"I was just getting an update on a case." He said averting his gaze from hers.
"What case?"
"It's nothing okay. Let's just finish the movie." Booth grabbed a beer from the fridge and swigged it down in two swallows.
"Why would Hodgins call you this late if it wasn't something important?'
"I don't want to talk about it Bones." He threw the one bottle away and grabbed another.
"It's was about me wasn't it?" She asked standing before him with her hands on her hips.
"It's doesn't matter Bones. I'm not going to talk about this." He said almost yelling at her.
"You're always telling me I should open up and talk to you but whenever I try to get answers from you, then you clam up." She was showing a bit of temper that Booth had seen little of in the past several weeks.
"Fine, it's about your case. We've gotten some letters sent to the Jeffersonian about the attack. The guy is taunting us and is threatening to come back. Is that what you wanted to hear? The bastard that did this to you wants to do it again." She jumped back from him certain that she had heard him wrong.
"Why would someone do this to me Booth?"
"I'm not going to let him anywhere near you Bones but you are going to have to stay here for a while longer. We've got to get something on this guy. I know you don't want to talk about this but is there anything you can tell me. Any kind of description at all?" She looked at him thoughtfully.
She had never tried to remember. When the nightmares came she never saw his face. "He had dark hair and brown eyes." She concentrated deeply. Booth could see tears forming in her eyes and he hated to push her to this limit but he was desperate at this point. "I-I c-can't see him clearly Booth."
"Just think Bones. Is there anything distinctive about him that can think of?"
"I don't want to think about him. He hurt me Booth I don't ever want to see his face." He pulled her against him.
"I know you don't and I wish you didn't have to but we need some kind of help here. He wants to come back."
"He reminded me of…you." She mumbled. He was taken aback by that statement. "He had a similar build and similar coloring but I knew it was not you Booth."
"Did he talk to you at all? Is there anything about his voice that you remember?"
"He didn't have an accent or anything. It was just plain but he seemed to know who I was. I remember that. He called me by name. He said, I hope I got to you first." She shut her eyes to trying to shut out the memory.
"You're doing good Bones. You're doing great."
"What did he mean by that Booth? Got to me before whom?" Booth had no inkling about who it could be.
"I don't know baby." He said trying to comfort her. She looked up at him as he used the endearment. "Sorry," he said trying to smile.
"I want to go to bed Booth. I don't want to talk about any of this anymore tonight. I just can't think about it anymore." She left him sitting on the couch as she quickly fled to her room.
Temperance lay down with her head in the pillow trying to muffle her sobs. The memories she had fought to keep at bay were flooding her mind and she couldn't them off. She lay there for some time before sleep overtook her. Nightmares invaded her sleep and she was helpless to do anything to combat them.
Booth stayed awake for a long while after Bones had left. She had finally opened up a bit to him and he was angry that he could do so little with the information she gave. He phoned Hodgins and told him what he could but they needed a more exact description because the one they gave could just as well have bee Booth.
He was flipping through the channels when he heard her muffled screams penetrate the walls. He got up quickly and walked to her room. He found her thrashing in the bed fighting her invisible attacker in her sleep. She cried over and over for him to stop but her screams went unheeded. Booth stepped to the bed and tried to wake her by gently shaking her shoulder.
He tied to shake her harder but he was still unable to bring her out of the dream. "Bones!" he yelled. His arms engulfed her as he lay down beside her. Almost immediately the fight drained out of her as she sunk into him. He pulled her against him and she melted into his warmth and comfort. "You okay Bones?"
"You save me Booth. Over and over in my dreams you save me."
"I wish I could have saved you outside of your dreams." He kissed and stroked her hair trying to lull her back to sleep.
"Booth?'
"Hmm?"
"I want to get better. I don't want to be afraid anymore. I want to do whatever I can to try and help you catch him. I'll go to therapy if I have to but I need to get through this." She felt Booth arms tighten around her and she shifted to turn in his arms. "Thank you for everything you've done for me." She leaned into him and gave him a tentative kiss on the cheek before rolling back over to face away from him. "Will you stay with me tonight."
"As long as you want." He whispered trying to keep his emotions in check. He was filled with so much love for her that it was difficult to hold her and not long for her. He wanted to tell her how deeply he cared but she was still so fragile. "Go to sleep Bones." She was out soon feeling the protective warmth of his arms around her. She had grown accustomed to the comfort he offered her and she missed him when he wasn't there.
Booth enjoyed holding her while she slept. His feelings for her were becoming stronger with each passing day. When she actually decided to leave he feared his heart would truly break. He whatever time he had with her like this but he was thankful that their friendship would continue after this illusion had ended.
