Temperance let out a restless sigh as she finally awoke from her sleep, staring blankly at the wall her body still drowsy. This is how she had been for the past weekend; staying in bed, curtains drawn and her bedroom door closed the only source of light being blocked out by the curtains. Rolling over onto her back, gaze focusing onto the ceiling her expression blank. The answering machine beeped loudly, indicating somebody had left a message before her best friend's voice echoed through the silent expanse of her apartment.

"Sweetie, I know this is probably the millionth message I've left on your answering machine this weekend but we all miss you here at work. I'm sure Booth is fine; please just come to the lab. I know you're there! Pick up Bren! Please!" Angela pleaded, causing Brennan to grumble and cover her ears with her pillow, trying to drown out her friend's pleas. Releasing her grip on it when a dramatic sigh of her friend filled the apartment before she hung up finally. That was the problem though; she couldn't go back to the lab, not just yet anyway. Temperance didn't want to face her friends and work colleagues, no she didn't want their sympathy for what happened to Booth it would make her feel even more horrible. But the thing that pained her the most was that no matter how hard she tried thoughts of him wouldn't leave her mind. Usually when she wanted to forget about something, Brennan lost herself in one of her passions, bones. Of course this time it wouldn't work, not if she wanted to compromise evidence anyway besides just one step inside the lab and she knew she would break down. Just being in the lab reminded her of the overly confident FBI agent, with his winning charm smile or the egotistic "cocky" belt buckle not to mention all the life lessons he had taught her along the way of their partnership such as the value of making eye contact and how to be sympathetic towards people.

Fresh tears obscured her vision as they already had done only a few hours ago before she had lulled herself into a restless sleep again and Brennan squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears from flowing freely down her face. Part of her felt stupid for feeling this way, never before had she been this upset besides when Booth had been "dead" of course, through the course of those few days she had trashed her entire apartment and slumped on the floor of her living room before bursting into tears. A small sigh left Temperance's lips as she finally opened her eyes, biting her quivering lip to stop herself from sobbing, the scene from only the other day continued to play in her mind it even invaded her dreams.

Brennan walked through to her office with a smile, pleased with the skeletal remains she had just identified, leaving her free to have lunch now that she had more free time on her hands because of the lack of cases at hand. Picking up her office phone she dialled Booth's cell, waiting for him to pick up as she tapped her foot on the floor in slight impatience. A frown creased her features as an unfamiliar voice answered the phone.

"Hello who is this?"

"This is Doctor Robinson, how may I help you and who might this be?"

"I'm Temperance Brennan; may I ask why you are answering Booth's phone?"

"Well you see Ms. Brennan, Seeley Booth is unable to talk right now. He's just been admitted into the hospital and he has been badly injured. His phone went off in his jacket and so I answered in case it was a dire call."

"W-What why?"

"He has sustained major injuries after chasing after a latest suspect and one of his colleagues brought him in."

"I-Is he going to be okay?"

"Hopefully he should be okay for now, he is in a stable condition but his health could slip easily to an extent where he could pass away."

"…. I-Is he allowed visitors?"

"I am afraid not in his condition. I am very sorry Ms Brennan but I must go now to help prepare Seeley. Please have a good day."

As soon as the doctor had hung up the phone Brennan slammed hers violently down and grabbed her coat from her chair and bag, she had to get out of here she had to get some air. A lump resided in her throat, sickness rising in her stomach and tears clouded her vision as she stormed out of her office and across the lab, walking closer and closer towards the door before being stopped by an energetic Angela, her smile fading as soon as she took in her friend's appearance.

"Bren what's wrong?" Angela questioned but Brennan stormed right past her trying to get out of the Jeffersonian as quickly as possible, knowing she had to get out of there and fast she couldn't stay there any longer.

More tears rolled down her cheeks as the memory flooded back, turns out Booth had gone to arrest their latest suspect with a group of his colleagues. Of course he hadn't called or alerted Brennan to this fact at all and she had been having a perfectly good morning until the bad news had dawned on her. Many times Temperance had tried to visit him in the hospital but had been shooed out by the doctor countless times until she just gave up, not receiving any calls she had stayed in bed the whole weekend, staring blankly at the walls and sleeping restlessly only to wake up and burst into tears again and again. Shifting again in her sheets Brennan knew she had to do something, she had to face her fears suddenly sick of feeling sorry for herself. Getting up carefully from the bed she made it and opened her curtains, eyes squinting as the light flooded through the curtains before grabbing whatever she saw first from her closet and dressing herself up appropriately, snatching her bag on the way out and driving towards the Jeffersonian, leaving her apartment for the first time in two days the bile rising up in her throat at the sudden thought of what would await her at the lab.

Temperance walked into the lab as the glass doors slide open, her eyes scanning over the lab hoping not to run into any familiar faces but her plea was soon ruined as Angela noticed her friend's appearance and walked at her heels trying to grab her attention.

"Sweetie! You're finally here. Are you feeling any better?"

"Yes it is obvious that I am finally here. I'm not actually feeling any better at all and I would just like to get on with my work." She replied coldly, her office coming closer and closer in view her paces speeding up to try and avoid her friend. The last thing she wanted to do right now was gossip and talk about Booth, she didn't want to break down. Not again, all she wanted to do was work. Why couldn't anybody understand that?

"I'm sure everything's okay Bren, do you want to talk or…"

"No Angela, as I said before, I want to work. That's all." Temperance cut off her friend, not meaning to be cold and spun around as she walked through her office door to face Angela. Her friend instantly got the message and nodded, a look of concern crossing her features.

"If you need to talk I'm here for you." Was all Angela said before walking back into the lab, causing Brennan to let out a sigh, suddenly feeling guilty at how cold she had been towards her friend and knew she would make up for it later, she promised herself that much. Dropping her coat on her chair she grabbed for the few files that rested on her desk and pulled on her lab coat instantly walking from her lab towards the autopsy rooms, hoping not to be disturbed. As she walked past she heard a few of the other squints talking.

"So Doctor Brennan's finally back Angela?" the familiar voice of Camille Saroyan questioned her best friend who gave a small "hmm" noise of approval, causing Cam to let out a sigh.

"But she's not in the best of moods; she just gave me the cold shoulder. Then again it must be hard, with Booth in hospital too…"

"I suggest we leave her for a while to calm down otherwise she'll end up cracking."

"I think I'll give Booth a call… see if he can leave the hospital yet."

The rest of the conversation ended as Temperance closed the door of the autopsy room hoping to block out the sounds of their talking, no she needed to focus and focus she would.

Brennan lost all track of time as she stayed in that autopsy room, she had already lain the bones out in order and indentified that two of the phalanges were missing either due to how the body was found or maybe just miss-categorisation she wasn't sure not to mention there were nicks, probably from a knife or a sharper blade on the sternum. Picking up the skull she examined it closer, knowing that the parietal bone had been struck by a blunt object but her concentration was suddenly lost as she heard the door opening followed by footsteps. Even with her back turned she could still sense his presence and felt her stomach lurch, what was he doing here?

"Heya Bones!" Booth called out cheerfully, but she stayed silent pretending that she was too focused on examining the bones to actually reply to his statement. Brennan's body tensed as he took another step closer, a sickening feeling rising up suddenly in her stomach.

"Angela told me you were working late and I decided to check up on you and maybe offer a lift home if you wanted." Booth offered, making her shift on her feet slightly, ignoring him once more and pretending to examine the skull with more determination. Temperance made a mental note to strangle Angela next time she saw her, not only did she feel betrayed that her friend had actually called up to persuade Booth to come in to talk to her but she knew she had planned this to make Brennan feel better.

"What's wrong Bones? Is everything okay?" he questioned, taking another few steps closer so his body was right behind hers, hand reaching out to touch her shoulder. Brennan placed the skull on the table as gently as her anger would allow her to before spinning around to face him and slapping his hand away, instantly flinching from his touch. The pure anger, frustration and sadness which had been bottled up from the days alone in her apartment suddenly made her erupt.

"What's wrong? You want to know what's wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong Booth! Everything!" she screeched, jabbing an accusing finger hard against his chest. "It's the fact that I worried about you all weekend that you were injured that you were going to die! Maybe it's also the fact I spent the whole weekend in my apartment just worrying about you because I couldn't go see you at the hospital and I couldn't stop thinking about you the fact that you could have died!" Tears obscured her vision but she ignored them, letting the anger run its course before she broke down.

"Or maybe it's the fact that I'm worried that I'm getting too addicted to you Booth! I don't know how somebody has been able to have such an effect on me and for once I'm scared! I'm scared Booth! I don't want to lose you, you've taught me so much and if I lose you I'll be alone again! I never want to feel that empty again! " Fresh tears strolled down her cheeks now, her vision suddenly going blurry and before she could react he pulled her to him before sobbing into his chest leaving wet tears on his black t-shirt. Inhaling his scent for the first time in a few days she suddenly felt safe, his warm body heat feeling scorching hot against her cold body. She continued to sob into his chest as he stroked her hair. "I could have been there to maybe help you or do something…. I keep playing it over in my head all these images in my mind…" Brennan said between sobs before Booth hushed her, cupping her cheek to make her look at him finally. Temperance's cerulean blue eyes met his chocolate brown ones and in them she saw compassion.

"Bones, I would have never let you come with me because I would worry about you getting shot. Plus it's nothing really that bad; I just have a few bandages now. Please don't cry I hate to see you like this so upset. Please Bones." He whispered, brushing some stray hair from her eyes and smiling at her that classic charm smile that always made her stomach flutter.

"I-I'm sorry Booth…" Brennan whispered, burying her head in his chest and he just chuckled before she looked up at him again and this time she reciprocated his smile.

"C'mon Bones, let's get outta here and we can go to the diner for some late night food huh?" he questioned to which she just gave small nod as he led her out of the autopsy room with an arm on her lower back and for once in her life she suddenly felt more happy then she had ever felt in her life, just know he would always be there for her.