Title: Acknowledgment,
Author: wanderingsmith
Disclaimer: I ain't got no money, and nobody'd be daft enough to pay me for this.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: a talk, Post- Two dead bodies in the lab
Warning: B\B

Authors rant: they switched the time! I missed the first half.. miooooooooooowwwwwwwwww. sigh I only got to watch from the first hospital scene, and that just because I was suspicious (great sounding ep... baad luck...). it better show up on torrents soon!

----------- SPOILER ALERT-----------------
do not read any further if you don't want to be spoiled!


AN2: the Mini... rotflol. man did he look like angel in those shots.
AN3: the rescue scene... happy sigh loved his leaning into her chest at the last, and lifting her around his neck hapy happy sigh sooo waiting to hear hodgins comment on the whole thing at some point. though I gotta say, what the heck was he doing visiting booth in hospital?

Jeffersonian, afternoon, a few (couple?) days after the ep

Temperance was forcing herself to focus on the skull on her table, tiredness and the reason for it making it an effort.

"You haven't been sleeping."

The quiet voice made her realize a shadow had appeared on edge of her vision. She raised herself quickly from her tabletop-level crouch, trying to ignore how glad she was to hear him, to see his faint grin.

"Neither have you." the shadows around his eyes weren't all bruises and burns.

They both stood still several seconds, eyes itemizing each other, checking injuries, confirming life; trying to dismiss nightmares.

Finally she cleared her throat, her arms crossing on her chest, "So, you have a case?"

Booth stepped back and sat down heavily into a chair next to one of the computers, leaning back and closing his eyes. Sitting was better than standing today, and he could still hear her breathe. "Cullen has forbidden me to so much as talk to anyone from the FBI."

For a change she managed to hold back the automatic, logical question of, why was he here then. Her nightmares, his not letting her go when he found her, the sad, lonely look she caught on his face when she returned to his room, the way she wanted to go over to him and hold him right now... she was glad he was there, maybe even enough to admit she'd missed him, if he asked again.

She watched him wince after taking a deep breath, "Are you supposed to be out of the hospital?"

He smiled, "I was released this morning."

Unable to stay away, she walked over to him, "And I'll bet there was some mention of your staying home and resting, yes?"

He tilted his head up, following the sound of her voice, ignoring the flicker of images from the morning's nightmare that was skipping through the back of his thoughts. "I was bored."

Temperance crouched down, "And you don't find bones boring?" she asked skeptically.

His grin got wicked, "'Bones' never bored me."

She blinked, one hand unconsciously resting on his knee for balance. She knew he wasn't interested in skeletons...

Booth could imagine the confused look on her face she got trying to follow slang. He opened his eyes, staring right into hers and daring her to misunderstand. Or ask for clarification.

Her eyes widened suddenly, and he smirked briefly; 'gotcha, Bones.'

'Booth," she warned as her eyes narrowed, "why aren't you sleeping?"

His jaw tightened and he looked away. Finding her tied up and terrified. Knowing very well what would have happened in a matter of seconds. Bad enough. But, too often, he saw the fridge explode from the kitchen doorway, saw her lifeless body, burned and broken. He preferred seeing himself on that floor.

"Booth." her hand squeezed his knee gently. The other reaching for the fist his right hand had made.

"If Hodgins hadn't come by.. or been 3 minutes later..." he took a slow breath, wishing it could be deeper, keeping his eyes on their joined hands while he tried to bury the fears down.

"I'm OK," Temperance kept her voice quiet, tried to think of anything to say or do to help. She held his hand tighter, "Everything worked out. We're good."

Finally he looked up, hoping his eyes were clear. "Let's talk about you instead." he saw her cheek twitch and her eyes get shadowy with pain, "Why can't you sleep?" He was almost surprised that the experience had bothered her so much; he had a feeling it wasn't the first she'd been threatened. Why would this memory cause pain?

She was quiet for so long, he thought she might ignore the question. Then her hand lifted from his knee and touched the burn on his temple. 'If you hadn't been reaching for that glass...", her voice was as soft as he'd ever heard it, but there was a thread of fear in it that caught at him.

She turned away suddenly, walking to the other side of the platform, staring over the edge, gripping the rail. She hated the dream. Hated seeing the same film run through her mind again and again. Knowing how close he came to dying because of her. Thinking of his sweet little boy never knowing his father's love again. Of never getting to see or argue with him again.

He watched her stand still, angry at himself for being glad at the reason for her nightmares. He knew his words wouldn't help her any more than hers had him, but he had to say something, "I'll be OK.", it was an acknowledgment that he knew what was hurting her, nothing more.

Temperance nodded her head in understanding, "And I am OK."

Booth smiled ruefully, "What was it you said, 'What a pair'?", he saw the hand gripping the rail shaking, "You shouldn't be working, Temperance. Come on, let's go get some food and just sit somewhere quiet."

AN4: I'm only seeing this as a one-shot for now. I have to finish Slow hands. just couldn't help adding a touch to that ep. why the heck did they do the whole 'watch the arm' at the end? grrrr, oh well, compromise, at least she ditched setup boyfriend and stayed with him. though what the hades was booth watching? eg