He didn't know what he had expected when he "came back from the dead, " but the cold shoulder he'd been getting wasn't what he'd anticipated. Ever since Zach had turned out to be Gormogon's apprentice, he'd watched Bones push everyone away. He hated to see his long, hard work of chiseling away those walls be for naught. But, he knew that in her own way, she had felt responsible for Zach. And, he was last in a long line of people that betrayed and abandoned her. He thought that was what was making her look so lost.

He'd tried to be there for her, showing up with Wong Foo's late at night when he saw her lights were still on. He'd even offered to let her drive. She'd just shaken her head and gazed out the window. It seemed that he couldn't do anything right. She was distant, responding to his questions, but not really talking. Usually he could tell what was going on in her head. The saying "the eyes are the windows to the soul" really described how he read her. Just by looking into her fascinatingly blue eyes, he could almost see what she was thinking. Lately, her eyes have just looked dead and tired. He knew that she was working herself to the bone. Ha ha, to the bone. He chuckled inwardly at his own pun. Or, so he though.

"What Booth?" He turned and saw her looking at him quizzically.

"Huh?"

"What's so funny? I was describing to you how the victim had died, and you giggled. Did I say something that was amusing?" He sighed. She'd been aloof and argumentative like that for a few weeks. It made him want to grab her and kiss her senseless. Of course, he was fairly sure that if he did that he'd, what had Angela told Hodgins, walk funny for a week? He looked up and found her watching at him expectantly.

"Sorry, I haven't been sleeping well lately and my mind wandered off. I was just remembering something Parker did last weekend." She seemed to find this answer acceptable and turned back to the skull sitting on the lab table. It was Friday morning, and he had come to the lab to finish up paperwork left from their last case. He'd found her examining a limbo case and he'd inquired about it, just to get her talking.

He glanced over at her as she leaned in close to the skull. He loved to watch her when she was focusing. The way her forehead wrinkled when she was calculating in her head, the way her eyes got this distant look as if she was picturing the crime happening. He'd never been this way with anyone else. Not even Rebecca, and at the time, he thought he was in love with her. Now he wasn't so sure. When he and Rebecca were together, when she worked at the table, he watched TV or read. Not once did he recall just sitting there watching her.

"What Booth? Why do you keep staring at me? It's extremely distracting, and I'd like to get this limbo case done today. I can't do that with you gaping at me. You've dropped off the paperwork I need to sign. So, why are you still here?" Wow. She looked amazing when she was annoyed. He made a personal note to annoy her as much as possible, when they moved passed this little tiff thing they were in.

"Geez, sorry Bones. Excuse me for zoning out. Man, I thought you'd be nicer to me, you know, with the whole stepping in front of a bullet for you thing." As soon as it was out of his mouth, he regretted it. Her eyes suddenly flashed with anger, darkening to almost navy. She walked over and got into his face.

"Don't you dare throw that in my face." She punctuated face by poking him in the chest. Unfortunately for him, it was very near where he'd been shot. He flinched before he could stop it; his breath came out in a hiss and clenched his jaw. He watched her face blanch and grow pale. And, he might add, at a very alarming rate as she began to wobble. Had she been eating or sleeping at all lately?

"Oh god, Booth I'm so sorry." She placed her open hand gently over the healing wound, her eyes locked with his. She whispered something, but he didn't quite catch it. It seemed he had a one track mind when in contact with her, and he was in the process of cataloging the feel of her palm on his chest for later review.

"What Bones?"

"Did it hurt?" She whispered it, and it was barely audible over the hustle and bustle of the lab. He didn't really know what to say. Should he tell her it hurt like hell, but wasn't anything new? Should he tell her no, that the shock made it so he didn't really feel anything? Should he tell her the truth or fudge it a little. In the end, he chose a different route. He watched her head duck down, trying to find anything to focus on except for him.

"Well, yeah it hurt. But you know what made it all okay?" He crooked his finger under her chin and lifted her face. He was totally taken aback when he found tears in her eyes. God, now he felt like a huge jerk.

"What?" She was blinking furiously, and his lips quirked at how cute she looked.

"I knew that if I was going to die, the last thing in this world that I would remember is holding your hand, and looking into your eyes." He stopped, watching something flicker deep in her eyes. She tried to look down as a single tear found its way down her porcelain cheek. However, with his finger still under her chin, he lightly pulled her head back up, his other hand snaking up and wiping the tear away.

"Bones…" He was totally captivated by her eyes and the way they shimmered with unshed tears. He felt himself leaning in, and while one part of his brain was screaming no no no, his body and most of his brain was screaming yes yes yes. He was getting ever closer, and his eyes drifted shut. All of a sudden, she pushed him with all her might. His eyes flew open and he slammed into another lab table with an audible bang. He reached around and started massaging where his back had hit the table.

"Ow!" He looked up and saw tears streaming down her face.

"Stay away from me Booth."

Not once had he ever heard her say anything to him with such anger. But, laced in there was detectable anguish that made his heart squeeze. He looked at her. Her eyes were open wide and her chest was heaving. He took a step towards her hoping to console her, but she held up a hand. She turned and walked away, not once looking back. His eyes followed her as she grabbed her coat and stormed out.

He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He looked around and saw that everyone had dutifully ducked their heads. Good, he thought, sometimes squints really were smart. He mulled for a second, how the hell was he going to get Bones to melt this icy exterior she'd recently adopted. Then, the proverbial light bulb clicked on, and he walked to Angela's office.

"Angela, is Bones okay? I understand that she's upset about Zach, why wouldn't she be. But usually I can get through, or rather, she lets me in. Not this time, she's totally blocked me out and nothing that I do is helping. As a matter of fact, I think it's hurting." He drew in a shaky breath and ran his hand through his hair. He looked up at Angela and found her looking at him, eyes wide with surprise.

"What?"

"Are you kidding me? First of all, of course the Zach thing is killing her. But that's not all of it. You have to see it from her point of view. Her whole life people have left her. Her whole life. So she's been independent, relying on only herself. Then you come along with your smooth voice and your honorable lifestyle and bust your way through her barriers. She was happier than I have ever seen her. She was getting out of the lab, she was being with people, and for once in her life, she wasn't completely and totally focused on her work. She's making time for her family, she's visiting Amy's girls, for God's sake, she just built a multi-million dollar bridge for a little town so a baby could have a good childhood." She was slowly inching her way towards him, and he found himself backed up against the wall. "She has changed drastically because of you. And the reason she's blocking everyone out, is because you, the person who has been forcing her to feel died. You died Booth."

"I thought she could compartmentalize well? Isn't that what she told Sweets? I mean, she didn't seem very upset at my funeral. Well, besides wailing on my face. Then she kept saying how my funeral was a waste of time…" He trailed off.

"Booth, after you blacked out at the Checkerbox, she cried. And I don't mean the whole misty eyed with a few tears. I mean there was a heavy stream of tears pouring down her face. I saw her close off the minute the doctors told us you had died. She doesn't know, but I sat outside her door for awhile just to make sure she was alright. You should've heard the sobs. These were gut wrenching, make you throw up, sobs. It took all of my power to not bust in there and hug her until she stopped crying. But you know her, the reason she waited until she got home was so no one would see that she needed someone."

He opened his mouth to say something, but Angela shot him a look that made him snap his mouth shut.

"The next morning I showed up early and let myself into the apartment. The clothes that she was wearing the night before were in the trash, soaking wet from her showering with them on. I went into her bedroom and found her curled up next to a suitcase, her cheeks streaked with makeup. So don't you dare sit there and tell me she wasn't upset by your death. The reason she is shutting everyone out is because you left her." Angela was basically in his face now, and her face was a tad red from exertion. Taking a deep breath, she backed up and sat down.

He had no idea what to think. His heart had broken several times during the course of Angela's rant and he hadn't really gathered his bearings yet. He blinked his eyes against the gathering moisture. He didn't really trust his voice, so he just looked at her, his eyebrows raised. When she didn't say anything, he cleared his throat, hoping it would add a little strength to his voice.

"So…" His voice cracked. Great, he thought as his cheeks tinged slightly red. He cleared his throat again.

"So, what're you suggesting that I do?"

"I'm not going to tell you what to do. You need to figure that one out on your own." She paused, looking directly into his eyes. "But, for some reason, I think you already know. You're just looking for someone to tell you that what you're thinking is right." He nodded his head.

"You love her don't you?" His head jerked up. He'd known for a long time but hadn't let himself admit it. He knew that if he let himself love her, even if it was just in his head, the line he'd drawn long ago would be crossed. But, his mind reasoned, hadn't he loved her all along? What would change if she knew it too? What if she totally shut him out after? If he told her, there was no way that he was going to be able to retreat to the other side of the line.

He sighed. He did love her. He felt his whole body flood with warmth as he let realization take root in his heart. He was going to tell her. A determined look came across his face as he made this resolution. He set his jaw, stood up, and strode purposefully from the room, totally forgetting Angela.

"Go get 'em cowboy." Angela whispered as he made his way through the lab. Brennan, she pleaded in her head, please, for once, listen to your heart and not your head.