The Little Moments

AN: This story was inspired part because I had had bad day and then the song "Collide" by Howie Day came on & I had the urge to write. I know that Brennan may be a little out of character, but we very rarely see her outside of being super woman. Please read and review- the reviews help me know what needs to be changed, if you guys like the story, if you guys hate the story, etc. Writing for me is a journey, and the reviews you leave are the candy snacks on the way. :)

*disclaimer* I don't own it… I am way to broke to own something like Bones.

She never allowed anyone to see her cry. It was her unwritten rule. Growing up the way she did, she couldn't seem too weak and that was what crying was. She wasn't even sure why she was crying- the case had been solved and the blast did not hurt anyone- did not hurt Booth. As she stood with her back to her office door she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked tired- both emotionally and physically. Her mascara was running, her hair was out of place- she definitely did not look like the woman of power everyone knew her to be. Quickly she brushed back to loose tendrils of hair, wiped her cheeks, looked in the mirror and told herself "buck up small fry". It was something she had been told since she was very young and while she totally didn't understand the phrase, it somehow made her feel stronger.

He had figured she had had one hell of a day. Things hadn't actually gone the way they were supposed to- or the way they had made a backup-just-in-case plan for. His ears were still ringing from the explosion and blood was leaking from under the bandage that he promised the EMT following around him that he would get it looked at- eventually. When he got to the lab he almost thought that maybe she had already gone home. Just as he was about to turn and go instead to her apartment he heard a sniffle saw just a brief movement. With his super stealthy skills he walked over to the edge of her door and just watched her. It was when she was like this- natural and free- that he thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world.

She didn't let him know she knew he was standing right there. When she first heard the rustle of a jacket she went stiff and raised her hand to wipe her eyes furiously. But when she realized it was him, she suddenly didn't mind to let the tears just fall. She sat there with her back to him- almost afraid of what she would see if she turned around.

"What are you doing here Booth? Shouldn't you be at a hospital being checked out?" The sound of her voice came out in a restrained whisper.

At the sound of her voice he made the few steps across the floor to where she was standing. "It's just a flesh wound," he tried to chuckle off.

When he went to put his hand on our shoulder she went rigid and he knew something was up besides the obvious. "See, look, I'm fine…look," he tried.

When he couldn't get her to turn around he instead went in front of her. She held her eyes tightly closed. "And they say I'm the stubborn one…" he muttered to himself. Finally he resigned himself to the one word they never used (it always came with too many strings), took a deep breath and said in a way Parker would when begging for ice cream, "Please…".

At that Brennan couldn't resist. The sound alone made her snicker and when she did she opened her eyes to his face. As soon as she saw the gash above his eye she gasped! "That is not just a flesh wound Booth, you are really hurt!"

Booth not being able to resist the dig, bantered back. "How would you know, I thought you were the Bones girl." And as soon as the last word was out of his mouth he was quickly regretting it because the waterworks opened up and he wasn't sure where the shut off valve was.

"Bones… Bones.. Brennan, come on, don't do that…" he never had liked crying women. "I didn't mean it! (it was the one phrase his grandfather had taught him when he started dating that could save his life)"

"But you're right, I don't know what a flesh wound is or what to do when a criminal holds a hostage and plants a bomb or how to…" her words left in mumbles as he pulled her close to his chest. He realized now why she had been so quiet when he walked in, why her makeup was running down her face.

"I'm not going anywhere Bones." As he said the words he felt her become stiff and the tears stop.

She stepped back from him and in an eerily calm voice replied, "You don't know that Booth. None of us know that. You can't promise that."

He pulled her back to his chest and whispered in her ear, "I'm not going anywhere Temperance."

She looked up & went to wipe her cheek but he beat her too it. "Got any band aids at your house?"