Jared takes off his cap and runs a hand through his hair. Looking up he sees his brother watching him from a distance, he sighs and replaces the cap on his head before heading over to talk to his older sibling. The fire is all but out, pumper trucks concentrate on smaller fires around the site and squad cars have started to vacate the scene. The picture of chaos is slowly melting into the white snow and falling ash.
Booth smiles as his brother comes to a stand in front of him. "Thanks for being concerned about my well being."
Jared gives him a cocky grin. "I would have been worried, but Temperance was there to take care of you. Speaking of which, where is Temperance?"
Booth jabs his thumb over his shoulder towards the back seat of the SUV. "She's exhausted. Probably the huge plate of food that Mom insisted she eat." Jared peers over his brother's shoulder and smiles affectionately at the sleeping form in the back seat.
"You okay Seeley?"
"I'll live…. We got trapped near the back of the warehouse, the exits were blocked and Jenkins was hurt, I dragged him into an office room and we just waited…. Nothing too exciting."
"Well, you had us worried." Booth taps his brother's shoulder in a gesture of reassurance.
"You want me to wake Bones? You can take her home."
"No, I'm gonna be here for a few more hours until the site is secure, don't wake her. You take her home."
"You sure?"
"Yeah." Jared looks back at the warehouse. "I'm sure she'd prefer you to be the one to wake her."
Booth frowns quickly in confusion. Jared turns back to him and they shake hands. "I better get back." Booth nods and watches as his brother disappears back into the smoky haze. Taking a glance over his shoulder at the sleeping body he smiles gently before getting into the driver's side of the vehicle.
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As Booth pulls up outside of Brennan's apartment, she seems to sense the change in movement and sits up slowly. He turns in his seat to face her and smiles as he takes in her smoky features. She returns his expression with a warm quirk of the lips.
"Hey."
"Welcome to the land of the living."
"I don't know what that means…" Her confused expression causes a warm stir in his stomach and he nods.
"Well, you're home. You want me to walk you up?"
She shakes her head and smiles as her fingers go up to her mussed hair and she tries to flatten it. "No, I think I can manage it." Looking around the back of the car she frowns. "Where's my bag?"
"You're what?" He glances at the floor in the back of the car.
"My bag, it has the keys to my apartment in it."
"I don't remember you having a bag."
Her eyes snap up in realisation. "I've left it in Jared's truck….Ugh, I'll need to get them."
Booth lets out a loud sigh. "You're sure?" She nods. "You know what Bones, I'm beat. Jared's back at the docks still, why don't you come back to mine, you can take my bed and I'll sleep in Parker's room."
"But I smell."
Booth chuckles. "Well that's because you're a girl." Her eyebrows knit in confusion again and he holds up a hand as he pulls away from the kerb. "I know, you don't know what that means."
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Booth pushes the front door open and hits the light switch, the room is bathed in a soft glow and he trudges into the hallway, Brennan follows behind him slowly hugging her arms to her body against her exhaustion and the bitter nip of the wind outside. Booth pushes the door closed behind her and turns to face her, this is the first time that he is able to see her face fully in light since he left the warehouse. He chuckles and reaches out for her cheek, she pulls back slightly and his eyes meet hers.
"Sorry, you're just…well covered in dust and soot."
She relaxes slightly. "Could I maybe take a shower?"
He nods and points down the hallway. "Last on the right, there's fresh towels in the linen closet and if you check under the sink there should be a new toothbrush, it's a kid's one, but it'll do the job."
She smiles gratefully and starts to make her way down the hall, stopping she turns to him with a concerned look on her face. "Are you sure this is ok?"
"Of course it is, now hurry up…I really need a shower too." She smiles and continues her journey. Booth wipes a hand over his face and looks at the closed bathroom door trying hard not to imagine her undressing herself on the other side. Groaning he walks into the kitchen and grabs a beer from the fridge. His eyes involuntarily staring at the wall in the direction of the room currently housing a very naked, soapy Brennan.
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Booth exits the bathroom, a damp towel slung around his neck, his chest bare and his pyjama bottoms hanging low on his waist. He dries his hair with an edge of the towel, his other hand supporting the other end of the towel around his neck. Flicking off the light to the bathroom he pulls the towel from his neck and tosses it over the edge of the roll top bath tub.
As he walks through the darkened hallway, he notices the light escaping from below his bedroom door. Knocking lightly he enters. Brennan is sitting on the bed, an old training shirt has replaced her smoky clothes, her hair still damp. She smiles gently at him, a sad expression in her eyes. He frowns and steps into the room and toward her.
"Bones?" Stopping by the bed he lowers himself and faces her. "What's wrong?"
She shakes her head slowly. "Nothing… It's just that.. I was worried. I thought that…"
Booth's hand on hers stops her from continuing her train of thought and he smiles reassuringly. "But I'm not, I'm safe."
Her eyes falter from his and she looks at her hand grasped in his larger one. She feels like she has so much to say to him, so many feelings to express, but the fear of letting him get close to her chokes the words in her throat. He seems to sense her awkwardness and tugs on her hand gently, she gratefully folds into his arms and he holds her tight against him.
"I was scared too Bones.
Too soon he is pulling back from her, smiling gently and brushing the damp strands of hair back form her face he presses his lips gently to her cheek. Her eyes flutter closed involuntarily and it takes all of his strength to propel him from the bed and onto his feet. The change in proximity causes her eyes to snap open again and he gestures to the door.
"I'll be right next door if you want me." His words hang thickly in the air and she is confused by the double-entendre, not by it's meaning, but by what it means to her. "Good night Temperance." Her mind is shocked back into the present by the mention of her given name. He has moved to the door and is backing from the room.
"Sweet dreams Booth."
He smiles and exits inwardly groaning at the irony of her statement. His dreams tonight will be anything but sweet.
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OOOOOH what's gonna happen?