[A/N: Thanks so very much for your kind reviews. Still anxious about posting this given the state of the draft, but might as well dive in and see where this takes us!]
Chapter 2
Wednesday, 6:25 p.m.
With every passing second and each determined if shaky step, Booth ignored the shouted warnings and the imminent threats that he should stop or be shot by the officers and agents who were now swarming. Not even contemplating the fact that that making a move for his badge might be considered by the officers as a reach for a weapon, the special agent reached down and yanked his bureau ID roughly from his belt. "FBI!" he yelled, "Special Agent with the FBI!" he yelled loudly enough to be heard over the mayhem erupting all around him. Unlike the other agents, Booth ignored his weapon. Instead, he loped as quickly as possible toward the suspect who had garnered the attention of the authorities—the person who had indeed been tailing him on his lonely drive home.
It was as if the whole scene were a dream—everything around him seemed to be happening in slow motion. He moved on undeterred, ignoring the sounds of louder and more serious warnings that he stand down and not interfere with the officers. His heart pounding in his ears and his blood pressure skyrocketing, Booth pressed forward, getting close enough to start shoving officers and agents out of the way. He manhandled each of them he encountered easily, adrenaline and years of experience getting to his man guiding him on instinct rather than carefully executed plan. Driven as no other man could have been toward his destination, Booth shoved and yanked and kicked his way toward the vehicle. When he reached it and pressed even closer through the throng of law enforcement officials, the suspect turned and stared directly into his face.
"Bones?" he gasped, staring in disbelief at his partner, his lover, his best and most true friend.
"Booth," she whispered, tears filling her eyes and spilling over instantly.
