A/N: This piece was inspired by the fire scene in Kathy Reich's Death Du Jour. Brennan's man wasn't there at the time for her in the book, but in my story, Booth's always gotta be there to save the day! So if you feel like reviewing, that would earn you a hug. Enjoy!
Brennan woke coughing. Jeez, what the hell was that? She rolled off of the bed and opened the door. This is when the surrounding blackness consumed her.
She hit the floor and coughed violently. Realisation dawned on her. Smoke. Smoke meant fire. Fire meant if she didn't find a way out, she was dead. She crawled along the ground, feeling her way through murky mist.
She scrabbled, feeling the walls as her guide towards the door. As she reached the lounge, the smoke was overpowering. There seemed to be a bonfire near the back wall of her living room.
Brennan worked out what it was that had started the blaze. She'd left a towel too close to her open fire again. The last one had only been singed. Apparently this time she hadn't been so lucky.
She felt her open palm hit the hard wood of her door. She tried the handle, only realising her own stupidity that in the evening, of course her door would be locked. The keys were on her table.
Brennan rose to her feet and stumbled across to where she reckoned the table to be. She reached around in the dark, eventually hearing the soft clink of the keys hitting together.
She grabbed them and staggered back towards the door. She fumbled with the keys, glad she had taken Booth's advice on putting her home and work keys on separate rings.
At last, she got the correct key and slid it fully into the lock. She turned the key ferociously and yanked the handle hard. The door opened slightly but was still held back by the small chain attached to the back of the door.
Shit. Brennan grabbed the links before dragging it along and pulling it off. She opened the door to freedom, to air.
She collapsed against the wall outside. She heard the sound of sirens drawing close. And a neighbour's door opening. Thank God.
The firemen went in and put out the fire. Nothing was badly ruined apart from her towel. And the couch. But that was okay. Nothing she couldn't handle, standing here in the hall with a cup of tea and a friend's comforting hand on her shoulder.
The chief took his helmet off as he spoke to her. "Yeah, the living room's the only place that got it. There was just an awful lot of smoke. You should be back in the place with in the day. Me and the boys will help out."
She said her thanks and he disappeared down the stairs, to bring a couple more guys up. And then he showed up. She could hear his voice, speaking hurriedly with the chief five flights below.
She knew her neighbour, Marianne, had called to tell him she was alive and well but she didn't expect him to show up. Brennan could hear him crashing up the stairs and she knew if he ran any faster, he would probably take flight.
Marianne took the cup of tea from her hands and retreated back towards her door. Brennan shot her a questioning look. "I think you two are gonna need time alone. Knock when you need to talk," she said, closing the door with a click.
She heard the thud of his footsteps on the floor. She spun round to face him. Booth spotted her and raced towards her. He stopped in front of her and pulled her into a tight embrace. "Bones, are you ok?" he asked, turning her face to and fro.
"I'm fine Booth," she said, as he pulled her back against his chest. He held her close for a very long time, silently stroking her hair.
"Suppose I'd better go to the office, sleep on my couch. At least I fell asleep wearing my clothes I suppose," she tried, giving the slightest trace of a smile.
"You're not going to the Jeffersonian. You're coming back to mine," he said with a tone of finality, holding up a hand to prevent her objections.
After a while, Bones knocked on Marianne's door and told her she was going back to Booth's. The blonde woman said that if she needed anything, she was just to call. She was glad she had a neighbour like her.
Booth spoke to the chief again and told him the arrangements. He said that was fine and Booth left them a number so they could call once they got rid of the burned stuff.
The drive had been silent for the most part. As it was just now. Booth had offered her dinner and she had refused. She wasn't much in the mood for eating. The chief had called and said that the burned stuff was all gone and it was safe for her to return.
The evening carried on in silence for most of the night, with Booth placing a hand on Brennan's shoulder every once in a while, as if he was checking she was still there.
Once it reached around half nine, Brennan spoke up. "I think I'll try and sleep now. Is there a blanket or something I can borrow?"
She began to fluff up the pillows on the sofa when Booth said, "Oh no Bones. You aren't sleeping on that couch. It's very uncomfortable and you've had a rough enough day as it is."
"So where am I going to go then? Want me to phone Angela?" she said, indicating the handset on the table.
"No. Come on, we can share the bed," Booth said quietly, catching her arm and gently pulling her through to his room.
"Oh no Booth it's fine. I'm don't want to bother you. I'll just phone Ange and …" she began before being cut off.
"In," he said, throwing back the duvet. She looked uncertainly at him before quietly kicking off her shoes. Sliding underneath the thick bedding, still fully clothed, she stared at him as he gently crawled under the covers on the other side of the double bed.
"Goodnight Booth," she whispered as she lay staring into the dark. She was met with a quiet "Night Bones".
She had the feeling Booth wasn't sleeping as it was quiet from his side. Too quiet. "Booth, you awake?" she asked, after what seemed like hours, when only a few minutes had passed.
"Yeah," he mumbled. Brennan fidgeted a little. She was having a hard time getting comfortable. The bed was soft and warm but the day's experiences had been a little hard hitting on her.
She shifted a little more when she felt a hand on her waist. She rolled over to look at him, rolling on top of his arm by accident. He placed his other hand on her side and dragged her closer.
He curved the arm that was underneath her round to totally engulf her waist and rested her head on his shoulder. He hugged her close to his chest. "I was so worried today Bones. I thought I'd lost you," he said uncertainly, turning his head to look at her.
"I'm still here," she whispered.
"I know but what would've I've done if something had happened to you?" he said, his eyes watering with emotion.
Bones moved her head closer to his neck. "But nothing did happen and I have no intention of dying any time soon. It seems you're stuck with me forever," she murmured, giving him a small smile.
Booth kissed her forehead. "You promise?"
"I promise," she said, rolling over onto her side and falling asleep with her back against Booth's chest, sleeping peacefully at last.