A/N- This is based on the episode The End in the Beginning.

I don't own anything.

Dream World

Chapter 1

Just before the time when night turns into day, she returns to their bed. Some days, it still surprises her that he chose her to spend the rest of his life with, that she gets to come home to him, end her days wrapped in his arms. She knows she is lucky to have a husband and business that truly make her happy.

As she snakes her arm around her, he turns to her.

"Do you love me?" Her question doesn't surprise him anymore, accustomed to hearing it after years of being married. It's not doubt that makes her ask him, she just likes to hear it from him sometimes.

"Yeah. Do you want me to prove it to you?" His voice heavy with sleep, mouth smiling, hands in her hair.

"If you're not too sleepy." How could he ever be too sleepy for his beautiful wife? How could he ever say no to anything she wants? So, he proves it to her.

It hadn't been for long that they had slept when they wake up to the insistent knocking on their apartment door. Long nights that turn to mornings at the club are part of their routine, so is the little fight to answer the door. Just before Booth goes, he takes one look at her. He likes starting his days with her next to him.

He opens the door to find his brother and his boss on the other side. It doesn't faze him that he is wearing his wife's robe instead of his own, but it does make Detective Saroyan pause for a second. Brennan comes out too as Detective Saroyan tells them that they found a body at their nightclub. Of course, it comes as a shock to both of them, but Booth's immediate reaction is to turn to his wife and pull her close by her waist. It's a gesture that conveys enough for both of them. He's her protector, self-assigned, obviously. He would hide all the bad things in the world from her, given a choice. He also knows that he can't do much about this situation, but he can silently offer his strength to her. He can stand by her, just as he vowed to.

In the time it took for them to get ready and reach the club, Booth got more worried as Brennan hadn't said a word the entire time. It's not that the silence isn't comfortable for them, but he would rather have her be thinking out loud. He asks her who was at work when she left, partially to break the silence. Finally, some of her worries seep into her voice when she asks him if it could be Zack or Fisher who did it.

Once they entered the club, the first thing she asks Zack is if it is terrible, the body and the crime scene. Booth remembers that she had never seen a dead body before. He was in the army, so however terrible it might be, he is sure he has seen worse. He stands just one step behind her while she talks to Zack, giving her space, but all he wants to do is hold her. He knows his Bren. She will take all the comfort she needs from him when the time comes.

They walk to the bathroom, where they found the body. Walking just half a step behind Booth, she has both hands wrapped around his bicep tightly. She can deal with just about anything with him by her side. As the door to the bathroom stall opens, his hand automatically is on hers. As Jared asks his questions, all Booth can think about is her. He thinks about how it will affect her, not the club. His priority will always be her. Anything else comes after.

They ask her if she heard anything between 1 and 3 am and wonder how she missed hearing the gunshot. All this while, Booth had his eyes trained on her, but the second Detective Saroyan doubts Bren's answer when she says she was in the office, he looks at her with disdain. Seeing a body and questioning her honesty is a lot, even for a woman as strong as her. He turns her towards the door, eager to get her away from there while wanting to hit the officers. He settles for a thanks full of sarcasm in their direction and then goes after her.

While Caroline briefs all their employees, Booth enters and closes the office door behind him and sees that Brennan has her hands on the desk and back towards him. He walks up to her. She turns to rest her head on his chest as if sensing his movements. He pulls her closer with one hand around her waist while the other is holding her head.

"Who would do something like that in our club? Why would they not believe me? I really was in my office, Booth. I didn't hear anything." She whispers.

"I know, Bren. I believe you. I know. They will find out who did it." He promises her.

He is her safe place, she can be vulnerable with him and not be scared that he would hurt her. She's content staying that way for the rest of their lives. The words "she's his heart, he's her armor. Her soft love keeps him smiling. His strong touch keeps her safe." described them well.

"Let's get something to eat," he says while he guides her to the door with his hand on her back.

After having breakfast at the diner, she decides to go to find Detective Saroyan to find out when they can reopen the nightclub, only to be called a cold fish and questioned on her whereabouts during the time of death. She gave her the same answer as before. Yes, she was in her office. No, she had not heard the gunshot, and no, she wasn't lying, so Detective Saroyan could pursue the line of inquiry in whatever manner she liked. Just a few feet away, as Brennan was being called a cold fish, Jared was basically saying that Booth was the killer.

In the car, Booth has the sweetest tone when he assures her that she is far from a cold fish. The way he does it puts a smile on her face. He loves her smile, especially when he is the reason behind it. One smile from her and the world has righted itself, he feels. If anyone could just see the two and not hear the conversation, even then it would be clear that they truly loved each other. Booth looked at her with such softness in his eyes and Brennan had her eyes on him the entire time, barely ever looking at anything else. They both had happiness etched on their faces, no one could tell that they had just been accused of being a killer and a cheater, respectively. They truly were an exciting couple.

The way Booth answered the phone "Hello? You've reached Bonnie and Clyde," with Brennan adding "Murder Incorporated," and then both sang together "how may we help you?" made even Caroline smile. But well, Caroline was a warm-hearted person underneath her hard, try-and-mess-with-me attitude. Moreover, she loved both of them. She had been shipping them since the start, but then, who hadn't?

Booth was not a fan of Max's, so when he heard that the club was open for business tonight, he knew to be wary of it. There was something that Max was getting out of this too, otherwise, why would he help them?

"Do you think Max is up to something?" he asked Bren.

"Maybe he just wants to help us," well, that wasn't surprising. She always chose to see the good in people. He recalls the day they met. She had somehow found good in him too, where he thought there was none. He was arrogant and rude to her but she was the complete opposite. She had been sweet and kind. She talked as if he was her best friend.