mphs95 (douche lol! That word makes me think of Oliver Wells), gatewatcher, LoveShipper, GalaxieGurl (lol! Thanks!) kareneb, FaithinBones (yeah she definitely loved it), Lauwy (kind words, thank you), ZinaR (happy to know you took up my suggestion and went back to my other fics, glad you enjoyed them), 554Laura, geraghtyvl, Robin (yeah this series of one-shots are meant to be mostly fun), yoshimi0701 (aww…), topaz270 (couldn't agree with you more), conservativegirl and other guests who have read and reviewed. Another BIG THANK YOU! I'm grateful for each and every review and follow. Provides me with lots of encouragement.

Promise

Engrossed in her work at her desk, her thoughts were interrupted by the shrill ringing of her cellphone. She glanced at the caller ID, then smiled. This was someone she didn't really mind being interrupted by. "Hi Booth."

"Hey Bones." There was a lengthy pause, followed by, "I'm… gonna need a ride home."

"Oh car trouble?"

"Not exactly." Another lengthy pause. "See there was a shooting and… I kinda got shot."

"What?!"

"It's no big deal! I wasn't really shot. I mean the bullet grazed my side, they needed to stitch me up but you know doctors at the hospital, they won't let me go home on my own cos I'm loaded up on pain meds."

"I'll be right there." Brennan was out her office door even before she hung up.

When Brennan got to the hospital, she found Booth perched on one of the gurneys in the emergency room, partially hidden from view by a curtain. She could see his legs dangling from the gurney. Drawing back the curtains, Brennan approached her husband. He had already changed back into his work clothes. His normally crisp white dress shirt had a large blood stain on one side with an equally large hole where the doctors had cut it open to stitch him up. "Hey Bones."

"Booth are you okay?" She hurried to him, carefully studying his side which was covered in a large bandage.

"Yeah, like I said over the phone, I'm fine. You just need to sign my release papers and they'll let me go."

"Where's the Attending doctor? I'd like to speak with him."

"Bones there's really no need, it's just a scratch."

"That does not look like a scratch." Brennan replied, pointing to the large bandage. "I'd like to hear from the doctor myself."

Booth understood that his wife needed her worries allayed. "I think he went to check on some other patients."

"Where's Aubrey? Is he okay?"

"Yeah, it was just me the suspect took a shot at. I told Aubrey you were coming and he went back to the office to get started on the tons of reports we have to write because of the shooting. The hospital wouldn't let him sign the release papers anyway. You're listed as my emergency contact."

Mortified that Booth and Aubrey had contemplated not even informing her but rather allowing her to find out when she got home, Brennan's face changed from one of worry to a furious scowl. Booth quickly tried to salvage the situation.

"I would have called you, even if Aubrey signed the papers. I made that promise to you years ago. I would have kept it."

Ignoring his attempt at placating her, she instructed Booth to wait. "I'll go look for the Attending. You wait here." Booth recognised her need for control in a situation where she hadn't had control over.

"Okay."

Fifteen minutes later she returned and Booth almost felt sorry for the doctor whom she had just interrogated. "Dr Wagner assured me that your injury is superficial not extending beyond the muscle fascia. You just need to keep the stitches clean and dry for ten days and then you can come back to have them removed."

"Right? Like I told you, nothin' to worry about."

"Given its proximity to the area that you were shot before when Jared was killed, I'm still a little worried. Did you tell Dr Wagner about that?"

"He saw the scar and asked. I told him. He said it was no big deal, other than adding another scar to the area. It's fine Bones."

Brennan sighed. "Let's get you home then."

Booth gingerly got to his feet, walking slowing, favouring his injured side. The wound still burned as he walked. He let Brennan take his jacket and tie. She took his hand gently in hers, as if he was a fragile Chinese artefact that had just been delivered to her and slowly lead him to her Prius parked in the parking structure of the university hospital.

On the drive home Brennan was uncharacteristically quiet. After some time, Booth thought he heard her sniffing. Turning his head, he realised she was crying as she drove.

"Bones are you okay? Do you want to pull over?"

Brennan swiped at the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"No, I'm fine."

"You're not fine, you're crying."

"I know that Booth."

"Listen Temperance, baby, I'm really, really okay."

"Don't baby me!" Brennan was crying a little harder now and her reply came out in a harsh growl. Booth worried that they might get into an accident. "You were shot and you didn't tell me. You promised!"

"I did tell you!" Booth put one hand on the wheel. "We need to pull over."

Thankfully, Brennan obeyed for once, pulling over to the side of the road. "No. You did not tell me. You called me after you were taken to the hospital."

"Alright! I'm sorry. The next time I get shot, I'll call you immediately. I won't even try to stop the bleeding or call for an ambulance. You'll be the first person I call okay?"

Brennan sniffed. "You're being overly sarcastic."

"You're right. I'm sorry. Look, about today, I knew the wound wasn't serious. We didn't even call an ambulance. I just put pressure on it and Aubrey drove me to the hospital. It wasn't that big a deal. I didn't think I would have to bother you with it."

"You got shot. It's not a small thing and it's not bothering me at all. I'm your wife. I have a right to know."

"Of course you do." Booth reached over, wincing in pain as his wound got stretched.

"No Booth, you'll tear the stitches." Brennan stopped him. She reached over instead to accept his hug. She held him to her, her worry abating somewhat. Trying to reassure herself, she reminded herself that he fine and was currently sitting in the car and bickering with her. He was okay.

As they broke the hug, Brennan asked concerned. "Is your wound bleeding?" She reached over to part the large hole in his shirt, satisfied that the bandage over the stitches was still clean.

"Bones, what's wrong. I've been hurt before, worse than this."

Brennan shook her head.

"C'mon, you can tell me." Wanting to coax her into telling him what was clearly still bothering her, he took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I don't know how much more of this I can take." She sighed. "When you were missing, and everyone was telling me you were dead, it was a horrible feeling. A part of me refused to believe you were gone, taken so prematurely from me, from our children. I told Angela I couldn't imagine a world where you didn't come home. There were so many unanswered questions. Why did you leave your wedding ring? Why didn't you tell me where you were going? Why were you involved in something illicit like a robbery? Why did you lie to me?"

Booth hung his head, guilt washing over him. "I'm sorry. I never meant to put you through all that."

"When I had to examine the set of remains that everyone thought was yours, every bone I touched brought back memories. I remembered every moment we had together, how it felt… then I thought I would never experience those with you ever again. I thought of Christine and how she would never have her father walk her down the aisle on her wedding day, or how Hank would have no memory of his father. I was confronted for the first time with a very strong possibility that I had lost you permanently. It was heart-breaking. It was a terrible few days and I never want to have to relive it again."

"I'm so sorry Bones." Booth knew they never really properly addressed the events of that time and he wished belatedly that he had taken the time after he had healed to talk to her about it back then. He sighed heavily, the action causing him pain. "I had to help Jared and there was this list of undercover agents. People's lives were at stake." He gently rubbed circles round her knuckles with his thumb.

"We had left our lives of solving murders behind. You just had Hank and we were building this really happy life together after I had screwed up majorly with my gambling. I knew I as taking a risk but I didn't think it would turn out the way it did. I left my ring behind cos I didn't want the people I was working with to know that I was married. They weren't good people and I didn't want them using you as leverage against me. I couldn't tell you what I was doing cos I knew you wouldn't let me. And I didn't want you to worry. I guess it all backfired since it made you worry even more. I'm sorry I hurt you."

Brennan nodded her understanding. "It's in you to want to save and help people. I understand that."

"I'm an FBI Agent, Bones. I'm gonna get shot at and maybe hurt sometimes in the line of duty. It's tough to be a cop's wife, I know that… if it's getting too much for you then that's okay. I'll quit. Find some other job."

"No Booth, we've talked about this before. When I married you, I knew very well that I was going to spend the rest of my life with a man who works in law enforcement. The risks of your job is something I have to contend with as long as you're still working."

"But you just said you weren't sure how much more you could take."

"That although true was me expressing my frustrations. But I can't ask you to do something else. It's like you asking me to leave forensic anthropology. I know you would quit your job for me, but I don't want you to. You need to do what you love doing. I just need you to promise me that you'll be very careful."

"I promise. I'm not allowed to die, right? Look I know that we've got a family now and I promise you I won't take any unnecessary risks. I'll make sure I'll come home to you every day. Until I'm old like ninety or something. Then I'll go okay?"

A tear rolled down Brennan's cheek. The thought of Booth leaving her, even when he was ninety was upsetting.

"Hey I didn't mean to upset you. You're stuck with me for a long, long time. I promise."

Brennan leaned towards him to plant a quick kiss to his lips. She knew she could not know with a hundred percent certainty that he would be able to keep his promise to her but she trusted that he would try his hardest. "You promise you'll keep that promise?"

"Yeah of course. I'm a man of my word. And I also promise, the next time anything happens to me, I mean anything, like if I trip and fall while chasing a suspect, I'll call you. And if I can't I'll make Aubrey call you, that is unless he's hurt or dead or something."

Brennan smiled at his attempt to lighten her mood. "There's no need to call me if you tripped and fell. Unless the fall resulted in a head injury, or broken bones, or a dislocation, or you fell onto a sharp object, or –"

"I get it Bones. I'll tell you alright? If anything bad ever happens to me when I'm at work, I'll tell you. Then you can come make sure that I'm okay." He smiled lovingly at her. "Thanks for loving me the way I am Bones."

"You're welcome."

"Great. Now that we've talked about it, I'd like to get home now. Cos the pain's coming back with a vengeance. Maybe the painkillers are wearing off." Her face changed, the smile now wiped off her face. Booth regretted the words, because he knew she was going to start babying him, not that it was a bad thing, he enjoyed the attention, but he didn't want her to worry.

Brennan put the car into gear and started down the road again. She already had a plan of action mapped out in her mind. "When we get home, I'll help you get changed into a clean set of clothes then settle you in bed. After which, I'll bring you your pain meds. I'll check on your bandage too, to make sure the wound's not infected. You're on desk duty until the stitches come off aren't you? Aubrey can handle the field work on his own for now. If he needs, I can partner him while you work from your office. Or maybe you shouldn't go in at all until the stitches are removed and the doctors have cleared you for active duty. The FBI won't mind. You were shot after all."

Booth groaned inwardly. It was okay to be babied by his wife now and then but it wasn't to be smothered by her over-protectiveness. He knew she did it all out of her love for him. There was no fighting it, he might as well sit back and enjoy the ride.

"Hey Bones?"

"Yes?"

"I love you too."

From the corner of his eye, he saw a smile spread across her face and he couldn't help but smile too.

I had fun writing this. Hope you had fun reading it.