A Flash of Light--posted by rosie on 11/9/2007

This was posted on the other site too, but I'm just moving my stuff over here because this site RULES!! xo

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A FLASH OF LIGHT

Inhale

Exhale

Inhale

Exhale

Temperance Brennan had no idea where she was. Her eyes felt as if they were glued together; held together with an adhesive of torment. She could feel her eyelashes tickle against her skin, but it was so dark in the room that she couldn’t be sure if they were truly open or not.

Inhale

Momentarily forgetting the darkness of the room, Temperance rolled her eyes back in pain as a wave of pain coursed through her head. She gasped at the shock of it, and tried to suck more oxygen into her clambering lungs. It was then that she felt the device – a large metal prison that extended from her shoulders to her waist and clenched against her body in a twisted form of a hug. Ignoring the pain in her head, she squinted down at the piercing red numbers. It was a clock. It was counting down. Temperance Brennan was attached to a bomb.

Exhale

****************************************************************************************************************

“Bones it’s me.” Booth said, knocking on the familiar door of his partner’s apartment. “Come on, I know you’re mad. Just open up, the food’s getting cold.”

After knocking for what seemed to be ages, Booth sighed in defeat and laid the take out bag on the floor in the hallway. He sat down beside it and rested his head against her door.

“Look, I know you’re in there and I’m not leaving until you open up. I didn’t mean to tick you off, I just lost my temper. You’re right, okay? You’re right. I talked to Cullen and he’s allowing you to continue to have full access on the mafia case. I just thought… I just thought it would be too dangerous after that hit they had out on you before. I just wanted you to be safe, I mean can you really blame me?” Booth rubbed a hand over his face and smacked the other one against her door.

”Just open up the door, Temperance.” He said again.

Booth heard the familiar “ding” of the elevator and looked up to see Angela stepping out. She looked startled at first to see the hunched over man in her best friend’s doorway, but when she recognized the figure as Booth her face immediately broke out into a huge grin.

”Booth, what are you doing here?” she asked incredulously, eyeing the take out bag sitting beside him.

“Bones won’t open her door. We got into a bit of an argument today, and someone’s being a tad too stubborn.” Booth said, more to the closed door than to Angela.

Angela laughed at Booth’s appearance and watched as he got up. “You uh… you have a key right?” Booth asked, allowing Angela to walk past him and to the door.

”I sure do.” She said, retrieving a large cluster of shiny keys from her large purse. “But you wait here first, I’ll go in and do damage control.” She winked.

Booth nodded and leaned against the far wall as Angela stepped into Brennan’s apartment.

”Sweetie? It’s Angela, I got your message.” She called out, dropping her purse unceremoniously on her friend’s large couch. “Booth’s outside, you torture that poor man you know?”

Angela walked towards the study, figuring she’d find Brennan typing away on her laptop. However, Brennan seemed to be no where in sight. “Bren, where are you?” she called.

When there was no answer, Angela called out again and searched the bedroom and all other rooms in the house. Puzzled, Angela walked back to the door to face Booth.

”Booth, she’s not home, I can’t find her anywhere.” Angela said absently to Booth, pulling out her cell phone to re-check her messages. “It just doesn’t make sense, she left me a message telling me to meet her here.”

“And you’re sure she’s not inside?” Booth asked, peering past Angela to look inside the apartment.

”It’s empty.” Angela said, walking over to the window. “Look, her car’s still here. Maybe she never left the lab.”

“I’m going to go check. Maybe she went for a walk or something. Look, give me a call if you hear anything, alright?”

”Yeah, sure.” Angela replied. “And Booth?” she called out, just as Booth was heading out the door.

”I’m pretty sure she forgives you.” Angela smiled.

Booth shook his head as he headed towards the elevator.

****************************************************************************************************************

Inhale

‘Booth will find me…’ she pleaded with her eyes clenched shut. The numbers ticked by unmercifully. ‘Booth.’

Exhale
****************************************************************************************************************

Booth walked quickly through the Jeffersonian, his right hand absently fingering his poker chip. It was nearly midnight, and other than the clanking footsteps of security guards patrolling or the occasional beep of a machine, everything was deathly quiet. There was something so haunting about this place at night, something so mysteriously serene.

Upon reaching Brennan’s office door, he knocked against the wooden panel and waited for a few moments.

“Bones?” he called, waiting for any sound of life from the other end of the door. Booth took a few steps back and crouched on the ground, trying to peer under the door --- there clearly were no lights on in her office.

“Something I can help you with, Agent Booth?” a familiar voice asked. Booth turned to see a security guard looking at him curiously.

“Yeah I’m looking for Bon—Dr. Brennan. Do you have a key to her office?”

“I do, but it won’t do you any good. Dr. Brennan left a few hours ago, I saw her leave myself. She looked pretty tired, so I figured she went home.”

“She’s not in her apartment.” Booth said, looking at the security guard straight in the eye.

“I have to get back to work, but I’ll let you know if she comes back.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Booth said, taking one last look at his partner’s closed door before turning to exit the building. On his way out to the car, Booth pulled out his cell phone to call Brennan’s apartment.

“This is Angela” the voice on the other end said, her usual bubbly tone slightly subdued.

“Ange it’s Booth, Bones isn’t at the lab. Have you heard from her yet?”

“No, nothing. Booth do you think we should be worried? I mean, she’s probably just gone out to clear her head, but it’s not like her not to answer her phone.”

“I don’t know what to think, I just want to know where she is. Look, I’m on my way back to the apartment, just sit tight for a couple minutes.” Booth clicked his phone shut and put his head against the headrest. ‘Bones… where are you?’

****************************************************************************************************************

Brennan watched in horror as the numbers continued to flutter by – the bright digits staining imprints on her eyes. The device was so tight against her that it was difficult to get a deep breath; she was also afraid that movement might trigger the detonator.

Slowly regaining her usual level of coherence, she searched her memory for any clue of how she ended up like this. The last thing she remembered was opening the door to her apartment, then there was nothing. It was as if this were a dream, a horribly real dream.

The past week the team had been working on a case dealing with the Moretti family – a well known DC family under suspicion for ties with the mafia. Four men had been murdered, execution style, with a single gun shot to the head. What had made the case so curious was the notes that had been attached to the victims chests – they were riddles, each of them leading to the next victim.

Booth had been so angry with Brennan when he discovered that she had gone to speak to one of the Morettis without him. Furious, actually. Brennan knew she had been playing with fire, but the information she had gained from the meeting was invaluable and could put away Gino Moretti for years – maybe even solve their case.

She was drawn out of her thoughts when the numbers on the panel flashed, marking the beginning of a new hour. 5:00:00:00 the clock read. 5 hours.

Temperance had 5 hours left to live.

****************************************************************************************************************

“Ange it’s me, open up.” Booth said, knocking on Brennan’s apartment door.

“Anything?” she asked, stepping aside as Booth entered the apartment.

“The guard said she left the lab a few hours ago, and there’s no sign of her here. I called Sid on my way here and he said she hadn’t been in either.”

Angela nervously ran a hand through her hair, “So now we just wait? We can’t just sit here doing nothing. Her car’s still here, maybe we should drive around –”

All of a sudden the window shattered as an object careened through and crashed to the floor. Angela screamed and Booth whipped around to face the window, his gun drawn. Tiny shreds of glass sparkled on the floor, surrounding a large brick.

“Booth! Booth what is it?” Angela said, her hands over her mouth still in shock.

“Stay away from the windows.” Booth barked, leaning to pick up the brick. It was in that moment that Booth was sure his heart skipped a beat. He flipped the brick over to reveal a piece of paper with dark bold letters:

I now have your attention
My message should be clear
Five hours before the instant death
Of the doctor you hold so dear



Booth dropped the brick and ran out of the apartment as fast as he could towards the stairwell. Booth could hear Angela shouting behind him, but he didn’t care. He was going to catch whoever threw that brick, and when he did he was going to come as close as he could to killing them.

Inhale

He nearly threw himself down the flight of stairs, his feet barely touching the metal steps. His gun was drawn as he smashed himself against the door and ran out into cool spring air. Street lamps illuminated the dreary pavement, as he ran towards the front of the building where the brick would have been thrown. “FBI” he yelled as hard as he could, his voice nearly breaking. He reached the front of the building, and there was no sign of life at all. Burnt tire tracks left a tell-tale design on the pavement; Booth knew he was too late.

Exhale

Booth swore and started to pace manically. He was about to throw his gun on the ground out of pure frustration when he looked and heard sirens coming his way. Angela had called the police moments after Booth had begun his chase, and for that he was grateful.

“Agent Booth, we got a call that –”

“They’re gone. Follow me.” Booth yelled, running towards the building entrance with the group of agents behind him.

****************************************************************************************************************

The next half hour was torture, though not in the literal sense of the word. Angela remained frozen on the couch, tears running down her face and clutching Brennan’s phone. Booth, on the other hand, was livid.

A team of investigators swarmed Brennan’s living room, and several other agents had accumulated in the apartment as well. “Agent Booth, the riddle matches those on the Moretti case. Same rhyme scheme, same style –“

”You think I don’t know that?” Booth snapped, then attempted to regain his composure. “Look, this has to mean something… there has to be a clue in this.” He said, pacing back and forth furiously.

“Five hours before the instant death… INSTANT death… that has to mean something.”

****************************************************************************************************************

‘Come on Brennan, think. There must be something you can do…’ she thought to herself, clenching her eyes shut. She focused hard on the sounds around her – trying to listen for car traffic, animals, anything to give a hint to her location.

As if mirroring her thoughts, Brennan heard footsteps and a door creak open. “Help! Please, who’s there?” Brennan shouted, trying not to move the device. “Booth? Booth is that you?”

“Hello Dr. Brennan.” A man’s voice said quietly. There was not an ounce of emotion in his voice. Kept in darkness, Brennan strained her eyes to see the man, but to no avail.

“Who are you? Why are you doing this?” Brennan hissed into the darkness, trying to keep all fear out of her voice.

“You should have kept his advice, Dr. Brennan. You should have just let the case go…” the man’s voice whispered hauntingly.

“What do you want?” Brennan asked, stalling for time. She couldn’t quite place his voice, but knew it was so familiar.

“I want nothing, Dr. Brennan. I want no ransom, I want nothing but your life. And that I will have.”

Brennan let out a dry sob, up until now she had tried to stay calm and suppress emotion and any hint of claustrophobic thoughts. She had to stay strong, she had to stay focused.

Hearing the footsteps retreat and the door creak open she cried out, “Wait! Please wait!” She heard the door slam shut, and she was left alone again with the flashing red numbers.

Maybe this was it. Maybe the bomb would go off and pieces of her body would anonymously scattered and collected by her own team. Maybe they would never know what happened.

Maybe.

****************************************************************************************************************

“Agent Booth, we found this in Dr. Brennan’s car, it’s addressed to you.” The younger agent handed Booth a folded piece of paper and Booth grabbed it immediately. Before opening it, he said a silent prayer. ‘Please let me find you… Bones I need to find you…’
He opened the paper and found more large bolded letters:

There’s nothing left to do
You can’t rewrite the past
If you want to see her alive
You’d better get here fast

Flipping the paper over the instant he had finished reading the sickening rhyme, Booth’s eyes widened:

194 Wharf Street, Warehouse #2D

Booth was on his way, but he had no idea what he was about to witness.

A string of black SUVs raced along the nearly vacant midnight roads of DC – like black ants scurrying back to their fortress.

Booth sat in the leading SUV with several other agents. His hands clutched the steering wheel tightly and not once did he tear his eyes away from the road.

“We have to assume this is a trap. Two tactical teams are en route to the address and are awaiting our arrival to enter” the agent said to Booth after getting off of the phone. He continued, “A medical team is also en route in case Dr. Brennan…” the agent trailed off, glancing at Booth and assessing his anxious demeanor.

“If they touched her…” Booth said with clenched teeth. Thousands of possibilities about Brennan’s situation had been haunting him and were literally driving him crazy. He wanted to protect her, he wanted her to be safe… he wanted her.

The SUVs located the warehouse in a nearly deserted area about fifteen minutes outside of the city. A single streetlamp cast a sickly yellow glow against the dilapidated building. All four cars screeched to a halt and the agents jumped out. Clad in Kevlar vests the Primary tactical team, lead by Booth, collected behind one of the vans.

“We enter the building from the door on the right side. You two go around back and cover all exits. Everyone else follow my lead. Go!” Booth ordered, making his way to the door.

His gun leading him, Booth took a glance over his shoulder, signaling the other agents to get ready to enter. His mind cleared of anything but the task at hand, Booth kicked the door in with a resounding, splintering kick. “FBI!” Booth bellowed as the agents swarmed out from around him. The room was completely dark and an agent flashed a flashlight around the room.

”Booth!” a woman’s voice called out pleadingly. Booth’s heart rate quickened exponentially.

”Temperance” he called out, his voice breaking slightly on the last syllable. “Bones you’re safe now, we’ve just gotta get the lights.”

Booth heard a dry sob from Brennan. “Booth you have to go. Get out.” She whispered.

“Bones I’m not going anywhere. The building’s clean. You’re going to be fine –“

All of a sudden the lights flickered on in the warehouse. Booth’s heart surged at the sight before him. Temperance was sitting in a chair, staring at him with bloodshot eyes. Her face was deathly pale and streaked with paths left by stale tears. Around her torso there was a black device whose tell-tale red numbers ticked by – imprinting a memory in Booth’s mind that he was sure he would never forget. Brennan’s mouth was drawn in a straight line and her piercing blue eyes spoke volumes to him.

“Get out.” She whispered.

Booth’s arm dropped to his side and he stood frozen in that moment, barely conscious of the frenzy that erupted around him. Agents were yelling and retreating to maintain a safe distance from the lethal woman.

“Bomb squad!” an agent yelled, “This is Code 1 – requesting bomb squad team to 194 Wharf Street, Warehouse #2D. Explosive device…”

“Temperance” Seeley said through shuddered breath. He took a step toward her, causing her to wince.

“Booth I need you to do something for me. I need you to get out of here. Right. Now.” She said slowly, her eyes glimmering with unshed tears.

“I’m not going anywhere, I won’t leave you.” Booth said, trying to hide the fear in his voice. Brennan slowly closed her eyes; her eyelids pushing out her tears and encouraging them to drip down her face.

Booth holstered his gun and walked another step closer. “The bomb squad is on its way, I promise you’ll be fine.”

”Booth don’t make that promise.” She shook her head, her voice wavering. “The man who did this…” she began, “I should have stayed off the case, I should have listened to you…”

“Shhh don’t say things like that. We’ll get you out of here and catch the bad guy like we always do.”

Brennan tried her best to smile at his remark, but in her heart she knew this would not be that simple.

The screeching sounds of tires and more sirens could be heard coming towards the warehouse, marking the arrival of the bomb squad. Brennan closed her eyes again – wanting this nightmare to end.

Her eyelids fluttered open when she felt a warm hand grasping her own. Booth was kneeling right in front of her – much to the shock of the agents observing from afar. “Look at me.” He said, searching deeply in her eyes. “Temperance I’m here.”

She paused for a moment before responding, “You always are.”

The bomb squad burst into the room.

***************************************************************************************************************

“Sir you need to move away” Bomb squad agent Daniels said as he calmly approached Booth and Brennan.

”Not happening. I want to help.” Booth said, hardly taking his eyes off Brennan’s face – refusing to drop his gaze down to the bomb around her chest.

Daniels ignored Booth and focused his attention on Brennan. “Dr. Brennan my name is Agent Brent Daniels and my team and I are going to stop this bomb, alright?”

”Yes” she replied tersely, glancing around at the rest of the hard-faced team. Booth and Brennan watched Daniels as he slowly circled around the chair. As he reached for the device to touch the timeplate, Brennan exhaled and turned her head away. Booth’s grip on her hand tightened fiercely – trying to comfort her the best he could. Booth himself as terrified, with just under four hours left on the clock he prayed that the bomb would be easily diffusible.

After thoroughly examining the bomb, Daniels’ expression was unreadable. “Agent Booth, may I please speak with you for a moment?” he said evenly.

”What? No – no way. Anything you can say to me, Bones can know too.” He said, drawing emphasis to each syllable.

”It is in the best interest of this procedure that I talk to you alone.”

Booth was silent for a moment and then gently squeezed Brennan’s hand. “Bones I’ll be back in three minutes okay?”

”Booth –“ she began, her voice raising.

“We have to do what he says. I’ll be right by the door, you’ll be able to see me the whole time.”

Brennan nodded her head and stared at the ticking numbers while Booth and several members of the bomb squad headed to the door.

****************************************************************************************************************

“What is it? What can you tell me that she can’t know?” Booth demanded.

“Agent Booth, I’m afraid the situation is more dangerous than we originally assessed.”

This was exactly what Booth hadn’t wanted to hear. His worst fear coming true, he hesitated before asking the obvious question, “What do you mean? How is it more dangerous?”

”The explosive attached to Dr. Brennan is connected to a remote detonator. This means that in addition to the countdown clock, and assuming that her assailant has a remote in his possession, the bomb could go off at any time.”

Daniels studied Booth’s expression carefully -- he needed to know that if Booth was willing to risk his life in that room that he could remain calm. Taking a moment for the reality of the situation set in, he continued, “And there is more. Removing the bomb from Brennan’s body may trigger a hidden detonator – sometimes these are touch sensitive, or they may respond to light. We won’t know for sure until we remove the faceplate, but I would hypothesize that the removal of the bomb will have to occur in the dark to avoid excess photosensitivity.”

Booth turned around and took a step back from Daniels, his back facing him. He glanced through the doorway to Brennan, who was staring straight at him.

The men were silent for a moment, each taking time to think to themselves. Daniels finally broke their silence, “Booth you need to question your position in this case. The odds are not good, and this is extremely dangerous. Though Dr. Brennan would be comforted by your presence, you need to think about your safety. And I’m sure she would agree.”

At this, Booth turned around to face the man, “I’m not leaving” he said simply. “If it were me in that chair, she wouldn’t hesitate. I won’t hesitate.”

Daniels nodded. “I’ll give you some time to break the news, then we need to start the procedure.”

***************************************************************************************************************

“Booth, I know something is wrong.” Brennan said, studying Booth’s face as he walked carefully toward her. He knelt back down in his original spot and rubbed his eyes exhaustively.

“Bones, before I tell you this I want you to know that we’re gonna pull through this. I’ll be right here and –“

“Booth, just tell me.”

Booth explained everything that Daniels had told him, choosing not to spare details because if he were in that position he would have wanted the same honesty. When he was finished, Brennan simply nodded her head, her eyes not meeting his.

“I think that you should go.” She said finally.

”No, I told you I’m not going anywhere. We’re a team and –“

”Booth don’t make this harder. You have a son, you have Parker. You have parents that love you, siblings that adore you. I won’t let you risk that for me.”

“Bones this is my call. The thought of losing you…” his voice trailed off. “I’m staying.”

He lifted his hand and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. He left his hand there, slowly rubbing the pad of his thumb over her pale cheek. She sighed and closed her eyes, letting her mind ponder all of the things she wanted to say in this very moment. So many missed opportunities that they had created – so many words and feelings they should have shared. With four hours left on the clock, she tilted her head and gently brushed her lips against his open palm. If ever there was a time for honesty, it was in these last few hours.

Inhale

Booth felt Brennan’s lips brush up against his hand. Her eyes were closed and a single tear ran down her cheek. He wondered how they had gotten to this place; how they had reached a point where they could finally be honest with one another. Booth closed his eyes, ignoring the approaching footsteps of Agent Daniels behind him.

Exhale

“I hate to interrupt, but Dr. Brennan we cannot afford to waste any time.” Daniels said, motioning for his men to approach with large bundle of equipment.

Brennan nodded her head and watched the team set up their tools. “Wait.” She suddenly said, a hint of panic entering her voice. The team immediately backed off – there was no way they could afford to start to dismantle the bomb unless Brennan remained calm and didn’t move an inch.

The agents looked at her questioningly. “What is it?” Booth asked softly.

”Angela.” Brennan whispered delicately, almost as if posing a question.

“She knows only a little of what’s happening. Cullen told her. Do you want me to get her? –“

”No, no please don’t.” Brennan said, shaking her head. “She can’t see me like this… I just… I just want you to tell her that she means so much to me, and that she should be happy, and…”

”Temperance, look at me.” Booth said, bringing his face close to hers. “You need to stay positive. You can tell Angela all of those things yourself when you and I walk out of here, alright?”

Brennan whimpered and tried to turn her face away from Booth’s, but he gently turned her back to face him. “You and I are going to walk out that door, don’t you dare panic. Look at me. Bones, from the first day I met you…”

”Booth, please don’t…” she whispered, but Booth kept a steady hold on her gaze.

”Let me finish. From the first day I met you I knew that you were going to be someone who would impact my life. I didn’t know how, I didn’t know when. You’re a mystery to me, and never in my life have I ever been so drawn to another person. I like – I love everything about you: your quirks, your flaws, everything. And that’s why I know we’ll walk about that door. Because you’re the mystery I still haven’t solved; because we have so much more to do.”

“Booth…”

“Bones you have to stay strong. Just… just do it for me.”

Brennan was so close to Booth that their warm breath mingled in the dank air of the warehouse. The only thing separating their bodies was the large explosive device, whose numbers continued to flutter by unmercifully. Brennan’s eyes were closed as Booth brushed a kiss against her forehead, lingering there and imprinting this moment in his memory forever. He refused to believe that this moment would be their last – that some cruel twist of fate would cause the two partners to come so close, only to be separated in death.

“Booth.” Brennan breathed again. “You’re my hero and you always have been. I… don’t like to admit that I need help… but you are always there anyways. Just know that… I don’t know for sure… but know that I think I might be falling in love with you.”

Booth’s lips crept into a small smile, “I know I am.” He said, tracing her lower lip with his hand.

The room was silent for a few moments, as Brennan closed her eyes. “I’m ready” she said, looking up at Agent Daniels and the rest of his squad who had let the two partners have at least a shred of privacy.

Daniels nodded efficiently and walked in front of Brennan. Booth shifted his position further over to Brennan’s right side, allowing the bomb squad more access to the task at hand.

Daniels was extremely close to Brennan, and had a look of sheer focus on his face. He was determined not to fail – none of them could afford failure at this point. He’d been on the squad for ten years, and he had never lost his cool. The agent outstretched his hand, and one of the other squad members handed him an objected that looked much like a screw driver.

He gently loosened the screws on the face plate of the bomb, and was careful not to remove them so that no light would come in. The bomb was most likely photosensitive, and any light could trigger the explosion.

Brennan and Booth had to physically remind themselves to breathe, their gaze intently focused on Daniels’ hand, and Booth’s hand wrapped tightly around Brennan’s.

Daniels stepped back one pace and returned the screwdriver to the same agent. He picked up a pair of delicate looking wire cutters.

“What happens now?” Brennan asked, her voice lower than a whisper. She was afraid that if she even moved an inch the bomb might detonate.

Daniels’ voice remained calm and even, allowing no hint to the adrenaline that was rapidly flowing through every pore in his body. “Dr. Brennan you must remain perfectly still. Do not panic. When you are ready, one of the agents is going to turn off all of the lights and I’m going to remove the face plate. I will follow the wire furthest to the edge with my finger, and I will cut it. That will stop this bomb.”

“How will you know which one…” Booth whispered, his face very white and both of his hands surrounding Brennan’s hand.

”I don’t make mistakes.” He said simply. “Now Dr. Brennan, are you ready?”

Daniels knelt in front of Brennan. The wire cutters were in his right hand, and his left hand was hovering above the face plate, waiting for the lights to go out on her signal.

“Yes” she whispered quickly, waiting for the darkness to fall. She squeezed Booth’s hand, and held her breath.

The warehouse flashed to pure black; the old generator ceased buzzing with a strange sound. There was darkness. There was silence. Brennan could hear Daniels’ hands moving quickly, and his breath coming in and out evenly, not missing a beat. The face plate was off in a matter of seconds, and it could be heard being gently laid on the floor.

His fingers caressed the outer side of the bomb, gently finding the wire that would bring an end to this nightmare. His gloved fingers followed it downward towards the base of the apparatus. He took out the wire cutters and snuggled the wire between the embrace of the two blades. He inhaled, he exhaled.

Click.

****************************************************************************************************************

There was silence.

Brennan heard the molded plastic of the wire snip and she clenched her eyes shut. Then there was silence. There was nothing; nothing but her pounding heart beating against the clenching hug of the bomb.

Her eyes fluttered open as she slowly realized that she was still alive. Gradually coming out of her shocked state, she could hear Booth’s quiet and uneven breathing. His hand squeezed hers warmly, and she squeezed back – the slick sweat that lined their palms was the only reminder left of that horrifying moment.

Daniels extracted the wire cutters slowly and placed them carefully into the outstretched hand of another agent. Though the wire had been cut, the bomb was still unstable since only the timer had been turned off. Still in the shroud of darkness, the rest of the team carefully approached Brennan and began working on the restraints that were keeping the bomb around her body. The team made quick work, and the only thing left to do was extract the explosive and bring it outside the building to an awaiting containment area.

Booth let go of Brennan’s hand as the team gently pulled the restraints down over her arms. She remained perfectly still, and breathed at a shallow, even pace. The moment the weight of the bomb had left her chest, she closed her eyes in thankfulness.

Daniels, as lead agent, grasped the explosive with his two hands and slowly backed away from Brennan, one step at a time. Since the room was still pitch dark, he moved extremely carefully – following his mental map of what he knew the warehouse behind him looked. All of the agents followed behind Daniels, peering fuzzily through the darkness in an attempt to watch his every move.

Booth drew closer to Brennan and put his hands on either side of her face. Finding no need for words, he kissed her forehead slowly; his lips making their way to her eyelids, her cheeks, and finally finding solace on her lips. The kiss was so honest and pure – all of the truth that had been exposed by the threat of death poured freely from their lips. Booth broke away and rested his forehead against hers, “You’re safe.” He whispered.

“I know.” She said, and Booth could hear the smile in her voice.

All of a sudden, Brennan heard a whisper that she recognized as the physical manifestation of a nightmare. ”Good work.” The voice said.

Daniels immediately stopped moving, on high alert he called out evenly “Who’s there?”

Booth wrapped a protective arm around Brennan and brought her with him down to the floor. He covered her body with his, and called out, “Who the hell are you? Show yourself.”

“I am very impressed at your work. It’s a pity that is was all for nothing.” He whispered.

The agents reached for their guns, though they had no idea where to point their weapons. If you interfere with the removal of this bomb, it will cost you your life.” Daniels said calmly.

The man ignored him, “Dr. Brennan I told you that your life would be mine, and I will not go back on that promise.”

”Don’t talk to her.” Booth barked, feeling Brennan tremble slightly under his grip.

“It seems Dr. Brennan’s life will not be the only one that I take today.” He hissed. Agent Daniels heard the sound of the man’s coat ruffling and automatically knew what was about to happen.

The remote detonator.

“Get down!” Daniels screamed as he ran towards the door of the warehouse, getting as far as he possibly could from the people behind him. Everything in that moment happened in slow motion. The agent’s legs moved one after another – lunging toward the door, praying that the emergency crews outside would have the sense to be far enough away from the warehouse.

Booth buried his face into the back of Brennan’s neck and pressed her safely down to the floor, shielding her body with his own. In that moment he knew exactly what was going to happen – in that moment he knew that the bomb was about to explode.

The darkness of the room disintegrated as a thunderous and blinding flash of light exploded in the warehouse. Milliseconds later came the deafening blast as fire and debris pummeled out of the source like rain from a heavy cloud. Booth tightened his grip on Brennan; it was too loud to think, it was too hot to pray. All he knew is that he had survived the explosion and had to get Brennan out before the building collapsed.

Booth’s ears were ringing as he lifted his head from Brennan’s neck to observe the chaos that erupted around them. All of the agents were scattered like toy soldiers on the ground; some were dead, some were alive. Rumble continued to sprinkle from the dilapidated roof, and the smoke made it nearly impossible to see.

Within a matter of seconds, Booth could hear the shrieks of emergency vehicles pooling to their location. Brennan slowly started to raise her head and Booth lifted his body from hers, detaching himself from his protective stance.

Smoke filled their lungs “Daniels?” she asked, wiping blood away from a gash on her forehead.

“There’s no way,” Booth said, shaking his head. “We have to get out of here.” He lifted Brennan gently by the shoulders, unsure if she could trust her feet to walk.

‘That could have been me’ Brennan was screaming in her mind. ‘That bomb was meant for me…’

Booth, as if able to read her thoughts, grabbed her hand firmly, “Temperance” he said. The sound of her name on his lips brought her back to reality.

A few of the other agents had started to get up, and were equally as shaken as Booth and Brennan. They got up quickly and scanned the building for another exit. “Over here!” one of them shouted.

The survivors stumbled toward the agent who was standing near a window. As they approached, he lifted a brick and swung it up to the window, shattering it and unleashing a rain of grimy glass globes. A sickly mixture of smoke and dust continued to pummel through the warehouse making it nearly impossible to see anything.

“We don’t know what’s on the other side.” One of the agents said, trying to hoist himself onto the window ledge to no avail.

”Help me up. I’ll get over and make sure it’s safe. Then send Bones over.” Booth said, placing his arm up on the ledge and propping his foot into the agent’s grip.

”Booth be careful” Brennan called up, knowing that trying to prevent him from going over first was futile.

Booth reached the window and kicked the rest of the glass through with his foot. “It’s clear” he said, “Send Bones over when I’m down.” And with that he jumped from the window.

Wordlessly, the two other agents got Brennan up to the window as fast as they could. Brennan peered down from the ledge, trying to wipe the sweat and soot from her eyes and to focus on Booth’s outstretched hands. “I’ll catch you, just jump” he called up. Without hesitation, Brennan jumped from the window – not because she wanted to, not because she wasn’t afraid, but because she knew that in his arms she would be safe.

Booth caught Brennan effortlessly and kept a tight grip on her. They watched as the two agents quickly made their way over the side and start to run to the emergency teams who were trying desperately to find them amongst the rubble.

“Booth, you can put me down you know” Brennan said monotonically, placing a hand on his chest. Though there was pain in his eyes, Booth tried his best to smile. He’d come so close to losing everything in there, he was afraid that if he let her go she would be lost to him forever.

“You told me that we were going to walk out of here together, that’s what I want to do.” she said. With that, Booth laid her feet gently on the ground and took her hand. The walked to the other side of the building and were greeted with a never ending line of flashing lights, wailing sirens, and scurrying emergency workers.

They learned that day that life can change in an instant. They learned that with a single flash of light, everything can come to an end -- but with every end, there is a new beginning.

Exhale.




THE END

Rosie, I've read this before and when I read it again just now... it still had the same effect on me... I'm amazed!! That was one of the most intense emotional stories. Great Job!!

oh rosie....i cant stop reading these stories....this one is so intense.....i remember when i first read it....i so thought bones was going to get blown up with booth at her side...but my dear sweet rosie......you saved them for me......love love love it
a2b

that was intense....I liked it!

Talk about intense!! Thank you for adding the "inhale" & "exhale" in there because I might have passed out without them. I was so intranzed in the fic & the intensity of it!! Awesome job Rosie!!

wow very nice

awesome... iloved this....

I loved it... Soo intense