Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad the idea is appreciated. Here's another chapter ;)


Booth opened his eyes. He groaned, seeing that it was only five am. He felt as though he hadn't slept at all. Then, he remembered. He had been talking to Brennan. She was living in his head. He started to laugh. It was a dream. Just a really bad, stupid dream.

"I'm such a moron," he said. Then he felt sad. It would have been nice to have her around even if he couldn't see her.

Why are you a moron?

"Ah!" he yelped, falling out of bed.

That seemed painful. Are you all right?

"I'm fine, Bones." So it wasn't a dream at all. Well, wasn't this just an odd little situation to be in. He hauled himself back up onto the bed.

Did you sleep well?

"I don't remember," he said truthfully. It had been a dark sleep. No dreams. He preferred it that way. He didn't know if she could see his dreams. Some of them were about her, and she might not appreciate the content.

I never really remembered my dreams either.

"It comes and goes," he said.

Are you going to the office to start work on my murder now?

"It's five am, Bones. I'm not going anywhere."

If this was someone else, we'd be on it.

"We still slept," he argued.

But you're awake.

"Argh! Fine," Booth huffed. He got up and went to the bathroom, careful not to look down.

You must have really good aim.

"You're not helping," he muttered. He hurried to get dressed and started his coffee maker.

I miss coffee.

She sounded sad, and Booth felt bad for her.

"You hear me and everyone else, so maybe you can taste what I taste?" he asked.

Maybe. I still don't know how this works.

"I don't either, Bones. I'm just making suggestions." He took a sip, hoping it would stop her response. He left it in his mouth a beat longer than usual before swallowing. He waited.

No. I do not taste what you taste. I find myself disappointed.

"I'm sorry," Booth said.

Not your fault. Now, hurry up so we can get going.

"Do not rush me," he growled. He wished she was not in a place that he couldn't escape from. He finished his morning routine and went for his coat.

"So, where should we start?" he asked. He waited. There was complete silence. He paused. Where was she? "Bones?"

Still nothing.

"Hey, Bones!" he said, louder. She didn't reply. He set down his coat carefully, puzzled. Where did she go?

"Bones?"

He discovered that he missed her immensely. Even though she was being annoying and pushy, he wanted to hear her voice. He went into his living room, knowing that without her, he had no clues to go on to help her case. He wondered if she would even come back. Was it just a temporary thing? He didn't know what to do. Suddenly exhausted, he fell asleep sitting on the couch.

...

He awoke to his phone ringing. The clock said noon.

"Shit," he said. He answered the phone. "Booth."

"Where are you? We are finalizing funeral plans, and Russ is here. We need your input," Angela said. Her voice was impatient sounding.

"Sorry, Ange. I had a really rough night and fell asleep again," Booth said. "I'll be right there." He hung up and waited in the silence. Brennan was not saying anything still. Maybe it really had been just a dream. He drove in silence over to Angela's apartment. Cam, Hodgins, Zack, and Russ were there as well.

"I can't believe it," Russ said as Booth came inside. "I just talked to her."

"It's a very big shock to us all," Cam said. Booth sat down, avoiding Russ. He didn't know how to talk to him right now.

"Okay, so we need to make these arrangements," Angela said, taking over. She walked them through what needed to be done. She flat out rejected Hodgins idea of candles around the coffin.

"Why not?" he demanded.

"Too much of a vampire feel to it," she shuddered.

"I concur," Cam nodded.

"Vampire feel?" Hodgins asked, spluttering. "That's ridiculous."

"Drop it," Angela warned. He stopped talking.

"Flowers," Booth said. "Daffodils." They were her favorite. Daisies were her second.

"Yes. I love it," Angela said, writing it down. "What else?"

"Are we doing a full service? A snack buffet?"

"Food at funerals seems weird to me," Zack said.

"Everything seems weird to you. Guess what, you're the one that's weird," Booth snapped.

"Easy," Cam said, glaring at him.

"Food is necessary. Eating at events is a thing. It's what we do," Angela said. More scribbling.

"Speeches?" Cam suggested.

"Yes. I'm saying something," Angela said quickly. "I think we all should."

"I'm not good at public speaking," Zack told them.

"She's our friend. You're talking," Angela ordered. Zack bit his lip to stop from retorting back. Suddenly, Angela burst into tears.

"Hey, hey," Hodgins said, rubbing her arm.

"I just...I can't believe we're all sitting here planning Brennan's funeral," she wailed.

"I know," Russ chimed in. He was tearing up too. "I just got her back."

"Should we take a break?" Cam asked. Her voice was thick.

"It has to be done," Angela sniffed, wiping her eyes. "Jim wants it ready for Friday. That's two days from now."

"I think we should look at it as someone we don't know," Zack said. "It would be less emotional."

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard," Hodgins snapped.

"Cool it, you two," Booth piped up finally. "It's Bones. We love her. It's okay to cry and it's okay to laugh at memories. She wouldn't want us to be miserable. Let's just make this a beautiful ceremony for her as our way of saying goodbye, okay?"

"Well said," Cam nodded.

"Okay," Angela said, clearing her throat and getting back to business. They went over some more details until they were emotionally drained. Booth said his goodbyes and headed out the door and back to his apartment. The bureau was giving him some time off to grieve, and he sure felt like grieving right now. It was four in the afternoon, and he just wanted to sleep.

What did I miss?

"Nyah!" he yelped.

I'm sorry for startling you.

"Where did you go?" he demanded. "I thought you left me."

I think I fell asleep.

"You can sleep?"

Apparently. It just happened without warning, so I guess that's how it works.

"I got kinda lonely without you," he said, smirking to himself.

I'm flattered. So, what did you do in my absence?

"I helped plan your funeral."

That was nice of you. What was decided?

Booth explained their plan to her.

I like it. I knew I could count on you to make sure it wasn't too ridiculous.

"That's me. Mr. Sensible," he answered.

Now that I'm back, let's go solve my murder.

"Okay," he agreed. "Where are we going to go first?"

You need to get a sample of my hair to test. Or DNA.

"How do you suggest I do that? I don't think I can just show up there and start pulling hairs."

Just tell him you want to see me alone. They're used to those kinds of requests.

"I hope so," he muttered. Otherwise, Jim was going to have some questions.

...

Booth entered the funeral home feeling like he was about to do something bad, which in his mind, he was. Violating a corpse was just wrong. He also couldn't help but have the feeling that if Brennan hadn't died, she would have eventually gotten him to body snatch from a funeral home because she suspected murder. Too bad he'd never know.

Why are you breathing so fast? Are you scared? It's just my body.

"That's not why I'm breathing fast," Booth muttered. He looked around but couldn't find Jim anywhere. He called out a greeting, but no one responded.

I think that room right there is where he performed the procedure of draining my fluids. Maybe there's some left over.

"I would really rather not believe that your body fluids are just left on the floor, Bones," Booth said, resisting the urge to throw up.

People make messes.

"Maybe so, but I'd like to think that a mortician would have some sense to not leave corpse guck lying around."

Corpse guck?

"Yes."

I don't know what that means.

"Nevermind. Just help me look," Booth ordered. He almost laughed at himself. She could only see what he saw. He noticed a few bins and containers.

Check those.

For a voice in his head, she was awfully demanding. Booth leaned over and looked inside. They were wiped clean. He heard voices suddenly, and he dodged into a closet, shutting the door behind him while leaving a crack open.

"I told you, it's been taken care of," Jim was saying as he entered the room. "No, no, no. That wasn't the deal." Booth watched as he paced around looking mad.

He's being very suspicious right now.

"Shhh," Booth commanded. He craned his ears.

"I am not your personal assistant," Jim went on. "You can't just expect me to be your puppet. No more. That was my last job."

Job?

"Bones, geez," Booth hissed.

He can't hear me.

"I can't hear him over your voice," Booth breathed.

Oh. Right.

"Good day to you too," Jim said, hanging up ferociously. He stood there staring at his phone for a moment. Booth waited, holding his breath. Eventually, Jim marched off, and Booth heard the front door slam behind him. He came out of the closet and got out of that room. He headed over to where Brennan's body was. Seeing it still made his breath catch.

Do my eyebrows always look like that?

"Yes."

I find they don't look right.

"I'm telling you, you always look like that."

Technically you should have said "looked." I am dead you know.

"Are you?"

Well, I'm not sure what this is, but I'm pretty sure the fact that I'm not in my own body means I'm dead.

"I'm not even going to comment," Booth muttered. He reached into his pocket for the baggie he had stuffed in there that morning. He paused, realizing he did not have tweezers.

Just pull them out. Her voice was urging.

"Harder than you think," he said. He couldn't stop looking at her face.

It's not hard at all. You reach down and pull some hairs.

"Argh, fine," Booth snapped. He yanked a few hairs out and stuffed them into the baggie. "You really think something will show up?"

It's worth a try.

"Do you have any other clues you could give me?"

What if we visited the hospital room I was in?

"I don't think they'll let me. Besides, someone else is probably in there now."

Booth, we have to check. Just pretend you left something there.

"Easy for you to say. You won't get sent to jail for being creepy," Booth retorted.

Yes, I will because I'm in here with you.

"What are you doing?" Jim's voice asked. Booth jumped.

"Ah! I, uh...I came to look at her," Booth said, gesturing. Jim narrowed his eyes.

"I didn't see you come in."

"I went to the bathroom first," Booth lied. "I'm sorry. I just really had to see her." He got choked up. Jim's eyes softened.

"You really cared about her?"

"I did. So much."

Really?

"It's always hard for me to see younger people die and the ones they leave behind heartbroken because they never told them how they felt," Jim sighed.

Is that how you feel about me?

"She was my partner. We spent a lot of time together. She's the best friend I ever had," Booth said, hoping Brennan would realize that was his answer to her question as well.

"Well," Jim said, patting his shoulder. "She's in a better place now."

"I don't know about that," Booth responded.

"She is. Trust me," Jim said, giving Booth's shoulder a final squeeze before turning to leave. "Spend as much time saying goodbye as you need."

"Thanks," Booth nodded.

You got very emotional.

"I'm sad because you're dead, Bones."

But I'm right here.

"That's different."

How is it different?

"Just stop talking, okay? I have to get this to a lab," Booth said. He waited a few more minutes before leaving. He saw Jim at his desk down the hallway, and he reflected on Jim's phone conversation. Who was bossing him around? And why?