Why by Wanderingsmith

Summary: Why he did this.

Spoilers: The Skull In The Desert, Season One.

Notes: Gracious thanks to Elyssa for her quick beta.

Sitting in the cramped quarters of the old DC47's seat, Booth tried to find a position he could sleep in. Tried to tune out his buzzing brain. 'Why the heck am I doing this?' the only outward sign of his mental grumbling was his rolling eyes.

Much as he hated to admit it, even now, he could guess why. Why he was willing to argue with Cullen about suddenly taking time off when he was still wrapping up a case. Why he was on a cramped airplane when he was supposed to be sleeping, on his way to catch another cramped airplane and then drive out into the desert. Before breakfast. 'God I'm so whipped.'

He liked knowing she trusted him. Almost needed to know he was one of the very few people she would accept help from.

Their partnership was so based on his requesting her assistance, even if it was in the name of justice and the FBI. And she was such a self-reliant woman, able to do everything.

Except for the fact that she couldn't seem to help disregarding the need for proper cultural interaction. Although he did feel bad for mocking her charming skills. He'd been annoyed at Zack, ticked at having her absence rubbed in and even more annoyed at himself for missing her so quickly.

He knew she could ooze charm when she wanted to, or just didn't think about what she was doing. And she did have a beautiful smile when she relaxed and let herself have fun with him. He wondered sometimes if she realized just how deliberately he worked to make that smile appear.

He grunted at the direction his rambling thoughts were taking, trying to turn his body sideways in the hopes of finally falling asleep.

All of which was why he'd known, even as he played Devil's advocate, that he'd come, and do whatever he needed to do to make things right for her.

Her discomfort asking for his help, so typical of his Bones when she spoke of anything other than, well, bones, had sealed his fate. Pretty much the moment she'd said that hesitant, heartfelt 'please', he'd known he was done for. Saying 'no' to this woman had never been easy; these days he even had to argue with himself, instead of just with her.

And he did love the idea that she assumed he could fix everything. 'Great, now I'm repeating myself.'

He smirked to himself as he remembered the rest of that conversation. 'Get federal on his ass.', that had been a kick; another reason he lo.. LIKED that woman was just how adorable she was when she did use idioms.