(The Daredevil in the Mold)

A/N: this story came to me while watching "The Bikini in the Soup". I hope you find it entertaining. Rated 'T' for language.

I don't own Bones.

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He was in so much pain he didn't know if he'd survive opening his eyes. His head throbbing, he groaned and kept his eyes squeezed shut as he slowly sat up and moved to the edge of the bed. Placing his feet on the floor, he fought off a wave of dizziness that threatened to pull him to the floor.

With a shooting pain coursing through his feet up to his fragile head, he stood up and staggered into the bathroom. After relieving his full bladder, he stood in front of the sink and stared at the sullen image staring back at him. What did I do last night?

After he washed his hands, he filled the sink with cold water and immersed his face in the water hoping it would cool his hot skin and stop his head from threatening to fall off. After a few minutes, he grabbed a towel and dried his face and hair. Thirsty, he slowly made his way into the kitchen to retrieve a bottle of water from the fridge. He tried to drink the entire bottle, but his stomach rebelled and he managed to drink half instead.

Carrying the bottle into the living room, he collapsed on the sofa and stared dully at the darkened TV. He had been drunk before, but he'd never felt this bad afterward. Fuck! How much did I drink last night?

He knew that he hadn't handled his breakup with Hannah very well and he was starting to worry about what he'd done after he started to drink shot after shot of whiskey. The thought of Brennan sitting down next to him at the bar, opened a flood gate of memories and with it the realization that he just might not have a partner anymore. Damn it!

Filled with dread, Booth retrieved his phone from the bedroom and sat on his bed while he tried to think. What if she hates me? What if she won't talk to me because she hates me?

As he stared at his phone, he was startled by a sudden noise coming from it. Careful not to drop it, he checked to see who was calling him and realized that he was going to pay the Pied Piper sooner than he'd expected. Not sure what he was going to say, he accepted the call anyway. "Booth."

I'm just calling you to see if you're alright.

Clearing his throat, Booth hoarsely replied, "I'm fine . . . I'm just resting and . . . um . . ." Leaning slowly back on the mattress, Booth rubbed his eyes slowly. "Bones . . . Bones . . ."

I have a few errands I need to run today, but I plan to come by this afternoon to see you. If that's alright.

Not sure what he should say, Booth sighed. "Sure . . . I'll be here . . . Bones . . ."

Good, I'll see you around two.

The call ended, Booth groaned. "I'm toast . . . I'm toast and I did it to myself."

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

The knock on his door rapid and loud, Booth made his way down the hallway and opened the door for his visitor. "Bones."

Observing the gray smudges under his eyes, the uncombed hair and the day's growth of beard, Brennan realized that her partner was hungover. Carrying a shopping bag in her right hand, she closed the door after she entered the apartment and followed Booth into the living room. "It's a good thing today is Saturday and you don't have to be at work."

Afraid to say anything, Booth nodded his head and sat down on his recliner.

Puzzled by Booth's silence, Brennan placed the bag on the coffee table along with her purse and sat down on the couch. "Have you taken anything for your hangover?"

Slowly nodding his head, Booth croaked, "Some Advil and I drank some water."

Before coming over, she had debated what she would say, if she was allowed to speak at all. Her partner had been so angry the previous evening and he had made it clear that he was just her partner and nothing else. Well at least he was talking to her and that gave her the courage to stay. "I brought you soup and some club soda. They may help you overcome some of the side effects of over imbibing. You drank more than I did, so I'm not as affected as you are."

His gaze now on the white bag on the coffee table, Booth licked his lips. "Thanks . . . about last night . . ."

Suddenly nervous, Brennan stood up, moved over to the window behind the couch and parted the blinds to look out into the street. "Booth . . . I know what happened between you and Hannah was unexpected. You asked her to marry you and she declined . . . Perhaps if you called her today, you could fix your relationship with her."

The thought of Hannah filling him with anger, Booth shook his head and tried to keep that anger under control. "No Bones. That's done. We're through . . . I . . . I never should have gone down that road in the first place. Deep down . . . I knew how it was going to end and I . . . look about last night . . . I said some things . . . I said some mean things to you and I am so sorry. I . . ."

Turning to face her friend, Brennan held up her hand. "You were angry, hurt and drunk . . . I understand."

Booth realized that Brennan was trying to give him an excuse for his behavior the previous evening and he didn't want the easy way out. Not if it left things strained between them. "No Bones . . . I mean yeah, I was angry and I was drunk, but giving you an ultimatum wasn't fair to you . . . I was pissed and you were there and . . ." Running his fingers through his hair, Booth let his hands fall on his lap. "When it comes to relationships . . . I really really stink at relationships. I've tried three times in my life, three times . . . and I failed all three times and I don't know why. I don't have a fucking clue why and . . . " Not sure he knew what else to say, Booth groaned. "I'm sorry about the ultimatum. I want us to continue to be partners and friends, and you have a right to be angry about what I said, I mean who could blame you? I'm a crappy friend and . . ."

Uncomfortable with Booth's sadness and his self-flagellation, Brennan wasn't sure what to say or do to help the situation. "I understood what you were going through last night Booth. I'm not as clueless as most people think. I knew you were hurt and upset and I knew you would be angry when I got there. Hannah had told me exactly what had happened and she told me you were very angry. I knew you would still be angry when I found you and I didn't care . . . Do you understand? I knew exactly what was going to happen when I chose to meet you at the bar . . . I know you, Booth and what you said . . . the ultimatum . . . I wasn't really surprised. Not really and believe it or not, it didn't really bother me. I stayed and I drank with you because you needed a friend and I am your friend. That ultimatum wasn't really much of a threat because I never had any intention of walking away from you . . . You may not realize it, but I've considered you to be my best friend for a very long time and I plan to remain your friend even when you are not yourself and you are . . . inconsiderate."

Surprised, Booth turned his complete attention towards his friend. "Inconsiderate? Bones I threatened to find you another partner if you didn't drink with me . . . that was being a bully not . . ."

Brennan knew he didn't understand her and she wasn't sure if she could explain what was going on between them. "Booth, you're allowed to be angry when things aren't going well for you. Last year when I . . . last year you asked me to take a chance and I couldn't. Not then. You wanted someone to be in a relationship with you and I couldn't do it, so you looked for someone else and that hasn't ended well either. You have feelings and they were hurt, but Booth, that anger you feel right now won't drive me away. It won't kill our friendship. Why would it? We've been through a lot together. I've known you for six years and during that time, you've saved my life and I've saved yours. You helped me to reconnect with my father and brother and you've allowed me to be part of your family. You're my friend and you will always be my friend. You try to understand me like few people do. You accept me for who I am and you . . . and you love me just like I love you."

His mind in turmoil, Booth wasn't sure how to respond. He did love her, but right now that wasn't something he could act upon. Did he love her as a friend or something more? He wasn't sure anymore. He'd been crushed once too many times and he didn't know if he ever wanted to risk his heart ever again . . . Oh, hell, who am I kidding? Of course I love her and not just as a friend. "Bones, I need time . . . I need time to understand what happened and try to put it behind me . . . All of it . . . all of the rejections and disappointments . . . I just need time."

Confident that their friendship would survive, Brennan smiled at Booth and sat down on the couch. "And I will give you all the time you need, Booth. All the time you want." Reaching for the bag sitting on the coffee table, she removed the container of soup and handed it to Booth along with a plastic spoon. "I am a really great friend and you should appreciate that more."

Taking the soup from her hand, Booth slowly nodded his head. "Yeah, I do appreciate it Bones. More than you know."

"I know more than you realize Booth." Happy that they had come to an understanding, Brennan leaned back against the couch and watched him remove the lid from the container of soup. "I know that we have had to deal with things in our lives that most people never have to and that it has affected how we do things . . . how we react to situations we don't understand. We're friends because we trust each other. I know that you and I both have a difficult time trusting anyone, but you trust me and I trust you and with that trust we have learned that we can count on each other. No matter how badly things are going between us, we still trust and that is nothing to take lightly . . . We also love each other. I don't know if we can do anything about that emotion because it's a very complicated emotion and very confusing, but someday . . . someday we may consider what that means. Someday. Do you understand?"

His spoon poised over the opening in the container, Booth thought about what she had said and smiled rather sadly. "Maybe someday Bones. Someday."

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Let me know what you thought of my story. Thank you.

A/N: this story is 9 chapters long and I plan to update it every Saturday morning.