Disclaimer: Bones and any of it's affiliate characters and locations do not belong to me.
Summary: She has all the pieces. She just doesn't know how they fit. More importantly how she fits. Sequel to Flick of the Switch.
Author's Notes:: It is important to read Flick of the Switch before this fik because … oh hell the because don't matter! Just do it!
In response to the reviews to Flick of the Switch. Wow.
Many apologies if any characters go ooc in this fik, esp Booth, for some reason I can the distinct feeling he's gonna be hard to write!
Prologue
"Bones,"The word cut like a knife, slicing through veils and breaking down walls, she lifted her head, barely daring to look "Booth?" She breathed, he voice catching in her throat.
This was a dream, it had to be, there was no way… his smile lit up his face in a way that the light he was squinting against never stood a chance to compete against. His head was tilted to the side; his brown eyes giving her a fond look as she self-consciously flattened her hair.
Temperance moved to switch of the light but he made a noise of protest "I've spent too long in the dark," he explained softly.
She nodded and continued to stare at him, picking at her fingernails. He was awake… She wanted so badly to throw her arms round him but daren't because of his reaction. Reactions, to everything, everyone reacted, to pain, disgust, joy, pleasure, sincerity, insecurity.
They spent many minutes in silence, her watching him although trying not to and him watching the ceiling, before he broke it "what…" he began, looking back at her "what happened?"
Temperance looked up, memories filling her head like a movie, flashing before her eyes in graphic detail. Rebecca. Parker. Booth.
Tears, crying, sobs tearing through ear drums like fire.
Bullet. Blood. Carter.
"Bones?" his voice jerked her back to the present.
"You got shot," she replied, looking back at her hands. "Angela called an ambulance and we got you here as fast as we could but they said…" she was trailing off, the memory of the night threatening to overwhelm her. She sniffed and looked back at him, straight in the eye "they put you on life support and we waited. God…" she looked up, blinking to push back tears "we waited months, then they told us that you weren't going to wake up,"
Booth swallowed and took her hand giving it a reassuring squeeze, hoping that even that tender touch would be enough to tell her that if he could take away all that pain he would.
She looked back down again, at their hands, this time his grip was strong and real as opposed to weak and forced like it had been mere hours ago "I… It took us forever to solve the case. Then he slipped up. He'd been working with us since the night that you… I followed him to the parking lot and we fought. Hodgins saved my life and I shot him,"
"Who, Hodgins?" Booth said, eyes widening.
She laughed through the tears that were flowing unabated "no. Carter,"
He released her hand and went to sit up, giving her a pained smile when she had to rearrange the pillows so he could do so comfortably.
"I should get a doctor," she said after a moment's silence, she should, she had too, had to proof to them she was right and they were wrong.
Her eyes locked on her wrist as he fingers curled round it, stopping her from moving as she got to her feet "don't," he pleaded "please?"
Temperance looked from her hand to his eyes, the puppy-dog-look already back with a vengeance and she shuddered. She'd nearly stopped herself from seeing that look ever again.
"Someone crawl over you grave?" he teased.
"What?" she cocked her head to one side.
"Never mind," he chuckled. It felt so good to hear him laugh again, hear him speak, touch, feel "sit?" he asked "for a while?"
It took her a moment to register what he'd said as she relished to feeling of warmth spiral in tendrils from where their skin met down to her toes. The boat had found her anchor and she was no longer drifting out to sea.
Nodding she went to take her seat in the chair again and gave a rather uncharacteristic like yelp as he gave her wrist a playful tug as she ended up sat next to him, hip to hip. His arms wrapped round her waist, pinning her to his chest.
"Relax," he prompted by whispering in her ear, he could feel her tense against him. Despite his voice not showing it he was desperate. He needed human contact right now, every sense so much more sensitive; hearing whispers sounded like shouting, each time he touched something it felt like he was being shocked and yet…
Touching her was different; there was a spark, a flame, fire spreading up his arm and over his body but a dulled one, one not so vicious. One that instead of hurting soothed.
He couldn't stop the smile that spread over his face as she slowly obeyed, melting into his embrace and leaning against him, giving herself up completely to him. In his arms she felt so much smaller than she normally did, his larger form dwarfing her petite one.
After a few moments of companionable silence questions began rushing through his head "what date is it?" he queried.
Booth felt her shift against him as she checked her watch "just past five AM on June sixteenth,"
"Oh," he replied "how long was I out for?"
'Five months' she answered in an almost whisper, settling back against him, fitting perfectly against him, as if it was where she belonged "I should get the doctor," she said when he did not respond "and the others,"
'It's five AM Bones' he gave her a gentle squeeze 'they'll all be asleep'
Bones, he'd called her Bones. He really was back. Alive, well, holding her, it wasn't a dream. She didn't even have it in her to protest at the moment 'you called me Bones' she smiled almost goofily up at him.
He raised an eyebrow then realised she was nearing sleep 'I did'
She shifted her head so that it fitted into the crook of his neck and closed her eyes "you're back," she stated "you're really back,"
"I am," he grinned, if it weren't so serious he could tease her to no end when she woke up but as it was? As it was it just felt good to know she was comfortable enough with him to sleep in his arms.
"Sleep," he breathed into her hair "I'll still be here. I promise," as if he read her mind, knew that some part of her felt that she was dreaming that sleeping meant waking and he wouldn't be there. He'd still be comatose. He'd still be one step from death.
"Hmm," she mumbled, comfortable and warm but still not quite believing. Angela, Zack, Hodgins, they all needed to know. Dr Adams… Parker would be so happy to see him…
"Parker!" her eyes flew open as she struggled to get up but Booth held fast, his hands clamping round her own, effectively pinning her down.
"Shh," he coaxed, his thumbs rubbing soothing circles onto the backs of her hands 'calm down. What's wrong?'
Temperance looked up at him, all need to get away dying down, it was so tempting to just sleep but… "Parker! I have to get him. He'll want to see you. He asked me to kiss you to make it better. To wake you up… he's missed you so much-"
"Woah, woah, woah," he cut off her high-speed ramble, looked her in the eye and said with all seriousness "who's Parker?"
Short I know but I figured that as I wanted to start this fik a week after Flick of the Switch left off. But I also wanted Booth to forget Parker and obviously Parker would have seen Booth before then… anyway, you got your fluff, you got your little um… problem? There at the end.
I apologise for any medical inaccuracies. Booth waking up was a medical miracle so obviously there had to be some problem or it would all be too perfect and forgetting Parker allows for some… bittersweet Tempe/Parker scenes. XD
More soon.
Hopefully.
I am working on Chapter 1!
