A/N - This was originally with Chapter 9. Please let me know if you don't like it. I wrote it late last night and I can get loopy sometimes that late when I'm using a pen and not a PC.

Disclaimer - Bones is property of Fox.

Chapter 10

Booth made his way into the beginning agent bullpen. He remembered his days there. Thankfully, it didn't last long for him. He had worked like a mad man to make special agent status. It was a wild ride, but one he didn't regret.

He saw one of the supervisors he knew and asked where he could find agent Julie Nichols. He was pointed in the direction of a small statured, 20-something with a head full of blond hair and blue eyes sitting at a desk in her cubicle. He thought about her eyes for a moment. They were blue, but darker than Bones' and no where near as pure. He definitely preferred Bones' eyes.

He walked over to her cube and knocked on the metal frame. She immediately stood and looked a little confused. He picked up on this and opted to speak first. "I'm Booth. Cullen said you would be working with me until my partner is healthy again." He reached out to shake her hand.

She gave him a smirk that he couldn't get a read on and said, "That's good, I mean bad. What happened to him?"

Booth didn't see genuine concern in her eyes, and certainly didn't appreciate the "him" remark, so he answered abruptly, "Torn ligaments in her ankle."

The young woman responded, "Yuck! Happened during the apprehension of a suspect?"

Booth shook his head and said simply, "No, karate."

She could tell he didn't want to talk. She really didn't care. She was just thankful that her first partner looked good and wasn't wearing a wedding band.

Booth was uncomfortable and chose to take care of business and leave. "Here's the case number we are working right now. I'll meet you at 7:30 in the morning to get started. It's a Jeffersonian case so I am going to work with them on the ID right now."

Nichols just nodded and decided to make a remark she was sure would win him over. "I hear that crew can be quite a challenge." She was certain a great FBI agent like him would be driven crazy by scientists like them.

As she saw Booth's expression, she realized she might have made a mistake. He couldn't enjoy working with them, could he?

Booth looked completely pissed and said, "7:30." He turned and left the bullpen, he was mad enough to punch someone, or a clown if he could find one.

By the time he was back at the lab, he was calmed down a little. He walked into Angela's office. She looked up, "Hey studly," She said. At least she was feeling better.

"Hey Angela, what do you have for me?" He asked and she handed him the DMV record of Phillip Watson. He was a 27 year old who had been missing for around 8 months. He was last seen in Randolph County West Virginia. He worked as a code inspector for the local authorities. His last known whereabouts were when he left his job to go to a building site. He never showed up. His car was found in a lake 20 miles from his office. No blood or sign of foul play was found.

As he read the information Angela gave him, she studied his face. She knew right off that he was worried about something. She came right out and asked, "Are you worried about something, or did someone take your parking place again?"

He wasn't amused, "Very funny Angela. I'm just worried about Bones and --, " he paused to sigh, "This whole situation. I am going to have to break the justice seeking side of her heart." He ran his fingers through his hair and plopped on her couch.

Angela was nervous and confused. She said, "Spill Booth."

He began, "The FBI won't allow injured people in the field at all. It's common practice when a recovery will be more than about six weeks, to reassign the healthy partner. The injured party is reassigned when they are cleared for work again." He looked at Angela, now seated beside him.

"I can't take Bones to interrogations, on warrant executions, or on stake outs. She can only go to crime scenes when it has been secured by locals or the FBI." He finished by saying, "I begged Cullen and he assigned me a green agent. She starts working with me in the morning."

He wanted to add, 'She's a real piece of work,' but didn't want to turn Angela against her yet. Nichols would do that herself when she met the team.

Angela was stunned and for once in her life only had a few words to say, "Whoa, Booth, this is huge."

Booth knew Angela understood both Bones and him, so he elaborated a little further about his feelings. "You know Angela, just after the incinerator case, Bones asked me if I would ever betray her and I promised I wouldn't. I came close when I died, but this one may be a betrayal in her eyes. I couldn't stop it." Booth had a lump in his throat.

Angela grabbed his hand, slightly surprised he allowed it. She began to speak, "She'll understand Booth, just be there for her like you have been. We'll get her through this." She smiled and finished, "I know you care for her more than you let on Booth, she deserves someone like you."

Booth felt a little better, but was a little stunned he heard the word deserve twice in one day. He stood to leave. He needed to get home, well, to Bones, not home. It was now 6:00 and he wanted to pick up Chinese take out on the way back to her place. "Thanks Angela and thanks for being there for Bones too."

Angela decided he felt better and she could be a little more upfront now that he had released some of his burden. "Not a problem Booth, now go make your ailing woman more comfortable."

Booth just shook his head as he walked out.

45 minutes later, Booth opened her apartment door to find a still sleeping Bones. 'She must have taken some more medicine – good girl' he thought.

He went to wake her gently, "Hey Bones, I've got some food. Wake up before you turn into Rip Van Winkle." She woke slowly and stretched. She looked a little off, so he said, "You okay Bones?"

She finally spoke, "Yes, I just feel yucky and numb. Pain meds always make me feel that way. I hate it." She was reaching to get her crutches as she spoke. Booth was slightly amused that she had chosen the words yucky and numb instead of clinical terms.

She rose, made her way to the bathroom and back. Booth had put the food and plates on the table. She sat in a chair and he pushed her another one for her leg.

They ate in silence for a few minutes and Booth decided he had better break the news to her. He couldn't keep putting it off. "Bones, you know the FBI has all kinds of policies right?" She nodded and he went on. "I talked to Cullen today and you can't go into the field until you have full medical clearance, 95 percent function, I think." She had stopped eating and looked at him.

He took a cleansing breath and went on. "Anyway, they usually assign a new permanent partner when this happens." Her face looked shocked and lost a little of its color. "But, I was able to talk Cullen into giving me a green to train on a temporary basis. He'll reassign her when you are healthy again. I met her this afternoon."

Bones felt sick to her stomach, but managed to maintain her composure. She was shocked and wanted to blame Booth, but couldn't. She could tell by his face that he was doing a good job of beating himself up over it anyway.

"Don't worry about it Booth. I couldn't expect you to spend 6-8 months going into the field alone. It's too dangerous." She tried to force a smile to reassure him of her understanding.

He could tell she was upset, but would be okay. They began to eat again quietly, both processing the news. In a few minutes, Brennan broke the silence. "Booth, what's a green? I'm assuming it has something to do with inexperience."

Booth almost spewed his drink when she asked. That's my Bones he thought before explaining the term to her.

After a few more minutes of eating they were done. "What do you want to do Bone, I'll clean this up and then I am at you beck and call."

"I don't know Booth, I need to look at the new case info and call my dad and publicist and let them know what I found out today." He nodded at her response.

She made her way back to the couch and sat down, leg up on the coffee table. She called her dad who was worried about his daughter. Then she called her publicist who was worried about negative press and rumors. She then pulled up the case info through the VPN. She studied the x-ray images for a long time. The fractures she saw of the ribs and the thoracic vertebrae were odd. They looked like compression fractures, but why were the vertebrae fractured in the back? Usually, only the ribs would be fractured in the back. She sent an email to Hodgins asking him to swab the vertebrae in question for elemental trace evidence. She thought maybe something would show up.

She looked at the clock, she had spent two hours on the phone or looking at the case. Booth was watching a hockey game on TV. She wondered, 'Is there always a sporting event on?'

She closed her laptop and Booth looked up. "Ready for bed Bones?"

"No, I think I slept too much today. You can go on to bed or home if you want.." She was physically tired, but not mentally ready to sleep.

"Nah, I'm not ready, but if it's alright with you, I'll stay." He answered and she didn't argue. She knew he needed to protect; she was willing to be the recipient right now.

"Angela left the movies she brought Saturday. You can put one in if you want." She pointed to the shelf below the TV where the DVDs were sitting.

He stood and looked at the DVDs, "I haven't seen the second one," He popped it in the DVD player. "You need anything? Ice?"

She didn't answer, so he knew that was a yes.

He grabbed a drink, turned off a couple of the lights, and placed and ice pack on her foot. She smiled at him for the action. The ice felt nice, but still wasn't helping the swelling at all. She pretty much knew that she wasn't healing on her own.

As he sat back down, he thought about asking her when she took the meds, but decided to wait until they went to bed. She would rest better then.

The pair watched the movie in silence. About halfway through, Brennan started shifting like she was uncomfortable. Booth was sitting on the couch beside her and felt especially brave. "Bones, sit back and put your leg in my lap. I'm comfortable and don't want to move, but you need to sit back if you aren't comfortable." It seemed like a valid argument to him.

She nodded and turned back onto the couch. He grabbed a pillow and placed it in his lap. Soon, both of her legs were settled in his lap. He grabbed the throw off the back of the couch and covered her bare feet. He gave her a minute to settle and then said, "Comfortable?"

She spoke only to give him yet another "Thanks Booth."

They finished the movie and at some point, Booth had started rubbing his hand gently over her calf and casted lower leg. She didn't mind, it felt nice. When the credits rolled, she reached for her crutches and rose to get ready for bed.

A few minutes later she reemerged from her bedroom making her way back to the couch. "Bones," he got her attention. "Here take these." He walked over to her and gave her the pills and a glass of water as soon as she sat back down. "How much longer do you plan on sleeping on the couch?" He asked.

"I don't know," she answered. "It's comfortable, and minimizes movement."

He nodded and walked back to the kitchen as she was settling down. "Need anything else?" He asked, but came up empty. He walked over to her and realized that her breathing had become steady and she was already asleep. He knew she wasn't feeling well, physically or emotionally, but he was glad she was letting him in.

"Sleep tight Bones." He said quietly as he disappeared into the guest room for the fourth night in a row.