I don't own bones.

I woke up disorientated and confused. I must have been dreaming Tony was here… It wouldn't have been the first time. I stumbled out of my bed, the covers catching my feet and making me fall to the ground in a heap. I would have laughed at the absurdity of the situation if Tony hadn't come running in, gun raised.

"Are you all right Tempe? What happened," He asked nervously as he scanned my room for a threat that wasn't there.

"I'm fine Tony, I simply fell out of my bed," I replied exasperated as I moved to stand up.

He put away his gun and pivoted his torso towards me, his eyes searching me for injuries. I sighed in frustration; a simple tumble out of bed shouldn't warrant such an emotional reaction. It was Ludacris. I ran my hand through my tousled hair trying to shake off the sleep that clung to my thoughts. It suddenly hit me that Tony was real and he was standing in my bed room. I strode across the small space between us and slammed my body into his.

"Whoa, "he said as air rushed from his lungs.

He caught me around the waist and he held me as tight as he possibly could to him. I let him, just soaking in the warmth his body provided. I knew sooner or later we would have to talk but I didn't want to right now, couldn't right now. All I wanted was to feel him, alive and whole against me. It had been so long since I'd seen him. Since I'd given myself the leisure of thinking about him. He was supposed to be just a forgotten memory in the back of my mind.

"Well isn't this a nice Good morning," he said just below the base of my ear, sending chills up my spine.

My body reacted to him in a way that it had only reacted to one other male in my life. But his name being said, even in my mind would ruin the sanctity of this moment and it would bring me back to the life I was thankful to forget for a little while, so I pushed the thought from my mind.

"Tony, why are you here," I asked from where my face was positioned in his neck.

"I heard you needed me," he said as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

"I've needed you plenty before this," I reminded him.

"I know Tempe… But it wasn't time for me to come back. I would have done anything to come back sooner. But you weren't ready."

I thought his words were ill-informed and wrong but I let him keep talking without a rebuff just so I could continue to hear his voice. The voice I had missed so much over the past 7 years. Most people would have forgotten the sound of his voice, the smile on his face, the way a simple touch from him could set the world to rights again, but not me. I could never forget. I held tighter to him, not wanting him to slip from my grasp.

"Tempe, there is no need to crush me. I'm not going anywhere," he said a little breathlessly.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said as I quickly released him and took a step back, out of his embrace.

"Well, hey now I didn't say let go all together," he said with his charm smile on his face.

I could feel my own smile growing as I gazed at him, just taking in every detail about him. His bone structure made him extremely attractive and his eyes held so much. His body was finely tuned, I could tell because he was just standing in my room in his navy boxers. I giggled a bit, shocked at myself for doing so. This was defiantly not the first time I'd seen a man in his boxers and certainly not Tony. But I giggled none the less.

"What are you giggling about," he asked suspiciously. He followed my eyes down to the lower half of his body and a cocky grin spread across his face. "So you like what you see," he said as he smirked at me.

I made no move to reply but he didn't need me to, he grabbed my shoulders and pulled me in as close as before but now he was staring into my face, both of us smiling like fools. I brought my hand up and placed it affectionately on his cheek, loving the fact that I could finally touch him.

"I've missed you Temperance," he all but whispered to me. My name coming from him seemed to be a kind of caress, making me feel warm and safe.

"I've missed you too Anthony."

I can't recall how long we stood there until there was a knock on my door, interrupting us. Tony released me and made his way to answer it. Under normal circumstances I would have protested, it being my apartment and all but this was Tony and he wasn't doing it to be dominant or alpha male. He was just doing it because he was closest and he didn't mind answering the door in his boxers. I went to my closest to get ready. I had just pulled on a pair of old faded blue jeans and a white t-shirt when I heard Tony shout to me.

"What is it Tony," I called back as I walked to the door barefoot, pulling my hair up into a pony tail on my way. I let my bangs hang out because I couldn't really catch them in the pony tail.

"A Seeley Booth with the FBI is here," he replied and I could hear the note of condescending in his simple sentence and if it hadn't been for Booth being only 5 feet away I would have laughed.

"What do you need Booth," I asked as I walked up behind Tony, placing my hand on his shoulder to tell him where exactly I was.

"Well I just came to check on you, but then I found this answering your door," he said as he indicated Tony with a flick of his head.

"No reason to check on me Booth, it's Saturday and we don't have a case. Get home to Hannah and Parker," I replied evenly the only sign of my discomfort was the tightening of the hand I had placed on Tony's shoulder.

"Who's this guy, "Booth asked, ignoring my statement?

"Agent Anthony DiNozzo, NCIS, at your service," Tony said with a predatorily smile.

"Special Agent Seeley Booth, FBI and 's partner," Booth replied as he stuck out his hand for Tony to shake.

Tony took the offered hand and I could tell by the tightening of their muscles that they were doing the alpha male, crush each other's hands thing. It annoyed me but I let them for a moment or two. I then reached out with my other hand and grasped the one Tony had gripping the door. He looked over at me and I gave him the sweetest look I could muster. Hoping that I could actually get my facial expressions right.

"Tony if you want to go get breakfast then you might want to go get some clothes on," I told him with a small smile playing on my lips.

He turned towards me, releasing Booth's hand and put his right hand on my cheek. I was stunned when he leaned in and planted a kiss on my cheek. He lingered for only a few seconds and then headed back into my apartment without saying good bye to Booth. I looked after him for a second or two and then turned to Booth.

A shocked expression was on his face as he watched Tony saunter away from over my shoulder. The shock only lasted a few more seconds before it turned to one of out-rages. I took an involuntary step backwards, feeling his emotions choke me.

"Who is that Bones," he asked.

The use of my old nickname made me angry and I smirked up at him and said, "My best friend."