Booth had disappeared not long after people began to arrive. He'd given his statement and gone off to figure out how the apartment was accessed so easily. The alarm was set and the door locked. No one should have gotten in.

Angela and Hodgins followed not long after, worry and tears evident on Angela's face. She'd pushed past several detectives to grab her best friend in a crushing hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Sweetie." Angela squeezed even tighter until Brennan felt as if she was suffocating.

"I'm fine, Angela," she reassured her, pulling back from the hug. "Booth was here. It all turned out okay."

It was taking hours to get everything taken care of. Interviews, statements, the medical examiner and a cleaning crew were making the morning a blur. Angela insisted Brennan leave the apartment while it was going on, but she'd refused. The worst was over, now. What was the point in leaving?

It wasn't until Ellie had growled at yet another tech that Brennan finally agreed with Angela. Leashing the dog, the two women went for a long walk in the park.

"So he stayed with you the whole week?" Angela asked, her eyes glittering. She could only imagine what had gone on in the apartment. Or what she hoped had taken place.

Brennan nodded. "He slept on the couch, Angela. At least until last night."

Angela's eyes widened. Finally, the good stuff. "And where did he sleep last night?"

Brennan looked at her sideways before stopping to sit on a bench. Ellie sat next to her, watching birds fly through the trees. "He slept in my bed last night." Brennan's voice was level. Her tone clearly stated just what had happened in the bed last night.

"And you slept on the couch," Angela filled in. Her voice was filled with disappointment. Why couldn't her best friend see what everyone else could?

"I slept in the same bed. On the opposite side. We didn't share the blankets. It was like we weren't even together. It was a logical arrangement to keep his back from getting sore. We didn't know how long this stalker scare would last. He couldn't keep sleeping on the couch." Except Brennan could remember how it felt to know Booth was there with her. How the sound of his breathing had lulled her into the first good sleep she'd had in months.

Reaching out, Angela grabbed Brennan's shoulder and forced her to turn toward her. "You slept in the same bed. But you never touched each other." Even saying the words didn't make them any more believable. To be that close and still so far apart. Angela knew she didn't have that much willpower.

"We're partners, Angela." Brennan wondered how many times she would have to say that to people before they believed it.

She wondered when she'd stopped believing it.

Angela noticed the doubt travel through Brennan's eyes. "You don't believe that anymore," she said. Reading people had always been one of her strong suits and Brennan was easier than most.

"I don't know what I believe. What I feel for him isn't logical."

"Love never is, sweetie. But Booth would die for you. You can't ask for much more than that." If Angela was a betting woman, she'd say Booth was desperately in love with Brennan. And that wasn't something she could say. It was up to Booth to say those words. But emotions were elusive at best for Brennan. And if she didn't want to see something, like Booth's love, she simply wouldn't let herself. It was maddening.

"What if I give him a chance and we end up hating each other. What if he walks away?" Brennan gave voice to the fears that haunted her. The fears that had stopped her from rolling over in that bed the previous evening to sleep closer to Booth. To feel the skin beneath that ridiculously thin t-shirt. But she couldn't force herself to take the chance. What if he turned away from her? A rejection wasn't something she could deal with. And what if he walked away? Losing Booth would be like looking a piece of herself.

Laying a hand on Brennan's arm, Angela squeezed. "There are no guarantees in life, Bren. Given what we do every day, I think you know that. But if something were to happen, would you want to live knowing you had a chance at something great and didn't take it?"

Wiping at the tears that suddenly appeared in her eyes, Brennan stood quickly. "I need," she shook her head. "I can't talk about this anymore. Let's go back to the apartment. I'm sure it's clean by now." Her voice had gone back to the tone Angela recognized so well. Brennan was definitely done talking about this.

Refusing to let her best friend see the sadness she felt, Angela nodded. "Sure. If that's what you want to do."

Giving the command, Brennan started walking briskly, Ellie at her side. Angela watched her for a moment before hurrying to catch up. She wondered if she could lock the two of them in a tiny room for a week and force them to confront their feelings for each other. It was either that, or wait for hell to freeze over.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Hodgins was the only one left when the women returned to the apartment. There was no evidence that what Brennan had lived through had actually taken place.

"Hey, Dr. B. Everyone's done. Booth said he'd be back tonight to tell you what he'd found out."

"Thanks, Dr. Hodgins. There is no need for the two of you to stay. I'll be fine, now." It was clear she was dismissing them.

The tone of voice had Hodgins making eye contact with Angela. A conversation with no words took place. Brennan was too busy unleashing Ellie to notice.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Angela said. She enveloped Brennan into a second hug that was slightly awkward. Like Brennan wasn't used to someone caring that much.

Brennan nodded her thanks to two people she considered family and waited for the door to close behind them before sinking wearily on the couch. Belatedly, she realized she hadn't locked the door and forced herself to her feet to do so. It had been a long day, and she was too exhausted to stay awake for a lecture if Booth found her sleeping with the door unlocked.

That job done, she lay down on the couch, Ellie on the floor. Brennan petted her gently, happier than she cared to admit for the company. It seemed that all of the studies she'd read were right: animals really did improve moods.

But the company she really wanted hadn't arrived back at the apartment, yet. And when he did, he wouldn't stay unless she did something about it. Brennan was surrounded by people every day of her life at work, but she was discovering that didn't make her less lonely. She longed for the comfort others found in each other.

And Booth would give her that comfort if she let him. Even though she knew it wasn't physically possible, she sometimes imagined sinking so close to him that she disappeared for a moment. Was that what it was like to lose yourself into another person? And if she did, would any of her still be left?

The thoughts continued to swirl, until exhaustion finally over took her. And then Booth followed her into her dreams.