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The knock on the door startled Brennan from a troubled sleep. She opened her eyes and looked around. She had fallen asleep on her sofa, and late afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows. She sat up, shaking her head to clear it.
"Bones, open up! I know you're in there!" Booth knocked on the door again. He hoped she hurried up. He was fading fast, running on virtually no sleep in two days, but he wasn't leaving until he talked to her. "Bones!" He raised his hand to knock again, but before he could, the door opened. Her auburn hair was tousled from sleep, her clothes rumpled, and her eyes were puffy from lack of sleep, but he thought she had never looked more beautiful.
"Bones, are you okay?" He looked down at the bandage on her wrist, and anger flooded through him. "He hurt you."
"Booth, I'm fine." She moved back and he walked through the door, never taking his eyes off of her. "How bad?"
"I told you, I'm fine." She shut the door. "Look, Booth, I..."
"Bones, what in the hell were you thinking?!" He raked his fingers through his hair, and started pacing.
The sharpness of his words shocked her. She knew he would be angry, but not like this. "I did what I had to do."
"You should have told me!" He stopped pacing and turned to face her. "I would have figured something out, some other way without..."
"There wasn't any other way!" She heard how harsh her words sounded, and her voice softened. "He's your son, Booth. I'm just..."
"There's nothing 'just' about you, Temperance. You have to know that." He reached out, caressing her cheek with his fingers. "Do you have any idea how I felt when I realized what you were doing?"
He face tingled where his fingers had touched her. "Booth... I didn't have a choice. He had your son. I know how much you love him, how important he is to you.."
"And you're not?!" He took hold of her arms and forced her to look at him. "Don't you know what you mean to me? Do you really think I would ask you to trade your life for Parker's?"
"I did what I had to do, Booth." Her voice grew soft. "You would have done it for me."
"We're not talking about me!"
"Maybe we should be!" She was starting to get angry. "You can risk your life for me, but I'm not allowed to do the same?!"
Booth stood there, not knowing what to say.
"Is that your alpha male tendencies asserting itself?! You talk about what I mean to you, what about what you mean to me? You're the only person in my life who hasn't left me, who has never let me down!" She didn't realize that tears had started to form in her eyes. "You've done so much for me, more than anyone!"
"Temperance."
"You helped me find out what happened to my mother. You reunited me with my brother, and helped me find my father."
"Temperance..."
You risked your job for me, not once, but twice, once in New Orleans, and then when you let my father go!"
He moved closer to her, saying her name once more. "Temperance!"
She went on, seeming not to hear. "So don't think for one minute that you..."
Her words were cut off as he pulled her into his arms, and brought his lips to hers. Heat flooded through her, and she forgot everything except the feel of his lips, his touch. She brought her arms up and wrapped them around his body, running her hands down his back.
Booth brought his hands up to cup her face, and gently pulled back to look at her.
Brennan opened her eyes slowly. Why was he stopping?
Booth smiled at the confusion in her eyes. "Are you finished, or are you going to yell at me some more?"
Brennan didn't have a clue what he was talking about. She just wanted him to kiss her again. "I don't..." What was he saying? "What?" She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. What had she been saying? Wait, that's right. She was angry at him. "Booth..." She stopped. "Wait. Why did you do that?"
"Do what? Kiss you?" She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. "Why? Didn't you like it?" He couldn't resist teasing her, knowing how much he had thrown her.
"No, I..." She stopped and turned away, embarrasment turning her cheeks pink. "Look Booth, I'm kind of tired, and if you..."
He reached out and took her arm, pulling her back to face him. "Temperance." He sat down on the sofa, pulling her down to sit beside him. He took her hands in his. "What you did was stupid, reckless, dangerous,..."
Anger filled her, and she tried to pull her hands away. "Booth..."
"...and the most selfless, caring, wonderful thing anyone's ever done for me." She looked into his eyes, and the anger melted away. "And you scared the hell out of me, because I realized..." He paused.
"What?" she whispered. "What did you realize?"
"That I can't lose you. That, besides Parker, you mean everything to me." He pulled her closer. "That I love you, and I couldn't let you go without telling you."
Brennan looked into his eyes, and saw the truth in his words. This is what she had been waiting for, searching for, all her life. She just hadn't known it until now. This man before her meant everything to her. He was the reason for everything she did, every decision she made. He was the reason she stayed, the reason she hadn't gone away with Sully. Not her job, not her friends, though they were important to her also. It was Booth, who could always make her smile in the worst situations, who always knew exactly what to say or do. Who was always there to comfort her. And she knew, as she looked into his eyes, that he alone would never leave her.
"Temperance?" She wasn't saying anything, just staring at him, and he was starting to worry. Maybe he shouldn't have told her. Maybe it was too much all at once. Maybe she didn't feel the same way. Oh, God, what had he done? He was ruining their partnership, their friendship. Maybe he could take it back. Don't be stupid! That was not something you could take back. Besides, he didn't want to take it back. He meant everything he had said. Although, now he was starting to panic. Get hold of yourself, Booth!
"Say something, Temperance. Please..."
She had so much she wanted to say, but she didn't know how. She was just so tired, and she knew if she tried to say anything, she would just mess it up. "Booth, I don't... I just, can't do this right now..." The tears came again, and he pulled her to him, putting his arms around her. She laid her head on his chest. "Shh, it's okay." His hands rubbed circles on her back as he held her. She closed her eyes, content with the feeling of being in his arms. As her breathing evened, he smiled, looking down and placing a soft kiss on her head. He closed his eyes, a smile on his face, and let sleep finally claim him.
Only one more chapter to go! You know what to do! Go on, click the button, you know you want to!