Just a Dream

She couldn't stop it. She couldn't stop the blood from pouring out of the bullet wound in his chest. It just seeped right through her fingers, covering them in his blood. The stain on his white shirt grew bigger with each passing second.

Tempe went into panic mode. Seeing his blood-his very life- leaking out of him and not being able to do anything about it scared her. Booth was dying right in front of her and she couldn't stop it. Tears streaked down her face. She was so scared.

"Booth," she pleaded, "Stay with me. Please, please stay with me."

"Bones..Temperance" His voice sounded so weak. She sobbed at the sound. "I-I" He swallowed, "Need you to tell Parker that I love him, and that-" But she cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

"No. Don't talk like that. You're gonna live, okay? I promise you."

He lifted his hand to her cheek. "I-I wanna thank you.,." he trailed off as his eyes glazed over and he slipped into shock.

"NO!" she screamed. He was going to live. She needed him to live. "Booth, please." She sobbed, "Don't leave me! Please!" she was desperate. She would do anything to keep him there with her.

His eyes closed. That was it. He was gone.

Temperance Brennan awoke, gasping, her heart pounding wildly inside her chest. She took in her surroundings while trying to catch her breath. Realizing that she was still in her hotel room, she was able to relax a little more. She looked to the bed on the other side of the room. The rise and fall of the duvet and the gentle snoring coming from her partner let her know that he was alive and well. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Just a dream. It was just a dream."

Then, she frowned. Why was she so worked up? It was just a dream. It hadn't actually happened. Booth was fine, in fact he was right across the room from her.

They had to go upstate to work on a case, since there had been only one room left; they were forced to share it. Luckily, the room had two beds.

After a few minutes, she got up and quietly walked over to the bathroom. Turning on the faucet, she splashed some cold water onto her face. Her dream had really put her on edge. Not that she'd ever let him know, but she was deathly afraid of losing him. Deathly afraid of losing anyone close to her, really, but he was different. She didn't want him to become another person to leave her behind.

She shut off the faucet, and switched off the light. She walked back to her bed and was about to crawl beneath the covers, but instead she turned and walked towards Booth's bed.

Quietly, she knelt before him so that their faces were almost level. He was sleeping peacefully on his stomach, one arm thrown over the side of the bed, the other stuffed underneath his pillow. In his sleep he was so different from the arrogant, protective FBI Agent she spent so much time with. He was without his defenses and she loved being able to see that.

Her mind wandered back to her dream. She shivered. What if something like that ever happened to him? What would happen to her? Even thinking about it was difficult. She knew that she would never be the same again if he ever left her. He'd changed her so much, and for the better. And she liked the person that she had become. There was no way she could ever thank him enough for it.

"I'm glad I have you, Seeley." She knew he couldn't hear her, but he already knew how grateful she was for him, even if she had never said it to his face. She smiled slightly and ran a finger lightly down his cheek. Yawning, she rose and headed back to bed.

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, the image of Booth lying in a pool of his own blood was screaming back at her. It was irrational, she knew, but she just couldn't seem to shake it.

So she rose and walked towards Booth again. But this time to the other side-the empty side- of the bed. She reached out and tentatively grabbed the covers, as if rethinking what she was doing. Then she withdrew her hand and gently lay down on the edge of the bed, on top of the covers. Sleep claimed her within minutes.

Booth woke slowly the next morning. He rolled over and stretched and was surprised when his hand connected with something solid. Turning, he was even more surprised to see the sleeping form of Temperance Brennan on the other side of his bed. Not that he was complaining, but seeing as she hadn't been there when he'd gone to sleep the night before made it weird.

Laying a hand on her shoulder, he shook her gently to rouse her awake. She turned towards him, mumbling slightly. Her eyes shot open when the events of the previous night came flooding back to her.

"Morning Bones!"

"Oh my god. Booth, I'm sorry! I can explain myself!" She rushed to get off the bed, but Booth's hand on her arm stopped her. He didn't say anything right away, and neither did she, but after a while she settled back down next to him.

"Now, would you care to tell me how you got from your bed to mine last night?" He was smiling slightly at her embarrassment.

She paused a minute before saying "It's silly… You'll laugh at me"

"I won't I promise." She was looking everywhere but at him. Something was up. "Bones, what happened?" There was a hint of concern in his voice, and she finally decided to look at him.

"I had a dream." She said quietly.

He nodded slowly, understandingly. "What did you dream about?"

She waited a few moments, contemplating how to tell him. "It was you. You were shot and I couldn't… I couldn't…" She trailed off, not wanting to retell what had happened.

Booth sensed this and said, "It's okay. I can draw my own conclusion." She smiled at him, glad that he had understood. "I'm right here."

"I know." She smiled back at him. He was right here next to her, and deep down she knew that her dream was, in fact, just a dream. He wasn't going anywhere.

FINIS

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