Disclaimer - Bones and all its lovely characters belong to someone else.

A/N - Thank you for the encouraging reviews of the first chapter. Sorry updating has been slow, but the last week has been crazy.

Deputy Director Cullen caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and turned in time to see Booth almost sliding off the lower step of the ambulance before being caught by his squint. His already sombre expression darkened further as he realised that his lead agent was more badly injured than he'd been letting on. He spoke quickly into his radio, tersely ordering a medical team to attend immediately.

The SWAT team commander, whose black uniform had ANDREWS written in two inch letters on his chest, was also watching Booth. The slight narrowing of his eyes the subtle evidence that he shared the Director's concern.

As Cullen signed off on the radio, he turned back to Andrews, "We'll finish up later." He paused and jerked his head in the direction of Booth, "I'm going to check up on my agent." He closed his eyes for a moment and rubbed his forehead, "The other ambulances are still about ten minutes away." Involuntarily his gaze slid towards the blaze still raging out of control.

The commander nodded and fell into step with Cullen as he strode across the parking lot, glass blown out from scores of windows crackling under their shoes as they walked.

"Agent Booth did a good job today." Andrews observed as they stepped round what looked like a pile of charred office furniture.

Cullen looked across at him silently, then inclined his head.

"We'd have lost a lot more people without him scouting ahead." There was a pause as both men reflected on the losses they had sustained anyway. Andrew's hand tightened around his weapon as he ground out his next sentence, "We've gotta find these bastards..."

The silence stretched out again. Cullen felt an stab of impotent fury at the debacle that the case had turned into. It had taken six months of sustained work to identify the key players, pin down their base of operations and then wait for the right moment to move against them. During that six months it had become clear that countless other investigations, which had been regarded as unconnected, were all part of the same criminal operation. As far as Cullen could tell the Bureau had been looking into aspects of the gang's operations for over ten years, but never seeing the big picture, until now.

Cullen's jaw clenched as a secondary explosion ripped through the side of the warehouse, raining fiery debris across the road. He half-turned, shielding his face with his hand, but was relieved to see that flames were shooting out horizontally on an unoccupied side of the building. He could see the fire crews scurrying to reposition the hoses and redouble their efforts to damp down the fire.

Bones shifted trying to manage her partner's unconscious bulk. She hooked his right arm over her shoulder and then, with her face buried aginst the right side of his chest, she lifted him up and back on to the step. She stood up slightly, until her face was level with his and then gently supported his lolling head with one hand. It was an awkward position, but she didn't dare move as she knew that she was the only thing keeping Booth from slipping onto the hard, glass-crusted tarmac.

Her eyes narrowed in concern as she took in his shallow breathing and the grey tinge to his skin.

"Booth, wake up." She repeated quietly.

There was no response.

"Booth..." Her voice quavered slight and she told a deep breath to steady herself, "Please?"

She didn't even register the explosion behind her and the increasing roar of the flames. All her attention was focused on her partner.

Awareness slowly came back, but he felt as though he was swimming through treacle backwards. He registered pain and caught the acrid scent of fire and smoke; these set off distant, shimmering recollections.

Then he heard a sound, a voice. He couldn't make out the words but knew that they weren't important. He struggled to focus on the voice.

Slowly the darkness receded.

He blinked sluggishly as consciousness returned.

He was distantly aware of the shouting agony running down his left side, but all his overtaxed mind could take in was the way that Bones' blue eyes, just inches from his face, widened with relief at he looked at her.

She took a slow breath and the arm around his waist tightened. Her eyes drifted shut and she leant in until their foreheads were touching, still murmuring his name.

Booth realised that his right arm was hooked over her shoulder and he gave her a gentle squeeze, "It's okay Bones."

He felt her half laugh, half sob against his cheek.

"Hey, come on." He started to stroke her back, "It's just everything catching up with both of us."

She nodded slightly, but her smile froze as she felt his body tense.

She drew back slightly, worried, and saw that Booth was looking up over her head, a wary expression in his pain-hazed eyes.

"Sir?" He said quietly.

She turned quickly, wincing at his sharp intake of breath as her sudden movement jarred his abused body, and found herself facing Booth's grim-faced boss.

"How long was he out?" Cullen asked, coming to a halt right next to them. His frown deepened as he took in the extent of Booth's burns and his unhealthy pallor.

"Uh. A couple of minutes." Bones said, finding her voice at last.

Cullen nodded. "Ambulance is on its way." He looked impatiently at his watch, as though wishing he could make the rescue vehicle materialise in front of him. "Dr Brennan, you'll accompany Agent Booth to the hospital and make sure he stays for the appropriate treatment."

Booth started to protest.

"Agent Booth, you're no use to me or anyone else in this state. I'm not having you putting things at risk while trying to work when you should be in a hospital bed. You'll be back on this case when I say so." Cullen paused and stepped closer, his expression softening slightly, "Just go to the damned hospital, Booth. I'll let you know what we find out."

Booth's jaw unclenched, "Fine," he said.

Cullen clapped him lightly on the shoulder and said in an undertone, "Take care Booth," before heading back across the parking lot.

The SWAT team commander, who had been hovering in the background, was about to follow when he stopped and gave Booth a half-salute, "Sir?" Booth shrugged to indicate that he should carry on, "Hope they can patch you up okay." Another brief pause, "And thanks." With that, he was gone.

Booth let out a breath and edged along the step so that there was room for Bones to sit too.

They shared a wordless glance and then she sat, her arm still around his waist and his arm still resting on her shoulders.

They sat in a comfortable silence. Then they both heard a distant sound and looked up, listening, as the sirens drew closer.