Disclaimer: See ch. 1

Spoilers: Through the current season 4 episode (Mayhem on the Cross) just to be safe

A/N: So sorry for the really long wait. I hope this extra long chapter makes up for it!

An hour later, she was sitting at a fold-up table, smiling up at an admiring fan. Booth was at her back, warm and steady and comforting. And obviously everything she wasn't allowed to have in a man.

Her head was still reeling over the kiss they'd shared and Booth's reaction afterwards. He'd completely ignored her question. Was it still just 'practice' to him? She knew she wasn't that great an actress. Maybe he was worried she'd screw it all up if they ever had to act for Hart or anyone else here. Maybe he was just preparing her.

She didn't really believe that. Booth wasn't the type to push for intimacy in these situations. He'd rather wing it than blur that line he was so adamant about. But where was the line now? And how long before he realized it had disappeared and drew a new one?

She hated to admit that she wished he had lost the line-drawing marker.

Normally she could handle temporary intimacy with men. They fulfilled their biological needs, and then went their separate ways. But this was Booth. And there was no going their separate ways. They worked together. They were friends. And as much as she wanted to deny it, the very thought of being without him made her chest feel tight and her fake smile falter momentarily. God, she'd never ever felt this way before. She always kept her distance from men, knowing that as soon as she got close, they'd disappear. But not with Booth. She'd never expected to feel this close to Booth. She'd never seen it coming, and so she hadn't been able to stop it.

"Thank you so much, Dr. Brennan. I really am your biggest fan. I can't even tell you…"

She tuned out the twenty-something college student and took a book from the next person in line. The signing was becoming tedious. Her wrist ached and her signature was beginning to look more like Tinnpeince Biiman.

She felt Booth's large, warm hand on her shoulder and then his mouth was next to her ear, his breath warm on her cheek. "Just half an hour more, Bones. You can do it."

She could hear the soft smile in his voice and her own lips tipped up at the corners in reaction.

His hand squeezed her shoulder gently, and then slowly slid down her arm before leaving her. She suppressed a shiver.

"Tempe!" She was drawn out of her reverie by the near shout from the man in front of her. Her gaze slid up from the book she'd just signed and met the too-green eyes of Logan Hart.

"Logan," she said evenly.

"I need to speak to you, Temperance. It's very important."

He looked positively frantic. His eyes were wild, his hands running through his hair in agitation. He spoke to her through tight lips and he kept glancing behind him as if expecting someone to charge them at any moment.

"What do you want, Hart?" Booth spoke up from behind her.

"I need to speak to Temperance. I really must…"

Booth's hand was back on her shoulder, restraining now, as if he thought she might jump up from her chair and follow Hart into the back room. She rolled her eyes. Did he really think she was that stupid?

"You'll have to wait until after the signing. Stick around and we'll meet with you then," Booth told the other man.

"I really must insist. It's very important that I…"

Temperance was already shaking her head. "I have to finish the signing, Logan. You really must step aside and let the next person through."

She smiled tightly at the impatient-looking woman behind Hart.

"Temperance, I…"

"Hart, don't make me have you arrested," Booth growled.

Hart threw up his hands and shook his head at them. "You'll be sorry you didn't talk to me. Don't say I didn't warn you." With that, he spun on his heel and stomped away.

Temperance felt Booth lean over and heard him whisper to the cop to their left. "Radio your guys and have someone pick him up."

Booth was working on his last thread of patience when the bookstore owner finally announced the last ten minutes of the book signing. Thank God.

He hadn't stepped more than a few feet from Temperance's side all evening. He wasn't taking anymore chances. He'd be damned if she'd leave his side even to use the restroom. She'd just have to deal with it; he was her new shadow.

"Dr. Brennan," Captain Westin said, stepping up beside the table with a nod to each of them. "Agent Booth. Just thought I'd stop by and inform you that the anthropology student, ah, Nathan Waltham, his alibi checked out. He's not our guy."

Booth nodded. "Thanks for letting us know. Did your guys pick up Hart yet?"

Westin looked a bit sheepish. "We didn't catch him. And we've got no real reason to hold him. It's not like we can go into his house and arrest him with no probable cause. You watched the interview. You agreed that he probably wasn't our guy. My hands are tied, Agent Booth."

Booth gritted his teeth. Realistically, he knew there was red tape that the Captain just couldn't cut through at the moment. He also knew that if he was in charge of this investigation, however, the technicalities wouldn't matter; he'd have Hart in an interrogation room right now demanding to know just what exactly he'd wanted to tell Bones so badly.

"Yes, thank you, Dr. Loughlin," he heard Bones remark and he glanced up to find the older professor sporting a wide grin and a twenty-year-old suit coat. He hadn't even seen the guy approach the table.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Dr. Brennan?"

"Umm…" she paused and Booth heard the uncertainty in her voice, though he was sure no one else would. "I'm not exactly sure of my plans at the moment," she finished with a smile.

"Of course, of course. Well, I'll be seeing you around then."

Booth watched the man head out the doors into the quickly-clearing parking lot.

"I'll catch up with you two later," Westin said before following Loughlin out of the store.

Booth watched the store owner and employees as they started ushering the stragglers out the doors. Bones signed a few more books, gave a few more bright smiles, then the place was empty and the doors were closed and Booth heaved a huge sigh of relief.

"You ready to get out of here?" he leaned down to ask his partner.

"Just a few moments, Booth. I need to gather my things and say thank you to the owner."

He nodded and watched her put her stuff back in her shoulder bag before moving away from him to find the shop owner.

Not ten minutes later, they were breathing the fresh air in the parking lot and discussing whether or not to grab a cup of coffee at the diner they'd found.

"But there's no pie, Bones. What's coffee without pie?"

She looked up at him for a moment, her eyes more grey than blue tonight. "Coffee," she finally said.

He had to roll his eyes. No way was she not being purposely obtuse.

"Bones…"

"Kidding, Booth," she said with a grin. "Let's go find you some pie."

He beeped the SUV unlocked and opened the door for his partner.

"Apple pie," he clarified.

Her eyes twinkled in the light from the streetlamp about 200 yards away.

"Yes, Booth, apple pie."

"And maybe," he said, leaning in towards her, "maybe you'll try a bite."

Her voice was low and husky when she answered. "Perhaps I will."

His heart thumped wildly in his chest. His mind flashed back to that long-ago conversation with Sweets about how his offering pie to Brennan was about some kind of seduction or something. God, it certainly felt like that now.

He stepped back to let her close the door and something caught his eye.

If it had been any brighter outside, he would have missed it. If they had parked under the streetlamp like he'd wanted to, it would have completely escaped his notice. As it was, the red blinking light reflecting off the asphalt beneath the SUV brought his heart up into his throat and his mind reeling.

"Bones," he choked out frantically, "get out of the car."

"Wha…"

"Bones. Temperance, Jesus Christ, get out of the car."

He didn't give her time to question him again. Before she could even get her head around to look at him, he had her out of the car and was shoving her across the parking lot ahead of him. He threw himself on top of her and clutched her tightly to him just as the explosion rocked the air around them.

There was a moment in which he was sure he'd been quick enough, sure enough, strong enough. He'd saved her. Then a sharp pain radiated through the back of his head and the world went black.

The sound of the explosion ebbed and was replaced by the squeal of sirens, and still Temperance lay there with Booth on top of her. Neither moved.

God, that had been close. Way too close.

She clutched him more tightly to her, her fingers grasping at the material of his jacket. "Booth."

There was no answer.

"Booth, we're okay. You can get off of me now."

Still nothing from the man on top of her.

"Booth, please, answer me."

Her hands slid up from his arms to the back of his neck and higher so that she could turn his face towards her. Warm stickiness stopped her in her tracks. She closed her eyes and sucked in a breath, wishing she didn't know what that was.

Blood.

"Booth," she shouted, a bit more frantic this time. "Booth, wake up. You have to wake up, Booth."

She rolled them over slowly, keeping her hand on the back of his head. She slid him off of her and onto the ground on his stomach. He was all in one piece, not even a hole in his expensive jacket. All whole…except the back of his head, where a piece of debris had carved a sizeable gash into his skull.

"Oh God, Booth."

Ambulances and fire trucks screeched to a halt nearby and still she held him, his blood seeping out onto her hands, her arms, her blouse.

"Booth," she whispered.

Hoses were extended, axes put to good use and still Temperance ignored them. EMTs shouted at her to step back so they could see to the damage, but she just shook her head.

"Ma'am, you need to let us at him."

"Booth."

"That's his name, ma'am? Booth?"

She blinked up at the uniformed man. "Agent Booth," she said quietly. "Agent Seeley Booth. He's FBI."

The man's lips tipped up at the corners in a comforting smile. "FBI, huh? Well, then I'm sure he's had worse than this, right?"

Temperance blinked once more. "Yes, I suppose he has."

"Well, then I'm sure your friend here will be able to pull through this one. Now, you need to move away and let us at him or we can't help him, okay?"

She nodded slowly, logic finally overriding her emotions. Of course she needed to move. She wasn't properly trained to tend to Booth's injury. She had to let the EMTs do their job and save her partner.

"Of course," she said and let another EMT help her up and away from Booth.

The night became a blur. Someone bandaged her minor abrasions. The fire was put out. Booth was transferred to a gurney and rolled towards the back of an ambulance.

"I'm going with him," she heard herself shout.

"Are you family?" The EMT nearest her asked.

She stared at him.

"I'm his partner. I'm going with him."

The original EMT, the one that had gotten her to let go of Booth, nodded and motioned her over to him at the back of the ambulance.

"Get in," he told her and she did.

The ride to the hospital seemed interminable. Booth was stable, but still unconscious. Temperance just kept reminding herself that he'd been through worse. He'd be okay this time.

They wouldn't let her follow him through the swinging doors once they reached the hospital. A nurse held her back at the waiting room and handed her a clipboard of papers.

"We need you to fill these out. They're just going to stitch him back up and start an IV, okay? Someone will come get you when you can see him."

And so the waiting began. She was calm at first, relying on her reason to keep her from thinking about the what-ifs and the could-bes. Odds were he hadn't lost that much blood. They'd stitch him up and he'd be fine. Totally reasonable, totally logical.

She filled out the paperwork.

It was when she got to the part about next of kin and power of attorney that she began to break down. It was all too real, too horrible. It caught her like a punch in the gut. He could die.

Be reasonable, Temperance, she told herself. Becoming emotional again won't change anything. It won't make Booth alright.

The admonishments didn't work. "Put the heart in overdrive," she heard Booth say. And so she did.

Tears were trickling from the corners of her eyes when she finally handed the clipboard back to the nurse. The older woman gave her a sympathetic smile, and then went to work entering the information into her computer.

Temperance went back to her chair. And sobbed. Booth couldn't leave her now. She needed him. Not just as a partner, as a friend. And anything else they might or might not become in the future. She cried more at the thought of no future at all with Booth.

"Ms. Brennan?"

Temperance spun to find a man in a white coat watching her with concerned eyes.

"Dr. Brennan," she corrected automatically. The sadness in his eyes caught her then and she gasped. "Booth. Is Booth okay?"

His eyes widened and surprise. "Yes, yes he's fine. A…are you?"

She shook her head. "Can I see him? I need to see him."

He nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, he should be waking up any minute now."

He led her quickly through a set of doors and down a long hallway. He paused at a closed door and looked back at her.

"Your friend is fine, Dr. Brennan. He lost a bit of blood, so we've got him on fluids and we'd like him to get some rest. He has a concussion, so he'll need to be woken every hour or so."

She nodded quickly, the tears pouring out in earnest now. She knew it wasn't rational. The doctor had just told her that Booth would be okay. But her heart told her that she needed to see him for herself before she'd accept it.

The doctor pushed the door open and she stepped around him and into the dimly lit room. She barely registered the door slipping shut behind her.

Booth was on the bed, his eyes closed. A white bandage around his head stood out in stark contrast to his bronzed skin.

Temperance couldn't take her eyes off of him as she moved across the room to his side.

Tears still leaked out at odd intervals, but the sight of his broad chest rising and falling in rhythm, the beep beep of the heart monitors, the healthy glow of his skin, made her breath come more easily.

"Bones."

She reached up gently and took his hand into her own. "I'm here, Booth."

"Bones?"

"Yes, Booth."

His eyes cracked open slowly and he squinted over at her.

"You okay, Bones?"

She smiled through her tears. He was the one in a hospital bed, but of course she was the one he was worried about.

"I'm fine, Booth. Just a couple of minor abrasions."

She lifted her arms in front of his face so that he could see the bandages.

He reached over and touched them gently before his eyes returned to her face.

"Why the tears then?" He asked quietly.

She pulled her gaze from his and stared at a spot on the wall over his left shoulder.

"I was afraid."

"I'm sure Captain Westin and his guys took good care of you," he remarked, placing a hand under her chin to turn her face back to his.

She shook her head gently within the confines of his grasp. "No, Booth. I was afraid for you."

A small grin spread across his face. "But you must have known I'd be okay, Bones. There's no doubt in my mind you demanded to see the x rays and have the doctors explain all they'd found to you."

Actually, she hadn't. Hadn't even considered it. She'd been more concerned with her emotional reaction to Booth's injury.

"I did what you suggested," she told him quietly.

"And what's that?"

"I parked my brain and took my heart for a spin," she told him with a straight face.

His responding smile was brilliant. "Bones, that's not…" He stopped talking and closed his mouth. His hand moved from her chin to her cheek and his thumb stroked back and forth gently.

"God, I love you."

Her eyes became so wide she was sure they'd pop right out of her head. Except that wasn't scientifically probable, so…

"You…you have a head injury," she told him, sitting up straight and pulling her head and her hand out of his grasp. "And you are on pain medication."

"Bones, I…"

"You need to go to sleep, Booth. You need lots of rest so that you can heal properly."

"Temperance…"

"I'll be here when you wake up," she told him.

"You…you will? Bones, why don't you call Captain Westin and have him take you back to the hotel? You'd be more comfortable there. I mean…"

She shook her head. "I'm staying with you. I know, logically, that you'll be fine, but in my heart, I feel I need to be here with you."

She watched as his mouth opened and closed like that of a fish.

"Besides," she said quietly, "you promised to protect me. And you can't very well do that if you're here and I'm there, now can you?"

He shook his head, his mouth still hanging open.

"Good, now go to sleep, Booth."

"Bones…"

"Sleep, Booth."

He blinked at her a few times before his charm smile crept slowly into place. "On one condition."

"And what's that?" She asked suspiciously.

"Come here."

She scooted her chair in closer to his bed.

"Closer."

Her eyes narrowed, but she did as he asked, bringing her chair right up next to the bed and leaning forward with her elbows on the mattress.

He shook his head.

"Closer."

"Booth, I can't…"

"Closer, Bones. I want you closer."

"Booth, the only way for me to get any closer would be to climb into the bed with you."

He nodded, his charm smile so wide it made his eyes crinkle with merriment. "Exactly."

"Booth, I…"

"Closer, Bones."

She watched him for long moments, trying to determine what his motivation might be, trying to ascertain as to why he would want her in his bed.

"I'll hurt you," she said halfheartedly.

"Bones, it's a head wound. Unless you plan on sleeping on my head…"

Their eyes caught and held and she slowly nodded. In the end, it didn't matter why he wanted her there, she wanted to be there.

She climbed up onto the bed and lay stiffly next to him.

"C'mere, Bones. I won't bite." With that, he tugged her up against him until he was spooning her from behind and settled them with a sigh.

"Booth?"

"Yeah, Bones."

She shivered at the feel of his warm breath against the back of her neck. It took her a moment to recover.

"I guess you're calling in the FBI, then?"

She could hear the grin in his voice, could feel it against the back of her neck.

"You guess correctly, my dear Bones, you guess correctly."

A/N: I was going to leave you another cliffie, but I thought you'd all kill me if you'd thought I'd killed Booth. You're welcome. Thanks so much for reading and don't forget to let me know what you thought!