Hello! Thank you for taking an interest in my story. I posted this story some time ago on the BY and when I discovered this website I thought I might see if I could improve it any. It's been a good ten years since I wrote anything for public review so please be kind :) I hope you enjoy.

I slowly became aware of the beeping of machines. "Bones!" Where was she? Was she okay? Where am I? I was slowly becoming aware of my body, mentally taking stock of what was left. IVs, patches for heart monitor, the weight of a gold ring, pain in my side and my chest. I must have been hit there. Where am I? I tried to sit up. The searing pain sent me right back down. I opened my eyes. Why do all hospitals look the same? Same ceiling, same walls, same damn floors. The only difference was the stupid curtain color. My eyes finally came to rest on her, curled as much as she could be in her state on the small love seat. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. She looks exhausted. How long have I been here? That's the problem with blacking out, you never really know how much time passes before you regain consciousness. She should know that I'm awake, that I'm really okay. It's been too long since I last saw her. Any amount of time was too long.

~2 years Earlier~

I strode into the lab. Some days I really hated this place. Other's not so much. Bones always made this place tolerable though. She was looking great, as usual, sitting behind her desk. She could make a paper bag look good. "Hey, Bones we've got court in an hour. You ready?"

"I'm always ready Booth!" Oh this was going to be a long afternoon. A cranky Bones was never fun. I flashed my 'charm smile' as she called it.

"I seem to remember a time when you weren't. Something about having to find your original notes?" She glared. If she only knew how much I enjoyed bringing out this look she would probably slug me. "I can see this is going to be a long day. Why don't we go get a cup of coffee and some pie at the diner?" I pulled a little on the back of her chair. She rolled away from her computer slightly.

"Booth! I can't! I have to finish this." She glared again, only this time she looked like she was getting ready to deck me.

I held my hands up in surrender. "Fine, don't have pie with me."

"Fine I won't!"

I stood behind her and leaned down. God, she smelled great! She always smelled great. "Whatcha workin on?"

She turned her head to look over her shoulder. She was close enough to kiss. I looked her in the eye, licked my lips, gave it some serious consideration, and stood up. "The next chapter in my new book. I'm having some author block though."

I smiled. "Writer's block. Well then it sounds like you really need to come and get some pie with me." I pulled on her chair again. "Come on."

"Booth, I said I can't. I have to get this finished." She shot me another dirty look.

"Not right now you don't. I don't need you this upset for court. Jurors already don't like you."

"What? They do to like me." How could she be so smart and just not get it?

"No, Bones, they don't. You're too technical for them. Now let's go get some pie and relax a bit before we have to be there." I set her bag on the desk. "Besides, we need to talk about something."

~At the Diner~

"So what did you want to talk about?"

I sat back in my chair. Maybe I shouldn't tell her yet. She was finally starting to calm down. "It's nothing. You just needed to get away from the lab. Clear your head a little." I looked down. I could feel her eyes on me questioning.

"Sweets told me when people look away like that they're either lying or they're hiding something. So which is it?" She folded her hands in front of her.

I guess now is as good as any other time. I looked up. "They're going to transfer me to a different field office." I waited for a reaction. Maybe I just hoped for a reaction.

"What do you mean a different field office? Another here in DC?" She didn't seem worried. Maybe I was wrong to think that this would affect her. Maybe I just misread her concern when she burst into my bathroom.

"No, not here in DC." I swallowed hard. Just because she didn't have a hard time with this doesn't mean I didn't. "I'm moving to Texas. Office down there needs help with a few cases."

"So you'll be back?" Finally a little bit of a reaction! Was that too much for a guy to ask for?

"Afraid not. I'm there till the Bureau tells me to go somewhere else." I glanced at my watch. "We better get going."

TBC