A/N: Well, this is 3 weeks late in coming and doesn't actually contain any smut to make up for that. My only excuse is that school and work are kicking my ass. Without further ado I present to you the end of "Tell Me You Don't Need Me."

"You didn't have to pick me up from the airport. I'm perfectly capable of making arrangements to get myself home." It was really only a half-hearted complaint on her part. The last two weeks of her book tour had almost been worse than the first two days. She'd missed Booth no matter how much she didn't want to admit to it.

"I know, I know. You can take care of yourself. But I wanted to pick you up. Besides, I missed you." He smiled as he pulled her into hug.

Brennan dropped her carry on bag and looped her arms around his neck. "I missed you too, Booth." She mumbled into his neck before pulling his head down for a kiss.

The pair's reunion was interrupted by some rather obnoxious throat clearing. "Get a room, would you?" Angela smirked at them.

"I don't know what that means." Brennan dead panned.

"Of course you don't, Sweetie." Angela laughed. "How was your trip?"

"Long, awful, and boring for the most part. There was nothing to do when I wasn't at the book signing or working on the case in Denver. I don't know how authors do book tours regularly." Brennan complained.

"It couldn't have been so bad." Angela smiled as she motioned toward Booth. "It looks like you and studly FBI guy finally got your act together."

"I don't know wha—"

"It means we worked things out and we're…you know…us." Booth finally came to Brennan's rescue.

Brennan just looked at him curiously for a moment before accepting his answer for what it was—an acknowledgment that they were something without defining them as something. She took Booth's offered hand and the trio made their way toward baggage claim

"I don't know why I let Angela talk me into going out tonight. I'm tired from the flight and I really just wanted to spend the night unwinding." Brennan complained as she and Booth left Founding Fathers.

Booth just chuckled. She rarely indulged Angela's whims without putting up some sort of resistance, but today she'd just gone along with it—probably in hopes that Angela wouldn't go blabbing the change in her and Booth's relationship. As if anything could prevent Angela from spreading that juicy piece of information. But to her credit Angela stayed quiet about the pair and while they seemed a little closer than usual there was no outward changes to their behavior and no one really noticed.

The pair stood awkwardly on the street corner before Booth spoke. "Wanna ride?"

"That would be nice." Brennan smiled.

The ride was mostly quiet as he concentrated on driving and she stared out the window. Booth hadn't felt this awkward with a girl since his first real date in high school. "You could stay." Brennan said so quietly he almost missed it.

"I don't have any clothes or anything." He shrugged. Booth smiled to himself as he realized he probably didn't need to worry about a lack of clothing.

"You don't have to." Her voice sounded small and a little afraid.

"No. I just—" He suddenly realized his earlier excuse had sounded like a rejection to her. "We should stop by my place to get some stuff."

Booth turned at the next intersection and headed back toward his apartment. Brennan followed him up and sat down on the couch while her packed a bag. She was exhausted from three weeks of near constant travel. His couch was comfortable and smelled like Booth and the combination quickly lulled her to sleep.

Booth padded back out into the living room to find his partner passed out on his couch. He smiled as he watched her sleep. She always seemed so content and peaceful when she slept. Not wanting to wake her Booth sat down next to her and pulled her into his arms. It wasn't long before he too was fast asleep.

Brennan woke with a start. She was warm. Too warm. And she'd been sleeping in an odd position. It took a few minutes for her eyes to adjust to the dark so she could take in her surroundings. She remembered suggesting to Booth that they stay at her apartment, but this was most definitely not her apartment. Something began to move beneath her and she suddenly realized where she was.

"Bones, could you move a little? Your elbow is digging into my ribs." He mumbled as shifted his arms around her.

"Why are we on your couch? I thought we were staying at my apartment?"

"You were asleep when I came back out here." He yawned. "Now go back to sleep."

"Booth. We can't sleep on the couch." She tried to pull out of his arms, but he held on tighter. "Your back is going to hurt tomorrow."

"Don't care. Sleepy." He mumbled into her neck.

"Booth." She sighed. "Come on. Get up. I've spent the last three weeks sleeping in hotel beds and airplane seats. I'd like to sleep in a decent bed."

With a little more grumbling and prodding Brennan was finally able to convince him to get up and go to bed. After changing into one of his old FBI t-shirts she crawled into bed next to an already passed out Booth. He'd hardly slept in the two weeks since Denver. Between worrying about what was going on between the two of them and worrying about her being out alone on this book tour Booth had maybe gotten a few hours of sleep each night. Toward the end he was starting to look like the walking dead.

Brennan pulled the covers up and curled up into Booth's side. Even in his sleep he reached out for her. His arm circled around her waist and pulling her body into his. Finally she drifted off into a dreamless sleep. She too had gotten little sleep during her trip and not because of hotel beds and airplane seats, but because after one night with Booth it was clear to her that she never wanted to sleep alone again.