Thanks for all the support and feedback. It's been especially helpful this past week. The following takes place after "The Devil in the Details." Enjoy.

VVVVV

Frustrated, Booth sighed heavily and pulled the pillow from beneath his head, his head flopping down against the mattress as the pillow plopped onto the floor. Earlier in the evening, at the diner, he'd told Brennan that he'd have trouble sleeping tonight, but he never expected insomnia of this magnitude. Rolling onto his stomach, he tried to find a comfortable position where he could hopefully drift off to sleep, even if only for--he glanced at the clock--two hours. Quickly realizing sleep still wasn't anywhere in the near future, he rolled back over and sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and slumping forward, sighing for what seemed like the millionth time since getting in bed.

He pushed himself off the bed and made his way to the window where he pushed apart the slats on the blinds, letting the moonlight trickle in past him as he stared out into the quiet D.C. pre-dawn morning. He sighed yet again, wishing he was asleep like everyone else seemed to be. He released the slats, the plastic material easily snapping back into place, once again blocking the moonlight and stillness from his view.

He turned from the window and padded to the door, thinking a change of venue might help. In the main room, he flipped on the TV and settled on the couch, knowing that sleeping there would probably make his back hurt, provided he could sleep. Either way, there would be something to complain about in a few hours, whether it be the lack of sleep or the back pain. Turning to the History Channel, he pulled the blanket over himself and waited for sleep to come. Instead, he became engrossed in the program, it's contents--though unrelated to anthropology or forensics--making him think of his partner. Truth was--though he'd never admit it to anyone--almost everything these days reminded him of her.

He wondered what she was doing at that moment and hoped she had managed to succumb to sleep. Overwhelmed by the sudden urge to hear her voice, he found himself reaching for the phone and dialing her number. It rang five--or was it six?--times before the answering machine picked up, her voice informing callers that she was currently unavailable. He ended the call before the 'beep,' electing to not leave a message. He tossed the phone onto the couch beside him, his eyes closing as he sank further into the cushions, mulling over the real reason he'd called her. Moments later, loud knocking interrupted his thoughts, and he lifted his head and looked around, slightly startled by the noise. He threw off the blanket and stood, quickly making his way to the door. There was only one person who could possibly be there at this time of day, but he checked through the peephole just to be sure.

"Bones?" he questioned, pulling open the door.

"Hey, Booth," she replied, offering him a soft smile.

"Are you okay?" he asked, taking in her haggard and disheveled appearance.

"Yeah, just couldn't sleep. Did I wake you?"

"No, I can't sleep either. Actually, I just called you."

"Is there a case?"

"No."

"Oh. May I come in?"

"Sure," he told her, pushing away from the doorframe and allowing her to pass. "Sorry about that, Bones."

"Mental acuity suffers when the body is tired," she stated, removing her scarf and coat.

"Your mental acuity doesn't seem to be affected," Booth said as he took the items from her and hung them on the hook near the door. "You want some coffee? Since we're awake, we might as well be caffeinated."

"Coffee sounds good."

"Sugar?" Booth asked with a tiny glint in his otherwise tired-looking eyes.

"That's what makes it taste sweet," she replied, following him into the kitchen.

She moved around his kitchen comfortably, pulling down two mugs from the cabinet, as he went about preparing the coffee. Content just to be in each other's company, the coffee was ready before either spoke again.

"Looks like you've done a good job beating yourself up," Brennan remarked, taking the mug of piping hot coffee Booth offered her.

Sipping from his own mug, he slid into the chair opposite hers. "Right back at you, Bones."

She sighed, not having enough energy to even argue with him. "I got home and everything we talked about at the diner, all the reassurances, the 'life is good' stuff…"

"'Stuff?'" he repeated, alert enough to pick up on her use of the word.

"I'm being serious here, Booth," she sighed.

"Sorry. Continue."

"The optimism I felt upon leaving the diner diminished and was essentially nonexistent only hours later."

"That's normal, Bones. You're human."

"Of course I am."

"No, what I mean is that sometimes life experiences--especially in our line of work--affect us more than we want to admit. Our minds are constructed to handle emotional trauma, but they're not indestructible. But know that it's okay to be saddened and imbalanced on occasion."

She sent a tiny smile in his direction. "Your skills in reassurance and persuasion are well above normal."

"Thanks," he replied, smiling at the compliment. "I've found that it's often easier to believe and accept reassurances from someone else."

Brennan nodded in agreement. "Self-doubt creeps in, so we seek out those who excel in making us focus on the positive aspects of our lives."

"And those who let us know that we're not alone, that there's always someone right beside us, ready to fight life's battles for us."

"Or with us," Brennan replied simply.

"Right," Booth grinned, caffeine beginning to kick in. "With us."

Brennan drained the coffee from her mug and stood. "Thank you, Booth. You've been very helpful."

"I was thinking, Bones," Booth interjected before Brennan could get too far. "Do you want to stay and watch the sunrise with me?"

"Fresh outlook on life, a brand new day?"

"Yeah," he told her. "Because the earth rotates, and two plus two equals four."

She laughed as he repeated her words from the diner, marveling at the special bond they'd developed over the years. She had to admit that she'd never experienced anything like it.

He joined her at the counter and refilled both mugs, then followed her to the main room where they could get a better view of the sunrise. They stood together and stared out the window, waiting for the sun to peek over the horizon. Eventually that moment came, and the partners gazed at the rising of a new day--both literally and metaphorically.

"I'm glad you're here, Bones," he said quietly.

"Me, too."

Then they were silent again, taking in the beauty of the sunrise. Their faith in each other had brought them this far, and just being in each other's presence had a calming effect. In that moment, despite the lack of sleep, they were content and knew that everything would work out in time, that life would go on, and that they would be there for each other, to reassure and encourage, no matter the situation.

VVVVV

Thanks for reading!