Disclaimer: I only own the characters not normally seen on the show…

Previously: Brennan was attacked at the morgue after the body of the waitress was brought there. She was warned to stop working on the case or one of her friends would get hurt, but we all know Bren's too stubborn to just give up…

(--)

"If I am ever bleeding, I know you'll dress my wounds. If I am ever crying, I know you'll be there soon. If I am ever screaming, I know you'll hold my hand. If I am ever angry, I know you'll understand. You get me."

-SJGxx

(--)

"Here you go, Bones," Booth said, lowering Brennan onto the couch gently. She smiled and stretched her legs out.

"You thirsty? How 'bout tea? You want tea? I'll get some from room service. You want anything else? Waffles? Bacon? A pony?" Booth asked.

Brennan shook her head smiling, "No, tea's fine. Thanks."

"Okay, and you're sure about the pony?"

"Booth!"

"I'll be right back," Booth said grinning as he walked into the bedroom and grabbed the telephone off the table. Brennan leaned her head back against the pillow. She sighed. Finally, peace and quiet. And a knight in shinning armor ordering room service in the next room, she thought happily. Not a bad way to end up after being attacked by some psycho killer. J

ust when Brennan thought the quiet would continue for eternity she heard a loud, frenzied knocking on the door. Moaning she rose slowly to her feet. She was nearly off the couch when Booth appeared at the door of the bedroom. He rushed to Brennan's side and pushed her back down.

"Hey, I'm the Florence Nightingale here, Bones, so get back on the couch," Booth snapped. Brennan gave a look that said: 'I don't know what that means.'

Booth ignored the look and walked to the door. He checked the peep hole and rolled his eyes. He pulled the door open, standing there were Angela, Hodgins, and Zack. He ushered them inside and closed the door. Angela rushed to her friend's side and threw her arms around Brennan's neck.

"Oh my god! Temperance! Hawthorne called us, he said you were hurt! He said that you were attacked at the morgue," Angela bawled into Brennan's shoulder.

"Ange, Ange, I'm fine," Brennan replied peeling Angela's arms away from her.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"God, Bren, I was so worried," Angela said calming.

"Relax, it's just a bump on the head, and a couple of bruised ribs," Brennan assured her.

"Yeah, cause that sounds like nothing," Hodgins said sarcastically.

"The EMTs said I was fine."

"EMTs!" Angela exclaimed, "Oh my god!" She threw her hand against her forehead. Brennan rolled her eyes at Angela's over-dramatic personality.

"Guys, it's no big deal. I'm fine," Brennan said frustrated.

"Hey, people, let's leave Bones alone, you know, the doctors said she needed rest," Booth announced shooing the Squints from the room.

At the door Angela turned and was face to face with Booth. "Sweetie, call me if you need anything!" Angela called over Booth's shoulder, Brennan just waved her gratitude. Angela dropped her voice and leaned toward Booth, "take care of her."

"Don't worry," Booth replied closing the door.

He turned back to Brennan who was still lying on the couch. He walked over to her and sat down on the coffee table. Her eyes were closed so he took the time to stare at her face. Even with a large white bandage on her forehead, Brennan looked beautiful. Booth let his eyes travel over the rest of her body before returning to her face, to find that she was staring at him. He was surprised to find her eyes open and he instantly felt himself blush.

Misinterpreting the looking, Brennan said, "Don't tell me you're worried too. I told you guys, I'm fine."

"Oh, no, I know. I know you're all right…physically," he added, catching her eye.

"Don't," Brennan warned.

"Don't what?" Booth asked innocently.

"Don't psycho-analyze me, Booth, you know I hate that."

"I'm not trying to analyze you, Bones, but I know that you're worried about him."

"I am not."

"It's okay, you know, to be afraid of him."

"I'm not afraid of him."

"Bones…"

"Booth."

"Look," he said standing, "I didn't mean to make you go all defensive, but I just wanted you to know, I understand that you're afraid, and its okay. I mean, god, Bones, you just got attacked at the morgue. That not exactly something that happens everyday."

"I'm not scared, Booth," Brennan snapped rising slowly to her feet. Now that she was nearly eye-level with him she offered a glare. He responded, not with a grin which was usual, but with a look of pure concern. Brennan found that more disconcerting than the smile.

"I am," Booth answered quietly.

"What?" Brennan was taken aback. Booth was never scared.

"I don't want anything to happen to you, Bones," Booth admitted almost shyly.

"That's not fair," Brennan said after a moment.

"What do you mean? Why not?"

"Because…"

"Because why? Because you're my partner? Huh? Because you're my friend? I'm not supposed to care?" Booth asked getting upset.

"No! You're not supposed to care. No emotional connection, remember?" Brennan snapped back as she walked toward her bedroom.

"Damn it, Bones!" Booth followed her angrily, "You are so full of crap! You know that?" Brennan attempted to close the door in his face, but Booth grabbed old of it and stopped her.

"What're you talking about?"

"You, Bones. You put up these walls, you think you're protecting yourself, but really you're just hiding. You say you're not scared? Well, I think you are, Bones! I think you're scared of everything! But mostly, I think you're scared of actually being human for once in your life!"

"You jerk! You arrogant, obnoxious asshole! You think just because I get hurt you can go all sensitive on me and what? I'll have an epiphany about how fucked up my emotion state is! Huh? You wanna know the truth! I am scared! I'm scared to be alone! I'm scared to be with people! I'm scared because I don't know who that hell he is, but he knows me! And that's the scariest freaking part!" Brennan yelled. Booth stepped back, surprised. With his hand off the door, Brennan held it tighter, "Was that enough of an epiphany for you!"

With that, she slammed the door, causing the picture on the wall to shake violently and nearly fall before it calmed. Damn it, Seeley, Booth thought, now look what you've done. He rubbed his eyes. The hour or so of sleep hadn't helped to relieve his drowsiness. Damn it, he realized looking back at the door. That was my room!

Temperance stared at the inside of the door. She hated yelling at Booth, but sometimes his holier-than-thou attitude just pissed her off. She sat down on the bed, breathing deeply, trying to calm her nerves when she realized with a glance around the room, Shit, this isn't my room.

(--)

Temperance lay on the bed. She'd been sitting there tensely for about half an hour. She was uncomfortable being in Booth's room. She half-expected herself to get up and go into her own room, but that would be even more embarrassing than just staying in his room all morning. Still, her muscles were tense and she longed to relax, unfortunately, she felt unable to; she wasn't supposed to be in here, anyway, this was Booth's private room. She curled her knees against her chest protectively. She stared at the door handle.

She didn't know why he hadn't come in yet. She hadn't locked the door and he most likely knew that. Normally, he would've barged in, yelling…no, that wasn't true. That's what every other guy would do, but Booth…he respected her desire to be alone, usually. She smiled. He almost always left her alone when she was really angry…he just…knew…that she didn't want to talk to anyone. But this wasn't one of those times.

So why hadn't he barged in? She knew that if he had she would've burst into tears again. She hated to yell, especially at him. God, this case was making her way too emotional. She just needed to relax a little; her nerves were on high tension, ready to snap whenever something slightly overwhelming happened. He was right though. Getting attacked wasn't something that happened to her all the time.

Still, she hadn't wanted to admit to him that she'd been afraid to be without him. She sighed miserably, where the hell is he? She wanted to apologize but she didn't want to make the first move. So, she waited. She moved on the bed, attempting to find some comfort. She laid her head down on the pillow and watched the door. She waited.

(--)

A knock at the door startled Booth. He got up from the couch where he'd been miserably watching the door to his room for that past half hour. He stretched uncomfortably before moving to the door. He checked the peephole and groaned.

"What do you want?" He called through the door.

"To see Temperance," Dr. Long replied. "

Well, she's busy at the moment, but if you leave a message, she'll get back to you when I feel like telling her," Booth said sarcastically.

"Look, Agent Booth, I didn't ask whether you wanted me to see her, I--." The door opened and Booth stepped out, surprising Long and making him step back.

"Dr. Long, I understand that you are interested in Dr. Brennan, but guess what? I don't care. She's hurt and I, as her resident caretaker, have refused to let anyone see her, so you can take your little bunch of flowers and just be on your merry way, okay?" Booth said with a fake smile on his face.

"Agent Booth, are you a registered doctor? Do you have any medical training whatsoever?" Dr. Long asked. Booth looked at him confused, "I didn't think so; therefore I don't think you're qualified to take care of Dr. Brennan."

Long attempted to sidestep Booth and go into the room but Booth slammed his hand into the door frame, suspending Long's entrance. Long looked over at him. Booth was shaking his head and tsking quietly. He looked up, his face not so friendly anymore.

"I said 'no'. What part of that did your Ph.D. brilliance not understand, huh, the 'n' or the 'o'? Now, get out, before I have you arrested," Booth warned.

"For what?" Long asked in disbelief.

Booth smiled like the Cheshire Cat again, "You let me worry about that."

"You can't do anything to me," Long said, regaining his confidence.

"You seem so certain."

"Dr. Brennan wouldn't like it very much, and we both know that you'll do whatever she says…won't you?"

"Dr. Brennan's not here right now…" Booth reminded him, looked straight into Long's eyes.

"What's going on out here?" Temperance's voice made both men turn. Booth grabbed the door to close it.

"Nothing honey, go back to bed," Booth said joking. He closed the door and turned back to Dr. Long, "Remember the part when I said get out of here. I was joking then, now I'm serious."

"Fine," Long said, "Give her these." He hit Booth in the chest with the flowers and dropped them into his arms before walking away muttering something.

"Asshole," Booth said quietly before going back into the room. Brennan was standing against the doorframe of his bedroom, her hands on her hips.

"What was that all about?" she asked suspiciously.

"Nothing, just protecting you in the interest of healing," Booth answered, "oh, he left you these. You want me to throw 'em out?"

"No!" Temperance replied hurrying forward. She took the flowers from him and pulled off the tissue paper.

"You sure because I'd be more thanwilling to dispose of them for you," Booth offered. Brennan threw a look but he just shrugged. He turned away from her and smiled to himself. She had apparently forgiven him for making her mad before. With that thought in mind, he decided not to bring up the argument at all.

"So…" she began.

"Swept under the rug," Booth replied, turning back to her; he knew what she was going to say.

"I don't know what that means."

"It's all forgotten. So, let's not bring it up again," Booth clarified.

Brennan nodded in understanding before removing the plastic flowers from a vase on the table and replacing them with the ones from Dr. Long. Booth glared at the flowers and rolled his eyes.

"You know," Brennan mused, "They really are pretty flowers."

"Please, where the hell did he find a flower shop open at five in the morning? He probably stole them," Booth snapped.

"Booth, can you be more alpha male?" Brennan asked sarcastically.

"Can you be more naïve?" Booth inquired.

"I am not naïve!" Brennan exclaimed.

"Sure, whatever Bones," Booth replied disbelievingly.

"I am not!"

"Let me remind you," Booth walked up to her and took her hand, "Oh, Dr. Brennan, you're so amazing and beautiful and I'm just so excited to meet you!" Brennan rolled her eyes at his dramatization of Dr. Long, but he didn't stop there, "Oh, well, it's so amazing to know you too! I just love the fact that you're fawning over me and treating me like royalty. Wow, you must really like me!--Ow!"

Booth rubbed his shoulder where Brennan had punched him. She stood a few feet away with her arms crossed over her chest. She gave a look that could kill. He smiled at her innocently.

"You were saying?" Brennan inquired.

"Never mind," Booth answered quickly.

"That's what I thought," Brennan started toward her room, "I'm going to try and get some sleep."

"You gonna go into the right room this time?" Booth called.

"How's your shoulder!" She called back. Booth grinned.

Temperance Brennan was definitely something else. He hadn't quite figured out what yet, but it was something he would very much like to know. He heard the bedroom door close and relaxed a little. It was a good thing she was sleeping. Normally, she would've fought him on it but this morning she had suggested it herself. Maybe this morning's ordeal has tired her out, Booth thought, his smile disappearing.

When he found the guy that attacked her, he was gonna rip his arms off, and then he was gonna let Brennan in the room alone with him--see who ended up with bruises then… Booth started toward his bedroom. From the corner of his eye he noticed the flowers on the table. He rolled his eyes and frowned. He really did hate that guy. Presumptuous asshole…

(--)

TBC...in Chapter 10: I don't Know the Title yet...Hehe!

A/N: Obviously, since I don't know the title of the next chapter, I'm not posting that one today but I will post soon, now that I can post again. Sorry again for the wait, I love you all!