NEVER GONNA LOSE YOU 2
Booth stood up and was glad that he had been mistaken—Bones hadn't left. She had just needed to put some distance between the two of them and had gotten up to pace. He took a couple of steps toward her and touched her arm.
"Don't tell me that I shouldn't have done what I did. Don't," her voice quivered.
Booth felt his chest go numb. He mentally took back everything he had thought about being hurt and upset and angry at her because she didn't show that she was upset last year. She said his funeral was a waste of time.
He should have known better. He should have pressed her for more information. To admit what she was feeling. But after Zach—no, he shook himself. That was just an excuse. Truth was he didn't want to know what she had been thinking. What she was feeling. Because he was afraid. Afraid that she meant more to him than he did to her.
Well, there was no time for fears now. Now that he knew how much pain she had been in. How much pain she still carried with her. And all of it was because of him. And Sweets.
He couldn't blame her. Couldn't be mad at her for switching places with him. If nothing else, it demonstrated the total and complete trust and faith—though she would deny that—that Bones had in him.
"I won't," he whispered hoarsely and pulled her into his arms. He held her tight and she held back even tighter. Her tears started to come—slowly at first but then the down pour came and she started to shake.
He started to give her butterfly kisses without even thinking about it. Before either knew it, they were on the floor, in front of his television—holding onto each other for dear life, comforting each other as if there were no tomorrow.
Finally her tears subsided and Brennen rested her head against his chest. She chuckled, "I guess when I let out I really let out."
Booth didn't bother to correct her in that it was let loose not let out—he was so overwhelmed with how she had kept everything inside. And yet—he knew that he shouldn't be surprised. That was what Bones did after all. She kept things inside.
He should have known to press. To make her talk. To press her on everything else. "I wish you would have told me."
"Told you what exactly Booth? What would the point be?" She started to get up; Booth could see her start to build the walls around herself once again.
But he wasn't going to let her get away with it. Not now. Not when so much was on the line. "Bones," he grabbed her and pulled her back onto the floor, actually she landed on his lap.
The way she looked all wild and free, it was all Booth could do not to kiss her senseless. So, instead he took her hands and placed them on his heart. "Temperance." At that she did look at him.