Thank you all for reading and for the feedback - it's greatly appreciated! :) I won't keep you in suspense any longer . . .
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Booth felt like a semi had run over him. He opened his eyes to an overly illuminated room and immediately closed them again. Why the hell were hospitals so freakin' bright?
"Booth?" Brennan stood over him, anxiously.
"Hey, Bones," he smiled, groggily, and forced his eyes open again. "We got 'em."
"I know," she smiled back, then grabbed his hand and hesitated for a moment. "Randall had some internal bleeding from the bullet you put in his abdomen. He . . . died during the surgical procedure."
"Two more to add to the list," Booth sighed.
"They were bad men, Booth – criminals. And one of them was a murderer. I know it doesn't feel like it right now, but what you did was good. You prevented more innocent people from being killed . . . and I'm proud of you," Brennan told him.
"Thanks, Bones. I guess that's something," he agreed, still not convinced what he'd done should be celebrated. It was his job. He did what he had to do to protect innocent citizens of his country and the ones he cared about . . . Sweets! "How's Sweets? Is the kid okay?"
"He's fine. His right clavicle was bruised from the impact, but he suffered no other injuries," Brennan assured him.
"Good," he answered, relieved. He knew taking him in the field was risky, but Sweets was secretly the only FBI associate he trusted, besides Caroline. He was a pain in the ass, but knowledgeable in reading the perps.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, gently brushing his hair back.
"You tell me, Dr. Brennan," Booth said, noticing his arm was in a sling and the left side of his chest hurt like hell.
"The bullet was millimeters from your heart and you have a fractured left rib and right radius," she told him.
"Guess it could've been worse," he remarked.
"I'm glad it wasn't," she said and stole a brief kiss after checking the window on the door for on-lookers.
God he'd missed her. Less than two days away from her - that's all it took. It was pathetic, but true.
"We're taking that trip when I get outta here," he grinned. "Hell or high water, we're gettin' a real vacation, baby!"
"You will still need time to recover – strenuous activities delay the process of healing. And I will have already exceeded the vacation time Cam allowed us at the Jeffersonian by the time you are physically able to travel," Brennan argued. "She stopped by earlier today, but you were sleeping."
Booth smiled and nodded. Cam was a good friend – and a good person - which was why he knew she wouldn't mind giving Brennan some well-deserved time off.
"Bones, enough with work, okay? I'm sure you have a ton of free days you can use and Cam will understand," Booth attempted to convince her.
"How will we explain our simultaneous absences?" she countered.
"That I'm still recovering and you decided to take some time off until I could get back in the field again. Do you really wanna work with another partner?" he asked, cockily.
"No . . ." she began.
"Then it's settled," he said.
"But Booth . . ." she objected.
"No 'buts', Bones. We're goin'!" he insisted.
"Going where?" Lance asked, opening the door.
"Don't you ever knock?" Booth retorted, hoping it was enough to deter Sweets' curiosity.
"Where are you and Dr. Brennan planning on going?" Lance repeated.
"To the cafeteria! Booth loves pudding and he insisted on going with me," Brennan covered.
"Do you think that's wise in his condition?" Lance questioned.
"No . . . that's why we were arguing over it . . . I told him he needed to stay in bed and get his rest, but he, being strong, stubborn, and with alpha male tendencies is still protesting," she answered, then turned to Booth. "I'll be back – don't go anywhere!"
"So, Dr. Brennan seems very protective of you," Lance observed.
"I'm in a hospital, Sweets. What'd you expect her to do – force me to run a marathon?" Booth countered.
"Do you feel like running one?" he asked.
"What the hell kinda question is that? Yeah, Sweets, I do. I feel like doing anything that'll get me as far away from you and your pre-pubescent head-shrinking crap as possible," Booth remarked, sarcastically.
"Those are some rough blows, Agent Booth. Is there something bothering you?" Lance wondered.
"Only you, kid. Other than that, life couldn't be lookin' more promising . . ." he sighed, happily.
"Something specific?" Lance inquired.
"Broadsky's dead . . . no one else on our team suffered . . . and I get a few weeks off to do nothin' but relax on the couch and watch ESPN. That enough for ya?" Booth replied.
"I guess so," Lance said, giving up for the moment. "I hope you have a fast recovery . . . And thanks."
"For what?" he asked.
"For saving my life out there," Lance clarified.
"No problem – just doin' my job," Booth said, modestly. "Now get out."
"Right. We'll talk later," he said and left.
Brennan returned soon after.
"I didn't know what you felt like so I got chocolate, banana, and chocolate and vanilla swirl," she said, putting the pudding and a couple of plastic spoons down on his tray.
"Nice save back there, Bones," Booth smiled at her then reached for the chocolate and winced.
She took it and opened it for him.
"I'm a very quick thinker," she stated. "What did Dr. Sweets have to say?"
"Nothin'. Just the usual shrink stuff," he said, attempting to feed himself. "Aaahh . . . Bones, could you, you know?"
"Here," she smiled and brought the spoon to his mouth. "You wouldn't be faking your basic motor skills in order to be pampered like a small child, would you?"
"Now what could possibly possess me to do something like that?" he flirted.
Brennan took the spoon and intentionally got chocolate on his nose.
"Bones . . .!" Booth half-heartedly protested.
"Don't worry, I'll get it off . . ." she promised, leaning in to kiss him just as someone opened the door.
They both turned to face them, Booth still with pudding on his nose.
"I'd better not be seeing what I think I see," Caroline entered the room.
The couple froze.
"Booth wanted some pudding . . . With his limited mobility, he couldn't feed it to himself so I was helping him," Brennan excused.
"Sure you were, cherie. And I would only 'feed' Denzel Washington if I had the chance," Caroline smirked.
"Who's Denzel Washington?" she asked Booth, gently wiping his nose with a napkin.
"Only the finest man and actor on earth. Now, back to whatever you two are or aren't doin' with each other. Stop it – in public anyway. That teenage doctor of yours will have the FBI split you up if he finds out about your extracurricular activities so soon after a case as big as this one was," Caroline advised. ". . . But on a personal level - I say it's about damn time!"
Brennan and Booth looked at each other, half-guilty and half-relieved.
"Caroline, Bones and I . . . we're not . . . it's not what you think," Booth insisted.
"Sure it isn't," she remarked, disbelievingly.
"No, Booth and I are strictly professional. The thought of us together in a sexual manner is simply laughable," Brennan added.
"I wouldn't go that far, Bones," Booth attempted to stop her.
"I-I've seen Booth naked before, and honestly, I've witnessed much more defined and endowed male figures," she continued.
"I think she gets the picture Bones," he said, annoyed.
"His pectorals and abdominal muscles could benefit from more workouts at the gym and as far as his –" Brennan went on.
"That's enough, Bones!" he yelled.
"You wanna know what I think?" Caroline said.
"What?" they wondered.
"I think you two aren't foolin' anyone but yourselves," she shook her head and left.
Booth turned back to Brennan.
"What the hell was that?" he exclaimed.
"What? I don't understand why you're so upset, Booth. I was merely helping you convince Caroline that I wanted nothing to do with you on a sexual level," she innocently said.
"'You've seen more defined and endowed men'?" he protested.
"It's true . . . Not in person, but on an anthropological level I have witnessed photos of more . . . prominent species of men," Brennan answered.
"And . . .?" Booth prompted.
"And none of them impressed me as much as your physical structure does," she stated.
"You're not just sayin' that?" he asked, timidly.
"I do not believe in placating one's ego," she assured him.
"Thanks, Bones," he snuck a kiss from her. "You know you're the sexiest woman I've ever seen, too."
"I know," she said, then smiled, stealing another kiss. "We need to stop this before someone else catches on."
"Why don't you go get me my release forms and we won't have to," Booth suggested.
"Booth, no!" she objected. "As much as I enjoy putting out like teenagers, you are in no condition to be going anywhere right now."
"It's making out, Bones – you make out like teenagers – although some teens probably do the other thing . . . Anyway, I'm fine. Besides, I'll have a doctor by my side . . ." he grinned.
"I'm not a medical doctor, Booth," she reminded him.
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you can't take care of me," he said. "C'mon, Bones . . . you . . . me . . . a bottle of wine . . . one of your famous massages . . ."
"When you are officially released from the hospital by a certified medical doctor, I will consider it – but not until then," Brennan stood her ground.
"Fine," Booth groaned. "You're still keepin' me company though, right?"
"I won't leave your side – well, at least not for long," she promised. "Do you need anything?"
"Yeah . . . my lips are sore," he complained, with a twinkle in his eyes.
"You are incorrigible," she rolled her eyes and scoped out the door before kissing him again.
Booth chuckled then held his chest.
"Ow – that hurts . . . Could you get me some more of that pudding, too, babe?" he requested.
"Here," she handed a spoonful to him. "You're feeding yourself."
"Bones . . ." he whined, giving her sad puppy-eyes. "It hurts . . ."
"Stop it, Booth – you know I can't refuse that expression," she giggled.
"Exactly," he grinned, just as Angela popped her head in the room.
"Hey, you two," she smiled. "How are you feeling, sweetie?"
"Hey, Ang. I'm okay. How 'bout you – you ready for that kid to come out?" Booth asked.
"Ugh . . . Like you wouldn't believe . . . ! Congratulations, by the way," she patted his good arm and eyed Brennan.
"Ang, we're not –" Brennan began to warn her.
"I meant about getting Broadsky, silly!" she clarified, sitting down. "My lips are sealed about the other thing. But can I say – Hallelujah, it finally happened!"
"Why do people keep saying stuff like that?" Booth wondered.
Brennan shrugged.
"Hello! Have you seen you two together? Because all of us have, and this 'will they – won't they?' rollercoaster you've been on for over six years has been like Chinese water torture for us," Angela whispered.
Booth and Brennan blushed.
"So when are you telling everyone – 'cause Hodgins is really starting to get on my case about why I kicked him out the other day," Angela asked.
"Go ahead and tell him, Ang. We don't want our relationship to affect yours and Hodgins', right Booth?" Brennan said.
"Bones . . . are you sure he can keep a secret?" Booth muttered.
"I trust that Dr. Hodgins is perfectly capable of keeping private information exactly that," Brennan answered.
"Okay . . . but if he lets it leak early – fire him," Booth insisted.
"Booth!" Brennan and Angela protested.
"Hey – it's perfectly justified. Our working relationship would more than likely be affected, so his should be too," Booth defended his reasoning.
"Trust me, Booth – I will put the fear of god and my father into my husband if he opens his mouth about it before you guys do," Angela promised.
Booth smiled.
"Your dad's a pretty scary guy, from what I've heard," he commented.
"Oh, yeah," Angela grinned and carefully got up with Brennan's help. "Well, I'd better let you get some rest. Plus, this kid is making me pee every five minutes. See you guys later. And let us know if there's anything we can do."
"You do the same," Brennan said. "I'll call you tomorrow."
"Later, Ang!" Booth replied then looked at the clock and back at Brennan. "I think visiting hours are probably over. Why don't you come over here and help keep the bed warm?"
"Are you cold? I can ask one of the nurses for an extra blanket," Brennan offered.
"It's an expression, Bones. Just get over here, okay?" he said.
"Are you sure I won't be harming you in any way?" she asked, timidly.
"Lie on my right side and you'll be fine," he assured her.
"Okay," Brennan took off her shoes and gingerly crawled in beside him, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Are you comfortable?"
"Perfect," he reassured her, kissing her temple.
"Perfection doesn't exist . . . while we strive to achieve flawlessness, it is still open to an individual's interpretation," Brennan corrected him.
"Okay . . . well in my opinion, you being right here beside me is the perfect end to my day," Booth told her.
"Mine, too," she agreed, snuggling as close as she could without hurting him.