Life After the Mental Hospital…
Chapter 1
Zach stepped out of the mental hospital (where he reluctantly spent the past few years) as a newly freed man. When the security guards let him walk out those doors he was so elated that he almost didn't know what to do with himself. Then, he remembered "I need to go back to the Jeffersonian and let Brennan and Booth know that I didn't escape this time". As he walked he laughed to himself remembering how he "escaped" the last time he saw them to help with a case. After what felt like forever he finally arrived. He walked into the familiar building with all the same people bustling around and for a moment he stood there taking it all in again. It was almost as if he was there for the first time even though he knew every nook and cranny of that place he once again could call home.
"ZACH?!" he heard a *very* familiar voice scream down the hall. It was Angela. "Of all people to find me first…" he thought. He liked Angela but, found her somewhat intimidating because of her very obvious use of her "sexual prowess" as he called it. She practically ran and tackled him to the floor. "How did you get out?! Are you just visiting?!" A thousand questions (frankly a lot more than he could even fit into his very smart head) were fired at him and by the time he tried to get an answer out she had asked at least ten more. With that, Hodgens came out of the lab covered in lord knows what from his latest experiment wondering where his wife was. "Angela, you missed out on the coolest thing ever!". With that he looked up. "Zacharoni! Good to see you man!". He hugged his long lost friend. For the first time in what seemed like forever he finally felt home again.
"Have you met the new girl yet?" said Hodgens with an obvious purpose behind the question even though Zach was never good at picking up social signals.
"New girl?" Zach asked.
Angela piped in, "Yep! She started here about a month ago. She's amazing! She works in the lab alongside Hodgens, even though Booth is trying to take her under his wing. Turns out she has quite the right hook and is good with a gun." With that Hodgens leaned in towards Zach and added his two cents with "And she's really hot…just saying" with a wink.
"You have to meet her! You'll be working alongside her so you might as well get introductions over with sooner rather than later!" Angela grabbed his hand and before he could protest she was practically shoving him into the lab.
Angela was pushing him so hard he literally fell into someone standing in front of him.
Chapter 2
"What the…?!" a unfamiliar voice said. She turned around and Zach stared at the most gorgeous thing he had ever seen. She was petite (only about 5 foot by his judgement), had long auburn hair pulled back into a loose ponytail, and hazel eyes emphasized by cat eye glasses. He just stared at her and she looked around at everyone (who also seemed to be staring at her). Finally, she said to Hodgens "…is he always like that?". He laughed and said, "No, Dr. Julianne Reece meet Dr. Zach Addy. We've already nicknamed her reeces, like the candy. It suits her."
"Yeah, I think he does it because he knows I hate it. Pleasure to meet you Dr. Addy. Hodgens has already told me so much about you!" She held out her hand for him to shake and he took it trying to keep himself calm. "Likewise". Julianne looked at the man in front of her. Normally, she was very at home in social situations but, something was different this time. She quickly eyed him over and felt her pulse quicken. No other guy had made her feel like that. Quickly she set herself straight and felt words coming out of her mouth but, had no idea what they were and reached out her hand. Finally, when he did take it she felt something that she couldn't even begin to put into words.
Neither one of them let go of each others hands. Angela finally broke the tension and said "Zach, don't you need to get your lab coat and get to work?" Hodgens took him out of the lab to get him reset leaving Julianne and Angela alone.
They worked in silence for a few minutes and Angela being Angela finally said, "So….?"
"So…what?"
"What do you think?"
"Of what?"
Angela took the lab equipment out of her hands and gave her a "don't play dumb with me" look. "Of Dr. Addy".
Julianne felt herself blush a very deep red. "You never told me he was so cute…how on earth am I supposed to work when I get to stare at that all day?!". Angela grinned. She knew when two people were supposed to be together and quite enjoyed the game it created. The two women laughed and talked like they were in high school again.
*in the security department*
"We saved your lab coat and everything that was yours. We knew you'd come back to us so we couldn't throw it out". "Thanks Hodgens". He put on his lab coat like he had done so many times before and felt the familiar stare Hodgens gave him when he wanted to talk about something awkward. He tried to ignore it but, finally Hodgens said "She's hot isn't she?". Zach wasn't sure what to say. She was the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen but, didn't want to say that. Somehow he thought he'd come off as creepy and stalker if he did. So, instead he said "Yeah, she's pretty", trying to sound as aloof as possible. Hodgens knew better.
"Just "pretty"? Dude, I'm married and thought she was smokin'! She obviously liked you though."
Zach looked at him. "How was she obvious? She introduced herself like civilized people do. That does indicate any sort of attraction".
"It was the way you two looked at each other. Trust me, Zacharoni. Before you know it, you'll be locking yourselves in the lab just so you can rip her clothes off and have your way with her". Zach blushed a very deep red and ignored the last statement even though privately he thought that his friend was right.
Chapter 3
The next morning Julianne woke up to her cell phone ringing. She picked it up, looked at it, 4:45 am, and groaned. "Who the hell is calling me at this hour?!". She answered it and it was Brennan (her boss). There was a new case and she needed all hands on deck. "I'll be there as soon as I can." She hung up the phone and wondered why she was so tired. She was used to early mornings but, was never this tired. She hadn't really slept well or really been able to think straight since she met Dr. Addy. "This is ridiculous! He's just a guy!" She got herself showered and dressed and out the door she went ready to tackle another case.
*in Zach's apartment that same morning*
His cell phone rang, 4:48 am. He groaned and knew that there was another case. He had gotten about 2 hours of sleep at most. He couldn't get what Hodgens had said out of his head. He couldn't get her out of his head in general to tell the truth. He knew he had a job to do and was quite good at said job but, knew that working with her was going to add some unforeseen complications to his newly freed life. As he got ready to leave he thought "Well, I guess that's what I get for thinking my life would go back to 'normal'."
Chapter 4
Everyone met in a very shady looking back ally. Booth greeted both of them and said "I see you've met my prodigy" with a grin. Julianne rolled her eyes. "Yes, Booth. We've met. And how many times do I have to tell you I'm not your 'prodigy'? I'm just one of the gang". Zach thought to himself "She has no idea how not 'one of the gang' she is".
"So, what is…this? Do I even want to know what this used to be?" Julianne asked.
"This, Reeces cup, is what we're not paid nearly enough to solve".
"He looks like he physically melted". Brennan chimed in and said "Get him back to the lab. We can't confirm that he 'melted' until you analyze the vicitim".
*in the lab*
"She's between the ages of 18-25 with multiple lacerations to the bone. The skin is literally melted with what I analyzed to be lyme. Whoever this killer is, definitely did not want to leave any evidence behind."
"Good work Reece!" Brennan praised. "Everyone go home and get some sleep. We've had a very long day".
Zach had been thinking about doing this all day long but, there was never a right time to ask. Finally he mustered up all of his courage and walked over to Julianne who was taking off her lab coat and getting ready to leave for the night.
"Hey, Julianne".
"Hi Zach! I've been meaning to come over and have an actual discussion but, we were instantly thrown into a case, you know how it is. What's up?"
"I was wondering…." He stammered trying to find the words to ask the question that had been on his mind all day. Finally he blurted out, "Are you doing anything right now?" She shook her head no. "I don't have any plans besides watching the backs of my eyelids. Why?" She thought to herself, "God I hope he asks what I think he's asking". He blurted, DIDYOUWANNAGOTODINNER? He spoke so quickly that she didn't understand a word he said. "I'm sorry, I didn't understand *any* of that". He had to repeat himself two more times so she could understand. Once she finally got the words to click in her head she instantly said "I would *love* to! I'm not from around here so I really don't know where much of anything is. Know anywhere good?" He swore her eyes lit up when she agreed but, chalked it up to the low light in the lab. He grinned and said, "I know the perfect place".
Chapter 5
*at the Royal Diner*
Zach and Julianne sat across from each other and looked at the menus. "Wanna split a cheesesteak and fries?" "Sure. I haven't had a cheesesteak in forever". The waitress took their order and Julianne excused herself to use the restroom. She didn't have to go, she just had to talk to herself to keep herself from coming out of her own skin. He actually asked me out! And we're here! Don't make an idiot out of yourself! She composed herself and went back to the table where he was nervously waiting.
"Everything okay? You were gone a while…"
She laughed. "Yes, I'm fine. Just had to powder my nose."
She wanted to know more about the gorgeous man sitting in front of her. Finally, she asked, "So, tell me about your family". He wasn't used to talking about his family so he was quiet for a moment. She thought to herself "Way to screw things up already…" and he sensed her discomforted and said, "No, it's fine. I'm just not used to having people interested". She found out that he had several brothers and sisters and even that he can sing.
"Ohmygosh! I LOVE to sing! We'll have to do karaoke sometime!" He looked at her and blinked. He never really did well in social situations but, for her he'd do just about anything. He stammered, "…sure". To break the tension he asked about her. He found out that she lost her entire family at a very young age due to a house fire. She was the only one that made it out alive. Her dad had managed to save her and went in to rescue the rest of the family but, never came back out. She was raised by her grandparents until the age of 16 when they passed. From that point on she was on her own. He thought to himself, "No wonder she's as independent as she is. She's had to rely on herself since 16". He also found out that she has a doctorate in forensic anthropology and graduated a year early from college. She was only 28 and had so much ahead of her. He found out that because she didn't have a family of her own she had buckets of friends to make up for it. She was amazingly social and loved being around people. He was the complete opposite. He wondered if he would ever be able to keep up with her. For a moment he thought even she made Angela look like an introvert.
Chapter 6
The two of them ate and talked all night long. Before they knew it, it was 5 am. Julianne looked at her cell and grinned. "We might as well get breakfast, we're already here" and laughed. She hadn't had such a good time with anyone in her entire life. Everything seemed so natural. They ordered breakfast and continued to talk when both of their cell phones rang. It was Angela and Hodgens wondering where they both were. They both said that they would be over as soon as they finished eating and got cleaned up. He insisted that he walk her home so that she would be "safe". She rolled her eyes but, finally relented. They walked almost in silence until she felt his hand reach for hers. He was so nervous and wondered if she knew but, something in him told him that he had to at least try. She felt herself take a nervous breath but, let her fingers intertwine with his and grinned as they did. He pulled her in closer to him and they walked the rest of the way to her place like any other couple.
Once at her apartment, she let the both of them in and told him to make himself comfortable. "I'll only be a few minutes. I *need* to get a shower. I feel gross. The TV remote is on the end table". She left to go shower and for a moment wondered what she looked like without her clothes on and pushed the thought out of his head. He looked around her apartment and noticed that she didn't have very many pictures or memories. "Why would she? It's not like she had much of a childhood". Meanwhile, Julianne tried to concentrate on her shower. The entire time she thought, "Maybe I should've invited him in with me…" and couldn't help but daydream about what would've happened. She eventually snapped herself back into reality and quickly got herself dressed, hair dried and pulled back into a French twist. She put a bit of makeup on and greeted Zach on the couch. He looked at her and she instantly took his breath away. She was beautiful without even trying. She grinned and asked him if he had anything packed for lunch. He shook his head no and offered to pack him something along with hers. Normally, he would've argued but, he agreed. She packed a quick lunch for the both of them and out the door they went. Once again their fingers intertwined and she started to pull him towards his apartment.
"Where are we going?" he asked.
"To your place. You need to clean up too. Can't go to work looking like that!"
So he let her into his apartment. He was visibly nervous. He admitted, "I've never had a girl in my apartment before…". She grinned and said, "Don't worry, I won't break anything. Just go get dressed and…" before she could say another word he grabbed her and kissed her full on the lips.
Chapter 7
She kissed him back and couldn't believe that he actually was kissing *her*. Realizing what he'd done he broke apart and thought "What is wrong with you?! You just scared her off!". Julianne noticed his thought process and told him, "I've wanted you to do that since we first met". He blushed and grinned. She continued, "We'll just have to continue it when we have a little more time on our hands. We're already late and I'm sure Angela has A LOT of thoughts going through her head as to why". Zach went to take a shower and couldn't believe she actually kissed him back. Before she knew it they were walking to the Jeffersonian hand in hand as before. They walked in, swiped their badges only to find everyone waiting on them. They continued to walk side by side forgetting that they were still holding hands until Angela cleared her throat and had a huge grin on her face. Julianne blushed and they dropped hands (much to their disappointment). By that point everyone had seen it so there was no point in hiding it. She shot him a quick grin and wink and he grinned back at her knowing they'd definitely continue what they had started later. But, as for right now there was a case to solve.
*in the lab*
Angela burst into the lab. "So how was *your* night?" Julianne grinned and said, "Fine." Pretending to not want to talk about it. Angela fell right into it. "TELL ME!" she said. Julianne told her the whole story and said "he even kissed me!".
"OHMYGOD! He did *not*!"
"I know right?! It was the best kiss of my life!"
Angela fell silent and looked behind the giddy girl in front of her. Julianne turned around to find Brennan, Booth, and Hodgens standing behind her. Brennan cleared her throat and said "Dr. Reece don't you have a melted person to attend to?" Julianne blushed and meekly said, "Yes, ma'am." Hodgens followed her and as usual probed. "So, you and Zacheroni…". She shook her head yes. "Are you two an official thing?" She shrugged. "I don't know. We didn't get that far…yet". Hodgens got an ornery look on his face and said "Oh, okay" and left. She didn't know how she knew but, she knew he had something up his sleeve.
Hodgens finally found Zach who he had a feeling was hiding after the morning encounter. Like he did with Julianne he probed. "So, I hear you took a bite of the reeces cup". Zach blushed and said, "I had breakfast that had nothing to do with candy". Hodgens says, "You know very well what I meant Zacheroni! You and Dr. Reece. Didn't know you two were an official thing…good for you".
Zach paused. "Did she say that?"
Hodgens grinned. "Hook, line and sinker" he thought. "No, but I have a feeling she's kinda hoping you might".
Zach spent the rest of the day wondering how to go about it. He wanted them to be official just he didn't know how. He finally figured that it was best to do what he knew best, be up front. He walked over to the lab and found her mixing some chemical test liquids completely unaware that he was in the room. For a moment he stared at her and watched. He thought to himself, "God, she's even gorgeous in a lab coat and goggles". Finally, she noticed his presence and grinned. She put down the mixture, took her goggles off and walked over to him. "Hi!" She hugged him and after she released the embrace he kissed her just like any other couple saying hello would do.
"What do I owe the pleasure of your company?" she asked.
He shrugged. "Just wanted to see what you were upto. And I wanted to talk a little bit".
"Sure. What's going on?" She almost sounded worried.
"It's nothing bad. Hodgens just said something that I wanted to talk to you about".
"Oh…okay".
"He wondered if we were an official 'thing' or not". She was silent so he continued. "I didn't know what to tell him…"
"I mean…do you *want* to be…"
Before she could finish her statement Zach says, "I do. I just wasn't sure how to ask and was hoping it'd be a bit more romantic than this but, this works too".
Julianne got an idea. She walked over to him and whispered in his ear, "I think I know a way to make it more romantic. Go lock the door".
Chapter 8
He couldn't believe what he had just heard. From what he was told he hadn't much "sexual prowess" but, for some reason he couldn't say no to her. He quickly went over and locked the lab door. She pulled him into a kiss that very quickly became passionate and heated. He kissed her back with every emotion he had been so afraid to let out. He slid his hands down her back and pulled her in closer to him. She felt her breath becoming faster and harder. He then slid her lab coat off her shoulders and it fell into a pile on the floor. She quickly did the same with his and started to undo his tie. He kissed down her neck and started to suck on it while backing her up until she hit the lab table. He quickly looked to make sure nothing was on it (thankfully nothing was) and picked her up and sat her on it, lifting her out of the pumps she had been wearing. When he picked her up she was caught by complete surprise but, was strangely excited by the thought. She finally was able to undo his tie and tossed it to the floor and started on the button down dress shirt he was wearing. Her fingers felt like they wouldn't cooperate with her as she struggled to get each one undone. His fingertips slowly skimmed their way up her right leg and she moaned with pleasure. She had never had sex with anyone before so, this was as an erotic moment as she had ever had. She couldn't believe the feelings that were coming over her as she let his hands and lips explore her body. She finally felt his hands start to unbutton the blouse she had on revealing the lace bra beneath it. He had it halfway unbuttoned when they heard "WHOA!" from a familiar voice behind them. It was Booth. Booth looked around the room to find both lab coats, Zach's tie, and her heels in piles across the room. He looked at them, smirked and said, "We need you at the crime scene…just make sure you're dressed when you get there". They both let out a moan of frustration and gave each other a knowing look. Julianne then pulled Zach in and whispered in his ear, "We'll continue this later. I'm by no means done with you". He then whispered in hers, "I'm not done either babe" and kissed her.
At the crime scene, it was as if everyone knew what just happened between them. Apparently, Brennan and Booth can't keep anything to themselves. It got even worse when Angela and Hodgens found out. They gathered the new evidence and worked well into the night.
Chapter 9
From that moment on the two were inseparable. They spent all of their free time together and before they knew it a month had passed. Neither one could put that night on the lab table out of their heads but, they had been working so long that all they wanted was sleep. Finally, it was Julianne's birthday. She wasn't used to anyone really doing anything to celebrate it so, it came as a massive surprise when she arrived to work with a vase filled with pink roses in the lab for her. The note on it read, "Happy birthday beautiful! Be ready for dinner at 7:00. I have a surprise ;) (By the way, wear your best evening dress)". She grinned and Angela came in.
"Hi Angela! How are you?"
"Happy birthday girlfriend! Whatcha reading?" as she looked over her shoulder.
"Zach left me a note. He wants me to be in my best evening dress for a surprise tonight…"
"Ohmygod! That's so cute!" She noticed how Julianne wasn't as thrilled as she should be and asked, "What's wrong?"
"I don't have an evening dress…never had a need for one"
"Grab your coat, now!"
"Why?" Julianne said, very confused.
"We're going shopping!"
"But…we're supposed to be working. Brennan…"
"Brennan can wait, true love can't!"
So out the door they ran to the nearest dress shop. Angela pulled half a dozen dresses from the rack and shoved both Julianne and the gowns into the dressing room. The first three she hated. The fourth and fifth didn't fit properly and finally they were down to the final dress. Julianne slipped on the strapless, black, mermaid gown and instantly knew it was the dress. She walked out and Angela squealed with glee. Julianne went to look down at the price tag and before she could Angela stopped her. "Oh no you don't! Consider this my birthday present". Julianne argued, "That is WAY too much! I couldn't!". "Too bad! I'm doing it anyway". Before she could argue any more Angela had already handed the cashier her credit card. Julianne went to take the dress off and when she came out of the dressing room Angela said to her, "Now we need to get you accessories, shoes, and have your hair and makeup done". They spent the rest of the day shopping and finally they ended up at the salon. Julianne's cell phone buzzed with a text message from a very worried Zach wondering why he hadn't seen her all day. She grinned (she loved it when he was protective) and texted him back that she was out with Angela and she'd be ready by 7 pm.
Finally, after being waxed, styled and primped she was ready. Her hair had been styled in a Veronica Lake style finger wave with a deep left part. Her makeup was equally vintage complete with bedroom eyes and red lipstick. Angela even surprised her with opera length black gloves, sky high black stiletto heels, jewelry and a black dress clutch. Julianne looked at herself in the mirror and gasped. She had never looked so gorgeous in her entire life. She thanked Angela for all she had done to which she replied, "Don't thank me yet". Julianne didn't know what she meant but, was in too much shock to care.
They took a cab back to the Jeffersonian where it was mostly empty except for the usual people. Angela led her into the building and Julianne stopped at the top of the stairs. A hush came over their friends and she slowly started to descend the stairs. She skimmed the small crowd and caught a glimpse of Zach who was in his best suit and even got a fresh haircut. She grinned when their eyes met and he met her at the bottom of the stairs. Once they met he took her by both her hands and looked at the beauty in front of him. He knew he'd never forget this moment for the rest of his life. There were no words spoken, only unspoken ones. He kissed her in front of everyone regardless of how they'd react. Once they broke the kiss everyone came over, wished her a very happy birthday, gave her presents and told them how amazing they looked. They took a cab to the best restaurant in the city and had the most delicious dinner either one of them had ever had. Julianne couldn't help but, have the feeling that their night was far from over as they left.
Outside the restaurant, Zach took her in his arms and asked, "Did you like your surprise?". She replied, "I *loved* it! Thank you babe!" He replied back, "I have one more gift for you…it's at my apartment". She nodded and so that Julianne didn't have to walk all the way there in 4 inch heels they took a cab. They finally arrived at his apartment and in an instant they were inside. He once again took her into his arms and started to kiss her. He backed her up against the door and held her there and his kisses became deeper. She stepped out of her heels and slid his jacket off his strong shoulders. She felt his hands start to pull of her gloves and she worked on his tie. Once again they ended up in different spots on the floor. Before she knew it they were in his bedroom. She felt his hands slide down her back and he started to slowly unzip the back of her dress. It gracefully fell off her onto a pile on the floor and his eyes slowly looked her over, seeing the black lingerie Angela had thankfully let her borrow. He kissed her and walked her back to the edge of the bed and laid her down, lying on top of her. His hands started exploring the newly exposed skin and she shivered underneath his touch. She fumbled with the buttons on his shirt but, managed to get it off and tossed it onto the floor. She pulled his t-shirt over his head and threw it in the same spot as his other shirt. Her hands gripped onto his strong back while he sucked on her neck and shoulders. He slipped his hand behind her and nervously unhooked her lace bra and let it fall to the floor. She let him feel her and she moaned as he explored her body. She then unbuttoned and unzipped the pants he was wearing and tried to get them off but, couldn't because of how she was pinned. He stood up and took off both his pants and boxers. He ran his fingertips over her and started to slide the lace panties off her tossing them onto the floor. He lay back on top of her and she was obviously nervous. She whispered in his ear, "I have a confession". He stopped, looked at her and said "What?". She replied, "I've never…" He grinned and said, "I know. I've known for a while and don't mind". Shocked, Julianne looked at him and said "How did you know?". He put his hand upto her lips and said, "Don't worry, I'll be gentle". She gave into his kiss and he was true to his word. Her first time was as gentle and romantic as any movie. Inbetween the moans and screams of pleasure she wondered why she waited so long to do this but, was grateful she had waited for him. He watched her as she writhed with pleasure beneath him and wondered when he'd wake up from this dream. He honestly believed that at any moment he'd wake up in the lab alone except for the bones on the table in front of him. Then, he thought "If this is a dream I can make it better". He brought her even closer to him and whispered in her ear, "I love you, Julianne". She couldn't believe what was happening. Not only was she being made love to but, he just said the three words no one else has ever said to her. She grinned and "I love you too Zach". After what seemed like an eternity they both lay in each others arms, dripping with sweat and completely exhausted. Zach took her in his arms and slyly asked "How did you like your second present?". She giggled and replied, "It was better than I ever could've imagined. There's just one problem. We have to be to work tomorrow…" With that, Zach got up and left his bedroom only to come back with a note and a duffle bag. He handed her the note without a word and let her read it. It said:
"Happy birthday Julianne! We wanted to give you something special so I'm giving you the weekend off. Have a great time! –Brennan"
Zach looked at her and grinned. "I managed to get the weekend off too so we have the entire weekend together. Angela packed you a weekend bag. From what she told me it's everything you'll need for work on Monday, comfy clothes for just hanging out and 'other things' that she wouldn't tell me about. She said you'd understand". Zach told her he was going to get a quick shower so, she figured there was no better time than the present to unpack. It was just as Zach said. Clothes and shoes for work (as well as her badge and house keys), travel shampoo and other travel sized beauty products, her makeup case, comfy clothes, and she finally saw a bag from Victoria's Secret. It was labeled "other things". She opened it up to find it filled with brand new lingerie and a note from Angela. It read" "Have fun! I expect details on Monday! ;)" She giggled and looked each one over and had an idea. "If he wants to surprise me, I'll surprise him!" She got dressed in a pink lace babydoll and very high heels and lay there on the bed until he came back wrapped in just a towel. He took one look at her and said, "…wow". She giggled and replied, "Do you like what you see?" knowing full well that he did. They made love again with more intensity than the first time. They finally passed out in bed in a tangle of sheets. They spent the rest of that weekend watching movies, talking, ordering takeout and making love. It was the best weekend either one of them could remember.
Chapter 10
Zach woke up in a pool of sweat. He had a nightmare of being in the hospital again. He panicked and thought that everything that just occurred was a dream only to feel the gorgeous girl…now woman…sleeping on his chest. He tried not to wake her but, she felt him stir and woke up anyway. "Sorry love, I didn't mean to wake you up". She blinked her eyes sleepily and replied, "G'morning honey. It's okay. We have to get up anyway. We have to go back to reality today sadly. Are you alright? Have a nightmare?" "Yes, but I'm okay" "Okay, as long as you're sure. Dibs on the shower first!". She jumped out of bed and raced him to the bathroom where she won. He normally would have won that race but, his head was too filled with the nightmare. He was terrified of going back and dreamed of being sent back all the time. She seemed legitimately concerned but, didn't want to worry her with nonsense so he didn't tell her. Besides, why ruin the weekend?
She showered and got herself ready as quickly as possible that morning. Brennan had done both of them a huge favor by giving them the weekend off so she didn't want to be late. She finally surrendered the bathroom and made them both breakfast and packed lunch while he got himself ready. He came out of the bedroom dressed and ready to go and saw her there and just stared as she cleaned up. She looked like she belonged there and he said to himself, "I wonder if she'd move in….". She sneaked a peak at him while he was shaving and had the same thought but, didn't want to push her luck.
They walked to work and sighed as they arrived knowing that their weekend was officially over. It was common for them to be seen walking hand in hand when they arrived and left so everyone just ignored it or needled them (to which she secretly enjoyed; she loved seeing him all blushed and bothered).
A few weeks went by with new cases and not much time together. For some reason the Christmas season brought out the worst in people and they were slammed with cases. Every time they had five seconds alone they were always interrupted. It didn't help that they lived in separate places. Finally, one evening in the lab Zach couldn't concentrate on the bone he was inspecting and couldn't get the scene from a few weeks ago out of his head. He finally gave up on doing anything productive and decided to go see what his girlfriend was doing (and hopefully ask her to move in).
Meanwhile, Julianne was working on a new experiment and was getting nowhere with it. She was exhausted all the time and it was starting to cloud her judgement. Not to mention she had seen Zach for about 5 minutes over the past 3 weeks and that in itself was making her super moody. She screamed in frustration, pushed the chemicals away from her and leaned her head in her hands.
"Are you okay hun?" Zach had seen the whole thing and wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her on the cheek. Julianne sighed and shrugged. "I'm frustrated, exhausted and miss you all the time so no, I'm not okay". He then suggested they go for a walk to which she agreed. They didn't say a word to anyone as they walked out of the Jeffersonian hand in hand and started to walk towards the park that was nearby. Once in the park their pace slowed and they stopped at a park bench and sat. She leaned her head on his shoulder and he put his arm around her and he couldn't take it anymore. He had to know and he had to know now.
"Darlin', can I ask you something?"
"Of course. You know you can ask me anything"
"Would you consider moving in with me?"
She couldn't believe what she had just heard. She lifted her head off his shoulder and turned to look him in the eyes. She reluctantly asked, "Are you sure?" to which he said, "Yes…unless you don't want to then…". Before he could finish his statement she stopped it with a kiss. When she finally broke it she said, "Absolutely! I've been waiting for you to ask!". To which he grinned and replied, "Wanna start tonight?". She grinned and nodded. They headed back to the Jeffersonian and told everyone they were going to leave for the night but, they had to talk to Hodgens alone. Since Zach was renting the apartment from him they had to get permission for Julianne to move in. Zach approached him and Hodgens said:
"Hey Zacharoni! What can I do you for?"
"I wanted to ask you something. I want Julianne to move in with me and…"
"Say no more! Of course she can move in! I've never seen you this happy so, if having her there all the time will keep you both happy then I'm all in!
"Thanks Hodgens!" Zach overcome with joy hugged him (he doesn't hug many people). Hodgens laughed and told him "Go, you've got a place to move and a woman to go home to". Zach found Julianne as fast as he could muster. Julianne was naturally elated at the news and went to her old place to pack up what little she had in it. Zach wanted to help naturally so she relented and let him. The next few days were spent working and settling into their new place (she loved being able to say that it was *theirs*).