Walk on the Wild Side (Rated T, BB, Undercover) - by Bertie456 Posted 11/01/2008 11:41:54 AM

So here's yet another fic I'm copying over from ff.net. It'll be 18 chapters, with some B&B semi-smut, romance, angst and H/C (kinda). Plus Booth with dessert toppings at some point. Hope you enjoy and feedback is very much appreciated.

[s]Chapter 1 - Phone Call[/s]

I know I can get it, Temperance Brennan thought as she pressed herself against the shelves. I'm almost there. I can feel it, I just need-

"Need a hand, Bones?"

Snapping out of her thoughts, she spun round to face her partner, who was standing in her doorway with a grin on his face. She planted her hands on her hips with a scowl. "I am perfectly capable of getting a book down from a bookshelf on my own, Booth."

He raised his eyebrows and said, sarcastically, "Yeah, because you were doing so well so far." He walked over and started to easily reach for the book that had been eluding her.

Brennan slapped his hand away in annoyance, not wanting to admit defeat. "I told you, I can reach it on my own," she said, petulantly, pushing him away and turning her attention back to the shelves.

Booth raised his hands in surrender and stepped back slowly. "Just trying to help..." he said with a smile as he watched his partner stretch back up for the dusty black book.

His eyes couldn't help but move down as her shirt rode up, exposing the flawless skin on her lower back. His gaze travelled down again and dozens of inappropriate thoughts suddenly rushed through his head when she let out a small moan of frustration as her fingertips brushed the book. He took a deep breath, unsure of how much more he could listen to.

Brennan let out a gasp as she felt Booth's hand rest on her hip. She tried to turn round to protest, but realised that his body was pressed firmly against hers, pinning her between him and the bookshelf. Feeling his stomach muscles tighten as he stretched upwards, she immediately tried to banish any unprofessional thoughts and instead looked up, concentrating on the hand that was reaching for the book, not the one now nestled comfortably on her waist.

Booth slid the book off the shelf with ease and moved back slightly, letting out the breath he'd been unconsciously holding. Brennan turned round and he noticed that her cheeks were flushed, although he wasn't sure whether it was from embarrassment or her earlier exertions.

"I told you I could reach it," she said, softly.

"You're welcome," he replied, equally gently.

They stared at each other for a moment, both aware of their close proximity, but neither particularly wanting to move away.

Brennan was the first to break their gaze as she looked down to the book that Booth was still holding. "Um, I should really be getting on with my work now," she said without conviction as she reached for the book.

"Um, yeah, I just came by to, uh..." Booth's attention was suddenly distracted as he noticed the title of the book he was holding. He quickly stepped back out of his partner's reach, reading aloud with a mischievous smile on his face, "'Sexual Customs and Rituals of South American Tribes.' Bones, you never told me there was an adult section in your little anthropology library here."

She glared at him and tried to snatch the book back. "It's not pornography, Booth, it's a detailed anthropological study."

"Of sex," he added with a grin, waving the book at her.

She grabbed at it again and Booth backed away, laughing. "You are so immature," she said in what was supposed to be a serious tone, but she couldn't hide the small smile playing around the corners of her mouth.

"Immature?" he said, with mock hurt, "I'm just trying to catch up on my anthropological reading here." He flicked the book open, teasingly, "Now, let's see..."

Not wishing to endure the taunting that would follow if he read that book, Temperance Brennan did something she rarely did. She acted on impulse. Lunging at Booth, she knocked him off balance onto the couch, pulling the book out of his hands as he fell.

However, she misjudged the effects of her own momentum. Unable to stop in time, she threw the book out of Booth's reach before she too tumbled on the couch, much to the surprise of the agent beneath her. He groaned as she landed hard on his chest, and her eyes widened in concern, "Booth, are you..."

She trailed off when they both heard someone clear their throat loudly in the doorway. Temperance sat up hurriedly as best she could, not realising that her legs were still astride her partner. Booth propped himself up on his elbows and looked over the back of the couch at the stunned artist standing by the door.

Angela Montenegro raised her eyebrows at the couple sprawled before her. She picked up the book that was lying at her feet and read the title, smirking. Looking back to the pair on the couch, she smiled wickedly, unable to resist, "Well, whatever works for you."

She watched in amusement as their mouths fell open when they realised just how compromising their position was. "Ange, we weren't-" Brennan began, at the same time that Booth protested, "It's not what-" Neither wanting to interrupt the other, they both fell silent.

Angela flashed them a large smile before teasing them further. "Well, I'll just let you get back to your, uh, research," she said, giving them a conspiratorial wink before dashing back out of the office.

Brennan looked down at Booth, unsure of what to say. "Uh, she's just, she didn't mean..." she ventured.

"Right," Booth said, nodding uncomfortably.

"Because we weren't..."

"Right."

"Research isn't... I mean, it wasn't..."

"Right."

"Good."

"Okay."

There was another awkward silence.

Booth shifted slightly. "Maybe we should, uh, you know, go do some, uh, work or something," he stammered, suddenly aware that he was still pinned to the couch.

Evidently Brennan realised at the same time and quickly dismounted, feeling the colour rush to her cheeks. "So, why did you come over?" she asked, unconsciously retreating behind her desk.

He got to his feet, unable to think of anything except Temperance Brennan on top of him on that couch. "I, um, I..." he mumbled, trying desperately to remember the reason. Suddenly it struck him. "I just wanted to see if you'd finished up your paperwork from the Silverman case."

She nodded and swiftly passed him a stack of papers. "That should be all of it."

Booth smiled, thankful for a reason to leave. "That's great," he said, backing towards the door. "I'll just sort this out back at the Bureau and I'll give you a call if I need anything else."

She gave him a small smile as he turned to leave but breathed a sigh of relief when he was gone. Picking up the book that had caused all the problems, she turned to her computer screen to write the next chapter of her novel, trying to forget that she'd had Seeley Booth on the couch between her legs just a few minutes earlier.

---------------

Temperance had finally managed to concentrate on her book, when the phone rang loudly on her desk. Checking her clock, she saw to her surprise that it had been two hours since Booth left. Half hoping it would be him, she answered on the second ring, "Brennan."
"Dr Brennan, it's Deputy Director Cullen here. Agent Booth asked me to contact you."

She frowned in confusion, asking, "Is he alright?"

"He's fine, Dr Brennan. He asked me to inform you that he has been transferred to another department, and will no longer be working as liaison to the Jeffersonian," he said in a business-like manner.

Brennan nearly dropped the phone. "But he was here a few hours ago," she said, shocked by the news. "Why has he been transferred?"

"Agents are transferred at the discretion of the FBI," Cullen answered briefly.

"But, but why didn't he tell me this himself?" she asked, unable to believe that Booth would do this to her.

Cullen sighed impatiently. "He is no longer your partner, Dr Brennan, and as such he has no reason to contact you," he said coolly. "I will have another agent assigned to the Jeffersonian institute first thing tomorrow."

Before she could argue further, the phone went dead, leaving Brennan in stunned silence.

God, I missed cliffies. Damn oneshots. Thanks for reading and I'll post again soon!

CheeseBK
Posted 11/01/2008 11:57:14 AM


wah!!!!! bertie, what cliffie!!!!!!! loved the writing, but WHY DO YOU SEND BOOTH AWAY?

ToZiKa

Posted 11/01/2008 12:49:05 AM


I hope this is only a very frightening nightmare or something like that...
You can't let that happen!
But you wrote something about romance and semi-smut (whatever that will be) and I hope that the angst was all in this part...

Posted 11/01/2008 01:11:35 PM


Oh, I know this one! It's fabulous. Happy to read it again.

(May I ask you... Could you probably add one M-rated chapter at the end of story? That would be great... )

bertie456

Posted 11/01/2008 01:23:08 PM


*points to summary* Cheese and toz - it says BB and I'd never lie to you...
Mereva - It says T in the summary... but I'll see what I can do. No promises though.

nane

Posted 11/01/2008 05:30:09 PM

Ha, I remember this marvellous beginning very well. And there is so much good stuff to come! Happy to read it again!

fanofbones
Posted 11/01/2008 08:59:10 PM


bertie....what are you doing to me exactly????
I am already hooked on like 2 of your fics and now you start another one!!!!!!!! Well I will be forced to quit my job so I can read around the clock girl....these are fabulous I tell ya...
and one more thing!!!!
OMG I can't believe you left on a cliffie...you...you...you...wonderful and glorious fic writer you....
Can't wait for more and totally agree with poster above...would love the spin you put on an M section inserted into....damn...i forgot what I was saying.....oh some smut would be fucking awesome...

hugs sweetie
fab

DBAngelfan
Posted 12/01/2008 01:19:59 AM


I read it all at FF.net. I won't spoil for anyone but I loved the read

Switch
Posted 12/01/2008 01:41:20 AM


OMG OMG OMG read this all on Fan fic .net and its one of my fave stories EVER!!! i cant wait to read it again and everyone will love it...yipee!

Posted 12/01/2008 08:38:01 AM
Thanks for all the feedback! I was wondering how many of you have read it before, but I guess you can always read again if you like And I'm not sure about the smut, fab and mereva; we'll see when we get there.

[s]Chapter 2 - Deception[/s]

The car door slammed shut and Rob Anderson walked quickly into the house he'd parked outside, looking around cautiously.

Seeley Booth remained sitting in the passenger seat of the car, watching his new partner go to meet his "informant" and wishing that he'd never got involved in this. He stared out of the window as the summer sun dipped behind the houses of one of DC's most unpleasant neighbourhoods, casting an eerie orange glow over the whole street.

It had been a whole week since he had left the Jeffersonian, and a whole week since he had seen Temperance Brennan. He had been with Cullen when he'd called to tell her of the transfer, and ever since he'd felt guilty for not telling her the truth. She can't know, he reminded himself. She'd only want to get involved. Plus, Cullen'll have my ass if I breathe a word of this to anyone.

He rested his head against the seat-back, remembering the phone call he'd received from her that night. He'd tried to reassure her, but he hadn't been allowed to tell her anything about where he was going, what he was doing, or even why he'd been transferred. Cullen had said that the official reason was that Booth himself had requested the transfer, but he knew that she would never have bought that.

I couldn't tell her anything, he thought sadly. She was so worried, and I couldn't say anything better than "Sorry, Bones. It happens." He winced at the memory. How the hell could I be so stupid? he asked himself in frustration. My last chance to speak to her, put her mind at ease, and that's the best I come up with?

Trying to ignore the thoughts that had been swirling round his mind all week, he checked his watch, wondering when to go in after Anderson.

Anderson. Not exactly my first choice of partner. Booth had met guys like Anderson in the past and he'd despised every single one of them. He guessed that Anderson himself was in his early thirties, but from the way he acted, he could still be some drunken frat boy. The whole group could be, he decided. The drinking, the sex, the drugs... They were not the kind of people he enjoyed spending time around. Hell, even the squints were better than these guys.

Before letting himself lapse into melancholy, he checked his watch again. Five minutes should be plenty, he thought confidently, trying to hide his nerves about what he was going to do. Now all I have to do is see Anderson get the drugs, then let him know that I know, and he should fold easily. He got quickly out of the car, doing his best not to think about the gaping holes in his only plan.

Checking around him, he moved swiftly down the side of the house, pressed close against the wall and hidden by the long evening shadows. When he had nearly reached the back of the house, he peered carefully in the grimy window and was rewarded by the sight of Anderson talking to another man, who was standing with his back to the window. His attention focused on trying to hear the conversation, Booth was caught off-guard as a gun was held to the back of his head.

Slowly, he raised his hands in surrender, but did not feel the cool barrel move away from his head. Hoping to catch the gunman by surprise, he shifted his weight, ready to turn and grab the gun, but froze as a woman's voice said coldly, "Don't even try it."

The voice sounded familiar, but before he could identify it, he felt men's hands shoving him towards the back door and into the small house. He soon found himself in the room that he had been looking into earlier and he glanced up to see Rob Anderson watching at him with a smile on his face. Booth's gaze shifted to the man he had been talking to and his eyes widened when he saw who it was.

"Joe Mendez," he spat, angrily.

"The whole gang's here to meet you, Booth," Mendez said, smiling darkly as he was surrounded. Booth's heart sank as he recognised those around him as the dirty FBI agents he was trying to gather evidence on. Rick Young, Heather White, Ana Lopez, Jackson Thomas, and the leader, Joe Mendez, he counted with disgust, fear growing in the pit of his stomach.

"What the hell's going on, Mendez?" he asked, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt.

Mendez made no reply but motioned to Young and Thomas, who were both at least as strong as Booth. He instinctively clenched his fists for a fight, but, feeling the gun press harder again his head, he didn't resist as the two agents pinned his arms tightly behind his back. He saw a woman move round to join Anderson and the others, holding a gun, and realised that the voice from outside had been that of Mendez's partner, Sophia King.

His attention was drawn back to his own partner as Rob Anderson began to walk towards him, speaking mockingly, "This is what happens when you spy on people."

Booth's eyes widened in realisation. "You planned this."

Anderson laughed. "You've been watching me every since you got transferred to Narco. We just wanted an opportunity to discuss your behaviour," he said, motioning to the group behind him.

Booth cursed himself silently for being so stupid. He'd overheard one of Anderson's earlier calls and guessed he was meeting a contact, so he'd waited till the last minute then asked for a ride home, claiming his car was in the shop. Anderson had agreed, but told him he needed to visit an informant, and Booth had offered to wait outside, hoping to catch him getting his new shipment of drugs. The possibility of a trap had never even crossed his mind.

Determined not to show weakness, he met his eyes. "So discuss."

Anderson chuckled softly, but swiftly pulled Booth's gun from its holster and smacked him across the face with it. As he cried out in pain, he forced the gun into Booth's mouth, causing him to gag as it touched the back of his throat. He met his eyes and spoke calmly, "We don't like being spied on, Booth. Especially by one of Cullen's lackies. Now, you got two choices. You can either tell us what you know, and then keep your mouth shut for the rest of your natural life, or I can put a bullet in your brain. Your call."

He paused for an answer, but the gun remained pressed against the roof of his mouth. Booth felt an irrational feeling of relief. He's new at this, he realised. I might just have a chance. He made a half-hearted attempt to speak and Anderson pulled the gun out quickly, hoping to cover his mistake. "What'll it be?" he asked, waving the gun.

"I'm not working for Cullen," he lied, meeting Anderson's eyes and praying that he'd guessed right.

Anderson's hesitation told him that he had. "Then why were you watching me?" he asked, losing some of his original authority.

"Because I want in," Booth said boldly, looking past him to Mendez, who he knew was pulling all the strings.

Mendez raised an eyebrow. "In what?" he asked, fully aware of what Booth was asking.

He took a deep breath. "I know what you're doing. You're working with the gang you were supposed to be convicting. Drugs brought in, evidence misplaced, charges dropped; whatever they want, you've done, and you're reaping the rewards," he said, pleased by Mendez's astounded expression. "I want in."

He shook his head. "You've got no proof of any of this."

Booth smiled. "If there was any proof, you'd all have been arrested by now. As it stands, you're doing pretty well for yourselves."

Anderson piped up again, "How do we know you're not working for Cullen?"

"Gun in my mouth not enough for you?" he replied, sarcastically, and Anderson looked down sheepishly.

After looking him up and down, Mendez nodded slowly, "Alright." He walked closer to Booth, who was still being held by the two agents. "But if I find out you're lying to me, I will break every single bone in your body."

He felt a flash of fear pass through him, but managed a cocky smile, "Good job I'm not lying then."

Mendez smirked and motioned to Young and Thomas, who promptly released Booth's arms and began to follow their leader out of the house. Booth rubbed his stiff shoulders as Anderson approached him, returning his gun. Before his partner could say anything, Booth landed a hard punch to his gut, doubling him over in pain. The rest turned suddenly, hearing the yelp of pain as he crashed to the floor.

Booth picked his gun up from where it lay by the fallen agent and walked towards the door, calling back, "Next time, use your own damn gun."

Satisfied, Mendez and the others left, not bothering to help the groaning Anderson. Holstering his gun and pulling his partner's car keys out of his pocket, Booth strode back outside, feeling his heartbeat slowly return to normal.

Well, I got what I came here for, he thought with relief as he got in the car. Might not have been the way I wanted it to go down, but at least I'm in. His relief turned quickly back to dread as he remembered what Cullen had told him the week before. What exactly have I got myself into?

SnoopGirl

Posted 12/01/2008 08:57:08 AM


Oh yeah, one of the best B&B fics out there! I just remembered my favourite part it comes at bit later.

fanofbones

Posted 12/01/2008 08:51:45 PM


Ok bertie...I'm getting the title now....
this is going to be fantastic...hell...it already is fantastic....but one word of warning..
don't hurt my man too much....especially his face....don't touch his face..... ;-)
more more more

hugs sweetie
fab

CheeseBK

Posted 13/01/2008 08:50:36 AM


uh-oh.... what is ging on here....

Posted 13/01/2008 09:53:27 AM

Snoop - would that favourite part involve whipped cream by any chance?
fab - Hopefully it can live up to the fantastic tag the whole way through - it's barely gotten started yet! And as for hurting Booth, I make no promises of any kind. *smiles innocently*
Cheese - You'll find out now... Well, kinda.

For the purpose of this story, Angela and Hodgins are not a couple. Just because I'm a lazy author.

[s]Chapter 3 - Distraction[/s]

Temperance Brennan sat up straight in front of the keyboard, ready to begin typing, then sighed and rested her head in her hands, staring into space.

She had been unconsciously repeating the same routine for twenty minutes, a fact which had not gone unnoticed by her best friend observing silently from the doorway. Seeing the anthropologist slump in defeat for the ninth time, Angela spoke up, wanting to put her friend out of her misery, "How about you call it a night?"

She looked up in surprise. "Angela! I didn't hear you come in."

"You know me," she replied with a grin, "Stealthy as a fox. A fox who at this moment in time really wants to go out drinking with her best friend." As she spoke she flashed what she hoped was a winning smile.

Brennan sighed again, and said, tiredly, "Ange, I'm working..."

Angela rolled her eyes, making a mental note to ask Booth for tips on winning smiles if she ever saw him again. "No, you're moping," she said, matter-of-factly, "There's a subtle but important difference."

"Angela, please," she began, stress now evident in her voice, "Would you just let me get on with my-"

"Moping? I've left you to mope on your own for three whole weeks now. I think it's safe to conclude that it really isn't working." Brennan opened her mouth to protest, but Angela was now in full flow, "This isn't healthy, Bren. You need to do something to take your mind off Booth, to get out of the office for a while. And since Agent Tightass isn't helping at all in that respect, I, as your best friend, am taking it upon myself to make you feel better."

A small smile crossed Brennan's face. "Agent Tightass?"

"You know, our helpful new FBI friend. Never lets you go out in the field, never does anything without all the necessary paperwork, goes running to tell Cam every time Hodgins so much as mentions Spam..." She nodded decisively, "Agent Tightass."

Angela was pleased to see a genuine smile cross Brennan's face for the first time in the three weeks since Booth had gone. However, the smile quickly vanished to be replaced by the familiar look of despondency.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I'm really not up for this tonight," she said quietly, turning back to the computer.

Seeing that she was losing her, the artist resorted to her last-ditch attempt. "Do you really think Booth's this upset over leaving you?"

Temperance turned around to face her, taken aback by her comment. "What?"

"Come on, Bren," she said, walking towards her. "You know Booth isn't feeling the same way about you. If he did, he wouldn't have left you like that." Her voice softened slightly. "He hasn't even called to check up on you. You have to stop torturing yourself over this, honey. It honestly isn't worth it."

Her eyes filled with hurt and Angela immediately hated herself for being so harsh, but when she saw new resolution cross Brennan's face, she realised that she had finally got through to her.

"Let's go out, hmm?" she said gently, wanting to take her mind of Seeley Booth once and for all. "You might even hook up with some hot guy..." she added with a smile.

Temperance got to her feet slowly. "Alright, I'll come. But I am not going to 'hook up' with a man I've never even met before," she stated firmly as she slipped her coat on.

Angela linked arms with her and led her out of the office, smiling broadly, "Don't put yourself down, sweetie. You've just got to think positive."

Her protests were silenced as Angela quickened the pace out of the lab.


---------

"See anything you like?" Angela shouted to her friend in what was possibly the quietest corner of the club.

Swallowing another mouthful of her drink, Brennan yelled back, "I've told you, I'm not looking for a boyfriend."

"Sugar, no-one here is looking for a boyfriend."

Both of them turned in surprise at the male voice and saw that an attractive guy with dark blond hair and deep blue eyes had sat down next to them.

"Wanna dance?" he asked Angela, giving her his most charming smile.

She hesitated, looking with concern at Brennan, who quickly yelled in her ear, "It's okay, I'm fine here."

"You sure?" she shouted back, not entirely convinced by her reassurance.

Temperance nodded confidently and a wide smile spread across Angela's face as she was led out into the sea of people, with the man's arm round her shoulders.

However, as she danced with him, she couldn't help but look over to the corner, where she now saw Brennan staring into her drink and looking miserable again. She moved in closer to her partner and shouted into his ear, "Hey, um, you got a friend?"

The guy looked down at her with a smile, his hands now resting on the top of her ass. "What did you have in mind?" he asked, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

Angela rolled her eyes and pointed over to where Brennan was sitting, "For my friend."

The man's smile widened further, "Four-way?"

Amused by his persistence, she asked again, "Look, you got a friend or not?"

He nodded and yelled, "Somewhere."

"Great," Angela said, more to herself than to him, as she made her way back through the crowd, leading him behind her.

Temperance looked around the club, taking frequent sips of her drink as she observed the way people found possible partners in this environment. She caught sight of a man and a woman kissing hungrily against a wall and wondered briefly if actual procreation took place here as well.

Her attention was distracted as she saw Angela coming back over to her, dragging her fairly inebriated dance-partner behind her. "He's got a friend!" she called, excitedly.

Brennan shook her head and held her hands up in protest, but she was pulled to her feet by Angela's free hand, and before she knew it she was surrounded by people.

"He's his partner," Angela shouted in her ear as they followed the guy across the dancefloor, trying not to knock any drinks out of people's hands. "He says that they work together so he's probably really hot."

Temperance was still sober enough to know that Angela's logic was faulty, but before she could correct her, they emerged from the crowd of people and found themselves near the entrance. Angela's new friend yelled triumphantly, "Here he is."

The women both followed his gesture but were shocked to see that the guy's friend was one half of the pair Temperance had seen earlier, who thankfully hadn't moved past kissing and groping. Yet.

Angela put a reassuring hand on Brennan's shoulder and yelled to the guy, "Looks like your friend's already got lucky. You know anyone else?"

He frowned in confusion and looked back to his friend against the wall. "Why? What's wrong?"

"He's kinda busy!" she shouted, losing patience.

He waved his hand drunkenly, "I'll fix it."

They both raised their eyebrows incredulously as Angela's guy went over to his occupied friend and spoke into his ear. The friend then started speaking to his girl, while the blond man moved back to the women, shouting, "He's not busy anymore."

Angela shook her head in disgust, "No way!" Turning to Brennan, she yelled, "Let's go!" She started to turn back to the dancefloor but stopped when she realised her friend was staring at something.

She followed Brennan's shocked gaze and her own mouth fell open when she saw the guy's friend, who had left his girl and was now leaning drunkenly on his partner's shoulder. Seeing the lipstick on his cheek and the buttons that had been undone on his black shirt, Angela yelled in disbelief across the noisy club, "Booth?!"

Yes, I know that was the most obvious surprise ever, but the big confrontation comes next chappie. Feedback makes me happy...

ToZiKa

Posted 13/01/2008 12:38:43 AM


Okaaaay.....I'm still a little shocked here....
can't really think of something other to say then fix it!
That's not how it should be....they should be together and happy and not alone and undercover in a gang....

I didn't read it before and I'll be waiting for you to post it here....I like getting a new chapter every day...

bhawkce

Posted 13/01/2008 01:25:26 PM


Holy cow!! More..please!! I can't WAIT to see how this ends.. You are killing me over here!

fanofbones

Posted 13/01/2008 02:33:39 PM

wow bertie..you little vixen you....I had a sneaking suspision it would be Booth....the blond haired descrïption tipped me off....but I wasn't sure..
God I love B&B confrontations.....holy cow...this should be brilliant...
edge of seat here girl....edge of seat...

fab

jerseybones

Posted 13/01/2008 10:38:29 PM

oh gosh bertie, this is one of my faves. i added it under ff so i'll never lose it, not ever.

this was so original and creative, but then again that's just you.

CheeseBK

Posted 14/01/2008 06:09:59 AM


oh my GAWD... what the heck is wrong with booth?

Posted 14/01/2008 08:16:28 AM

Toz - If they were happy and together, the story would be boring. But it does say BB in the summary...
bhawk - Hi! I've not "spoken" to you before! As for wanting more, ask and ye shall receive. *gestures in a magician-y fashion*
fab - You are like plot-twist Sherlock, so I'm not surprised you figured it out. And confrontation starts here...
jb - I remember your reviews from first time round! And I was very grateful for all of them. Hopefully this stands up to repeat readings.
Cheese - Find out below...

[s]Chapter 4 - Tired and Emotional[/s]

Rob Anderson's dark blue eyes widened when he heard the woman call his partner's name in shock. Turning to Booth, he asked, surprised, "You know these chicks?"

Booth squinted through his blurry vision, examining them both closely, before nodding drunkenly, "Yep."

Looking back at the stunned expressions on their faces, Anderson patted his friend on the shoulder. "Good luck, man," he yelled, before making a fast exit into the crowd of people. When he'd reached what he judged to be a safe distance, he glanced back to see Booth being half-led, half-dragged out of the club by the two women, and congratulated himself on getting out while he could.

Outside, Brennan watched Booth stumble to a halt, unable to believe what she had just witnessed.

"What the hell are you doing?" Angela yelled, clearly feeling the same way as Temperance.

"What the hell does it look like?" he shouted back, even though the street was silent.

"It looks like you're way past your limit," she said coldly. "What are you playing at, Booth? Was that jerk in there your partner? Who was that girl?"

He blinked for a moment as he tried to process all her questions. Finally he spoke, as coherently as he could manage, "Yes, that jerk is my partner. No, I have no idea who the girl was. And I was trying to get laid before you came along."

"What is wrong with you?" Angela asked in disgust.

He laughed, but, to Brennan, it seemed cold and unfamiliar. "Wrong?" he asked incredulously, taking a step forward. "What's wrong is that I just got dragged away from a really hot girl to be pulled outside and given the third degree by people I don't even work with anymore!" Rant over, he took another step forward towards Angela with a strange glint in his eye that made Temperance's blood run cold.

"Although," he began, looking Angela up and down, "You could always make it up to me..."

The sound of her slap echoed loudly in the dark street and Booth staggered back, hand to his cheek, while Brennan's eyes widened in shock at what her friend just did.

Angela met her eyes and shook her head, at a loss as to what to do next. Taking a deep breath, Brennan stepped forward towards her former partner, speaking gently, "Booth, you shouldn't be acting like this. It isn't like you."

He snorted with laughter, "Not exactly like you either, is it, Temperance?"

She felt uneasy as he emphasised her first name but challenged, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," he started, moving slowly towards her, "That I don't ever remember you coming out to places like this before. What's the matter? Bones not enough for you anymore?"

His words stung, but she tried to remain calm, "You're drunk. You just need to go and sleep it off."

"What do you care?" he spat back, angrily. "You're not my partner anymore. Why are you still bothering me?"

"Because we were friends," she said, meeting his eyes. "I don't want to see you hurt yourself."

"Do I look like I'm hurting myself?!" he yelled, getting angrier. "I was having a good time! Remember those?!" Suddenly realisation dawned on him and he lowered his tone, "Or maybe that's really why you got involved? Hmm, Temperance?" She frowned in confusion and he continued, cruelly, "Couldn't stand seeing me with someone else? Is that it?"

"Don't be ridiculous," she said, trying to ignore the fact that her heart was racing.

"That's it, isn't it?" he said triumphantly, "You think I don't know what was going through your mind all the time we were working together? Hell, most of the time I wanted to just throw you down on that big glowy table and do it there." He suddenly laughed sharply, making Brennan and Angela jump. "But there's only so long a guy can hold out, you know?"

"Is that why you left?" she asked bravely, not really wanting to hear the answer.

He moved in close to her, close enough that she could smell the alcohol on his breath. "Are you surprised?" he retorted, meeting her eyes. "I'd have thought you'd be used to people leaving you. Your parents, your brother, all those boyfriends... I figured you'd have it down by now."

Temperance felt like she'd been slapped across the face. Involuntary tears began to well up in her eyes and she turned quickly away, not wanting to let him see her cry. Without looking back, she walked swiftly to one of the cabs idling further down the street, hearing Angela's high heels click on the pavement as she ran after her.

"Bren, wait!" she called, desperately. Catching up to her, she said, sympathetically, "Bren, I'm sorry..."

Temperance shook her head, ignoring the tears trickling down her cheeks. "You've got nothing to apologise for."

Angela put her arm round her, and spoke softly, "He didn't mean it. He's just drunk, and stupid, and, well, drunk. You know Booth would never mean to hurt you."

She laughed mirthlessly, "I think he's made it pretty clear that I don't know him anymore." She met Angela's eyes, which were filled with compassion. Straightening, she wiped her tears away and spoke confidently, "I'm fine, Ange. I just want to get home."

"You want me to come with you?" Angela asked with concern.

"No, I just need to be on my own tonight," she said, sincerely. Giving her a slight smile, she added, "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Her friend nodded and hugged her gently, "I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, sweetie."

Temperance sank into the cab and gave her address, feeling the tears fill her eyes again. She saw Angela getting into another taxi and gave her a half-hearted wave as she drove off. As she passed the entrance to the club, she looked instinctively for Booth, but wasn't sure whether to be happy or sad when she didn't see him.

Booth watched from the dark alley next to the club as the yellow taxi sped past with Temperance Brennan peering anxiously out of the back window. Leaning against the wall, he slid slowly to the ground, not paying any attention to the garbage littering the concrete.

His head was pounding and he felt nausea rising in his throat. Dragging himself back to his feet with a groan, he retched into an open dumpster, throwing up until he had nothing left in him. As he sank back to the floor, his head was spinning with all the events that had happened that night. Coming to the club with Anderson, dancing with the blonde girl, seeing Brennan and Angela, the argument... He felt sick again as he remembered the look of hurt on Temperance's face before she left.

He rested his head on his knees, wanting to make the memory go away. Booth didn't think he'd ever sobered up as quickly as this before and the hammering in his skull seemed to agree with him. How the hell could I say that to her? he wondered, hating himself for it. What's the matter with me? God, I sounded just like... He closed his eyes as it hit him. Anderson.

Thinking back to the events of the last three weeks, Booth felt shame wash over him as he realised what he had done. I needed to integrate with them, he told himself miserably. But I never meant for it to go this far. I was supposed to observe, keep a level head, but I couldn't. And now... He put his head in his hands as the image of his former partner filled his mind once again.

Sudden determination filled him and he got to his feet, feeling the world spin as he did so. He knew he should go home and sleep it off, but his harsh words echoed constantly in his mind. Overwhelmed with guilt, he walked as quickly as he could out of the alley, desperate to find some way to fix what he'd done.


-----------------

The clock next to the bed displayed 3.16am in bright green lights.

It had been over two and a half hours since Brennan had got out of the taxi and the pillow was still wet with her tears. She had made it back to her apartment before letting herself cry properly, but once she'd started, it was impossible to stop. Booth's words echoed constantly in her mind and the more she had thought about them, the more true they seemed.

Going to bed, she'd hoped that she would just fall asleep and be able to think again with a clear mind in the morning. But every time she closed her eyes, she pictured the cruel look on her ex-partner's face as he taunted her. She tossed and turned in her bed, getting more and more annoyed that she had let him get to her.

Why should I listen to him? she thought, trying her best to be rational. I don't work with him anymore, he was very, very drunk, he doesn't know what he's talking about... Why am I upset over what he said? Why do I care about his opinions? Why am I still thinking about him? Again and again, she asked herself the same questions, but a small voice in the back of her mind kept answering, Because he's Booth.

She was strangely glad when she heard a noise by her front door, and jumped quickly out of bed, happy to be distracted from her thoughts. Grabbing the baseball bat from under her bed, she slowly made her way into the main area of the apartment, half hoping that it was an intruder, just so that she would be able to take out her frustration on someone.

She stopped when she heard the supposed intruder knock firmly on the door. Still holding the bat in one hand, she unlocked the door and opened it on the chain, looking out through the small gap.

The bat clattered to the floor as she saw a dishevelled Booth standing outside her door, looking down at the floor in shame. Seeing the door open, he met her eyes and asked quietly, "Can I come in?"

*puts on announcer voice* Will she let him in? Will she slam the door in his face? Will she pick up the bat and kick his ass? Find out tomorrow...

jerseybones

Posted 14/01/2008 01:46:08 PM


bertie, this definitely stands up to a ton of multiple readings. is it sick that i can quote this story at random? nah, that's natural considering how many times i've read it.

CheeseBK

Posted 14/01/2008 02:34:54 PM


well, I would understand her if she slams the door in his face... really but I don't think she'll do it

fanofbones

Posted 14/01/2008 10:43:19 PM

OMG on so many levels here....it bothers me what you said about he was supposed to fit in and get to know them and earn their trust but he says something like....it didn't work out the way it was planned...now that scares me.....god, has he gotten "in" too deep?
Shit, this is so good....and
hell yes she'll let him in....he does deserve a good ass whoopin or a good lay....can't decide ;-)
OMG post already...chompin at the bit here...

hugs woman
its fanfuckintastic...pardon my french...

fab

Posted 15/01/2008 05:30:34 AM

jb - seriously? That's kinda worrying... But impressive though. I don't even know if I could quote parts at random.
Cheese - You have a lot of faith in Brennan's non-door-slamming abilities...
fab - *sighs* I actually wish I'd written a 'good lay' in at this juncture. Would screw up the story, but would be fun as hell to write. Guess we'll have to make do with the 'good ass whoopin' instead.

[s]Chapter 5 - Apology Accepted?[/s]

Brennan said nothing in response to Booth's question, leaving him standing uncomfortably outside her door while hundreds of different thoughts whirled through her mind.

Part of her wanted to throw the door open without a second's hesitation, letting him explain that it was all a bad dream and that he would never really say that to her. But the more logical part of her, the part that remembered every single word of what he'd said, wanted to slam the door in his face and never speak to him again.

Doing her best to control both impulses, she looked at him through the gap in the door and spoke levelly, "What are you doing here?"

He answered quietly, looking down, "I need to talk to you."

Her mouth tightened into a thin line as the logical part of her won out. "I think you've said enough for one night," she said coldly. "Leave me alone, Booth."

She moved to shut the door, but he stuck out a hand to stop her, speaking loudly, "Please, Bones, would you just let me explain?"

An irrational fear came over her as he raised his voice and she felt her heart start to beat faster in her chest. Trying not to show that he'd startled her, she ordered calmly, "Let go of the door." He shook his head pleadingly, wanting her to listen, but all she saw was his refusal. "Let go!" she yelled, angrily.

Surprised at her reaction, Booth stepped back, raising his hands in apology, "Bones, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, I just-" He was cut off as the door slammed shut. He banged on it desperately, shouting through to his former partner, "Bones, please! Please, just hear me out! Open the door!"

Inside, Brennan sank to the floor, her back against the wall and her head in her hands. Fresh tears began to trickle down her cheeks as she heard his shouts travel through the door. She sat, motionless, while she listened to the pounding die down and his voice become quieter.

Leaning against the wall outside, Booth stopped hammering the door, defeated. Cursing himself for being stupid enough to yell at her, he spoke gently, "Temperance, I'm sorry." Getting no response, he continued, hoping she was still listening, "Look, you don't need to forgive me - God knows I don't deserve it after what I said to you - but you need to know that I'm sorry. I never-" He took a deep breath. "I never meant to hurt you. I was just drunk and angry..."

He trailed off, knowing how pathetic his excuses sounded. Closing his eyes, he said, honestly, "I know that's no justification for what happened, but I don't know what else to tell you." He sighed, speaking more to himself now than to her, "I should never have left the Jeffersonian. I thought I could handle it, that they wouldn't get to me, but after tonight..."

He straightened up and addressed her again, sadly. "I'm sorry, Bones. I'm sorry for everything I said before and I'm sorry for coming here tonight. I just..." He searched for some reason to explain his presence, but couldn't find one and shook his head in defeat. "I'll go," he said, quietly, turning to leave.

As he did so, he heard the last words of the argument echo again in his mind, I'd have thought you'd be used to people leaving you. Your parents, your brother, all those boyfriends... Unable to leave without telling her the truth, he moved back and whispered through the door, not expecting her to be listening anymore, "I didn't leave because of you, Temperance. I'd never have left if I'd had the choice."

Having nothing else to say, he walked slowly towards the staircase, his head still throbbing from the alcohol wearing off. As he reached the door to the stairwell, he heard a voice call from down the corridor, "Why did you leave?"

Turning round, he saw Brennan standing outside her door, dressed only in a thin negligee with a heavy jacket thrown hurriedly round her shoulders to preserve some dignity. His heart broke when he saw that her eyes were swollen with tears, not knowing that it was possible to feel more guilty than he already did. She repeated her question, oblivious to the tears falling down her cheeks, "If it wasn't my fault, then why did you leave?"

Booth faced her, shaking his head in regret, "I can't tell you, Bones, you know I can't. It's confidential-"

Anger blazed in her eyes and she yelled, "I don't care! For the last three weeks, you've not called me once, just left me to imagine the worst. And now, tonight, after the way you treated me, how can you have the nerve to shut me out again? I don't care how "confidential" it is, Booth! You tell me the truth, or else you'll prove that everything you told me just now was a lie."

She stopped, almost daring him to refuse, and was slightly taken back when he nodded, reluctantly. "Alright," he said in a low voice. "I'll tell you but not out here."

Looking round, Brennan suddenly became aware they were standing in front of her neighbours' doors and she made a mental note to apologise in the morning. Quickly, she walked back into her apartment, Booth following swiftly behind her. As soon as she heard him close the door, she turned to face him, arms folded. "Tell me."

He ran his hand through his hair, uncomfortable with the situation. "If anyone finds out about this..."

"You think I'd tell?" she asked, insulted.

Booth shook his head unconvincingly, "No, but with Angela, and the squints at the lab..."

"I won't tell anyone, Booth," Brennan said impatiently.

He looked at her, not completely reassured, but started speaking anyway, avoiding her gaze, "That day when I left, I got called to a meeting with Cullen. He told me that an agent named Joe Mendez was taking vacation time this Friday."

She wrinkled her brow, "How is that relevant?"

"Would you let me finish? Mendez is a well-known agent, works mostly Narcotics cases and has been doing for years. Every six months, he and a bunch of other Narco agents take a vacation at the same time with their girlfriends. No-one really knows where they go, but everyone knows what they do." He paused and she raised her eyebrows for him to elaborate. "Well, it's essentially what they do on a daily basis but on a larger scale - sex, drink, drugs, the usual."

"Drugs?" she asked with surprise. "Shouldn't they be arrested for that?"

Booth gave a slight smile. "There's a policy of turning a blind eye to recreational use, particularly with the Narco guys. Cullen figured that as long as they can still do their job, and do it well, then there's no point in hauling them in for it."

"I still don't understand where you're going with this," she sighed, frustrated. "What does this have to do with you leaving the Jeffersonian?"

"I'm getting there. When Cullen pulled me in for this meeting, he said he was getting worried that Mendez might be more involved with the drug gangs than he'd thought. He showed me a stack of cases where evidence had been lost, or charges had mysteriously been dropped, and Mendez, or one of his friends, had been lead agent. Obviously there was no direct proof, but enough to make him suspicious."

He stopped again and saw that Brennan was now concentrating fully on the story. "This is where I came in. He found out that Mendez is staying on the coast somewhere in Maryland from Friday and he reckons that he's bringing in drugs for one of the gangs he's been undercover with. Now, Cullen can't just arrest Mendez and his buddies, because all he's got is a hunch, and he can't set up a sting for this weekend because the people he's after work at the FBI, and so are going to have contacts everywhere." Booth took a deep breath. "So he sent me in undercover."

Brennan's eyes widened. "What? Why?"

"He got me transferred to Narco, and partnered with one of Mendez's known associates. My job was to become friends with him, and then integrate with the group as a whole, with the aim of being invited along on this little vacation with them." He gave Brennan a small smile. "And that's what I've done. When I'm there, I'm supposed to see whether they get the drugs, and if they do, I'm to give Cullen the heads up. He'll show up with the team, arrest us all, then get collect the evidence needed to convict them."

"Why you?" she asked in confusion. "There's hundreds of agents he could've chosen. Why pick you?"

"Because he thought I could handle it," Booth answered simply. "He thought that I was capable enough to spend three weeks straight hanging out with these guys without forgetting what I was there for." He looked down. "I thought I could too. I saw what they were like and I honestly thought that I could keep my head and not end up like the rest of them." He shook his head sadly. "Guess tonight proved us both wrong."

"What you were doing tonight, before we met you, I mean... Was that normal? Is that what you've been doing for the last three weeks?" she asked, unable to believe that Booth would do that.

He nodded, ashamed. "Almost every night, it seems like. Different clubs, different women... I tried to avoid it at first, but every time I said no to something, they shut me out. I managed to steer clear of the drugs, but the drinking and the womanising... It was like they were testing me, making sure that I was in this with them, so I had no choice but to play along." He met her eyes. "But I went too far. What I said to you was way out of line."

"But you realise that," she said gently. "I'm not saying I'm happy about what happened, but at least you know that you shouldn't have done it. The rest of them wouldn't even care."

"Bones, I'm not trying to make excuses here," he said, earnestly. "I'm not telling you this to make myself feel better, I'm telling you because you asked."

"Exactly," she said with a smile. He raised his eyebrows in bewilderment so she explained further, "You listened to me. Even though you're probably not supposed to, you told me the truth about why you left." She gave him a warm smile. "It's just nice to know that you still care about me."

He gave her a genuine smile for the first time that night. "Of course I care about you, Bones. Do you think I would've walked four miles to apologise if I didn't?"

"You walked?" she asked incredulously, barely able to hide a smile.

"I lost my wallet," he said with a guilty grin.

"And you couldn't have waited till morning to see me?"

"No," he said sincerely, meeting her gaze. "Listen, I really am sorry, Bones. For tonight and for not telling you about the undercover operation. I'll call Cullen first thing in the morning and tell him I want out. I'll be back at the Jeffersonian by the end of the week."

"No!" she said firmly.

Booth dropped his eyes to the floor again. "You're right. Of course you don't want me back. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed-"

"No," she interrupted, "I meant that you can't pull out of the undercover mission. The vacation's only in two days, right?"

"Yeah, Bones, but I can't do this anymore. You saw what I was like before - I don't want to risk that again."

"Neither do I," she said confidently.

"Well, we're agreed then?" he asked, unsure of what she was getting at.

"Look, Booth, the only reason you started acting like that is because you were around these men all the time. It's classic reflective behaviour. If a whole group is acting a certain way, the best method of integration is to behave in a similar fashion, thereby gaining acceptance and avoiding alienation. Therefore the only way to maintain your own individual and desirable characteristics is to have an outside influence that will help to ground you in normality."

He blinked, feeling his head start to spin again. "Huh?"

Sighing, she attempted to simplify, "If you spend too much time alone with them, you're going to start behaving like them."

"I'd already established that, thanks Bones. That would be why I'm pulling out and avoiding spending time with them," he said slowly, wondering why she was so confused.

"So you're just going to let them get away with importing illegal drugs?" she asked, exasperated.

"I don't see how I have much choice," he replied, equally exasperated.

Brennan smiled. "You need to go to Maryland this weekend." He opened his mouth to protest but she continued, "But you need to take someone with you to stop you if you go too far."

"How the hell am I going to do that? I can't exactly take a minder with me."

Her smile broadened. "No, but you can take a girlfriend."

Booth frowned. "I don't have a girlfriend," he said, utterly lost. "Who would I..." He trailed off as he saw her smiling innocently at him and he shook his head in disbelief as realisation dawned on him.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

Hopefully you can see where I'm going with this now...

CheeseBK

Posted 15/01/2008 06:00:37 AM


ah, there we go the explanation... great!!!! I'd love to read more... and undercover again ... yeah