Title: Goodnight

Summary: After aliens in the spaceship(Booth tells Brennan a bedtime story)

(Pre story fill in: Booth goes with Brennan back to her apartment and he is going to sleep on her couch in case she needs him.)

"I can't sleep" Brennan said as she came out of her bedroom. "Are you awake?"

Booth raised himself up on his elbow and smiled.

"You wanna come sit with me" booth asked

"I Suppose" she sighed.

He sat up and gave her room to come sit next to him.

"To bad you don't have a fridge, I'd offer you some warm milk"

"That never worked for me anyway. My mother used to tell me bedtime stories"

"which ones?" in a dim light from the bathroom she could see his charm smile being flashed at her.

"I Know them all! I tell them to parker all the time"

"My mom never really told me stories she read from her books, I've probably never heard a true American story"

"Then your in for a treat!" he patted a spot right next to him, urging her to sit next to him. " I know a story that I think you'll love."

She obeyed, by settling into the spot where he patted with her head on his shoulder. He put an arm around her shoulders and he began his tale:

" Once upon a time there was a man named Rip Van Winkle. He lived in the mountains with his wife, who was a real nag. One day he decided to get away from her for a few hours, so he took his gun and his dog and went squirrel-hunting in a neighboring mountain. He took shelter when it started thundering, and there he found an old man in old-fashioned clothes on an errand to deliver a huge keg of brew. The old man asked him for help, and the two carried the keg to an old-fashioned town in a secluded hollow. After he'd helped the old man with the load, Rip helped himself to the brew. He then fell into a deep sleep. When he woke up the old man was gone, as was his hunting dog, and his gun was rusted beyond use. He was worried about the nagging his wife would give him for staying out all night, and he stroked his chin nervously. But he was amazed to find in place of his chin, a long, matted beard. Puzzled, he made his way back to his town, which had suddenly changed. Nobody on the street seemed to know him. His house was empty and needed repair, and a dog that only vaguely looked like his growled at him. "Even my dog doesn't recognize me," he said.

So he went to his favorite tavern, but nobody knew him there, either. Out on the town square he found a woman with a baby. 'Ma'am, have you heard of Rip Van Winkle?' he asked.

The woman answered: he was my father. It's been twenty years since he went away from home with his gun, and has never been heard from since. His dog came home without him; but whether he shot himself, or was carried away by the Indians , nobody can tell."

He asked about his wife the nag and was relieved to find she recently died. "it's me. I am your father!" he announced. After a long while he convinced everyone that he was the long lost Rip Van Winkle, then he moved in with his daughter and for the rest of his life he was a legend in his town.

The End"

Brennan's soft breathing and the weight of her head on his shoulder told him that the story had done the trick. She was sound asleep. He moved aside letting her gently fall onto his pillow "goodnight, bones" he whispered, though he was sure she wouldn't hear him. "Sometime I'll tell you the story of the man and woman who fell in love working together, but weren't willing to tell each other"

With that said Booth scooped her up off the couch and carried her to her bedroom. He put her in bed. Once he was out of her room ,he rested his head on the door as he slowly closed it, trying not to make a sound. And it was then that he heard a feminine voice whisper, " Good night, Booth."

The Real End