Fire engines and ambulances poured from their respective houses in the early hours Saturday morning. An apartment building had been set ablaze shortly before sunup…
Booth sat on the sidewalk outsider his apartment building; watching as his home for the past eleven years went up in an orange and red inferno. The heat coming off the structure was intense and he could feel sweat pouring off his body and running down his back. The sleep clothes and the shoes he wore were the only things he had come out with, well…and his life.
He surveyed the streets next to him as tenants and neighbors searched for ambulance workers to tend to their loved ones. He was unhurt, possibly a bruise or two, but he felt very battered.
Realizing there was nothing left to do after the building was cleared and the fireman worked on the blaze he wondered into the nearby diner he frequented often and asked to use the phone. His fingers took over when his brain felt like it had cooked right in his skull.
She answered straight away, confused by the unknown number. "Hello?" Not wanting to give her professional title as it might be a perverted weirdo looking for a good time.
"Bones, hey, it's me."
"Booth? Where are you?"
"Fred's."
"Who? Who is Fred?" She sounded panicked.
"The deli around the corner from my apartment." What used to be my apartment.
"What time is it? Did you call me for breakfast?" She paused. "The sun isn't even up yet."
"You were awake though," he teased out of habit.
"Of course I was. I was performing yoga."
Of course she was. His home is a bucket of ashes and a ceramic ashtray Parker made in the first grade and she's deep breathing and tightening her gluets.
She interrupted his thoughts. "Booth are you alright?"
"Well as it turns out no," he answered. "My…uh…"
"Booth where are you, besides Fred's? I can hear a tire truck. Is something on fire?"
"Yeah Bones, my apartment."
"Oh my gosh! Booth are you alright? Was anyone hurt?" He could hear her stumbling in her apartment and cursing shoes with strings. "Did you make it out okay?"
"Obviously Bones," he chuckled dryly. "I'm fine. I just….I feel a little lost."
"Of course. Stay where you are. I'm on my way. And since you're at Fred's eat something. You get nauseous when you get upset so preferably something with a high carbohydrate count; pancakes or waffles. I'll be there in ten minutes." She hung up the phone without a goodbye.
"She coming to get you?" Tom asked. No one knew why the deli was named Fred's since the owner's name was Tom Richfield, a long time friend of Booth's.
"Yeah," he said with a nod. "She said I should eat something."
"Good idea," Tom said brightly. "Everything looks better after a short stack."
"I sure hope so."
.
.
As early as it was and the commotion from the fire not four blocks over, Fred's was empty except for Booth when Brennan arrived ten minutes later. She dropped into the booth with him just as he was digging into his first stack of pancakes.
"What happened?" she asked passing him a much needed napkin.
"I don't know," he confessed dabbing his chin. "I woke up on the couch to the smoke alarms."
She helped herself to his tall cup of coffee and pondered what her partner told her.
"Why were you on the couch?" she finally asked.
The woman really was all over the map sometimes. "Bones, my home is burning-as we speak-and you ask me about my sleeping arraignments?"
"It just seemed odd to me," she explained.
"I had one too many," he said stuffing his mouth. "I knew we weren't working tomorrow so I put down a six pack and half a pizza then passed out on my couch. The next thing I knew I was running out."
Brennan's face softened as she offered her up turned hand. "Booth I'm so sorry." He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze in reply before he went back to his breakfast.
"So what now?" she asked him.
"Well," he sighed," I finish this. Although you're going to have to pay for it seeing as my wallet is now under several tons of rubble. Then I guess-"
"You'll come home with me," she said with finality.
"Huh?"
The warmth of his coffee cup around her fingers gave her the confidence she found she needed. "Obviously you can't stay here, and you just said your wallet being under several tons of rubble…you can come home with me."
"Wow Bones…thank you. I haven't gotten than far yet. I guess I will need a place to stay. Are you sure?"
"Of course," she assured her. "Now with your relationship with Hannah over, in the same situation, you would open your home to me."
That stung but he tried to brush it off knowing full well she was right. "Bones, I…"
"Booth it isn't important. Finish your breakfast."
He watched her take another long drink from his coffee cup. His Hannah cooties had obviously somewhat worn off.
"Would you like me to order you something to drink?" he asked.
"No, this is fine," she replied, smirk firmly planted on her pale lips.
.
.
The smoke had subsided and the most of the occupants of Booth's apartment building had all gone; either the hospital or family members he hoped. Some lingering fireman watched for any flare-ups as police talked to reporters and kept looters at bay.
"The fire must have spread very quickly," Brennan observed. Her pink athletic flip-flops did nothing from keeping her feet from getting dirty with soot and ash. The heat from the fire kept them back a good clip but they could make out people's furniture, dining tables, children's bunk beds and family portraits along the sidewalk and roadway.
"Jesus," Booth hissed as he came upon what once was a Little Tikes race car bed. The blue plastic had melted into the concrete and was now barely recognizable.
"What the hell started it?" he asked himself looking up along the now visible sky line.
"Could be a number of things," Brennan answered moving some debris with her foot. "I'm sure the fire marshal will do a thorough investigation." She stood next to him with her hands on her hips surveying the view. "Booth this will be a total loss."
"I know," he sighed. "My comic books."
"Graphic novels," she corrected instantly. "Did you take anything with you as you left?"
"My pants," he laughed ironically.
"What?" she asked puzzled.
"My pants. I…didn't have any on. I was watching TV and fell asleep."
"…I see…"
He zeroed in on her assumption. "I wasn't doing that. I was in my own home. And even if I was doing what you think I was doing, which I wasn't, it is perfectly within my rights."
"Yes Booth, you're correct. You can do whatever you want in your own home. In my home however, I would prefer you change the sheets when you're finished."
"Can we just drop this conversation?" Standing in front of a burned down apartment complex didn't seem like the appropriate time to discuss his personal masturbation habits.
"Good grief." He ran his hands over his hair and face. "I'm going to have to start over completely. I don't even have a change of clothes or my keys." He looked in the direction of the parking lot. "Shit!"
She turned to look with him. "What?"
"My car. I don't have my keys. Cullen is going to be so pissed. And my gun and my badge." He looked down on himself. "Jesus I feel naked."
"Even though this isn't the most opportune time to mention it, this is an incredibly good example of why I should have a gun," she pointed out.
"Well the next time my home burns down I'll make sure all the paperwork is in order."
"There's no need to be snippy."
"My house is gone! I think this is a great time to be snippy. You were downward facing dog and deep breathing while I was running to keep my ass from catching fire!" He took in several deep breaths, which incidentally were still pretty laden with smoke, to try and regain his composure.
Brennan took his shoulders and pushed him back upright. "Booth, calm down. I know this is a very stressful time but you are alive and not harmed so that's a major plus. All those things you lost can be replaced. I know very well material items are just that. We'll buy you all new things and since it will be my money, better things."
"Thanks," he replied sarcastically and pulled away from her.
"I'm sorry," she laughed. He had started walking and she jogged to catch up with him. "Booth I'm sorry, I was just trying to ease the tension. I don't know what I would do I were in your situation."
"I'm sure you would be balling over some penis stature or fertility whatchmahicky."
"Why are all our conversations about penises?" she asked.
He paused long enough for her to stop in front of him. "I don't know." He looked around. "Where did you park?"
"I took a cab."
"Why?"
"I loaned my father my car."
"You did? When?"
"Two months."
"Two months! And he hasn't brought it back? What the hell Bones?"
"I don't know and don't yell at me! He said he needed it to move."
"Move? Bones he lives out of a shoe box and eats drive thru, how could he possibly need it to move?"
"I didn't ask," she admitted sheepishly.
"Fine," he sighed. "You didn't know better. I'll…call him or something and get your car back."
"What if he did something illegal with it?"
"I'm positive he did something illegal with it but that's not the point. Do you have anymore cash on you?"
"Uh…" she dug in her pockets. "Six dollars."
"Bones…why are you…what the…just come on, we'll walk back. It's only-"
"-23 blocks," she answered.
"Right. Twenty three blocks. The exercise will do me good."
"Exercise is very good for you," she agreed keeping his pace.
.
.
Brennan shut her front door and kicked her sandals off her feet with a heavy sigh. "I must admit, sandals were not the most appropriate footwear decision I've ever made."
"I second that," Booth said going for the water faucet. He got a couple glasses full before he leaned over the sink and closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths.
"What can I do for you Booth?" she asked gently running a hand down his back. The cotton was dark from smoke and wet from sweat. If she were honest, he stunk.
"A shower perhaps?" she offered politely.
"Yeah Bones I can smell me too," he chuckled dryly.
"Sorry," she whispered. "I'm sure I smell as well."
He turned swiftly so he could lean back on the sink and cross his arms. "You always smell good Bones."
"That's not possible. We've been to some very foul crime scenes."
"I didn't say you always smelt clean, I said you always smelled good." He pulled his shirt away from his skin to inspect it. "I guess I could use a shower. You wouldn't possibly have any of my clothes here would you?"
She started back towards her bedroom. "Anything I had of yours I threw out a long time ago."
"Ouch," he winced. "I guess I had that coming."
He stopped at her bedroom threshold waiting for her to return.
"Here." She placed some clothes into his hands.
"Whose are these?" he asked looking at the very male clothing.
"Sully's."
"You threw my stuff out but you kept his?" he questioned. To him that seemed a little ass backwards.
"He betrayed me to my face," she replied honestly.
Booth's shoulders dropped in frustration. "Would you rather I go? Am I that shitty of a person that you would rather me be somewhere else?"
"Of course not! I told you, you could stay here, but that doesn't mean I'm going to lie about certain things. You asked if I had your clothes, I did; now I do not. If you choose to wear these, who used to belong to another man, than so be it. If you choose not to that is your business but you are not sitting on my furniture until you rid yourself of the clothing you are currently wearing."
"Fine. I'll wear these. But I will buy new ones." He took off toward the spare bathroom. "I don't have to be happy about it!"
"Fine!" she shouted as the bathroom door slammed.
"Fine!" he shouted behind the door.
…
So that's the start…what do you think? I only watched a few episodes this season (the rest are still on my DVR) but I think there would be a lot of hostility towards Booth that Brennan might have. Women are all the same deep down. Things will improve of course and we will soon see fluff and all the other good stuff. Feel free to drop me a line. J
