Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, the flu is bad this year and then I started to just get inspired with other stories and lost inspiration with this one. Also, spoiler with the Gormogon storyline.

Things had moved quickly after the explosion in the lab. While Brennan and Zack were stuck in the hospital, it was deduced that Zack had been working with Gormogon. After speaking with the intern, Booth was able to kill the serial killer in his home.

"Dr. B, I would feel a lot better if you just waited for Booth to get here." Hodgins mumbled. He had been placed on bodyguard duty while Booth was finishing up paperwork and after-shooting interviews with the FBI.

"I need to get my strength back, standing up and moving around for a few minutes at a time will help with that." Brennan responded in her matter-of-fact tone, which only made Hodgins shake his head. He didn't know who he feared more, Booth or Brennan. One was his boss, the other had a gun.

"Bren, sweetie, Booth will kill Hodgins, can we just play by the rules so my boyfriend doesn't die?" Angela responded, her eyes flitting with entertainment as she walked up to her best friend and helped maneuver the IV pole so Brennan wouldn't get tangled. Hodgins rolled his eyes at his girlfriend's lackluster attempt to help him.

"Booth has been gone for a couple hours, I believe he will be gone for at least another 45 minutes, if not another hour, so we can be back in the room before he shows up." Brennan calculated, as she and Angela slowly walked down the hallway. Hodgins begrudgingly followed along, hoping Brennan was right.

-BB-

The nurses at the nurses' station smiled as they saw Booth approaching. They all giggled and pointed as he approached. He knew that he was easy on the eyes and usually he would throw his charm smile on to get what he wanted, but right now he needed to see Brennan and something about being flirtatious with someone before seeing her made him feel uncomfortable.

"Can we help you find a room, sweetheart?" An older nurse asked. She was the only one that didn't flirt with Booth, which he appreciated. He shook his head and smiled politely.

"Just here to check in on Dr. Temperance Brennan." He replied and made his way to her room. He pulled out his phone as he opened the door, scrolling through the notifications as he entered the room. "Sorry those interviews took so long, Bones, hopefully bug boy didn't bore you too much-" He stopped as he looked up and found an empty room. Angela's purse was still there and Hodgins' messenger bag lay abandoned on the floor. Brennan's bed was disheveled, but there was no sign of force or kidnapping. Turning on his heel, Booth was prepared to burn the hospital down to find them, when he made eye contact with his beloved partner. "BONES! What did I say? STAY IN BED!"

The nurses station giggled as he glared down the hallway. Brennan rolled her eyes. Her steps were slow and Angela was walking next to her, keeping the IV pole in step with her friend. Booth knew he shouldn't be this worried, but after the past few days, he just needed to know Brennan was safe and sound. After the popped stitch, the doctors also worked on reexamining her fractured ribs and Brennan mentioned some issues regarding her sternum. She was still in immense pain, and Booth knew she needed to move, but would have preferred he was there to help.

"I'm fine, Booth. I read an article which states that walking can help with the healing process due to blood flow to th-"

"Just get back in bed." Booth said in his exasperated tone. "Seriously, bug boy? I leave for like 3 hours and she's out of bed?" Hodgins bowed his head and shrugged.

"You know how she gets!" Jack responded and Booth smirked. His Bones would never make it easy for anyone.

-BB-

"You know, I can be alone, I understand how long the past couple days have been for you." Brennan murmured as she watched her partner, his eyes heavy with sleep. The chair he had stationed himself in for the past couple days would do nothing to help his back.

"Bones, your nightmares haven't been getting better, you are recovering from another traumatic event. We went through this at the lab, just let me protect you." He replied, his tone was soft, so Brennan knew she hadn't annoyed him.

"I just don't want you to get hurt, your back-"

"Will be fine." Booth completed her sentence and repositioned the chair so it was now facing her bed. His hands resting lightly on her thigh, her heart rate immediately began to rise. Booth smirked as the machine gave her away. "We haven't talked about what happened at the lab after the explosion."

"We kissed." Brennan responded, her voice only slightly above a whisper. "What you said, it made me feel," She looked at Booth, his eyes sparkling, anticipating her next words. "Safe. I liked the feeling, I wanted you to know I liked the feeling."

"I want to feel safe with me." He responded, his eyes never leaving hers, his hand traveling up her thigh to her hands, which were laying in her lap. Intertwining their fingers, he gently stroked his thumb over her knuckles. "Only me." He murmured.

"I've always felt safe with you, Booth, but I don't know, this was different." She looked down at their hands, the feeling of warmth in her stomach was something she hadn't felt in a while. She wasn't used to having crushes anymore, but Booth had this way of bringing her back to schoolyard with him pulling one of her pigtails. Booth was smiling at her, he knew what she was feeling, but didn't want to scare her. I love you too. He thought to himself, her eyes completely vulnerable.

"I know what you mean." He murmured, which only caused her brow to furrow. How could he know what I mean when I don't even know what I'm feeling? She asked herself, but then again this was Booth and emotions, he was always 10 steps ahead. "I'm not going to rush you." He murmured, bringing her hand to his mouth and pressing a light kiss to her knuckles. She felt her stomach flutter and the skin under his lips tingle.

He knew this wouldn't be quick, it would take time. Bones needed time. She needed to understand what she was feeling and right now she was confused. She was scared.

"I don't want to lose you." She whispered. This caused Booth to whip his head up to look at her. Her eyes welled with tears, her heart on her sleeve.

"You won't lose me. You'll never lose me." He shook his head as he racked his brain as to where she got that idea. "I'm not your dad or your brother." He tried and she shook her head. Untangling her hand from his, she broke it to the wound in the middle of her chest.

"You tried to step in front of the bullet." She responded and he understood.

"I would do it in a heartbeat." He retorted and she frowned.

"That's what I'm scared of, Booth. I can't live without you. You've been the consistent in my life and romance brings new challenges. Our jobs bring enough fear and unknown, but what happens if we fight?" She asked and he reached up and gently took her hand once more.

"We talk about it. We talk through the issues. We might have to compromise. Sometimes we'll scream, or say things we don't mean in the moment, but then we'll come back and we'll forgive. Then." He paused and lowered his voice. "We'll have amazing makeup sex." He heard her chuckle. "Bones, we've been fighting since we first met and we've always come back to each other. Just now we get to kiss instead of hug." He squeezed her hand and she squeezed it back.

"What happens if you find someone more compatible?" She asked, her tone completely serious, but he couldn't help scoffing.

"Temperance, if you can't see that I'm madly, head over heels, romantic comedy movie style into you, then you're blind." He responded with his signature charm smile and she furrowed her brow.

"I don't know what that means."

"It means that a supermodel can walk through the door and I still would only have eyes for you. That you are the perfect mixture of brains and beauty. You push my buttons and intrigue me, you make me think and infuriate me and God I want to kiss you all the fucking time." He sighed. "It's not just the physical, it's not just the chemical for me, I'm sure we'll be amazing in bed." He wiggled his brows and she laughed. "It's the conversation, you talk to me like no one else has, you make me think, you make me a better man."

"But Booth, you're already an amazing person." She said genuinely and he smiled.

"I'm glad you think so, because it makes convincing you to date me a little easier." He grinned and she chuckled.

"I just can't help but worry that if things go wrong, I'll lose my best friend." She mumbled, a tear slipping down her cheek, and he was quick to wipe it away.

"Then we try our hardest to make it work. Relationships are hard work. But I think with your brains and my can-do attitude, we can do it." He joked, and then grew serious. "C'mon, Temperance, give us a chance." He stood up leaning his forehead against hers and gently brushed his lips over hers. For a moment he feared he had pushed her too far when she didn't respond, then he felt a featherlight kiss.

The kiss grew more passionate as the duo began to explore one another. His tongue requested entrance. She moaned into his mouth as he groaned in pleasure. His hand laced into her silky auburn hair. It wasn't until she attempted to bring her hands up to his hair and her IV got stuck that they realized where they were and pulled back. Chocolate brown met icy blue and it was like reading each other's souls.

"Okay." She whispered, her breathing still heavy as she stared into his eyes.

"Okay?" He repeated, a slow smile gracing his lips.

"Let's give it a go." She reiterated and he slowly descended upon her mouth once more.