This is a strange little fic with no real plot. It kinda took on a life of its own as I was writing. I'm posting it as a one shot but as you'll see it has an open ending so I may continue but that will depend on the review I get and whether I can work out where to take it.
The moon is low in the sky when Booth turns his SUV onto yet another busy Washington D.C street. He sighs heavily when he realises he might get stuck in more traffic. He was supposed to meet Brennan and her squints in a bar half an hour ago and thanks to some road works, he's still a good twenty minutes away. Lost in thought, the sudden ringing of his cell startles him.
"Booth." He answers.
"It's Angela."
"I'm sorry, I know I'm late." He immediately apologises.
"That's not why I'm calling, although we'll have words later." Angela smiles. "Can you swing by the Jeffersonian. Brennan promised me she was on her way over half an hour ago but she hasn't turned up yet." Angela explains.
"You know what she's like. Bones probably just lost track of time." Booth explains.
"Booth." Angela pleads.
"Fine, I'll go by and drag her from her work. But if she yells at me…"
"Thanks Booth." Angela says sincerely. She knows that if anyone can drag Brennan away from her work it's the hunky FBI man.
When Booth arrives at the Jeffersonian the place is deserted. Given that it's a Friday night that isn't a surprise. Tossing his keys in the air, Booth whistles as he strolls towards Brennan's office. At first he doesn't see her. Then as Booth enters the office and surveys the scene before him he feels his heart pounding almost out of his chest. One of Brennan's heavily loaded bookcases in lying on the floor, books strewn all over. Out of the mess Booth can just see a hand and he knows it's Bones trapped under there.
"Bones." He calls as he hurries over. Leaning down he grabs the bookcase and with a grunt he pulls it up. Shifting positions, he braces the bookcase on his shoulder and shoves it back up against the wall. With the weight removed, Booth can now see Brennan lying motionless on the floor covered in books and papers.
"Bones." He kneels by her side and starts to remove the books covering her. "Bones, can you hear me?" he asks. She doesn't show any sign of movement.
"Bones?" he feels at her neck for a pulse and sighs with relief when he feels a relatively strong one. Taking Brennan's chin in his hand Booth rolls her head straight. Patting her cheek with his other hand, he encourages her to come around.
"Come on Bones, wake up." He tries to keep his voice calm but with Brennan in this state he is finding it hard not to panic. He has no idea how long she's been unconscious. If it happened right after Angela spoke with her she could have been like this for nearly an hour.
Brennan hears Booth calling her name and as much as she wants to remain where she is because it is so peaceful, his voice is getting louder and she wants it to stop. The only way to do that seems to be to wake up. Fluttering her eyes open she squints in the bright light and tries to focus on Booth's face. She wants to tell him to be quiet but all she can do is groan.
"Hey." Booth smiles weakly when her eyes open. His hand brushes over her forehead then round to her cheek. "Take it easy okay." He tells her as his thumb strokes over her cheek. But despite his words and soft touch, Brennan tries to sit up.
"Lie still Bones." Booth tells her firmly and he places his hand firmly on her shoulder, pushing her back down.
"I'm okay." Brennan protests weakly.
"Uh Bones, in case you hadn't noticed, a bookcase fell on you." Booth tells her. His voice sounds light but inside, he is worried sick.
"Really, I'm okay." Brennan insists. As she starts to sit up this time, Booth doesn't stop her. Instead he takes her arm and slips his hand behind her neck, lifting her upper body off the ground. She moans and her hand flies up to her head to where Booth can see a nasty looking bump forming.
"I'm taking you to the hospital." Booth tells her.
"It's just a little bump." Brennan insists despite the thumping in her head and associated dizziness.
"No arguments Bones." Booth tells her in a very firm voice. He moves into a squat and taking both of Brennan's arms, he pulls her to her feet. Almost immediately she collapses against him, her upper body leaning against his chest. To keep her on her feet, Booth slips an arm around her waist and holds her tightly.
"Maybe the hospital isn't such a bad idea." Brennan lifts her head and offers him a weak smile. She leans on Booth and lets him walk her across her office and out into the lab. By the time they get to Booth's SUV, which is parked out front, Brennan can barely stand. Her vision is blurry and the pain in her head very intense.
"Hang in there Bones." Booth says as he opens the car door. Brennan nods and slides into the seat. As soon as Booth closes the door she leans against it, the cool window giving her some comfort. She barely notices Booth leaning over and strapping her into the seatbelt. The rest of the journey to the hospital is just as much of a blur.
Booth pulls his ringing cell out of his pocket and answers without thinking.
"Booth."
"Is there something going on I should know about?" Angela demands. "I send you to get Brennan now you're both awol?"
"Sorry Angela." Booth sighs. "There was a little incident."
"Booth, where are you?" Angela asks curiously.
"I'm at the hospital." He admits.
"What!" Angela asks.
"Don't panic Angela." Booth tells her as he rubs the bridge of his nose. "She's fine, just a little concust."
"Booth, what happened?" Angela demands.
"I'm not sure exactly. I got to her office and I found her under the bookcase." Booth explains.
"Under the bookcase?" Angela gasps.
"I guess it fell on her."
"But she's alright?" Angela asks.
"She's got a bump on the head but the doctor says she'll be okay."
"Is she staying overnight?"
"This is Temperance Brennan we're talking about." Booth jokes. "She's down the hall discharging herself as we speak."
"Is that wise?"
"The doctor says as long as she takes it easy and gets some rest she'll be fine."
"You'll look after her right?"
"Of course I will." Booth wonders why Angela felt the need to ask. Brennan is his partner, his best friend. When wouldn't he take care of her?
"Tell her I'll come by in the morning." Angela says. Booth glances down the hall and sees Brennan handing a form back to the nurse.
"I gotta go Ang, looks like Bones is ready to escape." Angela says goodbye and Booth hangs up before jogging down the hall to where Brennan is sitting in a wheelchair complaining.
"Is this really necessary?" she asks.
"Hospital policy I'm afraid." The nurse smiles. "It's only while you're on hospital property." She adds. Brennan sighs heavily and raises her hand to the bandaged bump on her head.
"You okay?" Booth crouches at her side and touches her hand lightly.
"Can you please just take me home?" Brennan sighs.
"Sure Bones." Booth steps behind the wheelchair and starts to push her forward.
Brennan is feeling pretty tired by the time she gets back to her apartment. With Booth's help she makes it up the stairs on her still shaky legs and straight to her couch. She slumps down and curls her legs under her, resting her head on the arm of the couch.
"So, how did it happen?" Booth asks as he perches on the edge of the coffee table in front of her."
"Huh?" she asks.
"The bookcase."
"Oh right." Brennan sits up a little. "I was reaching for a book on the top shelf. When I pulled it out I lost my balance and grabbed a shelf. The rest is a little fuzzy." She tells him. "Why were you at the lab anyway?" Brennan asks.
"Angela sent me to get you. She was pissed that you hadn't turned up at the bar."
"I was going to go." Brennan confirms. "If this hadn't happened." She points to her head. "I would have been out of there in half an hour."
"That's what you always say." Booth smiles. "Can I get you anything?"
"Um, some water?"
"Sure Bones." Booth rises to his feet. "Do you have that prescription for the painkillers?" he calls from the kitchen.
"Yeah." Brennan replies.
"I can go to the all night pharmacy and pick it up for you if you want." Booth offers.
"I can go tomorrow." Brennan tells him.
"No you don't Bones." Booth warns as he walks back over with a fresh bottle of still water from the fridge. "You are not leaving this apartment for a couple of days."
"Booth."
"Don't 'Booth' me Bones." He hands her the water. "You have a concussion and you need rest."
"Fine." Brennan holds her hands up in resignation. Booth holds his hand out for the prescription and Brennan digs into her pocket to give it to him.
"You need anything else?" he asks.
"I don't think so." She shakes her head.
"Okay, well I'll be back soon." He smiles and heads for the door, picking up Brennan's keys from where she dropped them on the table by the door. Brennan waves from the far side of the couch and slouches down as she hears the door shut. She can't help but smile at how Booth is taking care of her. He's always here for me she thinks.
Booth returns about an hour later with a large brown bag in his arms. When he went to get Brennan her water he noticed how empty her fridge was so he stopped at the market and picked up some kitchen essentials like bread, milk and eggs. When he walks through the front door he calls out to Brennan. There is no response so he drops the bag on the kitchen counter and walks over to the couch where he left her. She isn't there.
"Hey Bones?" he calls as he turns in a circle.
"In here!" she calls from another room. Booth follows her voice and finds her in her bedroom.
"Bones, why are you tidying up?" he asks sternly.
"Because there was a mess." She tells him.
"Put down the clothes." He orders. "Bones, you can't be doing things like that." He takes her elbow and pulls her out the bedroom.
"Booth, I have a bump on the head, I'm not an invalid." She protests.
"I know but you heard what the doctor said." He makes her sit down on the couch by placing his hands on her shoulders and pushing her down. "Stay." He orders as he heads back to the kitchen to put the groceries away and fetch her painkillers. He returns a few minutes later, happy to find she has not moved.
"Here." He passes her two pills.
"I don't really need those Booth." She refuses despite the headache she has.
"Bones." He sends her a warning look.
"They make me feel tired." She admits.
"Good, you'll get some rest then." Booth pushes his hand holding the pills closer and Brennan reluctantly takes them from him. She swallows the two pills and washes them down with some water.
"Happy?" she asks Booth. He nods his approval and walks around to sit beside her. "It's really late Bones, you should go get some sleep." He tells her.
"I guess." She agrees and rises to her feet. "I suppose I'll see you on Monday?" she asks.
"Oh no Bones, I'm not going anywhere. The minute you're out of my sight you'll be on that computer of yours doing work."
"You're not staying here." Brennan tells him.
"Yes I am. Until Angela comes tomorrow I am personally responsible for you. Besides, you did discharge yourself from the hospital against Doctors orders. I'm supposed to keep an eye on you in case you relapse."
"I'm not going to relapse." Brennan rolls her eyes. "But if you have to." She walks away from him to her bedroom reappearing a few moments later with a pillow and blanket. She tosses them to Booth.
"Goodnight Booth." She waves over her shoulder as she heads back to her room.
Booth is brewing some fresh coffee and toasting bagels when there is a knock at the door. He knows it will be Angela on the other side so he quickly brushes off his hands and hurries through the lounge to answer the door. She only looks mildly surprised to see him there first thing in the morning. She pretty much knew he would want to stay to keep an eye on her, she just wasn't sure Brennan would let him. I should have guessed she would.
"Hey Angela." He greets her with a quick hug and kiss on the cheek.
"How's the patient."
"Anything but patient." Booth laughs. "She's still sleeping. You want some breakfast?" he asks. Angela nods a yes and follows booth through to the kitchen. Booth adds another bagel to the toaster for Angela then calls out to Brennan.
A knocking at the door wakes Brennan from a deep sleep. She rolls over and her head meets the cool fabric of a pillow. A soft moan escapes her lips as she feels her head ache. The pills wore off she figures.
"Hey Bones, Angela is here!" Booth calls. Brennan clambers out of bed a little clumsily and pulls a large grey hooded sweater on over her vest. She then pads out of her room to the living room to see Angela.
"Sweetie, how are you feeling?" Angela rushes over to her and raises her hand to Brennan's bandaged head.
"I'm okay." She replies.
"I can't believe I was mad at you for flaking on me when you were lying under a bookcase." Angela tells her. "I'm sorry."
"Angela, if you weren't mad at me you wouldn't have sent Booth to pick me up."
"Still, I'm sorry." Angela apologises.
"Bones." Booth walks over to her and hands her two white pills and a glass of water. To Angela's surprise, Brennan takes the pills and swallows them without objection.
"Sweetie, you hate pills." Angela point out.
"Have you ever had Booth pretending he's a doctor around you?" she asks. "It's easier just to 'go with the flow'." She hopes she got the phrase right. Neither Booth nor Angela mentions anything so she guesses she was right.
"You know, I like you a whole lot better when you're like this." Booth grins. "Coffee?" he asks. Brennan nods and walks with Angela to the couch. They sit down together, turned so they are facing each other. Booth potters around in the kitchen as the two women talk. Like he belongs there Angela thinks.
Around an hour later Angela has left but only after Brennan persuaded her not to waste her weekend worrying about her. Only she and Booth remain.
"You know Booth. You don't have to waste your weekend too." Brennan tells him. Booth crosses the room to the couch and flops down beside her.
"I'm not wasting my weekend." He smiles. "How about we rent a couple of movies, kick back and just relax." He says.
"I don't…relax." Brennan tells him.
"Well it's about time you did. I'm going to head down to the video store and rent a couple of movies." He tells her. "Anything you feel like watching?" he asks. But before she can answer he answers for her. "Of course not, you don't do movies." He nods.
"I just usually find I have more important things to do." She defends herself.
"Not this weekend Bones." He rises from the couch. "This weekend you're going to do what everyone else does. Relax." He says as he heads for the door. As she watches him walking away Brennan can't help but smile. Ordinarily, spending time at home on the weekend would drive her crazy. She always feels the need to be doing something productive. But with Booth here she feels strangely at ease and like everything at the lab can wait. I think this might be the first time I've ever been this comfortable with someone she thinks. And for that person to be Booth? Why? She wonders. You know why Brennan. You're in love with him.