Recipe for Disaster Chapter 1
[mood| 
happy]
[music| The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant (apparently based on a true story)]
Here's my first attempt at Bones fanfiction. It's being double beta'd (once by kitty_cat89 and it's also being beta'd at the moment) but I'm going away to Uni tomorrow and the flat still doesn't have an internet connection so it'd be Thursday before I'd get a chance to put it up. So this might change a little more then, but I figured I'd post it up here now and let you all read it to get some more views on it.
Title: Recipe for Disaster
Auther: Purerose
Spoilers: Well, I've spoiled myself (being in the UK and reading bits of the scripts as it's aired in America), but I'm guessing this is set sort of AU after the first series.
“Are you sure you should be jetting off across the world? You’re still recovering.” Seeley Booth watched his colleague from the doorway of her office.
She sealed the final box and sank onto the couch. Her back ached and she still felt exhausted. “I can’t cancel, I’ve been scheduled to do this for months. I’m not letting this change anything. I’m well enough to fly, and I can’t disappoint Zack.”
“Well, I’m coming with you. Those guys have connections.”
“In Scotland?” She turned to face him with a hint of a smirk on her face.
“I’m not ruling anything out.” He reached into his inside pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. “You’re getting protection.”
“I don’t understand.” Temperance leaned back against the couch cushions and shut her eyes. Why wouldn’t they just let her forget?
“Sort of like a body guard.” He moved from his spot by the doorway to make sure that she heard him. For a moment he thought she’d dozed off, but then she opened her tired looking eyes and silently stared at him. “I’ve arranged to come with you.” He said at last.
For a moment a mixture of emotions showed on her face. Anger. Frustration. Sadness. But they passed and she gave a resigned nod. She seemed to give in to him so easily now. “I’ll contact Dr. Malcolm and see if he can organise another bed for you.”
“Thanks.” His phone started ringing. “Here, I’ll leave this with you, I have my own copy.”
Booth placed the sheet of paper on the desk and left the room, waiting for flip open his cell phone until he’d left her in peace.
Temperance Brennan watched him leave and then closed her eyes again.
It was an unusual case from the beginning. The skull didn’t belong to the rest of the body, in fact, it was from a man at least twenty years older. Through Angela’s reconstructive picture they’d managed to identify him as Michael Porter, a man who worked all over America attempting to bring a halt to gang warfare. A man with lots of enemies. Identifying the body proved more difficult; all they had to work with was a couple of old sports injuries.
She was suddenly aware that she wasn’t alone. It was a horrible feeling, that split second before she realised that it was just Angela, leaning up against the desk and casually glancing over her shoulder to read something that had been left there.
“Angela. Do you need me for something?” Brennan asked as she passed a gentle hand over her eyes.
“So, he is going with you then? I overheard him mentioning it to Dr. Goodman earlier on.” Angela seemed absolutely thrilled at the idea of Booth, Brennan and Zack going away together for three weeks. The expression on Temperance’s face told her that maybe her friend wasn’t quite as excited at the thought.
“Yes. He’s coming with us. Apparently I need protecting from possible gang connections in Scotland. I expect Glasgow’s just teeming with Eagles and Black Snakes.”
“Was that sarcasm I heard?” Angela couldn’t help but be a little amused at her friend’s reaction. Temperance gave her a small smile, she was rarely sarcastic. Angela became serious for a moment. “He wants to make sure you’re safe. We all do. When… you… we were all worried, but I think he blamed himself.”
“I escaped.” Temperance mumbled a little bitterly.
“I know you did Bren. We’re really glad you did, but Booth… he feels guilty that he didn’t do more.”
“He couldn’t have done more.”
Angela sighed, for one so smart her friend could be awfully dense. She decided to change the subject, pushing Temperance about recent events was hardly going to help her open up. “So you all set?”
“Yes.” Temperance seemed relieved for the change in topic. “That’s the last box over there, the courier is picking it up first thing tomorrow. Zack’s promised me that everything’s ready, and Dr. Malcolm has sent me a confirmed copy of my itinerary.” She put a hand to her forehead as a thought suddenly came to her. “Dr. Malcolm! I need to call him. What time is it?”
Angela checked her watch. “Two in the afternoon… near as.”
“Right, so it’s -” She thought for a second. “Seven o’ clock there. I’ll have to call him at home.” With a little effort Temperance pulled herself up from the couch and painfully walked across the room.
She’d intended to stand against her desk to make the call, to prove to Angela that she wasn’t in that much pain. But her hip ached and her thigh throbbed, so she seated herself at the desk and ignored her friend’s sympathetic stare. Angela began to move out of the room to give her friend some privacy, but Temperance held up a hand indicating that she should wait.
Then someone spoke on the other end of the line. “Hello, Dr. Malcolm? Temperance Brennan… Yes… Yes, no I’m fine… That’s why I’m calling… He has… Oh… Okay… Are you sure? No, everything’s fine… Yes, he’s still coming too… Well… Okay then… Sorry to bother you at home… Thank you… Goodbye.”
Angela smiled. “All sorted then?”
Temperance nodded. Dr. Malcolm had told her that he’d already spoken to someone from the F.B.I. earlier that day. A certain someone named Agent Booth…
* * *
“That’s everything?” Temperance Brennan asked hopefully as she gathered up her sheets.
“Our itineraries should now match. Guest lectures, book signings, workshops. Looks like a busy three weeks.” Goodman closed the planner that had been open on his desk. “I feel happier knowing that Agent Booth is going with you.”
“Mmm hmm…” Temperance sighed. “I think you’ll find there’s only one book signing.”
Goodman nodded. “And the courier is coming for those boxes first thing tomorrow morning.” He stood up and walked her to the door. “Have a good trip.”
“I will.” She replied, but as she walked away down the corridor she couldn’t help but wonder how it would actually be. Her, Booth and Zack in close quarters for three weeks? It sounded like a recipe for disaster.
* * *
Temperance had headed back to her office. She had to make sure that she definitely had everything that she needed. Angela was there waiting for her.
“Sweetie, are you sure you really want to stay at your place tonight? My couch is still free.”
“Angela. I’m fine. I’ll be alright sleeping in my own bed this once.”
“I was just thinking, well, Booth seems to think you still need someone to look out for you.” Angela fiddled with a book on Brennan’s desk.
“I’ll be okay. It’s just tonight. Anyway… your couch might have a fold out bed, but it’s not really very comfortable. I want to sleep in my own bed.” She said eventually with a hint of sadness. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d curled up in her own bed, a mug of hot chocolate at her elbow, a journal to read before she settled down, and just relaxed. It had to have been more than a month at least.
The look in her friend’s eyes wasn’t lost on Angela. She nodded and smiled and followed her out of the room. At last she spoke. “Well, have a good trip, okay Bren? E-mail me.” She turned and started to walk away, but stopped at the last minute. “And Temperance. Be safe, okay?”
* * *
It was getting dark when she arrived home. The street-lamps were just coming on. She had just parked her car when she noticed a shadowy figure sitting in a dark car across the road.
For a moment she froze, reminded of another night, not unlike this one.
They’d spent that Tuesday interviewing members of the Eagles. A gang in the area where Michael Porter had been working when he disappeared. They claimed that they were a reformed gang.
She and Booth had argued about what that meant, how possible it was to change and where to eat lunch.
Then she got home. It was quite warm. She’d left her jacket at work. It was still hanging on the back of her chair in her office nearly a month later. Perhaps if she’d spotted the dark figure moving towards her she could have reacted, fought back, defended herself.
But she didn’t.
As she watched, the person in the car opened the door and stepped out. Temperance tensed for a moment until the light caught his face.
“Bones!”
“Booth.” Her heart started beating again. She put her hands into her pockets to try and appear relaxed.
“You okay? You look sort of weird.”
“No, I’m fine.” She paused, trying to read his reaction. “You startled me. That’s all… It just reminded me of…” She wanted to finish the sentence, but her voice failed her.
Booth nodded as she trailed off. “Let’s go inside.” He placed his hand on the small of her back and together they walked inside.
“Angela told me that you were staying here alone tonight. Alone Bones?”
Temperance unlocked the door to her apartment and held it open so he could enter. “All of my things are here.” She replied following him in.
“Yes, but we don’t know who might be out there looking for you.” He began poking around the suitcase and bag that she’d left by the door for the trip tomorrow.
“You’re planning to stay over? You know last time you did that it didn’t end well.” She hung up her jacket and then seated herself on the couch to take off her boots. Perhaps if she ignored him for long enough he’d go away.
“Well not exactly. I was going to take you back to my place. You can help me pack.”
He was expecting some sort of argument, at least a comment from her, but there was nothing. She simply slipped her boot back on and wandered into the bedroom. She came out a few minutes later with a small bag which he guessed contained her overnight things.
Still she didn’t argue. She didn’t complain when he took her suitcase and carry-on bag, she just followed him to his car, tossed her bag onto the back seat and got in beside him.
They drove to his place in silence.
Upon arriving at his place she was hit by an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. The hospital bed, Angela’s fold-out-sofa, now Booth’s spare room. She found herself wondering if she’d ever have a bed of her own again.
“You want something to eat? Drink? We can watch TV.” Booth tried, but his partner shook her head at all three.
“No thank you. I’ll just go to bed.” She replied, know that she probably wouldn’t sleep, and hoping, if she did drift off, that he wouldn’t hear her nightmares.
* * *
happy]
[music| The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant (apparently based on a true story)]
Here's my first attempt at Bones fanfiction. It's being double beta'd (once by kitty_cat89 and it's also being beta'd at the moment) but I'm going away to Uni tomorrow and the flat still doesn't have an internet connection so it'd be Thursday before I'd get a chance to put it up. So this might change a little more then, but I figured I'd post it up here now and let you all read it to get some more views on it.
Title: Recipe for Disaster
Auther: Purerose
Spoilers: Well, I've spoiled myself (being in the UK and reading bits of the scripts as it's aired in America), but I'm guessing this is set sort of AU after the first series.
“Are you sure you should be jetting off across the world? You’re still recovering.” Seeley Booth watched his colleague from the doorway of her office.
She sealed the final box and sank onto the couch. Her back ached and she still felt exhausted. “I can’t cancel, I’ve been scheduled to do this for months. I’m not letting this change anything. I’m well enough to fly, and I can’t disappoint Zack.”
“Well, I’m coming with you. Those guys have connections.”
“In Scotland?” She turned to face him with a hint of a smirk on her face.
“I’m not ruling anything out.” He reached into his inside pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. “You’re getting protection.”
“I don’t understand.” Temperance leaned back against the couch cushions and shut her eyes. Why wouldn’t they just let her forget?
“Sort of like a body guard.” He moved from his spot by the doorway to make sure that she heard him. For a moment he thought she’d dozed off, but then she opened her tired looking eyes and silently stared at him. “I’ve arranged to come with you.” He said at last.
For a moment a mixture of emotions showed on her face. Anger. Frustration. Sadness. But they passed and she gave a resigned nod. She seemed to give in to him so easily now. “I’ll contact Dr. Malcolm and see if he can organise another bed for you.”
“Thanks.” His phone started ringing. “Here, I’ll leave this with you, I have my own copy.”
Booth placed the sheet of paper on the desk and left the room, waiting for flip open his cell phone until he’d left her in peace.
Temperance Brennan watched him leave and then closed her eyes again.
It was an unusual case from the beginning. The skull didn’t belong to the rest of the body, in fact, it was from a man at least twenty years older. Through Angela’s reconstructive picture they’d managed to identify him as Michael Porter, a man who worked all over America attempting to bring a halt to gang warfare. A man with lots of enemies. Identifying the body proved more difficult; all they had to work with was a couple of old sports injuries.
She was suddenly aware that she wasn’t alone. It was a horrible feeling, that split second before she realised that it was just Angela, leaning up against the desk and casually glancing over her shoulder to read something that had been left there.
“Angela. Do you need me for something?” Brennan asked as she passed a gentle hand over her eyes.
“So, he is going with you then? I overheard him mentioning it to Dr. Goodman earlier on.” Angela seemed absolutely thrilled at the idea of Booth, Brennan and Zack going away together for three weeks. The expression on Temperance’s face told her that maybe her friend wasn’t quite as excited at the thought.
“Yes. He’s coming with us. Apparently I need protecting from possible gang connections in Scotland. I expect Glasgow’s just teeming with Eagles and Black Snakes.”
“Was that sarcasm I heard?” Angela couldn’t help but be a little amused at her friend’s reaction. Temperance gave her a small smile, she was rarely sarcastic. Angela became serious for a moment. “He wants to make sure you’re safe. We all do. When… you… we were all worried, but I think he blamed himself.”
“I escaped.” Temperance mumbled a little bitterly.
“I know you did Bren. We’re really glad you did, but Booth… he feels guilty that he didn’t do more.”
“He couldn’t have done more.”
Angela sighed, for one so smart her friend could be awfully dense. She decided to change the subject, pushing Temperance about recent events was hardly going to help her open up. “So you all set?”
“Yes.” Temperance seemed relieved for the change in topic. “That’s the last box over there, the courier is picking it up first thing tomorrow. Zack’s promised me that everything’s ready, and Dr. Malcolm has sent me a confirmed copy of my itinerary.” She put a hand to her forehead as a thought suddenly came to her. “Dr. Malcolm! I need to call him. What time is it?”
Angela checked her watch. “Two in the afternoon… near as.”
“Right, so it’s -” She thought for a second. “Seven o’ clock there. I’ll have to call him at home.” With a little effort Temperance pulled herself up from the couch and painfully walked across the room.
She’d intended to stand against her desk to make the call, to prove to Angela that she wasn’t in that much pain. But her hip ached and her thigh throbbed, so she seated herself at the desk and ignored her friend’s sympathetic stare. Angela began to move out of the room to give her friend some privacy, but Temperance held up a hand indicating that she should wait.
Then someone spoke on the other end of the line. “Hello, Dr. Malcolm? Temperance Brennan… Yes… Yes, no I’m fine… That’s why I’m calling… He has… Oh… Okay… Are you sure? No, everything’s fine… Yes, he’s still coming too… Well… Okay then… Sorry to bother you at home… Thank you… Goodbye.”
Angela smiled. “All sorted then?”
Temperance nodded. Dr. Malcolm had told her that he’d already spoken to someone from the F.B.I. earlier that day. A certain someone named Agent Booth…
* * *
“That’s everything?” Temperance Brennan asked hopefully as she gathered up her sheets.
“Our itineraries should now match. Guest lectures, book signings, workshops. Looks like a busy three weeks.” Goodman closed the planner that had been open on his desk. “I feel happier knowing that Agent Booth is going with you.”
“Mmm hmm…” Temperance sighed. “I think you’ll find there’s only one book signing.”
Goodman nodded. “And the courier is coming for those boxes first thing tomorrow morning.” He stood up and walked her to the door. “Have a good trip.”
“I will.” She replied, but as she walked away down the corridor she couldn’t help but wonder how it would actually be. Her, Booth and Zack in close quarters for three weeks? It sounded like a recipe for disaster.
* * *
Temperance had headed back to her office. She had to make sure that she definitely had everything that she needed. Angela was there waiting for her.
“Sweetie, are you sure you really want to stay at your place tonight? My couch is still free.”
“Angela. I’m fine. I’ll be alright sleeping in my own bed this once.”
“I was just thinking, well, Booth seems to think you still need someone to look out for you.” Angela fiddled with a book on Brennan’s desk.
“I’ll be okay. It’s just tonight. Anyway… your couch might have a fold out bed, but it’s not really very comfortable. I want to sleep in my own bed.” She said eventually with a hint of sadness. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d curled up in her own bed, a mug of hot chocolate at her elbow, a journal to read before she settled down, and just relaxed. It had to have been more than a month at least.
The look in her friend’s eyes wasn’t lost on Angela. She nodded and smiled and followed her out of the room. At last she spoke. “Well, have a good trip, okay Bren? E-mail me.” She turned and started to walk away, but stopped at the last minute. “And Temperance. Be safe, okay?”
* * *
It was getting dark when she arrived home. The street-lamps were just coming on. She had just parked her car when she noticed a shadowy figure sitting in a dark car across the road.
For a moment she froze, reminded of another night, not unlike this one.
They’d spent that Tuesday interviewing members of the Eagles. A gang in the area where Michael Porter had been working when he disappeared. They claimed that they were a reformed gang.
She and Booth had argued about what that meant, how possible it was to change and where to eat lunch.
Then she got home. It was quite warm. She’d left her jacket at work. It was still hanging on the back of her chair in her office nearly a month later. Perhaps if she’d spotted the dark figure moving towards her she could have reacted, fought back, defended herself.
But she didn’t.
As she watched, the person in the car opened the door and stepped out. Temperance tensed for a moment until the light caught his face.
“Bones!”
“Booth.” Her heart started beating again. She put her hands into her pockets to try and appear relaxed.
“You okay? You look sort of weird.”
“No, I’m fine.” She paused, trying to read his reaction. “You startled me. That’s all… It just reminded me of…” She wanted to finish the sentence, but her voice failed her.
Booth nodded as she trailed off. “Let’s go inside.” He placed his hand on the small of her back and together they walked inside.
“Angela told me that you were staying here alone tonight. Alone Bones?”
Temperance unlocked the door to her apartment and held it open so he could enter. “All of my things are here.” She replied following him in.
“Yes, but we don’t know who might be out there looking for you.” He began poking around the suitcase and bag that she’d left by the door for the trip tomorrow.
“You’re planning to stay over? You know last time you did that it didn’t end well.” She hung up her jacket and then seated herself on the couch to take off her boots. Perhaps if she ignored him for long enough he’d go away.
“Well not exactly. I was going to take you back to my place. You can help me pack.”
He was expecting some sort of argument, at least a comment from her, but there was nothing. She simply slipped her boot back on and wandered into the bedroom. She came out a few minutes later with a small bag which he guessed contained her overnight things.
Still she didn’t argue. She didn’t complain when he took her suitcase and carry-on bag, she just followed him to his car, tossed her bag onto the back seat and got in beside him.
They drove to his place in silence.
Upon arriving at his place she was hit by an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. The hospital bed, Angela’s fold-out-sofa, now Booth’s spare room. She found herself wondering if she’d ever have a bed of her own again.
“You want something to eat? Drink? We can watch TV.” Booth tried, but his partner shook her head at all three.
“No thank you. I’ll just go to bed.” She replied, know that she probably wouldn’t sleep, and hoping, if she did drift off, that he wouldn’t hear her nightmares.
* * *