Gunshots. Screaming. Panic everywhere.

Temperance Brennan urged her body to move faster as she dodged seats in the diner, where the karaoke machine was playing a sadistic version of 'Girls Just Wanna have Fun'. She was just about to get to the door when-

"Bones"!

It was Booth. Booth was shouting her name. She turned around to spot him in the crowd, but she couldn't see him. Where was he? Customers of the diner began to push past her, and she couldn't see a thing. Soon enough, claustrophobia began to settle in, because an endless stampede of people pushed her from one side to another.

"Bones"! The calling was becoming more desperate, and Bones was becoming more panicked. Booth was in trouble, and she needed to help him. Finally, the stampede cleared, and Bones braced herself of the possibility of what state she might find her partner in. But it wasn't Booth Bones found facing her, it was Angela. Angela with a gun. It was pointed at her, but Angela's gaze was behind her. Bones tried to make herself turn around to see what Ange was staring at, but she couldn't. She was paralysed with fear of the gun, and her body was glued to the spot.

Bones' world began spinning, and suddenly, nothing made sense. What was she doing back in the diner? Sudden realisation hit her. She must be in a dream. Or a nightmare. The last thing she remembered was Booth's gentle embrace, his arms wrapped around her, urging her to calm.

"This is all just a nightmare" She told herself while looking at dream Angela, "I have to wake up".

"What"? The clone of Ange asked lowering her gun, her gaze now shifting from behind Bones to her.

At the exact moment that Angela became distracted, a gunshot issued, and hit Ange in the chest. She fell back, arms flailing, landing with a sickening thud on the floor.

"Ange"!

Finally, the nightmare allowed Bones to turn around, and she was met with the face of Pam. Pam holding a smoking gun, which was now aimed at her head. Bones screamed as the trigger sounded.

Bones' head left its resting place on Booth's arm as she sat up abruptly. Sweat trickled down her face, and she exhaled a deep breath. It was all a nightmare. Of course, she knew that, even in dream world her rational mind told her that things didn't make sense, but it still frightened her.

Slowly, her eyes adjusted to the room. She was in her bedroom, under the covers in her bed, and- Booth was lying next to her. Yes, he was on top of the covers, still fully clothed, but he was on her bed, his arm that her head had been resting on still on her pillow. He was just comforting her and making sure that she was okay- nothing had happened.

Exhaling with relief, or possibly disappointment (she couldn't really tell, she was just too tired), Bones lay back down, sleep threatening to pull her under. Her eyelids fluttered as she debated whether or not to fight for consciousness. Seeing no good reason to stay up, she was just about to let her subconscious drag her away again when she heard someone murmur her name.

It was Booth's voice, exactly like the one in her nightmare. Except she wasn't asleep. Startled with another murmur of her name, Bones opened her eyes, and turned her head ever so slightly. Not realising that she and Booth were so close, she nearly banged her head into his. Booth was asleep, eyelids shut, making him look ever so peaceful. A smile lingered on his lips, as he said her name yet again, and Bones realised that he was dreaming… about her. Too sleepy to be shocked, Bones turned the rest of her body to the side and rested her forehead on her partner's chest, thinking that maybe, her feelings were reciprocated after all.

The second time Temperance Brennan woke up, it was a much reasonable hour and she was the only one in the bed. Frightened that Booth would be nowhere to be found like in her nightmares, she sat up and reached for her red velvet dressing gown which was sitting neatly folded on her armchair, along with the rest of the day's clothes. It had been a long kept tradition for her, to have everything for the next day ready, so she would never have to rush to get to a crime scene early in the morning.

Adjusting her dressing gown over her pyjamas and arranging her hair to look presentable, she exited the bedroom. Almost immediately, a delicious aroma filled the room, causing Bones' stomach to rumble. She smiled as she saw Booth at the stove, barefoot, wearing one of her aprons. Using all the self-control she could muster to not be attracted by his morning look, she made her presence obvious.

"Smells good".

Booth turned around and smiled at her, and Bones walked over to him, peering at what he was cooking.

"Pancakes" He told her as if it wasn't obvious, catching her gaze to see if she looked in distress. He wasn't too sure if she was still in a fragile state, but for the time being, she looked… happy.

"Yum" She remarked before getting cut off by the sound of her cell ringing.

Bones had been in such a good mood before she had heard it, because a phone call meant the possibility of a dead body. This was usually a good thing – an excuse to see Booth and the rest of her friends, but today, Bones just wanted to spend time with Booth away from the drama of their busy lifestyle.

She answered her voice dry with annoyance, "Brennan".

"Hi sweetie!", Angela's voice piped cheerfully on the other end, "How are you feeling"?

There was something in Angela's voice that was off, and although Temperance Brennan was not a 'people' person, she could tell when her best friend was trying too hard to be… normal. Angela knew about her breakdown.

"How do you know"? Bones demanded, and she could hear Ange sigh on the other end.

"Booth called me. Hodgins and I came back to yours not too long after we left, to pick up his phone which he left" Ange started, "And when nobody answered the door, we let ourselves in with that spare key you gave me and found you guys".

Bones bit her lip as she tried to recall anything past the first few seconds of her breakdown, but nothing came to her.

"You still there sweetie"? Ange asked worried, and Bones realised she had gone quiet.

"Yes".

"Okay. Well, I looked after you and Hodgins got his phone. Then we left".

"I don't remember".

"I think you were a bit out of it" Ange told her gently, and then chuckled weakly. "How did you think you got into your pyjamas"?

Wow. She really was out of it- Bones hadn't even realised she was wearing her flannelette pj's until now.

"Right" She talked into the phone, tugging her dressing gown closer to her, feeling self-conscious of her state in front of Booth, "Thanks for changing me Ange. And for everything… else".

"Anytime babe, I love you. You can always talk to me" Ange added on a serious note.

"I'm not good at talking" Bones replied bluntly.

"Well… no matter how bad you are, I'm always here to listen". The seriousness of their conversation began to wear Angela down, and she turned to a more positive note.

"No dead bodies today" She quipped, "Meaning you have a whole day to spend with biceps".

"What"? Bones had no idea who or what biceps was.

"Booth" Ange supplied, "When he was holding you last night, I saw them. Big guns sweetie. He has big guns".

"Dead body"? Booth questioned, as Bones put the phone back in her pocket. He already had an idea who it was on the phone because of Bones' outraged voice, but trying to act innocent couldn't hurt.

"They saw me" Bones accused at Booth, and he gazed sheepishly at the ground. He was right. She knew.

"They just came back for Hodgins phone. That was the noise by the way, that made me drop the stupid mugs".

"But it was like screaming" Bones exclaimed, her anger diminishing by the second. She quickly bit her lip after that comment- for all she knew, the ringtone could have been completely normal, and the screaming may have been something in her imagination, but the shrill noise was not one she had forgotten.

"I know" Bones agreed, glad her tone wasn't as hostile as it was before, "If Hodgins were a normal person, his ringtone would be some annoying staccato beep, rather than some high pitched insect call". Booth shook his head in annoyance.

There was a moment of comfortable silence, before it was broken by an amused Bones. She chuckled, catching his attention, his eyes meeting hers, questioning her of what was so funny.

"Ange and Hodgins came here together last night" She told him.

Booth began to catch on.

"Didn't they say they both had to be somewhere"?

They joined in laughing together, happy that their friends decided to give their relationship another go.

"I always knew they would get together again" Booth commented, still smiling as the laughter died, and Bones nodded.

"They are very compatible".

"I don't see why they didn't try harder the first time" Booth said, radiating subtext, turning serious and meeting Bones' eyes with a gaze.

"Maybe they were just afraid".

Suddenly, their closeness became noticeable, their laughter drawing them together, and instead of stepping back like she always did, Temperance Brennan stepped forward. She was tired of pretending, pretending that there was nothing there between them. Because there was, and the longer they tried to hide it, the more intense it became.

"Booth, I want to give this another go". She placed her hand on his cheek, caressing it absently as her eyes searched his.

Understanding flickered its way through them, and Bones felt something she hadn't felt in a while. Hope. For a relationship that meant something. So instead of answering, Booth pressed his lips against hers. It was unlike anything she could have ever imagined, all their tension that had built up realised into their moment. Something that had once started as soft and gentle became more desperate as Booth hooked his arm around his partner's waist and angled his mouth better to deepen their kiss. Nothing other than them in that moment mattered, Bones decided irrationally, lost in total bliss. Unaware of what was going on around them, they were lost in the moment, an endless moment that seemed to have gone on forever.

Slowly and reluctantly, they both pulled away, needing to take in air, and it was in that moment that they smelled smoke.

"Booth!" Bones exclaimed as she caught her breath and realisation became clear.

"What"? He asked, thin smoke filling his vision, making him cough.

Bones pointed at the stove. Following his partner's gaze, Booth realised the pancakes were burning, badly, filling the room with smoke.

Lunging, Booth turned the stove off and pulled himself and Bones out of the smoky room.

"I think we might have to get breakfast out", He laughed, ready to pull her into another kiss before the sprinklers on the roof set off and started to drench them both, the smoke alarm whistling.

They laughed together and embraced each other, smiles on their mouths as they locked lips, water falling from the sky. Past and present jumbled into one moment, and the only thought passing through their minds was that whatever the future held for them, they would get through together.

A/N

I hope you all enjoyed this short, multi-chap ficlet! Please take time to review and tell me what you think.

- Emily