I don't own Bones, I know I have 206 in my body, but the Bones from Fox isn't mine.

Safety

Time passed, and again they were puzzled. The Facebook idea didn't work out. There wasn't enough evidence. Sweets said if they get one or two more victims, then maybe he could find a connection, but for now, they were stuck. One of the victims played many games online, so she had over a thousand friends, and the other had his page for years, but rarely went on.

Booth and Bones went to the doctor to check on the baby. She was due in November, and Booth was getting excited. They knew the baby was a girl, and he couldn't be happier. He always wanted a little girl, that he could spoil and treat like a princess. He was already wrapped around her finger, and she wasn't even born yet.

.

He wondered if Bones had thought about the idea of moving in together. To tell the truth, he would rather marry her, but he knew how opposed she was to that, so moving in would have to be good enough. One night in mid August, he fell asleep waiting for her. When he awoke at 5:30 the next morning, she wasn't in his bed. He jumped out of bed frantic that something had happened to her. He grabbed his phone and called her.

"Bones where are you?"

"I'm in bed, where are you?"

It was then that he realized that they both went home, waiting for the other, but at different places.

"I'm in bed too. Are you mad at me?" he asked.

"No, should I be?"

"No, I was worried because you didn't come home last night. I miss you."

"I waited as long as I could, but I fell asleep. I thought you were coming here."

"And I thought you were coming here. Can we meet for breakfast?"

"Yes, I'll meet you at the Diner."

They met an hour later for breakfast. On the way to the Diner Booth tried to think of how to bring up the idea of living together without upsetting her. He didn't want to push her into making a decision, but he wanted to know what she thought about the idea.

"Hi Bones, I missed you last night. When I woke up alone I was scared that something happened to you."

"Booth, how many times do I need to tell you that I can take care of myself. You don't need to worry about me all the time."

"Listen Bones, I know your independent and you don't like being protected, but I want you to be safe. We are very well known, and I think Hacker is going to give me lead on this case. If we get one more victim, I think he will have a press conference, to announce what we are doing to solve it. That will mean that our pictures will be in the news again. Everyone, including the killer, will know who we are. I don't want him to see you as a target. I just want you to be safe."

"Booth, I understand your concern, and I will be more vigilant, but I am not going to hide until this killer is caught. I can't do that."

"I never said I wanted you to hide. I just want you to be careful. Please Bones, do this for me."

She saw the pain in his eyes, and remembered the soft kisses and words of love he expressed nightly.

"Booth I will be more careful. What would make you feel better?"

"I would like to drive you to and from work daily, and I would like you to go places with someone."

"Go where?"

"I don't know. If you're running out to get lunch, or to the store, go with Angela or someone else from the lab. Just don't go alone."

She sighed, "Booth that is ridiculous. I will drive in and home with you, because at least I will know where you are sleeping each night, but I won't tag along with someone just because you have an irrational fear that I can't take care of myself. Next thing I know you will want someone to go to the bathroom with me and hold my hand."

He could see the anger in her eyes, and decided to drop it for the time being. Arguing wasn't getting them anywhere. He knew he would have to call in someone for help, and he knew just who to call.

"Ok, I will take that as a compromise, we will drive in together, and go home together, and maybe discuss the other things later."

He pushed his chair closer to her, and bumped her shoulder. "You're not mad are you?"

"No Booth, I'm not mad. I understand you can't help your overprotective nature. Could I get back to the lab now? I wanted to check on something."

"Yeah, I'm done. Let's go."

Booth dropped her off at the Jeffersonian, and on the way to his office, he made a phone call to Max. He had a favor to ask. After he hung up the phone, he called Angela. He was going to protect her whether or not she wanted it.

.

.

Angela approached Bones on the platform.

"Hey Sweetie, what are you doing for lunch?"

"Usually Booth comes over, but he can't today, so I guess I'm on my own. Maybe I can finally get some work done."

"I want to go out to lunch. I discovered a new Italian place over on Sixth Street; I think you're going to like it."

"Did Booth call you?"

"Why would Booth call me?"

"I don't know this morning he was all overprotective, and didn't want me to go out alone. I thought maybe he called you to watch me."

"Bren, even I know not to do that. I wouldn't want to be the one to get between you and Booth. I just want some lunch; we haven't had a lunch away from this place in weeks. Please say you'll go?"

"Sure, I'll go. Just come get me when it's time."

Angela walked away smiling. It worked like a charm, if she got any better; she was going to have Booth take her undercover with him. The plan was in motion, and Bren didn't know a thing.

Angela called Booth and told him it was all set.

Booth met Max at the Diner for lunch. He explained the situation, and asked Max for help.

"Max, she is so dam independent, I just don't know what to do. Short of a miracle, we are not going to catch this guy before he kills again. I just want her safe. Max I love her, and I don't know what I would do if I lost her."

As he spoke the last few words, he looked at his lap, trying to hide the anguish on his face.

"You know her mother was like that too. We had so many fights over her reckless nature. There were many times when she would just go out and look for some guy who was trying to follow us. I told her one day she was going to get herself or the kids killed.

That was when she decided to leave them. I never wanted to go, but she said it was her way of keeping them safe. When she was killed I just held her in my arms for hours, I couldn't let her go. I buried her in that cemetery all alone. Then sat there and watched over her for days. I've blamed myself for her death ever since. I wish I could have kept her safe, and then she would be here to see our first grandchild. But I couldn't, I never could."

Booth saw tears in the older man's eyes, and understood his pain. Max may have done some stupid things in his life, but he loved his family more than anyone Booth had ever known did. Family was everything to Max, and Booth knew he came to the right man.

"So Max, my next question is what do I do next?"

Max agreed to come over the next evening, and talk to Tempe. He didn't think it would work, but he wanted to start there. Since he had some connections around town, he said he would try to watch out for her. He also agreed to see if he could find out anything about the killer. He would contact some old friends and see if they had heard any rumors.

As they were leaving the Diner, Max stopped and looked at Booth.

"Booth, I will help you in any way I can, but please keep my baby girl safe, because if anything happens and I find him first, no one is going to get me out of jail this time."

He patted Booth on the shoulder, and walked away.

Booth looked at his retreating back, and knew what he said was true.