Sorry for not updating yesterday! I got distracted watching Firefly. But I have a new chapter for you today, and hopefully there will be another one later tonight!


Chapter 14—Strong

She had always known he was strong, one look at the man could tell her that. She had seen him use that strength in fights, saving her, dancing, and moving refrigerators and things at work, but she had never had the opportunity to watch him use his strength.

Today, though, Angela had managed to get everyone, Booth and Brennan included, to help her move her things out of her apartment and into Hodgins' estate. Well, some of her things, since they were donating the bed and couch to charity.

The men were currently struggling to get the couch through her tiny front door, Hodgins and Zach going backwards as Booth held the other end, trying to direct them which way to turn. "Tell me again why you didn't hire movers?" Booth bellowed at Hodgins, breathing hard as he gave the couch another push before it got caught on the doorframe for the hundredth time.

Hodgins mumbled something out in the hallway, but neither of the women were listening to him as they finished packing boxes in the living room. Well, tried to finish. Brennan was slightly distracted watching Booth's body glistening with sweat, his muscular arms straining under the weight of the couch.

Her gaze was fixed on a single drop of sweat that had formed near his temple, following its trail as it slid down the side of his face and neck before disappearing under his white muscle shirt. Her gaze fell to his arms, watching the muscles ripple beneath his velvety skin as he tipped the couch, readjusting his grip on it. Holding it at a new angle, she watched silently as he pushed against it with his hips, finally working it out through the doorframe and into the hallway.

As soon as he was out of sight she let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding, panting as she tried to get enough oxygen back to her brain to clear out the image of his sweaty body pinning hers against the wall.

"You okay there, Bren?" Angela asked, a smile gracing her lips as she watched her friend trying to catch her breath.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," she said once she was breathing evenly again. "Why didn't Hodgins hire movers to do this for you?" she asked, trying to distract herself from the mental images that were assaulting her mind.

"Because he wanted to show me how manly he is. Although, if that was what he was trying to do he shouldn't have asked Booth to help," Angela said, trying to catch Brennan off-guard.

"Uh huh," she replied off-handedly, causing Angela to grin. They continued to pack the boxes, piling them near the door as they were filled.

Within minutes the guys were back, grabbing boxes and hauling them down to the waiting truck. Every time Booth came back, Brennan would pause in her work, watching his well-toned arms as he lifted boxes and furniture.

As she packed, she thought about Booth. She had never been particularly fascinated or turned-on by a man's arms, but she had never experienced arms like his. They were strong, yes. But she also knew they were gentle and safe. When she had found her mother's body, when her family had left, when Sully sailed away, when she was scared or alone, his arms were the only place she wanted to be.

They held her up, supporting her when her strength had run out. When she didn't know who she was, he held her in his arms, telling her that he knew who she was. And it was the truth. She was lost between Joy Keenan and Temperance Brennan, and yet he had held her and called her 'Bones.' Bones was someone she understood, she knew who she was with him, in his arms.

When people left her, he was always there with open arms. Her biological family may have left her, again, but he changed her idea about family. "There's more than one type of family," he had said softly, holding her gaze as her eyes had filled with tears. When she couldn't believe, he believed for her. He believed she was part of his family, part of the squints' family. When Sully left, he had been there, an arm wrapped around her shoulder to tell her she's not alone. She couldn't help but trust what he said when he held her, that he would never leave her. She remembered the way he had held her both nights, keeping her close to his body. She could feel the heat radiating off his body, and she knew she would never be alone as long as he was there.

She remembered the feeling when he had grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the ground after the Gravedigger incident. And when he had saved her from Kenton. He had held her close; his heartbeat telling her she was still alive. The adrenaline had long since run out, and she was about to give up, but he had come like she knew he would. He was always there to protect her and save her.

"Earth to Bones," he said, waving his hand in front of her face as his voice drew her from her thoughts.

"Hmmm?" she asked, slightly dazed as she realized they were nearly done in the apartment.

"We're almost done here, so we were going to go over to Wong Foo's in a few minutes. Hodgins is buying," he told her, wondering what she had been so spaced out over.

"Ok," she responded before realizing she didn't have her car, "Can I ride with you? I left my car at the lab when Angela dragged me over here this morning."

"Of course," he said, grabbing the box she had just finished packing. "We'll meet you over there, Hodgins!" he shouted toward the back bedroom where the rest of the squints were packing up the last few things.

"OK!" came the response, "We're right behind you."

Picking up the tape and cleaning supplies left on the floor, she followed Booth out of the apartment and downstairs, sticking them in the moving truck before following Booth across the street to his SUV.

"Do you mind if we swing by my apartment so I can change?" he asked a few minutes later, pulling away from Angela's apartment.

"No problem," she responded, staring out the window as the streets passed. Surprisingly she had had a lot of fun today, helping her friend move. Between the guys wanting to kill each other, laughing with Angela as they packed, and even with her thoughts straying near the end of the day, she had enjoyed herself and was looking forward to dinner with her family.