. Bill then jumped in.

"All anyone really knows I think is that they live together and are together with a daughter. They are actually really good at keep their private life private. It really gets annoying when you get assigned a story on something about her. Getting info on her private life is like pulling teeth that aren't there." Bill then looked to Ted. "You might want to head over now. It's a long trip from D.C. You might make it out before he shows up."

"Yeah, good idea. I really don't want to come face to face with him."

"Who? Seeley?"

"Yeah, last time she was hurt and a reporter tried to get a statement from her he gave him such a tongue lashing about something that the guy quit the following day. To this day no one knows if it was voluntary or not. You want a statement from her, you get to her before he does," Bill explained. "Why do you keep calling him Seeley anyway? No one dares to, at least not after what happened to that female reporter a while ago."

"What do you mean?" I asked, wanting to avoid the question for now.

"Well, it had been out for a long time that they were together, but some reporter thought that she'd have better luck getting a statement from him if she flirted with him. Well, she realized her mistake when she finally came to in the hospital," Ted told her.

"Temperance punched her out?" I was so confused now. The Temperance I knew I didn't think would ever do something like that. They must have heard the surprise in my voice and they started laughing.

"Don't be stupid," Bill told me. "She didn't really care 'cause it was clear that he wasn't interested. It was…" He looked to Ted, "what's that artist chick's name again?"

"Angela?" I asked him.

"Yeah, that's it! Rumor has it before punching her in the face she told her something about not being a second home wrecker. No one's really sure of what she meant to this day," Bill told her. "How is it you seem to know so much about them, but not a thing?"

"I used to date Seeley and we lived together for a while before I went back overseas," I told them. I wasn't about to tell them that I left after turning down his proposal.

"Ah, that explains some things then," Ted said.

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

"The home wrecker comment," he told her. "She had said something about that reporter being worse than a blonde sunglass stealing bimbo moving in. By any chance was she talking about you?" I flushed slightly. I guess now I knew what Angela really thought of me. I wonder now if everyone else actually hated me too. Ted pulled me out of my thoughts by speaking.

"You want to take the story and I take one of yours?"

"What's the catch?" I asked him, knowing that any reporter would kill to get their name on an article about Temperance Brennan, especially one where she's a victim from something.

"No catch. We've been talking for a while. He's probably been driving with his lights and sirens on and I'd prefer to keep my job and not get my ass kicked. Total self-preservation and since it seems like you knew them well he probably wouldn't make your life miserable for asking too much."

If he only knew I turned down his proposal…

I don't know why, whether it was out of my curiosity about how they were doing or if it was for the story, but I found myself agreeing to swap stories and found myself heading toward the hospital shortly after.

When I got to the hospital I was quickly able to locate Temperance's hospital room. I had been told by the staff that she just had some bumps and bruises and minor cuts. She got a private room so a spectacle wasn't being made in the emergency room.

When I got to the room, I found her sitting on the edge of the bed, looking out the window. She had some slight bruising on her cheek and a cut on her forehead that I could see. I didn't know if she had any other injuries. She didn't look happy to still be stuck here. I was guessing she was still stuck here because Seeley called and told the staff not to let her leave until he got there himself. She didn't seem to see me in the doorway, so I moved to knock lightly on the frame.

Apparently she had realized someone was there but was just ignoring it because she spoke before I actually hit the frame.

"How many times do I have to tell you incompetent reporters that I do not wish to give you a statement and you will not be getting one any time soon because I will not play into your sick perverted game of making me a victim to further enhance your careers."

I could tell she had more to say, but I cut her off.

"Um, Temperance?" I asked cautiously as I also realized if she was already that uptight about giving a statement there was no way I was getting a statement from her especially once Seeley got here. I wasn't even asking before she bit my head off too.

"Oh! Hannah!" She sounded confused, and I can't say I blamed her. "What are you doing here? I thought you were overseas."

"I was, but it had been years since I'd been back in the states and my boss insisted I needed to come back for a couple of months and I happened to hear about what happened and wanted to see how you were." I wasn't about to tell her that I was supposed to be here for a statement. Looks like I was getting a tongue lashing from my boss today.

"I'm not giving you a statement either. So you can go back to your boss and tell that to him." I was surprised by her comment.

"What makes you think I came for an article?" I asked hesitantly, not sure how she knew about me needing to be here for a statement that I had already decided not to ask for and a little afraid about the answer.

"I believe that it was you who informed me of the societal norm of bring a gift to someone in the hospital when you come to visit them when you commandeered my sunglasses because I did not bring one to you when I visited you after you had been shot in the leg. I do not see a gift so it would be logical to assume that either there is an ulterior motive for you to be here, like an article, or you had lied to me back then about a societal norm of giving a gift when you visit someone in the hospital. I will choose to assume that it is the former and that you are really here for an article." I wanted to wince at how bad either option sounded but resisted.

"Well…" I was trying to figure out how to dig myself out of the hole that seemed to be about 30 feet deep. I figured the only chance was to change the topic. "I hear that you and Seeley are together now with a little girl. Congratulations."

"Yes, Christine. She is developing quite quickly and is extremely intelligent for her age. We are very happy." She clearly was not going to continue telling me anything and we fell into an awkward silence. I had no idea what else to say to her to get the awkwardness out of the way. I was quickly saved by a familiar voice coming from down the hall.

"Bones!" Seeley Booth strode into the room quickly, not even noticing me and going right up to her and looking at her and checking over the bruises and cuts on her face. "Are you alright?"

"Booth, I'm perfectly fine," she told him. She sounded a little exasperated with his concern.

"You're in the hospital. Clearly you're not 'perfectly fine'."

"And I would have been long gone by now if you hadn't called them and told them to keep me here until you could come." At least he had the decency to look slightly embarrassed about being caught. "Speaking of which, we will be discussing that at home later."

"Well the news wasn't exactly forthcoming with any information and I was concerned. I didn't want to try to be tracking you all over New York when I didn't know how injured you were."

"Where's Christine?" she changed the subject. I decided that now was going to be the best chance for me to slip out of the room undetected and I took the opportunity to do just that.

As I walked down the hallway of the hospital I only had a few thoughts.

I was so screwed when I got back to the office without a story.

I so need to get back overseas and never return to the states ever again.

And.

I really have to see if I can find those sunglasses in my bags again and send them back to their rightful owner. I now finally realized that I was just borrowing Seeley Booth and it seemed only right that the sunglasses return to their rightful owner as well.

So it went a little different than the prompt... hope you still enjoyed... please review and let me know what anybody thinks!