He covers his head and closes his eyes and in his arms is the bleeding love of his life and she cries kiss it all better I'm not ready to go. It's not your fault love you didn't know, you didn't know. Her hands are so cold and he kisses her face and says everything will be all right…

And she cries kiss it all better I'm not ready to go, it's not your fault love, you didn't know you didn't know…all it is, is a memory, all it is, is a memory…

Please stay with me until I fall asleep, stay with me until I fall asleep, and please stay with me until I fall asleep, stay with me…

Kiss It All Better by He Is We

Booth was waiting with Ashley in ICU's waiting room for Angela to say goodnight to Brennan. Booth planned on spending the night again in case Brennan woke up, and Ashley was going to stay another night with Angela.

"Daddy?" Ashley was on her father's lap and turned her head around to look at him, pushing her long locks out of her face she smiled curiously at Booth.

"Hhmmm princess?"

"How much longer did de doctows say?" Ashley asked tilting her head looking so much like Hannah it was eerie. She had her eyes, God did she have those eyes, they slanted ever the slightest and her nose which was a bit pointed. Well everyone had seemed taken to tapping their index finger on it as Ashley scrunched it up in giggles.

"What do you mean princess? How much longer for what?" asked Booth.

Ashley sighed frustrated, "How much more west does Auntie Bwen need until she can wake up?"

Booth's face dropped, 'oh' it sunk in. Booth kissed Ashley's forehead, "I don't know princess, we have to wait and see."

"Daddy?"

"Hhmm?"

"I watched a princess movie at Auntie Ange's."

"Wow. What was it called?" Booth asked as he struggled to fake an excited tone.

"Sweeping Beauty! Just like Auntie Bwen!" Ashley said and Booth looked off into a nowhere with a smile on his face.

"Yeah, baby, just like Auntie Bren."

"I see Ange!" Ashley said as she pointed out the artist to her father and smiled up at him. Angela made her way to the father and daughter. It was now three o'clock and she knew she still had to go and get dinner going. Hodgins and Piper were wandering the hospital God knows where since she left them at the cafeteria at noon. He probably brought her to the morgue Angela silently thought to herself, deciding if he had then she was going to put Hodgins in the morgue herself.

"Auntie Ange!" Ashley jumped off Booth and gave her a hug. Ange looked to Booth and they shared a glance as the almost three year old hugged Angela tightly. A shared expression of 'what changed her demeanor?'

"Hey Ash. I'm glad to see you too." Angela smiled.

"Is Auntie Bwen all woke up now?" Ashley asked.

Angela smiled a sad smile, "Not yet baby."

"Oh, but soon?"

"Soon." Angela reiterated.

Booth decided to break the news to Ash, he bent down to her level and Angela sat down in a waiting chair next to them. "Ashley, guess what?"

Big blue eyes looked up to Booth, "What?" she asked curiously.

"You get to stay another night with Piper, Auntie Ange and Hodgins!" Booth smiled.

Ashley crossed her arms across her chest and glanced from Booth to Angela, "NO. I'm staying with Auntie Bwen!"

Angela got out of the chair bending down next to Ashley and Booth. Ashley began to withdrawal into herself. "Sweetie, you can't spend the night at the hospital."

"Daddy is?"

"Yes, your Daddy is going to stay with Auntie Bren, but only big people can stay overnight." Angela said.

Ashley shook her head back and forth 'no' "Not uh-zaclly."

Angela inhaled, "Ashley why do you say that? Why do you think that?" Angela asked.

"Because I stayed in the hospital Ange! Did you forget alweady? Auntie Bwen was der. She knows, she bwought us home." Ashley said.

'Ah' Angela thought to herself, "Yes, but that was because you were hurt sweetie, visitors that are not hurt and are not adults cannot stay at the hospital overnight." Angela countered and Ashley looked to Booth with pleading eyes.

"Booth." Angela reiterated that the little girl could not. She didn't expect his next words.

Booth stood up next to Angela leaving Ash in her chair, "If I would have just taken her home, if I wouldn't have left her-"

"Stop Booth." Angela said frustrated, "Don't you dare blame yourself."

Ashley was playing with her shoe lace ignoring them. "Ange, I held her hand last night…all night, and I told her it would be okay. Ange…she…she can't not be okay…" Booth mumbled, it was the first time Angela had seen him break and he wrapped his arms around the artist and they both clung to each other.

"She will be Booth, she will be just fine." Angela smiled a sad smile as she looked up to the ceiling and asked God for a little more of Ashley's middle name.

"No, you are." Said Hannah to Brennan and for a moment Brennan stopped yelling at her and was silent. She stopped ranting and raving of how Hannah was pregnant and with Booth. Her eyes locked on the bottle in Hannah's hand and suddenly everything came crashing back to her. Memories flew by like a slide show.

She held her head in her hands and closed her eyes as she watched her life fly bye. She felt his soft lips on hers tasting, wanting, hungry, and then it was lightning and thundering. Booth had just come in from the rain and she was getting him a towel, he wanted to talk, Hannah was pregnant, she heard the door click shut as Booth closed it and she slid down the back of it, landing on both of her broken hearted knees.

Next she heard an Australian accent "I'm sorry Dr. Brennan almost lovers can leave deep scars…oh, but it's evident, you do. You can see it in your eyes, see that you never let him go." And she felt Sarah's comforting arm around her shoulder, it was night she was exhausted then Angela called, Hannah and Ashley were in an accident, Hannah didn't make it. Brennan heard child's laughter; tasted strawberry pancake batter, felt Booth's tears on her lap as he broke and she held him. Now they sat on the couch, two ghost ships in the night that kept passing each other bye.

Then she was in Bone Storage, Booth came and cajoled her out for a walk in the halls of the Jeffersonian – she asked if he still cared, but he couldn't answer her. They parted and she drove home so choked up on tears she never saw the stalled car ahead, she heard tires screeching and glass busting.

Now, she was standing on the beach with Hannah. Brennan's eyes looked up and locked onto Hannah's, she finally understood. "Ashley?" Brennan exhaled and Hannah nodded 'yes'.

"Yes." Hannah said, "You do an excellent job with her Temperance."

"I'm dreaming. This is just a bad dream."

Hannah shook her head no. "Well, it depends how you look at it. If you wake up, then yes Temperance. It was only a dream."

"She is your little girl, not mine." Brennan said.

"Don't let her forget me?" Hannah asked.

Brennan cocked her head and Hannah handed her back the bottle, she willingly took it. A new curiosity in her eyes, she held Hannah's stare as they both held the bottle. Hannah reluctant to let go, Brennan hesitant to take.

"She looks just like you." Brennan quietly said, giving Hannah a lopped sided smile. While both women stood on the beach holding onto the bottle, they shared an unspoken understanding. It was an odd, perfect relationship that they shared. They both loved and were loved by the same man. One had his child and she was hoping and pleading the other would raise her.

Ashley continued to stare at Booth with pleading eyes, "Sorry princess, you have to go home with Auntie Ange tonight. You can come and see me tomorrow."

"I don't want to see you wight now! I want to see Auntie Bwen r-right now!" Ashley said.

"Ashley Faith keep your voice down or you won't be seeing anyone." Booth scolded then stood up as did Angela. Ashley exhaled as she sat down in a chair.

"I really don't think it's a good idea if she stays Booth. It will be late, she will be hungry, tired, and Brennan is overwhelmin-"

"I know Angela." Booth said so stern that Ashley looked up at the two adults.

"Okay, fine, what do you want to do about it?" Angela asked, "Is she going or staying, you already know what I think."

Booth sighed, glanced at Ashley then up to Angela, "Let her go visit, but we both know she can't stay the night."

"Okay sweetie, but I don't think she should, Bren is intimisating looking right now Booth. Promise you will call me?"

"Of course Ange, just give us an hour."

Angela smiled agreeing and then bent down to Ash, "Guess what baby?"

"Hhmm?" Ash was curled up in the chair.

"You and you're Daddy are going to go see Auntie Brennan right now and you have to be very quiet. Do you understand?"

Ashley nodded yes and lifted her arms up to Booth who gladly picked her up and walked to Brennan's room.

"Ashley, Auntie Bren has lots of band-aids and wires in her and on her that are just there to help her, okay?" Booth said and Ashley nodded again. "She might look a little funny and scary, but they are there to help her."

"Like the wire Auntie Bwen helped me with?" Ashley asked.

"Yeah, kinda like that princess." Said Booth.

They rounded the corner and the automatic doors to Brennan's room opened for them. Booth studied Ashley as Ashley studied Brennan. Silence lingered and Booth held his breath wondering what Ashley would think.

Finally a small voice broke the silence, "She has scwatches on her face and forehead." Ashley said pointing to Brennan's forehead.

Booth smiled and kissed Ashley, "Yeah, yeah she does princess. They will get better soon."

"Just like me?" Ashley said proudly.

"Yes, just like you did." Booth said walking over and sitting in the chair next to Brennan's bed with Ashley.

"What's dat?" Ashley pointed to the EEG electrodes on Brennan's head.

"It's a special monitor for her brain." Booth explained.

"Because she has a special brain? OH, oh like Brainy! He is on Sleeping Beauty." Ashley smiled proudly. Booth smiled thinking of smurfs not dwarves.

Booth and Ash had been in Brennan's room for about a half hour. For most of the time Ashley asked questions, what kind of machine was this or what did that do? Though, it always boiled down to 'when Daddy? When is she going to wake up' he had no answer.

Ashley yawned and shifted in Booth's lap, "Daddy? Daddy?"

"Hhhmm?"

"I know how to make her wake up Daddy." Ashley smiled.

Booth smiled, "Oh, really?"

"Yes. She is just like Sleeping Beauty. She just needs a kiss from a prince." Ashley giggled. "We need to find a prince."

Booth smiled at the thought as silence lingered.

"I know we do daddy, it's what she needs. Cause the prince kissed her all better daddy." Ashley was excited, "You are my prince and it's okay you can be Auntie Bren's too." Ashley said happy, "Oh, not on her scwatches though, cause dat would huwt."

Booth looked at his little girl with amusement. He looked at Brennan and then back to Ashley.

"Have to shut ya eyes though and think happy. That's how he did it on my movie."

"Okay." Booth said and Ashley smiled.

Booth stared at Brennan. God she looked horrible, she had wires running in and out of her. Machines all around her, pale as a ghost, bandages-the works you get it. Though, he inhaled a sad breath and brushed his hand along her cheek bone. "Bones, Bones it's me. Please wake up." Booth said as he leaned down and his lips met hers.

Just then Angela walked in to get Ashley and Ashley smiled and held her index finger to her lips, "Shhh Auntie Ange, Daddy has to kiss her all better."

Angela stopped in her tracks with a raised brow.

Hannah released the bottle turning it over to Brennan who now had a firm grasp on it. Suddenly, more words started to appear on the paper. 'Bones, Bones it's me. Please wake up.'

Her words were whispered as she spoke to Hannah, "Booth." She almost dropped the paper as her hand came up to touch her lips. Locking eyes with Hannah uncertain she continued, "But I asked if he still cared and he said it was all too soon. Ashley and…and how do I know he is ready Hannah? How do I know if he loves me? I can't go back now, not when I'm not sure. I don't want to hurt his or my heart anymore, what if I'm too indecisive? It wouldn't be fair to either of us or to Ashley."

"I don't know, but I know you will be fine. Please Temperance take good care of her. I have to go now. Hang onto the bottle and read the letters." Hannah was holding back tears unsuccessfully as they streamed down her face, "Just, just love her like your own. Bye Temperance."

Then just like that Brennan was walking the beach alone again. This was one strange dream, but as she chuckled at the thought of a limbo. She tripped over something and fell down, the bottle was still in her hand, grip tight.

Though, what was a treasure chest doing washed up on shore? She wondered what the old wooden box held inside of it. Should she open it? Did she dare? She flipped it over to do so, only to discover it was locked; she needed a key to get in. She smiled a barely there smile as her fingertips brushed her lips while she walked in the surf looking for a key.

Ashley looked on intently, "Did you kiss her all better now? Is she all awake?" she looked from Booth to Angela and back. Angela locked eyes with Booth not believing he had done what he had.

Brennan saw something glimmer in ocean; it was a key. Though, she wondered if it would fit and if so, what, if anything would the box hold?