Disclaimer: I still don't own anything about Bones, just the storyplot.
I don't have english as my first language so forgive the grammar or spelling.

Chapter 3. Starting the Hike

A couple of hours later they were still walking on a small trail. Booth stopped every now and then to see what the compass said. The sun was starting to set and Booth realized that they had to spend the night outdoors. He had no problem with that since his days in the Army, but what would Bones think about that.

"Hey, Bones! Wait up" he said as he hurried to her side.

"Stop calling me Bones" she said clearly irritated.

"Alright alright, Brennan. We have to start finding some shelter for the night".

"You mean we have to spend it outdoors?".

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean".

"But how will we manage?".

"Don't worry. I've done this before and we're going to be just fine".

"Really?".

"Really".

She looked worried and almost scared when she thought about spending the night outdoors. This isn't what she had planned exactly, but he hadn't either so there was nothing they could do about it now.

Booth started looking for a suitable spot to spend the night. Preferably with some kind of watersource nearby. He found a small stream and decided that this was their spot for the night. He started tearing off branches and stuff to make a shelter while she stood and watched him work. She had no idea what to do and she realized it. As much as she hated feeling worthless, this was something that she hadn't got a clue about. Making shelters. Hunting for food. The only thing she could do was gather firewood, which she did.

The wind was starting to blow a bit harder, but they managed so far without a fire and besides they had their warm jackets and warm underwear. They would manage she thought.

When the sun had gone down however, she felt that it was cold in spite of their clothes. Booth made a fire and handed her a bowl of berries he had picked. That was their food for tonight.

They sat on opposite sides of the fire eating the berries under silence. Brennan stared into the fire, hypnotized by it's colors, sound, smell and movements. It was a long time ago she had seen a camp fire. She couldn't even remember she had seen one at all, but she was sure that she had at some point. Which little kid hadn't?

Booth watched her while he ate his share of the berries. He smiled to himself. Here he was out in the wild with a woman he would gladly die for, and she didn't know. She actually didn't know. She wasn't very social, but he realized at some point they had to stop their fightings and the only way to stop fighting was to talk, which she didn't seem to enjoy as much as he did. For now though, they could settle with silence. It's been a long day, well not a day, more like a long afternoon and evening. The night was now at play with its sounds and smells. The sky was not clear so they couldn't see any stars, but every now and then the moon shone down on them as if to say hello and then disappear again behind its cover of clouds. Somewhere in the night, they heard a howl followed by running feet and grunts. Brennan flew up to a standing position.

"What was that?" she asked with a voice shivering of fear.

"It was probably just a coyote or a wolf hunting for prey that howled. The running feet and grunts were probably the prey, deers or something like that."

She sat down again, but she didn't look re-assured. Every few seconds her head was turned in every kind of direction to spy.

He just sat there watching her, trying desperate to come up with something to say so she would calm down. He couldn't so he just said:

"How about turning in for the night?"

She turned her head and looked at him with fear in her eyes.

"Calm down Bones, sorry, Brennan, nothing will harm you. We have a fire, we have a gun, a knife and well, you have me here."

"Oh, that's re-assuring" she bit back.

He sighed and got up and went into the shelter. Suddenly the rain started coming down, heavily, but she still sat there.

"Brennan, get in here before you get a pneumonia."

She got up and walked over to the shelter and stood there hesitantly in the opening that served as a door.

Booth grabbed her arm and janked her inside. While in there he started to take off her jacket and shoes.

"What are you doing?" she asked trying to stop him.

"I am taking off your jacket, shoes and pants. I don't want you to get sick on me."

She looked him in the eyes and let him undress her. They had no sleepingbags, just one blanket which Angela mercifully had left in the bag. Booth got his jacket, pants and shoes off and got his bag as a pillow and pulled the blanket over him. Brennan still sat there in her warm underwear consisting of a longsleeved shirt and pants. She hesitantly laid down beside Booth and pulled the blanket over her. She must admit that he was right, she would have gotten sick if she had stayed in her clothes which now hung on a branch inside to dry.

Next morning Booth woke up first. The sun shone in through some chinks in the branchwalls. He tried to stretch but his left arm was restrained and he saw Brennan lie there, peacefully asleep with her head on his left arm. He smiled at the sight. One single ray of sunshine had caught a glimpse of her auburn hair and made it shine. Some strands of hair had fallen in front of her face and he gently pushed them back with his right hand. She stirred a bit by the motion, but didn't wake up fully.

He still laid and watched her. She was beautiful in her sleep, hell she was always beautiful, it didn't matter in which state she was or if she was all sweaty and dirty from digging or if she was cool and newly showered. It didn't matter to him. He had to tell her sometime, but he just couldn't find it in him just yet. He pushed his thoughts away and gently pulled his arm away from under her head and sat up and pulled on his pants, shoes and jacket to go out, start up the fire again and make something for breakfast.