The Skeleton in the Closet

Ohhhh...ohhhh...MORE!! MORE!!! PLEASE!??!??!!!! This is GOOD!

Shelia is curious about this woman, Dr. Temperance Brennan. The nurse takes a quick look back to make sure the attractive man and woman were still following behind. Such a diverse grouping, yet they were apparently some sort of family.

She knows, of course who Temperance Brennan is. She's read a couple of her books: clinically devious murders that really are impossible to figure out until you're told at the end, and an ongoing red hot, angsty love affair whose descriptions leave her hot and bothered every time. Thinking about the handsome man striding behind her, she suspects that he is the inspiration for those scenes.

The elevator ride becomes gradually silent, as other visiting friends and family get on and off other floors: the children's floor, maternity. When they finally arrive at intensive care there are only eight people left: three nurses, and three groups of two. There's the stop at the nurse's station to sanitize their hands, and then Shelia leads them into the ward.

Intensive care is different in that there is far less privacy. Private rooms would take several precious seconds in getting to a patient. Instead, each bed is separated by thick curtains with a tab on the side with the patient's name and information. Shelia stops outside of Brennan's slot and turns to Booth and Cam.

"Remember, she's in an induced coma, she'll be very still."

Cam nods at the nurse, immediately understanding her warning. As Shelia pulls back the curtain, Cam grips Booth's hand.

The first thing they see is her leg, fully cast, hanging up in traction. Booth's eyes immediately go from there to her face. He can only see her cheeks and closed eyes. The rest is covered by the bandages around her head, and the clear mask over her nose and mouth. There is tubing up her nose, breathing for her, and in her arm is more tubing, connected to an IV. The heart monitor beeps slowly, steadily, while the breathing machine makes its rhythmic sound: swoosh...aah, swoosh...aah.

Booth crushes Cam's fingers in his hand.

"She's so pale," he says hoarsely.

Despite the softness of his voice, Shelia hears him.

"She lost a lot of blood, the transfusions are still getting fully circulated."

Booth doesn't answer. It's Cam who thanks the nurse.

"Well, I'll leave you two alone with her for a few minutes."

Shelia ducks out behind the curtain and now it's just Cam, Booth, and Brennan.

"You can touch her, Booth."

He nods and steps over to Brennan's side and let's his fingertips brush hers.

"Hey, Bones. It's Booth."

Cam watches as he impatiently brushes the tears from his face.

"I hope you aren't surprised I'm here. I know I haven't been around much...I'm sorry about that, I'm really sorry."

Booth chokes back a sob, and Cam's nails are digging into her palms to keep herself from crying.

"I've missed you...missed us. I know it looked like I moved on, but I didn't Bones. I was...I was being an asshole, A metaphorical asshole, so don't start thinking about how it's impossible for me to be one. But I never stopped wanting it to be you I was with. I never stopped loving you, I never changed my mind about you being the one. I know that's hard for you to believe, but, when you come back, I'm gonna be right here for you, and am spending the rest of my life proving that YOU are the one I love, the one I want, the one I need. Just you, Temperance Brennan, I love just you."

Cam dare not breathe. She wonders if Seeley even remembers that she's in the room. She watches him caress each of Brennen's fingers, smooth his fingertips against the pale skin of her arm. Seeley was right, he needed to be alone with her. He curls a lock
of her hair around his finger. The head injury must be in the left frontal lobe because there isn't hair beneath the bandages on the other side of her face.

"Incidentally, Bones, I really can't take anything I said back. We've got a witness."

Booth turns to look over at Cam.

"Cam's here, too."

Cam is startled, but recovers quickly

"Yes, Dr. Brennan, I did hear everything he said...and I believe him. He's been in love with you...longer than he even knew himself. You can trust that.

Cam's voice is passionate, but her words bring a small, sad smile to Booth's face. He remembers when Camille and Bones first met, so long ago...

Shelia draws back the curtain - Dr. Meyers is with her.

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to leave now."

Shelia expects a protest from Booth, but instead he kisses his fingertips and presses them against Brennan's forehead.

"See you tomorrow."

With that, he gets up and turns to Dr. Meyers.

"Thank you."

Dr. Meyers has seen hundreds of grief-stricken families in despair. The man saying thank you does not fit the bill. Grief-stricken, yes, but there's a determination in his eyes, and a kind of peace. He realizes the man is seeing a woman who is alive, and would stay alive. Hope was a good thing. While he always states the facts, unlike some doctors, he doesn't like to destroy hope in person once the facts are known.

"You're welcome."

awesome
dunno about cam nearly crying i nearly blubbered

Ohhh, good chapter!

I love it! Keep it up!

I wasn't going to update this until I finished all of chapter nine. However, it's a long chapter, and each section can probably stand on it's own. So... Here's the first part of chapter nine.





Once they return to the waiting room Cam expects Booth to collapse.

"Um, Cam...why don't you check in on the kid over there, I want to talk to Max a sec.

Surprised, she watches him go over Max and sit down. She slowly walks over towards Sweets.

"So, Max...you got a place to stay nearby?"

Max looks at him tiredly, "I haven't thought about it. I usually stay with Tempe." His voice breaks saying her name.

"I know."

Booth takes his keys out and slips one off.

"I know how she hates when you break in."

He and Max slowly smile at each other until they both start to chuckle.

"That, she does."

"Do you need a ride over there?"

"No, no, I'm good. Rental car."

"Don't you need I.D. - never mind, don't answer that."

Max flashes another smile, "Good call."

"We won't be able to see her until morning. Probably should go try and get some sleep."

"Is that what you're planning?"

Booth catches the sly tone of Max's voice. The man doesn't miss much.

"No, I've got to go to the Hoover and transfer over the cases I'm working to other agents, let them know I'll be taking some time off."

Sweets and Cam are watching from across the room. They can't hear exactly what's being said, but sees the key exchange and the smiles.

Max gets up and clasps Booth on the shoulder.

"I don't know if I've said it Booth, but -"

"- I know Max, you don't have to -"

"- I want to. I'm happy she has you. After all I've put her through-"

"- Max. Everything you've done, good idea or not, you did because you loved her. She knows that."

"Well, I'm still glad she has you, Booth."

"She, she deserves better."

Max laughs, "There is none, Booth. You're the only man I know who can handle my Tempe."

Booth manages a nod, wishing Max would just shut up and leave already.

"Well, she is strong woman, Max."

"Yeah...she is."

With that, Max strides away, stopping only to turn and look at Booth one last time.

"See you, later."

Then he was gone.

Cam turns to Sweets.

Why don't you head home, Sweets. Get some sleep."

"But -"

Sweets quells at the look on Cam's face.

"Yeah, guess I'll go do that. You'll call if anything changes, right?"

"I will"

In a sudden motion, Sweets clasps his arms around her in a hug. After a moment she hugs him back - even though it does make her feel a bit like his mother. What does Booth call him again? Baby duck?

As quickly as it started it ends and Sweets, looking like he might cry, is thanking her and hastily retreating from the waiting room.

Now for Seeley.

Cam stands and just watches him for a moment. He's got his head in his hands again. She's sure Max said something about how wonderful Seeley is for his daughter - and that it's eating away at him. She wishes it hadn't taken this to wake him up, yet, she's glad that he's awake. God willing, soon, Dr. Brennan will be too. She walks over and sits down next to him.

Booth knows it's Camille next to him, but isn't willing to look up yet. Max's words are jeering at him and he's never felt so much like a fraud in his life.

"They're going to keep her under for 48 hours, Seeley."

Camille's quiet words annoy him. What the hell? He snaps up to look at her.

"I know that, Camille. I'm upset, not deaf."

Inwardly, Cam smiles. Annoyance is good.

"Do you need to check in with Hannah?"

"Hannah? Why the hell are you asking me about, Hannah! Bones can't even breathe on her own and - "

"- She's your girlfriend."

Cam stares him down as he processes her point. Sighing, he leans his head back against the wall.

"She's away. ...I don't want to do it over the phone."

"When is she back?"

"Thursday."

"Would you rather deal with it when Dr. Brennan's awake?"

"No, you're right...I guess I don't get to be the nice guy, huh?"

"Nope. Not this time Seeley."

"Don't call me Seeley, Camille."

They both smile and shake their heads.

"God, Cam, how come I keep getting it so wrong?"

Cam shakes her head. No way is she going to get into that.

"Camille?"

Cam sighs. Yes, she is.

"You're a romantic, Seeley. You want the fairytale dream...but the prince has to choose, and then fight. You and me - I knew it wasn't love. It just was easy. Dr. Brennan's not easy."

Booth cringes. He wants to defend Bones as well as himself, However, he knows it's true. There really was no such thing as an easy genius, and he did just give up. It occurs to him that he probably always has just given up on the women in his life. He tried to do everything right, but if the road wasn't smooth, well...

"You're fighting for her now, Seeley. You need both hands free."

"I'll need more than that."

Booth suddenly stands up.

"I gotta go, Cam, and so do you."

"Me?"

She stands up next to Booth, not at all sure where he's going with this.

"Yeah, the skeletal remains of what looks like a baby is sitting over at your lab. I can't call Hannah right now - it's 4am over there. I will let her know it's over tonight. Meanwhile, I've got 48 hours to clear my plate at work and put in for extended leave."

"Booth -"

"I'm not letting her think for one moment she's alone, Cam. Not one."

Booth is staring her down intensely, daring her to contradict him.

However, all she does is give him a patented Cam smirk as she says, "Good."

Great story, really emotional- but just one question: Earlier, you said Wendell was at the the lab, but in chapter 5 Daisy is also going to the lab? Is it supposed to be like that?

Yep. Daisy went to the lab. But Cam closed it. Daisy went home. Wendall chose to stay on his own because he didn't know what to do with himself. I always assume the interns are around it's just a matter of if they are featured in a particular week.

Good question!

Cam isn't sure what she'll find at the lab. She'd shut things down that morning, froze any cases Dr. Brennan had been working on, and canceled any experiments - new or not -by ANY lab technician. Without any supervision having experiments in the lab was not gonna be happening. She'd sent the interns home, saying that unless they wanted to work on putting together skeletons from limbo they might as well go. Booth's comment about the body being sent to the Jeffersonian had disturbed her. It was quite possible that no one had been at the lab when the body arrived and it was just sitting on a gurney in the middle of the floor.

So, as exhausted as she is, the choice to go to the lab before heading home is, in her mind, non-negotiable. As she walks through the doors she’d sees the light on over the platform. Standing in the middle of it is Wendell. He is focused on whatever is on the silver slab in front of him, so doesn’t notice Cam as she walks to the platform. It’s only when the card-reader makes its little beep that he looks up.

“Dr. Saroyan!”

“Mr. Bray. You’re here fairly late for an unexpected day off.”

Wendell doesn’t crack a smile. He puts down the small metal tweezers in his hand before walking towards her.

“I couldn’t leave, not without...is she still -”

“- Yes, Mr. Bray. Dr. Brennan made it through the surgery. She’s in an induced coma, so...”

“There’s hope.”

Cam watches the young man’s eyes tear up. It occurs to her that he is the only one there. Even Daisy had gone home, most likely expecting to be filled in by Sweets.

“She’s given me so much, Dr. Saroyan. Chances to do - this, to make a difference in the world. I know what people say about her, but she’s made a big difference for so many people with her work, to have the privilege of working with her...”

“There is hope, Wendell.”

Wendell nods.

“I see you were here when the body arrived.”

“Yes. Agent Booth had stopped by to tell, to let the lab know it was coming.”

“That’s how he found out - from you.”

“Yes.”

“He’s there with her now. I’m glad you were here...So, what have we got?”

“The skeleton is that of a female, between 14-18 months old, skull shows -”

“14-18 months?”

Cam walks quickly over to the silver slab and sees the tiny, mostly put together body. She gasps and covers her mouth. After a moment she moves her hand. Yes, Booth had mentioned a baby, but hearing it is different than facing it.

“I’ve been a coroner for twenty years, Mr. Bray. You never get used to...this. Any idea about cause of death?"

“While there are several perimortem fractures, particularly of the ribs and pelvic regions, the presence of blood spots on several areas inside the skull suggest the cause of death was severe subdural hemorrhaging.”

“Shaken baby syndrome.”

“Yes.”

“Time of death”

“The skeletal remains date to approximately six years ago.”

“You’re saying this body was hidden in a closet for six years?”

“Yes.”

Cam feels her face flush with anger, even as the bile rumbles in her stomach.

“Excellent work, Mr. Bray.”

“Thank you, Dr. Saroyan.”

“You should go home and get some sleep now, Wendall. It’s been a long day for everyone.”

Wendell hesitates for just a moment.

“Are we allowed to see her?”

“Tomorrow she’ll hopefully be well enough to go into a step-down private room. She’ll still be in a coma, but I know she can still hear her friends talking to her.”

“They say that’s true - about comas.”

“I think she’d be happy to hear you, Wendell.”

“So, tomorrow?

Cam nods.

“Tomorrow.”

It's a little after 1am when Booth gets home. He had managed to trace the ownership of the house to a Mr. and Mrs. Morgan. After getting that the time of death had been approximately six years ago, he eliminated them as suspects. The couple had been living in Florida for over ten years and, until the recent sale, had kept the house as a rental property. There were no flight or train records of them returning to D.C. area, and the husband had suffered a stroke eight years prior which made driving up impossible. The Florida bureau would be contacting them in the morning for a list of the renters they'd had. Since it wasn't yet verified that the toddler had been killed on the premises, the body could have been brought there at any time.

While that was being put in motion, he generated lists of missing persons 14-18 months whom had disappeared six years ago. One list within a fifty mile radius, a second one nation-wide. He'd already removed all non-caucasian children from the lists, cutting them down by half. As they got more specific information, the lists could be whittled down even more.

He'd put in a written request for Agent Pettora to work the case and hopefully he could get her up to speed over the next two days. It was ironic that she was the only other agent who could tolerate the squints. He suspected it was because Pettora was a bit of a squint herself. Quiet, aloof, and, aside from her skills as an agent, she had a specialization in cryptology - a real wiz with numbers and codes. She and Bones did not get along well, much like Bones and Cam hadn't - at least not at first. They were, however, able to work together. As for the rest of the team, she and Cam had that woman in a rough-n-tuff man's world bonding thing, so they understood each other. He also thought she'd work well with Wendall...In fact, they might work alittle TOO well...but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Another squint and agent pairing might make life a bit easier down the road.

Finally, he'd drawn up a request for five days sick leave starting Wednesday. He figured by then he'd know how much emergency leave and/or vacation days he'd need to ask for.

Now he is home, exhausted. Still, he knows there's still one more thing for him to do. As he tosses his jacket on the couch and undoes his tie, his eyes are trained on the phone Hannah gave him. The one Bones told her he wanted. It doesn't seem right for him to make the call on that phone. Sighing, he sits down on his couch and rustles through his jacket to pull his cell from the inside pocket. His thoughts become questions. Suddenly he isn't sure of the time difference and wonders if it's still too early.

He's stalling, and he knows it. The time differences are ones he'd gotten used to over the last few months because she was so often overseas. It's early-morning there and she's probably sitting having her coffee.

Hannah. He thinks about how miserable he'd been in Afganistan, and how willing she'd been to cheer him up. Gratitude is not love, however, and their entire relationship was based on it: her, grateful for her rescue, him, for all the attention. He should have never gone over there in the first place. Certainly he'd have been better off. As for her coming here...he'd felt guilty and flattered that she'd done it, and lost in his own world of hurt and anger about Bones' abandonment.

She hadn't really, but that's what it had felt like when he hadn't heard from her. Thinking about it now, it occurs to him that she never had contacted him while away before. Nor had he given her any contact information. They'd had no talk about promising to write or e-mail, just that they would meet in a year. Sure, she could have called around to find out about how to reach him. However, he could have done the same. She'd been so puzzled by him being upset over her not contacting him. Looking at it now, thinking about the way her mind works, it probably never occurred to her that he wanted to keep in touch. After all, he'd never asked.

Thinking about this is still stalling. Bones is lying in a coma, and the only thing that matters now is being there for her when she wakes up. He'd told her 30, 40, 50 years. It's time to show that he meant it and he can't do that if Hannah is still in his life. He flips open his phone, scrolls to her name, and hits dial.

It is done. Not exactly what he'd expected. She'd been upset about Bones being hurt, but had quickly made it clear she couldn't fly home right then. That made it a bit easier.

"I don't think we're working, Hannah. I don't think wecan work."

She'd laughed it off at first, made some comment about how well they'd worked right before she'd left for the airport. He'd stayed silent.

"Seeley?"

"There's more to a relationship than sex, Hannah...we don't want the same things."

She'd been quiet for a moment, "You've known I'm not the marrying kind, Booth."

"Yes, but you also aren't really the relationship kind either. You "love" having me around to have sex with - when you're around."

"It's more than just sex, Seeley. We have a good time, lots of laughs. And it's awesome sex."

He didn't smile to himself as she tried to make light of things. How had thought this was love?

"I need more than that."

There was a long silence.

"I'll pack up my stuff when I get back."

"Okay."

"It's been fun, Seeley."

He did smile a bit then, "Yeah. It was fun."

He'd hung up the phone, and, just like that, it was over. He leans back on his couch and sighs. Breakups should have some tinge of sadness - even if you're the one to end it - but all he feels is relief.

Temperance feels happy, yet curious. Everything is white, or there just is whiteness, because there really isn't any particular thing. She's not even sure what a 'thing' is or why that...word(?), popped into her head. 'Words are how human's think , Temperance.'

The answer is from herself...to herself. Self...Temperance. Now she sees...an arm, a leg...the terms pop into her mind (?) Delineating from the whiteness, her body(?) is drifting. She drifts peacefully. She could stay like this forever.

Booth. The form appears suddenly, as does the name to call it, call him. She can see his face(?), yes, his face, his eyes. She is drawn to him, and quickly entwined. Falling into his eyes she feels bliss, beyond peace. His mouth touches hers, a kiss. A kiss light and then strong, heat. Hands on her body, his body inside hers, hers enveloping his, melding to ecstasy. His voice echoes through her mind as he starts to fall into the ecstasy with her. "Don't leave me, Bones. Please don't leave me!"

His desperate sadness is the first sense of pain she's felt. She melts deeper into him, around him, "I can't leave you. You're a part of me, inside me, holding me. Just don't let me go."

"Never, Bones. I am not letting go."

"I hope so..." Waves of pleasure flash through them, like a lighting storm, cries out like thunder, soothing peace like steady gentle rain.

Love. The word seems to echo all around.

Booth's eyes snap open. He is sweating profusely, and wrapped around his pillow, disoriented by its texture not being Temperance's soft body and silky hair. After a moment or so, he feels where he is, alone, in his bed, with sticky wet boxers. Shame fills his mind as realizes he's had a wet dream(which hasn't happened since high school) about Bones while she's lying in a hospital bed fighting for her life.

Yet, something about it had felt so real. Sex, but not. His memories aren't of her body exactly, but he'd been inside her, a part of her, and she a part of him. "Just don't let me go." Her words echo in his mind. He glances at the clock. It's 6:15am. Early, but he figures the hospital can deal with it. He gets out of bed and heads to the shower. The case can wait. Right now, all that matters is that he hold on to Bones.


I realize this is a short chapter. I kept going back to it, but nothing else felt right with it. I should update quickly, though, as I've had all these ideas that didn't fit here.

Post again soon Joy!

I like this story! Please post again soon!

So, you guys ARE my beta! Thanks for reading and sticking with the story.




Angela never thought anything could come close to how scared and helpless she'd felt when she realized the Gravedigger had Jack and Bren. She'd been wrong. As she watches Bren's chest rise and fall in rthym with the machine giving her breath, she wants to rip it from the wall and breath for Bren instead. At least then she'd be doing something. When the Gravedigger had then, there'd still been things that she could DO to help.

Yet, a year from that they'd broken up... and then, after things with Roxie had ended, after her self-imposed celibacy, she'd let her pride land her in the arms ofd the first handsome hunk she could find...and not because he hadn't loved Jack. So much wasted time... She watched Brennan being breathed and prayed her best friend would wake up and give Booth the second chance Jack had given her.

They would know something today. Today the coma-inducing drugs were gradually being pulled from Bren's system. Booth was turning over the last of his casework to Pettora and was due at hospital in less than an hour. Yesterday she'd walked in to find Pettora at the doorway, watching Booth watch Brennan. The agent looked wistful. Ang hadn't realized the female agent was aware of her arrival, but then she'd surprised Angela with her words.

"I don't think I've ever had a man look at me that way."

Angela had quickly rolled her eyes. Like seriously, who cared? But then Pettora's tone of voice caught up to Angela's perception. She sounded observational, not jealous. Pettora's next words confirmed that the issue wasn't jealousy, but they still surprised her.

"He was looking at her like that three years ago."

"Yeah...I know."

Pettora looked at Angela then. "Is she still clueless?"

Angela had hesitated, and Pettora kept going. "I got her; she understands dead bodies not living people, so she couldn't tell, but Booth's one of the best at figuring people out, how could he not know she was in love with him? This - "

Pettora had made a vauge gesture towards Brennan & Booth.

"- makes no sense. "

Booth had turned around then, which kept Angela from replying. Still, the conversation had given her a new respect for the female agent. Pettora was cool and professional with Booth. There was nothing in her demenor that let on that she knew Booth's feelings for Brennan were more than work partners. Yet, Angela had heard the sadness and exasperation in Pettora's voice. Apparently being underestimated was part of what made a good agent.

"How's she doing?"

Booth's voices startles her out of her thoughts. Apparently sneaking up on people is also a part of agent training.

"No changes yet." Booth nods, but the worry is obvious.

"They said it would be a few hours Booth. It's not even one yet.

"Yeah. Right...it's just been an hour."

His face tries to look hopeful, but it's not very successful.

"I'm scared, too, Booth, but I've got to believe -"

"If she doesn't wake up she will know that you love her. She will have massive amounts of evidence that you love her. Me..."

"Booth, don't."

"Her last memories are of a man that gave up on her, who moved on, who treated her like a freak, who -"

"Stop it!" Angela whispers fiercely. "Her last memories are whatever we say in this room, the last things she hears - awake or not. So, just, stop."

He looks sufficiently mollified, and she has pity on him.

"Why don't you tell her about how much you don't miss your soon-to-be ex."

A sudden bright smile crosses Booth face. "Oh, she's knows. She knows that I am a single man. Right Bones?"

Angela's eyes widen in surprise, "You dumped her over the phone?"

"Yeah. Not the best way, but it - "

" - Had to be done." Angela echoes Booth's statement, and with a grin high-fives him. "Good job, Studly."

"I had to, Angela."

"Because you love Brennan."

"With everything I've got, Ang."

Angela gets up slowly, grateful taking Booth's hand to help her.

"You just sit here and keep telling her that...so she knows that she's waking up to YOU."

Booth nods, even while wishing he had Angela's assurance that Temperance will wake up and be okay.

Angela must have brushed out Temperance's hair, because it lays sleek and smooth beneath her head, fanning like abdark angel's wing against the pillow. Even with the various blood transfusions she 's still too pale, but it's better than it's been. Unconsciously he reaches out and brushes his fingertips against her cheek.

"Temperance."

The whisper leaves his lips unaware. He closes his eyes, remembering holding her in his dreams. The dream she wrote, the dreams he remembers... He opens his eyes.

"I'm not a writer like you, Bones...I don't know if I can give you a story the way you gave me. So, I'm just, I'm just gonna tell the story I WISH were true, okay?"

Brushing a fallen lock of hair back from her face, he begins.

"I wish that I'd had the guts to just say what I wanted that night. Actually, I wish I'd kept my mouth shut just then, instead of listening to Sweets. It's not the kid's fault that I let'm push me into having that conversation. I mean, I'm a grown man who KNOWS you, hell just knows better in general. Right after reliving the disater we had the first time we tried getting together - not the time to ask said woman out. Just no. Yet, there I was, putting you on the spot. "

He looks down at her still face and let himself take in her beauty, tuning out the sound of the machines breathing for her, monitering her heart. Her lashes are dark above her cheeks, her lips full and pink; she's a sleeping angel. A soft smile crosses his face, her beauty had always captivated him this way. The purity of it. People could say what they'd like about beauty being only skin deep....maybe what THEY called beauty: that stupid golden ratio thing Bones said Hannah possessed, a grouping of attributes that were pleasing to the eye. Lots of women have it. Hannah DOES, Cam does. Hell, every woman he's ever been with has it. Temperance does too, but it's not, he realizes, what makes her so extrodinarily beautiful. It's her heart-light. He smiles at that as he takes her hand and links his fingers through hers.

"You would SO be arguing with me if you know what I was thinking, Bones. You would say hearts don't have light and the body isn't see-through. And then I would have to explain that there IS a glow that comes from pure goodness. That's why when women get pregnant there is a GLOW and people notice the difference. You have that glow, Bones. You just do. It's in your eyes, even when you're mad..."

Unbidden, the memory of that first major fight flashes through his mind. She'd been so furious and he'd been infuriated because she'd been mad for days and he couldn't figure out WHAT had her so pissed off lately. Hell, she'd been the one who'd left him hot and bothered...

"You know, for all of Sweets psychobabble, he never even asked about how we got from getting along so well to the mess we ended up with. It still makes no sense to me. Not that it matters - because we ARE going to be together regardless, Bones. I hope you believe me, but if not I will be spending the rest of my life proving how much I love you. I'm just wondering what it was we missed then, what was the disconnect that's kept us...from what we've both wanted...

Anyway, what I was getting at, about that night on the steps. Since I DID let Sweets push me, I wish I'd really listened to you, Bones. If I had listened...I would have heard you loved me. I would have heard that I jumped too fast and scared you and I never would have said you were right. You WERE NOT right, Bones.

What I wished, Temperence...I wish I had looked at you and smiled. I wish I'd seen the love in your eyes and realized talking about 30 - 40 year relationships that weren't us wasn't the best thing. I wish I'd joked about forgetting 30-40 years but to just think about what it would be like to go celebrate after closing a case by going home and making love, or to de-stress in the middle of a tough case with a bubble bath for two.

I would have put those pictures in your mind and told you not to answer me, just to know that I'd like those things with you. Because, I know you. Every time we've been direct and concrete with each other about things that scare you, you go think about it...and eventually come around.

By the way, I still want those things with you. Don't think I'm just running my mouth hoping the sound will wake you up. I mean, I do want you to wake up, but I mean everything I'm saying.

I told you yesterday that Hannah is out of my life now. She always was the consulation prize, baby. She always was. I wish I'd never met her. I really do. She wasn't a bad person, but she kept me from dealing with what I really wanted, which was you. I mean, I put my life on the line every day for my country, but go running off because the first time I tell you how I really feel about wanting an "us" you didn't just fall into my arms? ...It was a cowardly thing for me to do, Bones.

At first he thinks the slight pressure against his hand is just his imagination. But then he hears the beeping heart moniter speeding up, and the breathing machine. Her head is twisting against the pillow, and then her eyes snap open.

"NURSE!"

Booth's yell was barely out of his mouth before the nurse came rushing in.

Brennan looks terrified to Booth. She's got a death grip on his hand while the other reaches blindly towards her throat.

"Sir, I need you out the way!"

Brennan seems to get more agitated by those words and swipes at the nurse.

"Easy, baby, easy," Booth crouches himself down in his chair so the nurse can hopefully work over him. "Shhh....it's okay, Bones, she's gonna get that stuff off....easy..."

After a minute Brennan stops thrashing and the nurse can take the breathing tube out. Brennan's baby blues never leave Booth's face.
Booth watches the panic drain from her, unaware that he's tearing up.

"There you go, Sweetie, all done. The doctor's on his way, okay?"

Brennan glares at the nurse's slow exaggerated speech, and Booth nearly laughs aloud. Bones is definetely BACK.
So, this is coming close to wrapping up. I admit, it's hard going in and working with B&B when the show is...what it is now. But they deserve some AU's where they can be what they used to be on tv. I hope I'm giving them a little of that.