I never expected to get to 150 reviews for this story, so thanks so much to everyone who's taken the time to review!! There are only two chapters after this one, so we're almost done.
Disclaimer's on the first few chapters, and please leave a review it you have time!
The sun poured into the window in Brennan's bedroom early the next morning. The rays gently peeked through the curtains to illuminate the room. The two occupants of the room lay curled up together in bed, both still sleeping peacefully.
Booth lay on his back in the middle of the bed, his head just barely on the pillows. Brennan's head rested on the right side of Booth's chest. One of her arms was flung over his tight stomach, the other wrapped around her own stomach. Her hand rounded up to lie on the bottom of his upper chest muscle.
Booth had his arms wrapped firmly around her body. One arm wrapped around her back. The other came around his front, just below Brennan's arm, and rested on top of her own hand that lay on her stomach. The hand that belonged to the arm wrapped around her back rested softly on the pale, white skin that had been exposed when her shirt had crept up her body in the middle of the night as a result of tossing and turning.
His arms held her tightly against his body and her slow, deep breaths tickled the skin on his chest. The sheets rested around their waists, and their legs were intertwined underneath the covers, with her toes curling around his feet. The pair had unconscientiously rolled into this position during the night, and neither had moved since.
Brennan snuggled into his chest as she slowly gained consciousness. As she woke up, she quickly realized that the strong arms wrapped tightly around her small frame were definitely not those of a six-year-old boy. She panicked as she realized that it was Booth holding her close, and those were his legs wrapped up with hers, and that was his bare chest that she was so comfortably laying on.
Oh my God, she thought. How did Booth even end up sleeping in my bed? And how and when did we end up like this? Where'd Parker go? God, this feels good.
Brennan's slow, small movements in the bed and against his body caused Booth to awake shortly after she did. He, too, was unaware of the position they had found during their sleep and quickly realized that the person in his arms was definitely not Parker. He glanced down, knowing who he'd find, and saw his lady scientist laying against his chest. She looked comfortable and appeared to him to still be asleep. He felt her legs wrapped up with his and her bare skin beneath his fingertips. Her body was spooned against his side, and Booth silently prayed that she wouldn't freak out on him when she was fully awake.
Oh, wow, Booth thought. How did we end up like this? And where is Parker? Why isn't he in bed with us anymore? And how long has Bones been coiled up against me? God, she feels good in my arms.
Both Booth and Brennan noticed changes in the other's breathing patterns and realized that the other must be awake. She slowly moved her head up as he moved his eyes down. Their eyes met gradually, but neither spoke. For the first time in their partnership, both were at a loss for words. As both of them wondered what to say in this situation, neither bothered to move out of their current position. Their arms still wrapped around one another, they silently started into the other's eyes.
Booth channeled all of his energy into not kissing her at that moment. Her hair, slightly curled as a result from going to sleep with it still wet from her bath, hung loosely around her shoulders, and her cheeks were pink from both embarrassment and warmth. This was the second morning in a row Booth had watched her fully wake up, and he was positive that he could spend the rest of his life waking up with Temperance Brennan in his arms. He once again thought she looked beautiful and wanted to tell her that in a low whisper while placing soft good morning kisses onto her lips. The only problem was, they weren't a couple, yet here they were, waking up in a very couple-like position. He had no idea what to say to her, but he wasn't about to tell her that they were sleeping together because he had simply been too lazy to move into the guest room the night before.
Brennan stared into his eyes, at a loss for words. Angela had told her to kiss him, not sleep with him! Even though her mind knew that she didn't actually sleep with him in the sexual sense of the term, waking up together after spending the night sleeping in the other's arms and in such a snug position as theirs could sometimes be just as intimate as having sex. Her mind briefly registered the fact that her hand was still resting on his naked chest and she was still curled up into his body, but she couldn't bring herself to move. She also couldn't get over the fact that his arms felt really good wrapped around her like that.
"How did we…?" Brennan started, slightly whispering.
"I don't know," he said, shaking his head. He matched her tone of voice. "What happened to Parker?"
"I don't know," she answered. "How long were we…?"
"I have no idea," he replied.
"Me neither," she sighed.
"So what…now?" he asked.
"I was going to ask you that," she confessed.
"I think I need to find my kid," he said.
"Good idea," she agreed. Neither of them moved, not wanting to be the one to finally break contact.
"So, uh, we should probably…move," Booth said.
"Yeah, of course," she agreed. "That's the logical thing to do."
They both got out of Brennan's bed simultaneously and walked into the living room. Parker sat wide awake on the couch, watching cartoons on Brennan's television.
"Parker," Booth said. Parker turned around on the couch to look over at them.
"Good morning," he said, smiling.
"Where did you go last night?" Booth asked. Parker shrugged.
"Guest room," he answered.
"Why?"
"I woke up and had to go to the bathroom, and when I got back to the room, you were hugging Tempe," Parker explained. "You looked happy, and I thought she might have had a bad dream, too, so I just went to the guest room."
Brennan stood by the window, looking out of the curtains. "Booth," she said.
"What is it?" he asked her.
"The roads are clear," she said, pointing outside.
"Aww…but I wanna stay!" Parker exclaimed. "I like it here."
"I know you like it here, but you gotta go back to your mom's," Booth said.
"Right now?" Parker asked.
"You could stay for breakfast," Brennan suggested.
"Yeah! I'm hungry. Can we, Daddy?" Parker asked.
"Sure, I don't see why not," Booth agreed.
Brennan moved into the kitchen to start breakfast while Booth picked up his cell phone to call Rebecca.
"Dr. Bones?" Parker asked. He followed her into the kitchen.
"Yes, Parker?" she answered.
"If you're not Daddy's girlfriend, why was he hugging you last night? Did you have a scary dream, too?"
"Oh, no, I didn't," Brennan asked.
"Then why was Daddy comforting you?"
"He wasn't exactly comforting me. He was just…holding me," she answered, unsure of how to explain the situation to a six-year-old.
"Why?" he asked.
"It just…happened, Parker. A person isn't always able to control their actions when they're asleep."
"Oh, so he didn't mean to hug you?" Parker asked, trying to understand what had happened between his father and Brennan.
"I don't know. Maybe not," she answered.
Booth entered the room and laid his cell phone down on the table. He walked over to Parker and pulled him into a good morning hug.
"Mommy said we could stay for breakfast, but she wants you by noon, okay?" Booth said.
"Okay," Parker said, somewhat gloomily.
"Whatcha making?" Booth asked, walking up behind Brennan. "It smells good!"
"It's French toast," she answered.
"Sounds great, Bones," he said.
"Dad, is Dr. Bones coming with us to Mommy's house?" Parker asked.
"Why don't you ask her?" Booth replied.
"Can you?" Parker asked Brennan.
"I don't think so, Parker. You need some time with your dad without me around," Brennan said.
"You sure? You're welcome to come," Booth said.
"I'm sure. You both deserve some father-son time," she insisted.
Booth whispered a word of thanks into her ear, and she smiled back slightly. She knew enough about him to know that he'd want some alone time with Parker, and seeing as how he had been incredibly sweet to share their Christmas with her, the least she could do was grant him some time with his son.
She placed two plates full of French toast onto the table in front of Parker and Booth. She grabbed a bottle of maple syrup from her cabinet and sat down with a third plate of food for herself. Parker immediately drowned his food in maple syrup while Booth and Brennan shared a few quick glances over the table. Neither of them quite knew how to act after waking up together that morning.
An hour later, Booth was getting ready to take Parker to Rebecca's house. He had gotten himself and the little boy dressed and had Parker pick out which of his presents he wanted to take to Rebecca's with him and which ones he wanted to leave at Booth's apartment. Booth ran Parker's choices to take with him down to the car while Brennan helped him with his jacket, snow boots, and gloves. Booth returned to the apartment and held the door open.
"Okay, Parker, say goodbye to Bones," Booth said, standing in the doorway.
"But I don't wanna leave!" Parker cried.
"I know, bub, but we have to. You'll see her again. I promise," Booth said. Booth's heart broke a little bit every time he had to say goodbye to Parker and hand him back over to Rebecca. Now, it was breaking Booth's heart to see his son so reluctant to say goodbye to the other most important person in Booth's life.
Brennan was kneeling on the floor to help Parker with his winter gear, and she finished zipping up his jacket just as Booth told him to say goodbye. Parker threw his arms around her neck and squeezed tightly. Brennan felt a wave of sadness rush over her as she realized how much this little boy actually liked spending time with her and didn't want their day together to be over. She hugged him back tightly, becoming aware of the fact that she was going to miss him, too.
"Tell her thank you," Booth told Parker.
"Thanks, Tempe. This was the bestest Christmas ever!" he said.
"You're welcome, Parker. Thank you for coming over here to keep me company," she replied, still holding him in her arms.
"Bye, Tempe," he said sadly, pulling away.
"Bye," she replied and kissed his cheek. She stood and followed him to the front door. Parker walked outside of the apartment and Booth looked at her.
"I'll be back later, that is, if you still want me to come back," Booth said.
"I do," Brennan told him.
"Okay, then, I'll be back," he said, trying not to smile too widely.
"I'll be here," she said.
"See you later, Bones."
Coming Soon: Booth drops off Parker with Rebecca, and Brennan talks to Angela about Booth.