Disclaimer: I don't own "Bones"

Booth was one who never let anything or anyone take control of his life. He was always so self-assured. Nothing stopped him from taking risks, after all, he was an FBI agent. What he felt for Temperance was a lot deeper and stronger than what he had felt for anyone else. Thoughts of the many close calls he's had floated in his head. If something would suddenly happen to him, there would be no way of her knowing his true feelings for her. She was someone he could spend his life with, to grow old together, to love until the end of time. He never imagined he could love someone as much as he loved her. He had done a great job of bottling up his feelings for Bones. To love her, to be with her, to touch her was all he's ever wanted.

Am I the only one waiting for someone to love me? Temperance had decided that she was destined to live a life of unhappiness and loneliness, a life without someone to love and grow old with. Why did Seeley Booth matter so much to her? She questioned herself. She knew deep down she had fallen in love with him. He was always in her thoughts. At times, she hated herself for loving him.

How could they possibly admit their love to each other?

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An early morning telephone call jolted Temperance out of a deep sleep.

"Brennan," she answered softly.

"Hey, sweetie. Sorry to get you up so early." The somber voice of her artist friend got her up immediately. She knew Angela so well and knew by the sound of her voice, that she was the bearer of bad news.

"Angela? Is something wrong?"

She didn't want to alarm her friend, instead, told her calmly to meet her at the hospital.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes." Angela didn't know just how exactly she'd tell her the bad news.

"Then, what is it? Zack, Hodgins?" Temperance persisted.

"Tempe, just get over here. We're fine, but, I heard on the news. Well, it's Seeley."

There were several FBI agents outside of Agent Booth's room along with Angela and Hodgins when Temperance arrived. She froze.

Upon seeing her, Parker ran to the doctor.

"Doctor Bones." He immediately hugged her. "My mommy's inside. My daddy's going to die," he said as tears ran down his face.

"What?" Her voice was above a whisper. "No, he's not. The doctor's are going to make him all better."

"Then why is my mommy telling him goodbye? I heard them say. We're here to tell him goodbye." He pointed to the agents outside of his father's room.

Angela approached the two and gave Temperance a hug.

"What the hell happened?" Temperance yelled. "Angela, what happened?"

She wrapped her arm around Temperance's shoulder. "Booth was out having a few drinks last night with his friends and this drunken customer was refused booze, when he pulled out a gun and started waving it around at the patrons. He, Booth, intervened when the trigger was pulled."

"How is he?" She asked slowly.

Angela shook her head. "Not good. The bullet penetrated close to his heart. Parker's right, we're told to say our goodbyes."

"No. No. No!" Temperance pulled away from Angela.

"Stop it. You're scarring Parker. Shh." She embraced the anthropologist.

"Parker!" He ran to his mother. "Mommy! My daddy's going to be okay?" He asked innocently.

Temperance and Angela watched as Rebecca held on to her son and cried. She signaled Temperance toward her. The two women stood face to face.

"There isn't much time," Rebecca told her. "I don't know if Parker should go in to see his daddy laid up like that. What do you think? Or is it best for him to remember Seeley the way he once was?"

"I don't know." Temperance replied, a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Why don't you go in? I'll talk to Parker first. No matter how many times I've fought with him over our son, I never once wished Seeley dead. He's my son's father. Now he won't have any."

"He hasn't died yet." Temperance said coldly, although, her heart shattered into bits and pieces. She hated Rebecca at that moment, only because she agreed silently to herself that her statement had probably been accurate.

"Come on, sweetie. I'll go in with you," Angela said.

Temperance pulled a chair next to Booth's bedside. Her friend's sudden outburst surprised and startled Angela.

"Booth! I never got a chance to tell you I love you!" She cried out and held his hand to her face. "I love you! Did you hear me? I love you!"

Temperance never imagined that she would be professing her love to Seeley on his deathbed. She cried for the man who would never have of a chance of feeling her love for him.

TBC - Chapter 2