Part three:

Booth was standing at the flower store, he knew exactly what he wanted to get for her... for him... for them.

He smiled a bit, when he walked back to her room. He was confident she was going to make it.

Two hours later...

Angela had left, the nurse had insisted that only one person should wait by Brennan's bed and so it had been Booth.

He was sitting in a chair beside her bed, holding her hand and watched her all the time. There was a tube in her mouth to help her breathing... Nevertheless she looked to him like the Sleeping Beauty. Who opened her eyes in that very moment.

"Bones." He immediately moved nearer. "Sh, sh... it's okay... don't panick. You are at the hospital, they had to do a surgery to stop internal bleedings... got that? Squeeze my hand..."

She squeezed his hand weakly and tried to move her lips.

"No Bones... you can't talk yet. They said they will remove the tube tomorrow, but this night you will have to endure it..."

She rolled her eyes and caused him to snicker. "I know you hate it... be a good girl, okay."

She briefly closed her eyes.

"Bones... do you remember everything? Squeeze my hand if it's a yes and blink if it's a no..."

He felt her hand pressing his... a bit harder than before.

"Even what... I told you... how I feel?"

Again she squeezed his hand.

He smiled... "Would you listen to me a bit now?"

She rolled her eyes and he could see the sarcasm in them, then she squeezed his hand.

He smiled wryly "I know... I know... what else could you do... sorry.

It's just... I got something for you..." He presented her a beautiful single red rose.

"And I want to explain this... I... Temperance when you lay there... and I felt the blood pouring out of you... it was the worst experience in my whole life...

And I thought if I am going to lose you, I ... I could not endure it. I looked down at you and all I saw was your blood... everything was red..." his voice was hoarse and he had to swallow hard when he saw her eyes brimming with tears.

"You know... that is not the red I want to remember. I want to remember this. Not red of blood and pain. The red of a rose, of love... because I love you... and as soon as you are better we can talk about all this... I mean if you don't feel the same... I..."

She blinked and he heard her snort, then she squeezed his hand briefly and freed her own and gestured. He looked at her and frowned... what was it she wanted to tell him?

She pointed at the pen in the front pocket of his shirt and he understood.

He searched for a writing pad and finally held out the pen for her.

She scribbled something down. "Remove tube!" he read.

"No Bones, they will remove it tomorrow..."

Her eyes widened a bit, their expression was furious. "Now!" she scribbled down.

Booth looked down at her and finally gave in. He pressed the button and moments later a nurse appeared.

"She wants the tube removed" he explained.

"No... not before tomorrow." The nurse said. He saw Brennan's eyes narrow. "Do it!" he insisted "I know her. If you don't do it, she will try do it herself..."

The nurse impatiently shook her head and informed a doctor.

Booth was told to leave the room, waiting outside he heard the doctor say "Now exhale!" Then Brennan's coughing could be heard... and after some time "Breathing is good, saturation okay..." the doctor's voice again.

"Booth..." a croak. The nurse had left the door slightly open, so he was able to hear it. He smiled... her first word had been his name.

"Agent Booth, you can go in now..." the nurse motioned for him to go in, while the doctor gave him a stern look "Normally we do not remove the tube that early... I hope she had a good reason..." A disapproving look on his face he went away and left Booth standing in front of Brennan's bed.

"Why did you do this Bones? It is risky!" he scolded her.

She did not yet trust her voice to utter more than a single word so he gestured for him to come nearer. He moved closer to her to be able to hear what she would tell him... "Kiss... me..." she croaked. He looked at her incredulously. "...please..." she added with her raspy voice.

He smiled and gently brushed his lips over hers. His stomach fluttered and he felt how she relaxed a little.

After another kiss he took his hand in hers and sat down in the chair. "That's why you wanted the tube removed ... to kiss me?"

"Yes..." her voice was a bit louder and steadier than before.

He shook his head "You could have done that tomorrow, couldn't you?"

She shook her head. "Wanted... it now." She smiled. "...was on my list, you ... know" she coughed a bit.

He looked a bit confused. "List?"

"Of ... things. I still have to do..." she explained slowly and he understood that she was referring to her words after 'deciding' that she wanted to stay alive.

He grinned at her. "And what's next on your list?"

A mischievous smile of her told him everything.

He snickered "That will have to wait a bit, I fear..."

The mischievous expression left her face. "What... a pity." She rasped. "But... kisses support ... recovery."

He laughed. "Oh, do they? Then we will have to make sure we spend as much time as possible kissing... Because I do want you fully recovered pretty soon."

And with that he kissed her once more... and all the pictures of her lying bleeding in his arms were washed away ... everything he could think of were the crystal blue eyes of the beautiful woman in his arms and how it felt to kiss 'his Bones':