Seeley Booth stepped into the terminal of the airport to find it bustling with activity despite the fact that it was just after 10:30 at night. Though the flight had been a little over an hour long, it still felt as if it had been interminable though Booth suspected that this feeling was partly due to his exhaustion after a particularly grueling week. He had received two new cases that week, one of which had forced him to spend the better part of the previous night on a stakeout. He had spent a couple other nights working on the house that he and Brennan had bought four weeks before, hoping to finish it soon, but he was behind where he thought he would be. On top of that, with Brennan out of town on her book tour, he had been forced to deal with an intern all week, and he had to take care of Noah, Kristen, and the puppy by himself. At only seven weeks old, Noah was still waking every three hours or so, completely throwing off Booth's sleep schedule and leaving him tired and moody.
With a sigh, Booth started across the terminal, instructing Kristen to hold onto his belt loop so she would not get lost in the crowd. He would have grabbed her hand, but his hands were currently full, one holding Parker who was fast asleep on his shoulder, and the other holding all of their luggage except the small pink book bag that Kristen wore. Rebecca had allowed Booth to take Parker for the weekend after some debate, mainly because Parker had been too excited for her to refuse. Luckily, Angela had agreed to watch Noah and the puppy while he was away; he was not certain he could have dealt with all three kids on the plane.
"I'm sleepy," Kristen complained from his side. He peered down at her around Parker's head.
"I know, sweetheart. As soon as we find Bones, we can go back to the hotel, and you can get some rest, okay?" She nodded, moving closer to his leg as she was jostled by a couple passerbys in a hurry. Booth was tempted to yell at them to watch where they were going, but the fact that his son was sleeping stopped him. They made their way to the front of the airport as quickly as possible, bypassing baggage claim since they had not checked any luggage. Booth's eyes scanned the crowd, but it was Kristen who first noticed Brennan.
"Tempe!" she called, running toward Brennan who knelt to envelope her in a hug. Booth approached more slowly, a smile crossing his face as he watched the interaction between his partner and the young girl. Kristen looked considerably better now than she had six weeks ago when he had first found her on the streets. Her face was fuller, her brown hair clean and shiny, and, though still thin, she was a healthy skinny. She also seemed much happier; they had gone through a rough patch for a couple weeks in the beginning where she woke most nights in tears, thinking of her mother. Slowly, however, her demons seemed to fade away. Booth knew they would never disappear entirely, but he was grateful that, for the most part, she seemed to be adjusting to live with Brennan and him as a normal kid.
When Booth reached the pair, Brennan was straightening from the hug, and their eyes met. Suddenly, the last week did not matter; all of Booth's exhaustion and grumpiness left him as he watched a smile pass over her face. A grin spread over his own in return, and he dropped the bags he was holding, wrapping his now free arm around her. Their lips met in a passionate kiss, and Booth wondered how he had managed to spend a whole week apart from her. They spent about a minute kissing fiercely before Kristen finally broke them apart.
"I'm tired," she complained again.
Booth removed his lips from Brennan's but kept his arm around her as he turned his head to look at Kristen who did indeed look tired. "Okay, honey, we'll go back to the hotel now," Brennan promised. Booth smiled at the endearment; Brennan had begun to use it about a week before she left, and it seemed to slip easily from her mouth now. He was glad to find that she was finally opening up and letting her less logical side take over in some ways. "I think Booth could use some rest, too," she added, her eyes taking in his appearance critically, noticing the tired slump of his shoulders and the dark circles beneath his eyes.
"Right now, I've got everything I need right here," he told her, pressing a kiss in her hair. He felt Parker stir slightly, turning his head without waking. Kristen leaned heavily against his legs, the lateness of the hour taking its toll on her. Yes, he definitely had everything he needed.
Knowing that they would be arriving that night, Brennan had asked for a hotel room with two queen-sized beds and a rollaway bed. When Booth entered the room still carrying Parker, he was happy to find that the beds were already ready. Brennan helped Kristen change into her pajamas and climb into one of the queen beds while he carefully changed Parker and put him in the rollaway. Through the entire process, Parker stirred a couple times but never woke. Once the kids were in bed, Booth approached Brennan, wrapping his arms tightly around her so that he could kiss her hungrily. They spent a few minutes allowing their tongues to reacquaint themselves with one another before Booth's lips moved to her neck. "Hmm, I had a number of things planned for our first meeting," he hummed against her skin. "Unfortunately, the current sleeping arrangements make that difficult."
"Well, I would guess that you want to clean off after the plane ride," she murmured.
"Yes, that would be nice," He smirked, leading her toward the bathroom. "I'm thinking a nice long bath should get me cleaned up nicely."
It was the first full night of sleep that Booth had had in a long time, and when he finally awoke, he felt more refreshed than he had in a long time. Bones was still asleep beside him, his arm around her waist, and he tightened the arm to bring her body closer to his. "Morning," she mumbled.
"Mmm, good morning," he answered, burying his face in her soft hair to press kisses to her neck. She turned in his arms so that his lips could press on hers instead, and they spent a few minutes kissing leisurely. Booth's hands ran down her back, slipping under the shirt to caress the smooth skin he found there. For a moment, he forgot the circumstances, losing himself in her lips. He pressed his body against hers, allowing evidence of his desire to press against her leg.
"Dad?" a small voice remarked. Booth groaned and rolled over so that he could see his son where Parker still lay on the roll away bed on the floor.
"Yeah, Bub?"
"What are we doing today?"
Booth looked to Brennan. "I have a book signing at 3:00," she informed him. "I thought we could do a little sightseeing before then."
"Sounds good to me. Come on, Bub, let's get dressed and go for a run around Central Park," Booth suggested.
"Can I come, too?" a small, sleepy voice asked from beneath the covers in the bed beside them. Booth looked over at her with a smile.
"Sure you can, sweetheart. Bones, you wanna come, too?"
"Of course. Just let me get ready."
After a run around Central Park, they returned and showered before heading out to breakfast. At Parker's request, they visited Liberty Island next. Evidently, he had learned about the Statue of Liberty in school, and he had been able to talk of nothing else since learning of their trip to New York. They took a taxi over, and Parker did not stop talking for the entire ride. "Did you know that France actually gave us the Statue of Liberty?" Parker questioned.
"Uh huh, Bub," Booth replied.
"It was the first thing that immigrants coming to the United States saw. There's a poem on a bronze plaque inside the base. It's not actually outside even though they always show it that way in movies and stuff."
"'The New Colossus' by Emma Lazarus," Booth said, his voice quieter than normal.
"Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
He recited the poem quietly but with such intensity that everyone else in the taxi grew silent. As he spoke, he stared blankly out the window, a shadowed, haunted look in his eyes. When he had finished, Parker exclaimed, "Wow, Daddy, you know the whole thing?"
Booth blinked, seeming to come out of whatever trance he had been in. "Yeah, Bub, I do," he told his son. Brennan gazed at him curiously, but he ignored the question in her eyes. "Hey, look, we're here," Booth said, pointing to the harbor from which the ferry would depart to take them to Liberty Island. "Let's go, Bub." They all exited the taxi, and Booth paid the driver before catching up to them, placing an arm around Brennan's waist to bring her ear to his mouth. "A buddy of mine in the army, his parents were first-generation immigrants. He used to recite that poem every night, remind himself why he was fighting. Because sometimes, out there, you forget." He stopped speaking for a moment, swallowed. "He was killed in the line of duty. I kept reciting that poem though, every night, before I went to bed. Sometimes, I think it was the only thing which kept me going. It reminded me of what I was fighting for." Brennan looked at him, noticing the firm set to his jaw and the distant look in his eyes. After a pause, almost like an afterthought (though Brennan knew he had considered the words carefully), he added, "And it wasn't just for freedom or liberty anymore."
They spent some time exploring the museum; unfortunately, they could not go up into the statue since it was closed, but Parker quickly cheered up when Brennan told them their next stop would be the Empire State Building and that they would be able to go all the way up the observatory on top. Both kids could barely contain their excitement as they took the ferry back to New York and then a taxi to the Empire State Building. Brennan had splurged and bought express passes for the four of them, so they were able to quickly move to the front of the security line and make their way into the expansive lobby. Kristen was instantly attracted to the metal relief sculpture of a glowing Empire State Building, and the four spent some time admiring that before heading for the elevators. Again, they were able to bypass the line and soon were riding the high-speed elevators to the top.
Parker was fascinated by the elevators. "Dr. Bones, how fast are we going?" he asked as they continued upwards.
"I don't know, Park," she replied.
"But you know everything."
"I don't know everything, Park."
"Dad says you do."
"Oh, he does, does he?" She turned to Booth who smirked and held his hands up.
"Hey, don't look at me."
"You lied to your seven-year-old son."
"Hyperbole, Bones. Hyperbole."
Shaking her head at her partner, Brennan turned back to Parker. "Tell you what, Park. On the way back down, we'll time the descent using your dad's watch. And since we know how high we are, we can figure out our speed."
"Okay." Parker happily turned back to his father and whispered, "She doesn't know everything, Dad, but she's really good at figuring it out."
"She certainly is, Bub," Booth told his son, his eyes twinkling.
They reached the top, and Parker enthusiastically exited the elevator, practically dragging his father along with him. Kristen was similarly excited, talking a mile a minute as she made her way through the throng of people, Brennan's hand resting protectively on her shoulder. The crowd moved slowly, and both Parker and Kristen were trying to crane their necks to see off the edge. At long last, they reached the short cement wall topped by the plexiglass and metal bars. Parker eagerly pressed his face against the plexiglass, gazing in wonder at the city below them.
"They look just like my Hot Wheels!" he exclaimed, pointing to the tiny cars below them. Booth smiled at him.
"Yeah, they do." He wrapped an arm around Brennan as he stared out at the famous skyline. Skyscrapers jutted up at various points, their heights and widths varying to create a unique picture that defined New York. Together, the four moved down the wall, Kristen and Parker still eagerly gazing out at the view. They came across a set of binoculars, and Booth forked over a couple quarters to allow Parker and Kristen a chance to have a closer look at the skyline which fascinated them. They clambered over the binoculars, a fight nearly breaking out until Booth instructed Parker to let Kristen have the first turn. He pouted for a moment but cheered up quickly when he noticed an interesting building that was close enough for him to observe without the binoculars. "I guess the honeymoon stage is over," Booth remarked, his voice soft in Brennan's ear. She looked at him in confusion.
"What?"
In answer, he nodded toward Parker and Kristen. "The last few times we've had them together, they've both been extremely well-behaved, especially for kids. There hasn't been any fighting or yelling or jealousy or the usual stuff. Now, they're starting to act like a brother and sister. The honeymoon's over."
"Do you mind?"
Booth watched as the time from the first quarter ran out, and Kristen somewhat reluctantly relinquished the binoculars to Parker who held the second quarter. Parker perched himself on the step in front of the binoculars and inserted his quarter. His eyes were glued to the eyepiece almost immediately. A glance at Kristen showed that she was still fascinated, her eyes taking in everything that she could. He knew that in the future there would be plenty of fights like the one that had nearly occurred. But he also knew that at the end of the day, both Parker and Kristen would have the other's back because they were family, and that was what family did. And he could not bring himself to care about the petty fighting that might occur along the way.
"Not at all, Bones," he answered, pulling her closer to his side, the wind whipping her hair to the side, causing her ponytail to loosen.
They stopped for a late lunch before returning to the hotel so that Brennan could change for the book signing. As she changed, Booth and the kids settled in front of the television, and Booth grabbed the remote so he could flip through the channels. "I was thinking that you could visit a museum or something while I'm at the signing," Brennan said, emerging from the bathroom, fiddling with her earrings.
"Actually, Bones, we were planning on going to the book signing with you."
"It'll be boring for you. You should just-"
"No arguments, Bones. Now come on, let's get going, we're going to be late."
They found a crowd already outside the bookstore when they arrived, and Brennan's frantic publicist spotted her before they reached the door. "Oh, good, you're finally here," she remarked somewhat breathlessly. "I was worried for a minute there that you wouldn't show. Come on, let's go in the back." Placing a hand on Brennan's back, the publicist started to lead her away. Brennan looked to Booth, but he simply smiled at her.
"Go on, Bones, we'll be waiting when you finish," he promised, his hand slipping from her lower back to rest on Parker's shoulder, a spot her hand had recently vacated. His other hand was already on Kristen's head.
"Okay, but if the kids get bored-"
"Relax, Bones, I've got it covered." She looked skeptical but still allowed herself to be led away around the crowd of people to a back entrance.
Forty-five minutes later, Brennan's hand was cramping up, and she remembered why she hated book tours so much. Her publicist had promised her a break halfway through the signing, and she had already made it to that point. She checked behind her to see if she could find her publicist, but the woman seemed to have disappeared. With a sigh, she turned forward again, her eyes not even looking up at the person in front of her but instead focusing on the book that was on the table. Her book. If she never saw it again, she wasn't sure that she would be too upset. "Where do you want me to sign?" she questioned automatically, hoping her tone did not sound as listless as she felt.
"Oh, I don't know," a familiar voice responded. "How about right under my name on the dedication page?" Surprised, Brennan looked up to see Booth standing in front of the table, a wide grin on his face. Kristen and Parker stood beside him, Parker focused intently on his DS and Kristen flipping slowly through one of her school workbooks. A smile spread over Brennan's face for the first time since the book signing started.
"What are you doing in line?" she inquired.
"Just thought I'd get a signature from my favorite author."
"You can get my signature anytime, Booth."
"Just your signature?" He leaned forward slightly, his grin wide and feral. Before Brennan could respond, her publicist appeared beside her.
"Dr. Brennan, you should probably take a ten-minute break now," she said. Her eyes flicked to Booth, noting his proximity, and he cleared his throat and backed up.
"Okay, I guess I'll be back in ten minutes then," Brennan informed her publicist, standing up. A few people near the front of the line grumbled a bit but cheered up when the publicist promised that she would return shortly. Booth followed her toward the back of the store, the kids still trailing behind them. She was heading for the door, but before she could reach it, he grabbed her arm, stopping her movement.
"Come here, Bones," he instructed, tugging her arm to pull her close. She went without complaint, and he wrapped both arms tightly around her, pulling her into a passionate embrace. Their lips locked, both ignoring Kristen and Parker who had let out identical grunts of disgust before focusing intently on their respective tasks. Booth backed her up against a nearby wall, his hands resting beside her head as his tongue plundered her mouth.
Eventually, they pulled apart. "Do you always have to do that?" Kristen asked from behind them, heaving a large sigh as she looked up from her workbook.
"Yes," Booth answered simply.
"Well, it's gross," Kristen declared simply.
"Deal with it, Munchkin." Booth ruffled her hair and sank down into the seat beside her. Parker sat across the table, still engrossed in his video game.
"How is the studying going?" Brennan asked.
"Good," Kristen replied simply.
"Dr. Bones, did Daddy tell you what the woman in front of us said?" Parker queried, looking up from his game.
"No, he didn't." She looked to Booth who simply nodded to Parker who was eagerly explaining what her fan had said. She smiled as she listened to the small boy.
A few minutes later, Brennan had to return to the front of the store to finish the signing. Booth, Parker, and Kristen wandered around the store a little more, eventually settling down in the section with chidren's books, Parker and Kristen both curled up on his lap as he read one to them. Parker decided to read the next one, and Kristen read the third with some help from Booth.
Thirty minutes later, they made their way slowly back to the front of the store. A security guard stopped them before they could reach Brennan. "I'm sorry, but the signing has ended," he informed the three.
"Oh no, it's okay, I know the author," Booth assured the guard.
The guard looked at him skeptically. "So does everyone else here. But I'm sorry, I can't let anyone else get through. Those are my orders."
Booth took a deep breath, reminding himself that the guard was simply doing his job, a job that Booth was thankful for. He certainly did not want any random psycho off the streets to be able to get too close to his Bones (and yes, she was his Bones no matter what she thought). But this thought did not stop him from being annoyed that he could not pass. "Look, could you just tell her Booth is here?"
Fortunately, the guard did not even need to tell her. She had obviously heard Booth's voice, for she suddenly appeared behind the guard, her publicist following closely behind her, looking somewhat harried. Booth's face broke into a wide grin when he saw her. "You ready to go, Bones?" he questioned.
"Just a minute. I need to finish up a couple things and make a phone call. It's okay, you can let them through," she added, addressing the guard. He stepped back, and Booth walked around him, the kids trailing behind him. One of the first things he noticed were the two people with cameras standing near the table. He raised his eyebrows at Brennan who ignored him and took her seat again at the table where she had been signing books, seeming annoyed with the entire process. Standing a few feet away, Booth watched with a small amount of pride as she answered a reporter's questions while the cameramen snapped pictures of her. He still could not believe that he was dating a smart, beautiful, successful anthropologist who also happened to be a best-selling author.
The reporters finished a few minutes later, and Brennan joined the trio once more. Booth was tempted to kiss her, but he knew the reporters were still watching, so he remained at a professional distance as they moved away. "I have a surprise for you," Brennan announced as they stepped outside and he hailed a cab.
"A surprise?" Parker's eyes grew wide as he looked up from his game. "What kind of a surprise?" Booth smiled at his enthusiasm.
"I've worked with anthropologists at the American Museum of Natural History in the past, and I know many of the scientists and curators who work there. I talked to one of them earlier when I knew I was coming to New York, and he offered to give us a private tour of the museum."
"Cool!" Kristen exclaimed.
"Wait, doesn't the museum close in about an hour?" Booth questioned as they stepped into the cab. He told the driver their destination, and they started off.
"Not for us. I thought you might want to spend the night there. Dr. Tyler offered us some sleeping bags and a chance to stay overnight. I thought it would be something you would enjoy."
"We get to spend the night in the museum?" Parker questioned.
"If you want."
"Awesome! Wait, the stuff doesn't come to life, does it? Like in that movie?"
"That was a movie, Parker. Nothing actually comes to life."
"But what if it does? That would be so cool!" Booth chuckled at his son's enthusiasm. Kristen and Parker continued to pepper Brennan with questions about the museum for the rest of the trip, and she answered them all without complaint. Once he had paid the driver and left the cab, he placed an arm around Brennan's shoulders.
"Thanks for this, Bones. This means a lot to them," he whispered in her ear.
"I was happy to do it. I want to give them every opportunity to learn anything they can especially at their early age."
"You're amazing, Bones. Truly amazing." Together, they walked up to the front door of the museum. A security guard stopped them, but Brennan showed him an ID and asked for Dr. Tyler, and he immediately ushered them inside to a small area with a few chairs. Since the museum was closing shortly, no one else was entering, but a crowd of people were milling about the lobby, gathering everyone in their group together so they could leave. Parker and Kristen were both gazing in wonder at the expansive lobby and the giant Barosaurus skeleton, unable to sit down. Though the two had spent a great deal of time in the Jeffersonian, the museum they currently sat in was more expansive than their home away from home. Booth suspected that their wonder also arose from the novelty of being in a new place. He shook his head; if he was not careful, he would have two squints on his hands before long. Kristen pointed something out to Brennan, and the scientist turned to tell her about the display. As he watched Parker and Kristen hanging on to every word that came from his partner's mouth, Booth decided that he would not mind so much if both the kids turned into squints. At least they were his squints.
"Temperance!" a deep voice called. All four turned to see a portly man in his late forties approaching, his suit jacket open around his expansive middle, and his tie folded up as he made his way hurriedly toward them. "It's so nice to see you again." He held out a pudgy hand, and Brennan shook it. "And you must be Agent Booth. I'm Dr. Gregory Tyler, but you can just call me Greg."
Booth nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Greg. Thank you for doing this."
He waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, it's my pleasure. I love talking about this museum; just ask Temperance. And besides, I'm always happy to do a favor for an old friend. Temperance has helped us more than you can imagine. She is a truly brilliant anthropologist; the Jeffersonian is lucky to have her."
Booth smiled. "I know," he told the man. "And this is Parker and Kristen."
"It's very nice to meet you." Greg bent down to the kids' level. Kristen, being the more reticent of the two, grabbed onto Booth's leg and hid half her body behind it. Parker, however, approached Greg without reserve, questions already pouring from his mouth.
"Do you have dinosaur bones here? Dr. Bones says that you have the largest collection of fossils anywhere!"
Greg chuckled. "We do. We have over one million vertebrate fossils."
"Cool! Can we see them?"
"Of course. Would you like to start with the fossil exhibits?" Parker nodded eagerly, and Greg laughed again as he led them to an elevator.
It took nearly two hours to finish their tour of the fossil halls, mostly due to Parker's incessant questions and insistence on looking at every fossil on display along with a few that were not displayed that Greg showed them. By far, Parker's favorite fossil was that of the Tyrannosaurus rex shown bent over with his tail extended behind him in a position that Greg explained reflected current scientific belief about how the animal stalked its prey. Kristen asked a few questions, too, but Parker was the real dinosaur lover, and the fossils fascinated him more than her.
After they finally finished exploring the fossil halls, Greg provided them with some dinner before they continued the tour. The museum had closed for the day, so the main lights were off, meaning the exhibits were lit only by the dim back-up lighting. Greg offered to turn the other lights back on to give them the full effect, but Brennan assured him that the current lighting was fine, and Booth had to admit that it certainly made the viewing experience more interesting. Also, it was nice not to have to contend with the crowds he was sure were ubiquitous during the day. It was just the five of them wandering through the exhibits, their footsteps echoing loudly in the enormous building. Booth reached out and took Brennan's hand in his own, entwining their fingers together as they followed the two excited kids into the first exhibit hall on the third floor. Greg brought up the rear of their small group, already launching into a discussion of the history of the hall.
They spent the next four hours exploring the remaining halls in the museum. Brennan, of course, took over the tour during the culture halls, explaining the exhibits with familiarity. At Kristen's request, she pointed out which ones she had helped with (which turned out to be quite a few). Surprisingly, Booth only had to remind her to keep the explanations at a level the kids could understand a couple times. She was learning quickly.
It was 10:30 when they approached the final part of the museum, the Rose Center. Booth expected the kids to have dropped already; after all, it had been a long day. But both were much too wired to succumb to exhaustion, and they eagerly followed Greg into the Rose Gallery. Now, it was Kristen's turn to take over the constant questioning as they gazed at the pictures from the Apollo missions. They had discovered her interest in astronomy a couple weeks before when a late-night trip to the park had turned into an impromptu lesson on constellations from Brennan. Since that time, she had been fascinated by space, spending a good deal of time in the Jeffersonian's own astronomy exhibit which was considerably smaller than the Rose Center, and Brennan and Booth had provided her with a number of astronomy books in an attempt to satisfy at least part of her seemingly endless curiosity.
Two hours later, they finally finished their tour of the Rose Center. Greg offered to show them anything they wanted to see again, but when they assured him he had shown them enough, he disappeared into his office and came out with four sleeping bags. "I thought you guys might want to sleep in here," he suggested.
"Thanks, that would be great," Booth told him.
"I'm going to be in my office," Greg told them. "I have some things to finish up, but feel free to come and find me if you need anything."
"It's late," Booth remarked. "I don't really want to keep you here."
Greg waved off Booth's concerns. "Don't worry. I have a ton of work to do, and I've always been a night owl anyway."
"Well, thank you, it's been great."
"Yeah!" Parker and Kristen exclaimed together.
"We should be out of your hair fairly early," Brennan assured him. "There's somewhere we need to be at sunrise." Booth turned to her in surprise, wondering what she had planned, but she responded with a simple smile, her eyes clearly telling him that he would find out eventually. Greg told them to come find him before they left, and after another round of thanks, he disappeared into his office.
It did not take long for Parker and Kristen to fall asleep after curling up in their respective sleeping bags. Their excitement had started to wear off, and the late hour finally seemed to have caught up with them. Once they were both fast asleep, Booth turned to Brennan who was crawling into her own sleeping bag. "Not so fast," he told her. "I don't really like these sleeping arrangements; I sleep better with you in my arms." He unzipped his own sleeping bag and laid it flat on the floor.
Brennan stood to face him, her arms crossed in defiance. "What if I like the other sleeping arrangements better?" she questioned. In answer, he leaned forward and kissed her soundly. She responded immediately by wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him closer, her tongue pushing its way into his mouth.
Pulling away slightly, he asked, "Still want to sleep in separate sleeping bags?" against her lips. It was Brennan who initiated the second kiss, pressing her entire body against him as her arms wound tightly around his neck. His hands splayed across her hips as he pushed her against the nearby wall. A week was too long, and their reunion the previous night too short. He felt desire spring to life in his body, and he removed his mouth from hers to press kisses to her neck and collarbone. She moaned softly, and her hands dropped down to pull him closer. As she circled her hands to the front of his body to grasp him through his pants, he growled and pulled away. "If we don't stop right now, I'm going to end up making love to you right here," he muttered, his breathing still heavy and his eyes dark with desire. She nodded, knowing that he spoke the truth; they were both rapidly losing all inhibitions as their arousal increased. He moved away from her, closing his eyes as he recited hockey statistics. In a few minutes, he had calmed down somewhat and motioned her over. "Come on, Bones, let's go to bed." She acquiesced without argument, snuggling beside him on the sleeping bag as he pulled the second one over them.