Ring of Fire

[whedonist]

Chapter 6 – Ring of Fire

I step out of Tempe’s car and fume, “I still don’t see why Booth thinks we need to be placed under protective detail.”

Tempe rolls her eyes at me and remotes her car locked. “Between Zack and the continued threat and as much as it can be a hindrance, I think it’s the best choice.”

I roll my eyes at her and fume silently. It’s been a bitch of a week. Between Jack and Tempe and Zack, I’m really at my wits end. Now with Booth wanting to protect “his people” we’ve all got our own mini goon squad.

Then yesterday, I had another talk with Jack, well he actually came to me before I had a chance to talk to him and he makes it almost impossible. I mean he just comes in and says how he wants me to be happy and if he needs to he’ll step aside.

It was awful. ‘Cause he makes you feel bad for emotions that were just naturally occurring. I didn’t actively seek out Temperance and this “not” relationship that’s forming. So we talked. I told him what Tempe said.

I’m not sure why I mentioned it to him. Maybe to see his reaction, maybe to see what I would say after he responded. I didn’t know what I was going to say after I threw him that curveball, but he, in true Jack fashion, took it on the chin, kissed me on the cheek and told me he would support my decision, whatever that may be. And then there was verbal vomit as I told him I wanted to see where this thing with Temperance would go.

Gah! I nearly wanted to pull out my hair.

And now I find myself going with Tempe to my apartment to grab a few files and then back to work.

The government spooks step out of the unmarked and I wave them off. “Relax there big guys, we don’t need you.”

They huff, but nod, leaning casually against their car.
“So, we’ll grab the files that you have and head back to the Jeffersonian?” Tempe asks.

“Yeah, sorry I had to drag you out with me.” I let us into the building. “On the plus side the mechanic said my car will be ready before the end of today.”

Lifting the door to the elevator, I motion Tempe in and pull it closed. She looks at me as I insert my key to take us to my penthouse loft and says, “Ang, you know it’s no trouble. I mean sure we could both be at the lab trying to find this mystery master person, but then we need the files that you have here.”

I think that was supposed to make me feel better, so I ask, “Was that supposed to make me feel better?”

“It didn’t?” she quirks her head to the side confused.

I pat her shoulder and offer a tight lipped smile. “If you think so, then I think so sweetie.”

She smiles confidently and then looks at me. “So, I understand you talked to Hodgins.”

Internally I groan. I’m not ready for this conversation. “Yeah,” I offer.

“Did he agree?” she turns to me and runs a hand up my arm.

“Yes, but…” I take her hand and give it a squeeze. I reach over and hit the stop button on the lift. “Tempe, this really isn’t where I wanted to have this talk, but I guess it’s easier or whatever.” My other hand reaches out and grabs her free hand and I link our fingers together. “As much as I’m all for casual sex, because sometimes you just need to, I can’t do that with Jack, I can’t ask him to do that with me and I can’t do that with you.”

Her brow furrows and I reach up and smooth the lines away as she says, “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

“I’m not a party favor, Temperance. Neither are you.” My thumb travels down her chiseled features and ghosts over her lips. “If you want me, Tempe, you need to know that I’m not going to go between you and Jack. I don’t want to.”

She gives a slow nod as her hand brushes past me and the elevator starts back up. Snaking her hand back to the small of my back, she presses us closer, our foreheads rest together and she whispers against my lips, “You’ll have to excuse me if my technique’s a bit off; I’ve never kissed a woman before.”

I shake my head against hers and laugh out, “Shut up Temperance.”

I close the distance between our lips and run my fingers over the back of her neck to grip the hair at its base. Fire ignites in the pit of my stomach and travels south to pool between my thighs. She whimpers into my mouth and I allow her tongue entrance.

At the first slide of her muscle against mine, two things happen, the elevator stops as heat surrounds me and then the last thing I remember is a tsunamic size wave of fire washing over me before blacking out.

---

“Angela?” the voice is distant and muddled, but I hear it calling my name softly. It’s soothing and melodic. A siren’s song.

“Angela, Angela,” it croons and I follow the sound.

The rest of my senses kick in and the first is the rest of my auditory ability. There’s the tick and beep of what sounds like heart monitors, the percussion of the respirator and the rest is the blood rushing through my ears.

I groan and try to blink, but my eyes slam shut as the first beam of light hits. That was a fantastically bad idea.

Someone shuts the lights off and I hear my name being called again, “Angela?”

I manage to open them a bit, slits if they’re even that, but it’s something. I see Cam hovering above me and I’m more confused than ever.

“What?” I manage my voice raspy, my throat gravely.

“Ang, can you hear me?” Cam asks.

“Yeah,” I moan. A cool, wet ice chip is pushed against my lips and greedily I suck it in.

“You, Doctor or not, out of the way, she’s my patient,” there’s a woman’s voice older and far more bossy than Cam. I hear an ‘oof’ and then a woman in a nurse’s uniform is checking me over.

Shinning a penlight in my eye hurts so bad that my usual non-violent self wants to smack the thing out of her hand.

I hear some clucking and scribbling then the opening and closing of a door. Cam’s cool hand presses against mine and I know she’s back at my bedside. “Ang,” she says, “I’ve made sure the lights are low. You can open them up.”

I slit my eyes again and then blink as they adjust to the minute level of light in the room. “You’re on some really good pain meds right now, but I know you’ll be feeling this for a while,” Cam says.

“Feel what?” I snap. God, I’m so confused.

“Ang, what do you remember about going to your apartment?” she asks slowly.

“Uh, Temperance and I talking, the elevator…” my mind flashes back to the talk and the kiss…

That was one hell of a kiss and before I have a chance to censor myself, I moan, “The kiss to end all kisses and then…” I trail off unable to fill in anything else.

She pats my arm in a ‘there, there’ gesture and says, “Look, from everything Booth’s told me so far, someone rigged your apartment to blow when the elevator hit the top floor. You and Doctor Brennan were caught in the blast.”

My eyes go wide and I nearly shout, “Where’s Tempe?”

“Relax; she’s in no worse shape than you. Actually she’s a bit better; you appear to have shielded her from some of the blast. She’s still in the emergency department. Jack’s with her.”

I want to smack myself on the forehead. I want to get out of this bed and run down there to stop them from talking, but that seems wholly improbable right now. Temperance would call it irrational and Jack would glare disapprovingly at my attempts.

“How long?” I ask.

“You’ve been out about three hours.” She pulls a chair closer to the bed and takes a seat. “The way the detonation went off, it caused the elevator doors to implode and knock into you. You were closer to them, which saved Doctor Brennan from serious damage, but coincidently it was the weight of the door and its construction that saved both of you.”

“Who?” I manage to ask as the deluge of new information rolls through my mind.

“We don’t know.” I look at her and she relents, “We think we know, but all I can say for sure is that Booth’s been at the scene since he got the call, he pretty much ordered Jack and I to see to you two. I’ve never seen him…” I look at her as she doesn’t complete the thought. She must think better of what she was going to say because all she finishes up with is, “He’s pissed.”

I wince and laugh. “He’s pissed?” I snort and wince, damn it.

“Easy there Ang. You have bruised ribs,” Cam warns in a soft voice.

“Ah, that explains that bit of pain.” I look to the door and watch as Zack shuffles in. His hands are still bandaged, but he’s been upgraded to mitts instead of having them completely wrapped up.

“It was the Master’s Master,” he whispers to me.

I nod. I figured as much. Bastard.

Fucking Bastard.

He blew up my home.

My wonderful apartment. With all of my art supplies!

My clothes, my music, my toys and paintings. That loss settles on top of my chest and tears leak from the corners of my eyes.

From down the hall I hear two people bickering. As the voices get closer, I differentiate them as being Tempe and Jack. Well this should be interesting.

“Jack, I’m not an invalid,” I hear Tempe snap. “I can walk by myself.”

“Doctor Brennan, you and my girl - my ex, were just in an explosion.” Jack’s voice elevates as he finishes, “So if I want to help, I’m going to damn well do so!”

The three of us in the room, witness the small exchange through the half open door. Temperance and Jack square off. Honestly, Tempe’s a little more intimidating and while I trust her to take down most, I know what lies beneath the surface of Jack’s clothes. He’s not a limp, geeky noodle under the blue of his smock. He’s ripped and he can use his body well.

My mind drifts as it thinks about a fight between Jack and Tempe and of course, on these drugs, my mind takes it to the uniquely naughty first co-ed mud fight. Now that would be interesting.

“Jack,” Tempe’s sweet voice brings me out of my self induced bout of age regression that took me to over half my age and a switch in gender to be a fourteen year old boy. I lick my lips and listen in. “I know. Okay. But I’m fine. I’m more worried about Angela. She’s right there and I for one intend on checking to make sure she’s awake now.”

We see Jack nod and step back allowing her to be the first to enter. Her face cracks into a half smile as she sees me and I offer her my own smile in return. There’s a bandage on the left side of her head and her right hand is wrapped. I recognize it as the one that was holding the small of my back. The one that had settled on my hips and started to drift a little lower as our first kiss deepened.

For some reason, I notice Jack out of the corner of my eye, his shoulders are slumped and I offer him a small wave. He tips his chin to me and then calls out, “Cam, Zack, let’s give these two a minute.” We both watch as he ushers them out of the room for us and then closes the door.

Trying to cut some of the tension, I joke, “For the record, your technique is fine, more than it would seem. I’ve been unconscious for a few hours.”

Her face cracks a little and she smirks. “Well, I knew I was a good kisser, I just didn’t know I was that good,” she says a little smugly, a little playfully and finally some of the tension eases between us as we laugh off nearly getting blown up.

I watch her go serious for a moment as she asks, “That’s not supposed to happen every time we kiss right?”

I smile a little more and say, “No, that’s not. Although, what I was feeling right before I blacked out was all good.”

I’m surprised when her good hand reaches for mine and laces our fingers together. She leans over the bed and touches her forehead to mine. Her eyes are open and clear, staring at me and I can’t help but lean in and brush my lips across her own.

The same heat reignites, but she stops us both before we take it any further. Pulling back, I see the tears in her eyes and the fear etched in her features. “When I woke up, you wouldn’t come to and I was so scared Ang.”

“I’m okay,” I whisper.

“I know,” she says before reengaging our second kiss.

---

“I swept the apartment twice,” Booth says hopping out of the S.U.V. “So, Bones your place is safe. There are agents outside, in the lobby and then right outside your door.”

I watch as he struggles with a bag in the back while Tempe hovers a little and helps me out of the car. I look up at her and roll my eyes. “I can walk you know.”

“I’m well aware, but I didn’t have a steel door slam into me. I had an Angela slam into me and knock me into a wall.” She grins at me and taps her head, “The laceration on my left frontal lobe is evidence. It also tells me, I’m going to be okay.” Her and reaches out and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “Your concussion is a little different.” Sighing, she relents, “We’re worried. Let us.”

I send her a glare and stand fine on my own, making a show of it. I’d do a damn pirouette if it would get her or Booth to stop treating me like a doll.

“Now, Ang, Hodgins brought me a bag of your clothes, so at least you have something to wear. It’s in this bag here,” he holds up a duffle bag with the F.B.I. logo stitched on the front. He stops half way into Tempe’s building and looks between the two of us. “Are you two sure this is a good idea?”

“Booth,” Tempe’s voice is measured as she chooses her words carefully, “We’ll be fine. You said yourself that you swept my apartment. Twice.” She offers him a reassuring smile and a small punch to the arm. “But thanks for being worried partner.” His face scrunches as she lands her punch and immediately she asks, “Too hard?”

“No, Bones. It was good.” He smiles and ushers us in front of him. I catch a glimpse of him rotating the shoulder that she socked and the small look of pain on his face.

She turns to me and shrugs helplessly, asking, “That was the right thing to do, right?”

A crooked smile makes its way onto my face. “Remember not to punch him so hard. You have pronounced knuckles that I’m sure make it hurt more than it normally would.” I pat her forearm before punching the ‘Up’ button on her elevator.

“Look,” Booth says behind us, “Maybe you guys should just hunker down with Parker and Rebecca.”

“Because that won’t be uncomfortable,” I snark.

“Hey!” Booth and Temperance say in unison.

I relent and say, “Booth, we’ll be fine.” I then turn a gaze to Tempe as the elevator doors open and we step inside. “What did you ‘hey’ me for?”

She harrumphs, but says, “I can interact with Rebecca just fine and Parker and I get along okay.”

“Sweetie, I’m sure you’d do fine, it’s her that has the problem.” I smile at her and hear Booth harrumph behind me. I giggle and step off the elevator when the doors open.

So far so good. No explosions.

“She would be fine,” he clarifies and Tempe opens her apartment door.

I turn to him as we get inside and he sets the bags down a look of disbelief crossing over my face. “Wasn’t it you that told me she was jealous of all of us. That not only did she not like your hours, but the fact that you worked closely with Temperance and an ex of yours.” I fold my arms across my chest and lift an eyebrow.

His lips purse and he scowls at me. “Ang,” he whines a little.

“Why would she be jealous?” Temperance asks from her kitchen. “And would anyone like something to drink?”

“I’m good,” I state.

“Water,” Booth answers and then follows, “She wasn’t…” he stops, scowls at me and restates, “She did have some problems with me working with Cam, but Bones come on, she’s like one of the guys.”
I snort and say under my breath, “Yeah one of the guys with breasts and beautiful blue eyes.” Booth must have heard that because he shoots me a look.

“Well,” Tempe says coming into her living room with two bottles of water, “That’s completely irrational.” She hands him his bottle and fishes a vial of pills from her pants pocket. She hands the pills and the other bottle of water off to me, giving me an expectant look. I scowl at her but she gives that ‘pinched mouth furrowed brow’ look, so I cave.

“That’s not irrational,” Booth defends. “I’m not sure I would feel great about her working with an ex.”

Temperance just shrugs and says, “It’s irrational because if she had known you at all, she’d know that you don’t cheat on people, between your devout Catholicism and your personal ethics, it’s one of the last things that you would probably do.”

“Oh,” he says tugging at the lapels of his jacket and sitting down. “Thanks Bones.” He glances down at his watch and scrambles up. “I’m gonna be late. Are you sure you two will be okay?”

“I’m very capable of defending the apartment and Angela,” Tempe says standing with Booth. I follow them to the door.

“Hey,” I say from behind my friends, “I’m not a damsel in distress.”

Their heads whip around to look at me and then they look to each other and shrug. Booth casts one last look between the two of us. “So what are you ladies going to do tonight? Slumber party? Stuff your faces and talk about actors, see who’s the most dreamy? Don’t eat too much, girls”

There’s a collective eye roll between Temperance and me and as she pushes him out the door, I smirk and say just loud enough for him to hear, “Oh, I can’t make any guarantees about that. I plan on eating my fill.”

He looks back at me as the door starts to close and I offer a little wave and a smile.

Temperance looks back at me and cocks her head in confusion, “What are you going to or not going to get your fill of? I thought you wanted Mexican tonight?”

I offer her a sweet smile and nothing more as I pull her to me and give her a peck on the cheek before dancing away to go take my medication.

This whole shacking up with Tempe until we catch the last of the Gormogon Masters is going to be pretty interesting.

Chapter 7 - Prison Bound