So, erm, yeah I read the reviews and you're all right, it's a crap story and I'm sorry. I wasn't going to post the rest but I feel bad for those of you who read up to now, not that I guess you'd probably carry on, but just in case I don't want to leave it unfinished so I'll post it all in one go. Just waiting for the upload limit and that. So yeah, sorry, I guess.

Two days passed so quickly for Brennan. She and Booth had fallen easily into a pattern of working together and living together, spending both nights cuddled up on Booth's couch together.

Back at work, Angela smiled as she watched Brennan working. She seemed much healthier, a glow back on her face again as she worked, even if she did still wince slightly when she moved. Watching from her vantage point, she saw Booth appear at the bottom of the platform, a grin lighting his face as his eyes fell on Brennan. Hopping up the stairs quickly, he handed over a box of Wong Fu's, his hand lingering on hers just a little longer than was strictly necessary. Angela suppressed a giggle when she saw that neither Brennan nor Booth could tear their eyes from each other, the world seeming to disappear now they were in each other's company. She swore she saw Brennan even brush some hair from her face seductively and look coyly up at Booth. Turning her gently, he pushed her down the stairs, Angela dropping back to hear without being seen.

"You have to eat, and eat properly, Bones, you're thin enough as it is!" Booth exclaimed in exasperation, still pushing her along in front of him.

"I'm perfectly healthy, Booth, and I have to finish inspecting the..." she started, before being cut off as Booth pulled her into a hug.

"Just do it for me, please? I need to know you're OK, and I'll worry all day if I don't."

Hesitating for a moment, Brennan nodded, smiling gently at him. "I won't be long," she promised, heading into her office.

"Take as long as you need, Bones, I can wait."

Angela came out of her office to find Booth sitting against the wall opposite her office, obviously making sure she didn't try to come out and work again until she'd had a proper break. She grinned at him, handing down the coffee she had just poured for herself.

"Protective much?"

He smiled. "She's worth protecting."

Angela nodded at him. "I'm glad she has you, Booth. She doesn't listen to a word I say!"

He grinned. "She does, more than you'd think. She's just stubborn."

Feeling happier than she could remember feeling in a long time, Angela headed back into her office, leaving Booth with his newly warmed cup and a magazine, determined to sit out there for as long as Bones took to eat.

Booth started as the door to the lab banged open. Standing, he smiled when he saw Brennan's boyfriend standing in the doorway, the smile slipping when he saw the furious look on his face.

"Where the hell is she?" he spat, moving threateningly towards Booth.

"Woah, easy there! What's going on?"

"I know you know where she is!"

Booth groaned slightly as he heard Brennan's office door open at that moment, Brennan blissfully unaware of the scene that was starting outside. She'd already stepped quite a way away from the safety of her office before she became aware of Steve, standing threateningly over Booth who obviously had not backed down.

She froze as Steve took two determined steps towards her, grabbing her shirt between his hands and hauling her to him as her heart beat rapidly against her chest, her head getting woozy as the oxygen refused to head in that direction. When did she become this person?

"You bitch! You've been with him all along," he spat, Brennan too afraid to meet his eyes.

Booth's mouth dropped open as he suddenly realised who exactly it was that had injured his Bones. Starting forwards, he cursed himself for not realising before as Steve threw her roughly to the floor, her head impacting with the corner of the door of her office with a sickening thud.

"You bastard!" he yelled, his fist coming into contact with the big man's nose as he fell backwards on the floor. "How could you? How the hell could you hurt her like that?" he spat, punching everything in his reach.

"Booth," Brennan groaned, desperately trying to blink away the darkness that was threatening to engulf her.

She missed the fight breaking out, neither man appearing to have the upper hand as they hit at anything they could. Both were fuelled by an intense hatred for the other. Acting quickly, Angela pulled the alarm for security, having stepped out of her office when she heard the commotion, along with the rest of the lab. Her eyes sought out Brennan who was obviously in a bad way, trying to hold on to consciousness. She desperately wanted to go to her friend, but was afraid of getting caught into the intense scuffle in the middle of the room.

Fortunately at that moment, security burst through the lab door, two burly men hauling Steve from Booth. Booth winced, pushing himself painfully up onto his knees as Steve continued fighting against security. Looking across, he saw Brennan still lying on the floor and was on his feet in an instant, by her side. He lifted her gently into his arms, cradling her head and smoothing some hair from her face.

"Bones, can you hear me? Are you OK?" he murmured, seeing her eyes crack open, tears starting as she saw his face.

"I'm fine, Booth. Your face..." she replied, pushing away from him to stand up, suddenly too ashamed to have him near her. She was the reason he got hurt.

"I'm gonna kill you for this, you bitch!" came Steve's furious voice, his face red with anger. "I told you what would happen if you disobeyed me!"

She closed her eyes, shuddering at the fear that ran through her. As she opened her eyes again, she was grateful to find Steve had gone. Less fortunately, though, was the fact that her entire team were standing around, watching her with their mouths wide open. As she passed along the group, she saw a mix of sadness and sympathy, especially from Angela, until she looked at Booth standing next to her, his hand gently resting on her forearm. He looked absolutely broken, terrified that she had been hurt again.

Backing away, she turned her back on him, not able to take looking into that kind and sympathetic face anymore, knowing that he was not only hurt but now in danger, all because of her.

"Bones..." he said softly, reaching for her as she backed even further from him, the silence in the lab deafening.

"No," she told him, his heart stopping at the broken look on her face when he pulled her back towards him, his hands holding her shoulders. "No!"

"Don't run, Temperance. I'm here for you, you don't need to run," he told her, trying to soothe her even as she pulled against him with all her might. "This isn't your fault."

"Let me go!" she shouted at him, her fists coming to bang against his chest as he continued to hold her, smiling gently at her and willing her to look into his eyes. "Please," she begged.

He just stood there, letting her hit him as much as she wanted to, but never loosening his hold on her shoulders. The hurt of her fists hitting him was unfelt, it was nothing against the emotional hurt he felt that she was shutting him out, and that she was so unhappy she was unaware of what she was doing.

"Please," she finally let out, sobs wracking through her body as her hands fell still on his chest.

Pulling her forwards, Booth wrapped her tightly in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder as she sobbed, her hands clinging to his jacket. Frowning slightly, his heart felt as though it would rip in two to see her so broken. Turning his head, he rested his cheek on the top of her head, his arms holding her on her feet as well as holding her to him, while he whispered words of encouragement to her, hoping that she could hear him.

"Booth..." she murmured, and he smiled, kissing her head softly. At least she was glad that he was still there, even if she was hurting and terrified.

Angela watched the scene, tears running down her face. She knew that Booth loved Brennan, she'd known that for a long time, but she had never realised that he loved her that much. He was completely devoted to her. And nobody else could have made Brennan stay at that moment, or broken through her walls. She loved him too. She dropped her head to her hands for a moment. How had she let Brennan stay with Steve so long, without realising? He best friend had been hurting like that, and Angela hadn't even realised.

Looking up again a moment later, she realised that Brennan had pulled away slightly, Booth's arms still resting loosely around her so she still had no escape from him. But it didn't look like she wanted to run anymore. She gave him the tiniest of smiles, meeting his eyes even though it still scared her to. He smiled, kissing her forehead gently, before brushing the stray tears from her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, wishing he knew how much she was sorry for.

"Don't apologise, there's nothing to apologise for," he told her, seeing her open her mouth to argue, before closing it again. "Just don't run, Bones. There's no need to, I want to be here with you. I'm so sorry I didn't notice before. I could have stopped all this hurt you suffered."

She smiled, fresh tears breaking out. "Booth, this isn't your fault. I didn't want you to know. And you've done more for me than you could possible imagine. Thank you."

"It's a pleasure. And I know now, I won't let him hurt you again," he told her, a stern expression on his face for a moment before he looked down at her and it softened again.

Brennan nodded, not quite having the heart to explain to him what had to happen. What she had to do to make sure that he stayed safe. Reaching for his hand, she pulled him into her office, motioning for him to sit on her couch. He watched quietly as she found a first aid box, kneeling in front of him and taking his bloody hand gently in her own.

"This might sting," she told him, setting about cleaning the cuts on his knuckles as Booth hissed.

"Bones!" he groaned, trying to be quiet and having to hold his breath as the new cuts stung.

Booth was surprised by how gentle she was, cleaning his various cuts and bandaging them for him. Even when she came to his face. Somehow, he had always thought she would be, but seeing her around the dead bodies had made him doubt it. She was so completely consumed by her task that she didn't realise that he was staring at her, mapping every inch of her beautiful face to his memory, and fighting the sudden urge he had to pull her into his arms and kiss her. He could tell that her mind was far away, but didn't want to push her by getting her to talk about it.

As his eyes roamed further over her features, he suddenly noticed the red trail of blood that had passed down the side of her face near her ear. His eyes filled with worry instantly, grabbing her hands in his as she looked at him warily.

"Bones...you're bleeding..." he told her, seeing her reach up and feel the blood in surprise.

Switching them instantly, Booth sat her down and searched her face, needing to know that she was alright. She smiled back at him.

"I'm alright, Booth, you don't need to do anything," she assured him, seeing his smile widen.

"Maybe I want to help," he told her, leaning over to look at the back of her head.

There was a big lump forming that looked painful, and a small cut over the top. Grabbing the same stuff that Bones had used on him, Booth dabbed the cut clean, hating himself for hurting her when she winced, but knowing that it needed to be done. Once he was done he sat back with a sigh, a hand gently caressing her cheek, grateful when she didn't pull away and instead leant into the touch.

"You'll live," he told her, seeing her smile back at him.

"I know."

She didn't know exactly how it happened, but she suddenly found her eyes locked into a gaze with Booth's. Unable to tear her eyes away, she just stared, her mind lost in wondering how he could care for her still, after everything that had happened between them. Finally, as she realised he was moving closer, his intentions clear, she cleared her throat, standing away from him.

"I...uh...I can't do this, Booth. I have to go."

"Go where?" he asked standing with her, his face suspicious. His worries were confirmed when she was unsure what to say, hesitating as she looked away. "Bones! You can't go back to him, not after everything that he's done! What if he kills you next time?"

"You don't understand, Booth, it's more complicated than that."

"Then explain to me!"

Brennan looked up at him, seeing the anguish on his face, the desperate need to keep her safe. Tears started, running slowly down her face. She couldn't do this with him, even if she wanted to. Booth had a son, had commitments, had a good life. And she couldn't let Steve take that from him because of her. Shaking her head, she turned her back on the eyes that would be her undoing.

"I just have to go Booth. I'll see you tomorrow."

His legs shot into action instantly, dashing to stand in front of her, his hands on her shoulders. His eyes ran over her face desperately.

"You don't have to go, Temperance, stay. Stay here with me."

Her tears started faster as she shook her head. "Booth..."

"No! Please, don't go! I promise I can keep you safe. And more than that, Bones, I want this. I want you, I always have. Don't leave."

Desperate to show her what he meant, he leant down, his lips meeting hers. He was surprised when she gasped at the touch, her arms snaking around his neck as she kissed him back just as enthusiastically. The feeling was beyond belief, beyond anything that Booth had ever felt before. As they finally pulled away, he wondered if he would ever be able to get air into his lungs again. Opening his eyes, he saw that Brennan still had hers shut, as if that could keep the world away, a small smile on her lips. Reaching out, Booth brushed a stray piece of hair from her face, his knees weak when her eyes opened, and those beautiful blue orbs fixed on his face, a twinkle back where one hadn't been for a long time.

The next moment, it was gone. The crushing sadness was back in it's place. Trying to think of some way to explain, Bones sighed, reaching for Booth's hand and giving it a squeeze.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, almost so quietly that Booth couldn't hear it.

Dropping his hand, she left the office before Booth could even react. His head was bowed, like he had a great weight on his shoulders. This had to stop, he knew that. He wasn't blind – Bones couldn't kiss him like that if she felt nothing for him. Groaning, he threw his head back and wandered out to find Angela, needing another rational mind that could help him decide what to do – how to help the woman that he loved.