A / N – My original song choice was used by someone else this week so I've been trawling through my Itunes library and bizarrely I came up with this. Rihanna's Umbrella. Yes really! And it inspired me so much that I typed until 3am.

Thanks to my Beta – Moonlight Gardenias for allowing me to post so quickly. And honestly, the reviews you all give boost my motivation so much.

Disclaimer – Hart Hanson is one lucky guy.

Enjoy.

Rain pounded down on the pavement outside as shoppers scurried by, an army of umbrellas dancing in the afternoon light. Seeley Booth sat at a table next to the window, affording himself a prime spot to observe passers by.

Inside it was reminiscent of the Royal Diner back in DC. It served great coffee, and fries. The pie here was, well, OK. Defiantly edible. Sure, he'd tasted better, but the scenery of this place was ideal for meeting his contacts. Which was exactly what he was here to do now. He glanced down at his watch; twenty past three. His new contact was due at half past. Booth caught the waitress' eye and ordered a fresh coffee. With no idea who he was supposed to meet, he pulled out a pen from his inside coat pocket and proceeded to continue the crossword in his paper. After starting it earlier that morning he had given up less than halfway through.

You had my heart

and we'll never be worlds apart

'If Bones had been here,' he thought, 'this would've been finished hours ago.' He breathed in deeply and exhaled with a sigh.

"And now I'm thinkin 'bout her again" he grumbled out loud, glancing up to the heavens with a scowl. The waitress slid his coffee across the table, making the froth slosh over the side.

"Talkin' to ya self means ya goin' a little crazy, honey" she smiled at him. "I'm a great listener if you wanna, ya know, spill." The uniform here was reminiscent of a candy striper. Pink and white, the flared skirt came a little lower than where her ass began, and the heart shaped neckline was very generous with the amount of cleavage it allowed. Had he been in the right frame of mind the obvious come-on's she was throwing his way would have given him a well needed ego boost. However, distracted by the miserable situation he found himself in, he simply replied that he was waiting for someone and turned his attention back to the street outside.

Maybe in magazines

but you'll still be my star

The heavy shower meant people were moving quickly. Normally, Booth liked to watch people on the street and guess what conversations where about based on their body language. With no one to observe, he flicked through the pages of the paper. Book Reviews. There she was again. Her latest novel, the one he had bought a week ago to keep him company, was still sitting at the top of the hardback bestsellers list. Her publisher had insisted that they catch the Christmas retail market. How many people would be waking to Temperance Brennan in a Christmas stocking? He brought his head to the cold glass to purge the thoughts from his brain.

Baby cause in the Dark

You can see shiny Cars

The thick, black rain clouds meant the dark was drawing in even earlier than usual, and the light from the street lamps caught the rain bouncing off the stationary traffic outside. The hypnotic rhythm meant that Seeley Booth did not notice the familiar figure, obscured from view by a large black umbrella, enter the diner.

And that's when you need me there

With you I'll always share

Because

He wondered if it was raining in DC right now. Picking up his pen he pulled a napkin toward him. In one of their therapy sessions, Sweets had suggested that writing things down helped clear the mind. And he needed his mind to be empty right now. His life might depend on it. He bit his lip and began to write:

When the sun shines

We'll shine together

He remembered back over the last few months. They had been incredibly successful in solving what the media had deemed some of the most gruesome murders of the twenty-first century. And the glow she had when justice was done, well, he would bask in it forever.

Told you I'll be here forever

Said I'll always be your friend

Took an oath

I'm gonna stick it out 'till the end

He knew that she needed him to be there. To give her back the security she had lost at fifteen. And he would do just that. Regardless of whether she loved him or not.

Now that it's raining more than ever

Know that we still have each other

You can stand under my Umbrella

Booth smiled at the words he had written on the napkin. It was effectively a love letter. And it had made him feel a hell of a lot better. He continued to write.

These fancy things,

will never come in between

For all the time they spent together he savored the evenings and weekends they shared, at their homes, eating takeout, catching up with paperwork, or just catching up...

You're part of my entity

Here for Infinity

This didn't feel like it should be a test, but he couldn't help thinking that's how she would see it. A rational reason to be apart. To see if they needed to be together.

When the war has took it's part

When the world has dealt it's cards

If the hand is hard...

It felt like a huge release to put down on paper the feelings he had been bottling up inside for what felt like an eternity. Was this her escape? To use the characters bound together on his bookshelf as an emotional release so she wouldn't have to face real life? Is this the reason she can compartmentalize so well? He took a lighter from his pocket. He had started smoking as a way into the gang he had to infiltrate. She would kick his ass if she knew. Within seconds the words he had written were going up in flames as he lit the corner of the napkin and dropped it onto his empty plate. It quickly shriveled into ashes. He closed his eyes as he reminisced holding the small of her back, ushering her to wherever. A cool breeze drifted across his skin from the open door. And just for a moment he could smell the scent of her.

Together we'll mend your heart

Because ...

"Mind if I join you in this Booth?"

"What the hell!" Booths eyes shot open to see Max Keenen grinning as he slid into the seat across from him. "This has to be a joke, right?"

"No joke. Cause you do remember me don't you. As we were prison buddies. Both on murder charges." Max winked at him. "So I figured you might like a house guest. Season of goodwill and all that."

Booth cringed as he processed what was actually a very effective cover story. It made perfect sense. To be a friend of one of the most talked about killers of recent years. The savage murder of Deputy Director Kirby had been covered extensively on the news countrywide. This would give him an outstanding level of credibility to the gang. He checked around to make sure no one was in hearing distance before he spoke."OK, I get it. But you are a civilian. How?" Booth spun his hand in mid air, motioning for Max to elaborate how he had ended up here.

"Turns out the FBI has a little more evidence on me than I would like. Didn't have much choice. Although I have to admit, this is gonna be much more interesting than sitting in the same cell twenty hours a day."

"You ain't seen my place yet. It makes your old cell look like a room at the Hilton."

"Suppose it has to look realistic." Max shrugged his shoulders. "So what's this all about? National security?" he poked a finger, jokingly, into the pile of ash in front of Booth. "Secret stuff?"

"You could say that"

They sat for a minute each reflecting on their situation. Max broke the silence.

"Hey. Check out the hot waitress" he exclaimed, attracting the attention off the slender brunette behind the counter. "Two coffees please honey"

"I seriously doubt we have the same idea of 'hot' there, Max" Booth muttered in exasperation, glancing out of the window. It was now black outside, and the glass was reflecting the brightly lit room back at him. The waitress from earlier probably was Max's ideal woman. She'd looked older, about forty-five, curvy, blond bouffant hair. The reflection in the glass was not the same woman. She had her back to them, making the coffees, but with her hair cascading in a casual ponytail, he thought about how much she looked like Bones.

Booth lowered his head down and pinched the bridge of his nose, as if he was ready to wake from a really bad dream.

"So, just remind me of your name" Max hinted. He needed to understand Booth's alias inside out. Booth began to fill him in on the situation so far.

The waitress bade her time, waiting for a lull in the conversation before bringing over the two coffees. She smoothed down the striped pink skirt in an attempt to make it appear longer than it actually was, then picked up the two mugs. Upon reaching the table she bent down to place Max's coffee in front of him. He had conveniently sat as close to the glass as possible and Booth found himself with an eyeful of 'perfect' cleavage hovering inches away from his face. He took a sharp breath in, regretting it instantaneously as he realized she wore the same perfume as a particular Forensic Anthropologist. And as she pulled back to place the second cup in front of him, their eyes met.

And suddenly he was angry. Incredibly angry. He stood up and stormed out of the diner, slamming the door behind him. How could she do this to him? To put herself in danger like this. He hardly felt the rain running down his back, soaking his clothes through. His flesh felt hot, like it was on fire and the cool liquid was the only thing keeping him from exploding. His fist pounded the wall and Booth winced in pain, knowing he would regret that in the morning. His thoughts sobered to the words he had written on the napkin only a short while ago.

When the sun shines

We'll shine together

Told you I'll be here forever

Said I'll always be your friend

Took an oath

I'm gonna stick it out 'till the end

Now that it's raining more than ever

Know that we still have each other

You can stand under my Umbrella

Seeley Booth stood with his back against the wall, his head tipped forward, eyes closed, the rain running down his face, dripping steadily from the end of his nose.

"You can stand under my umbrella."

As he slowly opened his eyes, taking in the sidewalk running with water, it's path broken by the dam her elegant shoes created. His line of vision was drawn up by the smooth pale skin of her legs that went on and on. "God" he muttered. The pink skirt skimmed her thighs before nipping in at the waist. Fighting the urge to reach out and wrap his arm around her there his eyes continued their upward path. Her pert breasts framed by the fitted top, a small gold dolphin nestling above against her bare flesh. Her lips, slightly apart, awaiting his response. He lingered there for a moment...

Their eyes connected and Booth saw the hurt and confusion he'd left there. He stepped forwards into the shelter she provided. She was using both hands, held in front to balance the over-sized umbrella. He stroked down her arm, becoming aware that her skin was spattered in goose-pimples. She was cold and it was his fault.

You can run into my Arms

It's okay don't be alarmed

(Come into Me)

(There's no distance in between our love)

So Gonna let the rain pour

I'll be all you need and more

Because ...

"Bones" he sighed. "You shouldn't be here."

"Why? I thought we were partners"

"It's too dangerous. You're not safe"

"I want to help"

"You don't have any idea what you're getting yourself into"

"I understand the risks. I'm prepared. They created a whole new identity for me. Look!" She jiggled her name tag with a smile. "I'm Roxy."

Booth raised his eyebrows and laughed. He gazed at her longingly. She smiled again and lent into him, their foreheads touching. Both holding the position, eyes closed, their warm breath misting together from the cold, inches separating their lips. Neither breaking the spell.

"Tony!" Max suddenly interrupted. "I'm waiting to see this fabulous penthouse suite of yours. Maybe you could let the lady get back to work before she loses her job?"

"Sure," he stepped back out into the rain to follow Max down the street before turning back towards his Bones, no his... Roxy. He flashed her the biggest charm smile he could muster and she glanced away shyly.

Maybe this Christmas wasn't going to be so bad after all!

When the sun shines

We'll shine Together

Told you I'll be here forever

Said I'll always be your friend

Took an oath

I'm gonna stick it out 'till the end

Now that it's raining more than ever

Know that we still have each other

You can stand under my umbrella.

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