Disclaimer: I own zippity do squat.
A/N: I needed to wash the angst off PDQ of "The Secret in the Seige" and get back to the happy feelings faaaaast...
It was hours before Booth crawled into bed. Bones had tried to hide it, but he'd heard her crying softly anyway. But he'd had no idea how to comfort her, short of telling her the truth, and so he stayed downstairs, his heart breaking a little more with each soft sob.
He crawled up the stairs long after he heard the last noises from upstairs. He stripped in the dark, and crawled into his cold side of the bed. Bones was asleep on her side, curled into the fetal position away from him.
He laid on his back, at the far edge of the bed, as the last of his energy drifted away from him. Normally he'd tuck himself around her, but tonight he couldn't bring himself to touch her. He could feel her next to him like she was on fire.
She wasn't asleep, so he pretended to be.
They both laid there, sudden strangers in a bed, pretending to sleep.
Pelant knew everything. He could be watching them right now for all Booth knew.
He wouldn't sacrifice five people for his own happiness.
He wouldn't do it for Bones' happiness either. But he'd think about it.
Sometime later, Booth woke up. Faking sleep had led to actual sleep, and in his slumber, he'd curled up around Bones, holding her as he always did.
Although her breathing was regular and her eyes closed, he could tell she was awake. Would someone else, or was his understanding the product of touching her mixed with years of experience?
They were tucked against each other in the dark, under a blanket. There was no technology that could map the space between them. Booth refused to start thinking of Pelant as a god.
His right hand, spread out over her bare thigh, lifted up and started tapping on her leg. He hoped she knew Morse Code.
This was Bones. Of course she knew Morse Code.
YOU AWAKE. He tapped.
For a moment, there was nothing, and then she stretched and turned around, tucking into him, so that her forehead was against his clavicle. He felt her hand tuck up against his chest. A second later, nine small taps came across his chest.
YES
His hand, now resting on her left thigh, started tapping again.
I STILL WANT TO MARRY YOU
A small catch of her breath against his shoulder let him know she understood. But she didn't respond for several seconds.
PELANT? Came the taps against his chest.
He tamped down on his natural response, which was to nod.
YES
AT THE PARK … HE THREATENED YOU
5 PEOPLE KILLED IF WE MARRY
IF WE CATCH HIM?
THEN I DRAG YOU TO THE CHURCH RIGHT AFTER
He realized then that his chest was wet. He wanted to kiss her, make it all better.
AND UNTIL THEN?
WE ACT LIKE UNDERCOVER
GOOD AT UNDERCOVER. It was an old joke, but he almost laughed anyway. Maybe they wouldn't be married in the eyes of the Lord anytime soon, but they were still a team.
GUESS WE HAVE TO BE MAD FOR FEW DAYS
WE TELL FRIENDS THEY NOT HAPPY EITHER
WILL FIX IT WHEN PELANT GONE
Bones tucked farther into him, and finally relaxed a bit. Booth pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her back. She responded in kind. They just held each other.
In the next room, Christine woke up and burbled.
Bones shook herself free.
"I'll get her," she said, the first words either of them had spoken since climbing the stairs.
"k," he said, trying to sound like he was still angry. Pelant was still out there, possibly watching them. It wasn't hard for him to fake the anger.
Bones spent several minutes in Christine's room. Booth took the time to stare at the ceiling and start working out a plan. Their friends would have to be left in the dark, but he could work around that. As long as he and Bones were solid, the rest could be solved.
And he and Bones could be solid, even if they had to fake being something else. He had more than enough experiencing hiding what he really felt for her. Years of experience.
He was almost asleep again when she returned and crawled into the bed next to him. It was her turn to wrap around him. He took comfort in the feel of her warm breath against the back of his neck.
Several minutes later, coming out of the daze of pre-sleep, Booth realized she was tapping again, her fingers sending him a message through his back.
...TAKE SEELEY BOOTH TO BE HUSBAND UNTIL DEATH DO PART
He waited a moment, then reached down to where her thigh rested over his. There he tapped out his own vow.
I TAKE BONES TO BE WIFE FOREVER AND EVER
EVEN IF I DONT WEAR WHITE
EVEN THROUGH ZOMBIE JESUS COMMENTS
LOVE YOU
LOVE YOU TOO
And there, in the dead of the night, in a silent bedroom, he found sleep. His last thoughts, before drifting into dreams of Bones walking down the aisle, were of Pelant, and how Pelant was alone. Pelant was alone, while he had Bones, and he and Bones had a team, and because of that, they would win.