Angela Montenegro just could not believe the sight of walking into her best friend's office to see her and her hot FBI partner, curled up together on the sofa. Even through her excitement at seeing the partners in an embrace rather than a rant, something seemed wrong. Booth was not the strong alpha male comforting Brennan as was so often the case during the initial days her mother's murder case. Instead, Brennan held Booth gently even in sleep. The artist walked around the sofa to wake Brennan before the rest of the crew arrived.
Brennan was startled awake from the light touch to her arm. Her body didn't jerk very much due to the solid weight of something holding her down. Her slight movement did cause the sleeping body to stir and redeposit his arms around her waist. Brennan looked to see who had woken her and saw worry evident in Angela's face.
"Hmmm… Angela, what time…" Brennan began softly.
"Shhh," Angela motioned quiet as Booth began to fully wake. Rather than causing Booth more embarrassment, Angela quickly gave Brennan a pat on the arm and quietly left her office.
Booth began to sit up and only found leverage by placing both of his hands on Brennan's thighs. His strong hands molding to her slim legs was enough to stop Brennan from breathing. Booth looked up to see who was there with him, who's thighs he had been snuggled into and also forgot to breathe while leaving his jaw hanging open and leaving a stunned expression on his face.
Booth finished moving from Brennan's space and removed his hands only to snake them through his tousled hair. Brennan began to stand but forgot that her legs had been pinched under her all night. She wobbled at the numb and tingly sensations and was steadied by Booth as his hands once again touched her waist. She rested her hands on his shoulders as the feeling came back to her lets.
Brennan was no longer concentrating on the pin pricks her legs were doused in, rather, she felt herself drowning in the large brown eyes focused on hers. His eyes were still filled with grief and now were also etched with worry. "Will you come with me to Philadelphia Bones?" asked Booth.
"Yes," she replied quickly. "Just let me gather my things. I'll let Cam know I need some time off as we leave."
Brennan began to turn away to gather her bag and her notes from her latest book when the hands around her middle tightened. She brought her face back to look at Booth. As close as they were, their breath mingled in the small space. "Thanks, Temperance," he whispered.
Brennan stared at him for a moment longer before turning away again and this time the hands holding her released and she began to pack her belongings. Booth watched his partner as she began to close her computer down and swipe several sheets of paper into her bag. Probably her latest book, he thought. She will need the distraction during this trip he figured since he would not be much for conversation. Together they walked from her office and across the lab to Cam's office. Booth stopped short of going through the doorway. He could not face her like this. She would want all the details even though she had never met his parents; Cam knew many things about them from their long talks into the night.
He could hear Brennan say that she needed to take a couple of days off and that most likely, she would not be returning until the end of next week. Cam asked who would handle the FBI cases with Booth when Brennan interjected that Booth was already on a short vacation himself. Booth smiled at her attempt to keep his news from Cam. He felt a tug in his chest at the thought of her trying to protect him for a change. Brennan walked from Cam's office and began the trek out of the Jeffersonian with Booth's hand on the small of her back.