Only one more chapter to go after this one. Told you it was short! Thanks once again for all the reviews, you guys ROCK!

Brennan thought there was a better chance that he would talk to her if they were alone, so they picked up takeout and took it back to her apartment. Booth was quiet again on the way back, but he seemed more thoughtful than upset. She hoped that maybe he would be ready to talk to her, to tell her what was wrong.

Booth followed her into the apartment. He probably should have just gone home, but he just couldn't leave yet. Her presence was a comfort to him. He didn't want to go back to his apartment, alone with his thoughts. And he definately didn't want to go to sleep. The nightmares were waiting for him. He didn't want to ruin the day he had had by living the horrors of his dreams. He looked around the apartment. He never could come here and not remember the explosion, how close he had come to death. And the fact that it could have been her. He had almost failed her that time, delivering her to the hands of a killer. He thanked God everyday that he had been able to save her. But despite what had happened to him, he still felt at home here.
"Listen, Bones, thanks again for coming with me today."

"I told you. I actually had fun. You were right. I did need to spend a day away from the lab."

He smiled at her. "Did you just say I was right?"

"I have to admit, you definately have a knack for knowing what people need."

"Not people, Bones, just you."

"You think that you can read me that easily?"

"When people work together as closely as we do, they tend to be able to get inside their heads, so to speak."

Brennan took a deep breath. "It's funny that you should mention that. I get the feeling that you have had something on your mind."

Booth realized what he had gotten himself into. "Look, Bones, it's nothing, really. Don't worry about it."

She looked at him. "I wish you would trust me enough to talk to me, to tell me what's wrong."

Booth heard the hurt in her voice. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just that's it's really no big deal, and I don't want to burden you with my problems."

"Is it Cam?" She said this without thinking, then realized that it probably wasn't the best way to bring it up. "I mean, I know that you aren't seeing each other any more, but I thought maybe..."

"It has nothing to do with Cam, Bones, okay?" She was looking at him with such sympathy, it made him feel guilty for making her worry. "I just haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately, that's all." That was the understatement of the year.

Brennan looked at him. "Why?"

"Just different things. I've been under a lot of stress with these recent cases, and, well, some other things." He definately did not want to tell her about the nightmares.

"About Parker?"

He looked at her sharply. "Why would you ask that?" It came out louder than he intended.

She saw that she had upset him. "Booth, I'm sorry, I just... When you were talking about him earlier, I thought I heard something in your voice..." She trailed off. He was looking at her so intently.

"I've just been having some dreams, okay? Parker being taken away..." He broke off. He was telling way too much. "Look, Bones, I really don't want to talk about it. I'm fine."

She heard the emotion in his voice. She knew she had upset him. That's the last thing she wanted to do. She decided to change the subject. "Um, listen, I was wondering about the game today. I still don't get that frosting thing.

He had to smile. "Icing, Bones. It's icing. Not frosting"

They finished eating, him trying to explain the game, her just getting more confused.

He looked at her. He shouldn't have gotten so upset. She was just trying to help. It wasn't her fault that she didn't have the greatest people skills. She was actually getting better. It had taken awhile, but she was more personable than she had been. She certainly had no trouble reading him.
"I probably should be going."

"Yeah, I guess so." She was interrupted by the phone. "Brennan"

"Hey, sweetie, what's up?" Angela asked.

Brennan looked at Booth. She held up a finger to tell him to wait, then walked into the bedroom.

Booth leaned back on the couch. Moments from the day kept coming back to him. Parker running to meet Rebecca, Bones trying to follow the hockey game, her attempt to try to find out what was wrong. He felt as if he could stay here forever. He tried to examine his feelings for her. He always wanted to be around her. He missed her when they had no cases together. He could talk to her about anything, and she would never judge him. And she could make him feel alive just with her smile. He was comforted by these feelings, yet they also terrified him, because she could be used to make him suffer, just as Parker could.
He heard her talking to Angela. He could listen to her voice forever.

Brennan hung up the phone. She had been talking to Angela longer than she thought. She hoped that he hadn't left.
She walked out into the living room, and smiled. He was asleep. He looked so peaceful. She took the blanket on the back of the couch and covered him.
"Good night, Seeley" she whispered as she walked back into the bedroom.

BBBBBB

Brennan opened her eyes. Something had awakened her. She sat up and looked around.

"NO! Temperence!" Booth's voice was panicked.

She rushed out into the living room. He was thrashing about on the couch, saying her name. "Bones, Run!"

She ran to him, shaking his arms. "Booth, wake up! Booth!"

He sat up so suddenly, he nearly knocked her to the floor. "Booth, it's okay. You were just dreaming."

He looked at her. "Thank God. I thought..."

She took him into her arms. "It's okay, I'm fine." She tried to comfort him.

His heart was racing, he couldn't catch his breath. He just held on to her. The images slowly left his mind, and his breathing became normal. He realized that she was holding him in her arms. He pulled back and looked at her. She was looking at him with such emotion in her eyes. He didn't think. One moment he was looking at her, the next his lips were on hers. Softly he kissed her. She ran her hands through his hair as she deepened the kiss. Suddenly he realised what he was doing. He pulled away, and looked at her.
"I.., I should go." He got up and walked to the door.

"Booth, wait.."

He turned to look at her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take advantage of you."

He walked out and shut the door behind him.

"You didn't" she whispered. She stared at the closed door, and wondered what was going to happen now.