A/N: It's been a long time since I posted and for that, I apologise. I'm not long back at school so homework and all that has been taking over my life. I have, however, discovered the Bones season 3 promos! Is everyone excited as I am?!
"Miss Brennan, how are you feeling today? You gave us quite a scare yesterday," the nurse, Sarah, began.
"I'm alright. I just want to know when I can leave and go back to work," Brennan said.
"Back to work?" Sarah asked incredulously. "You won't be going back to work for at least three weeks. You have to stay here."
"You are kidding," Brennan said, looking horrified. "You're positive I can't leave here any sooner?"
"Not unless you have someone you can stay with, to supervise you."
"No I don't," Brennan said sadly. Booth's heart gave a sudden pang. Did she honestly think that he wouldn't take her in? Or any of the squints? "I suppose I could always ask my brother…or Angela."
"Will she be able to leave if she stays with me?" Booth asked, causing Brennan to turn sharply towards him. Booth wanted her to stay with him? She eyed him curiously for a second. Ah, she thought. The pity has set in.
"It's fine, I'll stay here," she said, giving the nurse a grim smile. Booth eyes flashed, turning on her, a questioning look on his face.
"To answer your question Mr Booth, yes she could leave if she had someone to make sure she didn't move her hip too much. But I'll leave you two to decide on things." Sarah quietly slipped out of the room, leaving them to it.
"Booth…" Brennan began but Booth cut her off.
"What's up with you? You said you wanted to leave and now you don't. Is it because I offered?" Booth asked, the hurt evident in his eyes.
"Booth, it's not like that," she paused. "I just don't want to be a problem for anyone."
Booth's expression softened. "Bones you're not a problem. I want to help you, since it's my fault you're in this mess anyway."
Brennan groaned. "Booth, I already told you it isn't your fault. It's that guy's ok? So please, don't think that."
"I'm going to tell Sarah that you're coming with me? I'll be back in two secs," Booth quietly replied, ignoring her last words and disappearing from the room, leaving Brennan with her thoughts.
Oh God, she thought. Living with Booth. I can't do it. It's not possible. He can't do it. I'm impossible.
The door opened again and Booth re-entered the room. She looked up questioningly at him. "They agreed to let you leave with me by the end of the week."
Brennan sighed and hung her head. "Booth…"she started. "You don't have to do this. I can stay in the hospital, I'll be fine."
"Bones…I'll already said it's fine, that you can stay with me. Why are you so against this?" Booth asked, as he searched for his coat.
"Because Booth, I'm not your burden to bear," Brennan said, dropping her eyes from his gaze.
Booth instantly dropped his newly-found coat and came to her side. "Don't think that Bones. You're not a burden, alright?"
"Alright," she nodded. Then spying him going back to his coat, she asked, "You going somewhere?"
"Home for a shower. And to get the place fixed up a bit. Make up the spare bedroom, you know," came Booth's swift reply.
"But it isn't that Parker's room?" she said curiously, worrying that she was kicking the small boy out of his room.
"No, Parker's got his own room. There's a spare room in the apartment."
"Is your house an apartment or a mansion?" Brennan lightly asked, trying to put a little humour into the conversation, despite how much dread and confusion she was feeling inside.
Booth smiled and came back to her side again. He lightly took her hand, "I don't know Bones. But it's gonna be your recovery room for a while at least."
And before she could reply, he had strode from the room.
The end of the week arrived quickly, a little quicker than Brennan would have anticipated. Before she knew it, she was being whisked out the hospital and towards Booth's flat.
"Welcome Bones to Booth's Care Centre," he said, smiling at her.
She gave a half-hearted smile back. "Thanks Booth, but please don't call it that."
Booth raised an eyebrow. "Any particular reason you wanna share with me Bones?"
"Because…" she started. "I don't like the thought of everyone having to look after me. I like being independent Booth. Being fawned over isn't something I'm used to."
Booth looked at her with sadness. It was a sad thought to think that no one had ever made a fuss over Brennan. If it was up to him, he would treat her like a princess. If she would allow it.
"Did no one make a big deal of you, even when you were younger?" he asked, resisting the oncoming compassion and pity that rose in him.
"Yeah back then. My mum and dad obviously. Russ always did too, even after they left. But when he left, that was it. Every time I was sick or unhappy, I just had to get on with it," Brennan mumbled, suddenly spilling her soul to him. "Until I met you and Angela. The two of you never fail in making sure I'm alright."
Booth nodded and gave her arm a light pat. "I'm afraid me and Angela have a life-long commitment to that. We will get you understanding all those pop culture references if it kills us."
Booth realised his mistake when her face fell. "Oh Bones, I didn't mean to mention dying. I didn't think."
Brennan took a deep breath and said, "It's alright Booth. You were just being yourself. You don't need to tiptoe around me. It's just that every time someone mentions dying, I think of myself in the operation and that car racing towards you."
Booth had no idea what to say to that and simply offered to show Brennan her room, an idea she gladly took up.
