Jaded Elysium - Chapter Eight
Important! Please be aware that this chapter is M rated. If you choose to skip it, I will be posting a summary of it in the next chapter so you don't miss anything. This is your last warning. (And frankly, I don't really think it's all that bad. Seriously...or maybe I'm just de-sensitized from re-reading it too many times...)
Rating: M for subject matter
Genre: Angst/Drama
Summary: AU. New York, 1923. She's the girl on the street, getting by the hard way in a slum of corruption and crime. He's the cop who wants to save her. Semperance, as always.
Also posted to fanfiction.net, my website, and my lj.
Chapter One is here. Chapter Two is here. Chapter Three is here. Chapter Four is here. Chapter Five is here. Chapter Six is here. Chapter Seven is here. And Chapter Eight is...
Chapter Eight - No Matter What You See
If love is surrender
Then whose war is it anyway?
Do just what I tell you
And no one will get hurt
Don't come any closer
'Cause I dunno how long I can hold my heart in two
- Psychobabble, Frou Frou
“Your girl doing okay?”
“Temperance is fine.”
Hodgins followed his friend’s gaze to the woman on the other side of his sizable living room, chatting animatedly with Angela. “So where are things going, exactly?”
“What do you mean?”
Fine. If he was going to play it that way. ”Are you going to marry her?”
“What?”
“C’mon, Booth. The girl’s been living with you for nearly a month after coming out of nowhere with no connection to you before this except for your ‘old friend’ line. You buy her clothes, go out with her, bring her to every public event Cullen forces you to attend, and I heard you calling her Tempe-girl the other day. There’s even been some speculation in the papers about you.”
“What?”
“Please. You’re practically the unofficial next Chief-in-line, Cullen's Golden Boy; you think people aren’t going to start talking if you start showing up places with an unknown lady on your arm?”
“Temperance isn’t -”
“Look, I know who she is. What she is.” Well, that certainly got his attention. Booth was giving him a look both fierce and defensive. “Whoa, man. I don’t care where she came from, or what she used to do. If you love her, then it’s none of my business, but people are going to start talking, Booth. Just keep that in mind. If I could recognize her, there’s sure to be someone else out there who will too.”
Booth thought of the way Tempe worried every time they went out in public, the way she tensed every time a man looked her way, as if she were afraid. No, not as if. She was afraid, and he was starting to think she had every reason to be.
“You know, I worry about you.”
“Why?”
“It isn’t safe out here.”
She gave him a look that immediately alerted him to what she would say next. “I’d be safer if I had a gun.”
“Not again, Tempe. We’ve been over this. You can’t have a gun.”
“I can too have a gun; you just won’t give one to me.”
“And seeing how you can’t afford to get one any other way, I’d say that’s a good thing.”
“I’d be safer with one,” she said stubbornly.
“You already sleep with a sheathed knife under your pillow. Somehow, I don’t think giving you a gun would be safer.”
“An intruder would be in more danger if I had a gun and not a knife.”
“I meant safer for you, Tempe. Not for the person you want to shoot.”
“Does Seeley know you’re still going out there?”
Tempe spat her tea back into her cup. “What?”
“Jack told me,” Angela explained, as they settled on a bench for what was now a weekly meeting in the park, the time spent sketching and talking. Well, she would draw, and Tempe would talk and get distracted watching the various people around them. “And judging by your reaction, I’m assuming the answer is no.”
“Definitely a no.”
Seeing the concerned look in the other woman’s eyes, Angela patted her hand reassuringly. “Don’t worry. I understand why you’re doing it. I do. I’m not sure I could be strong enough to do what you are, but I think it’s brave. What you’re doing is…it’s good, even if the method of getting there leaves something to be desired.”
“Thanks, Ange.”
“Don’t thank me, sweetie. I just hope your Booth is understanding enough to thank you, once it’s all over.”
Tempe managed a smile before changing the subject. “So I guess you and Jack are kind of close then.”
Angela snorted, but she saw the smile her friend tried to suppress hidden in her scorn. “Yeah, kind of, I guess.”
“Mmhmm.”
“Oh, please,” Angela swatted her arm playfully. “Like you’re not the same.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Look at you! You’re putting yourself through hell, even though you could just as easily back away, get away from all of that. All for him.”
“Part of it’s for me too,” she protested, “The money -”
“You could easily get a job. You’re smart, and I know you’ve been thinking about the university, but instead you…God, Tempe.”
“It should be over soon,” she said quietly, “It’s…close. Tell Jack that.”
“Shouldn’t you be telling Seeley that?” Angela asked softly.
“No. He wouldn’t understand.”
“Understand what?”
“I don’t know. Why I’m doing this. I’m not even sure why I’m doing this.”
“I do,” Angela said matter-of-factly.
“Would you care to enlighten me?”
“You’re doing it because you know it’ll help him. And don’t tell me it’s for you, because we both know it’s not. And as twisted as this sounds, I hope it works out, what you’re planning. Oh, and just for the record -”
“What record?”
“He likes you too.”
A whistle pierced the night air. It meant nothing to Booth, but Tempe obviously recognized it. She shoved him further into the alley, into the shadows.
“Temperance, what are you doing?”
“Just get back, Booth,” she pleaded in a whisper. “There isn’t time. I just need you to stay quiet. Don’t do anything, no matter what you see, okay?”
There was no room for argument or question as she pushed him to the back of the dead end, before returning to the street opening.
Booth watched as a man joined her, shoved her against the wall roughly, and fought the urge to disobey her.
“Please, no.”
“You don’t want this?” a deep voice asked. “Maybe you’d rather I went for one of those girls I see you with instead?”
Silence.
“I didn’t think so.” He watched as the shadow reached down, and knew without seeing it, that buttons were being undone. He saw a hand grip a thigh, a pause, then heard a cry wrench itself from her throat.
“Shut up!” The sharp slap, followed by the crack of a skull hitting brick. “Just shut up, you filthy bitch.”
He was drawing blood from his palms, shaking with the effort of keeping himself from taking the few steps it would take to get to her, to rip that scumbag from her, to hit him until the anger was appeased.
He stood there, hidden by darkness, silent, the man’s grunts, the sound…God, the sound.
Then, it was over. As fast as he had appeared, the man slipped from the mouth of the alley, and disappeared.
He was there before she could collapse against the ground, holding her shaking form. A touch to the side of her head had her wincing, his hand withdrawing stained with blood. A curse exploded from him, hating what he’d seen, what she’d done, what he hadn’t done.
In a few minutes, her breathing calmed, and he felt the weight against him lessen as she pulled away. He glanced both ways before leading her out onto the sidewalk.
Tempe felt the questions fairly bursting out of him, felt the concern and pity he felt for her, and hated it. “Let’s-let’s not talk about it, okay?”
“I should have done something.” His tone was low, intense…and dangerous.
“No. I told you not to do anything. It would have been bad if you did.” She took his hand in hers, “I know you’re upset -”
“I wanted to kill him.” His eyes met hers, flashing darkly. “Why didn’t you stop him? You didn’t have to -”
“Yes, I did,” she interrupted. “Men like him have power here, power they abuse. Saying no wouldn’t have stopped him, and it would have only made things worse for me, and the girls.”
“Who was he?”
She gave him a long look before answering. “He was a cop.”
“Don’t I know you?”
Booth’s arm tightened around her as she pressed herself instinctively into his side. She shook her head, “I don’t think so.”
“You know, you look mighty familiar,” the man scrutinized her face. “I can’t quite place you…”
“Simmons,” Booth barked, “Don’t you think you’re being rude?”
“Hmm? Ah, right you are, sir.” The man drifted off, but Tempe was sure he would remember who she was before the night was over. Why had she agreed to some to this stupid party at his precinct to begin with?
As soon as they were out of earshot, Tempe took his hand and tried to drag him towards the exit, hissing when he protested, “We have to leave.”
“Why?”
“Didn’t you hear that guy back there?” she asked angrily, even as he pulled her into a corner. “He recognized me! How long is it going to take before someone else does? Or before he tells someone?”
“You don’t know that he recognized you. You don’t know that he even knows you,” Booth reasoned, to no avail.
“He looked pretty familiar to me too, Booth, and he’s not the only one around here who does!”
The panic in her eyes softened as she asked, “Do we really have to be here?”
It was a question he’d heard countless times in the last few months, her discomfort with attending public events ever-present.
Booth couldn’t blame her; she’d made several social faux-pas in public, blushing when he corrected her. He hated seeing her unsure of herself, the constant worry that she would do something else to embarrass him clear in her eyes. He hated it, but didn’t know what to say.
“Tonight they’re announcing the next Chief,” he answered shortly, his inability to meet her gaze betraying his indecision.
One quick glance at her told him everything he needed to know. She understood, would be there, holding his hand just the way she was now when the announcement was made, no matter what it cost her. The set of her jaw, the deep breath she took, the focus of her eyes, told him all of that. And he loved her for that as much as he hated his moment of weakness.
“How long is this going to take?” she asked, her voice calm and even.
“They should do it any minute now.”
Heaven seemed to decide to grace him once more, as Cullen called for attention.
“As you all know, I’m retiring,” the older man said bluntly. “And as Police Chief, someone must obviously replace me. After a considerable amount of deliberation, the board and I have decided on the man who will succeed me. Over the years, he’s proven to be resourceful, ingenious, and most importantly, he’s not afraid of telling some of you idiots to shut up and do your jobs. I give you the new Police Chief…Seeley Booth.”
The next second his lips were on hers, a kiss of victory amongst riotous hoots.
The next few minutes were a flurry of sound, laughter and cheers, smiles from happy friends, and the flash of cameras Tempe tried desperately to avoid. Booth didn’t seem to notice her discomfort as he pulled her to the front of the room with him, an arm around her waist as he made his acceptance, as he thanked Cullen who eyed her curiously. After another minute or two of celebration, she tried to break away from the crowd quietly, but as always, he noticed.
Worming their way through the crowd, Booth shook his last hand, accepted his last congratulations before escaping out the door.
He sighed happily, taking her hand as they walked the short distance home. Tempe smiled at the contentment that he seemed to glow with, that lit up the face she had long ago admitted was handsome.
“I’m happy for you,” she said, and realized that despite her misgivings about the evening, she was.