I never liked the rain until I walked through it with you...

It was five o'clock at night and Seeley Booth had just about had it. He had a mountain of paper work on his desk, new recruits to train, and worst of all he hadn't seen his partner in over a week. Wait--- he meant worst of all it was raining cats and dogs and it absolutely would not be a smooth ride home.

He hated the rain. It always meant he'd have to stay inside doing nothing while the power always went out right during the last two minutes of the game. It was always so dreary and dismal outside and when Parker was over he'd be running wildly around his house turning things upside-down and making his home into a warzone. Not that he minding spending time with his son, he just really hated the rain.

But wait, his partner? He began backtracking to his earlier thoughts. Of course he missed Bones but it was only because he normally spent every day and night with her. Right? Deciding to pack it in early for the day, Booth grabbed his things and headed home.

----

It was five thirty at night and as usual Dr. Temperance Brennan was hard at work not even thinking about going home for at least another couple of hours. Sighing to herself and taking a sip of her tea, she allowed herself a moments pleasure to look outside the window where the rain showered across the grey sky. The rain had always calmed her down ever since she was a little girl. During the summer rains her mom and she would run outside barefoot and dance in the puddles laughing and playing until she got cold and her lips turned blue. Winded and completely content they would run back inside and watch a movie as the real heart of the rain storm came in and danced across the roof of the house. However, as she got older she found the rain as a shelter. Anytime it would rain hard, she would escape whatever house she was currently in, walk in any direction, barefoot, and allow herself to get soaked from head to toe. In that time she would let the tears run freely, not worried about anyone seeing them because they mixed so well with the tears falling from the sky. No one would know they were hers. The rain seemed to act as a blanket that she could put over her head and do whatever she wanted without the fear someone would see through her strong persona. After a little while, the rain seemed to wash away any pain she was feeling and she'd sneak back into the house and quickly change her clothes so that no one would notice. That feeling of comfort and safety followed her to this day and anytime she was having a really bad day she would take off her shoes and socks and walk outside for a little while, relishing in her secret pleasure. Today was definitely one of those days but she still had a LOT of work to do. If she finished early enough, maybe she'd sneak out for a few minutes. No one would notice anyways because they'd all be home on a Friday night.

Turning back to her computer she began typing up a report that was to be immediately sent out to Dr. Atley as soon as possible. She was almost three quarters of the way done when she began so slow her vicious attack on a keyboard that had seen better days.

"What are you doing here, Booth? Do we have a case?" she asked half-heartedly as she continued focusing her attention on the report. When he didn't answer for a few moments she turned around to face him. He looked tired and worn. There were creases in his forehead no doubt from the stress of the week and his eyes bore dark circles underneath them that aged the forty-year-old Booth at least ten years.

He ran a hand over the stubble on his face and began rubbing the back of his neck, surely uncomfortable. "No, no case Bones," he said sheepishly. "I just, you know, was making my way home and ended up here." The questioning look in her eyes suddenly made him more uncomfortable and fidgety. Maybe coming here was a bad idea. "I mean, it's raining really hard and the Jeffersonian is closer than my place and..." he trailed off. "Do you wanna get something to eat?" he asked hopefully, the first real smile of the week crossing his face as he silently pleaded with her as she turned back to her computer rolling her eyes, a small smile graced across her face.

"Not now, Booth. I have to finish this report first. And besides, I already ate." Without even realizing it she turned to see his response and immediately regretted it. His face had sunken substantially and she was the cause of it. He looked really upset, and not just from her decline to a dinner invitation.

"Just wait about fifteen minutes, then I have to show you something," she compromised.

"Sure, Bones. But what do you have to show me?" he asked.

"Just sit," she commanded. And like a little puppy trying to please his master Booth took a seat on the couch and sat quietly watching her type. It was only about thirty seconds until his mind began to wonder.

God she's so beautiful. And who am I kidding, of course I missed her! What's wrong with me, I really have to keep it together. God she's so beautiful. STOP IT! WE'RE JUST PARTNERS!

His mind continued to spin at the speed of light, mentally jumping over "the line" and back again as he struggled to gain some resemblance of control over the feelings he had for his partner.

"Booth!" he heard from somewhere in the distance. "Booth, wake up!" It was definitely Bones's voice he heard as he found himself coming back to reality.

"Hey, Bones," he whispered huskily as he rubbed the crust out of his eyes. He had just become conscious again when he felt himself being flung up off the couch and half-dragged out the door. "BONES!" he yelled suddenly becoming wide awake.

Ignoring his pleas she continued pulling him down the halls and out the back of the building where they were met by a cool gust of wind and a sheet of water falling down in front of them. What were they doing outside? And why was she staring at him like that? Their gaze caught the others for a moment and a silent conversation began to pass through the strong vibes the other was giving off. She was asking for trust and a little time to show him what she was up to. As always he accepted right away and when she quickly broke away, blushing slightly from the intensity of the moment, she leaned down to take off her knee-high boots and stockings. As soon as they were settled in a corner underneath the overhang of the building she walked down the steps and took a few steps on the pavement. Though the rain wasn't coming down as hard as before, it was only a matter of moments before her hair was matted down to her face and her clothes were pressed tightly to her body.

"Aren't you coming?" she asked innocently, a smile playing on her lips.

"Yeah, but Bones," he said awestruck at what she was doing, "you're all wet." Was he an idiot? Of course she was wet! She was in the damn rain for God's sake!

Ignoring his last comment she just shrugged her shoulders and turned to walk away. It was only a few seconds before she heard her name being called again and a plea to wait up for him.

He was by her side in an instant and they began to walk in silence, listening to the pounding of the rain all around them. They were standing close, shoulder to shoulder yet not quite touching. Their hands were at their sides, afraid to cross the thinning imaginary line that was currently occupying the millimeter of space between them.

The world seemed to stand still as the two walked in harmony, matching the others steps perfectly as they were content listening to the sounds of the rain. He was confused as to why exactly she had brought them out here. This really wasn't like her to do something without a purpose.

"The rain always used to calm me down," she began, effectively breaking the silence between them. She was talking quietly so he had to strain to hear her. "When I was in foster care..." she trailed off, trying to find the words. It was always hard for her to share her feelings but Booth had shared the story of his dad a few weeks ago and now she felt as if she owed him something back. As Angela always said, if you want to get to know somebody, you have to share something about yourself first.

As soon as he heard her, his body tensed up. She never talked about this kind of stuff with him, or anyone for that matter. He went to grab her hand but immediately pulled back and thought better of it. It was best to give her space right now.

"When I was in foster care," she started again, "things weren't always quite...as good as they should have been shall we say." She took a deep breath and continued walking, allowing the rain to wash off the words rolling of her tongue. It felt good to talk about this kind of stuff and it felt even better to talk about it with him. They always spent a lot of time together and since he'd been gone the past week, she found herself missing him a lot. She wasn't used to staying in her office until ten or later without a call from him forcing her out the door and to the diner for some food or one of their places for takeout. It felt as if there was a void in her life without him there. Not like she was going to voice her opinions any time soon, but it felt good to finally be honest with herself.

"So every time it would rain, I'd run outside and pull off my socks and shoes, just like I did with my mom when I was little, and just take a walk. There was normally no one outside anyways so I'd get some peace and quiet and allow myself to let the stresses of everyday life just, you know, evaporate. I know it sounds foolish and childish but it felt like the rain just washed everything away, you know?" She suddenly felt embarrassed with her confession, and turned her head away from him, finding a new interest in the ripples the rain drops made in the puddles below.

"It's not childish Temperance. It's something you feel. That is not childish," he said reinforcing his words. He wanted to hold her, tell her it would all be ok. But he couldn't. She was reliving things that had hurt her and he could see it play across her face with every second that passed. She was getting deeper and deeper into her thoughts and one day those would be shared as well. But today was not the day. Today was another stepping stone that lead to the gate of her past. He had the map and he had the key but he was only going to make his way to it when she said the word. He had been doing that since day one. Nothing was going to change that.

"Hey, are you still with me?" he asked gently placing his arm on her shoulder. She flinched at his touch but then reluctantly met his eyes.

"Yes, Booth. I am still here," she replied quietly. Suddenly feeling a chill she allowed Booth to wrap his arm around her shoulders and guide her towards his side. Even with their clothes sopping wet she still fit into him like a piece to a puzzle. She leaned her head against his shoulder as they walked in silence. Their toes had long since gone numb but it didn't matter much because they were together. The week's stresses and problems seemed to wash away as each drop of water rolled off their freezing bodies. She like this feeling a lot, this was why she loved the rain.

All he could think about was the feeling of her body pressed up against his. She felt like the missing piece to the puzzle. When it finally went in there was a sigh of relief and after that everything just seemed to fall into place. As they walked farther into the night he couldn't help but think how much they looked liked lovers. How so many people would kill to have this kind of bond him and his Bones had. They were like a group of stars in the night sky. Alone, they were nothing, just little flashes of light that no one even gave a passing glance to. There were so many of those stars, why would they be any different? But together? Together they weren't just two sets of stars, they were their own constellation. They always shined better together and everyone could see that. It was as clear as the sun in the morning sky. They fit together so no one could tell the difference between his stars or hers. They were one. One unit, one person, one mind, one soul. He never would have thought the rain could bring any of this out of her. He never thought the rain could make her look so beautiful. He wasn't going to fool himself any longer, he was falling for his partner. God how he loved the rain.

She'd been quiet for awhile and he needed to make sure they were still ok. This proximity was definitely not partner like but so far she either hadn't noticed or hadn't cared. "Are you ok?" he whispered against hair.

That was a good question. Was she ok? She was with him and that had always been ok. But this was something more. He was something more. This was a man who had always been there for her. His eyes reassured her as she found them through the sheet of water falling down upon them. He was finally someone she could trust with her biggest burdens that wouldn't run away. He didn't think she was a freak or just some foster kid in ratty clothes who got lucky one day and got into college. No, he saw her as Bones, and for now, that was ok. Maybe they'd take that step across the line one day but for now him being here as her best friend made her perfectly content. She looked up at the gray abyss above her and her eyes began to glow. Everything was just...she was...

"Fine," she promised, sealing the deal with the first real smile she had given anyone the whole week. "I'm fine."

Like the rain I have fallen for you, and I know just why you
Like the rain always calling for you, I'm falling for you now just
Like the rain

-"Like the Rain" Clint Black

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A/N: Just a little something I came up with while studying for midterms. I failed Spanish and Geometry to write this so I hope you guys are happy! Just kidding! Review please!! OH AND YAY!! BONES IS ON TONIGHT!

Disclaimer: I own nothing...