Brennan was tired. The last few days had been hectic. They had finally found enough evidence from the bodies of the eight young women buried in the basement of an abandoned house to determine that the women had all been forced into prostitution by one of the local gangs that dealt heavily in drugs and ran multiple call girl operations. Ironically, the women had all decided that they wanted a better life and had tried to leave the gang behind them. For this heinous crime, each woman had been forced to their knees and shot in the back of the head both as punishment and as a warning to others that there was no escape, that once the gang owned you, you were theirs forever. Brennan found it unutterably sad that every one of those women had been killed because they were strong enough to stand up for themselves. The gang involved in these murders was the same one the FBI thought was responsible for the disappearance of two of its agents four years before and they had gotten a couple of leads about where the bodies might be buried during their current investigation. Booth and an agent from the gang task force were currently interrogating a gang member for more information. Brennan was observing the interrogation and waiting for Booth to finish so they could go home. Hearing someone enter the observation room, her head swiveled around and she stiffened as she caught sight of the intruder.

"Hello, Dr Brennan." Agent Black stopped several feet away from Brennan and nodded respectfully. "I didn't know you were in here. Maybe, I should just go." As he turned to go, Brennan stopped him.

"Agent Black, wait." He turned back with a surprised look. "Did you come in here to watch the interrogation?" she asked gesturing to the action taking place on the other side of the glass. He nodded. She thought about it for a moment but saw no reason that they couldn't be civil to each other. She had already proven that she could take him down and didn't think that would ever be an issue again, especially without Perotta around to stir the waters. Motioning toward the window, she indicated that he should step up and observe. He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment before doing so. He stood stiffly with his hands stuffed deeply into his pockets. She stood at the other end of the observation glass with her arms crossed over her chest. After about 10 minutes of silence, Agent Black turned to her.

"Dr. Brennan, I just want you to know how very sorry I am for my behavior. I wanted to apologize to you personally then but I realized that I was probably the last person that you wanted to see. I was stupid to listen to Perotta but everything I did was my own fault." So far, he hadn't said anything that Brennan disagreed with so she continued to listen. "I hope that someday you can forgive me." She studied him closely for a minute. She really didn't know how to respond. It probably wouldn't be polite to say yes, he was very stupid to listen to Perotta or that she, too, held him and him alone, responsible for his actions. She was saved from answering by Booth's entrance. He was smiling tiredly as he came into the room. He walked over and put his arm around Brennan's shoulders, dropping a light kiss on her mouth.

"Are you ready to go home, Baby?" He could see her answer in her eyes. Turning them toward the door, he became aware of Agent Black's presence for the first time and his eyes went cold and deadly. "What are you doing in here with her?" he demanded. Brennan placed a hand on his chest to get his attention.

"Booth, it's ok. He offered to leave when he saw me in here, but I told him to stay." Booth looked at her incredulously. "Don't look at me like that Seeley Booth. I couldn't stop an FBI agent from watching an FBI interrogation in the FBI building." She told him irately. "Besides, he barely spoke to me and was in no way inappropriate. So, stop acting like you have to mark your territory. I can take care of myself." Ouch. His Bones was cranky. Time to take her home, feed her and put her to bed. He dropped his forehead to rest on hers and gave her a charm smile.

"Okay, Baby. Let's go home, please?" She nodded her agreement and he took her hand leading her out of the room. Agent Black observed the interaction and wondered, once again, how he could possibly not have seen how much in love with each other those two were. Shaking his head, he also left the room.

Booth and Brennan made their way to her apartment opting to call for delivery rather than picking it up on their way. Brennan made her way to the bedroom with the intent of taking a shower but the bed looked so inviting that she couldn't resist lying down for just a minute. She was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Twenty minutes later, Booth stood gazing down at her with a look of pure adoration on his face. The last few days had been rough on both of them. As soon as the last piece of the puzzle had fallen into place, they had started chasing down leads, putting in 18-20 hour days in their attempt to get justice for those murdered women. The added incentive of recovering the bodies of his missing FBI team mates had also driven them to push themselves even harder than normal. Neither of them had had more than four hours of sleep a night for the last three nights. No wonder she was cranky. He hated to wake her, but decided that she needed to eat. They hadn't had time to stop for lunch today. Sitting down beside her on the bed, he gently brushed her hair away from her face and leaned down.

"Bones," he called softly, "wakey, wakey." Without opening her eyes, she swatted at him as if he were an annoying fly. He chuckled and shook her shoulder. Her eyes flickered open, but he could tell she wasn't fully awake. "Come on, Baby, wake up. Dinner just got here. You need to eat." She smiled at him and closed her eyes, instantly falling back to sleep. Well, he guessed skipping dinner one night wouldn't kill her. She obviously needed the sleep. He tenderly undressed her and tucked her in, ate his dinner, then slipped in beside her. Sighing in contentment as she snuggled into his arms, he closed his eyes and joined her in dreamland.

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Peyton Perotta's life had become a nightmare. She had gone from a respected FBI agent (well, an FBI agent, anyway) with limitless opportunities (in her opinion) in front of her to an indefinitely suspended FBI agent whose future depended on that little dweeb, Sweets. He just would not give her a break. He ignored her flirting and told her, flatly, that if she didn't show up for her mandated sessions that he would have to inform her superiors and her employment would be terminated. Oh, how she hated him. But, not nearly as much as she hated Dr. Temperence Brennan. In Perotta's opinion, ever vile thing that had happened to her could be laid squarely at the feet of the good doctor. She was responsible for her being suspended. Hell, she was even responsible for her not being able to get a date. Apparently, men didn't find her quite so attractive with three missing front teeth and she still wasn't able to tolerate her mouth being open long enough for them to do the dental repair work. And then, Dr. Brennan had heaped insult onto injury by taunting her and calling her a freaking snaggle tooth in front of about a thousand people at the dentist's office. Perotta had been so embarrassed; she had put her head down and quickly left the office ignoring the snickering breaking out behind her. She had gone to an appointment with Sweets and furiously related the incident to him. He had bitten down on his bottom lip, cleared his throat a couple of times, then with a strangled "Excuse me" rushed out of the room. She knew that he had gone somewhere to laugh himself silly, she thought furiously. She hadn't figured out exactly how yet, but Dr Brennan would pay, in spades.

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Brennan rushed through the doors of the emergency room of the same hospital where Booth had been declared dead so terrified at what she would find that she was barely holding herself together. Fortunately, Angela had been with her when the call from Cullen informing her that Booth had been shot came through. Brennan had gone ashen with shock and froze, completely unable to move or think. Angela had taken her arm and hustled her out of the lab, barely taking the time to yell out where they were going to Cam. Angela had driven like a Grand Prix professional and gotten them here faster than should have been possible, all the while casting anxious glances at her unnaturally silent and still friend. Angela dragged her over to the desk and demanded information on the whereabouts and condition of Booth. She was given the run around. Brennan still had not said a word. Not one word since Angela had seen the shock on her face and taken the phone from her limp hand, finishing the conversation with Cullen. Angela turned back to the person behind the desk prepared to cause a scene this woman had never seen the likes of if she didn't immediately cough up the information that she wanted. Brennan needed to see Booth. Cullen said that his injuries weren't life threatening and Angela had been repeating that to Brennan in the car but she didn't think she was getting through and she was more scared for Brennan right now that she was for Booth. Fortunately, she didn't have to resort to raising hell in the ER. Just as she opened her mouth, a tall middle aged man dressed in a nice suit stopped beside Brennan.

"Dr. Brennan?" Mr. Johnson asked in concern. Getting no response from Brennan he turned to Angela and held out his hand, and introduced himself. "Frank Johnson. I'm the administrator of this facility." Angela grasped his hand gratefully.

"Oh, thank God. Maybe you can help us. Agent Booth was brought in with a gunshot wound and this person," she jerked a thumb over her shoulder to indicate the clerk, "won't even tell us where he is." She glanced concernedly at Brennan. Now, Mr. Johnson understood the look of fear and shock on Dr. Brennan face and stepped quickly to the desk, ordering the clerk to find out where Agent Booth was immediately. He turned back to survey Dr. Brennan while waiting for the information. He remembered her very, very well. He remembered how close, how loving she and Agent Booth had seemed. And, even though she had been a nightmare to deal with on that last day, no one deserved to suffer not knowing the fate of a loved one longer than they had to. The clerk gave him Agent Booth's location. Mr. Johnson stepped forward and took Brennan's arm in a firm grip. She turned her head to look at him. He smiled gently at her.

"I'm going to take you to Agent Booth now, Dr. Brennan." She nodded and whispered, "Thank you," so softly that he had to strain to hear it. He lead them through the emergency room doors and down a long corridor to a treatment room, stopping outside the doors. Turning to the two women, he asked them to wait there while he checked on Booth's condition. Angela nodded and reached out to grip Brennan's hand tightly. Brennan gave her a dazed look, but she gripped back. Just then, they both distinctly heard a very familiar voice raised in obvious displeasure.

"Dammit, would you hurry up. I need to get out of here." Angela looked at Brennan with joy shining from her face and froze. Brennan was shaking so hard that her teeth were chattering and she was frighteningly pale. Angela reached out to put a hand on her arm so she was able to partially catch her and ease her to the floor when Brennan's knees buckled. Brennan covered her face with her hands, heart wrenching sobs flowing freely from her lips. Angela rocked her in her arms and whispered reassurances that Booth was fine and suddenly he was there, gently nudging Angela aside and scooping Brennan into his arms. Lifting and carrying her into the examination room, seating himself on the gurney with her on his lap, crooning softly to her. The doctor was berating him for tearing loose some stitches that he had just put into his arm, until Mr. Johnson quietly cleared the room, leaving Booth and Brennan alone.

"Ssshhh, Baby, please don't cry. I'm here. I'm fine. Everything's ok. Ssshhh." Booth held her close and whispered reassurances in her ear until she finally began to quiet and her arms crept around his waist clenching him in an almost painful grip. He looked down but she didn't raise her head from his chest. Cupping her face in his palms, he wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs and smiled gently. Leaning his forehead against hers, he repeated, "I'm fine. I'm ok." She slowly nodded but he saw something in her eyes that he couldn't identify. "Are you all right?" No, she very definitely was not all right. She felt like her heart had, once again, been ripped from her chest as soon as she heard Cullen say that Booth had been shot. She didn't even remember anything else he had said to her. She only vaguely remembered Angela getting her to the hospital. She should be feeling relief that Booth was fine right now and she was, but that relief was overshadowed with a fear that chilled her all the way to her soul. Booth repeated his question and she nodded slowly. She would be fine she assured herself.

"I was so scared, Booth," she whispered. He stroked her hair with one hand and rubbed comforting circles on her back with the other.

"I know, Baby, I know." No, you don't know, Booth. You have no idea how it feels to lose the most important person in your life, she found herself wanting to yell at him. She knew that it certainly wasn't his fault that he had gotten shot, but she still found herself having to bite her lip to keep the words from escaping. What the hell was wrong with her? She wondered. Before Brennan could ask him what happened the doctor returned to finish stitching up his arm. Brennan tried to crawl out of his lap, but he refused to let her go, shifting her to where the doctor had unobstructed access to his arm but unwilling to completely release her. He explained that he and a team of agents had gone to raid one of the bigger hideouts of the gang they were investigating for numerous crimes. The gang members had more firepower than they expected and things got ugly. They had lost one agent and two more besides him had been injured. The gang had six dead and four seriously injured. The bullet that hit Booth was a ricochet and left a deep furrow along his left bicep needing several stitches but they both knew that it could have been so much worse. After receiving stitches, Booth was bandaged, given a tetanus shot and prescriptions for antibiotics and pain medication and released. He finally let Brennan leave his lap and his arms.

Angela was waiting for them outside the treatment room to give them a ride. Booth had spoken to Cullen and been told to take the rest of the day off. Angela drove them to Brennan's apartment, still casting concerned glances at her best friend. Brennan's pallor had improved and she appeared to be aware of what was going on around her, even speaking when spoken to, but Angela sensed that there was something seriously wrong. She was very afraid of what was coming but had no idea what to do about it. Finally, she decided that she couldn't betray Brennan by giving details; Booth did deserve a warning about the possibility of an approaching storm. Before leaving the apartment to return to work, Angela pulled Booth aside.

"Booth, I don't know what Bren told you about when you were dead, but things got pretty bad. You shouldn't be surprised if she's not herself for a few days," Angela warned. Booth gave her a puzzled look. As far as he knew, Brennan's entire reaction to his death had been to punch him in the face at his memorial service and he still felt a twinge of hurt over that he was surprised to realize. So, he scoffed at Angela's prediction.

"Ange, she was fine when I was dead, so she'll certainly be fine now," he patted her shoulder reassuringly and was surprised by the venomous look Angela threw his way. She really, really wanted to smack him up the side of the head for his easy dismissal of her friend's suffering, but she held herself back.

"Booth, just call me if she needs me, ok?" She gave him a look that said he damn well better. He nodded, but he was certain that Brennan was fine. That certainty lasted until the third time that night that she woke screaming in his arms.