I do not own Bones or "Stay With Me (Brass Bed)" by Josh Gracin...wonderful though they both are...

The knocking on his door at 1am pulled Seeley Booth from his pleasant dreams. He knew there was only one person who would be knocking at his door at this hour. Outside the March winds howled and he could hear the rain against his window.

Opening his front door he wasn't disappointed. Standing in the hallway was Temperance Brennan. She was staring at her shoes. She looked uncertain, like she had no clue what she was doing there. He couldn't help the passing thought that 'confused' was an adorable look on her.

"Bones…you do know it's 1am right?"

Her head snapped up and her eyes grew wide.

"Oh…I didn't…I didn't realize it was so late. I'll come back tomorrow. I'm sorry I woke you."

"Bones, relax. I'm already up. Just come in."

"You sure?"

"Yea, come on in."

He held the door open for her, granting her entrance into his apartment.

As she walked past him he couldn't help noticing that she was wearing the clothes she'd worn to work the day before. 'God, tell me she didn't just leave the lab.'

Baby, the clock on the wall is lying
It's not really that late
It's too cold outside to be walking around the streets of this town
And wherever you think you have to be can wait

"Bones…did you come from home?"

She was looking around his living room, trying to find anything to focus on. She was nervous and that was making him nervous.

"Umm…no…I left a few hours ago…I've been…driving around since then."

She had stopped at the collection of pictures he had up on the wall. She was scrutinizing every one like it was a piece of evidence.

"Why? Are you OK?"

She didn't answer him for several long moments.

"Bones?"

He watched her head drop and her shoulders hunch. She wrapped her arms around her middle as her entire body started to shake.

"Bones!"

He hurried to her side and turned her to face him as the first sob broke from her. Seeing her face broke his heart. Her beautiful and usually bright blue eyes were closed tightly and tears were streaming down her cheeks. More sobs wracked her body and on instinct he pulled her into his arms.

"Hey…hey, Bones…it's OK…whatever it is…it's OK…just tell me what's wrong…we'll fix it…it's OK…"

"No," she sobbed. "It's not…it's not OK…it'll never be OK ever again for April. It'll never be OK for her ever again. She's lost everything. She has no one left."

He felt his heart break again for her. He knew this case had hit her hard but she had held up so well around everyone that he hadn't considered what it would really do to her and he hated himself for not seeing it. The case had been a family they had found murdered. A mother, father, and a son. The biggest blow came when they were informed that a daughter was unaccounted for. They went back to the scene but found no traces of the girl's body, leading them to assume that she was alive. They worked every possible lead until they were all too tired to move. Finally a break had come in that case and ,after breaking down the suspect's door, they searched the house and found a secret room under the floor boards. Brennan had been the one to find the girl cowering in a corner, beaten and bloody. He remembered seeing her after the ambulance took the girl away and saw the blood from the child on her shirt and hands. Before he could approach her she had left and gone back to the lab. When he went to check on her she had changed and her cool mask was back in place. She was cold and distant when he tried to ask if she was alright and he had given up. He should've tried harder.

So why don't you stay with me
Share all your secrets tonight
We can make believe
the morning sun never will rise
Come and lay your head on this big brass bed
And we'll be alright as long as you stay with me, yeah

He could only hold her tighter as she continued to sob her heart out. He pulled her towards the couch before settling her on his lap. She curled into his arms and buried her face in his neck as her tears kept falling. He ran a comforting hand up and down her back, trying to soothe her. The rain outside was oddly relaxing. Finally her cries seemed to quiet and she was breathing deeply, trying to control herself. After a deep breath she sat up wiped at her eyes.

"I think…I'm OK now…"

"You sure, Bones?"

"Yea…yea, I am. Thanks Booth…I guess I just needed to let that out."

"It's OK, Bones. We all need that every once in awhile."

Brennan seemed to have just realized the position they were in and her eyes widened again. She was out of his lap and his arms in a matter of seconds. His body felt almost unbearably cold without her. She turned and walked back towards the pictures she'd been looking at earlier, but not before he saw her cheeks turn very red. She seemed to zone in on one particular picture and wouldn't look away. He noticed even across the room that she was shivering.

Picking up the blanket from the back of his couch he walked up behind her and wrapped it around her shoulders. He looked to see what she was so fascinated with.

It was a picture of the two of them at Wong Fu's. Sid had taken it on impulse when neither was looking. They were sitting in a booth for once because the bar had been full. They were sitting side by side with his arm thrown over her shoulders and they were laughing. Sid had shown it to him a week later and he had immediately hung it up.

He watched her reach up and touch the frame.

"Sid took this?"

"Yea…we were in there for dinner one night and he happened to have a camera handy."

"I remember this. Zach had played a trick on Hodgins and he had turned blue."

He grinned at the memory. He'd enjoyed calling Hodgins 'Papa Smurf' all day.

Her gaze shifted to another photo. It was one of himself and Parker in the park one afternoon.

"He looks just like you, Seeley."

He was momentarily struck at the use of his first name. She never used his first name. Before he could comment he saw a single tear run down her cheek.

"Bones, what is it?"

"It's nothing," she said as another tear rolled down.

"It's not nothing. Tell me."

She hung her head. He wouldn't let her evade him this time. Coming to stand in front of her he reached up and took her cheek in his palm, brushing away her tears with his thumb.

"Bones…please…please, tell me. I want to help you."

Brown eyes met blue and he saw the pain in her eyes.

Baby, there is just no use in hiding
The way that I am feeling right now
With you standing there baby I swear I can't help but stare
Girl you're wearing me out, wearing me out

"I don't know what it is, Booth. I never wanted a family…children. I don't even believe in marriage. But I…I just…seeing you and Parker. I can't help thinking I'll never have that…"

She didn't need to finish. He knew what was tearing her up inside and he wanted so badly to help her. To tell her what he felt for her. Maybe this was his chance.

"You'll have that Bones. One day, some guy is gonna come along and sweep you clean off your feet and you'll have all that."

"How do you know?"

"I just do, Bones. Call it my gut."

She smiled a little bit and it was the most amazing sight to him. He would give anything to be able to make her smile like that everyday, all day.

Baby, stay with me
share all your secrets tonight
We can make believe
the morning sun never will rise
Come and lay your head on this big brass bed
We'll be alright as long as you stay with me

He must have been looking at her for a moment too long because she turned away, almost uncomfortable.

"Booth?"

"Yea?"

"Before…Sully left. He told me something. I didn't know what to do about it at the time. I was sure he was wrong. But…I'm not sure anymore."

He felt his heart pick up. What could Sully have said? If he'd said something to hurt her, he'd hunt him down wherever in the world he was and beat the hell out of him.

Baby don't go
it looks like it's starting to rain
And it's so warm here in this apartment wrapped up in this blanket
So stay

"What did he say Bones?"

"He…he said that I shouldn't wait for you…to make a move. Because otherwise we'd been missing out on a lot of time that we could've spent together."

His heart had rather abruptly stopped for a few beats before starting again. 'Oh…that's what he meant…'

"Oh…"

"I told him we were just partners but he said…that we were more and everyone could see it but us. Is he right Booth? Are we not…'just partners'?

He could've killed Sully at that moment. Or shook his hand in gratitude. He wasn't sure which.

"No…no we're not Bones. Not for a long time."

"OK, then."

Before he could react she had leaned in and pressed her lips to his. His shock wore off after half a second and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled him tightly into his chest. It quickly escalated as tongues came into the mix. Finally the need to breathe became a serious issue and they pulled apart. He pressed his forehead to hers and couldn't keep the smile off his face.

Stay with me
Share all your secrets tonight
We can make believe
the morning sun never will rise
Come and lay your head on this big brass bed
And we'll be alright as long as you stay with me

"Stay with me tonight, Bones?"

She leaned up and brushed her mouth against his before pulling back. He had a momentary flare of panic but it disappeared immediately as she took his hands in hers and pulled him towards his bedroom, a tender smile on her face.

"Tonight and every night, Seeley. We've lost enough time."

I'll be alright as long as you
stay with me, yeah
Stay with me