May 2012

The next morning, Booth made her one of his specialty omelettes and they ate together with the sun shining brightly through the large windows. After breakfast, she walked with the walker over to her wheelchair sitting in the living room so she could do her exercises. Michael was setting expectations that once she was cleared for 100% weight on both legs, that he would have her begin some standing exercises. But until then, they all had to be done in a sitting position, so she always did them in her wheelchair.

Booth always busied himself around the house while she did her daily exercise routine, and when he saw her finish the last set, he walked over and stood in front of her. He reached his arms toward her and took her hands, pulling her up to her feet. He wrapped both arms around her waist and she raised hers to wrap around his neck. He kissed her. Long, and hard, and then sweetly. It started out very passionately, but turned very loving.

"That was nice Booth." He brought his arms up and enfolded her into a tight hug while her arms crept up again to his shoulders. "It's been so long since I could hold you like this. And kiss you like this." He buried his face in her neck. "You're so beautiful. You drive me crazy sometimes."

She laughed and pulled his head back up so she could stare into his warm chocolate brown eyes. This time they both went in for the kiss. And it was another long, sweet one.

She buried her face in his chest. "Hmmm. You know where I want to go today?" His hand was making circles on her back. "Anywhere you want my love."

She looked up. "I want to go to the diner for lunch." His eyes sparkled. "Really? We haven't been there in so long. Let's do it!" She explained to him that she had noticed once that someone in a wheelchair had come in through the side entrance, so it must not have any steps. "That's a great idea Bones. I'm already salivating over the pie I'm going to order." She chuckled as he gently let her back down into the wheelchair, and they decided to head over there around 1:00 so they wouldn't hit the busy lunch rush.

She convinced him that it wouldn't be necessary to bring the wheelchair since he would be able to pull up right next to the side door of the diner. Just to have it ready if she was tired when they got home, he left it in the vestibule and helped her step over the threshold at the front door with her walker.

She sat down on the bench, he carried the walker down the steps, and then came back up to carry her down to the waiting walker. Booth nervously walked beside her as she carefully navigated the sidewalk heading to the passenger door of the SUV.

He opened the door and quickly realized that she wasn't ready to get into the SUV on her own yet because it required a step up. As he picked her up to place her on the seat, she whimpered. "You know. If you drove a car like a normal person, I would be able to get into the seat by myself." He responded to her whine with a grunt. "I'm FBI. FBI don't drive cars. We drive mean machines!"

That made her laugh, and he leaned his head into the car giving her a toe curling kiss. "And we make love to our partners like mean machines. It all goes with the territory baby." She rolled her eyes. "Don't call me baby." He couldn't keep the smile off his face as he stowed her walker in the back seat and walked around to the driver's side door.

When they arrived at the diner, he was able to pull right up to the side door, right next to the ramp. He put on his emergency blinkers and helped her out of the car. He watched her carefully navigate the ramp and reached over to open the door for her. "Are you okay on your own with that threshold while I hold the door open?" She assured him she would be fine, and as he followed her into the restaurant he saw that their favorite table was available.

It took a little maneuvering, but he got the chair behind her. "I have to remember what Michael taught me. Make sure I feel the front of the chair seat with the backs of both legs, and then I know it's safe to sit." Booth let out a sigh of relief that there was a technique to keep her safe. He turned the chair so she was properly seated at the table, and folded the walker, setting it over next to her chair.

"I'll be right back sweetheart. I have to park the car." He leaned down and gave her a quick peck on the lips and headed back outside.

Just then, Margie, one of the servers who they had come to know, came over to the table with menus. "Dr Brennan! It's so good to see you and Agent Booth. We wondered why we hadn't seen you two, and then some of your co-workers were in and told us about your accident. I'm glad to see you up and around."

Brennan chatted with her for a few minutes and then Booth slid into his seat and joined the conversation. Margie pointed at him. "Well I'm so glad to see you both back and Dr Brennan recovering. You are getting a free slice of cherry pie young man!" She looked over at Brennan. "Hmmm. What free dessert would you like today?"

Booth leaned over with a conspiratorial grin. "Do you have any fresh raspberries? She's a sucker for fresh raspberries." Margie looked back and forth between them. "I think that can be arranged. I'll bring you both coffee and be back to take your lunch order."

Lunch was so normal, something that they hadn't had for so long, that for a little while they could forget what they had both gone through for the last few months. Booth saw his love sitting across the table from him enjoying her lunch in such a familiar setting. Brennan had the same feelings, until she involuntarily moved one of her legs, and that reminded her that she was still wearing the full length brace on the right leg and the walking boot on the left.

Walking into the restaurant, she was concentrating so hard just getting to her destination and maneuvering into a chair, that she didn't think about how she looked to casual observers. A woman her age with all of the hardware on her legs and moving so slowly behind the walker. She began to dread the walk back to the door when they finished their lunch.

He sensed the change in her mood. "What wrong honey?" She told him what she was thinking, and he quickly reached over and grabbed her hands. "Hey. That's not my Bones. My Bones doesn't worry about what anyone thinks. I'm sure that any of the people who see you walking in or out of this place see you as a warrior. Because that's what you are. You have been so brave, so strong, through this whole thing. Don't backslide on me now. On yourself now."

She gave him a half smile. "I have such mixed feelings today. I'm so excited to be out doing normal things. But I also don't want to think that people seeing me struggle will look on me with pity." He squeezed her hands. "Don't even think that way. Anyone who doesn't admire the courage you've shown just doesn't matter. The only people who matter are our family, our friends. And every single one of them loves and supports you." His eyes twinkled as he looked over toward the counter. "Even Margie." He got Margie's attention. "We're ready for those desserts now!"

Seeing Booth so happy when his heated slice of cherry pie was set in front of him improved her mood greatly. It had a slowly melting scoop of vanilla ice cream atop, and she loved seeing the wide grin on his face. The look of bliss on his face at the first bite made her laugh and he raised his sparkling eyes to her. "You have to try just a taste of this crust. No cooked fruit on it."

He broke off a small piece of crust and reached across the table to gently place it between her lips. As he pulled his hand back, his finger gently caressed her bottom lip. It was a very sensual experience for them both. "Mmmmm. This is very good Booth. If only it didn't involve cooked fruit, I might enjoy it." She returned to her beautiful bowl of fresh raspberries.

He smiled lovingly at her just as an elderly couple stopped at their table. "I'm sorry to interrupt. My name's Ruth, and this is my husband, Walter. We just wanted to stop to say how happy we are to see you back in here."

They both looked at the older couple quizzically and then Booth's face lit with recognition. "Oh, I've seen you in here before." He pointed across the restaurant. "Don't you usually sit at the table right next to the door?" Ruth nodded. "Yes, that's our favorite table - just as we've always noticed that this seems to be yours."

Booth smiled and looked to Brennan. "See Bones - you always face this direction, so you've probably never noticed them." Brennan turned toward the door and then back around. "Yes, you're probably correct. It makes sense that you've noticed them before. But then, of course, you're a trained observer." She looked up at the couple. "Booth is an FBI Special Agent."

Ruth cooed. "Ooohh. I didn't realize that. But that makes sense - you've always been so smartly dressed when we've seen you." Booth chuckled. "Oh, so you're saying I'm a little slobby today?"

She jumped in. "Oh no! I didn't mean to insinuate that!" Booth patted her hand. "I'm sorry. I was just teasing you." Ruth had a smile of relief. "Well, we had noticed that you hadn't been in for several months. One day we saw some people walk in and we recognized that you've occasionally dined with them. I asked after you and they told us about your accident."

Brennan was touched at their concern for her. "That's very thoughtful of you both. I've been recovering for the last few months." She reached one hand across the table to take Booth's. "Booth took a leave of absence so he could take care of me. I don't know what I would have done without him. Yesterday was the first time I was actually able to stand and take steps. It's such a big milestone for me that I wanted to come here to celebrate and feel a sense of normalcy."

Walter spoke for the first time. "Congratulations! Our son was laid up after an accident many years ago, and I remember how happy we all were when he was able to take his first steps." He looked over at his wife. "See dear. I told you they were a couple." He looked at Booth. "I actually told her years ago, when we first started seeing you in here, that there was something going on between the two of you."

He exchanged a knowing look with Booth. Brennan turned to Ruth. "Oh, we were just work partners for many years before we got together romantically. What was it Booth? About 18 months ago now?"

Booth smiled at her and nodded. "She was just being stubborn. It took me a long time to wear her down, but she finally admitted that she had also been attracted to me all along." He looked up at Walter. "I knew right from the start. But once I got to know her, I knew I was going to have to be patient. Not only is she very stubborn, but she's a scientist and a genius. So she had to learn to look beyond the rational and to embrace the emotional core that she had neglected for all those years."

Brennan was scowling slightly at him. "I'm sorry Bones. I shouldn't be oversharing with strangers. But, if you think about it, they must know us pretty well if they saw what was there before we…" he smiled across at her. "…well, you, realized it." He squeezed her hand and saw that she had quickly forgiven him.

Ruth looked a little chagrined. "I'm sorry. We really didn't mean to pry into your lives that way." Brennan grabbed her hand. "No, it's fine Ruth. Booth is an open book and it's taken me time to get used to that. But it's become one of the things I love about him. In fact, for many of the years we've worked together, people always assumed we were a couple."

Walter put his hand on Ruth's shoulder. "Well, we're going to get going and let you finish your dessert. It's so nice to have finally met you." He turned to Brennan. "I hope your recovery continues to progress. We'll look forward to seeing you walk in here unaided one day soon."

Brennan smiled up at him. "Oh, that day can't come soon enough. It was so nice to meet you both." Booth stood up and shook hands with each of them. "We really didn't introduce ourselves. I'm Seeley Booth and this is Dr Temperance Brennan. 'Bones' is my nickname for her because she's a forensic anthropologist at the Jeffersonian. She and I work together to solve murders."

They were both quite impressed. Ruth put her hand to her chest. "Oh my! That sounds like exciting work." Walter grabbed her arm. "We're leaving now Ruth." He looked at the seated couple. "I know she has lots of questions. I think we'll save that for another day." Everyone laughed as the older couple turned and walked toward the door.

They watched them walk through the door and onto the sidewalk and Brennan turned back. "They were very sweet Booth. Maybe we can join them for lunch one day." He nodded. "Yes, they seem like a nice couple. Next time we see them in here we'll have to invite them to eat with us."

They were both buoyed by the outing to the diner on Tuesday, and Brennan continued making progress with Michael during her therapy on Wednesday and Friday. She had become very adjusted to maintaining the 50% weight on each leg and was able to walk around the house for longer periods of time every day.

Friday morning, while waiting for Michael to arrive, she told Booth that she wanted to visit the lab. Booth didn't let it show, but he was thrilled that she was ready for that step. He had worried a little bit about her reluctance to visit the place she loved so much, but now realized that she was probably waiting until she could actually walk into the building.

They planned to head to the diner for lunch after her session with Michael was finished, and then drive over to the Jeffersonian. They talked about the logistics and decided that he would wheel her into the building in her wheelchair, with the folded walker in her lap. Once they got to the lab entrance, she would get up and walk, and hopefully surprise Angela and the others.

As they approached the lab entrance, Booth walked to the sliding glass doors to see if any of her coworkers were on the platform. When he didn't see anyone, he peeked around the corner and spotted Angela sitting at her desk just inside her office. He walked back to the wheelchair and wheeled her through the sliding doors.

He stopped before the spot where Angela could see them and put the brakes on the wheelchair before coming around to the front and lifting the walker off her lap. He unfolded it and made sure it clicked open securely before placing it in front of her. As was her preference, he stood by and let her stand up without providing assistance. He was so proud of how she had worked so hard to get this far so quickly.

He held back out of sight with the wheelchair and watched her turn the corner, slowly walking toward Angela's office. He heard a squeal. "Bren!" And the sound of Angela running toward her friend. He came around the corner in time to see Angela stop in front of her and throw her arms around her while Brennan held onto the walker squashed between them.

As Booth pushed the empty wheelchair toward the pair, he heard a lot of commotion from behind and to the side as Cam, Hodgins, and Clark all came running to greet their beloved workmate. He stood over to the side with a big smile on his face watching his love revel in the love she was receiving from her friends.

They all decided to adjourn to Angela's office, and everyone was thrilled to watch her slowly walk all the way there with the assistance of her walker. Once she was settled in one of the side chairs in the sofa area of the office, everyone sat down around her and peppered her with questions about her recovery. Booth decided to take a seat in the wheelchair and just sat beaming as he watched her joy at being around the whole group again.

Luckily, there wasn't a time sensitive case pending, so everyone spent a few hours in Angela's office catching her up with some of the things she had missed during the last few months. At one point, Booth could see she was tiring, so he caught Angela's eye. She understood and stood up. "Okay everyone. I think we've monopolized her long enough. Sweetie, you're looking like you've had enough for one day. I think it's time for Booth to take you home."

Brennan looked up gratefully at her friend. She really was exhausted but didn't want to end the visit. She looked up at Booth. "Do you think you could wheel me over to my office so I can see it?" He smiled broadly. "Of course, my love. Here, stand up and use the walker to turn around to get into the wheelchair."

They all followed her into the main part of the lab. She looked up at her friends. "Soon, I'll be able to walk longer distances with the walker, but it's early days yet." They all indicated understanding and told her how proud they were that she was doing as well as she was. As Booth turned the corner with her to head back to her office, they all held back, deciding to give them some privacy.

As he wheeled her through the door, tears welled up in her eyes. He came around the wheelchair and squatted in front of her. "Miss it Bones?" She nodded and a couple of tears escaped down her cheeks. "I do Booth. But I think it's going to be awhile before I'm ready to come back. I feel like I need to be completely recovered before jumping back into everything."

He understood and actually felt the same way about his own job. He missed it, but knew that his job right now was to get her to the finish line. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "You ready to go?" She nodded. "Yes, let's go home Booth."