New Bones story ^_^ Enjoy and please please please please review and eternal love is yours.

Brennan's head was throbbing, a dull ache behind her eyes that spiked every time she moved. Slowly, she eased her eyes open, wincing as the bright light penetrated the delicate tissue. She sat up, easing herself up and resting on her elbow as she tried to make sense of where she was. There was blood on her hands and liberally splashed over her white dress shirt she'd worn… yesterday? It felt like the time in New Orleans, when Booth had flown all the way from DC to get to her. Booth… she struggled to grab a hold of the shred of memory that was floating in the forefront of her mind. It was difficult, every time she got close to it, it seemed to get further and further away from her. Desperately, she concentrated, trying to remember one thing from whenever the hell it was this happened. With the return of memory came pain, a harsh, racing pain that raced across her ribs, along one arm and her left ankle. Breathing heavily, she turned her right arm and saw a wide, deep laceration running down almost all of her upper arm, still leaking small amounts of blood. She shook her throbbing head and looked around her. She was in her apartment, on the floor next to the counter that held her stereo and CD collection. She raised her left arm and pulled herself up, wincing as pain flared across her ribs again. She gingerly tried to place weight on her ankle and let out a strangled gasp as it shook and collapsed beneath her. She gripped the counter in a vice-like grip and put weight on it again, gritting her teeth against the pain. She could put weight on it, and it didn't seem to be broken, merely sprained. She limped heavily towards her fridge and eased the door open, cradling her bloody arm against her chest. She was still confused and disorientated, she didn't know the date, the time, or even anything from any before the ten minutes she'd been awake. It was like a black hole in her memory, like it had just been cut out of her mind. She rubbed her temples wearily and peered into the freezer compartment, her eyes searching out ice. She gingerly eased a plastic bag from her draw, a freezer bag, and filled it with ice from the ice tray. After closing the bag and the fridge, she limped her way towards the sofa and sat, her leg propped up on a footstool, ice cushioning her sprained ankle. She reached into the pocket of her black slacks and drew out her phone, checking the time and date. The day was Sunday, and she remembered going to Booth's apartment on Friday. She'd lost a whole day again. Slowly, she stood again and made herself some coffee, the process highly painful with her injured arm. She wrapped her trembling hand around the warm mug and took little sips, the warm liquid helping to calm her shattered nerves. Her phone began to vibrate in her pocket and she let out a groan before flipping it open.

'B-Brennan.' Her breath sawed in her chest as she spoke, her ribs aching.

'Bones?' It was Booth.

'Yes?'

'Where are you?'

'At my apartment… where else?'

'I tried to call you yesterday… we need to talk about this.'

'About what?'

'What happened at my place.'

'Booth… what did happen? I don't remember at all… I just…' She started to cry, sobs starting in the centre of her chest and rising up, jerking tears from her eyes.

'You don't remember?'

'N-no… I don't even know what happened to me.'

'What… happened to you?'

'You don't know?'

'No, Bones, what happened to you when you left my place?'

'I don't know!' She replied, suddenly angry. 'I don't know what happened at your place!' And as she said that, she began to remember. 'Wait… I do… oh God Booth what happened?'

'We… we…' His voice broke and she nearly dropped the phone, scared and ashamed at the same time.

'I know… I know… I can remember that… but after that it's just black.'

'Are you okay?' He pressed her, and she verged on shutting him out, not telling him anything – but she relented and let him in.

'No.'

'What happened?'

'I told you I don't remember!'

'Are you hurt?' His voice was gentle and she nearly burst into tears again.

'Y-yes.'

'How bad?'

'Bad.'

'I'll be right there… as soon as I can.' He promised.

'Stay on the phone… please.' She begged, taking another sip from the mug of hot coffee in her hands.

'Okay… do you want me to speak?'

'No… just stay so I can hear you,' She was letting her softer side out, letting her desperate, irrational side be heard by Booth.

oOo

Booth knocked on the panelled wood of her front door, not quite knowing what to with his hands. He contented himself with shoving them deep in the pockets of his stonewashed jeans, his fingernails scraping the lint from the bottom of his pocket as he shifted from foot to foot as he waited for her to open the door. It took ten minutes for the door to be opened, and she peered cautiously out first. He held his phone up and clicked the end call button, dropping it back into his pocket. She smiled sadly, her lips hardly rising at all. He pushed the door open and stepped inside, taking in her dishevelled appearance.

'Bones? Are you okay?' He asked her, looking into her face and studying the bruises that were like fireworks over her usually pale skin. 'That was a stupid question… where else does it hurt?' He lifted her face up with a finger and peered intently into her eyes, scanning her facial expression for any sign of change.

'My ankle and my arm.' She replied coolly, shaking her head slowly. Booth had noticed the padding under her jumper along her right arm, but he hadn't wanted to question her about it until now.

'What happened to your arm?'

'I don't remember…'

'And what's wrong with your ankle?'

'Just a sprain… nothing big.'

'Do you remember anything?'

'No… I remember your flat and I remember leaving… and there's something else… I can hardly remember but I went to a bar.'

'Which wasn't clever.'

'And there were people… a lot of people… and then I had a drink… and then nothing. I can't remember anything from then.'

'So what? You think they date raped you or something?'

'I don't know… and I can't tell because of what happened at your place.'

'Bones… I don't know what to say… I'm sorry.' She nodded, tears falling down her face. He went to reach forward for her, but she pushed him away.

'No… if I've been raped I need to go to a hospital.'

'Okay… I know, I just wasn't thinking. But I'll take you, come on.'

oOo

Booth helped Brennan limp down the stairs and out of the door of her apartment building, his arm wrapped gingerly around her waist for support. They were half way down when she wrapped her arm around his neck and leaned against him, causing him to stagger and grab the handrail before regaining his balance. She was pale and shaky, her arm tight around his neck as he guided her towards the sunlight outside. When they were outside, the sun warming her cool, clammy skin, she removed her arm from his neck and wrapped it around his waist instead, her grip tightening fractionally every time she put weight on her injured ankle.

'It's okay, just hold one, we're nearly there.' He told her, lifting her up into his arms. She rested her head against his chest and whimpered as his arm touched the wound on her arm she hadn't shown him yet. He placed her on her feet again, favouring her right side so she could get her balance and opened the door of his black SUV, the metal hot even in the weak sunlight of the morning. She climbed into the car, letting out a small whimper of pain as she placed pressure on her sprained ankle. Booth pulled out his phone and dialled a number.

'Hello? Yeah, I'd like to report a possible rape? There's definite evidence of assault on the victim, I'm bringing her to hospital now.' There was a buzzing voice on the other end of the line and Booth smiled. 'Okay, I'll bring her straight there. Thanks.' He folded his phone down again and shot her a reassuring smile, squeezing her hand. 'They won't be able to do a full SAE kit, I know, but they'll do their best okay?'

'Okay.' She replied, easing her hand from his grip and placing it back on her lap, intertwining the fingers of each hand and staring at the net they formed. She raised a shaking hand and pushed a lock of hair from out of her eyes, running it through her fingers. The silence was heavy, awkward and confusing. Booth was still trying to work out what had happened the other night, still trying to work out how it had happened and why she'd run out on him. And then gone drinking. Of all things, drinking was the worst.

oOo

Brennan was trying to remember anything from the night before, straining her memory in the tedious car journey to the hospital.

The light wind was ruffling her hair as she left the Jeffersonian, tightening her coat around her, she headed towards her car and paused for a second, digging through her bag for her keys. As she went to step into her car, a hand grabbed her elbow and she reflexively spun around, pushing her assailant to the floor.

'Oh, it's you. Sorry Booth, you startled me.' She apologized and helped her partner to his feet.

'Oh, it's okay. I was actually going to ask, I know you won't want to… but… do you want to go to dinner with me? Tonight?'

'Booth… I thought I told you…'

'You did. But please? As colleagues, we can discuss a case, forensic anthropology, anything. We don't have to discuss our relationship. Please?'

'Booth… I… okay.'

'Okay?'

'Yeah, don't sound so surprised.'

'I'll pick you up at eight then?'

'Sure.' She slipped inside her car and started it with a gentle growl and pulled away, heading towards her apartment.

The restaurant was quiet, only a few people in there. The name was something pretty to do with Jasmine, and she was wearing her white dress shirt and black slacks with a loosely cut black jacket. Booth smiled as they ordered, and they discussed everything – the most recent case, Parker, Hodgins and Angela's relationship. But not theirs, it was like a taboo subject that neither felt quite brave enough to broach. When the meal was over, Brennan had pushed back her chair and prepared to get a taxi back to her place, but Booth had placed a hand on her arm.

'I need a taxi too, I can't drive, want to share?' The warmth in his voice was genuine, and they shared the taxi – which stopped at his place.

'What?'

'Have coffee… then I'll send you back, I promise.' Brennan nodded cautiously, uncertain, but followed him into his home. Once inside, they got talking again, about everything – and then Booth decided to broach the subject they had avoided all evening. 'Brennan… you know how I feel about you.'

'I know… but I don't know what to do about… this.' She dropped her gaze to her lap.

'Bones… I do.' She could remember that, remembered what had happened then, but after that, after running out of his apartment, she remembered nothing at all apart from waking up in her flat, bloodied and bruised with no recollection of what happened.

'Bones? We're nearly there. You okay?'

'What… oh… yeah…'

'You don't look it, but I guess we'll get you checked out then yeah?'

'Y-yeah. Thanks Booth.'

TBC soon… reviews are appreciated :)