A/N Thank you so much for the nice reviews and the kick in the butt to write more! I'm glad you like my story enough to care that I didn't let it go.

I don't owe anything related to Bones...alas...and I'm not making a single penny out of this.

If some of you were an Alias fan, you know that the Conversation Room was used by our dear Arvin Sloane as the torture room.

XxXxX

Not In This Life

Chapter therteen: The Conversation Room

Booth's bedroom, around 4:00am

Booth! Oh my God! Booth, wake up! You're choking me! I can't breathe! Booth, snap out of it! Those were Brennan's thoughts as she tried to free herself once more from her partner's grip. Her feet were high up in the air, so she wasn't able to get a firm grip on the edge of the bed to steady herself. She tried to reach his face with her hands, to touch his arms, shoulders, anything to push him back or punch him, but his arms were longer than hers and she wasn't able to push him back. God! I can't even poke him in the eye! Booth, wake up!

"BASTARD!" Booth yelled at her. "You fucking son of a bitch! I swear to God, I'll kill you!"

She could see the look in his eyes, it was empty, glassy, he wasn't directly looking at her, she knew he didn't see her but was looking at someone else...someone he highly despised, someone he hated and someone who had probably been hanting his dreams for a very long time.

Oh, Booth... She sadly thought as she felt herself drift more into the darknessas she realized the scene in which her partner would wake up from: his hands on her throat with her lifeless body in his hands and her eyes blankly staring back at him. As she was thinking this, she saw her brother Russ...Oh Russ, please don't beat him up...Then the face of her father appeared to her, HIM, who had sacrificed everything to save her, to save his family...And then her dear friend Angela, who would probably blame Booth forever even if she knew deep inside of her caring and loving heart the inner demons he would be facing every day. Oh my God...is this it? Is this where I see my life before me, and then I die?

As she thought that she was living her last second on Earth, she felt Booth's grip lessen on her neck. She was on the verge of loosing consciousness, but she forced herself with all her might to look up. And then she saw...he WAS looking at her. BOOTH! His face was a mask of confusion as he expelled a ragged breath.

"Bones...?" He said gruffly as he realized what he was doing and let her go as if he were burned. She immediately fell on the floor and started to cough. "God...Bones..." He said again with a shaky voice. What did I do?

Oh my God! Oh myGod! Oh my God! I'm gonna live! She thought as she took her first breath in. She felt as if a dozen blades were cutting her throat and lungs and she started to cough. This is what it must feel like to drown. The noise she was making as she was trying to breathe was one that sounded like someone having a really serious asthma attack. "Water." Was the only word she could whisper as she tried to breathe normally and stop the coughing, but it wasn't working very well.

"Water." Booth repeated as he ran into the kitchen to take a glass of water. Oh my God! What did I do? He ran back to his bedroom and gave the glass to Brennan, who was still on her knees and hands, trying to catch a breath. Oh my God, he thought, I can't believe this is happening! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING!!!

She took the glass in her shaking hands and tried to take a sip. The cold liquid felt good in her mouth, but as she tried to swallow it, her throat felt as if it had a knot in it and she started to choke, which made the coughing sound worse.

Booth was walking around her, not being able to stop himself. He wanted to help, apologize, he wanted to do something to make her feel better, but he just couldn't bring himself to speak or touch her. I feel dizzy, nauseated, I'm gonna be sick. He thought as he sat on the bed, taking his head in his hands, elbows resting on his knees.

Okay Temperance, just take a breath...that's it, slowly, breathe in, and out...alright...better...She took another sip of water, and only cough three times after swallowing it. Good...that's great. She was still wheezing from the swelling of her throat, but at least she was able to breathe. Good.

"God Bones, I'm so sorry." He said with a broken voice. I'm so sorry...It took all the strength he had within himself to walk towards her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't!" She whispered back at him, her hand pushing him back. She wasn't able to speak since her vocal cords were swollen. Booth thought she almost sounded scared, angry even. He backed away from her and walked out of the room. Shit! I didn't mean... "Booth!" She tried to yell after him to come back, but it was in vain; she was barely speaking. I'm sorry, I didn't want to push you away...it just happened.

She was sitting on the bedroom floor trying to steady her breathing, her back resting on the side of the bed, when Booth came back. He stood still, not wanting to pass the threshold and looked at her. He could see the marks on her neck where his hand had been strangling her. There were some places where bruises had started to show. I feel like dying...I deserve to die. "Bones?" He asked, unsure of himself. She looked up and that's when Booth really saw her face, and gasped. Please God, just kill me...now. There were a few veins that had ruptured from the pressure of his hand on her throat, which had probably compressed the jugular and carotid veins, and gave her a vampire-like look since her skin color was so pale. Her eyes were abnormally out of their sockets, and they were equally red, which resulted from the same trauma. He took a deep breath in and started to talk. "Are you okay? Do you need anything? Is there ANYTHING I can do? Do you want me to drive you to the hospital?" Please give me something to do. Anything.

"Do you have ice-cream?" Brennan softly asked, afraid to make a round of coughs start. It will sooth my throat and vocal cords.

"Sure." He walked to the kitchen. As he was preparing the ice-cream, she stood up and walked to the bathroom. She took a deep breath in when she saw her face in the mirror. Oh! God...I look terrible! She started to palp her neck, moved her head from left to right and opened her mouth wide, sticking out her tongue while she tried to take a look inside. Everything looks alright. She said to herself as she was swallowing and touching her larynx to feel anything abnormal. Looks fine. She sighed and took a good look at herself in the mirror. This will need good cover-up. Halloween's a few months away...

"Here." Booth said to her, showing her the bowl of green ice-cream. "Sorry about that, Pistachio is Parker's favorite."

"It's fine." She softly said, taking the bowl from his shaky hands, and trying hard to avoid his eyes. Don't look up. Don't look up. "Thank you." She stared ahead as she thanked him, not wanting to see the sadness and despair in his eyes, and walked out of the bathroom. I'm not sure I can deal with this right now. What will I do? She sighed again as she sat on the couch and took a full spoon of the very welcomed ice-cream. She could feel his presence a few feet away from her, but didn't dare to look. Stop staring at me. Just go. Please Booth, just go. She heard him sigh and leave the living room. Thank you. She closed her eyes and ate the ice-cream. Just give me a few minutes, just give me time to adjust. I WILL come see you. Just give me time.

Booth looked at his partner sitting on the couch and didn't dare to speak or walk near her. He could feel she didn't want to be near him right now, and he couldn't really blame her. I just tried to kill her, of course she hates me. Hell, I hate me. But despite the fact that he feared touching her after what had happened only a few minutes ago, he NEEDED to touch her, to reassure her, to reassure himself. What did I do? God...what did I do... He closed his eyes and turned his back on her, silently walking back to his bedroom. The almost crime scene. He snorted as he walked past the threshold and sat on the bed, his elbows resting on his knees, his hands joined in a praying manner as his fingers touched his lips. He took a deep breath in and fought like hell to hold the tears from falling down. Grown men don't cry... He wasn't successful and the tears started to fall down on both cheeks, and he just couldn't stop himself as he started to shake. So he leaned forward and rested his head in his hands, cursing the violence in his life, both past and present, and he silently cried, hoping one day, he'd get forgiveness...from God, from Bones, from the ones he killed, and from the future innocent victims he couldn't protect.

XxXxX

Temperance had finished her ice-cream a long time ago and she just sat on the couch, her body comfortably resting on it's back, and she stared into the emptiness and darkness of Booth's living room, not knowing what her next move was going to be. I need to get up and go talk to him. We need to talk. He must feel awful. I know he didn't mean it, he wasn't REALLY trying to kill ME. But how? How does someone forgive something like that? Is it possible? She took a deep breath and forced herself up. I can do this.

She slowly walked to the bedroom and stopped herself before entering the room. Oh God...She thought as she saw him, blankly staring at the wall, his eyes red from the crying he had done and looking as if he didn't have anymore strength within himself. I've never seen him so...powerless, so...vulnerable. "Booth..." She tentatively asked, as she made sure that no sound was coming out of her voice to avoid the cascade of coughing. His eyes went into focus and he lifted up his head and looked at her. He seemed surprised.

"You're still here?" He incredulously asked.

"I'm still here." She answered. I never even thought of leaving.

"I thought you would have left." I'm not even sure I would have stayed. "I usually just scream when I have those nightmares, and women run out of here like the French Army."

"I'm not most women." She truthfully reminded him, her voice still a whisper.

"I know." And thank God for that. "Oh! Bones, I'm so sorry." He told her with sincerity. "So sorry." If I could erase all of this, I would.

She stared back at him without blinking and then she sighed deeply. "I know." She walked into the room and sat beside him on the bed. "I know Booth, and I'm sorry about how I reacted earlier." The proximity of their bodies was near, but they weren't touching. She wanted to let him know that she wasn't afraid of him. She turned her head to face him and said: "Do you have those nightmares often?"

"Two...maybe three times a year, sometimes more."

"Did Parker ever-"

"No...no. Thank God he never had to see me like this." It would have scared the shit out of him.

Good. "Before you started to strangle me...you spoke."

"I did...?" He tentatively asked. "What did I say?" Was it the first time that I spoke?

"You used the name Simon, and then you yelled at someone. You sounded VERY angry, but you didn't say HIS name."

"Yeah..." Lovely part of my past.

"You didn't seem to like him that much." Brennan said, wanting to make him talk.

"No, I didn't. I still don't." I loathe that guy.

"You also said you'd kill him." She wanted Booth to talk, but she wasn't sure if it was a part of his life she really wanted to know.

"I did?"

"That's when you started to..." She stopped talking, finding her throat suddenly dry. God that was awful, I don't want to relive it. She took a sip of the glass of water that was standing on the night table before putting it back where it was.

"Bones..." Booth started to say, but his voice was trembling. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. I knew this day would come. "I've never told that story to anyone." But I know you've earned the right tonight.

"I understand." I know it's hard for you to speak about your time in Iraq.

Don't speak too fast. "For someone who doesn't believe in psychology Bones, you sure want me to talk." He said, a fake smile on his lips.

"I just want to understand why you almost killed me tonight." She softly answered, knowing the truth was often hard to swallow, but sometimes had to be said.

"Fair enough." He said as he affirmatively nod his head. "I just want you to know that if you want to leave this house when I'm done-"

"Booth-" She started to object. I'm stronger then most people think.

"Let me finish. It's important." His voice was firm, and he sounded serious.

"Okay." Do I really want to know what happened? I said I did, but...Do I?

"If you want to get out of here without even speaking to me when I'll be done telling this not-so-funny story, feel free to do so." He said as he looked into her eyes. This may be the last time she agrees to be so near to me.

"O...kay." She reluctantly agreed.

"Even without speaking to me. Just open the door and walk away."

"Booth, stop it."

"I just want you to prepare yourself." You won't look at me the same way after you know the truth.

"I get it." She said, starting to get a little annoyed. She took a deep breath to calm herself. "Booth, I know it's difficult, but I'm here. Talk to me."

It was now Booth's turn to take a deep breath and he straightened himself, wiping imaginary sweat off his hands as he thought of how to start this story. "I was still in the American Army Rangers when the nine-eleven occurred in 2001. Parker wasn't born yet." He took a pause and then continued. "As I've already told you, I'm a better man because of Parker, I have no idea what would have happened of me if this little boy hadn't been born when he did." He past his fingers through his tick hair and started to talk again. "He made me want to be a better man." He took another pause as he swallowed. "Anyway, we were in Kabul on October seventh, and it was war, pure and simple." He snorted at that. "You attack us, we'll attack you. It's that simple, right? Well, it's not that simple Bones, it's just not."

"I'm sure it isn't."

"To make a long story short, we fought like hell against Al-Quaida and the Talibans. We believed we would be able to defeat them, capture Ben-Laden in no times, we were so stupid and naive...Anyway, we were a group of ten men, and I befriended a guy named Simon Blackburn. We were always near each other, and backed each other if our asses were on the line. We looked for each other, that's what we all did, but Simon and I, we were like brothers.

One day we got captured. It was late at night, and we were going back to our quarters when we got ambushed by Talibans. There were five of us in the truck, Simon and myself included, and we were brought to their Headquarters. Of course we were tortured for information, but after a while, it's hard to go on, to keep fighting. And when I say a while, I really mean weeks, and weeks, and weeks.

Oh God...Brennan thought.

Every time they came to take me from my cell to go to the 'Conversation Room', there were always the same man calmly standing in the middle of the room. I had no idea what was his name, or who he was, but I knew he was someone important. I called him 'The General'. There was always a tiny man sitting besides The General who translated in English what The General was saying in Arabic, and the other way around. The General never flinched, blinked, he never moved a muscle and just stood there, his jaw tense, his black eyes staring back at me when I was tortured or beaten to death...well, almost. It did feel like death at some points. I do remember asking God to let me die.

And each time, each day, they would return me to my cell, covered in blood, with two men holding me by the arms because I couldn't walk, exhausted, and badly injured. And every time, I didn't speak. I let them make me think that I would never see the blue sky again. After what I thought was only a few weeks, loosing all sense of time between drifting in and out of consciousness and not seeing the daylight, I started to think that my Unit wouldn't find me, that we were left alone to deal with them." Booth took a deep ragged breath as he remembered that painful time. "Anyway, one day as they were returning me to my cell, I saw that three of the cells next to mine, which contained the men of my Unit, were empty. The doors were open, and it was cleaned out. Simon and I were the only one left and we had no idea where White, Roberts and Ford were. I remember feeling very strange about it and thinking 'This isn't good, this isn't good at all...'

The day after, or so I thought, Simon and I were brought together to The General for conversation. I saw in my friend's face that he didn't know what was going on, and that he was afraid. I was scared too, but I had swore to God that I wouldn't let The General see any sign of weakness or fear from me.

Simon looked at me, I knew he wanted to tell me something, but I stared at him without speaking and made a 'NO' sign with my head for him to keep quiet. The General stood there, grinning stupidly, which he never had before, and then someone opened the door." He stopped talking, suddenly having lost his voice as it cracked, and stared at the empty wall.

"Do you need to stop?" Gently asked Brennan, not knowing what to do as he looked so vulnerable. "We could go on later..."

"No Bones, I have to continue." Or I may never tell you the truth.

"Oh...Okay." She said.

"Simon and I, we were sitting on a wooden chair in the Conversation Room, with only The General and his translator in front of us when men entered the room from the back door and threw three dead bodies on the floor at our feet. I didn't need to look at them to know they were White, Roberts and Ford, the guys from my Unit. Simon started to shake violently and then to hyperventilate. This is when The General started to speak. He told us that we would end up dead bodies ourselves if we didn't start to speak. That's when Simon started to cry...He was a good man Simon, he had enrolled in the US Army to change things, but I don't think he ever thought that he would see so much blood and violence. He had a wife and two kids, and I know he was thinking of them when he started to cry. I knew he missed them and wanted to see them again and I felt for him. I felt his pain.

At first, Simon didn't speak, but The General knew he was probably more inclined to be the first to do it since he had started to show signs of weakness.

I, on the other hand, didn't have anyone at that time, Rebecca and I were on and off and I didn't have a clue if it would ever work out. Simon had a whole family he loved. I'm not trying to apologize for him, but I understand why he did it. The day I held Parker in my arms for the first time was the day I fully understood you'd do anything for your flesh and blood.

So, The General started to beat the crap out of him, and I stood there, not being able to move since I was tied up to the chair, and watched him being tortured. I think it was worse than actually being beaten myself...

At last, Simon started to speak, and I yelled at him to shut up, but Simon didn't listen to me. I think he wanted to believe the General when he said that if we talked, he would release us...At some point, when you are held captive for so long, and you get so tired, the brain does play tricks on you, and you are not sure what to believe anymore, what is wrong, and what is right start to have shades of gray...so you chose to believe because you just don't have any more strength in you to fight.

Anyway, Simon told The General where our quarters were, and The General took his gun out, smiled at him, and then shot him right between the eyes. One bullet. No warning.

I didn't move, I didn't yell, I just waited...knowing I would be next. At that particular time, I would have welcomed the bullet, because every inch of my body ached. I had multiple fractures...well, you know, you've seen my X-rays...but the fire shot never came. It turns out that the Taliban's Headquarters were attacked by US soldiers at that precise moment, and the General ran out of the room followed by his translator, and then none of the US soldiers were able to find The General anywhere. That's when I swore to God that I'd find him, and kill him."

"And did you?" Tentatively asked Brennan.

"I was brought back to the United States and was in the hospital for the next four weeks. I had lost a lot of weight, you know, as they didn't serve us steak and potatoes when we were held captive, and I had surgeries after surgeries for mostly my knees and ankles, and then I had to go under physiotherapy. It wasn't picnic."

I bet it wasn't...Brennan only nodded with a sympathetic face.

Booth repositioned himself on the bed, and he couldn't stop rubbing his hands together as a repetitive gesture that could be mistaken as an obsessive-compulsive behavior. He was nervous about something, and Brennan felt it. "About a year later," He went on, "I had a contract in London-"

"Excuse me, but what do you mean by you had a contract?" Asked Brennan.

"Sniper work." Booth simply said.

"Oh..." Right...

"I was in London to eliminate someone - forgive me, but I'm forbidden to tell you who it was-"

"It's alright." I don't want to know anyway.

"I was trying to locate my target when I saw HIM." There was a distinct look of disgust on Booth's face that couldn't be missed.

"Him?" Brennan asked, a questioning look upon her face.

"The General."

Oh...

"I had located my target, and I did my job to extinguish him, but he wasn't the only one. The next day I was supposed to pack my things and come back to the US, but I didn't. Instead, I followed The General, positioned myself and took a clear shot."

Oh...my...God...She swallowed, hard.

"It happened so fast, it happened TOO fast." He calmly said to her, avoiding her eyes. "It was too fast for my taste, I wanted to watch him die slowly, but it was done, he was there, his eyes open, the bullet hole in the middle of his forehead, lying still on the groud. I was the one who had ended his life, and I had done it too fast."

Too fast?!

"I wanted him to suffer so badly, I remember I felt so much rage. So much anger..." He stared at the wall. Brennan could see the tears on the verge of falling down on his cheeks. "I didn't feel anything afterwards...I thought I would feel relieved, I had my revenge, but I didn't. I felt empty, dead even...but I didn't feel remorse." He turned his head towards Brennan and saw that she had traces of tears on her cheeks. "I didn't feel remorse Bones. I was glad he was dead. I felt happy even. I had killed someone, a bad person, a very very bad person, and I felt good about it."

Oh Booth...She said to herself as she saw he was finally crying and reach for his hand and held it tightly.

"What kind of a person kills someone and not feel remorse?" He asked her, half angry, half surprised. "The kind I work my ass off to lock up every week!"

"Booth..." Oh boy...

"When I came back to the US, and had a briefing with my superiors. They had heard about the second killing on the news, and knew my history with that man. They asked me once, only once, if I had anything to do with the shooting of The General and I told them 'NO' while I stared at them and lied my ass off without blinking." He took a pause before continuing. "I know they didn't believe a word I had said, but they chose to let it go. I didn't get reprimanded, I even had a 'If it had been me, I would have killed the bastard' from my superior. Gee! I almost got a pat on the back! It made me sick..."

Brennan gave him a sympathetic look as she reached with her other hand to encompass his between both of hers and squeezed comfortingly. Oh God...

"It made me sick to my stomach. I felt like I was one of THEM." He looked as if he was about to be sick.

"One of whom?" Asked Brennan, unsure of the answer.

"One of them, the bad guys, the murderers."

"Booth..." She started to say with such empathy in her broken and soft voice that it was too much for him to bear.

"No Bones, don't." He sadly said. "I AM a monster."

"No Booth...you're not." She tried with as much strength in her voice as she could muster, wanting to let him know he was not a monster.

"Tell me Bones, please tell me the difference between those murderers and me...because there are days like today where I just don't see it." He tried to wipe the tears off with the palm of his hand that wasn't held by Brennan. Look at what I did to you?

"Booth, look at me." She asked him gently.

"Who DOES a thing like that? My God, look at YOU?! Who does a thing like THIS? How am I supposed to teach my son good values and morals for him to become a good man when I do things like that?" What a hypocrite!

"Booth, look at me." She ordered, detangling her right hand she reached up palmed his cheek turning his face towards her. Locking his gaze with hers, he saw something in her eyes he had not expected. "You, Seeley Booth, are the one person in my life right now that matters the most to me. You stood by me even if there were days when I failed miserably at being a human able to show feelings, but you stood beside me, teaching me how to act around people, teaching me to let people in. You are the one who told me what was good to say, and what was not." At that he lightly smiled. "I agree I may not always listen to you on that one, but I always know when I do or say something I should or shouldn't have, because you, Booth, are the voice in my head."

Oh Bones...

"I understand why you did it Booth, I may not be necessary okay with all of it, but I DO understand why. That man held you hostage for weeks, and tortured you enough to break a lot of bones in your body, I know...I saw the X-rays, remember?" She was now facing him and held his look. "He killed your friends, your fellow soldiers, and I'm sure a lot more you don't even know. He WAS a bad man Booth, a very bad man, and I know there are morals and ethics in this, but what's a man to do if he is confronted by a very bad person, let's say Hitler for example? What would a good person have done if he or she had crossed path with Hitler? Let him go?"

"No Bones, but really? Hitler and The General? Six millions jews and five millions other ethnic minorities, and The General? Hitler I wouldn't have a problem putting a bullet in his head Bones, it's not the same."

"No, it may not be the quantity and scale, but you are a good man Booth. You made a mistake, a very bad one, yes, but a mistake none the less. And you do feel remorse. Maybe you didn't then, but you do now, that's why you have those nightmares. People having no remorse don't think about their past actions."

"I just tried to strangle you." He sadly told her. "I don't know what I would have done if-"

"You tried, but didn't succeed." She corrected. "I'm here to stay Booth. You can't get rid of me that easily."

"Why are you so understanding? I don't deserve you."

"Let me be the judge of what you deserve or not, alright? I'm not afraid of you Booth, and I'm not going anywhere." She stared at him and smiled. "I KNOW who you are Booth, and you ARE a good man." She softly caressed his cheek, wiping off the wetness let by the tears and slowly moved her fingers towards his lips. She looked up into his eyes again and she brought her lips to his. The kiss was soft, tender and full of emotions. Their lips parted and his tongue slowly made it's way inside of hers, gently exploring as he moved his hands on her arms, moving up to her shoulders. Booth wasn't thinking when he gently and softly caressed her neck, but the simple touch of his fingers on her throat started a sequence of coughs from Brennan who searched for air again.

"God Bones! I'm so sorry!" He said, standing up and looking for his glass of water. "Here." He said as he gave it to her. "I'm so sorry, I didn't think..."

"It's okay. I'm alright. It will just be...sensitive for a few days." She smiled at him but he looked so uncomfortable it made her feel sad. "I'm okay Booth."

"I know. Now. You are okay. But you weren't...then."

"I swear to God I'll never try to wake you up again."

"From now on we'll sleep in separate rooms." He suggested.

"Not a chance in Hell!" She objected, which made him smile for the first time that night.

"No?"

"No." As she said this she saw the sun peak through the window of Booth's bedroom. "What time is it?"

"It's 5:30." He answered after looking at the clock.

"Already?!" She exclaimed. "I have to get ready for work." She added, going in the bathroom.

"I'll go make some coffee...We'll definitely need it." He said as he walked towards the kitchen to make the coffee.

About ten minutes later, he heard the door of the guest room open.

"Hey bro." Jared said, still looking sleepy. He sat on a chair of the kitchen table and yawned. "I didn't get enough sleep."

"Neither did we." Booth said as Brennan entered the kitchen, all dressed up.

"Holy...Mother...of...God..." Jared gasped as he stared at Brennan. "What happened to YOU?"

"Oh..." Brennan started to say, feeling uncomfortable. "That...well, it's-"

"It's my fault." Booth confessed to his brother. "I had a nightmare."

"THE nightmare?" Asked Jared, knowing his big brother had problems with nightmares about the war, but didn't really know what it was truly about.

"Yeah." Booth said. "She tried to wake me up."

"Oh..." Jared looked at Brennan. "Don't do that."

"No kidding!" She answered as she went to look for her purse to get her make-up kit. "Didn't you hear anything? I'm sure we made quite some noise."

Jared looked embarrassed and nervously laughed. "I thought you two were...you know...doing it."

"We weren't." Brennan confirmed.

"I just thought you liked it rough." Jared added as he received a slap in the back of the head from his brother. "Hey!"

"Stupid." Booth told him before walking to his bedroom to change. "Lock the door on your way out." He added two minutes later as they left the house.

XxXxX

They arrived at the Jeffersonian Institute shortly after 6:30. Brennan slid her card to walk up the stairs and turned towards Booth.

"I'll explain to them what happened...leaving the details out of course. I'll just say you had a nightmare about the war and was sort of...sleepwalking."

"Okay."

They first saw Angela as they walked into the lab. She started to walk towards them but stop when she saw Brennan's face. Temperance had really tried to cover it all up with make-up, but her eyes weren't mistaken since they were bloody from the veins ruptures. "Oh my God." Angela said.

"No Ange, it's not what you think." Brennan started to say, eager to explain.

"It's not?" She asked, looking very angrily at Booth. "Who would have thought?" She added, sounding very concerned.

"It's not what -" Booth started to explain when Hodgins walked in on them.

"Woah!" He surprisingly said, his own eyes bulging out of their sockets as he looked at Brennan. "What the HELL?" He asked, staring at both Brennan and Booth, and then at Angela.

"Don't ask me." Said the brunette. "But it better be a really good one. Like a sex game or something, because this girl-" and as she said this she pointed her face, "is gonna kick your ass." She finished, staring at Booth without blinking.

"Count me in." Said Hodgins, as the rational thought escaped his brain completely.

"A sex game?" Asked Brennan as she turned towards Booth. "What?"

"Don't ask me." He answered defensively to Brennan. "Just thinking that me trying to choke you to death and sex game can be in the same sentence is way too much for me." He remarked with distaste.

"WHAT?" Yelled Angela. "You tried to choke her to death?" Her tone was incredulous, and her face in shock.

"Alright. That's it." Hodgins said, positioning himself between the FBI Agent and the Forensic-Anthropologist.

"Jack." Booth started to say.

"Oh, don't Jack me." Hodgins answered, looking angry. "You know, I AM a peaceful man, I don't get in fights anymore, I used to when I was a teen, but not anymore, I deal with it." As he said it he snapped the rubber band that was on his wrist. "But there are just things that I WON'T tolerate, and that's a man beating up his girl."

"Wait a minute-" Booth objected.

"Did you or didn't you choke Dr. Brennan?" Hodgins asked. Booth stared at Brennan who looked helpless and then at Angela and Hodgins, who looked angry. He sighed.

"Yes, but-"

"That's it!" Hodgins said, rolling up his sleeves and positioning himself as a professional boxer would in a ring, ready to fight. Booth stared at the entomologist and couldn't suppress a laugh.

"Are you serious?" Booth asked as he took a step forward, having no desire of fighting him.

"I'm serious!" Warned Hodgins. "Don't come closer! I'm not kidding!"

"Seriously Jack-" Booth started to say but didn't have time to react as Hodgins fist came right between his eyes and knocked him dazedly to the floor. "I may be one foot smaller than you, but I can kick your ass if I have to!" He proudly said to Booth, who was still lying on the floor.

"Hodgins!" Brennan said, looking horrified. "Booth! Booth!" She asked, as he was regaining his faculties. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine Bones." He answered, looking dizzy as he tried to stand up.

"Wow Jack...that was sexy." Angela told the entomologist.

"Thanks." He answered back, grinning, before he turned towards Booth. "You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"I am, but not for the reasons you think." Booth ran his hand over his face, rubbing the spot that was starting to bruise.

"God Booth, I'm sorry." Brennan said to him. "I didn't think he'd really do it." She shot a glaring look at Hodgins.

"It's okay, I'm glad he did. He's a good friend." He said before he walked away, looking as if his puppy had died. "I'll talk to you later."

"He didn't deserve that, you should be ashamed of yourself!" She told Hodgins as she watched Booth open the front door of the Jeffersonian Institute and disappear. "But thank you for thinking you needed to defend me, BUT you know Booth would NEVER purposely harm me, there were extenuating circumstances. Not that I want to get into Booth's personal life, it's not my place, but he was...sleepwalking and mistook me for someone from his past. I woke him before any real harm came to me." She said as convincingly as possible. God I hope they're believing this! "Really guys, it's not as bad as it looks, you know the skin on the head and neck show more trauma then there truly is--I'm fine. And Booth is really shook up about it so PLEASEdon't make him feel any worse than he already does." With that she tugged both of them into her arms and hugged them tightly. "Thank you again."

Angela and Hodgins looked at each other with incomprehension as they both hugged her back.

(TBC)

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