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Protect You

Like a caged lion, Booth paced up and down in circles in a corner of the busy ER waiting room. He whispered yet another prayer to God, asking for his beloved wife to be okay.

This shouldn't have happened!

It was a busy night in the ER and the waiting room was packed with people needing medical attention and loved ones waiting on news. Now and then the EMTs rushed in a victim of a traffic accident or a shooting. The chaos of the situation did nothing to calm Booth's frayed nerves. He continued his pacing, up and down, up and down, his hands folded across his chest. He was livid, furious, angry. Angry at the person who shot at them, angry at himself and most of all angry at Brennan.

I should've taken Aubrey!

The night's event's played out in his mind. They had a witness to question. She was seemingly harmless twenty-year-college student who had requested to speak with them on her break while working her part-time job at a pizza delivery place. Aubrey had begged to go along, since there was pizza involved, but Booth had thought that having a female partner would make the young witness more at ease. It had happened in a flash. In the back alley, she had said she had something to show the FBI Agent and his partner. Booth didn't think twice when she reached in her pocket. Brennan had noticed the tiny revolver in her hand a fraction of a second earlier than Booth.

As Booth reached for his own gun, the revolver went off and before he knew it Brennan had threw herself infront of him. Booth had fired back and the threat was instantly neutralized. He turned to Brennan and realized with horror that she was clutching her side, blood oozing from between her fingertips.

"Bones! Are you okay?"

"It's a graze." She breathed, clearly in pain. "We're very fortunate she's has such bad aim."

"I'm calling an ambulance." Booth said as he helped her sit on the ground, his hand helping to apply pressure to the wound.

The ambulance had arrived despite Brennan's insistence that it wasn't needed. And that was how he ended up there, pacing the ER waiting room. He remembered the chilling fear he had felt for her life as he watched her blood seep through his fingers while they were waiting for the EMTs to arrive. Just as he had finished breathing another prayer for her well-being, Booth saw Brennan approaching him from down the hall. He hurried towards her.

"You okay?"

"Yes. We can go home now. I told the nurse that my husband was waiting for me outside and she let me sign my own release papers."

"What?! Just like that?"

"I only received five stitches. The bullet grazed my left external abdominal oblique muscle. No important blood vessels were affected. The bleeding has stopped, there is no reason to keep me overnight."

"You got shot. They can't just let you go home."

"I'm fine Booth. It's a graze. Or like you would say it, a scratch." She was beginning to feel exasperated at his overprotectiveness.

"No, let me go talk to someone about this." Booth gently closed his hand round her upper arm, guiding her to an empty chair. He shrugged off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "You wait here. Don't move okay?"

"Fine." Brennan scowled as Booth turned, going in search of a doctor.

"He seems to love you very much." An elderly lady on the seat next to her said.

Brennan nodded politely, not feeling like she was interested in a conversation at that very moment.

"I used to hate it when my Earl did that. Fuss over me. It could be the littlest thing and he'd worry. What I'd give to have him fuss over me now."

Brennan turned to regard the white-haired lady, who now had her attention.

"He's had a stroke. The doctors said it was massive, they aren't optimistic."

Feeling genuinely sorry for the old lady, Brennan offered an encouraging smile. "I'm sure Earl will be okay."

"I hope so dear." The old lady nodded towards Booth was approaching them. "Here he comes now. I watched him all night pacing up and down the ER. He was worried sick about you."

Her frustration at Booth lessened, knowing that he had been worried over her.

"So apparently there's no medical reason to keep you here." Booth said as he stopped in front of Brennan.

"I told you."

"You sure you're okay?"

"The painkillers will wear off and I can envision there'll be some pain and discomfort. Otherwise I'm fine."

Booth blew out a frustrated sigh. "If anything happens to you…"

Brennan took his hand in hers. "I'm fine Booth. I'd like to go home now."

Her hand in his seemed to calm Booth down somewhat. "Okay."

"I hope your husband will pull though." Brennan addressed the old lady as Booth helped her to her feet. Keeping a hand on her elbow Booth guided her towards the exit.

Their relationship over the years had been filled with conversations in Booth's SUV. But tonight, in the car on the journey home, Booth was uncharacteristically quiet. When he finally pulled up to their house, he jumped out of the car, hurrying over to the passenger side, opening the door and offering his hand to her. She allowed him to hold her hand as they entered their house which was strangely quiet.

"Kids are with Angela. Figured you need your rest."

"I would have liked to see them."

"They'll be home tomorrow."

Once in their bedroom, Booth helped Brennan undress. He studied the bandage covering her side wordlessly then helped her into her baggy pyjamas. Once sure she was comfortably settled in their bed, he started pacing the floor of their bedroom, much like he did earlier in the ER.

"Clearly, something's bothering you."

"You think?"

"You're angry."

"You bet I am."

"Booth…"

He stopped his pacing, turning to point a finger at her, he advanced towards her, not bothering to mask his anger. "Don't you ever do that again Bones."

"To what specific action are you referring to?"

"You know what I'm talking about! You just don't go jumping infront of a bullet for me okay?!"

"Oh and you can? Because I'm certain if our positions were switched, you'd do the same." Brennan was now beginning to feel irate as well.

"Of course I would. But that's different!"

"Different how?"

"It just is!"

"So your life is less valuable than mine? So it's okay for our children to grow up without their father? Or for me to be a widow?"

"I never said that!"

Brennan grimaced as she took in a deep breath.

"You okay?" Booth's tone softened. "Is it time for your pain meds?"

Brennan glanced at the clock on the bedside table. "No."

Booth sighed. He slowly sat down on the bed next to her, careful not to let his actions hurt her.

"I was so scared Bones. When I saw you jumping infront of me... I thought I would lose you."

"She had terrible aim."

Booth nodded. "Yeah thank God for that. She would have shot you in the chest. You could've…"

Seeing her husband blink back tears, she squeezed his hand. "But I didn't."

"I just… I remember finding you lying in a pool of your own blood that night in the bone room."

"That was a long time ago."

"Not long enough." Booth leaned over to brush a kiss to her cheek. "I told myself I would never let that happen, ever again."

"You're trying to achieve the impossible, given the nature of our jobs."

"Hey, you're the one who told me I'm not allowed to die. More than once in fact."

"I acknowledge the impossibility of that."

"Bones I just can't stand the thought of losing you."

"Neither can I, the thought of losing you, I mean. You would understand why I reacted instinctively then. I just knew I had to protect you."

"It's my job to protect you, not the other way around. And before you say it, it's not because of some alpha-male ego thing."

"I know."

"It's because I love you. I can't imagine my life without you. And I don't want our kids growing up without a Mom. It's just in me to protect you, to make sure you're safe."

"I know. And I find it rather sweet."

"So you're not mad at me?"

"Are you still angry with me?"

"I was. I mean you just don't do that."

"Booth I – "

He pressed a finger to her lips.

"If I'm not allowed to die, you're not allowed to jump infront of bullets for me okay?"

"Fine."

"Good. I'm glad we've come to an understanding." He reached to brush the hair from her forehead. "You need your rest."

"I am getting sleepy."

"Wake me if you need anything."

"I will."

Booth reached to turn off the bedside lamp. He undressed, climbing into bed gently beside her. In the darkness, he reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers.

"I love you Bones. So much."

"I know. I love you too Booth."

"From now on, I'm taking Aubrey."

"What? No, you can still take me when it's pertinent."

"No my mind's made up."

"Booth…"

"What happened to being sleepy?"

"You started it…"

"Can't you just let it go and fall asleep?"

"Apparently not."

"Bones…'"

"Booth…"