Okay so I saw this picture for the Bullet in the Brain (Spoiler alert!) ./-HV8TF-DiD0o/TbYPgLdc_rI/AAAAAAAAAFI/42-Jw8q9uvU/s1600/BONES_622_sc30_ and couldn't resist writing a one shot. Not my usual thing but hey, I'm expanding my horizons. Also, I realise the episode is called Bullet in the Brain" however I didn't want this fic to be overly violent and it is hard to avoid violence when projectile cranial trauma (as bones would say) is involved.

Bear in mind that I am taking a lot of poetic license with this picture so it will probably be nothing like the actual scene but we can dream, right?

I don't usually do song fics but The Light by Sara Bareilles is absolutely beautiful and suits this fanfic perfectly. Actually do yourself a favour and listen to her entire Kaleidoscope Heart album. I absolutely love her to pieces.

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"Never mind what I knew

Nothing seems to matter now.

Who I was without you

I could do without.

No one knows where it ends

Or how it may come tumbling down

But I'm here with you now."

Booth opened the door with uncharacteriscally shaky hands. As a sniper he had always had a surgeon steady hand but today had been not been just any normal day. He pushed the door open, watching Bones as she entered his apartment wordlessly. Booth's eyes lingered on the sling which was supporting her upper arm and he thought of the bullet that had grazed it only hours before. If it had only been half a foot to the left Bones would be dead. It was a thought that nearly brought him to his knees. He could have lost her in one terrible, earth shattering moment.

In addition to his crippling worry for his partner's safety Booth felt an overwhelmingly terrible guilt for the thoughts he had when Broadsky's bullet had hit. It had been just another day, walking to Booth's car down the steps of the Jeffersonian. Vincent had run after Brennan to tell her what he had just found in the bones of their current case. He had been so excited to tell her he had run around in front of them both to deliver the punch line but it died in his throat, his eyes widened in surprise as his chest blossomed with blood.

As it had ripped through Vincent's chest then through Temperance's arm, he was glad. He had stared down at the young intern's lifeless eyes as Bones crouched by his side shaking uncontrollably and thought, "Thank god it was him, not her." Booth knew that it was one of the most horrible thoughts that had ever raced through his mind. He had regretted the thought immediately and ever since but he knew that it was how he truly felt. With the exception of Parker, no one was more important to him than his partner, his friend, his love.

As Booth turned and closed the door, flinching at the noise it made, remembering the gunshot ringing in the distance. Sinking down onto the plastic chairs they had both dragged through the snow, Bones looked up at Booth, her eyes filled with a fear and sadness he knew she was desperate to suppress. Feeling as hopeless as she did he crossed his living room to take the seat beside her. For a while they sat there in silence, drawing what little comfort they could from each other's presence. Booth was the first to break the silence.

"It could have been you…"

He let the softly spoken words hang in the air. Brennan lifted her free hand and placed it on Booth's thigh comfortingly, reassuring him that she was still right there beside him. His eyes came up from the floor to meet hers and she saw the single tear in his eye and the primal fear written all over his face.

"I don't know what I would have done if… if it had been you."

Booth's voice broke and he felt a dry sob choke his throat. Overcome with an emotion neither dared to try to contain, Booth crushed his partner to his chest. He just needed her close. He needed to know that she was okay and she needed it just as much. Burying her head in Booth's embrace she let the tears and emotion she had kept hidden come pouring out.

"He meant to kill you Booth," she sobbed into his chest, "It's all I can think about."

For a long moment they simply held each other. Suddenly Bones broke away from the embrace; turning away from her partner's outstretched arms. She had lost control. She hadn't meant to say how scared was for his safety. Things were complicated enough. Wiping the tears hastily from her eyes, she felt Booths hand on her shoulder. He leaned forward to speak softly in her ear.

"You don't have to hide, Bones. Not from me."

All Bones could do was draw in a deep breath realising how close she was to losing the last of her defences.

"Give up the last of your imperviousness, Temperance. You're the strongest person I have ever known… you're strong enough."

Booth watched as Brennan slowly turned to face him and what he saw stole his breath. He looked at her and saw everything she had ever kept from him. There were no barriers… no defences. He raised one hand and placed it on her cheek, trying to return the purest intimacy she was giving to him. It wasn't about sex. It was a deeper connection than anything they had ever experienced and for once, it didn't scare Temperance.

Temperance fell back into Booth's embrace once more and allowed him to comfort her. She was still strong and independent but now she realised… she didn't have to be alone to be all those things.

"Please stay here tonight." Booth whispered softly.

He heard her take in a surprised breath and realised the double meaning of what he had said.

"I'll take the couch," he quickly clarified. "I just... I need to know you're safe."

He felt her nod against his chest and she drew away slowly this time without panic. Smiling softly at him with red puffy eyes she was still stunningly beautiful.

"I'm just going to freshen up." She said quietly, wiping her eyes and got up to go to his bathroom. He was surprised when she left the door open and he watched as she bent over the sink and splashed her face with water. The fact that she was allowing him to see how vulnerable she was at that very moment reminded him of exactly what they had accomplished together.

She had given up the last of her imperviousness and surrendered it completely to him.

Booth went to his wardrobe and pulled out his FBI shirt and pants, hoping that they would fit Bones. She came out from the bathroom and grabbed a pillow off his bed, headed back to the couch.

"Hey Bones, its okay I'll take the couch."

Temperance turned and faced him with a smile on her face, hugging the pillow that smelled distinctly of Booth close to her.

"It's okay, you have a bad back."

"You have a bullet wound." He cut her off quickly.

"You are not sleeping on the couch in your own house." She countered with her typical affectionate stubbornness.

"Come on Bones, please." Booth knew it was futile to battle against her stubbornness even though he thoroughly enjoyed doing it most of the time.

"Fine," she said with a sigh. "I won't sleep on the couch but neither will you."

"Are you sure?" Booth asked quietly.

"Yeah, after everything that has happened today. After almost… after coming so close to losing you I don't really want to be away from you."

If someone had told Booth a year ago that Brennan would say those words to him he would never had believed it but there, in that moment, it felt exactly right.

"Okay," he said, handing her the clothes he had for her to sleep in.

With a small smile she took the clothes and headed back into the bathroom. As the door closed Booth quickly changed into his own sleepwear and sat down on the bed. He heard a whimper through the door and immediately knocked on the door.

"Bones, are you okay."

The door opened in front of him and Brennan stood before him in his FBI gear looking more beautiful and vulnerable than ever. He drew in a sharp breath.

"I'm fine," she said. "I was just trying to get this sling back on."

Booth could see a small spot of blood blossom on the dressing, knowing that she had torn one of her stitches.

"Come on," he said to her, sitting her on the bed, "My turn to be the doctor."

He quickly went to get his first aid kit from the bathroom and sat it on the bed beside them. Carefully he pulled of her dressing and began cleaning it for her. He was a soldier so he had dealt with gunshot wounds before but this was different. This was Bones. Carefully he placed a single butterfly stitch where the other had torn and put a new dressing on for her. It felt good to take care of her without her protesting. She accepted his assistance for what it was; a simple act of love.

Softly and chastely, Booth kissed her shoulder and put the sling back on for her. He smoothed the straps over her shoulder and felt her truly start to relax for the first time all day. Booth got up and cleared everything off the bed, coming back to Temperance laying on his bed, her silky hair splayed across the pillow. He walked to the other side of the bed and slid in beside her. There was no biological urges between them in that moment, just a pure want for closeness. As he laid on his back and looked over at Temperance lying beside him he knew that she trusted him completely, she had given him his soul tonight and he knew that he would treasure it for the rest of his life. Slowly she rolled toward him and on to her side, coming to rest against him. Carefully, Booth put his arm around her and she softly rested her head on his bicep, curling comfortably toward him as if she had always belonged there.

"We're gunna be okay," Booth whispered softly.

With her eyes closed and exhaustion overcoming them both she smiled softly and whispered,

"I know. I trust you, Seeley."

Okay so this started off as a kind of sexy fic but it had a mind of its own, although I do think it's better this way. I hope you liked it and remember to pretty please review. I know every writer says it but reviews really do make me want to write more and more, not to mention the warm fuzzy feeling I get knowing I have help spread a little bit of B&B love.