Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.

A/n: Hope you're still with me!

Lines in the Sand

She locked the door again.

The simple act made his chest hurt and his body freeze outside her door. Maybe if she had screamed again, he wouldn't have been able to stop himself from pounding on the door and demanding entrance, but suddenly there was utter silence and Booth swallowed thickly.

Last time, he promised she wouldn't be waking up screaming alone anymore. He'd told her nothing would stop him from pounding on that door and hugging her until the nightmare faded. And every part of him ached with the need to do exactly that. But the locked door was just another silent reminder that she didn't want or need him. Not in any way. Brennan had made that absolutely clear nine days ago and he was a fool for yearning for something—someone—that wasn't ever going to be his.

She made herself clear, Booth reminded himself again. He was nothing but a job and no matter how freaking right it felt to just be around her, she had drawn one immutable line between them. He was working hard on trying to convince himself that it was for the best. That regardless of how much he enjoyed spending time with her, it would never work between them. Most of all, Booth was desperately trying to blame the intensity of the situation for the fact that he wanted her more than he had ever wanted anyone in his life. Surely those feelings would wane once the asshole trying to kill him was caught. Surely, everything was amplified in a situation like this and if he just put enough distance between them, it would fade. Or at the very least, he would stop feeling like she had wrapped her fingers around his heart and begun to squeeze.

Booth stared at her door, unseeing. He wanted so badly to walk in there and hold her. Make her forget whatever nightmare haunted her with soft touches and soothing kisses. Right on the heels of that thought, the aftermath of that ridiculously amazing kiss hit him like a blow.

"You shouldn't have done that."

Booth could hardly believe her. She'd scraped her fingernails down his back and kissed him like her life depended on it. "You were kissing me too, you know," he'd pointed out, his voice more of a growl than he'd intended.

Her facial features had flinched for an instant and then she was perfectly composed. "An error in judgment."

"A what?"

"It won't happen again."

The reminder was swift and left his stomach churning. Right. Error in judgment. She didn't want him or his kisses. How much of a fool did it make him that he wanted to offer her what she had so summarily rejected?

He damn well had to learn to keep his distance. Except, he wasn't capable of giving up the time that was just theirs. Despite the professional line in the sand she'd drawn, Brennan always showed up for their sparring sessions and Scrabble games and so did he. But even those slips were far and away from bursting into her room and wrapping his arms around her.

Distance.

Distance was crucial. He repeated the word silently and stopped himself from knocking on the door. But he was still a fool because he just couldn't make himself walk away. Tiredly, Booth leaned back against the polished wood and sank down to the floor. Knees up, head in his hands, he simply sat there for a long while. He was only wearing a thin T-shirt with a pair of boxer shorts and the floor was cold, but he couldn't move. Because if she had another nightmare, he was going to bust down that door and forget all about his distance plan.

-x-

She woke up screaming and for the first time since meeting Booth, she woke up alone. Her sleep tank was plastered to her and Brennan pushed back the covers and rushed from the bed.

Stripping efficiently, she made her way to the bathroom and turned the shower to its coldest setting. Her tears mixed with the freezing water, but she wasn't even aware. And if she had been, Brennan would have been unable to say for certain whether they were due to the nightmare or the fact that he was actually listening to her and keeping his distance.

After her shower, she wrapped herself in a fluffy towel and sat heavily on the bed. A look at the clock told her it was nearly four in the morning and she knew any more sleep was out of the question. She was exhausted and to be perfectly honest with herself, she was feeling rather pathetic. Because he wasn't there to hug her.

"Damn it, Booth," she cursed quietly.

He had told her she was loud enough to wake him up wherever he was in the house, which meant that he was taking her professional line to heart. Of course, he was. What else did she expect? Just because he had fought her on nearly everything else, it didn't mean, he was going to fight her on this.

She'd made a mistake. She made a mistake kissing him and she was going to pay for it for a long time because there would be no way to forget the way his lips slid so silkily against hers. Or the way his hands tugged her ponytail loose and then threaded greedily through her hair. Really, nothing about having him over her, kissing her as if that was the single most important thing in the world, was remotely forgettable.

And now, not only did she know what he tasted like, but Brennan had discovered that she missed him terribly. Despite continuing with their Scrabble games and morning exercise, the easy companionship they had settled into had disappeared between them over the last week and Brennan knew it was because he was respecting her wishes and keeping his distance.

No more teasing. No more shared late night meals. No more kissing and flirtation and hugging her after a nightmare. The thought made her lie down on the bed and curl into a tight ball.

It was necessary. It was for the best. She had to keep him alive and she couldn't let her objectivity be compromised any further. And if she was brutally honest with herself—and Brennan always was—she also knew that an assassin was not the only thing she was protecting him from.

Over the past several weeks, she'd been doing what she did best. Studying and observing and analyzing and in the process becoming utterly fascinated with a man for the first time in her life. She wanted to know more, she wanted to know everything and she knew, she knew, he would let her in. She had tasted it in that kiss.

He had told her all she had to do was ask and he would answer truthfully and Brennan believed him. He was willing to open himself up to her and she was terrified of what it would mean. Terrified that she would never be able to open herself up in the same way. It wasn't fair to him, he deserved more than that and she was determined to protect him from anyone and anything.

She just had to accept that she would never find out what it'd be like to have him touch and kiss every inch of her. She'd never know what it'd be like to have him deep inside her, to be surrounded by his scent and his skin. The list of all the things she would never discover began scrolling through her mind and it nearly made her get up and rush into his room. If she went into his bedroom right then, Brennan was almost certain she would know. She would know, once and for all. Maybe just for one night, but he'd be hers.

Mine.

Blocking her own thoughts, she simply squeezed her eyes shut. No. He didn't belong to her and he never would. It was for the best.

-x-

It was a Saturday and the compromise they reached nearly four weeks ago over his morning jogs did not apply to the weekends. And for the first time since their agreement, Booth was glad that there would be no sparing with her for the next few days.

He needed the time to fortify this whole keeping his distance plan. What he should really do was stop playing board games with her every night in his library before going to bed, but he could never not show up. Despite that, Booth was trying to stay away from her, he really was. But it was depressing how absolutely abysmal he was at the whole thing.

Like right now, when he was loitering in the kitchen, wondering if she was going to join him for breakfast. His eyes landed on a piece of paper attached to the fridge.

Booth,

I need to purchase appropriate attire for tomorrow night. Agent Sullivan will stay with you until I get back. Don't go anywhere without him.

On cue, his doorbell rang and Booth could barely contain his annoyance as he stomped to the door.

"I don't need a damn babysitter," he greeted Sully unceremoniously. "And obviously, the U.S. government is over-paying you if you have time to babysit."

"Good morning to you too, sunshine," Sully said cheerfully.

"What are you doing here?"

"Your pretty doctor called me and asked for a favor." He sipped from his coffee cup and swept inside. "I'm a gentleman, Seel. I couldn't say no."

"I can't believe her. Like I can't take care of myself for two damn minutes." Booth turned around and headed back to the kitchen. "You know, I'm pretty sure I was doing that long before she came into the picture. And will continue to do so long after she's gone."

Sully gave a low whistle. "Uh-oh, trouble in paradise?"

"I don't want to hear it."

With a critical eye, he watched Booth yank open a cabinet and take out a box of Cocoa Puffs. "You look like shit."

"Don't." His eyes were dark and hard. "I mean it."

"Hey, you think you're the only one with woman troubles?" He frowned just thinking of his own personal problems. "You wanna talk about it?"

"Do you?"

Sully raised his coffee cup in concession. "How about some cereal?"

"That's what I thought."

-x-

"Sweetie, that dress does nothing for you." Angela shook her head in despair. "Why do you want to hide all the assets that God gave you?"

"It wasn't God, it was genetics," Brennan corrected automatically. "And I'm not going to socialize, Angela. I'm going because I couldn't convince Booth to cancel."

"Yeah, yeah, you're just there to protect him." Angela had heard it already multiple times. "That doesn't mean you can't look good doing it. Here, try this one."

Brennan sighed, but taking the dress from Angela was easier than arguing. "I can't believe he's so adamant about this," she griped over the dressing room partition. "You know how much safer he'd be if he would just stay home?"

"Booth was in the Army. A lot of his friends are veterans." Angela placed a hand on her back, rubbing a little. "He goes to this fundraiser every year. It's important to him, Bren."

"Dammit, Angela, isn't keeping him alive more important?"

"Why are you yelling at me?" Feeling exhausted despite the obscene amount of hours she spent in bed every day, Angela took a seat. "It's not my fault, Brennan."

"I'm just frustrated," Brennan muttered, sliding the Angela-approved dress over her head. "He's so stubborn."

Angela sighed and rubbed a hand over her belly. Despite her attempt at lighthearted during the shopping trip, she was feeling anxious. In all honesty, she wished Brennan had convinced Booth to skip every single one of his social functions. As if sensing her anxiety, the baby kicked, startling her out of her thoughts. "Don't worry," she whispered to her tummy. "Bren will keep Uncle Seeley safe."

"Well …" Brennan walked out of the dressing room. "Does this meet with your approval?"

"Oh, wow. Booth is going to swallow his tongue when he gets a load of you."

"W-what?" She felt instantly startled by the comment. "Why would you say that? We're not…we never … we have a strictly professional relationship, Angela."

"I just meant that you look beautiful and any guy would realize it. I'm sure Jack would swallow his tongue too if he saw you right now." Angela's smile was angelic. "But way to get defensive there."

"I wasn't," she frowned. "I was merely clarifying."

"Right. Strictly professional. Got it." Her little shoulder shrug distilled innocence. "I'm sure the fact he's smoking hot hasn't even crossed your mind."

Brennan's eyes narrowed. "I'm not blind, Angela."

"Ah, so you have noticed."

Without a word, Brennan turned to the mirror and smoothed her hands over the dress. "I believe this dress will be satisfactory. It will allow me to conceal several weapons and maneuver easily should an emergency arise."

-x-

There was one important discussion Brennan had been trying to figure out how to start for days, but it was bound to annoy her so she kept postponing the inevitable. But that damn fundraiser of his was the following night and she couldn't keep delaying the conversation.

"If you're escorting someone tomorrow, I need to clear her."

The offhand comment had Booth's head snapping up from the game board. He scrutinized her silently before asking, "Do you mean that any date I have in the foreseeable future has to meet the Brennan standard?"

"I don't have a standard," she said, defensively. "But yes, your social guests need to be searched for weapons, briefed on security …"

"Fantastic." His eyes closed wearily. "I'm going solo, Brennan. So you can just stop worrying about security, all right."

Something about his voice made her feel even more defensive. "I'm just trying to do my job and I promise I will attempt to do it as discretely as possible. You can take a date to this event, Booth. You don't have to—"

He chuckled humorlessly. "Great. Thanks for the permission." Very precisely, Booth flipped his tiles face down and got up. He couldn't stay there with her another second. With her soft lips that he knew tasted so amazing and that neat little barrier of professionalism that she had erected so easily between them. "But like I said, security won't be an issue tomorrow."

Or any other day it would seem, unless he managed to get one frustrating woman out of his mind. That she could so easily tell him he was free to go out with someone else irritated him beyond belief.

"You're…leaving?" she asked, unable to keep a frown from her face. There were only a few words on the board, their game that night barely begun.

"Yeah," he shrugged a shoulder and walked toward the door. "I'm just … I'm tired."

"You work a great deal of hours. Even on the weekends." Brennan followed his lead and rose as well. "Perhaps … perhaps this is inadvisable."

Booth froze and turned carefully to face her. "What is?"

"Staying up late just to play a game." Her gaze went to the Scrabble board and then back to him. "You tend to get up very early and work for many hours. It seems unwise to forgo sleep for such a frivolous activity."

He stared at her and Brennan wanted to squirm. Even though it was true that he worked too much and didn't get enough sleep, she was already regretting her words.

"You know what, you're right." His voice was soft, but so devoid of its usual warmth, she felt cold. "Let's just call it an error in judgment."

Brennan nearly flinched. She wanted to tell him kissing him wasn't a mistake, that playing with him at night was the best part of her day, but the words clogged in her throat and she just nodded.

Booth nodded too. "I guess we all make mistakes." He opened the door and drew his own line. He was tired of feeling like an idiot. She wanted to pretend there was nothing between them, fine. "Don't worry, Brennan. I learn from mine."

Without another word, he walked out. The thought of no more Scrabble games with her made his stomach clench, but he was done wanting to be closer when she kept push him away. Maybe she drew him like no one ever had, but he was determined to resist her. He damn well would resist her.

All he had to do was put his mind to it and forget all the things that made her irresistible.