Authors Notes: Firstly thanks again to all the reviewers, you've been the muse lately when the show and Booth's awful proposal kinda sucked all the inspiration right out of me. I honestly was in the camp of fans who did not think that he would actually go through with it. That he would balk at the crucial moment and realize that he could not move on from Brennan now that he knew about her feelings for him. So when he followed through, as lame and as quick as the proposal itself was, it really threw me. I am still of the belief that it's fixable, this season I mean. I just have no idea how now and I hate Hannah, I really do, for taking what she did from him, for standing between him and Brennan, and for doing it all the time knowing that she wasn't capable of giving him the future he wants. Bitch.

Chapter Twelve: Out of Danger.

Sibley Memorial Hospital

Washington, D.C

June 1st 2011

He transitions from dreams of her loving, laughing face, her warm sweetly-scented body curved against him to a sensation of tightness, of pain, radiating from the center of his chest outwards. Instead of her voice, low and sultry, whispering wicked, wanton things eagerly into his ears, he's suddenly conscious of soft beeping sounds, and the faint thud of footsteps combined with distant, unfamiliar voices.

The smell of antiseptic hangs in the air he breathes and as he comes to consciousness he's aware of a bright light beyond the shutters of his eyelids. He cracks open first one eye, then the other, and the generic ceiling tiles over his head greet his reemergence.

Memory returns. Of months of searching, and long lonely days filled only with the complete absence of her. Worse than his months in Afghanistan when he was constantly occupied and seeing Hannah, the days stuck in D.C with no word of her, cases worked and solved, but not as quickly, not as completely, his soul aching every moment for what he'd lost. Begging Angela for help, when pride forgotten and unable to think of anywhere else to look he'd gone to see her, facing her anger down with nothing but the simple truth of his despair. An instant of decision when the red targeting dot appeared on Angela's torso, the sharp and deadly burn of the gunshot through his chest . . . then nothing but . . . dreams, perfect, beguiling, dreams of Brennan . . . holding him, loving him, always with him.

But Brennan is gone, and apparently he's not dead, if the throbbing in his chest and the ceiling tiles over his head are any accurate indication. He doubts they have ceiling tiles in hell, and he would only ever be in heaven if Brennan was with him.

He tries experimentally to move everything, one small movement at a time. Part of him is truly amazed to find himself awake; when he stepped in front of Angela he was very aware of what he was doing. Giving his life up to protect her and her baby, he had only a heartbeat to make the choice and he did it gladly, with no regret, so to find he's still alive is . . . amazing. He can move all his toes and all his fingers, so Booth experimentally lifts his head and when he glances down his amazement at being alive transmutes to something else . . . as his greedy gaze falls on his missing partner, restored to him and sleeping with her head on the bed by his thighs, her face pillowed on her hand.

That she's here, that she would come . . . this tells him so much. As much as he's ached and soul-searched and wondered over and over again at his actions leading up to her running, he's also wondered at the depth of feeling for him her leaving demonstrated.

She left her entire life behind because she believed he was getting married to another woman, there is only one explanation for that – that Bones loves him and could not stand by and watch him moving away from her.

And now she's back. He wonders as his eyes rove her beloved and familiar face, what she learned that brought her home again? Was it only his shooting? And is she back to stay, or just waiting to make sure he would live? Will she disappear again? Or does she know that Hannah is gone and that he's been seeking her everywhere? Will that make any difference? He prays she'll at least give him the chance to ask for her forgiveness and to tell her he loves her.

Booth takes a deep breath, then wishes fervently that he hadn't as pain lances right through him causing a soft hiss of discomfort to escape him, and just like that Brennan's eyes open and latch onto his and his breath is stolen from him entirely by the force of emotion in her gaze.

He's never seen her eyes blaze like this, tears swimming in them, the vivid blue aflame with a greedy hunger he doesn't comprehend fully as she scans his face, her hand fastening onto his and tightening immediately.

'Booth . . . you're in pain . . . lie back, breath slowly . . . let me get the nurse.' She says.

He squeezes her hand back. 'It's nothing. God Bones . . . I can't believe you're here.'

Her eyes close as she replies. 'When I heard . . . what you'd done . . . I thought you were going to die Booth . . .' She shudders involuntarily as the words leave her mouth.

He maintains his grip on her hand, waiting for her eyes to open before he says, 'I'm hard to kill apparently. I'm so happy to see you Bones . . . I'm so sorry, about Hannah, about everything . . . I've missed you more than you can ever imagine Temperance.'

A sad smile fleetingly crosses her expression, so sad that his chest hurts again with a pain that has nothing to do with getting shot. Oh God, if she's going to leave him again now that he's awake.

'Don't leave me Bones; I'm begging you . . . please . . . stay with me.' Broken tones stumble over the words, but he has to say them . . . that smile was so, so sad.

'Hush.' She whispers. Then she surprises him by bringing their joined hands up to her lips and brushing a soft kiss across the back of his. 'I'll stay if you want me too; for as long as you want me too.' Her words should be comforting, but he knows her, knows her so well, something is wrong, he can just sense it.

'What is it?' He asks. 'What's wrong?'

'Nothing.' She answers a fraction too quickly for it to be convincing. 'You'll be okay now. The worst is over Booth, you just need to heal.'

He hadn't been worried about that he realizes, as dying isn't nearly as scary as losing Bones is. Still, he hesitates between the sense that something is off and not wanting to push anything right now when she's here and he needs her to remain here. The pain in his chest, the one from getting shot is growing by the moment now he's aware, and so he back off, smiling weakly at her.

'I think I might need that nurse after all Bones. Pain meds are wearing a bit thin and my chest really hurts.'

The admission has her reaching for the call button next to the bed at once. She presses it and then strokes the back of his arm with her free hand, the sensation is soothing and he closes his eyes to simply enjoy it as she tries to take his mind off the ache in his sternum.

'How long have I been out?' He asks conversationally.

'You've been kept sedated until this morning; they didn't want to let you come around until your condition had stabilized. The shooting was three days ago.' She answers.

'How bad was it?'

When she doesn't reply he pushes. 'Bones . . . how bad was it?'

'Bad enough that even your surgeon considers it something of a miracle that you're going to live.' She says.

'Will I be as good as new?'

'Eventually yes. You almost died Booth, you arrested in the OR . . . 'She trails off and he opens his eyes to see her fighting back tears.

'I'm still here Bones. It's okay.' He says gently, shaken and gratified to see her so emotional on his account. He remembers his 'fake death' and his 'fake funeral' and how hurt he was inside that she was so easily able to deal with it. Clearly she's as changed as he could have ever wanted her to be with regards to her emotions and him.

It gives him hope. Hope that between them they can fix what they broke. He's certainly willing.

Brennan swipes at eyes. 'Sorry.' She mumbles. 'You scared me Booth. I've never been so frightened.'

'I would never leave you if I had a choice Bones. If I fought hard to live, I did it for you.' He says with simple sincerity. Hoping she'll hear the truth in his words, and know that he loves her; know how sorry he is about Hannah.

The nurse arrives before Brennan can reply and as soon as Booth's attention is momentarily off of her she stands, letting go of his hand and getting out of the nurses way as she checks over his vitals and turns the pain meds in his IV up.

'I'll be right back Booth.' She tells him as she catches his watchful gaze, sees and understands the slight fear she can detect in his dark eyes as she goes to leave the room, he wonders if she's really coming back.

'I just want to tell everyone you're awake. They're so worried Booth, and they'll be able to visit you now. I WILL be back.' She says to reassure him. She turns quickly, hoping he doesn't see beyond the loose shapeless blouse over her jeans, anything that would clue him in to her condition before she's ready to reveal it.

Once outside in the corridor she leans against the wall and tries to calm the frantic beating of her heart.

Booth is out of danger, he's awake and he's very obviously hoping they will reconcile their differences now that she's returned to him.

But that fact remains, what will he say once he knows about the twins?

What will he do?

The man in that hospital bed clearly still loves her, she can see this, and she can feel this, just as she loves him in return. But will he ever see what she did as evidence of that? That she conceived these children BECAUSE of that love? Because she was seeking something of his, some part of him to hold onto, no matter how misguided.

Brennan knows when she goes back into that room; the time will finally have arrived to find out.