Talofa lava! The reviews I recieved were pretty spiffy guys. Terrif job.

But seriously, thanks guys, it really got me going and I feel completely motivated to write this second part, with all of you guys in mind. I made sure this chapter was considerably longer than the first too.

Chapter Two - Independently Familiar

Booth held Brennan's limp body against his. He couldn't help but wonder at how light-weight she was. She was very slim, but he had always thought her height would compensate for the lack of fat. He could even feel the delicate bones of her rib cage push through her blue lab coat. Gripping his hands tighter around her back, he marvelled at the ease in which he was able to hold her.

He could hear Angela in the background; panicking and calling out for the others. His sole attention was focused on Temperance. He gently lowered her body to the ground, taking off his suit jacket to fold for a pillow. After sliding it under her head, he allowed himself a hurried second to breathe. The second, a break for him to attempt steadying his own heart rate. Quickly, he put two fingers under her jaw to check her pulse.

"Weak and irregular…she's got a fever too." He called out worriedly to Angela, his brows creased in concern. Angela knelt down next to Brennan, her hands grasping tightly in her friends own lifeless one.

She let out a shaky breath, "It was only the flu! People don't get this sick with the flu!" She heard her own voice rising to an anguished pitch.

Booth looked down at the unconscious doctor. Her face was coated in a thin sheet of perspiration, tiny beads lining her brow. Her lips had turned to a ghostly white with a hint of blue, indicating the drop in body heat.

"A blanket! Quick!" Booth said, seeing small goosebumps appear on Brennan's previously smooth, unlined skin.

Angela rushed off to find a blanket, remembering the one in Tempe's office sprawled lazily on the couch. Meanwhile, back on the raised platform, Booth had pulled Temperance up on his lap and was holding her body close to his, figuring body heat was essential for her right now. Truth be told, he was holding her for more than one reason.

He had only ever see Brennan like this once before. The first time was one of the scariest couple of hours he would ever experience in his life time. He was so close, too close to losing his partner, the woman who had somehow managed to occupy most of the thoughts in his head, the woman who suddenly meant everything to him. He swore, swore to himself as he pulled her to him, her wrists still bound, that he would never let her fall victim to this all consuming vulnerability. The kind of vulnerability that stripped you bare, left you nothing, took away every last bit of soul you had, the helpless, scared victim of a killer. This second time around, he felt his chest constrict tighter, wounding tightly around an invisible reel. This killer was faceless and unknown.

He wasn't sure how to protect her this time.

Blanket in hand, Angela rushed back to the two figures on the floor and practically threw the blanket at Booth, hands shaking, her eyes deep with pooling masses of fear. Booth didn't waste precious seconds. Tucking the woolly blanket around Brennan, the sweet smell of her drifted up his nose, making him temporarily immobile. Images of her lovely face bombarded him.

"Booth?" Angela broke him from his reverie.

He shook his head and tilted his head towards the doors. "We have to get her to a hospital, now!"

The commotion on the platform stirred the curiosity of Zach and Hodgins, and they came scrambling up the metal stairs. In front, Hodgins stopped abruptly upon seeing Temperance draped over the arms of Booth, causing Zach to slam painfully into his back. Zach stepped back, expecting a comment from Hodgins, only to receive silence. His interest considerably piqued, he moved to stand beside him and felt his jaw drop heavily when he saw the scene before him.

"What's wrong with Dr. Brennan?" he looked towards a pale Angela, who only managed to look even more petrified.

"Booth?" Both boys turned on Booth, seeking information, seeking some kind of reassurance.

"She fainted." Was his hasty reply. He adjusted his hold on the still form by using his knee to hoist her higher up against his stomach.

He brushed past the boys and made his way quickly down the stairs, making sure to keep his arm up high enough to support the back of Brennan's head. Not once had he felt she needed him more than at this moment.

The brisk footsteps behind him announced the squints following hot on his heels, and he silently thanked them for the support their presence held for him.

Odd looks came from various workers around them, mostly ignored and uncared for by the people receiving them, their attention mostly on their boss.

The automatic doors at the entrance glided open as they approached, eight feet crossing the threshold. The warm breeze was a slap in the face for all of them; the cold inside a sharp contrast.

The black S.U.V stood imposing next to the rest of the cars in the car park; a F.B.I issued vehicle to take them to their answers. Booth motioned to Angela to open the back of the door, and she jumped in. Booth placed Tempe across the back of the seat, her head resting on Angela's lap. Booth leaned down and kissed her damp forehead softly, letting his lips say a quiet prayer against her skin. He closed his eyes briefly as he felt Angela's hand squeeze his arm, her voice hoarse."She'll be okay, Booth."

He nodded, his head lowered. "Make sure you follow close behind." He told Hodgins, Zach already seated and waiting in Jacks mini.

Booth jumped into the S.U.V and slammed the door closed. He heard a small whimper from the backseat, and he whipped around in time to hear a small mumble from Temperance. "What did she say?" He asked Angela.

She had clearly heard because she had sat back, her face full of remorse and sadness. "Angela? Angela? What did she say?" he tried again.

She looked up at him. "She said…she said…she…want's Christine..." Angela looked back down at her friend, who had faded back into weary unconsciousness.

Booth was confused. "Christine? Who's Christine?"

"Chris…..her mother." Angela's soft reply came, her hands busy brushing Brennan's hair soothingly.

Booth turned around in his seat and reached for his belt.

Christine. He knew who her mother was. Then why the shock? It was only natural for a child to call out for its parents in times of distress, he just never saw Brennan as someone who needed that. Sure she was a grown woman for one, but she was only 29, still so young.

Maybe because it was Brennan. The immensely independent woman who took care of herself. The woman buried deep beneath the walls of her self contained prison; a prison cut off from emotional feeling. This basic call for help, it was so unlike her. The one thing he could take familiarity with was the fact that she had never once complained of feeling sick, not once taking a day off to recover from a simple cold. Yeah right, just a cold? Angela was right, admit it, something is wrong. She's really sick this time...

He pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind, angry at himself for having little faith, and concentrated on getting them to the hospital. He turned the ignition key; the engine rolling over smoothly in response. In his review mirror he could see the tiny mini, a barely-there-excuse-for-a-car, following in close behind. He thanked God for his powers of an F.B.I man as he increased the pressure on the accelerate pedal, the S.U.V plummeting forward into the busy streets of Washington.

At 2:33 in the afternoon, it was in the middle of one of the most congested times of the day, and he cursed loudly when an elderly woman blindsided him and then proceeded to give him the finger. No-one could mistake that for a thumbs-up, well done.

He reached his hand out of the window and stuck the siren on the roof of the car, the loud ringing already deafening them. The blue and red flashes reflected off the large glass buildings as he drove by rapidly, making good time in dire circumstances. He could see the rising towers of the hospital now, the tightness in his chest lessening somewhat. His hands felt clammy and damp on the steering wheel as he pulled in sporadically in front of the doors of the entrance. His heart beat was playing the drums in tune with the steady stream of thoughts in his head.

He jammed on the breaks and the vehicle came to an abrupt stop. He had parked the S.U.V on an odd angle. He couldn't help the memory of laughing at the ding he had caused by telling Temperance to park like a normal person would when she had been given a flash new sports car from her editor. Sometimes she was just so gullible. More innocent in the ways of the world than she'd care to admit.

Lifting her from the backseat, he felt the slight shaking her body was making and frowned at Angela. She bit her lip. "It started a couple of minutes ago."

He tensed his back and brought Temperance against him once again. He tried not to let her new symptom worry him too much. This was getting too serious. She was even more paler than he could of thought possible, her neck exposed as her heavy head dropped back.

With the blanket secured around her body, he ran towards the doors. They opened as he drew near, and he was careful not to whack her long legs against anything as he passed through to the interior.

"Help! We need help here!" He yelled out frantically as soon as he could manage to swallow the lump in his throat.

A dozen curious faces looked up at the scene unravelling, a couple of doctors already by his side. A nurse had pulled up a gurney instantly and he placed Brennan's body atop it, the doctors crowding around, examining their new patient. Booth brushed his hand over his face roughly, watching as they placed an oxygen mask over her face, barking out vitals and observations. Standing near doors, he saw Angela talking to a nearby nurse, her hands making gestures dramatically, explaining the events leading up to this.

He watched as they wheeled Temperance down the cold, long hallway, and out of sight.

"Dammit!" he kicked the wall brutally, the people around him respectfully ignoring his outburst by looking away.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and Angela wrapped her arms around him, bringing him into a hug.

He returned it, the contact somehow reassuring him, calming his slipping composure. "Thank you" he whispered into her ear before pulling away.

"Sure"

The glass doors brought in Zach and Hodgins, both red in the face and out of breath. "What's happened?" Hodgins asked Booth.

Booth couldn't tear his gaze away from the empty hallway. In a voice full of fear, he said: "They took her away."

TBC

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EDITED: Okay, can I just take a moment to giggle at my stupidity? I just came back to re-read this chapter and realised how inconsistent I am. First I say Tempe has a fever and her heart is pumping like crazy, then I say her lips are cold and then I give her a fever and a blanket...I think it's best if we just brush those mistakes under the rug, eh. Oh, look! Birds! In the sky!