Disclaimer: I don't own Bones, but if I did, they would have put this in. XD

Author's Notes: CBPC April entry: The Little Moments.

Set during Judas on a Pole. Did anyone ever wonder how Brennan got out of those handcuffs? Or what else went on while she and Booth were sitting on the bench? My version of it. ;)

SOLACE

"You okay?" Booth's hand rested on Brennan's shoulder. She nodded, trying hard to restrain the inevitable tears. He dropped his hand from her shoulder and leaned back, and she looked away. go. When she looked back at him, he was staring at the ground. She bit her lip nervously. She wanted more than a hand on her shoulder. She wanted to take solace in his comforting embrace, to pretend that nothing else in the world mattered except for her best friend. Booth didn't notice her questioning gaze, but he saw her hands still cuffed to the bench. "Hey, you got keys for these?" She nodded.

"In my back pocket." Booth paused for a second, unsure of what she wanted him to do, but throwing caution to the winds, he reached behind her and fished the keys out of the pocket of her jeans. As he unlocked the cuffs and they dropped to the ground, he noticed a deep red mark where she had pulled against them in vain. His hand caught her wrist and he rubbed his thumb over the red mark, massaging it gently.

"That doesn't look too comfortable," he said. She shook her head.

"It's okay," she said.

"Sure," said Booth, but his disbelief was evident. He knew her too well to trust her when she said she was 'fine', or 'okay'. She looked down at his thumb, which he still rubbed absent-mindedly over her wrist. He smiled comfortingly at her. After attempting to return his warm smile, Brennan gently pulled her wrist out of his hand. It was then that Booth noticed how she was looking at him—as if he were one of the only things left that she had. He bit his lip when he realized that he was. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. Brennan nodded, not saying anything for the fear that the tears that were already welling up in her eyes would start to flow. "Hey," said Booth, noticing this. "It's gonna be okay, all right? I promise."

"Yeah?" she asked. She wanted to believe him more than anything.

"Yeah." He slipped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her into a reassuring hug. She gladly accepted, hugging him back tightly and resting her head on his shoulder. When they finally pulled away, Brennan smiled gratefully.

"Thank you." Booth grinned.

"That's what I'm here for. You know that, Bones." She nodded.

"I know." They paused for a second, and Booth looked around.

"All right," he said. "Let's get out of here." They stood up, Booth placing his hand on her arm to support her.

"Um, Booth?"

"Yeah, Bones?"

"Either you can fly…" She gestured to what was left of Caroline Julian's car. "…or it's going to be a really long walk home." Booth's jaw dropped as he remembered what had happened to it.

"She's gonna kill me."

"I wouldn't argue with that."

Please revieweth! And good luck to everyone else who's entering the CBPC! (I can NEVER spell that right. XD I'm always like BPCC or PBCC or CPBC. XD) I've read most of the other entries and they're all wonderful. :D