Roots and Wings, Part Two

204. Coming Home

It took a small army of workers, craftsmen and day laborers nine weeks to turn the shell of the house Booth found into the home he and Brennan envisioned - and that quick turnaround was only possible because they spent every spare minute of every night and weekend doing much of the work themselves. Despite her growing pregnancy, Brennan's attention to detail and her experience building temporary shelters on archeological digs proved useful; once Booth explained what he wanted (and in some cases, explained a second and third time after she argued against something in particular), she worked beside him with an enthusiasm he found both endearing and seductive. More than a few times, the day's renovations ended abruptly when he hustled the workers away, found a room with a door and showed her just how sexy she looked swinging a hammer. As Brennan was equally aroused by Booth in all his sweaty masculine glory, he rarely met with resistance.

At long last, the final inspections were done and the occupancy permit issued. The furniture for the nursery was delivered on Wednesday and on Thursday, a full-size moving van blocked traffic in the busy street outside the apartment Booth had called home for nine years. The movers made quick work of it; he and Brennan had been spending the majority of their time at her place and most of his things were already boxed up, with the remainder tagged for pickup from a nearby homeless shelter. Despite the genuine excitement over the new house - his first as a homeowner - the moment was bittersweet. Every room in the small apartment held memories . . . of Parker growing up, of girlfriends left to the past, and more recently of happy hours spent with Brennan. Even Mrs. Ross, the grumpy neighbor across the hall, was less cantankerous than usual when she said goodbye, and her spinster daughter Ellen cried when she thrust a freshly baked peach cobbler in his hands, hugged him, and begged for news of the baby when she arrived.

When the moving van joined a second, even longer truck in front of Brennan's co-op, the mood was more businesslike and considerably less emotional. She directed the movers with the precision of a general sending troops into battle. Not only was every box meticulously labeled, she knew exactly how she wanted the trucks loaded. The work took longer - she had a larger apartment as well as a number of fragile artifacts that required careful handling - but when the trucks arrived at the new house, her careful planning paid off. Everything came off in waves that moved in an almost graceful sync from upstairs to downstairs in a pattern that kept the work flowing and the workers from crushing into the same rooms simultaneously.

And there were plenty of workers helping to unload. Everyone, it seemed, wanted to be part of history when Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan officially moved in together. Coworkers and interns alike showed up to do their part and make sure nothing interfered with the momentous occasion; if Booth or Brennan thought it odd that so many people wanted to help them settle in, they kept it to themselves and simply put the multitude to work.

All went smoothly until a battered leather recliner emerged from the depths of the van that loaded up Booth's apartment. Brennan cast a disdainful eye over the mustard yellow chair and gestured behind her.

"That can go to the garage."

Unfortunately, Booth was outside at the time and heard her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." He rushed over and pointed toward the front door, propped open for easy access. "That goes in the living room."

Brennan sighed heavily. They'd had this discussion several times already and the fact that she had yet to win the argument didn't deter her from one more attempt.

"There isn't room. Besides, with the other sofas and chairs, there are more than enough seating options for the space."

Booth set his jaw and glared back. "There's plenty of room. And I want my chair."