(The Blackout in the Blizzard)

I really don't own Bones.

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"I really hate this apartment building." Booth was sitting in the corner of the elevator glaring at the stadium seats blocking his freedom. "This old elevator creaks and moans when you use it and I've even been in it when it dropped a foot before the brakes stopped it . . . God forbid if something serious happens to it. The Super takes his time fixing the damn thing and then you're stuck using the stairs for weeks. Poor Mrs. Ross stays at her daughter's place when the elevator isn't working since one of her ankles is weak . . . she fell and broke it last year . . . Does the Super care about that, hell no . . . The plumbing in my kitchen is going bad and the Super expects me to fix it even though I'm just a renter . . . I really hate this dump." Kicking out his foot he slammed it into the seats resting against the floor. "Stupid . . . I'm so stupid. Like you said . . . they're just seats." Embarrassed, he sighed. "I'm sorry, Bones. I should have just left them on the sidewalk. They aren't worth this much trouble."

"Don't apologize, Booth. You saw something that you wanted and I don't see anything wrong with claiming them when the opportunity presented itself. It's just we have a possible disease carrier and murderer out there in the city and we need to get out of here as soon as possible." Brennan regretted fussing at her partner earlier. She had been angry that she was trapped in the elevator when she was needed to be at the lab, but berating Booth had only made him sad and angry and they were still stuck in the elevator. "The electricity failed at an inopportune time, but that's hardly your fault."

Embarrassed, he stared at the stadium seats and knew he'd let his need to capture the past effect his actions and he'd let his partner down. "I really hate this apartment building."

Studying the seats, Brennan noticed that the bolts between two of the seats appeared to be rusted and that made them weak. Moving over to the seats, she pointed at the joint. "Booth . . . if we apply sufficient force we can break these apart. We can jump on the joints. There is room to do that."

Surprised, Booth stood up, moved closer to the seats and studied the bolts. "Hey, you're on to something . . . let's do it."

"Really?" Brennan touched her partner's arm. "Are you sure? We may damage them."

Climbing up using the elevator openings in the ironwork, Booth nodded his head. "Yeah, I'm sure. We need to get out of here and like you said, they're just seats."

Once Brennan was on the other side of the stadium seats and was ready, they both jumped on the bolts and soon had the seats separated. Landing on the elevator floor, Booth stood up and helped his partner to stand. "I really love the way that genius brain of yours works." Pointing at the escape hatch in the ceiling, Booth smiled. "After you, Bones. Let's get the hell out of here and find Anne-Marie Weston's killer. We'll come back for the seats later." Since he had no choice but to leave them behind, Booth figured that most of the tenets in the building were too old to move the seats so they were safe enough.

Once they were out of the elevator, Booth ran up the staircase, found Sweets talking to Mrs. Ross and called out to him. "Bones and I found a way to get out of the elevator and we're going to go to the last place Ms. Weston's phone was used. You can come with us or you can try to call a cab and go home."

Hurrying over to the staircase, Sweets laughed. "Let's go. We'll all be a lot warmer in your truck."

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Their case closed, the murderer of Ms. Weston was at the hospital infected with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever. His case was bad and it looked like Tariq Grazdani might die. Since Booth had been exposed to the fever, he was prescribed antibiotics just in case he needed them and Booth intended to make sure he took the entire prescription.

Once they were back at his apartment building, Booth found April Ross sitting on the staircase near the elevator wrapped in a blanket. His stadium seats weren't in the elevator and he wondered why. "April, why are you out here? It's too cold to be sitting on the stairs and . . . uh, where are my seats? Do you know where they are?"

Amused, April stood up and started to walk up the stairs with Booth and Brennan following her. "My brother came over to check on Mom and since the electricity was back on, we had the elevator go up and we both took the seats out of the elevator and parked them in front of your apartment. I was sitting on the stairs to make sure no one tried to steal them. My brother stayed with me until about thirty minutes ago when he had to go pick up his wife from work . . . My blanket kept me warm so I'm fine."

Her explanation surprising, Booth smiled and followed April up the stairs and into the hallway. "Thanks April. I really appreciate it."

"Nah, Bruce and I wanted to help you since you helped Mom when she fell and broke her ankle last year. You called an ambulance and went with her to the hospital and stayed with her until I could get there . . . And you did the grocery shopping for her for four weeks and you got her mail every day and brought it to her. I told you I could do it after I got off of work, but . . . anyway Bruce and I appreciated what you did and protecting your seats was just a bit of payback. Mom really loves you Booth and she considers you part of our family . . . Bruce and I do too. We're glad you live next door to her . . . If you ever plan to move, let me know. Bruce says Mom can move in with him if that happens. We don't want her to be here if you're not."

A faint blush on his cheeks, Booth shrugged his shoulders. "It wasn't a big deal, April. She needed help and I helped her . . . She makes me cookies once a week and well, I think of your Mom as part of my family too."

"Well." April pointed at the stadium seats. "There are your seats. I'll help you push them in to your apartment."

Grateful, Booth opened his apartment door and with the help of April and Brennan he soon had his seats in the living room. "Thanks, April. Thanks Bones."

Waving her hand, April left the apartment and walked next door to her mother's apartment. Alone with his partner, Booth smiled. "I hate this apartment building, but I do like Mrs. Ross and her daughter and son are good people." Patting his stadium seats, Booth knew that he'd caused a lot of people a lot of trouble trying to save them. "Thanks again, Bones. I know these seats were an albatross around our necks today . . . I'll make it up to you. You want me to do something for you all you got to do is ask. I'm your guy."

"Well . . ." Removing her coat and hat, Brennan placed them on the couch and turned to face her lover. "I got a little chilly today and though my coat is warm I still am not as warm as I would like to be . . . Perhaps you could help me to warm up now." A twinkle in her eyes, Brennan grabbed her partner's hand and walked towards the bedroom. "Since you're my guy and you do owe me."

Laughing, Booth followed Brennan trying not to step on her heels. "I am definitely your guy and I always pay my debts, Bones."

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