I guess there were some issues on the site with chapters not being able to be read from the story alerts and links. And I know I reposted "Monday" as a chapter two, and then it also posted as a "chapter three" and sent out that memo on the story alerts. So, I'm not sure what you've read and what you haven't read. But this is chapter three, Tuesday. If you haven't read chapter two, Monday, you should read it. It's about pie and other things, but you'll know if you've read it or not.

This one…not about pie…but I hope you like it. This one also has some rough language, so…

I'm not trying to offend, just trying to keep Booth as real as possible (she says humbly).

--b&b--

3:42 AM

"Get DOWN!"

Brennan sat up in bed with a rush, her eyes wide. At first, she had no idea what was happening. She laid back down on her pillow for a few moments, wondering if she'd imagined something.

"No…no…" Booth groaned beside her and hissed a couple of times, "get down…get DOWN!"

"Booth" she whispered, but he didn't hear her. She didn't know what to do. Should she let him process this in sleep, working out his memory through his subconscious, or should she wake him up?

He moaned, and his forehead was creased in what looked like actual physical pain. And Brennan didn't care if he subconsciously needed to work something out, she didn't want to see him in pain like this.

"Booth…" she whispered again, not wanting to startle him. "Booth…" she pressed a hand against his shoulder, surprised at the clammy and warm sheen to his skin. Then all of a sudden she was flipped, and under him.

"Where were you hit?" His frantic hands moved over her body, his voice anxious. "Where?" he begged.

"Booth" she placed a hand on his arm and tried not to wince at the weight of him pressing against her awkwardly.

"Tell me, and I'll fix it" he rasped, his face still a mask of pain, his hands rough against her skin.

"Booth…Booth, stop" she spoke as gently as she could.

His hand stopped on hip, and his eyes opened. "Bones?" he heaved, his chest rising and falling.

"You were having a nightmare" she whispered, mesmerized by the way he was sucking in air. His eyes were intense as he stared straight ahead to the headboard, trying to reconcile this with his nightmare. He rested his weight on his elbows, keeping his legs on the outsides of hers. His breath becoming more regular, he let his head fall between his shoulders, and his back and arms gleamed with a light sheen of perspiration.

Brennan tried not to whimper but failed when his hair brushed against the side of her neck. Booth's head reared back then, and he inhaled a sharp breath. This was intense. Brennan examined his face, then without thinking, reached up to cup his cheek. "You were having a nightmare" she repeated, and his eyes closed.

"Yeah" he swallowed, then tilted his neck, encouraging her hand to move down to cup his shoulder.

"Was it bad?" she asked, and he let out a breath.

"Yes, but…" his eyes opened then, and she could see that he was thankful to be with her, right at that moment. "Oh, Bones" he pulled back a bit. "I'm crushing you. I'm sorry…I'm so sorry" he lowered his eyes, and his brow furrowed in pain again.

She shook her head. "It's okay." She reassured him and let both of her hands caress his shoulders, smoothing them down to his elbows and back up again. "It's okay…" she repeated.

Booth sighed and sank down, his whole body against hers, his face pressed to the side of her neck, soaking in her assurance.

Brennan felt unsure about what was happening. He wasn't saying anything, and she hadn't even known he'd had dreams like this. Or maybe he didn't, and this was the first one.

But something about the way he was trembling from head to toe told her that it wasn't.

--b&b--

Booth willed his body to calm, concentrating on techniques learned long before he'd ever met her. Shoulders first, spine…legs. Shoulders, spine, legs, breathe. Yes.

Opening his eyes, he managed to pull in a deep breath and then he lifted his body onto his elbows. Meeting her eyes, he saw nothing but that curiosity she always seemed to have whenever something new came along. And after four years of knowing her, he'd kind of thought she wouldn't focus it on him, but damn if it hadn't been happening more frequently.

"What happened?" she asked, and he knew he should explain.

He moved off of her body and fell to his side, resting one arm over his face as he continued to breathe and relax.

"That's okay" he heard her whisper and sensed her turning away from him, "You don't have to tell me. I understand."

Booth heard a tiny bit of rejection in her voice, and he opened his eyes. Sure enough, she had turned away. "I just need a moment, Bones. I've just never…"

He slid over slightly, and touched her shoulder, and she turned to face him.

"I have nightmares sometimes" he admitted, "But no one else knows about that. Usually…"

Her eyes searched his for a moment, searching for what, he didn't know. "Usually what?" she whispered.

"Usually, I can tell it's going to happen, and I can prepare." He sighed and rolled over to his back, letting his arm drape across his chest. But he couldn't figure out how this one had been triggered.

"Maybe you have them sometimes and don't know." Brennan offered, "It's possible."

Booth considered it. "I guess you're right, but...I've never had anyone tell me that I do."

Their eyes met again, and Booth smiled encouragingly. "Another first, I guess."

Brennan tilted her head to the side. "I guess so. Do you…" she paused and frowned. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, no I don't, actually" his lips set into a firm line, "Nothing personal, but I don't really need to talk about it. I'd rather just go back to sleep."

Brennan took his words at face value, and he pulled her close to him, snuggling her up to his side.

"Let's just go back to sleep, Bones."

"Okay…" she murmured, letting her hand slide between their bodies to rest on his chest. Booth pulled her hand into his and listened as her breath evened out, and she fell back to sleep.

He watched for long moments, knowing he'd withheld the truth from her somewhat. Not a lie, technically, since he supposed he would rather go back to sleep. But he knew that was an impossibility, and he wouldn't be falling back to sleep for the rest of the night.

In fact, he could already feel adrenaline coursing through his body. But that was okay. He knew what to do when this happened. Deal with it, and everything would be fine. He'd talk to her about it later, make sure she understood. But for now, he just took comfort in her easy breathing and in the way their fingers were locked together. He could already feel his palms starting to itch.

--b&b—

11 AM

Brennan heard Booth's footsteps from behind her as she was leaning over her lab table, examining the remains of their victim from the day before. She steeled herself and pasted a smile on her face, knowing that he could use her good attitude today.

"Hey HEY! How's my squint squad!" Booth bounded up the steps to the platform two at a time, and punched Wendell in the shoulder good naturedly. "Wendell, my man…did you catch the game last night?"

Brennan stood surprised at Booth's happy demeanor. It wasn't completely unusual for him to be in a good mood like this, but…she'd seen him that morning. His eyes had been haunted, and his voice raspy with memories. But now, he was acting as if nothing…

Their eyes met, and for a tiny moment, Brennan saw something in his gaze that gave her pause. Almost a "please don't say anything", and she realized with a start that Booth's current happy mood was forced. As discreetly as possible, she watched him, and now that she knew, she could recognize signs that proved her hypothesis correct. He was smiling, sure, but she could see him turning his poker chip over and over in his pocket. His eyes were bright, but his toe was tapping slightly.

"Whatcha got for me, Bones?" he leaned up beside her and looked down at the table.

"Not much, I'm afraid" Brennan sighed, "He is definitely deceased" she stated the fact and didn't notice when Booth and Wendell shared a smile, "But there is no indication that he was murdered."

"Well…that's a good thing, right?" Booth asked, "Right, Wendell?"

"Right, Agent Booth." Wendell agreed, and Booth tapped him on the shoulder again. "He's a smart one, Bones…now let's go see if we can't find out more, hmmm?"

Brennan pulled off her lab coat and made her way to her office. "I'll be right there, Booth."

"I'm right behind you, Bones" he answered, and she turned to see him following her. She'd stopped so suddenly that he had to skid on his toes to keep from running into her. His hands came up to cup her elbows, and he chuckled.

For a moment, Brennan caught his gaze on her lips, and she turned suddenly and entered her office, motioning for him to follow.

"I'd prefer it if you didn't kiss me in the lab."

Booth chuckled. "Okay…I won't. Where's that coming from?"

Brennan shrugged. "I thought maybe you were going to. I just wanted to state in general, I feel it would be unprofessional."

"Agreed" Booth shrugged and watched as she hung up her labcoat. "I don't think you should kiss me at the FBI building, or on a case."

"Okay" Brennan came up to him and then held out her hand, "We agree on that."

Booth looked at her hand with raised eyebrows,but then shook it. "Good."

"Good" Brennan repeated.

Booth pulled back his hand and cupped the back of his neck. "You uh…got my note, right?"

"Yes, I did" Brennan answered quietly. "How was your meeting?"

Booth's eyes met hers, and he looked surprised, almost if he'd forgotten he'd told her he was doing that. "It was okay. Didn't help much, but…I'm trying to do the best I can, I guess. I'm still feeling kind of…edgy, you know?"

"Yes, I can see that" Brennan nodded. "I would like you to know that…you can talk to me, if you want to, about anything."

Booth stared at her for a moment, his jaw working almost as if the words were rising up, but then he smiled. "Okay, thanks Bones."

His phone rang then, and he answered it. "Booth"

Brennan watched as he stepped away for a moment.

"Rebecca…no, come on. It's MY weekend with him." He turned toward Brennan. She motioned toward the door, asking if he wanted her to leave. He shook his head and held up two fingers. "I understand what you consider to be the 'rules', here, but I'm saying that…"

He paused and his neck flushed a darker red. "Fine, whatever. You just do that, then, and I'll just deal with it, like always."

He snapped his phone shut, and looked to Brennan. He could tell she wanted an explanation, but he just..."Not now, Bones. I'll tell you later…just not now."

Feeling less than satisfied, but wanting to respect that, Brennan nodded. "Okay…"

Booth's phone rang again, and he snapped it open, "Booth".

Brennan busied herself at her desk, gathering her equipment bag, but paused when she heard Booth swear and shut his phone

"What is it, Booth?"

He looked up, and then all of a sudden, his eyes went blank, "Nah…don't worry about it. Um, hey, Bones…listen. I've gotta run to the Hoover building. There's something…well…I'll see you later, okay?"

Brennan watched him leave her office, and then she set down her bag. "Okay…" she said to an empty office.

--b&b--

6:45 PM

Brennan closed her apartment door behind her and picked up the sacks of groceries she'd just purchased, carrying them to her kitchen. She almost expected to see another note from Booth near the coffee machine, but there was nothing. Nothing that told her where he'd been all day or what was happening.

But almost as soon as she'd finished putting her frozen items in the freezer, she heard her front door close. "Booth?" she called.

"It's me" he grunted, and she turned to see him enter her kitchen. He still looked very tense and he was loosening his tie with one hand. "Hi."

"Hello" she nodded. "Is everything okay? You still seem kind of tense."

"Yeah, well…if you'd had even half the day I've had, you'd know. Please tell me at least you got somewhere further in the case."

"No, Booth. Sorry." She winced.

"Damn it!" He hissed and kept trying to loosen his tie. Getting more and more frustrated, he just worked it over his head, and then shook his upper body. "Damn it, Bones!"

She knew he wasn't mad AT her necessarily, but his words still caused her to tense. "Please don't take your frustration out on me. Just tell me what's got you so upset. I'll listen, I promise."

Booth stalked around the kitchen, not really doing anything but letting off steam. "Well, first, my dream. I mean, no big deal, but it did set me kind of on edge. So then, I thought I'd go to a meeting. But we have a new leader, so that is crap. This guy is awful, and…it sucks, Bones."

Brennan handed him a glass of water, but he just shook his head. "So then, Rebecca called this morning, and says I can only have Parker on Saturday, for his hockey game, because she wants to take him to her parents' house on Sunday. For no real reason, just to annoy the shit out of me, apparently. Whatever."

Brennan handed him a beer, but he just waved it away, "So THEN…" he huffed and then pulled in a deep breath, eyeing her for a moment.

Brennan had the feeling of being sized up for something. "Then, what?"

Booth chewed on the inside of his lip, and then clenched his teeth together, "Then I get a call from the Greene county local sheriff. They have my brother in custody there."

"Booth…" Brennan whispered. "For drinking?"

"No" Booth waved his hand away, "For being an idiot, or getting into a fight or something. Anyways…he wants me to bail him out."

His eyes grew wary, and he looked at her, waiting for her to give her opinion on that matter.

Brennan's eyebrows rose, "Did you?"

He turned and pressed his hands to the counter by the sink, his shoulders slumping forward, "Not yet, I mean…I told him I wasn't going to step in anymore. I shouldn't, right?"

Brennan watched as he turned toward her, and the pain in his eyes cut her to the core. "I don't know, Booth."

He clenched his fists and then punched the counter. "Damn it!" He began pacing around. "I don't know what to do."

Like a caged animal, he paced, energy rolling off of him in waves, "I mean, he's my brother, and he's an idiot, and you know, it's not like I should stop bailing him out all together. It's not his fault that I bailed him out so many times that he expects I'll never stop doing it, right? I mean, if he's weak, it's not his fault, because I let him BECOME that way, right?"

He nodded and pulled in a deep breath, "It's my fault."

"It's not your fault, Booth" Brennan answered softly, but he wasn't really listening.

"I can't…" he ran his hand through his hair. "I need to just…go for a run or something, clear out my mind. Maybe go to the shooting range."

"Do what you need to do, Booth" Brennan nodded.

He rubbed his face and tried to breathe in deep, but couldn't seem to. Without a word, he just turned and walked back to her bedroom.

A few minutes later, he emerged in shorts and a t-shirt and his running shoes. "I'm going to…" he motioned toward the door, and Brennan turned around. "Are you going out tonight, Bones?"

"No" she shook her head and met his eyes. "I'm going to work on my book tonight; I'll be here when you get back."

He nodded and then turned. It wasn't till he got to the door that he turned back . "I'll see you, Bones."

--b&b—

Booth let his feet pound the pavement as he ran, the breeze of the night feeling good against his overheated skin. He felt so confused. Every grain of his being seemed to want to bail his brother out. But it seemed every single grain of his being sensed it might be the wrong thing to do. Or maybe he just thought Bones thought it was the wrong thing to do, and he didn't want to disappoint her. Either way, he was disappointing someone, which really amounted to disappointing himself, since he prided himself on never disappointing anyone.

"Son of a bitch" he cursed, trying to clear his thoughts and just run. Just run and forget about it for a while.

--b&b--

10:30 PM

Closing her computer, Brennan stood from her kitchen table, sliding the laptop into its case. She rolled her shoulders back, once again feeling a slight tightness in her neck. But nothing that couldn't be soothed with a hot shower.

As she stood under the heavy spray, she let the stress of the day slide away, and wondered how Booth was faring with the same.

Once again, she was reminded of the dichotomy in his actions after his nightmare and then his laughing on the lab platform. It made her wonder how many other mornings he'd breezed into the lab with a joke and quick smile, and she'd never looked twice. But he'd admitted to having nightmares sometimes. Brennan wondered if maybe he was fighting the hardest when he appeared the happiest.

Too tired for much more psychology, she smirked to herself and turned off the shower. Drying off quickly, she walked to her closet and pulled down a nightgown she thought was especially pretty. She'd never worn it for Booth, but thought he might enjoy it.

Reentering her bedroom, she looked down at her hands and frowned. She wasn't vain when it came to her hands, they did a lot of good for a lot of people, but, they were getting kind of roughed up. Realizing it had been awhile since she'd taken care of her nails, she decided to wait for Booth and clean her cuticles.

A few moments later, she heard her front door open and shut. And then a few moments after that, Brennan watched as Booth entered her bedroom. He still seemed slightly agitated, and the faint smell of gunpowder followed after him. Booth had been to the shooting range, it seemed, which was probably a good thing. Except something was still bothering him.

She wasn't too proud to admit that irritated Booth was a turn on. She didn't necessarily want him upset, but…his barely leashed strength was very elemental, and as Brennan met her own eyes in her small table mirror, she smiled in anticipation. She was tempted to join him in his shower, but still wanted to give him some space.

No, she would let him come to her. First they would talk. And then…

She smiled again.

--b&b--

Booth stood in the shower and let the water pummel over his face. Shoulders, spine, legs, breathe. Shoulders, spine, legs, "Breathe" he commanded himself, clenching and unclenching his hands into fists. Nothing was helping, and he felt as if a literal war was going on inside of him. Normally he was able to tame it. Punching the bag until his arms sagged, shooting at the target until his pulse slowed down, sitting in a room with other people just like him until his thoughts soothed, his mind became clear. But nothing was working.

And he was getting pissed off. Turning the water up even hotter, he turned around, letting it scald his back and legs, enjoying the pain and pricks of the pounding spray. Reaching for his body wash, he poured some into his palm and began roughly scrubbing at his chest and sides. He shifted his weight and turned into the spray, rinsing off before bending over and cleaning off his legs and feet, sliding his hands up to clean his thighs. He reached between his legs for a cursory wipe and was surprised to notice he was semi-hard. He groaned and slapped his palm against the shower wall. Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT! Booth rolled his shoulders back and tried to focus. Sure, in the past, he might have released some tension on a day like this by jerking off in the shower, but…he was in a relationship now, so…

Just ask her.

His own voice was his own worst enemy, and he closed his eyes and steeled his strength against doing that very thing. No…taking care of it himself was the better thing to do. Leaning one arm on the shower wall, he pressed his forehead to it and smoothed his hand down his stomach.

She's right out there, buddy. Just. Ask. Her.

"Not gonna happen" Booth groaned to himself and cupped the underside of his cock with his hands, knowing just the right amount of pressure he needed.

It's nothing like the real thing, and you know it.

He tightened his fist, trying to prove himself wrong, "Shut up! It…just wouldn't be…right"

Why not? Last night she was begging for it.

"She wanted sex…not…my issues" Booth argued, his hips picking up the rhythm.

You're an idiot. She's out there. Just ask her. It's one of the perks, baby.

He stopped his hand and then pressed both of his palms against the shower, the sound of the water rushing around his ears to the slick floor.

Okay, so maybe he could, ask her politely if she was up for some…of it. It would help relieve some of his stress, but he would make it enjoyable for her, too. He'd see to that.

He yanked the water to off and tried to take in a deep breath before walking into her bedroom.

And there she was, just where he'd left her, sitting like the lady she was. Her skin was pale and covered in a light peach nightgown designed for slow beautiful lovemaking.

--b&b--

Brennan placed the soiled cotton ball in the small wicker basket next to her, cleaning up the rest of her supplies before blowing gently on her fingernails. She heard Booth's shower shut off, and waited for him to come back into the room. It was clear he needed to talk to someone, and she was going to make him tell her what was going on. Peering forward toward her mirror, she started to reach for her tweezers to pluck a few unwanted eyebrows. But her gaze froze on the reflection as Booth exited the bathroom and came to stand directly behind her, naked, dark, and still on edge, it was clear to see.

Her whole body went on alert, and she turned, "Booth?"

She'd never seen him look so dark before. His hair was wet and dripping onto his shoulders and chest. She tracked a few of the drops down his body, and her eyes settled on his almost angry looking erection. His thighs were already taut and from this angle of sitting down as he stood, he almost towered over her. But that didn't last for long as she pressed her hand to the back of the chair to stand. His hands came down to her arms and he pulled her up brusquely. His mouth worked and it looked like he was going to say something, but instead he just crushed his lips to hers. Brennan gasped as his entire naked form pressed against hers. He was intense and aroused, and she shivered. Hard.

But he didn't seem to notice, and instead was pushing her back against the nearest wall. Tentatively, she ran her hands up and down his arms. But Booth just swatted them away and cupped her rear end, picking her up and wrapping her legs around him in one fluid motion.

"Can you take it a little rough?" he rasped against the side of her neck, his breath hot against her ear and throat. He was already sliding his penis between her legs, pressing against her.

If Brennan hadn't been so shocked, she might have met his eyes, smiled wickedly, scraped her newly painted nails against his back and said 'I can take anything you want to give me', but she was stunned, and just managed to nod against the side of his neck, his wet hair now dripping on both of them.

A drop fell from his head and down between her breasts, causing her skin to chill and tighten against her silk nightgown. Booth tensed and then growled before he began pumping into her, as fast and hard as he'd ever done.

It took Brennan a moment to realize what was happening, but when she did, she relaxed her body as much as possible and tightened her legs around his waist, leaning back against the wall to help support herself. And she studied him.

Every single muscle on his entire body was working. A machine of sinew and skin and sweat and power.

He was powerful, and Brennan relished the opportunity to study him. His body was certainly arousing her sexually, but he was so much further along than she was that she'd never catch up before he found his release. And she didn't mind one bit, because it gave her a chance to examine him.

Booth was such a study in power. His entire body was made for fighting, for protecting what was rightfully his. Superior in every way, he would be considered a near perfect specimen across all eras, across all cultures. But she now knew that he harnessed that power inside every single day. In almost every single moment, until he felt either pushed over the edge or safe enough to reveal it. Guessing this moment was a combination of those two things, she felt pleased. Sexual relations with Booth was very satisfying, but getting inside of HIM, really learning how he operated and thought brought Brennan incredible fulfillment as well. She would not, could not begrudge him the sexual release she suspected he was very close in achieving, and simply watched as it unfolded, a willing participant and observer.

--b&b—

Booth reveled in the tight, oh so tight clasp of her body to his as he pistoned into her over and over and over and over and….

Fucking nightmares that lingered through the day. Fucking work! Fucking Rebecca and her fucking rules. And Fucking Jared and fucking responsibility and fucking sonofabitch fucking cases that never get solved, and fucking…

Bones.

Bones…

Bones

You. Are. Fucking BONES!

His eyes flew open, and he groaned. Oh shit!

"No" he said, trying to still his hips, but it was way too late for that. Begging for something, he didn't know what, he met her eyes. Her cool blue eyes showed only her calm and studied acceptance, and it pushed him over the edge. Booth grunted her name, pinned her against the wall and shot his release deep, so fucking deep inside her. "Oh no…Oh no…" he panted over and over. "Shit, No. I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"

He sank deeper into her for just a moment, his entire body shuddering so violently he wasn't sure he'd ever recover. He closed his eyes and counted to ten, hoping that when he opened them, this whole damn day would just be a dream, and he'd be waking up to the sight of her curled up next to him.

But it wasn't. She was there, quiet, and there. But he'd really fucked up. Literally.

"Shit, Bones. I'm sorry…" he stumbled back, hissing as his softened cock fell out of her body. Pulling in shuddering breaths, he frantically looked around the room, for what, he didn't know. Something, anything…"I'm so sorry. I have to get out of here."

Damn it!

"It's okay" she whispered, and he spun around to face her, his moments frenzied as he took in the way her pale peach nightgown was settling back down to her knees. Aw, hell.

"I can't…I have to…" his chest heaved with each breath, and he spun around again, searching for his clothes. "it's not you…please, I just have to…I have to do this. I'm sorry…" he repeated, begging with his eyes for her to understand.

But he didn't wait around long enough to see if she did, pulling on his sweaty t-shirt and shorts from the bathroom, the closest clothes he could find. He grabbed his sandals from by the door, and with one last look at her still standing against the wall, he clenched his jaw and left her apartment.

--b&b—

Brennan heard the front door slam, and she walked over to her bedroom window, opening the curtains to watch as Booth stormed over to his SUV. She could see him slam his palm against the window as he pulled in a deep breath before opening the door. Letting the curtain fall back into place, she turned and walked back over to her vanity, sitting in the chair and reorganizing her manicure supplies. She reached for her tweezers and leaned forward again toward the mirror. But as she caught her reflection in the mirror, she realized she was trembling. Setting the sharp tweezers down, she examined her hand. It was shaking slightly, and Brennan stood quickly, moving over to lie down on her bed, examining her reaction.

There was some unfulfilled sexual tension; that was to be expected. And some shock, still, at just the sight of Booth standing behind her. And then the way he'd pulled her up roughly and pounded into her even harder.

She wasn't immune to that kind of physical need, and Brennan realized with a start what had happened. Booth, for all his charm and making love, had just satisfied his biological urges. With her. Against her bedroom wall, and then he'd left.

While never one to rely on instinct, she felt that whatever thing he was dealing with right now, at this moment, it wasn't about her. He'd said it wasn't as he'd frantically dressed and hightailed out of her apartment, and…she believed him. But also, somehow, he'd needed her in a way that was baser than conversation. Brennan supposed he would tell her eventually.

--b&b—

Booth slammed through the double doors to the police station, "Where's he at, Paul?"

The officer jerked his thumb toward the back and tossed Booth a ring of keys. Booth nodded, his mouth set in a grim line as he made his way back there.

"Let's go" he opened the door and waited.

"Seeley" Jared stood and rubbed the back of his neck, "Took you long enough."

"Shut up!" Booth clenched his jaw so tight he thought he heard a crack. "Just the hell up right now, or I'll lock this door again, I swear to God."

Jared's jaw worked back and forth, but he just opened his palms and walked out of the cell, leading the way down the hallway and outside.

Booth followed him and got into the driver's side, slamming the door in frustration. Life was so fucking unfair sometimes. He was a model citizen. Hell, he did GOOD in the world, and he had a beautiful woman, the woman he loved, waiting for him, and he still couldn't seem to shake his past.

And right now his past was sitting next to him, staring out the passenger side window. Feeling so confused, Booth tried to roll his shoulders back against the seat for some relief, but of course, there was none. It was almost ironic. This whole day had been an exercise in his every mode of release completely failing him.

Arriving at his apartment, he shoved the SUV into park and opened his door, not waiting for Jared as he made his way up to his door. But his brother was right behind him. Booth let him enter first and then tossed his keys near his fridge, opening the door and pulling out two beers. He handed one to his brother and leaned back against the counter.

Jared opened his and then looked away before meeting Booth's eyes. "I didn't have anyone else to call."

Memories of his birthday came back to haunt him, Jared taunting him outside, shoving his help back into his face, and Booth wanted to throw his bottle against the wall.

"Were you drunk?" he asked.

"No" Jared answered, "I swear, Seeley. I'm serious. I'm…doing better."

Booth's chest tightened and he looked away, wondering if what he was about to do was good for him. But the truth was, he was tired. So tired of fighting it. And if no one else approved, he didn't care anymore. Because it was time for him to be himself and do what he did.

"I'm glad to hear that Jared. Now I have something to say. So listen up." He set his unopened beer back into the fridge, "You need help. You want help from me. I'll help you. You're my brother, and I love you. And you're going to let me help you. You can stay here tonight, if you want. I'm going to go to bed. This has been a shitty day, and I just want it to be over. Tomorrow, we'll talk about it, but I'm not talking about it now. There are blankets in the closet. Take the couch."

He shook his head and walked past his brother to his bedroom.

--b&b—

Brennan sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her cell phone. She'd been staring at it for several moments, wondering if she should just call Booth to see if he was okay. She didn't need to know anything else, except whether or not he was just…okay.

But she trusted him, so…maybe she should just not worry about it.

But…he was still her partner. And even before they'd begun this new part of their relationship, he would have called her. So, she was going to call him. As his partner, that was all.

Opening her phone, she quickly dialed his number, and then leaned back against her bed.

But she had to laugh when she heard it ringing from the other room where he'd tossed it before taking a shower.

Brennan closed her phone and set it aside. Booth was fine. She was sure of it.

--b&b—

Booth spent the next two hours tossing and turning in his own bed. This was so pointless. He rolled over and inhaled and was struck by the scent of lavender once again, and he crushed the pillow to his face.

"Screw it" he muttered and tossed back his covers. He pulled on a clean shirt and shorts and went to the living room. Shoving Jared's shoulder, he waited until his brother woke up.

"What?" Jared mumbled.

Booth stood up straight. "I'm staying with Bones. Here's the remote. Try not to break anything."

And with that, he left his apartment. He drove through town, his fingers tapping on the steering wheel. He knew he still had some nervous energy, but…he could deal with that. Even though he hadn't planned it that way, telling Jared he was saying with his partner had released something inside of him. And as he turned the actual corner to her street, he knew he'd turned a corner himself. The old Seeley would have sulked in his bed, but he wasn't going to do that anymore.

Maybe she was pissed at him, he had no idea. Maybe she could care less. But he was done letting things happen to him.

He was going to help his brother, whether she liked it or not. In his gut, it felt like the right thing to do. And he was never, ever going to sleep in another bed but hers, so long as he was able.

He opened the door to her apartment, trying to be as quiet as he could. Making his way back to her bedroom, he paused inside the doorway and watched her for a moment. She was still wearing that peach nightgown, and it almost felt like a dream.

But he had a smudge of nail polish on his arm that told him it hadn't been a dream.

Walking over to the bed, he pulled open the covers on his side…

His side…

A feeling of incredible pleasure niggled in his mind at that, but…he didn't dwell on it. Instead, he just slid inside the bed and tried to relax.

And maybe it was the warm sheets, or maybe the quiet of the room, or maybe his body was just finally done for the day, but Booth was able to drift off to sleep.

--b&b—

Well…what will happen when Brennan wakes up? Will Jared come between B+B?

I can tell you that someone will be very jealous, but it might not be for the reason you think!

Stay tuned, it will all be answered tomorrow!