Thank you for your continued interest in my story.

I don't own Bones.

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Exhausted, she'd gone to bed as soon as she'd arrived home. Barely able to move, she had removed her shoes and laid on her bed in the same clothes she had been wearing for the last two and half days. Rolling over on to her side, she pulled a blanket over her body until she was wrapped as if in a cocoon and had quickly fallen asleep.

The phone loudly ringing interrupted her restless slumber. Unwinding the blanket from her arms, she's lunged towards the phone and grabbed it as quickly as possible, "This is Dr. Temperance Brennan."

She heard a throat clear and then a rush of words bombarded her. "Dr. Brennan. I need to let you know that Mr. Booth has suffered from a pulmonary embolism. He started spitting up bloody sputum an hour ago. We put him on anti-clotting medication immediately, but I think it would be a good idea if you came down to the hospital now."

Terrifed, she threw the rest of the blanket to the side, stood up and clutched the phone to her ear. "I'm on my way. I should be there in twenty minutes."

After she arrived at the hospital, Brennan hurried up to the third floor using the stairwell. Rushing into her partner's room she found a sight that caused her to stop and gasp in horror. Staring at the sheet covered form before her, she slowly shook her head and exclaimed, "No, he was alright when I left. He can't leave me. He promised me." Crying violently she rushed to the bed and threw the sheet back. Staring at his beautiful face, she cried out, "You promised me, Booth. You promised me."

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Waking, Brennan was still in the throes of her remnants of her dream. "You promised me." Breathing deeply, Brennan sat up and stared around wildly realizing that she'd been dreaming. Relieved, she fell back upon her pillow and tried to control her anxious breathing. Holding her hands against her face, she felt the tears start to run down her cheeks. Unable to stop, she sobbed, rolled over and closed her eyes. Hugging her pillow, she continued to cry, afraid of the unknown and what might happen to her friend, her best friend.

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Anxiously, Brennan entered Booth's room and found him asleep. Moving quietly, she walked over to his beside, leaned over and without hesitation she kissed him.

Booth, opening his eyes, found his partner so close that her lips were mere centimeters from his. "Bones."

Pleased he was awake, Brennan capturing his lips, placed her hands on the sides of his head and kissed him passionately. Surprised, Booth reached up with his free hand and placed it on her cheek. Filled with happiness, he soon felt a little light headed and Brennan, also feeling the need to breathe because of their consuming kiss separated from her partner.

Puzzled but happy none the less, Booth asked her, "What's going on?"

Barely moving away, Brennan remained close to her partner. "I needed to feel you. I needed to know that you were alright before I went to the Lab. Caroline called me and asked me to meet her at my office. She wants to go over some things before the trial next week."

Rubbing his thumb against her cheek, Booth shook his head. "Bones . . . I'm fine. I was fine last night. They took that thingy out of . . . of my chest a little while ago and I can breathe on my own . . . I'm getting better . . . You don't need to worry about me."

Kissing him again, she finally straightened up feeling Booth's hand fall away from her face. Capturing that hand in hers, she noticed his pallor was better. "I know, I just needed to make sure."

Booth felt her squeeze his hand and decided to ask her his burning question. "Bones, what are we going to do? . . . I mean what do you want to do about us?"

"I think we already know what we're going to do about our situation eventually, Booth." Squeezing his hand again, she sighed. "I've come to realize that I made a mistake when we talked outside the Hoover. I was afraid. I was too afraid to listen to you. I . . . I have a hard time understanding myself sometimes. I've loved you for a long time and yet I've been afraid to admit it. I trust you with my life, Booth, but to trust you with my heart is something I find difficult to do. That thing, that emotion that we call love is dangerous well at least I think it is. You open yourself to being hurt if the one you love doesn't love you as much as you think they do or should. Look at what happened when I was 15. My own parents and brother, people I was sure loved me abandoned me. I ended up being thrown away by people who were supposed to always be there for me. I was thrown away Booth. That was the greatest pain I have ever suffered and I vowed that I would never allow myself to love anyone that way again."

"Bones. . . "

Interrupting Booth, Brennan smiled sadly at the man she loved. "I know you aren't my parents or my brother, Booth. I know that. I know that you love me and you want to have a relationship with me, but I need more time. I need to overcome my fears because Booth, as much as I tell myself it's safe to love you I'm still afraid. Do you understand? I just need a little more time. Once I've put aside my fears I think we will be able to have that relationship you want, that I want."

He felt sad for Brennan and wanted her to understand that she could trust him. "Yes, I understand . . . Bones if you'll give us time . . . if you'll let me prove to you that you don't . . . have anything to worry about . . . I think you'll realize that you don't have anything to be afraid of . . . I'll never hurt you, Bones . . . I love you and I only want you to be happy . . . If you need time then who am I to deny you that?"

Leaning back down and she kissed him. "Thank you for being so you, Booth. I don't think it will take long, but I really do need the time."

Booth released her hand and pointed at a small dish of vanilla pudding. "Do you think you could hand me that? . . . They said they were going to bring me something . . . to eat for breakfast but I'm going to starve . . . to death before they get here."

"No, I wouldn't want you to starve to death." Pulling the small table hanging over his bed closer, she pulled off the saran wrap on the dish and handed the pudding filled container to Booth with a spoon.

His stomach gurgling, Booth took the dish from Brennan and licked his lips. "I love their pudding." Taking a spoonful from the dish, he licked the pudding and closed his eyes. "God, I'm so hungry."

Laughing, Brennan shook her head, "You're always hungry."

Booth swallowed another spoon full of vanilla goodness and decided that he might need more food later. "Not always . . . Still, I wouldn't mind a hamburger for . . . for dinner tonight if you have time to visit me again . . . Oh and a chocolate milkshake and maybe some french fries."

Placing her hand on his head and running her fingers through his hair, Brennan smiled at him.

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