A/N: As mentioned before and consistently throughout this FF, this is the work of both myself and ImHereandTyping… and we present you with chapter. =D
I do apologise for the delay!
Booth wheeled himself into his apartment, his little party following him. His eyes scanned the whole place. Booth was surprised at how clean his apartment was. There were no cobwebs, no mysterious lumps in the corner, everything was spick and span.
"Who cleaned?" Booth asked, turning his chair around to face his colleagues.
"Cam and I did," Angela said, smiling at Booth. Angela's eyes didn't reveal the hurt and sadness she felt inside. The usual strong, cocky Booth was now stuck in a wheelchair.
"It hasn't been the same without you man," Hodgins said, clapping a hand on Booth's shoulder.
"The past year wasn't the same, without any of you," Cam spoke up. A silence fell over the group.
"Hey, it was cool that our usual waiter at The Founding Father's still remembered you," Hodgins grinned. After the pickup at the airport they had all gone there, with the exception of Rebecca and Parker. Everybody continued to talk and mingle, until Cam said she needed to get home. Sweets left a few minutes after the coroner, leaving Hodgins and Angela with Booth.
"Do you want somebody to stay with you tonight?" Angela asked with concern in her eyes.
Booth thought about it, having someone stay with him. The first face that popped in his head was Bones', but nobody had seen or contacted her after the airport. Nightmares of his accident still haunted him, and he had fallen out of his sleeping place once. Booth thought it was a good idea that someone stay with him.
"If you two don't mind, I could really use someone staying with me," Both said, his charm smile is place.
"I'll stay," Angela immediately offered. Hodgins kissed her goodbye on his way out. Angela and Booth made small talk, avoiding the subject of what had put Booth into the wheelchair.
Booth showed Angela how the fold out couch worked, and he wheeled himself into his bathroom. Booth stared at his claw-foot tub with a look of determination. He carefully removed his clothing and lifted himself out of his wheelchair. When he was done bathing, Booth draped a towel over his chair, wrapped it around him, and wheeled himself into his bedroom. He put on his pajamas, and lifted himself into bed, staring at the dark ceiling above him.
Booth had learnt a lot about taking care of himself in Afghanistan. He had become quite dependant as far as dressing and bathing himself. He managed to get himself from point A to point B, without too much difficulty. He had gotten very well at taking care of himself, but there were times when he needed someone there, and Booth hated that.
Booth continued to stare at the ceiling above him, hoping that his nightmares stayed away tonight. Ever since his accident, nightmares had plagued his mind when he slept. Booth usually woke up in a cold sweat, but there had been a few times where Booth had sat up so fast, that he had fallen out of his sleeping spot, and that's when he needed help.
Angela's light snores sounded through the crack in Booth's door. Just having someone he considered family close to him, made Booth feel safer than he had in a long time. Booth turned his head, glad he was comfortable with sleeping on his back, because he would be sleeping like that for a while…
Booth sighed and turned his head the other way, staring at the pictures on his nightstand. There was one of him and Parker, another of him and the whole Jeffersonian team, and the last was of him and…Bones.
Bones had been oddly distant at the airport. She usually wasn't like that with him. Booth wondered if it was because he was in a wheelchair. Was she really that shallow? Or was she more afraid of him now that he wasn't the powerful and independent man he had been before?
He sighed, and stared up at the black ceiling again. Booth let Angela's light snores and the sounds of Washington D.C lull him to sleep. Booth hoped his nightmares would stay away.
Review? Yes… wonderful! ;)