To say that you all are displeased with the appearance of a certain H is an understatement, and believe me I've heard you loud and clear. Unlike HH and gang, I'm gonna tell you guys she's gonna appear for maybe one or two more times tops and she's outta here. Promise. Like I said I dislike her as much as you all. And she's only in this story to give some angst and add some spice to the story. She'll be gone before you know it.

And now my thank yous. Chicklit (I'm sorry, but I promise it'll get better soon), Cocoa Girl, mendenbar (I PM-ed you), Tango Mike Charlie, aracely6, omslagspapper (lol, yeah I know what you mean), horseninja, nertooold54 (thanks for your faith in my story, and yup I will, and yes I've know nurses like Veronica too), SouthunLady (the stuff you don't like will be dealt with swiftly), amblue36, MMWillow13.

And thank all of you for your story alerts, author alerts and putting me on your fave list.

"Hi. You must be Temperance. I've heard so much about you. I'm Hannah."

Brennan was unsure of what to make of the small, blonde woman introducing herself.

"Are you a friend of Booth's?"

"A friend of Seeley's, yes. I'm a war correspondent. We met in Afghanistan. Seeley told me so much about you."

"He did?" Brennan was strangely relived to find that Booth had thought of her too.

"I heard what happened to him. Seeley and I were seeing each other in Afghanistan."

Brennan felt as if someone had punched her in the stomach. She felt the air rush out of her lungs in a shaky breath. Was this how Booth felt when she told him no?

"We broke up just before I left Kabul for a story I was following. That was a little more than a month ago. It was a mutual decision but when I heard what happened to him, I had to come see him. I thought maybe it was a mistake you know, breaking up."

Brennan didn't know how to respond. He had moved on. He had did what he said he would do.

Hannah continued. "How is he?"

Brennan managed to find her voice. "He's doing well. But he's still in a medically-induced coma."

She felt betrayed and hurt. But she did hear that Booth had broke up with this Hannah didn't she?

Hannah's hand on hers jolted her out of her thoughts. "Tell Seeley I came by and you will call me when he wakes up?"

"Yes, I will."

Brennan watched as Hannah left, a sinking feeling that she was too late gnawing at her. Was she too late? She remembered Rebecca's words about her and Booth missing their moment. And she recalled Sweets saying the same thing about a year ago about herself and Booth missing their moment.

She wasn't given much time to think, it was nearly dawn and the doctors came for their morning rounds. As expected Booth had made progress enough to be weaned off sedation. It would mean that he would be waking soon.

Brennan continued her vigil at Booth's bedside and as the medication wore off Booth began to stir.

…

It was happening again. The same traveling in the humvee, the jokes, laughter, then the flash of light and a bang. The ringing in his ears, the bloodied bodies around him. His own mangled body. His silent scream.

Only this time there was something different. Something oddly familiar and comforting. The smell of lavender briefly jarred his olfactory senses. Could it be? Bones?

It's ok Booth, you're safe.

…

Brennan watched as Booth threw his head to one side, then the other. His eyelids fluttered and his arms thrashed. She wondered if he thought he was still in Afghanistan. She knew he had not regained consciousness since he has been evacuated back stateside.

She leaned to whisper into his ear, "It's ok Booth, you're safe."

She watched as his eyes fluttered open briefly. She took his hand in hers, giving a gentle squeeze. He seemed to calm somewhat. He stopped moving, seeming to fall back into his deep medication-induced slumber.

It was afternoon before he stirred again.

…

Booth could hear noises around him. Noises that was not consistent with being blown up. With being at war. There was a constant beeping, and a regular whooshing sound. He tried to open his eyes but they felt so very heavy. He moved his head.

"Booth?"

Bones? Surely he was hallucinating?

"Booth. You're home."

Home?

Booth struggled against the bonds of sleep and it's nightmarish world, fighting to prevent it from bringing him under. He opened his eyes to a blur of white light. Was he dead?

His brain registered that familiar scent of lavender, and fluorescent lights on the ceiling.

"Booth?"

He struggled to speak but gagged instead.

"You've got a tube down your throat to help you breathe, you can't talk."

He was sure he heard her voice again, the voice he had craved for so many months to hear.

"It's ok you're home. You're safe."

His ears recognized the voice but his eyes wouldn't focus. And soon sleep claimed him again.

Booth woke what seemed like a minute later. There was activity buzzing around him, he felt hands on his face, and an unfamiliar voice telling him that they were going to remove his breathing tube.

Again he tried to open his eyes but felt that it took too much of an effort. There was the sensation of something being pulled from his throat and then urge to gag and vomit. For a terrifying moment he couldn't breathe and as he struggled for breath he thought he might suffocate.

Then he could suck in air again and his lungs and throat burned. But the sleep was stronger and it pulled him under again.

He woke a third time, this time his brain feeling more lucid. He struggled with lesser effort to open his eyes again. He heard someone groan, and it took him a couple of seconds to realize the sound came from his own throat. He tried to swallow but it felt like he ate sandpaper.

"Booth?"

He tried to focus his eyes again.

"Bones?"

Her sweet face came into view and Booth's heart nearly burst. He felt tears begin to stream uncontrollably down his cheeks. He thought he would never see her again.

Brennan had watched him wake and sleep and this third time, she knew his sedation had almost wore off. However he was still severely drugged up from morphine. The first word he uttered was his name for her. But he immediately began to cry and she worried he was in pain.

"Are you in pain?"

Booth shook his head. How was he to explain he was crying from relief. The thoughts formed in his mind but his tongue felt heavy and sluggish.

"Take your time, You've been in a coma for three days."

"Is it... really you?" He choked.

"Yes. It's me. She took his hand in hers and paced his palm against her cheek. "See I'm real."

"Bones."

Suddenly it all flashed before him, that same scene that replayed itself in loops in his head.

"They're… they're all dead." A statement of truth but he was hoping she would correct him.

"I'm so sorry Booth." Her face betrayed her worry and concern for him.

He remembered his nightmare.

"My legs! They're – "

He looked down. He had expected to see them missing but they were clearly still attached to his body.

"They're – "

"Your left leg has been severely damaged but – "

"But I saw them get blown off. I was lying there… I had no legs."

"You were in a deep coma, the medication mixed with your horrible experience must have created an alternate reality, which you came to believe to be real."

Booth accepted her explanation. When he woke from his brain surgery, it took her an entire day to convince him they weren't married and she wasn't expecting his baby.

"I'm home? In DC?"

"Yes. And so am I. I'm not going anywhere." Brennan wiped a tear from her eye and smiled at him. He managed to smile back. She brought his hand to her lips, pressing her lips to his knuckles.

Dr Casey was alerted to the fact that his patient had woken and came in to check on him. When Brennan returned to his side, Booth looked visibly exhausted.

"I'm so tired."

"I know. Get some rest. I'll be here when you wake again."

Booth fell asleep quickly.

When he woke he felt more alert than he did before during his other moments of lucidity. For once he actually felt better and attributed it to the lack of the recurring nightmare. He glanced at his legs to check that they were indeed still there.

Satisfied that they were, he focused his attention to the sleeping woman who had laid her head on his bed. His eyes now focused and he studied her face, the face he had missed for seven months. She had cut her hair and now sported a tan. Even in her sleep her brow was creased ina frown. His first impulse was to wrap her in a bear hug. He tried to lift his right arm. The one closest to her head. It took more effort than he was accustomed to.

He gently brushed her hair and she lifted her head, sleepy eyes looking back at him.

"Hey." He muttered gently.

"Hi." She beamed at him.

"You look like you're not getting enough rest."

"I'm fine."

"You've been here all this time?"

"Except for the couple of hours when Jared came and I went home to get showered and changed. I sleep here though."

"This can't be comfortable. I'm feeling better, maybe you should go – "

"No."

The intensity of her reply surprised Booth. The reaction it emoted from him wasn't a surprise to him though. He knew if their positions were reversed he would have done the same and he was thankful it was him in the hospital bed, not her. He watched her eyes water and instantly felt guilty for making her go through almost losing him again.

"When Caroline called… I thought the worst. I came straight here from my flight from Indonesia. It took me so long to get here. They weren't sure you'd pull through at first. I – "

Brennan choked on her words.

"Hey." Booth reached for her, pulling him to her. She was afraid to rest her weight on him, so she settled on pressing her forehead to his. She felt him inhale deeply.

"I'm sorry Bones. I promised you. I'm so sorry."

Brennan shook her head. She lifted her head and opened her eyes.

"I'm just glad you're ok."

"I thought I'd never see you again too." He moved a hand to palm her cheek, using his thumb to swipe at the tears that fell. He held her with this simple touch and waited until their barrage of emotions passed.

They exchanged sheepish smiles as Brennan settled back into her hard plastic chair.

"I missed you." Booth said quietly.

Brennan's heart warmed. But her brain reminded her of Hannah. Jealousy and betrayal stabbed at her heart again. For a rare moment, the words slipped out unguarded. "I missed you too."

Booth smiled. Brennan's heart noted traitorously that he still had his charm smile, the one that made her stomach flip and her heart rate increase. The thought of Hannah crossed her mind again.

Booth noticed the slight change in her expression immediately. Seven months apart and he could still read her so well.

"What's wrong Bones?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

Before he could press further, Veronica appeared, introducing herself to Booth.

"Seeley, good to see you all bright and cheery this morning. You put up a little fight when I extubated you. Feel up to a sponge bath?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

"Temperance, you wanna help?" Veronica smiled.

"No I think I'll go speak to his doctors, then to the bathroom to freshen up and maybe grab some breakfast."

Brennan made a hasty exit.

Veronica removed his hospital gown. "Pity. She helped me when you were out like a light."

Booth's eyes grew wide. "You mean – "

"Yup, you were butt naked." Veronica winked.

Booth closed his eyes embarrassed.

"She said she's seen you naked before."

"She told you that?"

"Yes." Veronica replied nonchalantly as she busied herself cleaning him. "You know she never left your side."

"Yeah she told me."

"She said she's your best friend but I think there's more to it than she's letting on."

"Yeah maybe." After her rejection, he was afraid to hope.

Veronica changed the subject, chatting to Booth about Parker as she helped him get dressed again, then changed his IVs and emptied his catheter.

"I'm sure we can remove some of these IVs, and your catheter by tomorrow. And no more feeding you through your nose. You can try eating something tomorrow."

"Great thanks Veronica."

"Oh you're welcome. I rather enjoyed looking after you. You're a hot piece of ass, you know that don't you."

Booth's faced turned red and Veronica laughed. "And from the looks of it I'm gonna be your nurse for some time to come, so you better get used to this. Laughter is the best medicine."

Brennan chose that moment to return.

"Temperance. You're back just in time."

"In time for what?" She asked perplexed.

Veronica turned to Booth. "Temperance informed me you're not in the habit of sporting a beard."

"Yeah." Booth scratched at his beard. "It's kinda itchy."

"Well we're not in the habit of letting our patients who've recently woken from deep comas use a razor. Temperance?"

Veronica applied a generous amount of shaving cream to Booth's beard and chin, then held up a razor and a basin of water.

"Would you help me please dear? I have other patients to check on and Seeley here has kept me from them."

She handed the basin and razor to Brennan before walking out of the room.

So I managed to put up a chapter. Phew!

Next chapter, the shaving scene. I've always thought that a woman shaving her man was extremely sexy. And of course, you've been warned, Hannah's gonna make an appearance in the next chapter. But I'm telling you don't skip it, you'll find that you'll like the next chapter.

Wait for it and as always I love to see your reviews.