"Do you have all your things, Bones?" Booth asked, handing over the suitcase he'd been pulling for her.

"Booth," she sighed, "you watched me pack. You double checked everything I had. You know I have everything."

He'd recovered quickly from being sick, probably brought on by a combination of exhaustion and stress. And they'd spent the last two days in each other's company, enjoying the holiday that held both unexpected hope and joy.

Now, she was preparing to return to Arizona while he looked forward to Parker arriving at his apartment later that afternoon.

"And you'll text me when I get there?"

"And call you tonight. Relax, Booth. I've left before and I'll be back for work on the second."

"Alright," he said. He didn't want her to leave, but given their lack of a new case, it was a good time to give her first promised week to Sarah. "The line looks pretty short. Probably a good time for you to get through."

Reaching out, she squeezed his hand and was taken back to an airport departure that had ended almost exactly the same way. Except this time it was days and not months before she'd see him again. And this didn't feel like an ending, but a new beginning. "I'll see you in a week and call you tonight."

Dropping her hand to free his, he reached out to pull her against him. Gently, he brushed his lips to hers before pulling back and giving her a gentle shove toward the line. "Go, Bones. I'll be here to pick you up."

Their physical contact, other than the brush of a hand or sitting near each other, had been limited over the last several days, as they carefully felt their way forward, both afraid of pushing the other. It was the first time he'd dared to kiss her, if that brief touch of lips could be classified as one. Still, it would be something he replayed in his mind until her return.

"Bye, Booth," she said. Waiting until she turned, Brennan brushed her fingers against her lips, excited about the future they seemed to be heading toward.

BbBbBbBb

He threw his keys into the bowl and faced his empty apartment. It was the first time he'd been truly alone since Hannah's departure. Booth waited for more than the initial twinge of regret, but nothing came. It appeared Hannah had been right about the two of them.

He didn't consider the time spent with Hannah wasted. She'd helped him get through something that had devastated him. And if dating her had brought him here, then he couldn't regret it.

The love he'd felt for her, and Booth had loved her, had not been the depth of emotion he felt for the woman who'd just headed back to Arizona. Temporarily. He'd have to keep reminding himself of that while waiting for her return.

Bones loved him. He had yet to return the words, but he would soon. He already regretted not saying them to her. But he didn't want Bones to doubt them if they were said so soon after Hannah. Booth wanted Brennan to never question what he felt for her.

And he'd have Parker. There was no question of Booth's feelings for his son. The time they spent together would make the time he spent apart from Bones go a lot faster.

"What's that?" he asked the empty apartment. On the table, in the spot previously occupied by his copy of the x-ray book, was a wrapped gift.

Bones hadn't purchased a gift for him; she'd told him so when he'd delivered hers to the Jeffersonian. Somehow, in the limited time they'd been apart the last several days, she'd managed to not only buy, but wrap a gift for him.

Wondering why she'd waited until she'd left to give it to him, he sat on the couch and pulled it into his lap. He knew what it was almost immediately, ripping the paper off. Confused, he looked at his copy of the book he'd purchased.

Several times the last several days, he'd tried to put in on the bookshelf, only to find Bones had returned it to the table when he wasn't looking. He'd finally given up, unsure why it was so important to her that it be left in plain sight.

Looking for a note or anything that explained what she'd done, Booth realized there were pages added to the back, similar to her gift. Thankfully there were also notes included with the x-rays as he'd have no idea what the pictures would show him without them.

"Shit," he muttered. After a quick perusal, Booth realized all the x-rays were Brennan's. Not sure whether or not he actually wanted to relive what was in the book, he went to his now full refrigerator to grab a bottle of beer.

"Okay, Bones," he said, toasting a woman who wasn't in the room. "If you can do this, so can I."

Taking a deep breath, he looked at the first x-ray. It was of her shoulder and upper arm, that part he could recognize. And realized he didn't need to read any of the notes to know the injury. They'd been chasing Gormogon's apprentice and their vehicle had been blown up. He'd kicked open doors, pulled her from the car. Bones had pulled shrapnel from her arm that had turned out to be a human tooth.

"Sick bastard," Booth muttered, taking a swallow from the bottle. They'd been lucky that day. They'd been lucky a lot of days.

"Okay. Next photo."

The next was also of her arm, the lower portion this time. She'd been stabbed by a scalpel, fighting for her life.

He'd been in time to save her life, but not stop the injury. It ate at him, the times she'd been hurt. When Booth hadn't been there, or hadn't been in time to stop whatever happened. Hell, sometimes he'd been there and she'd still be hurt.

"I held you in my arms and called you baby," he said. He ran a finger down the image of her arm, remembering the love and confusion that were so dominant in his brain. No matter what Sweets said, it hadn't been a coma dream that made him fall in love with Bones. Booth already had been. The dream just showed him what their future could be like, if they were both willing to risk their hearts.

Another x-ray, another arm injury, this one from a gunshot. Again, he'd been right there, and he supposed saved her in the end, as he'd killed the shooter. It was a miracle she still had full use of her hands considering how many times she'd been injured in either her arm or shoulder.

There were no more after that one, and Booth figured those were copies she had in her apartment, making them easier for her to retrieve. After the last, there was a folded piece of paper with his name on it.

Booth,

Without you, I wouldn't be here.

I am thankful for everything you've brought into my life and everything you will bring.

Love, Bones

BbBbBbBb

When the knock came, Booth was ready.

"Parker," he greeted, opening his arms wide and bracing himself as his son launched himself into Booth's arms. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, Dad. Are there presents?"

"Parker," Rebecca chided gently.

"It's okay. They're under the tree, Parker. Why don't you go sort them while I talk to your mom for a second."

Rebecca's eyes darkened, but she waited until Parker was out of earshot before asking. "Is there a problem with him staying the extra day we talked about?"

"Of course not, Rebecca. I love every second we get together. I just need to ask you a question."

Parker's mother shrugged. "You're his father, Booth. I'm sure whatever it is, is fine."

"Good. I just wanted to know if you had any concerns about me taking him to Arizona."