He threw the blankets off in frustration. "Why am I so hot? I was freezing only a few minutes ago."
Rising to her feet, Brennan put her hand against his forehead for what she was sure was the hundredth time. This time she smiled slightly. "You are much cooler. I think your fever has broken. How is your headache?"
Pausing, he took a deep breath. "It's gone," he said. Relieved, he rose to his feet. "I'm taking a shower."
"Cool shower," Bones said. Her look indicated that she wouldn't tolerate an argument from him. "You don't want to raise your body temperature again."
Grumbling, he disappeared into the bedroom, secretly pleased she felt comfortable enough to order him around.
Waiting until the door closed, Brennan grabbed the blankets and threw them into the washing machine. The entire apartment would need a thorough cleaning, and this was an easy place to start.
Booth left the bedroom ten minutes later, clad in sweats and an FBI t-shirt.
"I like that one," she said. She pointed at his shirt with a soup ladle, then used it to point at a chair. "Sit down. I managed to make chicken noodle soup with what food you had here. Which isn't much. Have you been shopping?"
His hand ran through still damp hair as he sat down. "Shopping? Don't remember when I shopped. Hannah…," he trailed off, instantly regretting saying the name.
"She's on her way back to Europe," Brennan said. "I talked to her and she was in the airport." Carefully, she placed a full bowl of soup in front of Booth. "What happened?"
Booth shrugged, taking a bite of soup to avoid answering. "Reality. We had different goals."
Sitting next to him with her own bowl, Brennan looked at him. "I don't know what that means."
"This soup is amazing, Bones. You're full of hidden talents. Tree decorating and cooking. Hannah wants a life of adventure and war zones. I want to stay in one place and get married. Or at least form a long-term relationship with someone," he added. Not sure why Bones had returned, Booth didn't want to say anything to chase her away. More than once, she said she didn't believe in marriage. But Booth was more than willing to be with her, even if marriage was something that she never agreed to.
Nodding, Brennan focused on her food for a few moments, processing her thoughts. When she didn't speak, Booth nudged her with his elbow. "Why did you come back?" he asked her. "You sent an email that said you weren't, and then there you were. In my apartment. On Christmas."
"You were sick. Hannah was at the airport. You needed me." She ducked her head, suddenly shy.
"So you aren't staying?" he asked. The soup no longer sat comfortably on his stomach and he pushed the rest away.
"In Washington? And the Jeffersonian? I'm staying. I spoke to Cam while you were sleeping. I felt bad calling her on Christmas, but she didn't seem to mind."
Booth chuckled. "I'm sure she didn't."
"And," she continued, "my family is here. You were right. There is more than one kind of family. And here is mine. I wasn't as ready to leave that behind as I thought."
Somehow, she'd avoided clearly mentioning him in that entire answer. "Were you coming back, even if Hannah hadn't left?"
Would she have? Brennan was pretty sure she would. But Booth being sick and alone had been the catalyst that brought her home.
Worry and love. In the end, it had all come down to that.
"Eventually. Maybe not as fast. But you were alone. And sick," she said, putting her thoughts into words. "You need me. And I was very worried about you. So I came."
Reaching out, he took her hand into his. "I do need you, Bones. I need you to quit leaving me."
She grimaced at his words and his hand tightened. "You just said you were staying at the Jeffersonian."
"Booth, I am. But I met a woman in Arizona, at the museum I mentioned in the email. I made her a promise and I'm keeping it."
He dropped her hand. "So you are leaving again. For three months."
Brennan's hand reached out to stop him from leaving the table. "I'm trying to explain. I'm sorry I'm doing such a bad job at it."
"Dumb it down for me, Bones. I'm sick and I'm still tired. It's Christmas, Hannah left and you keep disappearing and reappearing with no explanation other than an email, which was a terrible present, by the way."
She nodded. Now was the time to keep the promise she'd made to herself. "Okay. I'm staying at the Jeffersonian. When I went to Arizona, I met a woman, Sarah, who needs help identifying ancient remains so they can be returned to the appropriate people and given the burial they deserve. I agreed to help her for three months. Then I called you and Hannah and you were sick. She left and I love you, so I came home. But Sarah still needs my help. So I am going one week a month for as long as it takes to assist her."
It had all come out in one breath and she took a deep one when she stopped. Maybe just slipping it in the middle there wasn't the best plan, but she'd at least said the words. "I think that covers it."
"What did you say?" he asked. His hand circled her upper arm, and she looked down before meeting his eyes again.
"I can repeat it word for word if you want?" she asked.
And he knew she could. But it wasn't all the words she wanted, just the three in the middle. "You just told me you loved me, Bones."
"Booth," she said patiently. "I just flew all night from Arizona and came straight to your apartment. I cleaned it, decorated your tree, made soup for you, and took care of you when you felt ill. I'm not good with emotions, but even I know that those actions indicate that you are more than a friend to me."
Pulling away gently, she took both soup bowls from the table to the sink. Turning, she leaned back against the counter. "I'm not sure this is the best time, Hannah hasn't been gone for twelve hours. And you aren't ready for me. But I'm ready for you.
"I wasn't ready to give you my entire heart a year ago. I was afraid of everything I could lose and not ready to see all I could gain. I've seen and felt the difference between not having a chance with you and having one. My heart is ready."
He rested a hand against his forehead to check to make sure his fever hadn't returned. Her chuckle had him shaking his head. There was no way this was happening. But he plunged ahead as if it was.
"I bought the same book. The one I purchased for you. I wanted to be close to you, Bones, and I didn't know how to do it. It was a silly thing to do. It just made it more clear to Hannah and to me that I wasn't over you." He couldn't tell her he loved her, not with Hannah having barely left his life. But he did, love her. And soon, he would tell her.
"When I took the job in Arizona, the book made me sad. Would any of those terrible things had happened if we never met? But because we met, I have a family and friends. My life if full now, more than I ever thought it could be. I really can't walk away from that."
"What are we going to do?" Booth asked.
Brennan shrugged, and for once, didn't let herself worry about a future she couldn't plan. "We're both going the same direction. We'll figure it out together. But one thing I know for sure, is that you still don't look great. You need more rest. Go to bed, Booth. I'll still be here when you wake up."