Chapter 10

After the park Booth had convinced Brennan to come back to his place to for dinner. Now Booth strummed his fingers with frustration against the kitchen counter. The clock read 7:19. Fifteen more minutes. He only had fifteen more minutes. Damn it.

"Thanks Booth," he heard Brennan call from behind. "This was great."

"I'm glad you liked it," he told her.

"Ok, I think I'm going to be heading out –"

"NO!" he screamed and she jumped from his sudden outburst.

"Booth you have to let her go," a voice said from behind.

Booth turned around and saw Lionel. Booth could feel the anger building up inside him and it took all his will-power not punch him. "I don't have to do anything," he snapped at the angel.

"Booth?" a worried Brennan asked, "Who… are you talking to? Are you ok?"

"Eh… no. Stay with me tonight. We can spend Christmas together… just please… stay," he was begging her.

Brennan didn't hesitate to agree, "Ok." For some reason Booth needed her and he was always the one to protect her. Now it was her turn to do the same for him.

"Really?" Booth asked.

"Yes. I'll stay, but let me go home and get a change of clothes. Oh, your present is also at my house, so I can pick that up too.

"I don't care about my present and you can borrow my clothes," he told her quickly.

"Booth. I think you can survive five minutes alone," she laughed. Brennan slowly walked towards the door and Booth quickly followed her.

"I will… you won't," he muttered under his breath.

"What?" she asked.

"Booth," he heard Lionel say, "You need to let her go. It's her time."

Booth ignored him "Bones… you can't leave," he tried to tell her, but she was already heading towards the door. "Temperance…stop…" he didn't no what to say, so he did what he wanted to do. He kissed her.

At first Brennan was confused and her eyes widen in surprise. But the fact the Booth was kissing her made her melt, so she kissed him back. When Booth felt her arms circle around his neck he pulled her closer to him. The kiss felt so good, so right. It wasn't like the mistletoe kiss. No. This kiss was full passion. Passion they had been building up for three years. 'Maybe', he thought 'I proved my love to her.' Wrong. The phone rang and Brennan broke apart from him. When he looked into her eyes he saw confusion, fear, hope, and… love? He was so stupid. He knew she would run from her feelings.

"Temperance… I…" Booth started, but she cut him off.

"No Booth… I need some time to think. I'll call you," she told him as she quickly ran towards the door. Before Booth could grab her the door slammed in his face. He quickly tried to open it, but the door wouldn't budge. He tied every lock and he even tried kicking it down, but the door wouldn't move. He screamed in frustration.

"Open the door!" Booth shouted at Lionel.

"Booth," Lionel said calmly, "You have to let her go."

"Why?" Booth screamed, "Why does she have to die? I love her."

"I know, but…"

"Please," Booth cried, "I'll do anything."

Lionel's eyebrows raised and gave Booth a skeptical look. "Anything?"

Booth nodded his head, and heard the door swing open. Without hesitation he ran out his apartment door and began his search to find Temperance.

Booth ran as fast as he could through his apartment. He had to find her. It was 7:30 already. Only four more minutes, and he was panicking. He couldn't see her anywhere, but he knew she couldn't have gone far. He felt sick, his heart was pounding, his head wouldn't stop spinning, and the only thing he could think of was to save Temperance. Booth quickly ran out into the parking lot and looked furiously for her, but he couldn't find her anywhere. Booth could feel tears threatening to fall from the corners of his eyes… he had to find her. Her car was still at the Jeffersonian, so he knew she must have started to walk home. Booth quickly ran around his apartment and towards the busy streets. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her.

She was getting ready to cross the street, but she wasn't looking. She wasn't paying attention to the cars. Booth could see the scene unraveling before him and he knew he had to stop from what was about to happen, so he did the only thing he knew how to do. He would save her. Booth ran, ran faster than he knew he could. Booth could see the car heading towards his partner. The partner he loved. The partner that didn't see the car coming.

"Bones!" he screamed at her. "Look out!"

She stopped and turned around to find Booth running towards her. She gasped when she saw the car heading towards her. There was no where to run to. Not enough time to get out of the car's way. She closed her eyes and silently met her fate, but it never came. Instead she felt herself flying through the air and landing roughly on the ground.

Booth had pushed her out of harms way and suddenly he felt a sharp pain. He heard Brennan scream as she watched the car hit him head on. He had taken her place. He had taken her density. He told Lionel he would do anything for her, and he did. He had saved her. He had traded places with her. He had cost his own life to save hers, but he didn't care. She was alive, and that was all that matter.

He smiled as he remembered the partner he loved for the last time. Then everything went white.

Don't worry! There is still one more chapter!

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