The Original Naughty Bones

"No, I don't think you do." Booth fished out his car keys. "Let's just leave this where it is for now, okay?"

"Booth...I want to listen and I want to help."

"Why?"

"Didn't we go over this already? You're my friend."

"Bones, she hurt me and I really don't know how much of this I want to let out right now."

Temperence frowned. Things had changed. A breakup was one thing, but Booth had been hurt and she didn't know if she could handle that knowledge. She had been frustrated with him so many times, but she would never hurt him, would she?

"If you don't, fine, but I'm here for you." She reached out and grabbed his hand with the keys. "Don't just go home and sulk, though. I have some work to do at the lab. You could keep me company."

"Decomposition isn't really my thing right now." He smirks.

"No, there's none of that. It's just bones and I have some masks if you're worried about any smell, but the chance of olfactory responses to..."

He put his hand against her mouth, slightly squishing her nose. He took a moment to stop the laughter that wanted to spill out. "You really do talk too much." He grins. "I'll go with you."

Temperence nodded her understanding and the two of them found themselves at the lab in no time. She pulled her hair back tighter and donned her lab coat and gloves. She began to tell Booth about the case of the school that was supposed to break ground only to find that there were bones everywhere. She suspected the bones were left over from a forgotten potters field and wanted to identify all of the remains. Luckily, one of the town historians had found a log belonging to her great grandmother that had a listing of all the people put in the field. Now they just needed Temperence to narrow down the ID's of the bones so they could be matched to the names, ages, time and cause of death they had listed.

Booth shook his head. "All of those people...forgotten."

"Not forgotten. Just never known."

He sat down. "I think that's almost worse, don't you?"

She shrugged as she examined the jaw bone of one of the skeletons. "That's why I do what I do, Booth. To know the unknown and give them the recognition that all humans deserve."

"Really? I thought you did it just to be able to tell people how smart you are." He laughed at the look she shot him. "Okay...truce. I shouldn't be picking on you when you're nice enough to sit with me while I brood, right?"

"You're not a brooder."

"I know a lot of people who would disagree." He sighed. "Sometimes I think too much and it upsets people. Other times I don't think through things and just trust my instincts and then I'm the one who gets upset and hurt."

Temperence set down the ulna she was analyzing and peeled off her gloves. She didn't say anything as she washed her hands. She walked over to him and stood in front of him where he had pulled himself up to sit on one of the tables. "Kiss me again."

"What? Bones, I don't think that's a good idea. I don't have my head on straight right now and..."

"You're vulnerable. I know. Just kiss me."

"I'm not vulnerable. I'm..."

"Stop. Stop being tough and strong." She leaned forward and captured his lips gently. She heard his moan and smiled to herself before pressing herself into him more. She flicked her tongue out to tease him and gripped his arms as he shuddered. She pulled away slightly and looked into his eyes. That's when she was hit with the biggest surprise of her life. Special Agent Seeley Booth had tears in his eyes.

She backed up a bit more and touched his face gently. "I'm sorry. I thought this was what you needed."

He looked up and pressed his hands to his eyes to rid himself of the moisture even though the redness remained. "You were just trying to be my friend. I just don't know what I need right now. I think I should go." He looked at her, waiting for her to move so he could get down and escape.

"Don't go. Talk to me. I can't help you until I get some idea of the situation."

"I just don't think that you want to hear about all of my problems."

"Why not?"

"Because you're one of them..."

TBC...