The power of absolute love is a raging fire of uncontainable majesty that consumes any and all who come too close to its flames. That fire burns wildly, aware only of itself. That is why the wholehearted and very conscious participation in the entire process of self purification is always such an integral part of spiritual evolution and transformation. Indeed, in most cases, the extraordinary leap that profound surrender always is will not occur free from the corrupting influence of ego unless our conscious participation in our own purification is intense and deeply committed. What is so miraculous, though, is the powerful recognition that that participation in the process of our own transformation is that raging fire of absolute love in action, moving in our own hearts and minds as the desire for Liberation itself.

- Andrew Cohen

Booth's eyes gradually adjusted to the room as he awoke, rolling over to find himself as the only occupant of the bed. Panic crept through his body causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up and his mouth to feel dry. He knew that Brennan had a habit of running from things that scared her, had his words last night pushed her over the edge?

He propelled himself towards the kitchen, stopping abruptly as he heard the gentle chords of music drifting from Brennan's stereo. He let out a sigh of relief, his heartbeat slowly returning to normal. There she was, humming to the melody and stirring something over the electric hob.

Putting his sniper skills to good use, he rolled his weight onto the balls of his feet, sneaking up behind her and snaking his arms around her waist. Brennan let out a small squeal, dropping the wooden spoon that she was holding and cursing under her breath.

Booth kissed the back of her neck tenderly and he was sure that he could feel her smiling. "You started without me," he complained, peeking over her shoulder to see what she was making.

"Well, I know how you like to get your beauty sleep," she jibed, feeling proud of herself. Booth laughed and his arms tightened around her from the vibrations.

"Did you just make a joke, Bones? See, I'm a great influence on you." Brennan snorted and continued where she left off with cooking dinner. Booth's close proximity was unsettling to Brennan; it was a strange intimacy that she had never felt before. Her emotions worried her; if she wasn't able to control them then she was weak. She couldn't be that vulnerable.

"Can't you find something useful to do?" Brennan snapped, flashing Booth a quick glance over her shoulder. Booth immediately recoiled, letting go of her and shuffling backwards, hurt.

He tried not to let Brennan see this but the slump of his shoulders and the rhythmic breaths he released told her all that he was determined to hide. She lifted the pasta from the heat and walked over to the sink, straining it in the colander, before sidling over to Booth cautiously.

Her pale complexion was flushed from the heat of the overhead lights and a trace of flour rested just above her lip. She tentatively stroked the back of his hand with her index finger, teasing her lip with her teeth anxiously. "I'm… I'm sorry, Booth. I'm just not… not used to this sort of affection in a relationship. It seems strangely foreign to me and I don't know how to react."

Booth smiled at her and kissed her trembling lip. "Don't worry about it. I'm thick skinned," he joked, brushing the flour from her face. His expression slipped and a more serious one broke through, smiling none the less. "I know that this might take some getting used to."

"You aren't upset with me?" Brennan tested lightly, scanning his eyes desperately. He laughed, pulling her close and tugging her so that their bodies were pressed tightly together.

"Not even a little. Anyway, ready to make the cheese sauce now?" Booth smirked and Brennan folded her arms, her face framed in outraged jest.

"How did you know what I was making?" She jabbed him in the chest, narrowing her eyes.

"Come on, Bones. You know it's my favourite. Plus, I suspect you have few ingredients aside from the basics that Angela picked up for you. I know we are having some sort of pasta dish and I mean, come on, this is what we do," Booth replied.

"Deductive reasoning," Brennan nodded, her eyes glinting with realisation, "you took the root of intellect." Booth shook his head in response.

"Actually, I believe it was common sense. Gut trumps logic yet again." Booth punched his fist in the air, pumping his victory.

Brennan tutted. "That being said, I do not believe that you are using common sense to its full potential," Brennan whispered innocently, her eyes filled with mischief.

"Is that so?" Booth arched his brow, caught off guard by her sudden change of tone.

"Yes. I believe that if you were applying common sense at its optimum level, you would realise that now would be a perfectly good opportunity to kiss me." Brennan's lips spread into a smile and Booth's mimicked them.

"Bones, did you just make a little joke?" He tugged her closer, their lips a breath away from each other.

Brennan succumbed to his touch. "What can I say? I'm evolving." She pulled his head down the last few inches and brought their mouths together in a passionate duel.

Some time later a half consumed bottle of wine sat open on the table next to them and the dishes were cleaned with pristine care. Their joined hands rested upon the tablecloth and they were sharing stories from both past and present.

"Hey, Bones, tomorrow is supposed to be my day with Parker and I was wondering if you'd like to spend the day with us. If not then I understand and I'll just postpone his visit until next week. I'm sure that he'd very much enjoy seeing you though." Brennan lowered the glass that she was holding and placed it back onto the surface in front of her.

She was quiet for a few moments and Booth's heart roared with anticipation. "Booth, you know that I would ordinarily delight in Parker's company and indeed I believe that spending the day with you both tomorrow sounds wonderful. However, I have some concerns as to whether a small child seeing my face in this condition would be appropriate. I don't want to scare or confuse him," Brennan explained bashfully.

"Bones, it's not going to bother Parker. I'll have a chat with him first and explain things to him but it'll be fine, I promise. He's a Booth so he loves you by default. No worries there." Booth raised their entwined fingers to his lips and kissed her long, slender digits, one by one. Brennan nodded, somewhat sceptically, still slightly unnerved about what the next day would bring.

Argh, sorry that this took so long, guys.
You deserve better than to be left for ages, I know, but things have been... just terrible.
The doctors tried to put me on some meds which just made me feel so down and it made it impossible to write.
I'm off them now and I'm using alternative methods for recovery. It's so hard sometimes, so I'm sorry if updates take a while.

Please review, everyone. I really, really would appreciate a boost. :)