AN: Well, this is the second to last chapter for Girl in the Ocean. I only have to tie up a few loose ends, and then we'll be continuing onto another case. There will be four stories in all, so I hope you stick around for all of them. Until then, sit back, relax and enjoy the update for Girl in the Ocean.

"Agent Booth, do you want to tell me why you hung up on me earlier?" Booth could hear the barely controlled anger in his boss' voice. He ran a hand through his hair and glanced over at Noor. The woman hadn't made a sound since the incident at the museum.

"I apologize for that sir, but the threat against Ambassador Haddad presented itself and I had to take care of the situation."

"So let me get this straight. You called before to have someone else assigned to protect the ambassador and now you're telling me the threat against her is taken care of."

"Yes sir."

"And why exactly did you want to be reassigned?" Great, Booth thought. This is what he'd been dreading.

"The ambassador got a hold of the case file for the murder Bones and I are investigating." The silence on the line was heavy with tension.

"What the hell were you doing that allowed a confidential file to fall into someone else's hands?" Bones, Booth thought to himself. Like there was any way he was going to tell his boss the truth. Better to hedge than let the cat out of the bag. He opened his mouth to answer, but Cullen beat him to the punch. "Did you just say Bones?" Shit, did I say that out loud?

"I…"

"You listen to me, and you listen good Agent Booth. I'm sending an agent to retrieve Ambassador Haddad. When they get there, you're to turn over your badge and gun to them. From this moment, you're suspended pending a trial with the review board. You are also to turn over all case work to the agent. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir."

"I have never been so disappointed in one of my agents. I honestly thought you had more sense than that." With that, Cullen hung up. Booth fought the urge to throw his phone across the room, and instead punched the wall. A wave of pain shot up his arm as he heard a loud crack. Cursing, he grabbed his hand and cradled it to him. Well if he had to break his hand at least he was in a hospital.

"Agent Booth? Dr. Brennan is out of surgery. She's lost a lot of blood, but will have a full recovery."

"Can I see her?" The doctor glanced at Booth's hand and quirked a smile.

"Why don't we take care of that hand first."

XxXxX

Temperance grimaced as she opened her eyes. Her throat was raw and her mouth felt as though it was coated in wool. Her doctor stood at the end of the bed looking over her chart when he caught her movement.

"Ah Temperance, you're awake. How do you feel?"

"Like I've been shot." She shifted in her bed, gasping as pain shot through her body. The doctor reached over and handed her the remote for the bed. As she adjusted the mattress to a more comfortable position, the doctor set down her chart and looked at her.

"Well, that's definitely an apt descriptor."

"Where's my partner," she asked as she glanced around the room.

"He's getting his hand set currently. He'll be in once he's taken care of." Brennan had a feeling she knew exactly what had happened, and it involved the collision of his fist with a solid object. "What are your feelings regarding having children."

"You aren't going to tell me I'm pregnant are you, because there's no way I could be."

"No, you aren't pregnant. The bullet passed through your abdomen and did a number on your uterus. We were able to repair the damage, but it's highly unlikely that you'll ever be able to conceive due to the amount of scar tissue that could build up."

"Oh." Well that was unexpected. "I wasn't planning to have children."

"Well then, there's nothing to worry about. Other than that, you should have no complications. I'd like for you to stay for the week so we can monitor you for any infections. After that you can head home. Do you have any questions for me?"

"No, I think I'm okay." The doctor nodded and headed from the room. As he left, Noor stepped inside. Brennan looked at her, her mouth setting into a grim line.

"Dr. Brennan, I feel I must apologize for my actions the last couple of days. My attitude toward you was uncalled for."

"I would really like for you to leave now."

"If there's anything I can do…"

"Noor, you've done enough. Just please leave."

"Yes, of course." Noor turned and left Brennan alone. Once the other woman was gone, Brennan placed her hand gently over her abdomen. She felt oddly ambiguous over the news that she wouldn't be able to have children. This was something she most certainly didn't want to tell Booth. Brennan had the odd thought that he would somehow distance himself if he knew she was incapable of having children.

"Just stop that," she muttered to herself and moved her hand. "He knows you don't want children, this isn't going to change anything."

"Who are you talking to," Booth asked as he stuck his head inside the room.

"No one. Are you coming in?" She motioned to the chair by her bed as he stepped inside.

"I thought you could use something to brighten your day." He set a huge bouquet of flowers down on a bedside table. Brennan's gaze honed in on the fresh cast covering one of his hands. Deciding not to comment on it for the moment, she looked up at him.

"How did Cullen react?"

"Not good. Don't worry about that right now. I'm more concerned about you."

"I'll be fine. This isn't the worst I've been hurt." A man in a suit stopped in the doorway. Booth glanced once at him before turning back to Temperance.

"Bones, I'll be back in a minute, okay?"

"Is something going on?"

"No, everything's okay. I'll be back." He gave her hand a squeeze and followed the suited man to the waiting room.

"Agent Booth?"

"Yeah."

"I need your gun and badge." Booth nodded grimly as he handed over his badge, removed the magazine from his gun and gave both pieces to the agent. Noor watched quietly from the sidelines.

"Seeley, what's going on?" Booth turned to her, anger written across his features.

"Due to outside interference, I'm on suspension pending a hearing. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to see my partner." Without further comment, he left the agent and Noor standing in the waiting room. To hell with them he thought as he stalked down the hall. There were plenty of other things he could do with his life. Unfortunately he was having trouble coming up with anything. As he reached Brennan's room again, he came in and offered her a smile. "See, I told you I'd be right back."

"Booth, did they suspend you?" Booth let out a sigh as he took up the seat next to her bed.

"Let's not talk about that, okay? I have time to spend with you, and I'm not leaving San Diego until you get out of the hospital."

"Cullen had no right…"

"He had every right to discipline me for what happened. I let a case file get into unauthorized hands, and if I weren't so caught up in removing myself from protecting Noor, then you wouldn't have been hurt."

"You are not going to blame yourself for what happened. When I get out of here, I'll speak to Cullen. You shouldn't be punished for what Noor did."

"Bones, don't worry about it, okay? Everything will play out the way it's going to, and at this point, nothing you or I say is going to change that. Now what do you say we settle down and watch some TV. There's no better way I can think of to pass the time."

"Fine, but if you think this is the last we're discussing this, then you're wrong."