Disclaimer: They are not mine but I thoroughly enjoy making them do as I please…

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and the encouragement to continue this story; I deeply appreciate your responses.

Angela looked at her two friends, wondering how they were going to manage. All Booth's damage was on his right side and all Bren's was on the left, but they were insisting it would be alright.

"Are you two sure you can do this by yourselves because I can take a couple of days off and help, really it would be no problem"

"Ange if you're not at the lab, who is going to keep the boys in line? They'll be racing bugs all day and nothing will get done. We'll be fine and if we need you we can always call." Temperance offered a small smile. She knew Angela was just being protective but it was going to be hard enough to figure things out with just Booth here and another person would just make it harder. "I have all the prescriptions, we have stocked the fridge, we now have a television and movies and other than a desperate need for a shower I can't imagine anything else we could require."

Angela walked closer to Temperance, "do you want me to stay and help you shower?"

Brennan's face blushed, "no that's okay, Booth can help me with the shower."

"I know I always wanted you two together but it's taking a little getting used to, I forget that you're a couple. I'm sure part of that is because I've only seen you in a hospital bed but we'll all be up and going out again soon, right?" Angela had been concerned about Bren since she was found, she had been too quiet, not like herself and although Ange knew she was dealing with the trauma something seemed to be bothering her on another level.

"Right."

"You'd say anything to get me out of here right now wouldn't you?"

Temperance gave her a laugh, "honestly, yes."

"Okay, okay, I'm going." Booth had walked into the kitchen, coming up behind Temperance and smiling at Angela. "No driving and call if you need anything. Take good care of each other, I'll check back later."

When the door closed they both sighed heavily.

"At last, some peace and quiet, I just want to shower, take a pill and lie down. How about you?" He was grinning his famous smile at her and she reached up to touch his face, still confirming, even after a week, that it was him. He didn't mind, he liked her touch and the consistent flutter of her fingers against him throughout the day brought him a level of comfort also.

"You read my mind, I just don't sleep well in the hospital, all that banging through the night and I'll never understand why they need to come wake you to check vitals in the middle of the night, it's just not logical. They tell you that you need rest and then spend all their time interrupting your rest."

He was laughing and the sound immediately calmed her. He had been with her since she opened her eyes in the hospital and still it wasn't enough. The fear of losing him was palpable and no matter how much she touched him or how long she stared at him there seemed to be no relief from it.

"Okay, let's get these casts wrapped up and see if we can't manage to get through a shower together. Where are those plastic covers for the casts?"

"In the bag from the pharmacy, I'll get them."

They headed into the bathroom and she started to take off her shirt when he reached over, "let me help you with that." He eased it over her head and discarded it, carefully undressing her until she stood naked before him. He turned on the water and turned back to her, looking at her injuries for the first time. There were a lot of bruises, a clear handprint on her arm, a dark long one across her shoulder, across her ribs and hip and at least a dozen smaller ones in between. The bandage near her side where the chest tube had reinflated her lung was bandaged today when the stitches were removed before they came home. He ran his hand ever so gently over the marks, from the deepest plum to the palest yellow spot, his eyes growing dark, his expression moving between sorrow and anger.

"If he wasn't already dead I'd kill him for this." His words hissed from his lips sliding down the blade of his anger.

"The bruises weren't the painful part." Her eyes were shining as he looked up to see tears trickling down her cheeks. He began smoothing them away with his thumb. "I," she paused for a long time, "Seeley, I'm not ready to talk about this." The tears kept coming.

"It's okay, you don't have to, when ever you're ready I'll be right here."

"I'm tired of crying, I feel like my face has sprung a leak and I can't get it to stop." She wiped at her eyes in annoyance.

"Careful Bones, that was almost humor." He smiled, following her lead to lighter conversation. "Come on; let's get this hospital smell off of us." She helped him undress himself and they set about their task.

The shower took more out of them than either one was willing to admit. Brennan was surprised at how weak her body seemed to be after only a week of being inactive. Despite the sweats and t-shirts dressing had been more difficult than they anticipated and due to her rib Temperance decided a bra was out of the question. They had moved slowly and she was sure that once they got a routine down the whole thing would become easier but for now it was just exhausting.

"I need to lie down for a while, do you mind if we watch a movie later?" She sounded both apologetic and tired.

"No, I'm wiped out, sleep sounds like a great idea." He didn't move, suddenly unsure of what to do, looking to her for some indication of what she wanted, what she needed.

She held out her good hand to him, "are you coming?" He moved toward her with relief walking contentedly to the bedroom. She pulled the blinds and they climbed into bed, she curled into the crook of his good arm with things swirling in her head she wanted to say to him. It just wasn't the time.

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Seeley woke with a start, she was crying in her sleep, murmuring the word no over and over, struggling against him and growing more anxious.

He placed his hand on her shoulder, "Temperance." She slowed but didn't wake. "Temperance, wake up it's only a dream." Suddenly her eyes flew open and she jerked forcefully, crying out in both fear and pain, her hand instinctually going to her injured side. She was breathing hard, blinking, trying to orient herself. "Hey, it was only a dream."

His voice was gentle, a thin line she could follow back to reality. Her side and arm were throbbing so she lay back down. Every time she closed her eyes it was the same, the gunshots, the blood and Seeley's body being dragged past her. How could she love him and be so filled with fear at the same time? She felt like she was being split in two. Would they ever have a normal life together? When ever he walked out the door the possibility that he would not return existed. She knew how it would feel to lose him and wondered, if it had been for more than one day, would she have survived it?

She knew she was obsessively touching him; she felt clingy and needy and hated herself for it but was powerless to stop the reaction in herself. How could this have happened? How could she have been SO wrong about David? What did that say about her ability to judge people's character? Booth had been right about him from the beginning; he said he didn't trust him, that there was something squirrelly about him. He had said it was his gut instinct; she would laugh at the irony if it wasn't so painful.

She felt him stroke her hair, the even rhythm meant to calm her.

Booth, she had to figure out what to do about him. She knew she loved him too much to be able to walk away. She wanted him to hold her, to make her feel the way he did before all this happened, before all these bad feelings became tangled up in their good ones. How could she ever accept him doing his job now? She knew it wasn't rational, he wasn't hurt at work but the knowledge remained that he could be. She wanted to withdraw from him, to shut down and not allow him to love her, to protect herself. She was surprised that she couldn't do it. He had seeped into every part of her, making it impossible to just shove him away and close the door without destroying herself. She had no defense mechanism to use against loving him and the knowledge of what that could cost her was terrifying.

She thought he had fallen back to sleep so his voice made her jump, "let's get up and fix something to eat, we should have something on our stomachs and besides I'm a little afraid of what Angela will do if she comes back and we haven't eaten all day." He adjusted slightly and looked down at her, "are you okay?"

"I'm trying to be."

"That's all that matters." He awkwardly lifted his cast and turned her face toward his. He leaned down, barely brushing his lips over hers, testing her, letting her choose. She closed the distance, kissing him, slowly tasting him, letting her tongue hesitantly touch his as the familiar warmth spread through her.

He released her, "I've wanted to do that for a week." She squeezed him against her with her one good arm, a quick tight hug of reassurance. Her tears were threatening again so she just offered him a small smile. He climbed carefully from the bed and helped her up, following her to the kitchen.

"How about I keep the cooking simple, scrambled eggs with cheese and mushrooms and some toast? What do you think?" He was trying to be cheery, they seem to be having a hard time shaking the dark ominous feeling that had been with them since the incident.

"That actually sounds good, can I help?" She liked being busy, it kept her mind off things.

"Well, you can handle the toast, I'll do the eggs." He was already pulling things from the fridge and putting them on the counter. A moment later she heard him gasp.

"Damn it!" He walked to the sink and ran his finger under water. "It's hard to cut mushrooms with one hand." He sounded like Parker, explaining an accident in terms of his problem. She came over and took his hand from the water, looking at the cut, it wasn't bad but they were not in a position to lose the function of any more limbs. She went and got a Band-Aid and gently dried and bandaged his finger, softly kissing it when she was finished.

"Parker told me that makes it better."

"He's a smart kid." He was blushing a little, being treated like his son and so thoroughly enjoying it.

They finished cooking and sat down to eat, deciding the meal preparation had still been easier than the shower. Temperance was surprised to find out how hungry she was once she started eating and actually how much better she felt when they were done. She called Angela and requested that she stop and pick up a food processor so they could get things chopped or sliced without any more bodily damage and a chess set she added suddenly, she wanted to play Booth.

He watched her on the phone, knowing something was off with her and unable to put his finger on it. He could see her thinking, trying to work her way through all the thoughts and emotions trapped within her. He had seen her looking at him as though she wanted to say something but just didn't have the words. There had been a few times when he felt part of her curl away from him, even as she reached out to touch him something in her was backing away. It worried him that she may find her way back into that fortress that kept her from him for so long. Now, having loved her freely he couldn't imagine loosing her in that way. He knew she had to find her way through it and eventually, when she had a handle on what she believed and what she still questioned she would speak. Until then, he waited.

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After two weeks of being together they had settled into a routine, managing the domestic chores together, watching movies and television to expand Temperance's cultural knowledge and playing chess in the evenings. He was far better than he implied and their games sometimes became intense as they tried to out strategize each other. She looked forward to their game each night, it kept her mind active and engaged, demanded her attention. They kept careful track of how many wins each of them had, allowing each other to use the wins to call in favors. They would discuss their day, the news, the programs they watched and what the next day would bring. They were comfortable in a way, cocooned within their world, letting time move them away from what had happened to them.

All was not as cozy as it appeared though because there were too many things they did not discuss. Booth let her set the pace in everything and often her actions confused him. She would kiss him passionately and then move away as the dark shadow he had come to recognized crossed her eyes. He could feel the want in her, but it would slip away and he didn't want to pressure her. He had spent almost three solid weeks with her and everyday the ache to have her grew stronger. He desperately missed her and she was right in front of him. There were moments when they were in the middle of a game of chess or preparing a meal that he would make her laugh and he would see the old sparkle in her eye but just as quickly it was gone.

They had company, Angela, Jack, Zach, Dr. Goodman and even Cullen had been by to see them and she would engage in conversation, manage to smile, almost appearing to be herself but still somehow falling short of the woman they all knew. She had made an extra effort when Parker came, trying to keep things as normal as possible for him. He had a thousand questions about their casts and sat very contently on Brennan's lap while she let him draw all over hers. Seeley had a glimmer of hope that day, loving her for trying in front of Parker, for wanting to protect him from the realization that anything was wrong.

Physically they were healing, the bruises were just about gone and the incision was well on its way to being a small scar between her ribs. She was frustrated by her cast, often banging it and sighing loudly in frustration when it inhibited her ability to get something done. She was still plagued by nightmares and sometimes in the early morning when it was a particularly bad one, she would slip into her study and write for a while. He didn't like waking without her, her absence echoing the way he felt about her, causing him to start his day sadly, filled with longing. He would get up and make them breakfast and she would always come out, just before it was done, knowing by scent and sound that it was time to join him.

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Today there would be a change in their routine, Angela was coming to take them for doctor's appointments, the ride was pleasant, each of them having their own agendas for the visit. Angela was filled with gossip from work, Zach had a crush on the new waitress at Wong Fu's and Jack was going to kill Goodman before Brennan got back. Angela wanted to ask out this hot guy that was bar tending at the club down the street, he was an artist trying to make a living until his work was discovered so they had a lot in common. She was oozing excitement and chatted most of the way there about the many possibilities for them.

The office was too bright, Booth watched her pacing, waiting for the orthopedic doctor to make an appearance. He could tell she was geared up for something.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Jeffery Allen and you must be Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan, or I'm in the wrong room." He chuckled at his own joke, nodding at each of them during the introduction.

"It's Dr. Brennan." Her voice was stern and Seeley felt for the poor middle aged man with the receding hairline that had no idea what was barreling in his direction.

"Well Dr. Brennan, your x-rays looked good, you're at the half way point…"

"Cut it off." She was pulling at the cast and he looked at her in shock.

"Dr. Brennan the bones take a certain time to heal and…" Seeley wished he could just tell the man to stop talking.

"Dr. Allen I'm a forensic anthropologist with the Jeffersonian institute, I have spent my life studying bones and I am fully aware of how long they take to heal. This was a clean fracture and I am secure that it will be fine. Now cut this off of me or I'll do it myself. I'll take a removable air cast for sleeping, but this is coming off right now." She stood straight, waiting for him to challenge her again and from her stance it appeared to Booth she could get physical with the guy. Dr. Allen looked over to Booth for help.

Booth raised his hands in defense, "don't look at me, I'd just do what the lady says if I were you."

Dr. Allen shook his head, a weary expression settling there, "you'll have to sign a release stating this is against my medical advice and I'll do what you ask. Please tell me Mr. Booth that your request is easier.

"Well, not really, I'm here for a removal also, and just the hand splint to go. I need to be able to drive and this cast is just not cutting it. You might as well just break out your saw." He could see Bones behind the doctor grinning at him, a grin he hadn't seen in too long and he smiled back at her.

"I'll be right back with your forms and in the meantime you two can take a few moments to reconsider this decision." He left quickly, looking relieved to be leaving the room.

"I didn't know you were going to have your cast cut off today." He was still grinning at her.

"I didn't know that was you intention either, are you sure only one bone in your hand was broken. If it was stepped on there could have been multiple fractures." Her voice wavered a little when she suggested it was stepped on but as she was speaking he realized she didn't know how it had been broken; she thought it happened at the cabin. This was as close to conversation about that time as she had come, even though it was clinical.

"My hand wasn't stepped on; the injury didn't happen at the cabin." He was hesitant to mention the cabin but was sure that mentioning David's name would be worse.

She looked confused, "Booth how exactly did you break your hand?"

"I punched that FBI issued Chevy on the dash a few times. It was after I received the phone call from Angela that you were missing, I was on my way to the Jeffersonian and I had a little episode where my anger got the better of me." He watched her carefully, wondering suddenly how much of the actual events were still a mystery to her.

She was surprised; shocked actually, she had assumed his injury came from David. Her brain recoiled at the thought of him while she wondered how much there was she didn't know, should know so she could put it behind her. She could see Booth at the moment he described, angry, afraid, speeding down the streets beating on his dash board in frustration, so hard that he broke his hand. She looked over at him, standing there holding his cast and it dawned on her that she had been so overwhelmed she had forgotten that she hadn't gone through this alone, it didn't just happen to her. He had been here all this time dealing with her and with his own demons. She was alone in her thoughts because she wanted to be to figure things out but he was alone because she had shut him out.

"Booth, I…"

"Okay you will both have to sign this form and then we can cut those off and you can be on your way." Dr. Allen burst back into the room and was handing them each a form and turned to plug in the small hand held saw.

"We'll talk when we get home, okay?" He smiled at her, not really sure of exactly what her words meant, his stomach turned over and he only managed a nod to her that he understood.

"Who's first?" Dr. Allen looked from one to the other, moving toward Temperance when she waived him over to her.

It only took a few moments and they were both free of the cumbersome casts. Dr. Allen gave them both prescriptions for their braces and let them know there was a medical supply facility where they could pick them up just down the street.

Angela was in the waiting room and noticed immediately that the casts were gone.

"Hey, your casts are off, I thought you had another three weeks."

Booth answered quickly, "apparently we're quick healers." He was grinning and Temperance had a conspiratorial smile on her face.

"Why do I think something went on in there?" Angela lifted her brow, glancing at her two friends.

"Hey the good news is that I'm cleared to drive." He put out his hand in Angela's direction.

"Not my car you're not but it was a nice try Booth." She was laughing, tossing her keys and heading out the door. Behind her Temperance let out a small laugh and Angela couldn't help but feel that something besides their casts had been removed in that office.

They stopped to pick up carry out from Wong Fu's on the way home and Temperance realized this would be the first meal they hadn't fixed themselves in a couple of weeks. Temperance liked the routine of mealtime they had established, in the kitchen together, preparing and fussing. Booth had dubbed her his assistant and they often talked and laughed through the process, it felt warm and domestic, normal in a way she previously thought was out of her reach.

When the meal was done and Angela was gone they began cleaning up the kitchen.

"You know Bones she has been a really good friend through all of this and with all the errands and driving around as well as keeping an eye on things at work it had to have been hectic. I think we should do something special for her to say thank you, I just don't know what."

Temperance was touched by his thoughtfulness and knew he was right; Angela had been indispensable in the last few weeks.

"I think you're right, we'll have to come up with something that would make a statement. She deserves some type of recognition from us. Let's think on it over the next couple of days and see if we can't figure out what would really surprise her." She paused, looking oddly nervous, "speaking of appreciation, that reminds me, we need to talk, if that's okay."

His stomach clenched and he looked nervously around the room.

"Yeah, that's fine. I was just going to pour a glass of wine, would you like one?" He really wasn't but when she mentioned talking he thought it might do them both some good.

"That would be great, in the living room; I'd like to be comfortable." She was thinking about what she was actually going to say to him. Where would she possibly begin and when it was all said and done where would it leave them?

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TBC…you know what's coming…hit the button, tell me what you think, is it time for an M/MA chapter?...