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I don't own Bones.

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Waking, Brennan turned over and stared at Booth. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand beside him, she groaned and reached over to shake her partner's shoulder, "Booth. . . . Booth."

Startled, Booth jerked away from Brennan's touch and stared in confusion at his partner. "Bones, what are you doing here?"

Concerned, Brennan sat up, "Don't you remember me being here earlier, Booth?"

Rubbing his face, Booth answered, "I remember you being here in the apartment, Bones. What I don't remember is you laying down next to me in my bed. I thought you were going to sleep in Parker's room. That's what you said. Damn, those drugs must still be doing a number on me if I didn't even feel the mattress move."

Cocking her head to get a better look at his reaction, Brennan explained, "I was going to do that but I realized that I wouldn't be able to monitor you from a different room. Your reaction to Gabapentin was very alarming. I wanted to make sure that I was near you if you continued to have odd side effects. . . . Booth, you can't take that drug anymore. It's dangerous for you. The side effects are too severe. Cam told me that she isn't even sure how she got you home yesterday."

Pulling himself up into a sitting position, Booth leaned against his headboard, "I'm going to tell you the truth I don't remember anything between the time I left the hospital and me waking up to find you in the kitchen. It's a total blank spot . . and kind of creepy. I remember Cam at the hospital but nothing after that."

Moving to the edge of the bed, Brennan glanced back and then stood up, "Are you going to go to work this morning? I recommend that you stay home one more day. I think it would be too dangerous for you to drive until the drug has left your system completely."

Moving his eyes to the side of the bed Brennan had just abandoned, Booth shook his head, "I don't know. I guess I should stay home one more day. . . . Are you going to stay or are you going to go to work?"

Torn, Brennan glanced at the bedside clock again and then back at Booth, "I think it would be wise for you to stay home and for me to stay to monitor you. I did remind Cam that I am your medical proxy and that you were my responsibility. . . . The next time you have a medical emergency you have to tell them to contact me, Booth. If your situation is dire your calling someone else would just delay your treatment since I'm the only one that can give permission for surgery or treatments when you're unconscious."

"Bones, I'm sorry but like I told you, you've had enough crap from me lately. I just wanted to give you a break from my stupid soap opera life." Rubbing his hands through his hair, Booth exhaled raggedly, "I know I haven't been there for you like I should have since I got back but I'm . . . I promise you that is changing from here on out. I want you to count on me and I'll try to tone down the drama around here. Even I'm tired of all the crap."

Sitting on the edge of the mattress, Brennan smiled, "We both seem to have very dramatic lives, Booth. Perhaps that's why we like each other so much. We both know that life is messy but we can handle that part of our lives. We can help each other handle the messy parts."

Clasping his hands on his lap, Booth smiled, "Sometimes I think we both cornered the market on messy."

Standing again, Brennan moved towards the doorway, "I'll go make us something to eat. I won't make you coffee because you shouldn't ingest any caffeine right now. It's counter productive to use caffeine when you're recovering from a migraine."

Sliding off the bed, Booth stood up and hobbled to the bathroom, "I'll bow to your expertise, Bones."

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Sipping milk from his glass, Booth watched as Brennan spread some jam on her toast, "Thanks for coming over and checking up on me, Bones."

Placing her knife down, Brennan took a bite of her toast. Watching her partner shovel some scrambled eggs into his mouth, Brennan swallowed her bite of bread, "We're partners and friends, Booth. No matter what is going on between us, that is something that will not change. I care about what is happening to you. I want to be someone you can count on. I don't want you to be afraid to call me when you need my help."

Reaching over and placing his hand over hers, Booth assured her, "I'll remember Bones and I want you to remember the same thing. We're going to straighten this whole thing out between us. It may take a little time but I think we'll get there. You'll see."

Placing her toast down, Brennan stared at his hand covering hers, "Booth, I thought about us last night, about our situation. We've been friends for a long time. In all of that time, you've never done anything to make me regret our friendship. You've been honest with me and I think you deserve the same thing from me. I want to be in a relationship with you, Booth, I really do. I want to know if you would be interested in dating for a while. I think this would allow us both to see the other in a non-professional relationship. It would allow us to better learn more about each other."

Chuckling, Booth responded, "Bones, I know you already but if you want to date I don't have a problem with that. I just want you to know that no matter what you think is going to happen, you and I are always going to be friends. Whether we're together in a physical relationship or not, you and I are always going to be friends."

Sighing, Brennan shook her head, "Booth, the world is not absolute like that. You have no way of knowing what is going to happen in the future. We . . ."

Interrupting her, Booth pulled her hand slightly towards him in a firm grip, "Hey, listen to me. We've known each other for seven years. We've been partners for six of those years and we've pretty much been best friends for probably the last three of those years. Those last three years are the key to our future, Bones. All the shit we've been through and we're still friends . . . that's a solid friendship, Bones. That mess outside the Hoover, me dating Catherine, you dating that jackass, Hacker, you and me running away from each other and . . . and me living with Hannah. Our friendship is battle tested, Bones. We've been through hell and back and our friendship is stronger for it."

Smiling, Booth rubbed his thumb across her thumb, "We'll date because that's what you want to do. You'll learn more about me and I'll learn more about you, but, Bones I guarantee you something, you're going to find out that being lovers and friends will make us stronger not weaker. We're like flip sides of the same coin. Together we make a strong valuable coin. Apart and our coin is useless and not very valuable."

Amused, Brennan pulled her hand away and picked up her toast, "That's a terrible analogy, Booth."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth picked up his fork, "Hey, what do you want from me, I'm still under the influence of drugs?"

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Resting, Booth used his remote to flip through television channels. Dissatisfied, he kept pressing the channel button, hoping to find something interesting to watch.

Leaning against the headboard, Booth's laptop open on her lap, Brennan remarked, "I don't know why you have a television in your bedroom. It can't be restful being barraged with whatever is being displayed on the screen."

Turning the TV off, Booth placed his remote on the nightstand and then rolled over to face his partner, "I need to do something. It's boring just laying here . . . Are you my girlfriend now that we're dating?" Curious about her answer, Booth plucked the comforter between his thumb and fingers.

Looking down at Booth, Brennan shrugged her shoulders, "That sounds so childish. It's a shame that the English language doesn't have a word that conveys the fact that we're dating adults and not adolescents."

Stilling his hand, Booth frowned, "Well, I don't know of one so I guess I'm you're boyfriend and you're my girlfriend."

Closing the laptop, Brennan placed it on the nightstand near her and slid down the bed until she was laying on her side facing him. Placing her hand on his face, she smiled, "Why don't we just call each other Bones and Booth?"

Reaching up and moving her hand to his lips, Booth kissed her palm and smiled, "I don't know Bones. I kinda like calling you my girlfriend."

Feeling a shiver run up her spine, Brennan watched as he kissed each of her fingers.

Booth, aware that he had her undivided attention, released her hand and leaned over and kissed her on the lips. "Want to make out a little?"

Brennan returned his kiss, "I think I'd like that."

Smiling, Booth kissed her tenderly, "Good, let the dating begin."

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