A/N: Okay, you've been good, complimentary, patient readers...hopefully this will reward all that!

Disclaimer: Fox Broadcasting and Hart Hanson own "Bones."

Approximately 51 hours after the injection…

Brennan was running up a flight of white steps. Blackness extended to either side of the steps, and they seemed to go up and up forever.

Suddenly Patrick Gates, his face contorted, stood in her way. "Dr. Brennan, you can't go on! I'm sorry!"

Zack suddenly came up behind Gates. "You are an inadequate replacement for me." He pulled out a large rubber mallet and struck Gates in the head with it. The lab assistant tumbled off the stairs into the darkness.

Zack stepped to the side without a word. Brennan nodded her thanks and ran on.

Further up the steps Carl Peterson was hopping around, a large pocket watch in his hand. "It's too late! It's too late!" he shouted.

She shoved him off the stairs. His echoing "It's too laaaaaaaaaaate!" followed her as she ran on.

She skidded to a halt as Michael blocked her way, a mortarboard on his head and a blackboard next to him. "You can't go on, Temperance, until you name all the bones in the body. Can you?"

"Can you?" she countered.

"Of course I can!" Michael said. "There's…" his voice faded as he struggled to name even one. After a moment, a look of disgust crossed his face. He pushed the blackboard off the stairs and jumped off after it.

She could see the top now. She saw Booth.

He was laying on a white dais. A navy blue blanket covered him up to his chest, his hands folded on top of it.

She came to his side. His eyes were closed, his face pale. He wasn't breathing. Surprisingly, she wasn't alarmed or afraid.

Brennan put her hands on her partner's cool cheeks. She bent down and pressed her lips to his. Unlike his skin, his lips were warm.

She pulled back to look into his face. His cheeks warmed under her fingers. Booth's eyes opened, warm and brown. They sparkled as he smiled at her. His lips parted…

"Bones…?"

She jerked her head up at the faint sound of her nickname. Brennan realized she'd fallen asleep with her head on Booth's bed. Confused memories of Angela, Jack, her father coming in from time to time came and went. She looked at the hand she still held, even in sleep. The fingers moved.

She focused on his face. Slowly, Booth's eyes opened. Unlike the Booth in her dreams, his eyes were cloudy with pain and exhaustion. They found her face.

"Booth?" her mind scouted around for a question, just to hear him speak again, to make sure she wasn't imagining it. "How…how are you feeling?"

He grimaced. "Awful." The one word started a brief coughing fit. Before Brennan could react, it stopped. Booth moistened his cracked lips and grinned. "But it… beats being dead…Bones."

Inside her logical mind Brennan realized that the flood of emotion she was feeling was a result of chemicals released at her feeling of relief. But it also meant she couldn't decide if she wanted to laugh or cry. She wound up doing a little of both as she pressed the call button.

"Bones?" His voice was weak, hoarse, but his. He lifted a shaking hand to wipe a tear off her cheek. "You…okay?"

The nurse's voice interrupted. Brennan spoke quickly. "Agent Booth is conscious. Please let the doctor know, and his friends in the waiting room. Also, please send in a cup of ice chips."

"Pudding," Booth said.

"Booth," Brennan said, wiping her face, "Your stomach can't handle anything but ice chips right now."

"Wanna…bet?" he asked. He coughed a little.

She took a deep breath. Taking his hand in both of hers, she said. "I'm sorry."

"Why?" Booth asked, his brow furrowing.

"I was…I was almost too late. I was too late." She felt the tears starting again. "Booth, you could have died."

"Nah…" he said, with another small grin. "I knew…you were smarter…than he was."

She smiled back. He wasn't able to pull off his charm smile yet, but she'd take the grin. "I knew…you wouldn't give up."

The grin got a little wider. She stared at him, thinking how close she'd been to having to attend another funeral of his. She swallowed, not wanting to worry him by having her voice crack. "Booth…"

The door opened, and her father, Angela, and Jack all rushed in. "Sweetie!" Angela said, handing Brennan a Styrofoam cup of ice chips with a white plastic spoon stuck inside. "He's awake? Booth, you're awake? You're okay?"

"Hi…to you too…Angela," Booth croaked. He gave a small moan of relief as Brennan slipped some ice chips into his mouth.

Out of the corner of her eye Brennan saw Angela swipe her eyes and Jack's sigh shudder through his body. She knew how they felt.

Brennan felt her father's hands on her shoulders. "Good to see you with your eyes open, Booth. I don't think I could handle another ride in your car with Tempe behind the wheel…"

Booth almost spit out the ice in his mouth. "My…car?"

"It's all right," she said quickly. "I'm a very good driver."

Before Booth could say anything else, the door opened and Doctors Wilson and Peterson came in. Peterson looked stunned, as if someone had struck him in the head.

Dr. Wilson looked over the monitors and then at Booth. "Well, Agent Booth, it appears that contrary to some people's expectations, you may not die after all."

Carl shook his head, still looking stunned. He stared at Booth, then at Brennan. "Temperance, this is impossible." He stared at Booth. "I've worked on this toxin, I know what it can do. You should not be alive!"

"Carl!" Brennan said, starting to get up. Booth's hand squeezed hers slightly, causing her to sit back down.

Booth grimaced in pain, as Wilson examined him. "Doctor…Peterson…sorry…I disappointed…you."

Carl's mouth dropped. Almost everyone else in the room burst out laughing. Wilson didn't, but Brennan noticed him biting back a smile as he leaned over Booth.

The doctor finished his examination and stood up. Brennan looked at him, anxious.

"Agent Booth, how do you feel?" Wilson asked.

"Hot…hurt," he said. Brennan gave him another spoonful of ice.

"Yes, you still have a fever," Wilson said, looking at the monitors. "But are you feeling better than before?"

Booth nodded, swallowing. "Yes…but…" he held up his hand, which shook badly. 'What about…this?"

Wilson frowned. "I'm not sure. Your symptoms are improving, thankfully. It's going to take a while for you to come back all the way, but this is a good sign."

Peterson shook his head. "I can't predict anything about this. I mean – this is incredible. My research didn't show this as a possibility…this was the first time the anti-toxin was used on a living entity." His face brightened. "I'll have to study this!"

Booth's eyes widened. "But this…" he said, looking at his hand, "this will…go away…won't it?"

Wilson exchanged a look with Peterson. "I believe so, Agent Booth, but we'll have to keep an eye on it."

Booth let his hand fall to the bed and Brennan saw the panic in his eyes. She wrapped his hand in both of hers. "Booth, it's going to be fine. Once you recover from the toxin, you'll be fine."

"Temperance, I don't know about that…" Peterson started.

Max stirred. "Dr. Peterson, you thought your little death cocktail would kill Booth at 48 hours. It didn't. I wouldn't be making any predictions if I were you."

Peterson scowled. Wilson spoke up. "Well, I think that your friends can go home and get some sleep, Agent Booth. I'll be back to check on you tomorrow."

The doctors left. Everyone was quiet for a moment.

"Do you want some more ice, Booth?" Brennan asked softly. He had closed his eyes. He nodded without speaking, his jaw tense.

"Hey, Angela, Hodgins?" Max asked. "I'm gonna take off here, you want to walk me to the parking lot?"

"Sure," Hodgins said. He looked over at Booth, clearly uneasy at the turn of events.

"Sweetie?" Angela said. "Where's your car? We can drop you off there, or back to your place."

Brennan shook her head. "I'm going to stay for a bit, Ange." Booth's eyes flew open and he looked at her. 'That is, if Booth doesn't mind."

He swallowed the melting ice in his mouth. "I…don't mind."

"Okay then," she said.

The others nodded and said their goodbyes. Angela hugged the FBI agent, and Jack squeezed his shoulder. Max was the last to go. He looked Booth straight in the eye. 'Never mind what that idiot of a biochemist said. You're gonna be just fine, Booth. Just fine."

Booth managed a nod. Brennan got up and kissed her father on the cheek. "Dad, thanks for everything."

He hugged her back. "Help him with this, Tempe," he whispered in her ear. "This is frightening for him. And he doesn't like to be frightened."

She nodded. When Max left, she sat down by the bed again and picked up the ice chips. "Your throat must still be sore. Let me give you some ice."

He held his hands out. "Let me…try."

She bit her lip. "Booth, you're still very weak. You're not going to be up to your normal abilities."

He frowned. "Let…me try."

She had misgivings, but she handed him the cup and spoon. The ice rattled in the cup. He frowned as he glared at it, trying to still his hand.

"Booth…" She reached for it.

"No," he said. He struggled to put the spoon in the cup, succeeding on the second try. He lifted the spoon out, half filled with ice.

Sweat broke out on his forehead as he tried to bring the spoon to is mouth. It barely cleared the cup when his shaking hand caused the ice to spill off the spoon onto the blanket.

Booth swore, his hand dropping to the blanket as he dropped the spoon. Brennan caught the cup before it joined the ice on the bed.

Booth clenched his fists. He groaned, his eyes squeezed shut. "No…I…can't…"

She put the cup back on the table and placed her hands over his fists. "Booth, you're expecting too much of yourself. The tremors will pass."

"What if…they…don't?" he stuttered.

"They will," she said. "Booth, you were on the brink of death three hours ago…you can't expect yourself to be your strong, capable, Alpha male self so soon."

His eyes creaked open. "That sounds…like faith…"

She smiled, blinking back tears. "I do have faith. In you."

He smiled a little. "Thanks…Bones." He frowned as his eyes slipped closed again. "I don't…want to…fall asleep…again."

"It's all right," she said. She grabbed the washcloth and wiped his face again. "You need to rest. It'll help."

His eyes opened slightly. "Will you…rest?"

She looked over to the other bed. "There is a bed over there. I suppose if you sleep, I could rest a bit."

"But you'll…be here."

She stood and gently turned his head so he could see the empty bed. "I'll be right there. If you need me, just call my name."

He nodded. "'Kay…thanks…Bones…"

She watched as his breathing smoothed out. A look at the monitors confirmed that his vital signs were improving. With a sigh she moved to the other bed and stretched out. She turned so she could watch Booth sleep, see the monitors and observe his progress.

Brennan sighed as her own eyes drifted shut. In minutes she was asleep.

A/N2: One chapter left!