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Here we go, the next chapter is ready.

Comfort

"So,..." Booth started. "Booth, I..." Brennan said at the same time. Both stopped and looked at each other for a moment. Then surprise gave way to humour and they chuckled. "Ladies first." Booth grinned.

Brennan took another calming breath, enjoying the fresh air and said: "Your family is very nice."

"Yep." Booth made. "But that wasn't what you wanted to say."

She shot him a surprised look. "Why do you say that?"

"You started with 'Booth, I...' before. Not with 'Your family...'." Booth recalled her earlier words.

"Maybe I wanted to say, 'I think your family is very nice'." Brennan said.

"Maybe" Booth gave back, but there was audible doubt in his voice.

"But you're right. I wanted to thank you for bringing me here. It's actually very nice to get to know your family. And I already heard at least three very funny childhood stories about you." She had to smile.

Booth groaned. "Mom. Right?"

Brennan nodded. "You know... I would love be able to listen to my mother telling stories of my childhood." He heard the hurt in her voice and reached over to her place his hand on her forearm. "I understand. I know it's not the same thing, but at least you still have your father. And you have the video of your mother, right? And you have your own memories... nobody can take them from you."

She nodded solemnly, but her eyes filled with tears. Tears he could not see in the dim moonlight, but he could hear them in her voice, when she quietly said: "If I had known I would lose her, I would have... paid more attention. I would have noticed much more details, the scent of her perfume, what her favourite meal was, her favourite flower... these things. I don't know, I don't remember. I was too concentrated on my own life to pay attention." Her voice broke and his chest seemed to tighten at the pained sound.

Booth inched closer to her and his arms moved around her slender figure as if of their own accord. "Bones. You were young, only a child. Children are meant to enjoy life, not to live in constant fear of losing their parents. I'm sure Parker doesn't know what my favourite meal is." He murmured soothingly in her ear, patiently pausing when sobs overcame her. "But it's my job as his father to know HIS."

"Mac'n'Cheese." He heard her muffled reply. "Or at least that's what you told me." Another sob escaped her.

"You remember?" He asked, stunned. He felt her nodding her head in response. "Well, I actually think I know your favourite food too. Though it seems to change from time to time." He smiled, while still holding her in his arms.

"Hm?" She murmured against his chest.

"Mee krob?" He guessed.

"What gave me away?" Brennan asked, pulling back from his chest a little.

"Oh, only the fact that you order it at least once or twice a week." He answered and saw that she nodded a little. "Feeling better?"

"Yes. A little." She sighed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. And it's not just a phrase, you know? You really are." Booth's tone was so serious and honest she had to bite back a fresh urge to sob. She smiled at him, hoping he would be able to see it in the dim light. Brennan simply did not trust her voice enough to speak out loud.

Booth saw the smile on her face... and the small movement of her cheek drew his attention to a last remaining tear clinging to her smooth skin. The little droplet glittered in the pale moonlight and his hand reached for her face, his thumb itching to smooth the tear away. And so he did.

Her breath hitched when his warm palm made contact with her cheek and she averted her eyes, somewhat ashamed of the display of weakness.

"Don't ever be ashamed of those tears, Temperance. You don't have to fool me. I know you feel and I know you hurt."

Brennan closed her eyes upon hearing his murmured words and felt her chest tighten, her eyes burning with unshed tears yet again. "You're trying to get me to cry, right?"

"Maybe I like to hold you." He whispered, his voice a little husky. She drew in a ragged breath, not daring to answer, or at least not with words. Her body answered for her, though... she leant in to him and let herself get enveloped in his strong arms once more.

Her head resting against his chest she felt how she calmed, the earlier turmoil forgotten. Breathing techniques and swings paled in comparison to Seeley Booth's gentle, but protective embrace. Her eyes closed, she inhaled his unmistakable male scent.

Gently holding her against him, he rubbed her back in what he hoped were soothing circles, his chin lightly brushing the top of her head. The moment was so damned perfect he never wanted it to end.

Only split-second later the frantic sobs of a child startled them. "Parker." They both said in unison and rose. In his haste to get to his son, Booth forgot about the small table with their wine glasses on it and knocked it over. A clanking sound told him that they had not survived. Muttering a curse he bent, but Brennan quickly said: "Go, your son needs you. I'll take care of this."

"Thank you. Be careful with the glass, okay?" Booth answered and hurried towards the house. At the door he quickly reached for the switch to turn on the porch light, so that his partner would be able to see the glass shards and not cut her hands.

Then he hurried inside and upstairs to his weeping son.

Fifteen minutes later, Booth gently tucked his sleeping son in. After holding him and waiting until his tears had stopped, then listening to a short recap of the nightmare Booth had felt how Parker became sleepy again. The boy had drifted back off to sleep practically in his arms.

A small smile played on his lips as he watched his sleeping son. When he turned around he saw his partner standing in the door.

Carefully he stood again, tiptoed to the door and closed it behind him. "He's asleep again?" Brennan asked him quietly.

He nodded. "He just needed a familiar face and a little comfort." Booth whispered back.

Brennan gave him a long and thoughtful look. "You're good at comforting." She whispered and without thinking twice placed a quick kiss on his cheek. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Thank you. I think I'll be able to sleep now too." She said and gave him a genuine and thankful smile.

"Good night." He answered and watched her until she closed the door to the guest room behind her. Only then he opened the door to his old room again... and as soon as his head touched the pillow he was asleep, his former restlessness forgotten.

Brennan didn't know, but as much as his comfort had helped her to find her balance again, her presence had calmed him.

A moment before Brennan drifted off to sleep it occurred to her that she had never asked Booth what he had wanted to tell her when they both had started talking at the same time. But before she could really start to think about it, sleep took over.

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