a/n: I edited this because I'm editing all my stories right now. I try not to write song fics very often, but I've had this idea for a story for a while and the song just fit. Therefore it became a song fic. I accpet flames.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bones, nor do I own the song Stand by Rascal Flatts.

Stand

You're standing with her in what you think is an empty warehouse. It was just another lead that turned out to be another dead end. The shot rings out and echoes through the emptiness. Before you realize what's happening she's not at your side any more, she's one the floor next to you.

You can't believe that she talked you into letting her come with you into the warehouse. There was chance that it was dangerous, but you both knew that the chance was low. That's the main reason you let her come with you.

The blood begins pooling around her fallen body. You pray that she won't die as you drop to your knees beside her. The first aid you administer might be enough to save her, but only time will tell. You continue to pray, even though she doesn't believe in God, somehow you don't think she'll mind you praying for her. Because of this sudden insight you realize that after years of being partners you've fallen in love with her.

Somewhere around you the people that did this to her laugh. You don't even bother to try to find them because you're trying to save her life.

You feel like a candle in a hurricane

You're tired. No, you're exhausted. You've been up for 36 hours trying to find the people that just shot your partner. You've been shot at a number of times and they actually managed to get a bullet in your leg. None of that matters though because if the woman, you partner, the one you love, dies. Nothing will be worth it. You ignore the pain and just focus on her.

Just like a picture with a broken frame.

"There's nothing you can do to help her," the people tell you. "No matter how much attention you give her. She's still going to die, and if she doesn't die she'll blame herself for your death. She's going to tell herself, 'if only I hadn't insisted we go in without backup'."

Alone and helpless like you've lost your fight
But you'll be alright, you'll be alright

You have to admit that letting her talk you into letting her come was stupid. Coming in with her without backup was suicide. Even with that in mind, that it was your fault, you can't help feel slightly abandoned until she shifts and the feeling that you're abandoned goes away.

Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you're made of

The way she shifts gives you a moment of courage and instantly you know what you have to do. You have to fight for her. The courage, and anger, grows as her breathing gets shallower. You want to kill them, but the books say you can't take revenge. The books have never stopped you before and you doubt that they will stop you know.

The people continue to watch you from the shadows, they see the determination of revenge in your posture. They continue to laugh because they know what you know. You will never win in a fight. They think you're weak, and by definition, you are. You've lost a lot of blood, but she's lost more. You don't care what they think you will hurt them for what they did to your partner.

You might bend 'til you break
Cause it's all you can take

If you had backup then they wouldn't be laughing, they would be running. You don't have backup though, and that's part of the problem. If you had backup then she wouldn't be dying and you wouldn't be about to fight them alone. They're confident that they will win this. You know from the bottom of your heart that they have a right to be confident. This is probably going to be your last fight.

On your knees you look up
Decide you've had enough
You get mad, you get strong
Wipe your hands, shake it off
Then you stand, then you stand

You can't take the laughing any longer. You surge to you feet despite the pain, dizziness, grief and regret that try to keep you down. There's murder in your eyes. If she dies then this whole thing was worth nothing. If she dies you will hold each and every one of them responsible. You will make sure that they suffer as much as you can possibly make them.

The laughter stops. It's mainly because of your sudden courage. The fact that you actually got up and are now looking around you to see if you can spot them. They can't really say that they never expected this. They had to have because up till now they've predicted your every move correctly. They start to laugh again though, because they think that you are stupid. Stupid for standing to fight.

Life's like a novel with the end ripped out
The edge of canyon with only one way down

It's the only solution that you can think of. There have to be others, but you're not thinking straight. The fight isn't going to be good for either side. You aren't going to go out without taking some of them with you.

At this point you're hoping that you're not going to live through this. If you do you're going to spend the rest of your life wondering what you could have done differently that could have saved your partner's life. You don't want to deal with that guilt.

Take what you're given before it's gone
And start holdin' on, keep holdin' on

Before you take this last stand though, you fall to your knees again in front of her. On an impulse you kiss her on the lips ignoring the fact she's unconscious. You're not going to leave this world without knowing what kissing her feels like.

"Please Bones," you beg quietly. "Please live through this."

Her eyes flicker open, defying medical odds.

"I'm sorry, Booth," she mutters.

"I love you," you whisper hoping it's not too late. You kiss her gently on the lips one more time.

She struggles to keep her eyes open as she looks at her with those smoky blue eyes.

"I love you, too," she whispers back. You barely hear her before she passes out again.

Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you're made of

You rise and turn to those who shot her. They stopped laughing at your little exchange and as they look at you they see the want for revenge consuming you. It's not so funny to them anymore because you're not going down easily. They should have known that being an Army Ranger meant not leaving someone behind. They seem to realize that they might have underestimated just how much you care for her. There are whispers, but no talk of surrender. No matter how desperate you are the odds are stacked high against you.

You might bend 'til you break
Cause it's all you can take

There's a whisper of sound from outside. You think that you're starting to hallucinate, but the way they freeze you know that they heard it to. Dismissing it as nothing they continue to press towards you, but never move from the shadows. You pull out you're gun. It's a losing battle, but you're going to fight it to the death anyway. You're doing it for her. She wouldn't want you to because you have Parker, but when you said that you'd die for her you meant it. To many people have broken their word to her so you know that you have to keep yours. It only seems fitting.

On your knees you look up
Decide you've had enough
You get mad, you get strong
Wipe your hands, shake it off
Then you stand, then you stand

Then whisper of noise turns into the clomping of heavy boots in action as your friends in the FBI coming running into the room. In the doorway, the squints wait just beyond you friends for the all clear to rush forward to help their fallen comrade. Even if the squints look out of place in Kevlar, you're glad to see them. You know that you're not going to fight alone.

Every time you get up and get back in the race
One more small piece of you starts to fall into place – yeah

In a frozen moment no one does anything. The squints soon rush forward. Quickly they lift her up and remove her from the danger zone in an efficiency you never thought the squints would achieve. Pooled together you know that the squints have enough medical knowledge to save her. You find immense relief knowing that she's going to live.

Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you're made of

You still plan on fighting because the people that did this aren't going to get away with it, but you fully intend on living through it now. You have to live through it. You don't want her to blame herself.

The fight is inevitable. No one is going to back down. They might still have more people, but having the greater number doesn't always mean the winner. You have always been a big believer of the underdog. You were determined to win before, and now you have help. Your friends at the FBI are loyal. Your friends will follow your lead without question because you have never left to fight their own battles when they have asked for help.

On your knees you look up
Decide you've had enough
You get mad, you get strong
Wipe your hands, shake it off
Then you stand, then you stand

You friends might think that this fight is crazy, but they're not going to say so. You friends might think that you are crazy, you might be starting to agree with that. That doesn't change that you are going to stand to fight. Even though you're standing up for one single person, it feels like you are standing up for the world.

Yeah, then you stand – yeah
Yeah, Baby
WOO HOO, WOO HOO, WOO HOO-
Then you stand – Yeah, Yeah

You raise your gun with determination shining from you eyes. Then you close your eyes for a quick moment. When you've opened them again, all hell has broken loose.