A bunch fo you requested a longer chap, this isn't it, so I'm posting another right after this.

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I miss Tommy already, I wish I'd stayed. He needs me. Maybe even more than I need him.

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Booth waited patiently in the doorway for Brennan to turn down Parker's sheets, and he made a mental note that April would need her own set. He doubted sixteen-year-old girls were too keen on sleeping with Sesame Street characters underneathe them.

When she gave him the 'go ahead' he carefully crossed the room, not wanting to trip and have a repeat of the night before.

Brennan smiled at him as he passed her and went to grab one of Booth's old t-shirts for April to wear.

She paused over his chest of drawers and took a deep breath. She really hadn't had a chance to do that since...in a while. It felt like they'd been running all day, all week. Now it was over and she blinked to keep her heavy eyelids at bay. She wondered how Booth was holding up.

If this is how I feel, he must be dead on his feet. She thought, grabbing a blue shirt and leaving the room. Not literally of course.

She went back to Parker's room, about to ask if the t-shirt she'd selected was okay, but stopped when she found him kneeling beside the bed. She watched as he gently brushed the black hair from April's eyes, a tenderness in his every movement that almost took her breath away.

Booth fought to breathe as he stared at April's still form in the quiet bedroom. He marveled at how, even in the yellow glow of the lamp and with the big purple bruise on her face, still managed to look like an angel. He closed his eyes, trying to forget how close he'd come to losing her and bit back a string of curses he felt like shouting at himself for being so stupid. He should have been there, he should have protected her. But now, more than ever, he was determined to make sure she was never in danger again.

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I wish he didn't have to put me to bed. The world doesn't seem so scary when Booth hugs me. Or.. carry's me for that matter.

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He opened his eyes and balled his fists on the bed beside her to stop their trembling, fear was not an emotion he was accostomed to, but he'd come to expect it when it came to his girls.

You love them. Fear comes with the territory.

Brennan watched quietly from the shadows as Booth leaned down to press the gentlest of kisses to April's forehead. He stood and his sharp eyes took one last look to make sure she was okay. And she didn't have to be a lip reader to know what he whispered to his goddaughter moments later.

Everyone can read the words 'I love you'.

Booth's eyes met hers and she gave him a gentle smile as he left the room.

God, how she loved that man.

"I'm going to say goodnight okay?" She whispered, kissing him gently as he passed her in the doorway. "You go ahead and get in bed. I'll be there in a minute."

Booth nodded and Brennan watched him disappear down the hall.

She seemed to have been gone a long time, but he resisted the urge to go find out what was going on. It probably hadn't been too long, his nerves were just on edge from the stressful day and he'd been biting his tongue for most of it trying not to snap anyone's head's off. Not that he had always succeeded. He was exhausted.

Booth rolled onto his back in his cool bedroom with only the sheet for covering and he stared at the white ceiling trying to ignore the fidgety feeling coursing through his body. He wanted so badly to go check on them. Check on her, how she was doing with April, but knew he couldn't. He trusted her with his life and with Parker's, he wouldn't make her believe he didn't trust her with April's now that she'd agreed to stay.

That thought brought a smile to his lips.

She's going to stay.

Brennan pushed open his bedroom door, the light from the all slid across the floor and illuminated a strip of space across the bed so she had a perfect view of his tone bare chest and exhausted face. She'd expected to find him asleep, his exhaustion was obvious, but he was wide awake staring at the ceiling.

"Booth?" She could sense his tension from across the room and stood awkwardly in the doorway, unsure of her place.

Booth turned his head toward her and without hesitation, un-tucked one of his hands from behind his head and held it out to her.

She smiled, shut off the hall ligh and quickly shrugged out of her pants before snuggling under the covers with him. Booth turned to press himself against her and wrapped a hand just about her abdomen, his palm pressing her belly button firmly.

"Long day." He whispered tiredly, kissing her neck once before settling his face into her hair, that still managed to smell like her lavender shampoo even after the day they'd had.

"Yeah," Brennan sighed, "Long day."

- - - - -

Booth frowned in his sleep, his body involuntarily twitching and grasping things only he could see. Anyone would look at him, see sweat pouring down his back, over his body, muffled cries from his throat, and they would say he's having a flashback. And they would be right, but it was a flashback of a completely different kind.

He was back at that house, back feeling physically sick because he couldn't go to her. Protect her and save her. But this dream was a nightmare. This time they were too late and he watched as the smoke rose form the ash and debris. An explosion had torn the house apart.

Booth's eyes snapped open and he involuntarily squeezed Brennan closer to him, still not entirely able to distinguish what was real and what wasn't. After a few moments the adrenalyn subsded and his breathing returned to normal. Releasing her, flipped over on his back. He pressed his hands to his face and slowly shook his head.

Just a dream. Just a dream.

There was the sound of a soft thump down the hall and his senses were immediately on high alert. The locks clicked on the front door and Booth shot out of bed toward the noise.

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I wonder how heavy of a sleeper Seeley is.

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Okay, another chap will be up later tonight!