Title: Sight

Fandom: Bones

Summary: Some things, like the heart, can be seen even by the blind.

Rating: G

Pairings/Characters: Booth/Brennan

Length: 1,200 words

Genre: romance/friendship (either/or)

A/N: This idea came to me way back in like February, but I just finally wrote it… When I should be working on finishing (or editing) my NaNoWriMo novel, or practicing my speech for speech class on Friday morning. :/

She cringed every time she was reminded of the doctors' diagnosis, every time she had to repeat it to someone else who was asking. Severe retinal scarring. The doctors said that it might be temporary, that it might reduce and return his sight to him. But, on the other hand, it just as easily might not, and he might remain blind for the rest of his life.

At this point, not one of the doctors they'd spoken to had dared to make a prediction.

Every time she closed her own eyes, she saw the explosion that had robbed him of his, saw him pushing her out of the way, disregarding his own safety.

And now he was blind to show for it.

She hoped every second that she was conscious that the swelling and scarring would fade and that his sight would be back again in no time. She couldn't stand the thought of him losing his sight because of her stupidity.

So for every single second until his sight returned, she was going to make his blind existence easier.

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She was the one to bring him home from the hospital the day that the doctors released him. She drove him home, patiently answering his questions about which turn they were making every time they rounded one. He made attempts at good-humored cracks about her driving when he wasn't asking about their whereabouts, and she forced her face to smile even though he couldn't see it.

With his arm intertwined tightly in hers, his other hand gripping a walking cane, she led him across his yard and up to his front door. He waited patiently, head cocked slightly as if trying to hear, as she unlocked the door.

Gingerly, she led him inside, towards the couch in his living room. His expression and his slow, almost stumbling gait told her how much this frustrated him, not being able to cross his own living room. His brow furrowed in concentration as his mouth silently counted the steps.

Finally, they reached the couch and Brennan helped her partner slowly sink onto the center of it. She sat against one arm, kicking off her shoes and drawing her legs up onto the couch with her. She pressed one of her folded legs against his thigh so he knew she was there. He reacted by shifting marginally in her direction.

Silence hung between them for only a moment before she broke it.

"Do you need anything?" she asked, brow furrowing. "Something to drink? Food? Anything?"

Booth shook his head. "No thanks, Bones," he said quietly. "I'm good."

Her frown deepened slightly. "Are you sure?" she asked. "Is there someone you want me to call? I'll stay here as long as you want me to, but I…" She paused for half a second to compose her voice. "… can't… do everything for you." She knew he'd understand what she was alluding to.

A corner of his mouth pulled sharply upward into a lopsided grin. "I'm fine, Bones," he said. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." He reached out slowly and laid a hand on the leg that she had pressed against his thigh. "Stay."

She swallowed. "Of course, Booth. I'll do anything you need me to."

His hand tightened fractionally on her leg, and she understood his silent request. Stay. She would. She placed her hand over his and gave it a squeeze to silently promise him that.

His head turned in her direction, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Thanks," he murmured. His eyes blinked unseeingly past her shoulder.

Something in her chest was constricting uncomfortably like it had been doing for days now. Brennan swallowed. Hard. "Booth, I…" The words stuck in her throat.

His hand grasped hers tightly. "Don't worry; I see," he said softly.

Powerful, powerful words. They chilled her to the core. Coming from anyone else, they might have been nice, disregarded even, but from him, given his current circumstances, they were utterly profound. The constricting in her chest faded, only to be replaced by some other equally noticeable pounding in the same area.

"Do you really?" she asked quietly.

He was silent for a moment, then, "Yes." The corners of his mouth pulled up ever so slightly. "It doesn't take eyes to see the heart, Tempe."

When she swallowed hard this time, it was for an entirely different reason.

She spoke as soon as her vocal chords allowed. "I'm so sorry, Booth. If I hadn't—"

"Shhh," he interrupted.

Now, his head turned completely towards her, eyes right on hers. She could see the cloudiness of them, but with the way they stared right at her, she had to believe that he could actually see with them. There was no way he couldn't.

But then he reached out his hand – the one not still attached to her leg – over her shoulder, missing her face, moving around as if trying desperately to find it. The illusion was abruptly shattered, and something inside of Brennan fell. Reaching out, she slowly grasped his hand and brought it to her cheek.

His hand cupped her cheek, thumb ghosting over her cheekbone. "I would do it all again," he said firmly. Even if they couldn't see her, his eyes stared firmly at her. "Even with all of this, Bones, I'd do it all over again."

He would. He'd push her out of the way and injure himself all over again, given the chance. He'd wind up right back here.

"I know," she said quietly.

His lips tightened, as did his grip on the side of her face. "There are just things that I would do for a… partner," he said. "Keeping you as safe as possible is one of them."

"Even if you never see again?"

His expression flinched, but he resolutely said, "Never count the cost." He paused, then his grip on her face softened and his thumb resumed its caressing. "I can live without my eyes if I have to, Bones. Eyes aren't something I have to have."

She smiled, knowing that his hand on the side of her face could feel the way her cheek shifted. She also knew his hand would feel as she moved her head, moving to plant a kiss on his cheek. He smiled lightly too as her lips pressed against his cheek.

"Thanks, Booth," she said quietly as she drew slightly back. His hand remained on her face.

His unseeing eyes blinked at her. It really was uncanny how accurately they pinned her own eyes down. "Any time, Bones," he responded. He pressed his lips together firmly. "Now, Bones, I hate to ruin the moment, but I gotta pee like a race-horse."

She laughed. "See, I told you to call someone else."

"Yeah, yeah. Just help me get to the bathroom."

Still smiling, she stood and pulled him upright as well. He threw an arm over her shoulder, and she let him lean on her for support. It was only a fair partnership if it worked both ways.

For now and for as long as he needed, she was going to be his eyes.

Finis