Here is the second chapter. Still don't own Bones, but I wish I did. Thank you for all the great feedback thus far!

Chapter 2

Temperance poked at her food, swirling her noodles with a chopstick. Booth watched her, wondering what was going on within that beautiful brain of hers. His thoughts began to drift to the promise he had made after the shooting. Perhaps it was the recent events or maybe it was the way she had been giving him the cold shoulder, but now seemed like an inappropriate time to confess his affections. What would be the best way to tell her? She was a no nonsense kind of woman, so he would have to be very careful in approaching the situation. He smirked, imagining the different scenarios as they played out in his head.

"Why are you staring at me?" Her voice had taken on that steel-like quality again. Startled out of his daydream, Booth's hand jerked, causing his coffee to splash down the front of his shirt and pants. He jumped up, cursing softly. Brennan looked at him quizzically as he stalked off to change, muttering under his breath as he went. She quickly cleaned up the remains of the coffee and packaged up the left over food before sitting back down at the table. Unfortunately, the break in conversation had given her time to think, forcing her to face emotions she was not yet ready to deal with. She reached into her bag and pulled out a journal in hopes of occupying her mind.

Booth returned from his room sporting a fresh pair of cargo pants and carrying a clean shirt. Brennan's eyes flicked up from her article, resting on her partner's once again jovial face. She was about to return to her reading when her eyes were drawn further down, coming to rest on the flesh colored bandage situated on his firm chest. Guilt burned in her gut, reminding her of the words she had screamed at him during her last visit to his apartment. This man, her partner, had taken a bullet for her, and she had brushed it off like it was nothing. It wasn't the first time he had put himself in danger to protect her; he had rescued her from Kenton while sporting a fractured clavicle and broken ribs, saved her from being buried alive by the Gravedigger, protected her from a psychotic EMT, and probably other instances of which she was not even aware. She had always chalked his actions up to being an alpha-male, but putting his very life on the line for her time and time again went way beyond basic gender dominance issues. And yet, she was still giving him the cold shoulder, even when he was once again concerned only for her well being. He was always there for her, and she took him for granted. Tears burned the back of her eyes as she willed herself not to cry, but exhaustion was crumbling her resolve.

"You know, I was going to take a shower, but I was a little afraid that you were going to barge in there after me again," he joked, trying to lighten the mood as he pulled the t-shirt over his head.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered. He could tell instantly by the tone of her voice that something was wrong.

"Hey, it's okay. It was a little awkward, but no big deal. I'll just remember to lock the do…"

"It's not that" she stated, standing up and closing the distance between them. He searched her eyes for a clue, but the crystalline pools offered nothing tangible. Her hand reached out, lightly tracing the outline of the bandage through Booth's thin t-shirt. "Does it still hurt?" She asked in a hushed voice, as if she were afraid to know the answer.

"Nah. I'm pretty well healed up by now" he answered lamely, getting a sense of where the conversation was headed. He had knew this was going to be a critical conversation, both to their partnership and their friendship, and he wasn't about to let her down a second time.

"That's good, I'm glad to hear that." She averted her eyes to the floor and her hand dropped to her side. Seeley reached over and using his index finger; gently guided her face towards his for the second time that evening.

"Look at me, Temperance. I don't regret my actions for even a second. I would do it all over again if it meant keeping you safe. You may think that I'm just being a macho guy, but it's my job to protect my partner."

She wanted nothing more than to lean into his touch, to feel the comfort of his arms again; to feel safe. She drew in an unsteady breath and tried to organize her thoughts. "I want to apologize for, well, for acting the way I have the past few days. I shouldn't have belittled the actions you took that night at the club. I… think you were very heroic. You saved my life, and I am extremely grateful for that." A tear slipped down her cheek.

"Thanks, Bones. It means a lot, coming from you. I can understand why you were so upset with me though, and its okay."

"You do?"

"You've had a lot of people coming in and out of your life within the last few weeks, and it's been very unsettling; first your dad being set free, then your partner 'dying', and finally, your assistant betraying you. Add on top of that, trying to catch a serial killer, convincing a jury that you killed the deputy director of the FBI, having your lab nearly destroyed, and being forced to take another life. That's a lot to deal with, Bones."

"I…don't regret the life that I took. Pam almost killed you and she tried to kill me too. I was so angry and scared. I didn't even think…I just shot. I didn't even realized what I had done until later on at the hospital when I had to give my account of what happened to the investigator."

"It never gets easier to take a life, no matter how evil the person might be" he replied solemnly.

"I was at the hospital for six hours, waiting for word on your condition. Then the surgeon came out and stated you had died during surgery. I was told that due to the ongoing investigation, I wasn't allowed to see your body. I didn't even get to say goodbye…" Tears began freely flowing down her face, weaving a wet trail down her porcelain skin. She left out how she still had nightmares about the final moments at the club; how she could still feel his blood on her hands as she desperately tried to keep him alive, and how the sound of a car backfiring made her flinch because it sounded like a gunshot. She also conveniently forgot to mention that, during his two week absence, she avoided the diner, Wong Foo's, dark colored SUVs, the Federal Building, Lincoln Memorial, coffee, listening to Foreigner, and the Thai Restaurant; because they all reminded her of him. She knew her behavior was irrational, but her heart simply refused to allow her brain to have complete control over her actions again. "And then Zack…" Temperance began to tremble as the reality of the last few weeks crashed down upon her; like a tsunami threatening to swallow her whole. "I want to be angry with him, for betraying us like that. He killed someone and then lied. He could have killed Hodgins. But no matter how hard I try, I can't hate him. I…I miss him so much…" she whispered, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt.

"I know, Bones. I miss him too." Booth wrapped his arms around his partner, trying to convey a multitude of feelings in that one simple hug. She clung to him, burying her face in his neck and sobbing uncontrollably. He held her close, rubbing his hands in small circles on her back, his heart aching for her.