AN: Fanfiction review and story alerts aren't working for me, so I just want to say thanks to all who are reviewing. You guys are great.
AN2: Character death warning.
AN3: I think this is a beautiful song. I wish I knew what inspired the guy to write it.
"RUN—Snow Patrol"
I'll sing it one last time for you,
Then we really have to go,
You've been the only thing that's right,
In all I've done…
"You really should wait here."
"Why?"
Booth shifted uncomfortably in his seat as Brennan's eyes pierced his questionably.
"Call it a gut feeling," he admitted. He knew the argument was weak, and that she would dismiss it almost immediately.
"Booth…you need me out there. I know what type of soil we're looking for," Brennan supplied.
"Couldn't we have had Hodgins do that? Why isn't he here?" Booth stalled.
"He's sick. According to Angela, he can barely get out of bed. Besides, the soil is easy enough to find, if you know what you're looking for. We have a warrant. There should be no problems, so stop worrying."
Booth gave a tight smile. "Yeah…I guess…"
And I can barely look at you,
But every single time I do,
I know we'll make it anywhere,
Anyway from here…
She practically hopped out of his car, ready to nail the bastard who'd murdered seven children. They needed this evidence to tie the man to the crimes, and Booth and Brennan knew that. He watched as she strode purposefully to the house, snapping on latex gloves. His smile relaxed as the dread disappeared from his stomach. Looking at her always seemed to put him at ease, unless she was chasing after a criminal or being pulled out of the ground. Those times were the hardest because he couldn't help imagine the worst.
But she'd beat the bad guys to a bloody pulp. He pulled her out from the dirt. And he knew, they could make it out anywhere, anytime…
Light up, light up,
As if you have a choice,
Even if you cannot hear my voice,
I'll be right beside you dear…
Louder, louder,
And we'll run for our lives,
I can hardly speak I understand,
Why you can't raise your voice to say…
But that didn't happen that day.
Booth stared blankly as the coffin was lowered into the near-frozen earth. A sling supported his arm and shoulder; the bullet wound healing nicely, even though he would no longer have feeling, the nerves damaged beyond repair.
Booth could hear open sobs around him as their hearts grieved for Tempe Brennan. He was stuck in a nightmare, he had thought.
She had smiled at him when she said she'd be out back searching for the soil samples while he presented the warrant. The dread had entered his stomach again when he began knocking on the thick wood door. A sudden feeling of panic rose in his chest and he called out Brennan's name just as muted pfhts filled the air.
Sprinting around the house, he had felt the bullet impact his shoulder as he came across the crazed owner firing a silencer. Booth gritted his teeth in agony as he whipped his own weapon out fired.
He missed. Only the third time in his career. The bullets stopped when the owner's chamber emptied and when the owner decided to high-tail it.
Booth watched with fogged vision as the owner disappeared into the forest.
And then Booth saw her.
To think I might not see those eyes,
Makes it so hard not to cry,
And as we say our long goodbye,
I nearly do…
He had half crawled, half scrambled his way to her.
"Bones! Jesus, Temperance!!"
He could see with sickening clarity that her entire shirt was soaked in red and inky black blood. Her eyes stared vacantly into the sky with her mouth twitching as tears formed in her eyes.
Booth unsuccessfully applied pressure with his one working arm. A gutteral moan rose in her throat as more tears spilled from her eyes as she lay unmoving.
"Oh, God, I'm so sorry," Booth had gasped. By then, he was feeling lightheaded and dizzy. He knew he was going into shock.
"Tempe…Tempe…Bones, come on look at me, please," Booth had pleaded. Her eyes flickered to his when he called her by her nickname.
"I'm going to call for help, kay? Hang on," he had croaked.
A dullness washed over her pupils then. She seemed to stare past him then. She struggled then to say something, and only succeeded by mouthing the word, 'bye'.
With as much strength as he could muster, "Don't say that."
Her eyes flicked back to his once more and she gave a slight nod.
"That's my girl."
He leaned down the best he could and kissed her forehead before making his way back to the car. Her eyes met his, filled with sadness as he left.
Those were the last time he saw any life in them.
Light up, light up,
As if you have a choice,
Even if you cannot hear my voice,
I'll be right beside you dear…
Louder, louder,
And we'll run for our lives,
I can hardly speak I understand,
Why you can't raise your voice to say…
No. This wasn't a nightmare. This was real. Brennan was dead. Because he couldn't protect her.
He had gone back to her, after weakly radioing for help. He saw her vacant eyes and felt the coldness that encased her skin. And he knew then, that she would stay like that.
When the medics found him, he had been delirious with pain and shock, grief and anger. He couldn't understand why his Bones wasn't talking to him, why she wasn't listening to his voice as he pleaded for her life.
It was only after he saw her being placed in a body bag that he realized she was really dead.
Slower, slower
We don't have time for that,
I just want to find an easier way,
To get out of our little heads…
Have heart my dear,
We're bound to be afraid,
Even if it's just for a few days,
Making up for all this mess…
"Holy Mother of Mary! This is almost five grand!"
Booth stared coldly at the man before him.
"Where is Nick Lazo? I heard you know where he's hiding. And that you don't like him, Jack," Booth stated.
Jack nodded his head as he stared in awe at the wad of cash. "Yeah…about three weeks back I loaned him about a grand. He said he got into trouble…"
His eyes met Booth's eyes and said, "With you right? He do that to your shoulder?"
Booth didn't acknowledge as Jack shrugged, "Anyway, guy skipped out. I found him a couple a days ago, was going to get the grand myself. But, uh, I'd be happy to let you take care of the problem for this," he finished, waving the money around.
"Where is he?"
"On 12th and Semper. Apartment 2B."
- - -
He was going to fix the mess he created. He knew the consequences. Which was why he was more than willing to pony up five grand. And he also knew that what he was about to do would more than likely send his soul into purgatory after he was gone.
And he didn't care.
The door to 2B loomed in front of him, and he wasted no time in kicking down the door, his gun drawn.
Darkness welcomed him as he searched the apartment. His trained eyes picked up movement immediately, but he wasn't prepared for three sudden sledgehammers to his chest. He stumbled back into the dimly lit hallway, reeling. He backed into the wall and collapsed, dazed. He looked down and saw that he had not been hit by hammers, but by bullets.
Lazo stepped out of the shadows, grinning. "Should've known you come looking for me. After your girlfriend and all—"
Faster than what Lazo could blink, Booth used his last reserves of energy and whipped his gun up, pulling the trigger rapidly. Each of the six bullets pounded into Lazo's cranium. Booth could hear screams from the other apartments as the blasts echoed. Lazo landed on the floor with an audible 'thud'.
Booth tried to breath but his chest didn't seem to work. Very quickly, his vision disappeared.
So, this is what death is.
Lord, what have I done?
Shame was the only feeling he had left. The people he loved entered his brain, Parker the first. What had he done? And this sure as hell wasn't the way to honor Tempe.
Booth…just let it go…The pain was disappearing. The shame evaporated. He could have sworn he felt someone place two fingers on his neck, muttering, "This guy's gone."
Hear my voice…His vision returned instantly, but no to the bloodied hall. He was enveloped in warmth, a peace he had never felt before in his life.
And then he saw Temperance.
