Chapter 10 – A disturbed Night (Part 2)

Thanks for your comments. It's really encouraging to continue writing after receiving reviews like that. Thanks !

When Booth entered the kitchen, Brennan was sitting at the counter with a glass of water in front of her and starred at the table board.

„Can't sleep?" he asked quietly, what didn't prevent her from wincing before looking up.

„Not really." their eyes met shortly. Then she looked down again. „Too many thoughts."

Booth pulled a chair closer to the bar and sat down next to Brennan, who sat there like paralysed and starred at the board again.

As she remained silent after a minute, Booth cleared his throat, what pulled her at least that much out of her thoughts, that she turned to him. She laid down her left upper arm on the counter and placed her head on it.

„Do you want to talk ?" Booth asked and fought against the impulse to put his hand on her back at the same time. She looked so tired, that he honestly wondered, why she had had problems falling asleep.

„Not now." she replied almost not hearable and slowly closed her eyes.

„I think your bed would be much more comfortable than your kitchen." Booth grinned. But his smirk died, when Bones opened her eyes again, sat up and rubbed her forehead with one hand.

„ I know, but it didn't work in the last few hours." she sighed and supported her head with her hand.

Bit by bit Booth began to worry. Bones seemed to be everything but not relaxed. But if she doesn't want to talk with him, he couldn't force her to do so. That he had learned by now.

„Ok, come with me." He stood up and embraced his arms from behind. He made a move with his head that was supposed to tell her that he wanted to head for the living room.

It was probably because of her tiredness that she gave up protesting so soon and let Booth lead her to the couch. She sat down, while Booth arranged a few pillows and placed one on his lap. Brennan observed this and frowned. What is he doing ?

Booth answered her unspoken question by planting one arm around her and pulling her slowly close to him. Gradually she got an idea what he wanted from her.

„Bones, that's really not..."

„Shsh...it's alright. You almost fall asleep in the kitchen, but don't sleep in your bed for hours...I just want you to relax, ok ?" He continued exerting pressure on her side, until she sank down on the couch. Her head in his lap.

„You really don't have to..." she began and looked directly into Booth's eyes. He smiled.

„It's okay." He carefully ran his hand over her hair. Bones' eyes almost closed by themselves again...until she suddenly realised who was running his hand over her head and had made her feel so comfortable. But this relaxation vanished from one second to the other. His touch caused a hot burning on her skin. While he ran with one hand through her hair, he had laid his other hand on her belly. Without her noticing it...until now.

„Booth, what are you doing?" she looked in his eyes again.

Booth stopped, but let his hand on her hair. „Nothing...I just wanted to help. You said you didn't want to talk, so I thought..."

Bones got up fitfully, so that he had to remove his hands from her. She sat up right. Wasn't lying on his lap anymore, but stayed close.

Booth had noticed how she suddenly tensed up again. He didn't know why, but to press her now about what was going on, what he had done wrong, would only drive her nuts. Instead he folded his hands, leaned forward and supported his forearms on his legs.

Brennan pressed her lips together. Unsure, what to say or do. Why was everything different today ?

„Bones, I didn't want you to feel ...pressed somehow. Really not." he explained and turned his head to her.

„I didn't mean that." she replied calmly. „It's just..." she sighed. „Forget it. We're both tired. Let's drop it for today."

Booth leaned back again. He could tell that she definitely wouldn't continue speaking about it, even if he stayed persistent. But there were so many things he wanted to tell her.

„It's been a hard week."

„Yeah, the case becomes more and more complicated. We could identify the saw, but that doesn't really help us." Bones blabbed like a nervous school girl.

A grin appeared on his face again. „I actually didn't mean that."

„Oh." Brennan turned away her gaze. „What did you mean?"

„Mhm..for example your meeting with your father ? The card in front of your door ?" and our conversation about Sully and you? He only thought the last part. It was the last thing missing that he catered that one more time.

Brennan nodded. „Right." A smile flashed over her face.

„What?" Booth asked, who had completely turned to her now and had laid one arm casually on the back of the couch.

„My dad really believed we were going to marry. He thought we would be couple...and it seems like he believed this for a long time."

Booth laughed. If Bones hadn't been that tired, she surely would have realised that it was more a nervous laugh than that Booth really thought it was funny.

„Did he tell you that when you visited him?"

„That and a few more things." She had also turned to him by now. Although she virtually fled from him, she didn't wish anything more than just to lie down as she had done before.

Booth was startled. „What other things ?"

Bones cleared her throat to win some time. „ He told me about his arrest."

He didn't move any muscle. „You know he turned himself in."

„Mhm...right...but I didn't know that you two beat each other up before so that it would look more spectacular."

He coughed nervously. „ Okay...is this the moment when you remind me of behaving like a typical a-male ?"

Alpha-male"

Booth sighed. „Why do you always have to correct me ?"

She smirked impishly. „Mhm...you're still able to learn and I didn't give up hope."

„Now look at that ! So I'm still lucky right ?"

Brennan could not but smile. If Booth kept looking at her like that she'd get a problem. And he wasn't much better.

After an embarrassing moment of silence, Booth grabbed at the remote.

„Want to find out if we're lucky ?" he raised one eyebrow questioningly

„Ok. Although I doubt that you can find high-class entertainment at this time of the night."

Booth pressed one button and the screen lighted up. „Who needs something educating at this time ?"

Bones was surprised. „ You like watching rubbish just because it's late ?"

He zapped through the programmes until he discovered a black-white movie. „There's something that's not so bad."

She looked at the screen and had to agree with him, although she noticed that this movie was almost dripping with kitsch. She just wanted to place a pillow between her back and the couch, as she felt Booth's arm on her side again.

„Just relax..I won't do anything. I only want you to be able to sleep." he looked at her encouraging.

At first she stayed steadfast, but gave way at last. She laid on her side, her head again on the pillow, his hand remained on her belly. It felt weird. They had hugged before, but he had never done something like tjat. He even got the blanket from the armchair and covered her carefully.

Bones was definitely too tired to protest, but one thing still bugged her.

„How well did you really know Rose ?"

Booth didn't move for a second. „Why do you want to know that?" he asked surprised.

„Just out of interest...did you flirt with her?" an insinuating undertone resonated in her voice.

„Maybe."

She froze shortly and breathed out the air, she had been holding in the entire time, after a few seconds.

„I'm sorry that she's dead, Booth." she said soundless.

For a few minutes both tried to follow the movie or at least acted like they would. Booth started again to run through her hair.

„Only that I flirted with her doesn't mean that I had planned to start a family with her." Booth broke the silence between them.

„Oh,...I thought you..."

„...might not flirt with someone just for fun ?" Booth finished her sentence.

She nodded barely noticeable. Booth smiled. They looked back at the TV, but none of them really followed the story.

Even though she would disclaim it in front of everyone, Bones couldn't deny that she was relieved. Relieved to know that Rose didn't mean anything to him. And not only because he was not grieving for a friend or even a girlfriend.

She slowly started to relax again. After a few minutes her eyes closed on their own. When her breathing had become calm and regular, Booth noticed that she had just fallen asleep on his lap. He was still smiling. No matter what Brennan would say or how she'd behave, her last question had revealed more of her to him that she had probably intended to...