Booth woke up to find her turned toward him. Bones.
Her hands were curled in his shirt, her nose pressed to his throat. He realized his arms were still around her and it took him a moment to fully remember the previous night. He could feel a memory niggling in the back of his mind, and he closed his eyes to try and recall it. His foot was itchy, almost tickly, and he moved his other big toe to try and scratch it. He heard a small growl and his eyes popped open to see a tiny pug sitting on the arm of the couch, his tiny tongue poised near the sole of his foot. Ah yes, the puppy.
Just then the puppy raised one of its back legs and Booth sprang into action.
"Oh…no…"
He snatched it up as quickly as he could and ran toward the kitchen, leaving behind a trail of squirming puppy drips. At least it wasn't on the couch. He grabbed a couple of paper towels and set the puppy back in the original box while he wiped up the hardwood floor.
When he was done, he looked back toward the couch, seeing that his partner was still sleeping, her face now pressed to the couch, her arms holding nothing. He sighed and took a step back. This was still too much. He walked into the kitchen and threw away the paper towels, feeling like he was trapped. He'd said he would stay, but…
He walked back toward her front door and noticed the puppy moving against the confines of the box.
"I know how you feel buddy." He took another look toward the couch and walked out the door.
Brennan woke to the sound of whimpering and scratching. What? Why was she on the couch? Disoriented, she pulled herself up to look over the back of the couch and could see the cardboard box practically rocking from the force of the puppy inside. She got up and looked around, confused. Where was Booth? She could see his FBI badge and his keys on the table, so she knew he couldn't have gone too far. She moved over to the box and picked the puppy out of it, examining it. She really did not have time for a puppy.
Booth sat in his SUV, his forehead against his arm on the steering wheel. He didn't have his keys, so he couldn't go anywhere. Not that he wanted to. Well…50 of him wanted to run immediately, the other 50 wanted to never leave, ever.
She loved him?
This isn't how Booth imagined it. He never imagined she'd be the one to express her feelings first. Of course, it was possible she didn't mean it the way he'd originally thought. She wasn't in love with him. Maybe she meant she loved him like she loved her job or…yeah, that was probably it. She loved him in a general way. Like people say when they love things like ice cream or a favorite hockey team. He leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes.
'I love you'… 'I love you' Hmmm, she had said it twice; the first time in a surprised whisper, but the second time more sure, with more confidence.
He was interrupted by the sound of the passenger door opening. He looked over to see her, holding the box with the puppy, a small blue envelope in her hand.
"Hi"
"Hi"
She reached into her pocket and pulled out his keys, handing them to him, letting him know he could leave if he wanted. He put them in the ignition, but didn't turn it, instead, turning toward her and reaching for the box.
"Get in, Bones."
She did, still holding the envelope. He could see that she'd opened it.
"Did you see this?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Where was it?"
"Taped to the lid of the box." She opened it again and read it to him.
"To our grandson, Corey on his 9th birthday. We love you. Grandma and Grandpa."
His eyebrows rose. "Who is Corey?"
"I have no idea, Booth."
He turned back to look ahead. "So this whole thing was a big mistake?"
She flinched and he could see that he'd shocked her.
"Bones, last night…."
She sat there, waiting.
He smiled and sighed, wondering why he'd thought this time would be any different. Any other woman would have picked up on his nervousness and bailed him out, but Bones?...
"Bones, last night…what you said…well…Bones, last night was intense, and I don't want to hold you to anything you may not have meant."
She started. "Booth…"
"It's alright, Bones. I know you didn't mean you were in love with me, just you know, that you care about me, as a partner."
He looked at her finally and could see the furrow in her brow. She looked down and pulled his badge from her pocket, her finger rubbing over the insignia on the front.
"Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity" she spoke.
He sat silently, not feeling he measured up to any part of the FBI motto. He looked over to her and could see a small scratch on her chin where he'd grabbed her in anger. Disgusted with himself, he closed his eyes and laid his head back on the steering wheel.
"Booth, I'm not good at this stuff."
He smiled. "I know Bones. I know you didn't mean it. I get it." He muffled into his hands.
"No, Booth, you don't. I…will you please look at me?"
She waited until he turned his face to look at hers.
"Booth…I meant it…I love you."
"Bones, I know."
"No, Booth…I'm in love with you."
"Bones, how can you say that? I practically destroyed your door and grabbed you…I scratched your face, Bones, and then…"
She moved her hand to his arm then pulled his badge between them. "You are brave, and you have integrity, you know, you keep your word. You stayed Booth, even when you didn't want to. Fidelity."
"Bones…"
"Booth…you ask me how I can be in love with you. I don't know. I just know it's the truth. I'm in love with you.
He placed his other hand on hers, covering it, looking into her eyes. They were clear and he was convinced. He knew she loved the truth.
"Bones…I'm in love with you, too. I thought…I thought you were being attacked." The emotions he'd felt came rushing back and his hand tightened on hers.
"Shhh… I know, Booth." She moved her hand to cup his face again, like she had the night before, this time moving her lips to brush against his.
He cupped the back of her head and kissed her, pouring his fear and anger and love, all his love, into her.
After several moments the cardboard box between them was practically vibrating with the force of the puppy's anxiety.
She smiled and pulled back.
"You're wrong, Bones." Booth smiled.
"What?"
"You are good at this stuff." He teased.
She smiled and leaned back. "Well, will you come back up? Help me figure out who Corey is?" She picked up the box.
"Yeah, sure." He grabbed his keys and got out, following her up the steps to her apartment building. Just as they were getting off the elevator on her floor, they almost ran into a couple getting ready to tape a sign to the elevator door.
"Hi." Booth nodded politely.
"Booth…wait."
"What, Bones?"
"Look…" There was a poster on the wall with a picture of the puppy, saying he was missing.
Booth whirled around.
"Wait" He pressed his arm into the elevator to keep it from closing. "Wait. We have your puppy."
The couple was shocked. "How is that possible?"
Brennan held up the blue envelope. "It was outside my door last night, but I didn't see the card until this morning. Are you Corey?"
Booth looked at her. "Um, Bones? Corey is 9 years old, remember? These are probably his grandparents."
They smiled.
"Yes…we've never been here, so we must have put the box outside the wrong door. We wanted to surprise him, and we were the ones who were surprised when he didn't say anything about it this morning when we saw him."
"I'm sorry" Brennan told them, handing them over the box.
"No, no" the woman insisted. "We're the ones who are sorry. This whole thing was a big mistake."
Booth pressed his hand to Brennan's back.
"Well, I wouldn't say that." He smiled.