A/N:This is a Valentines gift for ECV 994. They requested something before Booth and Brennan got together. They had to be stuck somewhere too. I hope you like it.
Booth and Brennan had spent hours in Booth's office doing paperwork that they'd let pile up due to other obligations. Booth stood up after he signed the last report, he noticed the snow was quickly piling up. "Bones, it's really coming down out there."
Brennan looked up and sighed, "The forecast said it wasn't going to start until 10 o'clock. I had planned going to the store and getting a few things after we finished here. Now I guess I'll just go home and make do with what I have there."
Booth smiled a little and looked at his watch, "it's almost midnight, Bones. I'll drive you to my apartment, it's closer. Plus I went to the store last night, so I have food."
"Thanks, Booth."
"Sure, Bones. Wait here and I'll bring the SUV to the door, I didn't park in the garage today."
"Okay." Booth changed into his boots, put on his coat and headed outside. A few minutes later he was back, "Bones, we're not going anywhere for at least the weekend. The snow is drifted in front of the door and it's up to my knees. Plus its blowing so bad I can't see anything."
"Okay. I'm going to see what's on the vending machine, I haven't eaten since lunch."
Booth shook his head and took a medium size plastic box from his closet and sat it on his desk before taking the lid off. "Hang on Bones I have actual food here.'"
"Why do you have a box of nonperishable food in your closet, Booth?"
"Sometimes I don't have time to get lunch or if I work late I'll grab something from here. I started doing it for emergency purposes in case the FBI got locked down or something like the lab has. Every 6 months I restock the box. I put it all in the kitchen, it's usually gone in a day or two. We have Cup-o- Soup, mac n cheese, chili, ramen, some other pasta bowls, and rice bowls. Plus pudding, fruit cups, apple sauce, cheese and crackers and peanut butter on cheese crackers. I have oatmeal and cereal bowls, instant coffee, hot chocolate mix, granola and instant breakfast for in the morning too."
Brennan smiled a little, "I'll have cup-o-soup, Booth."
Booth pulled the packet from the box and handed it to Brennan along with a cup. "You got vegetable soup?"
"Just in case you got stuck here with me. I got a box of that tea you like too. I also found that cereal you like in to –go cups."
"Thanks Booth." He nodded and pulled out a bowl of macaroni and cheese and they both headed for the kitchen. While they were waiting for their dinners to heat, Booth emailed Cullen to let him know that they were stranded. As they were finishing Booth's phone chimed with an email. "Bones, Cullen says there are sleeping bags and emergency supplies in the storage closet next to my office. I don't have the key, but I have his permission to pick the lock."
"Would not having his permission have stopped you from picking the lock?"
"Probably not." Brennan laughed and followed Booth to the storage closet. Fifteen minutes later they had moved most of Booth's office furniture into the bullpen to make more for their sleeping bags
"Bones, if you want to be alone I can move to the bullpen or somewhere."
"You don't have to leave, Booth. Not unless you want to…"
"No I don't mind staying with you…"
"Thanks, Booth. I occasionally have nightmares about any number of things, they seem to come more frequently if my sleeping arrangements aren't routine."
Booth nodded and unrolled his sleeping bag. "I still have nightmares too sometimes, it's okay, Bones."
Brennan nodded, "I just didn't want you to be surprised if I woke up screaming or something."
"You'll be fine, Bones. Good night."
"Thanks, Booth. Goodnight." They both laid down facing each other, but a few feet apart. Booth hadn't been asleep very long when he heard Brennan moving around, "Bones?" getting no answer Booth pulled up the flashlight app on his phone and saw that Brennan was tossing and turning in her sleeping bag. Sighing he got up and moved himself and his sleeping bag next to Brennan, wrapping his arms around her. "You're okay, Bones. I'm here, just rest." Booth softly kissed her hair and smiled a little as Brennan began to settle down. Booth knew that he was risking his life if Brennan woke up and found them like this, but it was a risk he was willing to take if it helped her feel safer and sleep. He knew that since the Grave digger had kidnapped her and Hodgins, Brennan had put in more hours at the lab each day because of the nightmares she'd admitted to having. Booth had suspected from that night until now that Brennan had nightmares on occasion and until this moment he hadn't been able to do anything about it. Booth smiled to himself and fell back to sleep quickly. A few hours later Booth woke up surprised to find Brennan still sleeping peacefully in his arms. He carefully laid Brennan over on her sleeping bag and carefully got up. Discovering it was only a few minutes after 7 and still snowing Booth grabbed the box of food and headed to the breakroom. Over an hour later Brennan made her way to the breakroom, Booth looked up from the paper he snatched from the recycle bin. "Good morning sleepyhead!"
"Good morning, Booth."
"Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, to be honest I don't remember the last time I slept until 8:30."
"You needed the sleep, Bones; you don't sleep enough…"
"I know…I haven't slept all night since my parents left. I thought I was getting better but then the Gravedigger kidnapped me and Hodgins…" Brennan dug though the box of food until she found a to-go bowl of the cereal she liked.
"Bones, if you ever need to talk to somebody…"
Brennan smiled, "thanks Booth."
Booth nodded, "theirs milk in the drink machine if you want it. It's not the soy stuff you drink though."
"This is fine, Booth, I like to eat it dry sometimes." Brennan grabbed a spoon from the basket on the counter and sat down with her cereal. Booth got up and fixed her a cup of tea.
"The shower is in the locker room is downstairs. I put out clean towels for you. I snagged us both sweatshirts and track pants for the next few days from the supply closet. I would get our bags from the SUV, but I can't find it. The city is shut down until at least Tuesday. "
"Thanks Booth."
"You're welcome, Bones. After breakfast Brennan left Booth in the breakroom and went to the locker room. A half hour later a freshly showered Brennan made her way to Booth's office.
"The FBI has terrible water pressure, Booth."
"I know, it used to be worse. Since we're going to be stuck here until at least Tuesday, I thought I'd look at Cold Cases and see if anything pops out at me, if you want to help."
"Sure." They both headed to the FBI's version of limbo to get a few boxes of old files. They settled in to work with legal pads and post-it. Every once and a while they'd pass each other files. Brennan looked out the window after a few hours, "Booth it has stopped snowing, and hopefully they'll start plowing us out soon."
"That's good. Are you tired of being stuck with me, Bones?"
"No, I find your company very enjoyable Booth. I just would feel better at my apartment…"
"If you're worried about having a nightmare, don't be. No matter how bad it is, it's nothing to be ashamed of and it probably isn't anything I haven't been through myself. You were quiet last night."
"Thanks Booth. I had really bad nightmares right after mom and dad disappeared, my Social Worker made me see a therapist. They brushed me off as being a bratty attention seeking foster kid…"
"If you want to give it another try I can give you the name of the therapist I saw to get help with my PTSD. Dr. Greyson is great, I still see him at least once a year."
"Maybe I will sometime."
"I'll give you his information when you want it. If you want me to go with you for support, just tell me."
"Thanks Booth."
Booth nodded. "I'm going to go heat up something for lunch. Do you want me to bring you anything?"
"Some macaroni and cheese, please."
"Okay." In a few minutes Booth came back with lunch and returned to the files. Late that night Booth and Brennan were asleep when the sound of Brennan tossing and turning woke Booth up. He carefully moved his sleeping bag next to Brennan and laid down, putting his arms around her and smiling a little as she relaxed and continued to sleep. The next two days were much of the same, sleeping in and working on Cold Cases. Booth waited until Brennan started getting restless at night before moving to her. He always got up before she did and moved his sleeping bag and blanket back to his side of the room. By Monday afternoon Booth was able to get both their cars cleaned off.
Booth jerked awake early Tuesday morning when he heard his office door open. "Agent Booth-"Booth put a finger to his lips and motioned for Sweets to go out into the hall. Booth carefully got up and went out to see Sweets. "Booth, what are you doing here?"
"Bones and I got snowed in Friday night. "
"Oh-"
"Can you go to your office or something so I can get Bones out of here without her seeing you? Staying here has been hard for her."
"Why?"
"Not my story to tell, Sweets. Just go."
"Sure, Booth." Once Sweets was out of sight Booth went back to his office to wake Brennan. He knelt down and gently shook Brennan's shoulder. "Bones, wake up…"
"Hum…"
Booth smiled a little, "Come on, Bones we gotta get out of here before people start coming in for the day." Brennan slowly opened her eyes, "What time is it, Booth?
"6:30." Brennan sat up.
"Grab your stuff and I'll take you home."
"Just take me to the lab. I have a change of clothes and toiletries there. I can use the decontamination shower."
"Okay." Booth smiled as Brennan grabbed a to go cup of cereal out the remains of the food.
"Don't forget a spoon, Bones. Take a fruit cup too." Booth handed her a spoon and a fruit cup.
"Thanks, Booth."
A little over two hours later Booth was armed with coffee and Sweets favorite doughnuts as he opened Sweets' office door. "Agent Booth what are you doing here?"
"Bones has difficulty sleeping if her routine changes, I figured out if I stayed close to her like I was she was able to sleep peacefully. She doesn't know I was next to her. DO NOT mention anything about seeing us asleep or ask about her sleeping habits, EVER. She'll shutdown and never speak to me again."
"So all you were doing was making sure Dr. Brennan got a good night's sleep?"
"Yes. Nothing more, nothing less." Booth sat the bag of doughnuts and coffee on the desk. "Enjoy the doughnuts." Booth headed out the door.
"Booth?"
Booth turned, "Yeah?'
"You know it would be okay if it were something more, don't you?"
"Yeah, but Bones wouldn't go for it, relationships scare her."
"True, but you don't scare her, she trusts you with her life, literally. I don't think she'd be scared to be in a relationship with you…"
"Just eat your doughnuts, Sweets!" Booth strode out the door. Sweets smiled as he reached in the bag and pulled out a chocolate doughnut with chocolate frosting and rainbow sprinkles, he could see the wheels turning in Booth's head.
