August 28th- 8:30 pm-

When dinner was finished, and Max had said goodbye, Brennan went about getting Michael ready for bed.

He had been fed and changed, and she dressed him in a set of warm pajamas with colored dinosaur bones on them. She smiled as she snapped it up, watching his eyes droop sleepily, even as his focus remained on his caregiver. "You are such a sweet little boy." She whispered to him, dropping a kiss on his nose. She whispered more gentle, soothing words, and gently rocked him into her arms, his blue eyes flickering shut as she watched over him, admiring the baby's little nose wiggle in his sleep, and the gentle suckling sound from his lips as he dreamed. She watched his eyes move beneath his delicate eyelids, those long dark eyelashes one of his most striking features and gently ran her finger over his round cheeks. She found herself humming a gentle tune, and noted the gentle peace that seemed to consume her when she held the child close.

Prepared to rest, but not quite ready for bed, she settled on her couch with Michael in her arms, and pulled the phone from her pocket. She settled back and dialed Booth's number, waiting patiently until he picked up on the second ring.v"Hey." Booth said, his tone showing the humor beneath his voice. He listened for her slight giggle, and wasn't disappointed.

"Just because I answered the phone like that earlier, doesn't mean you can answer like that now." She teased, listening to the easy sound of his chuckle on the other end of the line. "How are you feeling?" She asked, listening to the sigh on the other end of the line.

"The last time I was in a hotel room alone, was the night of our first date." He said, a tender smile on his lips that she could see if she closed her eyes. "It was agony then, and it's agony now. I miss you, Bones."

"I miss you too, Booth." She said, looking down at the sleeping baby in her arms.

"So what did Max want?" Booth asked, switching gears from sweet to serious. He knew that there was no reason to dance around the subject, so he dove right in.

"He was checking in on me, you know how he does it." She said, feeling a bit sad all of a sudden. "I just… I want things to be normal between us, but he makes it so difficult."

"I know, Bones. He's still trying to get to know you, to understand you. He just doesn't understand the way that you work, the way that you think, the way that you feel. He doesn't quite still understand that you're not that little kid that he left behind."

"You do." She said, letting out a rueful laugh. "You understand how I think, how I feel."

"I do." He said, smiling slightly. "I do understand you." He said. "I mean, most of the time, when you're not saying super squinty things." He said, listening to her light laugh. "There's that laugh that I love." He paused. "I love you, Bones."

"I love you, Booth." She said, letting out a sigh. "I don't think I will be able to sleep tonight." She said.

"Why? You're going to miss my snoring?" He asked, listening to her soft laugh.

"You don't snore." She said. "Not enough to keep me from sleeping, anyway." She teased, listening to his gentle groan. "I am worried about nightmares." She said.

"I know." He replied. "I know you're worried, but you can't keep yourself from sleeping. Are you in bed now?" He asked.

"I'm on the couch with Michael. He's sleeping in my arms." She said softly.

"Lucky guy." Booth teased. "Listen, call me when you're in bed. I'll talk to you until you fall asleep." He said softly.

"How will you chattering in my help me sleep?" She asked playfully.

"Maybe it won't, but I won't be happy unless I try." He said softly. "I want your voice to be the last thing that I hear before I fall asleep." He said softly.

"Okay." She said, feeling the sincerity in his words. "I'll call you when I'm in bed." She said, suddenly feeling shy. "It won't be long. I am quite tired."

"Good. I'll talk to you soon." He said.

"Talk to you soon." She replied, and disconnected the call, setting the phone beside her. She looked down at the sleeping baby in her arms, smiling at his easily contented expression, his eyes closed tightly. She lifted him slightly and kissed his forehead, before she pulled herself from the couch and concentrated on getting both Michael and herself into bed.


10:30-

After being sure that Michael was snug in his bed, and she had finished her nighttime routine, Brennan climbed into her side of the bed. She felt a little silly lying on one side of the bed when Booth wasn't there, but tried to remind herself that she was simply trying to remain close to the sleeping baby just in case he woke in the middle of the night. Once settled among the blankets, she reached for her phone and quickly pressed the call button for Booth. It was only one ring this time, and it made her smile.

"I was waiting for you." He said, his voice was low a little seductive, enough to make a sly smile slip onto her lips.

"You can't do that." She whispered, burrowing into her blankets as she switched off the bedroom light.

"I can't wait for you?" He teased.

"You can't say it like that, like you're here to kiss me goodnight." She said, letting a bit of a whine slip into her voice.

"So you don't want to talk dirty?" He asked, laughing at her groan on the line.

"Stop!" She groaned. "This will not help me sleep." She whined.

"Okay, okay." He said, sighing happily into the line. "Just close your eyes." He said. "Are your eyes closed?"

"No." She giggled.

"Well, close them." He said, trying to sound serious. "How about now?"

"They're closed." She said, letting out a sigh. She waited a moment, and he said nothing. "Booth?"

"Shh..." He whispered. "I'm right here."

"Are your eyes closed?" She asked.

"Yes." He replied. "Now hush." He said. "Remember the lighthouse?" He asked suddenly, his tone was soft and gentle. "Not the climb, but the wind at the top?"

"Yes." She said softly.

"I remember your hair was blowing a little, and the smell of the ocean air." He said.

"Mm..." She hummed. "Your arms around me." She hummed.

"Yes." He whispered. "I love you." He whispered.

She sighed again as he continued to talk, his gentle voice in her ear, and the thought of his arms wrapped around her keeping them both warm as they drifted off to sleep together.

Her fingertips moved to the dolphin on the necklace she was wearing, a slow smile rising on her lips. "I love you." She whispered back.

"That's what you're going to dream of." Booth said softly. "That's what you're going to think about right now as you go to sleep. "You're going to feel the wind, you're going to smell the ocean breeze, and you're going to feel my gentle kisses on your cheek and neck."

"Mm..." She hummed, feeling the heavy pull of sleep. "Thank you, Booth." She whispered, her voice groggy and sleepy.

"Just listen to my voice, concentrate on my tone, and focus on the words and the way I'm talking. Focus on the feeling of my arms around you."

"I miss you." She mumbled, almost unintelligibly.

"I miss you, baby." Booth whispered, as his gentle tone and voice slowly lulled her into a restful sleep.