Bones watched helplessly as Alex Furgon punched Booth one last time, his body falling limp straight into the arms of the crazed maniac. He pulled him up by the armpits then with a loud grunt threw him out onto the ice, that held amazingly even with the hard impact.
But not for long the sheet of gleaming white began to groan cracking slowly because of the weight.
There was nothing she could do, she shouted and tugged at the handcuffs above her head that were securing her to the roof rail of her partners SUV.
Her worst nightmares were playing out in front of her Booth was unconscious moments away from plunging into the freezing water, and the crazed maniac they had been pursuing for the last hour was returning towards her. She struggled harder.
"Stay in the truck bones, don't you dare move!"
As Furgon approached she slowed her struggle and bowed her head letting it lean down onto her chest – looking utterly defeated.
His hand outstretched towards her he laughed, he had broken this seemingly unbreakable woman.
"You have to watch this" his voice triumphant, cocky, unexpecting.
His hand touched her skin, this was all she needed.
She threw up her right knee it connecting with his groin area, he doubled over crying out at the surprise attack as his head lowered further she struck it, again with her right knee, blood spurted out of the clearly broken nose and he screamed out in agony, his previous pain disappearing. His hands flew up to the crooked mass on his face cursing a name at her, but she hadn't finished.
Preoccupied with the pain she stretched her body out her uncuffed hand reaching his cheap black coat she pulled back on it, his body connecting with hers, and she quickly wrapped her thin arm around his neck.
She had strength and right now, plenty of it. She squeezed all she could around his throat; he truly was surprised at this woman that bounced back after everything, as his vision started to fuzz.
She kept her hold tight so that the struggling man slowed into a wiggle then nothing.
She hadn't really thought it through, the limp body was heavy on her one arm, she needed that key.
She had seen him thrust it in his left pocket and so skilfully she held his dead weight up with one knee and her upper arm whilst her lower arm snaked down his body and into the pocket. She had it.
She dropped him onto the floor with no care, why would she? And began unlocking the cuffs that had bruised her thin wrist.
Once she was free she hopped over Furgons body and half ran, half staggered over towards her still partners body.
She had to stop short of it though the ice was still groaning and creaking with the occasional crack appearing on the surface, luckily none had been thick enough to cause Booth to fall into the freezing water below.
'He must be freezing' she though as she looked at him. Although she couldn't see his face she could predict the bruising on it but also the possible blueing of his lips. He had forced her to take his long black trench coat, as she hadn't had time to return to the lab and collect hers, the only protection from the cold being his grey suit jacket.
Now came the hard part. Getting to him.
She decided to try for a response first maybe she wouldn't have to go out onto the fragile ice.
"Booth?" she shouted cupping her hands trying to amplify the sound, no response.
"Booth, Booth come on. Booth!" She tried again, surly he would wake up soon.
The noise was pestering inside his pain riddled head, he wanted to sleep, he needed to sleep, he was exhausted and he was absolutely freezing his mind was dragging him back into his peaceful slumber but yet he struggled against it the noise persisted.
"..oth" there it went again.
Something was familiar about it the tone. He decided to open his eyes against his body's wishes, what he saw before his was deeply confusing.
White.
What's white? Bears, paper, teeth, meringues, snow.. Snow.
It all came back to him a rush of memories all at once.
The last memory of the perps smug face, frantic shouting and a fist coming straight at him.
His head stopped he thought about what he had just told himself , he knew what had happened but something wasn't right.
He began to move is left arm slowly rolled over his palm meeting a familiar feeling, Ice.
Then the noise returned
"..oth! ..awake! Dont.. 've booth.. You're on the lake!"
The last comment made no sense on a lake? Now he really was confused.
He painfully rolled over gently to face the source of the noise and yet another noise joined it this one menacing and not words.
His eyes now fully focused grew in size.
Ten metres or so in front of him was Bones, standing on what looked to be a slight mound of some sort. And He, well, he was lying on his left side on Ice.
'On the lake', Cold, White, Bones. He swore.
"B.. B'nes" he shouted, now frozen in place.
"Booth! I Thought you were unconscious! you need to get off the ice, it doesn't sound so good!" Her voice was calm but somehow laced with panic.
"Ccan't .. Bo.. Bones" he stuttered his body beginning to shake more and more.
"Booth you need to spread your weight out now and start slowly moving towards me!"
He knew she was right he had been told in the army how to deal with this situation but it was a two minute job, he couldn't blame them, after all there was no iced over lakes in Iraq!
He began to outstretch his good arm first, his movements slow but shaky. His arms were in a half T position, his Right arm unable to move due to the injuries sustained from the fight. He began to do the same with his numbing legs, it took a while but eventually he was in a strange star shape, evening his weight out on the ice.
"Come on Booth! you can do it!" he could see it was killing her having to sit there and watch. But there was no way he was moving. He had been out in the cold for at least two hours in nothing more than a suit, he didn't mind that, Bones needed his coat more than him but his body had began to shut down, at least when he was fighting it had kept him warm.
He tried desperately to move his still body but nothing happened. He was literally frozen stiff, this icy paralysis would inevitably help him to not move and cause cracks in the ice but yet it wouldn't get him of the ice either. They needed another plan.
"B'nes, can't mmove. G..Grab tow ropes, truck."
She under stood in an instance then returned up the snowy path too his truck searching every nook and cranny for the blasted ropes, when she found them she was truly relived she slung them over her shoulder the hooks hanging either end of the rope clanking together as she returned to her parthner.
"Here Booth" she wasted no time untying the knot that stopped them from tangling and threw out the weighted end of it towards her partner, who hadn't moved an inch.
The heavy hook hit the ice centimetres from Booths still body, creating havoc.
The seemingly weightless hook, compared to Booth, made the ice groan and crunch around Booths body His eyes grew in terror of what was inevitable about to happen he somehow found new strength lurching to the hook grasping it clumsily with him numb hand. The clasp wouldn't open he fumbled with it until finally it budged not a second too soon as he rolled over and slid it so that it secured around his leather belt, held on by his famous buckle.
Then Booth disappeared.
The whole lake fell into itself the vast sheet of ice opened swallowing the agent a gasp and a slpash as Booth fell into the water.
Bones screamed as her friend disappeared into the icy pool but yet calmed herself so she could brace for the pull when it came.
She had seen booth successfully attach himself to the tow rope and knew sooner or later she would begin to pull him in before he drowned or froze to death.
Her body strained as she heaved on the rope pulling the invisible partner on the other end her muscles screaming for her to stop but still she pulled.
As the cold water hit him he gasped, a stupid thing to do but a reflex, his lungs took in the freezing water and he began to choke he knew how it was going to end, and he didn't like it, he began to kick with his legs but it did nothing, until he felt it, a pull, he opened his eyes and looked down to see the rope connected to his belt tighten, either it was stuck or Bones was pulling it , he almost screamed!
His body stayed still but wafted around in the water as if caught in a nasty tug of war, the water pressure and Bones.
He prayed Bones would win.
He tried to aid her effort in getting him from the icy hell but he couldn't, his muscled had no air, he was drowning.
he gasped taking in water his body began to jolt and this sensation was the worse he had ever experienced he could feel his mind slipping into blackness, he could feel himself dying.
She was getting there his body was becoming closer she could feel it she had pulled in around two metres of the rope and wondered how deep he had fell, she kept pulling desperate to see her partner again, when suddenly the pulling became harder and she jolted towards him, reality struck her with a hard blow.
Shed been making progress, he had been trashing upwards helping but now she wasn't making progress, he wasn't thrashing.
A sob echoed around her and she desperately pulled the rope more and more slow but steady, tears streaming down her freezing cold skin, She couldn't let him die Booth was invincible, impossible, she knew it but to her she was, he'd taken so much, faced death time after but beating it, getting back up and simply shrugging it off and saying he was "fine." What she wouldn't do to hear those words again!
The jolt on the rope shook her from the memories she looked to the whole in the ice and just below the surface of the water she saw him, his lifeless form only secured from the pull of the icey water because of that rope, she dug her heels into the snowy ground and heaved letting out yet another sob, of pain, emotional and physical.
Her arms were throbbing, her heart pounding and chest heaving to supply her straining muscles with oxygen.
She could almost reach him. Her efforts were rewarded when his body rose from the water onto the bank, still she kept pulling she had to get him away from the water's edge.
Finally he was far away enough for her to stop. She dropped the rope and ran parallel to it, until she dropped to her knees at his side.
He wasn't breathing, that was her immediate reaction, her fingers fumbled the icy cold skin on his neck and felt for a pulse her hands were warn from the friction off the rope and she was positive she could feel it, even though it was scarily weak.
She turned him clumsily onto his side and began hitting his back – the hits becoming weaker as she saw what she had to do she turned him back over pinching his nose and took a deep breath lowering her mouth to his, delivering him a burst of vital oxygen, once, twice, until a third time truly became lucky.
His body jolted into life spluttering and coughing up water out from his lungs. She couldn't help but smile but yet sob as she pulled him to her hugging him fiercely.
He was alive.
Confusion hit him as he sat up choking, last thing he remembered was water pulling him down drowning him slowly but now he was alive, wrapped in a warm embrace with Bones. He didn't care if it hurt. He felt he wanted to say something, anything, but couldn't ruin it, they didn't need words.
She pulled away first keeping a hand, thankfully, on his uninjured shoulder.
"Booth, Come on you'll die of hypothermia if your stay out here, we've gotta get to the car." She undid his coat from her body and draped it over his shivering body.
Booth didn't argue or refuse the coat she was speaking she offered him a hand up he accepted it and they rose shakily she wrapped an arm around his shaking frame barely able to reach the full way around his broad frame.
The walk was unsteady and he would stumble over foreign objects now and then but they still continued on the path to the truck, the possibility of being warm again was all too tempting, when they reached the truck she left his side briefly, passing Furgon still unconscious on the freezing ground, and opened the passenger door walking back round to guide him to the car and help him in, securing his seatbelt mindful of his shoulder.
She climbed into the driver's seat slightly uncomfortable at being in his usual position. She turned the keys that were still in the ignition and the car burst into life.
Dusk was setting in and the headlights weren't essential but yet she turned them on. The next port of call was the heater she clicked a few buttons and a blast of air hit them , she turned down the force of it until it was warm.
Facing Booth he still hadn't moved or spoke, she was worried shock was setting in she had to get him to a hospital fast.
"Booth the radios still out!" she tapped the speaker onto the dashboard as if it would fix it , it didn't.
"B'nes... car.. j'st d..d..drive" he lifted his head to look at her his body was shaking violently the water had been so cold.
"But Booth it's not safe we nearly went off the road earlier, plus its getting dark." She knew she had to do something but if they crashed now it would be over.
"J..just dr've B'nes, do f.." Bones understood, he trusted her. That was enough.
She secured her seatbelt, put the car into drive and hoped upon hopes she could find her way in time.
The road ahead was clear, anybody with any sense had chose not to drive today and she knew the car was built well, but it wasn't made for ice. Every so often the wheels would go beneath them and the car would slide a metre or so, they were safe though ahead of them Bones could see the main road, it had been gritted free of ice and snow, safe.
She knew her way from here, she was quite observant and had nothing else to look at on the way out to the case.
She took the bend well even daring to glance over at a still booth his eyes had fluttered closed several times on the journey to safety but Bones had urged him to stay awake. The car was toasty now but still Booth shivered uncontrollably.
She had to hurry. She took her eyes back to the road pressing forward now, the drive wouldn't take much longer around fifteen minutes.
He couldn't lift his head He could feel her looking concerned at him, all his energy was put into staying awake. His eyes looked out of the windscreen he took in the familiar surroundings around him he felt his heart warm as he began to relax – they were almost safe.
She pulled the car into the car park and stopped it, parked across two disabled spaces, she was sure nobody would mind too much. She turned to Booth.
"Booth?" his eyes were closed she gained no response.
"Come on Booth were here, you need to wake up." She put out her hand to his left bruised cheek, the skin still icy cold. She tapped it lightly not wanting to anger the bruised skin, he began to stir.
"Booth I'm going inside to get someone. Stay here alright?" she watched as booths lips twitched into a smirk, she didn't know why but took it as a yes, and exited the car sprinting into the hospitals A&E department.
'Stay here,' Ha! He had to smile, where was he really going to go? He didn't mean to laugh at her, you never laugh at a beautiful woman who saves your life, but she was Bones.
He closed his eyes to blink and found his eyelids heavy he was finally safe at the hospital, with bones who was also safe, the cold was still there but not as bitter. He drifted off , to sleep.
When she returned with a pair of eager paramedics she directed them to his car and they went round to the passenger door throwing it open to reveal a still shivering, sleeping Booth.
The paramedics began to talk between themselves Bones listening slightly but her gaze stuck on Booths sleeping form. He looked so peaceful.
A Female in blue scrubs approached Bones,
"Ma'am you really should go inside he's in good hands, they cold will do you no good." Her concern was apparent but the woman before her shook her head.
"No, I have to stay with Booth" her tone was desperate as if on the verge of tears, but yet stubborn. She gave the worried woman a smile it was clear the pair were close even within the few seconds she had been there.
She stayed outside overseeing the two paramedics as they lifted the male from the seat and onto the awaiting gurney, an oxygen mask was placed over his handsome face and they began to move.
Bones kept up with the steadily moving gurney Booth was lay on. Around two more people had now joined the original three, the two paramedics and the woman in blue scrubs whose name badge read; Dr. Jones, and ran alongside her, shouting many commands and numbers at each other.
Bones was astounded she ked kept up with them herself, she was shattered she honestly just wanted to fall to her knees but something carried her on, just so she could stay beside Booth.
Suddenly they all took a sharp right through a pair of large swinging doors. And 'Dr. Jones' stopped in front of Bones, her face sad.
"I'm Sorry you can't come in here; I promise I'll look after him. Warm yourself up and get a coffee, I'll grab you when there's news okay honey?"
Bones stopped hearing the words but not wanting too, the woman before her was firm and Bones had no energy to argue. She nodded slowly and the woman turned the doors closing behind her.
What the Dr had said rang in her ears, 'Honey'.
She had to call Ange.
"Mrrgh." The groan escaped his lips waking himself slowly from his previous slumber. His whole body ached, especially his shoulder and he was shivering slightly. He slowly cracked open they eyes that felt like they hadn't opened for years, something heavy was resting over his body and as his eyes adjusted he looked down slightly to his right arm in a sling, secured close to his chest and a thick wad of blankets covering him.
'that explains that then.'
He dared to finally move realising the movement to the left of him he stopped looking at the familiar figure sound asleep next to him on what looked to be a garden chair, he smiled weakly.
Not wanting to wake her he simply sat there, he remembered what had happened, Furgon out at the lake; the place the body was first found, along with the crucial evidence. The attempted arrest that had gone horribly wrong, and the chaos that followed.
His body shivered at the memories of the water rushing all around him.
A Loud thump shook him from his sleep he flinched groaning as his shoulder nudged the edge of the bed painfully, he had fell asleep again. He was about to groan until he heard it.
"Booth?"
The voice sounded almost songlike he was so relived.
"That you Bones?" his voice sounded alien to him, husky and broken, still he smiled already knowing the answer to his question.
A figure appeared into his view from the corner of the room it wasn't exactly dark, he guessed around dusk, or dawn.
"Yeah Booth, it's me." He face looked how he imagined it would worried, troubled, tired.
"You allright ?" a small scoff left Bones before she could stop it, the man always surprised her.
"Booth I'm fine! You almost died and you ask if I'm okay."
"Ahh, You sound alright" he smiled wide not showing his teeth but he was clearly happy, although she didn't look as happy she was inside, Booth was back.
"Take a seat Bones, Your making the place look untidy."
Her brow lowered, confused, then she placed something on a small table to the right of Booths bed, and walked round the other side of the bed pulling up a chair.
"How are you feeling ?" She could see he was clearly injured, and her question would be predictably answered, but still she asked.
"Never better Bones, Bit chilly in here though." He regretted his last comment as bones face turned to concern. He could sense a 'faffing' fit coming on.
"Oh Booth, Let me go get the doctor, I should of already!" she jumped up from her seat about to run off to get someone until she felt his touch on her arm. He had crossed his arms and sat up painfully reaching out for her to stop, regretting it as his IV was yanked from his skin.
"Bones, it's not cold I'm fine honestly." He smiled nervously and she began to sit back down, breaking the contact.
He flopped back onto the plump pillows, the bed to flat for his liking he fumbled to his left attracting Bones attention, until he brought up a small white console.
He raised his eyebrows twice in quick succession, gaining a 'tut' From Bones.
Slowly the top of the bed rose and when almost at a right angle he stopped and leaned back getting conforable. He glanced down at his left hand seeing the spec of blood from the hole made by the IV's needle.
"Booth! Now look what you've done, you really are a fool, I've still got to get Dr. Jones!"
"No!" Booth sounded astonished, Bones went to argue when he continued "Please tell me my doctors called Dr. Jones!"
"I just did, didn't I?" As she left Booth laughed, any normal person would have got the joke. Bones simply left, oblivious.
A Couple of minutes later Bones re entered followed by a woman in blue scrubs.
"Agent Booth! 'Tis good to see you awake!" the woman had a strong accent, where from he didn't know.
Booth mirrored her chirpy smile as the woman approached his bed.
"How do you Feel, I heard you had quite an ordeal!" Booth laughed, Bones had made friends with her, his doctor? He glanced at her; she had been looking at him, and looked away as he looked over she moved over to the seat once again and sat.
"Yeah, sure have. I'm alright" he smiled once again sheepishly.
"Good, you've been sleeping long enough nearly two days now."
This took Booth back, asleep for two days ? As she gained no response she continued,
" You came in with severe hypothermia, a dislocated right shoulder and a fair amount of water still in your lungs.." as she spoke she replaced the IV back into his left hand smiling apologetically as he flinched at the needle entering his skin.
"You're lucky to be alive from what I heard, Your on some good pain killers for that shoulder of yours, and your throat might be a bit soar for a few days, breathing tubes could be a little smoother I suppose" The woman made him laugh, Wasn't she meant to be a doctor! The crazy woman before him smiled and leant over whispering something in booths ear, said goodbye to Bones and left the pair together.
"Booth?" both turned to her smiling politely
"Yes Bones" he said sarcastically
"What did she say?" Booth smiled smugly. He loved this way to much.
"Nah, Nothing Bones." He looked down to his sling his left hand fiddling with its fabric mindful of his IV
"Oh Booth! Come on I would tell you!" she tilted her head trying to look cute.
Booth smiled, she was using his trick.
"My lips are sealed." He tilted his head the opposite way making himself slightly dizzy momentarily.
"What, No Booth your lips should be fin.."
He shook his head in disbelief "It's a figure of speech Bones, relax."
"Oh" she said relived, "It's a silly figure of speech Booth."
" Not Really, It's something you say to let someone know that you will not tell anyone else what they have just told you"
Bones raised her eyebrows slightly mouthing an 'Oh'
"So you're not going to tell me ?"
Booth shook his head in disbelief.
She entered his room for the third time that day, within her arms was a selection of Booths favourite white and brown puddings, two coffee cups and acting as a tray, her laptop.
Booth Perked up immediately as his eyes caught sight of the puddings.
"Hey there Bones!" he shifted up in the bed and smiled.
She didn't acknowledge him, instead she set down the puddings and coffees, leaving one on the bed-tray above booths thighs, and taking one for herself, setting into 'her' chair.
"Ahh, thanks Bones, coffee and pudding eh.. just one question?" his smile stayed on his healing face.
"No Booth, I'm not answering your question until you answer mine." She looked at him and saw his smile dimmer down into a small tug of the lips.
"Oh, Come on Bones. I told you won't like it" he knew he had to tell her, hell he wanted to tell her.
"Just Tell me Booth, or I won't get you any more puddings." As she said it booth reached forward with his left arm, now free of an IV, and pulled his puddings towards him, smiling. Bones was not amused.
"You know what. I'm going to have to tell you myself anyway. Look she said that I should tell you thank you, I mean you saved my life and apparently you never left my side.." this last comment Booth bowed his head to avoid eye contact but smiled slightly, pleased.
"Oh. I see" Bones too looked away for a moment but then she looked back over too her partner, who also looked back at her.
"I mean it though Bones, thankyou." he smiled once again.
"Its fine Booth, you know you'd do the same for me." She registered his growing smile, "anyway.. What did you want to know?"
"Well, considering you're a genius right?" he didn't stop to let her answer "I think it takes a spoon to eat pudding." His smile had reached its limits, he was grinning like a loon.
Everything was going to be fine.