What if: Booth hadn't taken that bullet?

AU? Yes

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She looked happier than he could ever remember seeing her, all smiles as she jumped around on stage, belting out the words to the song that had once been her favorite.

She was a pretty good singer, too. Not that he should have been surprised. After all, Bones was good at everything.

They should have done something this frivolous years ago.

It wasn't until her legs gave out and she collapsed onto the stage that he realized that sound he'd heard was a gunshot. His hand went to his weapon and he turned, looking for the threat, doing what he had been trained to do. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cam, staying low, heading for Bones.

At the back of the room was that crazy lady – Pam? - gun in hand, looking a little stunned and a whole lot smug. He steadied his hand, barking out, "Drop the gun."

"I did it for you, Seeley", she answered in that too-sweet voice.

"What?", he asked, trying to keep her talking, keep the situation from getting worse.

"Now we can be together. I saw how you looked at her, but she's not in our way anymore."

"Drop the gun", he repeated, past trying to make sense of whatever was going on in her head. That would be something for Sweets to sort out later, after Bones was OK.

"I would never hurt you", she said, oblivious to the fact that he was pretty sure his heart had stopped beating when Bones collapsed.

Sweets was on the floor, cell phone in hand, talking with the 911 operator. The kid sounded terrified, and Booth wanted – needed - to get back to Bones.

"Drop the weapon", he snapped "Now. I am a federal agent and I am ordering you to drop your weapon and keep your hands where I can see them."

"Why are you being so mean to me?", Pam whined "I just want us to be together." Her hand tightened on the gun. "Were you just leading me on?"

She raised the gun. "That's a horrible thing to do. I thought you loved me, Seeley." The gun steadied, and the look on her face changed, hardened.

Booth pulled the trigger.

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Cam was hunched over Bones, applying pressure, trying to stop the bleeding. Angela was surprisingly good in a crisis, and was holding Brennan's left hand, talking to her about weekend plans and some trip to Italy she was always trying to convince Brennan to go on. Booth pushed his way toward Bones and then hovered anxiously around her head, not sure what to do.

When the ambulance arrived, the EMTs surrounded Bones, pushing him out of the way, and then the local cops arrived. When the EMTs wheeled her out, he was still busy answering questions and making a statement.

The squints were gone by the time the cops finished with him but Sweets was still there, waiting patiently at a table by the door. He was surprisingly quiet en route to the hospital, leaving Booth with the picture of Bones, unnaturally still and covered in blood, for company.

Booth jumped out before the vehicle pulled to a stop, ducking around wheel chairs and patients on his way into the ER, frantic to get to her.

"Seeley"

He stopped, turned, and there was Cam, shirt splattered with blood, looking so sympathetic that he knew Bones hadn't made it.

He swayed, and Cam pushed him none-too-gently into a chair, shoving his head down between his knees. "Breathe, big guy. You aren't going to be any good to her if you pass out."

He pulled away, sat up. "She's OK? Can I see her?"

Cam was already shaking her head. "She's in surgery. No news is good news, though. We called Max, he's on his way."

He slumped in the chair. "Max is going to kill me."

"He's not."

Booth laughed bitterly. "Right."

"He's not", Cam repeated. "First of all, this wasn't your fault, and secondly, Brennan would kick his ass."

"If she lives", Booth said quietly.

"She's going to live", Cam answered.

"Is that your medical opinion?"

He knew from the way she didn't quite meet his eyes that it wasn't.

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She was cold, and her hands didn't seem to work properly.

Somewhere near by, she could hear people talking – male voices mixed with female. She could smell antiseptic, hear the squeak of rubber-soled shoes on linoleum. There was a pain in her chest, an ache she couldn't remember feeling before. Was she hurt?

"Booth?", she called, her voice raspy and far quieter than she'd intended.

"Dr. Brennan."

Brennan opened her eyes, squinting at the bright light, and the man standing over her awkwardly pulled up a chair. Her eyes adjusted, and she recognized him as Booth's boss.

"We need you to do us a favor", he continued.

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Thoughts?