Title: Deja Vu

Disclaimer: Language, violence

Chapter Eleven: So I Need You

Lunch came quicker than Brennan expected it would. Dr. Goodman had been avoiding her since their exchange that morning. He either didn't feel comfortable around or was embarrassed and unsure of how to apologize. She didn't really care. There were more pressing matters at hand. Like picking Booth up from the hospital. She drove the streets in a leisurely manner, screw it if she was late again. Her boss could just deal with it today. She had a friend in need and she wasn't going to leave him stranded.

Pulling up the hospital she found Booth sitting outside in the sunshine on a bench. This surprised her. She been expecting to find him inside, and had kind of been hoping to talk with his doctor. He waved at her before getting up and making his way to her car. He climbed in, a smile on his face.

"I could get use to this, you know," he told her in a happy voice.

"Used to what?" she asked before she could stop herself.

"Having you around all the time. Maybe instead of picking me up from my lunch we could be going out to lunch. We could carpool to work," he dreamed aloud.

Brennan shook her head. "Don't start with me. I'm in so much trouble with my boss right now; he'll probably kill me if he finds me late again. You should have heard the things he said to me this morning. I don't know what came over me but I hit him, smacked him right across the cheek." Why was she telling him this?

Booth looked at her. "Wow, didn't know you had it in you. May I ask what he said that upset you?"

Brennan chewed her bottom lip, not sure if she wanted Booth to know that her boss thought they'd slept together. What sort of ideas would that give him? "Never mind what he said, he just had no right in saying it."

They drove along, silence making a home in the car. Not even the constant chatter of the radio seemed to break the barrier of uneasiness. Last night they had talked about so much. They had been comfortable in each other's presence. Now it was like they were back in school, unsure of what to do with one another. Booth rested his head on the head rest and closed his eyes. Brennan prayed that he would fall asleep; she'd rouse him when they reached his place but her luck just didn't run that way today.

"You know that I like you a lot, Bones," he said, not opening his eyes. "I'm glad that you stayed with me last night. It was nice to wake up with you sitting there. You look so peaceful when you're sleeping, you know? Like an angel."

She wasn't sure what to say to him. Should she tell him that she hadn't meant to stay, that it was just an accident? No, that would be cruel and her heart wasn't in it. In fact, she didn't understand the feeling that had been coursing through her body since picking him up at the hospital. What had Angela said? Something about being in love. Was that what she was feeling? The idea scared her. She had never been in love before and didn't quite know what to do. Bones she could handle, they didn't have emotions or feelings. They just told a tale and that was that. People were different, more complex. They had feelings, motives, opinions, wants, needs, and so on. Why couldn't she understand them? She was a scientist after all.

Stopping at a red light she chanced a glance in his direction. He still had his eyes closed. She studied him, the way the light touched his face, the way he breathed. Why had she never seen him like this before? Just as she feared the night out had changed them. Nothing was going to be the same. Someone honked their horn behind her and she returned her gaze to the road just as Booth opened her eyes.

"So," she said, tired of the silence and that fact that she could hear herself thing. "What did your doctor say?"

Booth shrugged. "They didn't find any traces of the poison, so they have no idea what it was. He told me to take a few days off but I'm not going to. I have cases to handle, people to help, others to arrest. Not to mention, there's that whole missing-girl-wound-up-dead case that I'm working with you. She deserves some peace, don't you think?"

"But don't you think you should listen to your doctor?" Brennan asked, always thinking rationally.

"If I didn't know any better I'd think you were trying to get rid of me, Bones," he replied, using her nickname. Instead of making her angry it made her heart flutter.

"I just don't want you to push yourself too hard, that's all. Nothing more, nothing less." It was the truth, she told herself. She was just doing the friendly thing and be concerned about his welfare.

When she next looked at him there was look of pain on his face and she knew that it was because of what she had said. His feelings for her really ran deep. Something she really hadn't been expecting. Why did he love her so much? What was it about her that he found so attractive? Here was a man who had everything; a job he was great at, model-handsome looks, a son who loved him, friends that fought for him, enough money to be comfortable. He could have any girl in the world, any little thin blond chick with a nice chest and yet, he wanted her. She should have been flattered that he was interested in lowly her. Sure, she didn't look half bad but she wasn't exactly the best choice. All her time was spent studying things, not watching TV. She still hadn't figured out what was so funny about "Seinfeld". Of course, she'd only watched the one episode and felt a few degrees dumber after it ended.

She pulled up in front of his apartment building. He looked at her for a few minutes, letting his eyes drink her in. She shifted around uncomfortably under his watchful gaze. "Something I can do for you?" she asked, turning to look at him.

He smiled. "No, I just like looking at you. You're very beautiful, even when you're not made up for a date."

She felt herself blush as he climbed out the car. He peeked in the open window. "I'll see you tomorrow, Bones. Don't go doing anything stupid without me, got it?"

Brennan bit her lip, trying to fight back the words that desperately wanted to be free. But holding them in was like trying to hold back a hiccup. "Can I come over here after work?"

"Why?" he asked, giving her a look of surprise and confusion. Had he heard her right, she wanted to come to his place?

"Because I need you," she blurted out. Then, realizing what she had said, she let up on the gas and sped away. Booth barely had time to step away as the car drove off. When she looked in her rearview mirror she saw that he still stood on the curb, his dark eyes watching her car disappear down the road. For once he wasn't smiling.