She wakes up, handcuffed to the bed. She realizes that her bed is empty. She tries to get free of the handcuffs.
"Bones, stop it. I'll be out in a minute," Booth calls from the bathroom.
She waits, patiently, as he comes out of the bathroom. He takes a seat, next to her, on the bed. He smiles, and unfastens her cuffs.
"Cam will be here in a little while."
"Why?"
"To spend the day with you," he reveals.
"Why?"
"Someone has to stay with you."
"I do not need a babysitter."
"Yes, you do."
"I am a grown woman."
"You still need a babysitter."
"Booth?"
"What?" he rises from the bed.
"Did you mean what you said, last night?"
"About what?"
"You know."
"You're going to have to be more specific."
"When you said that you loved me, was that the truth, or just a tactic, to keep me from running away?"
"That is for me to know, and you to find out."
"I want to know!" she insists.
He buttons the top button of his shirt. He reaches for the tie draped around his neck. He attempts to ignore her. She pushes herself off the bed. She moves over to him. She stops when she reaches him.
"Answer me," she implores, with her eyes.
He slowly begins to tie his tie. She places her hand on his. His eyes move from the knot that he is trying to make, with his tie, to her eyes. He studies her face.
"Let me," she insists.
He nods subtly, and his hands fall to his sides. He allows her to tie his tie. When she finishes he expects for her to move away, but she doesn't.
"Booth?" she says softly.
"Hm?"
"Do you love me?"
"Now is not the time to have this conversation," he responds.
"Why not?"
"Temperance," he warns, "please."
She doesn't back away, instead she moves closer. Her fingers find their way to his neck. She gently moves his ear closer to her.
"I have nothing left to lose," she reminds him, with a whisper.
He doesn't say another word. He stands frozen, in her bedroom, in an awkward situation, unsure of what to do. Before he can react her lips are on his. He doesn't pull away. He allows for things to transpire, however they will. Finally she steps back.
"You do," she concludes.
"Do I?"
"Booth, now is not the time to play mind games with me."
"I'm sorry. Temperance, I just... I have too much to lose."
"What does that mean?"
"I stopped gambling, a long time ago," he reminds her.
"I'm not worth it?"
"Under other circumstances I might say that you are, but... not now."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"I have a son. I have a career. I just can't risk what I have."
"Not on me," she adds.
"I want to," he reveals."Then why won't you? Why won't you say it?"
"You need to get yourself together, before we'll ever have a chance."
"Love is not conditional," she reminds him.
"I love you," the words tumble from his lips, "I always have. I probably always will. That doesn't mean that I am ever going to be with you. I don't know if I can. We both have a lot of things that we need to work on, before that can happen."
"I want you to love me now."
"I want to love someone who loves me back. I want to loves me, more than they love getting high."
"I do."
"Right now, you're an addict. You will always be. In this moment, you would tell me anything, to get what you want. You think that if you can convince me that you love me, that I'll trust you. Maybe you do, love me, but I can't trust you."
"I do."
"You do what?"
"Love you," she answers.
"Don't go there," he begs.
"Go where?"
"Down that road."
"I love you, and you refuse to love me back. I just..."
"Don't turn this into something that it's not."
"Don't go," she begs, hearing the front door opening.
"I have to," he walks away from her.
She waits until he's out of the room. She sinks to the ground. Her back leans against the foot of her bed. She draws her knees to her chest. She buries her face, in her knees.
He meets Cam, in the living room. She takes off her coat, and drops her bag. He heads for the door.
"Thanks for doing this, for me," he smiles.
"I'm not doing this for you."
"Then who are you doing this for? Temperance? The two of you don't have the best track record."
"I'm doing it for me. What can I say? I'm selfish. She's the best damn anthropologist I've ever seen. I need her. I need to keep her clean. I wish someone else could take her place, but..."
He finishes the sentence for her, "That's one thing I have to say, about her; she's irreplaceable. I just wish that she would realize that. I wish she could see how much, she means to all of us."
"How is she?"
"She was fine, ten seconds ago."
"You should go," Cam looks at her watch.
He nods, and heads out the door. Cam makes he way down the hallway, she stops in the doorway. She finds Temperance, on the floor, with her knees to her chest.
"Are you ok?"
"No," Temperance replies.
"You want to talk about it?"
"Not right now."
"I'll just go in the other room, then," she offers.
"No," she shakes her head, "Don't leave me."
"You don't want to be alone?" Cam guesses.