After a few days Brennan reluctantly returned back to work. She didn't know what else to do with herself. While Booth had still been in the hospital she'd had the idealization that upon his release things would begin to change. Being out of the hospital and living with her would be a comfort for him. Booth would begin that climb back up into recovering and finding himself.

Unfortunately, she'd been wrong.

Booth didn't behave much different than he did in the hospital. He remained wary of her; of everyone. Most of his time he spent sleeping. When he woke, he'd maybe eat a little something and then take another pain killer. Before long he'd be back deep in a slumber.

She tried to look for good in this. But there was none. Booth remained in a great deal of pain. When she brought her concerns to Sweets, he suggested Booth liked being in a constant state of sleep. It kept him from having to deal with his emotions and memories.

Brennan didn't know what to think. His nightmares hadn't stopped.

She'd tried again to get him to talk to her. Repeatedly she'd asked him what happened. There was a lot she remained unknowing, and she didn't like that. Booth shared everything with her.

At first he'd ignored her. But finally after the third time he said, "look, Bones. I don't want to talk about it. I'm not gonna ever want to talk about it. So please, just stop."

She had.

Presently she sat at her desk, staring lifelessly at her computer. The entire mood of the lab had changed without Booth's presence. There was little work to be done without the investigation into murders.

"Hey, Tempe."

Brennan looked out around her computer to see Baker standing at the foot of her desk. "Hi." The two had kept in contact since finding Booth. He'd even come to visit the both of them at the hospital during Booth's coma.

"How's it going? How's Booth?" He noticed her sorrowful expression. "Uh oh."

"Things are just… not going the way I thought they would," she admitted. "He won't talk to me. I thought he'd have a strong desire to get back to work and he's impassive. About everything."

Baker moved around to the side of her desk. He took a seat on the edge. "Tempe, what he went through is a lot for someone to deal with. He needs time."

"He was a sniper in the Army. I know he was tortured during that time. It didn't seem to effect him as much as this has."

"You didn't know him then, right? You don't know how long it took him to get back to that point. Besides, I'm sure he was a kid then. He's older now. It gets harder the older you get."

She studied him. "You sound like you know."

He shrugged. "I've been in some tight spots." Clearing his throat, he continued. "Well, I was just in the neighborhood and stopped by. Actually, that's not true. I have this gala thing I have to attend tonight. I know it's late notice but would you be my date?"

Smiling as she thought about it, Brennan agreed. "I can be ready by tonight."

"Perfect."

They made arrangements for that evening. Before leaving Baker gently pressed his lips against her cheek. He then left just as Angela was coming in. She'd seen everything. "Sweetie, what are you doing?"

"Going out tonight with Baker."

"A date?"

"Yes."

She paused. "What about Booth?"

"What about him? Ange, he doesn't care if I'm with him or not."

She said delicately, "you don't know that for sure. He loves you, sweetie. He needs you now more than ever."

"He sleeps for hours at a time."

"Yeah, and has terrifying nightmares!"

Brennan stood. She retrieved her coat from the back of her chair. "He won't notice I'm gone." Throwing the jacket on over her shoulders, she brushed by Angela and left.

"You don't know that," Angela repeated in a whisper.

***

Booth was sleeping as usual when Brennan came in a few hours later. A new dress hung in a protective cover off of her fingers. She didn't bother waking him to let him know she was home. It was hard to predict how Booth would react when he woke, and quite simply, she didn't have the time. Tonight was going to be all about her.

She showered and dressed. Her hair and make up took the most time. By the time she was done Baker was due to pick her up in less than ten minutes. Into the living room she set about looking for a particular pair of stilettos she wanted to wear.

Booth had woken. He switched on the light sitting next to him on the end table. It was getting dark enough that he needed it on. Every night Booth slept with at least one light on. Sleeping without it was difficult. Hazily he watched her go through a shoe bin she kept by her front door. Then he took in what she was wearing. "Bones?"

She rose to her full height. "Booth. Hi."

"You look… amazing." He breathed. She looked happier than he'd seen her in a long time, which both pleased and saddened him.

Brennan flushed, grinning radiantly. "I know." In the bottom of the bin she spotted the shoes she was looking for. She pushed other shoes aside until she'd gotten them out.

He'd no more said, "what's the occasion?" when there was a knock at the front door.

Brennan seized on it. She opened it and kissed Baker hello. "I couldn't find my shoes. Let me just fetch my purse."

Booth realized he was uncomfortable around new people. With Baker, it was ten fold. Maybe if the man hadn't of been so good looking he wouldn't have felt so inferior.

"Hi," the man said warmly. "I'm Agent Baker."

"He found you," Brennan explained as she rejoined them.

Why didn't you find me? Booth just nodded.

"You look a lot better than you did the first time we met."

Awkwardly, Booth attempted a smile. "I don't remember."

"You were half dead. I'm sure not."

"We're going out. I have my cell if you need anything." Brennan put in. The two of them waved goodbye and were gone.

Booth's depression sank down another notch. Seeing Baker was bad enough. He felt a bit of anger towards Brennan for parading the seemingly perfect man around in front of him. Booth hadn't shaved. His hair was greasy and disheveled. She hadn't given him any warning. It didn't help that he felt she was treating him as if he were a child.

He leaned back and shut his eyes. Images popped into his mind, as they often did. Brenghause standing over him, forcing Booth to watch him heat up a fork with a lighter before stabbing him with it.

The shrill ringing of his cell phone brought him back to reality. An unknown number flashed across his screen. Tentatively he answered. "Booth."

"Is this Agent Booth?" A pretty feminine voice asked quietly.

"Yes."

"I don't know if you remember me. I'm Debbie-"

"I remember you. How are you?"

"…probably about as well as you. I know this is kind of sudden, but would you want to meet and just talk? I just," her voice broke. "No one understands."

Booth understood. It was one of the thousands of reasons he didn't want to speak of the abduction. It hurt too much, and no one would truly understand anyway. They wanted to hear, but not to listen. "Do you know a place called The Royal Diner?"

***

Brennan had more fun at the gala than she expected. After a scrumptious dinner she danced with Baker almost the entire night. She noticed how important he seemed to those around him. Constantly other agents were interrupting them in an attempt to chat. Woman tried to butt in to dance with him. Baker politely declined them all. The night's focus truly was on Brennan.

Towards the end of the night they separated for a brief moment so as Baker could get them both a glass of wine. Brennan took a seat at a round table. She watched closely as Baker was stopped by numerous colleagues. While he did give them the time of day, his attention was constantly back on her. More than once he offered her a sheepish smile. At last he was able to break away and return to her. To her he extended a flute filled with red liquid. "Sorry about that."

"It's all right." She took a sip. "You're pretty popular."

He sat down besides her. "Well, I don't know if it's so much that. A lot's been going on at work. We've been hunting down a serial killer. He's been tough to gauge. Everyone wants to talk and give their opinion on the case." He took a swig himself. "I've been busy, hence why it's taken so long for me to ask you out."

She flushed. "I'm glad you did. I haven't had this much fun in a while." Her expression deepened in dismay almost immediately after she'd uttered the words.

Baker noticed. "Hey," he said gently. "Booth didn't look as bad as I thought he would. Not compared to how we found him, anyway. He's healing up."

"His body is," she agreed carefully. There was one particular scar on his arm that wasn't healing. She'd caught him more than once staring at it worriedly in the mirror in her bathroom.

"But not his spirit," Baker supplied for her.

Brennan cast her eyes downward at the floor. "I just don't know what to do for him. He won't let me do much for him."

"Have you ever considered that he doesn't want you to?"

She looked back up at him in confusion.

"What he's going through is a lot. I can tell you two are close. Maybe he's trying to protect you from the pain he's going through."

"But that's ludicrous. He knows I'd do anything for him."

"It's not about that." Baker sighed. "Look, I was taken and tortured during a case. Nothing like what Booth's been through, but enough. When you get back, it just takes a while. You could be anyone to him."

"I'm not anyone," she scoffed. I'm his Bones, dammit.

"I know. I'm just saying, you're like anyone else to him right now. The line gets blurred. When you're violated like he was its difficult to trust anyone. He knows you care about him but he just can't let you yet."

She spoke the true thought that had been on her mind since she'd brought him home. "I'm afraid I'm going to lose him. Before this he was one of the strongest people I've ever known. And now…" Brennan had been worrying immensely about his mental health.

"He'll get there, I promise." Taking her hand in his own, he invited her for one more dance. She graciously accepted. Afterwards as the gala came to an end, she couldn't help but to admit, "I don't want this night to end."

"It doesn't have to," he murmured in a husky voice in her ear.

Booth's probably sleeping again. He won't know I'm gone. Taking his hand, she led him outside towards his car.