...um i don't have anything cool to say for this authors note, so put something funny in your mind here...yeah...

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Tempe woke up to find a wet, cold compress on her forehead. She looked around.

"Booth…Sully…where are you?" Both men turned around at the sound of his name.

"We are right here, Tempe." Booth replied. Tempe searched the faces for answers, but gave up quickly.

"Booth, what happened? I remember talking to you, then nothing." Booth moved quickly to her side, grabbing her hand and stroking it gently.

"You fainted. I personally think it happened because someone forgot to eat breakfast." Tempe frowned.

"I actually ate a bagel this morning thank you." She pulled her hand away from his. Sully stared down at her.

"Are you okay Temperance?" Tempe turned to him.

"Of course I am. I just need a little rest is all." She struggled to get up, but immediately fell back down on the pillows. Booth and Sully both rushed to her.

"Hey there Bones. Be careful. Don't try too move to fast." Tempe scowled and turned away from them.

"I'm fine, and I think I will stay here for now." She would rather seem like a nuisance than admit that she needed help. She had always taken care of herself before. Now was no different.

"Okay, do you want me to stay with you?" Sully questioned, facing Booth behind her back.

"No, I don't want to kick Booth out of his room. I will come to our room in a couple of hours." Sully smiled at her comment. Booth flinched slightly at her use of the word 'our'. Sully sighed, rubbing her back.

"See you later Temperance." Tempe turned to face him, drawing him in for a kiss.

"Bye Sully." Booth turned away, pretending to rummage through his bag.

"Bye Booth." Booth turned to face the one man that had the power to destroy everything he had been working towards this past year.

"Bye." Booth gritted his teeth as Sully smugly exited the room. Sully knew he had nothing to worry about. She obviously was in love with him, not Booth. He knew Booth would get hurt, but all is fair in love and war right?

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"Booth, you don't have to act like I'm dying! I just fainted, I will be fine." Tempe pushed him away, as he came with water and pills.

"No, Temperance. You are going to eat some pizza, take these pills and sleep. You can go back to your room, but not until you eat the pizza and take the medication. I can't be certain that you will eat over there, or just say you ate over here. I am not going to take any chances either." Tempe pouted, but ate the pizza. She hated to admit it, but she was starving, and she had a really bad headache. Booth watched her eat the pizza, and then take the pills.

"See? That wasn't too bad. Now you are free to do what you want." Tempe smiled, grabbed the remote and turned on the television.

"Want to teach me some about this crazy culture?" Booth laughed, and stole the remote from her.

"Hey! I was using that, and I am the sick one." Booth turned to continue arguing but caught the smirk and gleam in her eye.

"Good one Bones." Tempe smiled and laughed. Then she saw the time.

"Oh! Its ten-thirty! I have to go." She gathered herself and her belongings.

"See you tomorrow Booth."

"Yeah…later..." Booth smiled until she closed the door, then he sat on the bed, crest-fallen. She was in love with Sully. There was no time now for him.

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"Hey Sully!" Tempe burst into the room, with Sully sitting on the bed, sleeping with the remote on his chest. She giggled quietly and crept up to him. He turned on his side, the remote slipping onto the bed. She sighed, giving up her pouncing idea and began to get ready for bed. Twenty minutes later she climbed into bed with Sully.

"Sully…wake up." Sully stirred slightly, and smiled at the sound of her voice.

"Did Booth make you eat some food?" Tempe rolled her eyes.

"Yes." Sully nodded satisfactorily.

"Good." Tempe stared at him, surprised.

"Are you on HIS side?" Sully laughed, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"I'm on no one's side." Tempe sighed in frustration.

"Booth says that too." Sully smirked.

"He knows what he is talking about." Tempe held him close, whispering in his ear.

"I missed you today. I am so sorry about what happened." Sully waved his hand.

"You didn't know. I knew I what I was doing was illegal. I am just happy that you thought of me." Tempe smiled.

"Of course I thought of you. We are going out. That is what couples do. They look out for one another. It is instinctive and a basic human reaction." Sully sighed, pulling away.

"That's great. I wanna get some sleep." Tempe sighed, brushing his cheek.

"Sorry…good night."

"Night Temperance."

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Booth was about to fall asleep when there was a knock at his door. In a daze, he went slowly towards the door, only in his boxers.

"Who is it?" There was silence on the other end. He decided to open the door anyways. Whoever it was, it couldn't be worse than what happened between Bones and him. He almost had her, only to get short-ended again. He opened the door, pausing as he recognized the blanketed figure before him.

"Bones! I-um-hold on." He closed the door and rummaged through his bags, madly searching for a t-shirt. This he found, along with some pants, and after hastily putting them on and stuffing his things into neater piles in the drawers, opened the door again.

"Hey, why aren't you sleeping?" Tempe shrugged and walked over to the table and chairs. She sat in the recliner, while Booth lay down on the couch.

"I couldn't sleep. Sully was not talking to me. He actually told me to shut up or get out. So I got out." Booth nodded, and moved closer to her. She had begun to curl up into a ball.

"Hey, are you okay Bones? Wanna go for a walk somewhere?" She nodded, and he grabbed some shoes and the two headed outside. It was warm, but Tempe pulled the blanket closer to her body.

"Booth, I don't know what to do." Booth turned to her, putting his arm around her shoulder.

"What do you mean? What Sully said? He was probably asleep, he didn't mean it." Tempe smiled, but shook her head.

"Well that explains that, but I meant something else." Booth turned to face her. She sat on a bench and Booth followed suit.

"He said he loved me." Booth's whole body tensed at this. He was taking things too fast for Bones, and she didn't even believe in love.

"What did you say?" Tempe turned to face him, the moonbeams casting shadows across her face.

"I didn't know what to say. I said I know." Booth nodded.

"Well, do you love him?" He prayed with all the fabric of his being that she would say no. Please God, I ask few things of you…

"I don't know. I don't think so. I mean I just like him, but saying that seems more than that you know?" Booth exhaled in relief, smiling.

"Yes I know. Saying that is a big step in a relationship. If you are going to tell someone that, be sure that you are one hundred percent sure that you do love them." Tempe grinned.

"I know. But it's good to hear it from you anyways." Booth smiled and drew her closer.

"So how are things between you and Sully?" Tempe smiled, and pulled away slightly.

"Pretty good. He is a great guy." Booth nodded, staring up at the sky.

"What are you looking at Booth?" Booth jumped at her voice. He had already been lost in thought.

"Nothing, just thinking." Tempe looked at her partner. He was so easy, so relaxed. She had never been able to seem so at peace. She never was. Life for her was crazy and work-filled. Well, until she met Booth. He made her relax a little more, made her enjoy the sweeter things in life. He did all this for her, but what had she done for him?

"Oh…Listen Booth…I'm sorry." He immediately turned to her. She looked down at her lap as if she was embarrassed. He longed to take her in his arms and hold her and rock back and forth, to tell her that everything would be all right.

"What are you sorry for?" Tempe held her breath, begging the tears forming in her eyes to go back to where they came from.

"You-I-um…well, you have done so much for me as a partner," She looked into his deep brown eyes. He smiled at her, softly touching her cheek. "And I have done nothing for you." She lowered her head in shame again. Booth sighed and used both of his hands to guide her face until she was gazing into his eyes again.

"Temperance, that isn't true. Sure, I've done a lot for you as a partner, and Zach too, if I remember correctly in my heroic ways." She laughed and he smiled warmly. "But you have done just as much for me. You were always there for me when I needed to talk, even if I didn't know it. You comforted me when Cam was ill. You helped me become who I am today. And for that, I think that you have done so much more for me than I ever did for you." Tempe looked at him for a while and then turned away.

"You're just saying that." Booth chuckled and grabbed her waist. Tempe jumped. She didn't expect that, however she really felt weird. Like Angela had once explained to her, something about an insect in her gut. Or something. But that was ridiculous; she loved Sully, or at least liked Sully.

Booth enjoyed her reaction, she usually thought nothing of it, but she jumped this time, maybe Sully didn't have such a strong hold on her after all.

"I never say things I don't mean, well, when I am having a serious conversation anyways."

Tempe smiled.

"I should really go back inside now." Booth's frame shrunk a little bit, but he followed her inside, each standing in front of their rooms, one with her lover, the other alone.

"Good night Booth." Booth smiled at his partner, and she smiled back.

"Good Night Bones."

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"Where were you?" Sully asked, now fully awake.

"Oh so you don't want me to shut up now huh?" Tempe asked, still furious at him. He could be so, well, infuriating.

"No, I want to know where you were." Tempe nodded.

"I went for a walk; it's cool outside, so I brought a blanket." Sully nodded, not believing one word of it.

"How is Booth? Did he…satisfy…you?" Tempe looked at him, shocked.

"How could you even say that? I am not that kind of person, even if you are!"

"Shh!" Sully implored. "People are trying to sleep!" Tempe nodded.

"Well, I am glad you are thinking of them. Poor people." She stormed to the sofa.

"Hand me a pillow." Sully looked at her.

"You are being ridiculous."

"Am I? Hand me a pillow, please." Sully handed her a pillow and she fluffed it and drifted off into a fitful sleep.

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and the night ends! lol : ) please review!