Hey Everyone!

So, here we go, the beginning of my attempt to post every hour on the hour for a day.

A bit of admin work:

There will be 12 one shots (on the even numbered hours) in this colors series, and the other 12 hours will be made up with posts on different stories, some one shots, and some just the beginnings of multi-chap fics.

anyways...hope you are all doing well. Hopefully you find at least one story today that you like. And if you have me on author alert, you are going to get 24 emails today!

Now, about this one. It's somewhat angsty, to start the day, which isn't ideal. But basically, Booth has a very bad day, and Brennan has to prove she's able to be the kind of person he needs on that kind of day.

--b&b--

10 AM

Brennan exited the elevator on Booth's floor of the FBI building just in time to see him chuckle, roll his eyes and shake his head. But he was smiling, so she was curious about what the other agents had said to make him laugh.

"Hi" she approached a bit breathlessly.

"Heya, Bones…" he grinned and tapped the other agent on the shoulder with the file. "See ya, Marty."

"Sure thing, Booth" Marty smiled and nodded toward Brennan. "Hey, Dr. Brennan," he wheedled. "Did you know that every time Booth here gets laid, an angel gets its wings?"

"Haha" Booth drawled. "You're so hilarious. Come on, Bones." He said as he turned toward his office.

"What?" Brennan's brow furrowed, but Booth stepped between her and Marty.

"Okay, okay…" he muttered, glaring toward his co-worker as he moved his partner toward his office to get his keys.

"What did he mean, Booth?" Brennan asked him, placing an arm in front of him as they walked.

"Nothing. Nothing, Bones…it was just a joke."

She watched as he bent over to get another file from his desk drawer, and when he looked up, he forced a smile.

"I don't understand the punchline, though" she stated.

Booth's eyebrow rose. "It's nothing, Bones. Just stupid office humor. Did you get the ID on the Lawson case or what?"

"Yes" she frowned, feeling like an outsider to the joke. "Wendell is faxing the information over to the tech team right now."

"Great" he nodded and motioned toward the door, holding it open as she walked past him. He walked ahead of her to the elevator and pushed the button, not quite looking at her as they waited for it.

"Why won't you just explain the joke to me, Booth?" she asked. "Does it have something to do you're your sexual prowess?"

"What?" he shrugged his shoulders back and looked around the office. "No!" he hissed. "it's just…" he sighed as the elevator doors opened and he motioned impatiently for her to enter. "It's not really a joke, it's more like a line from a movie. You know, It's a Wonderful Life?"

When she just stared back at him, he shook his head. "Unbelievable. But anyways, there's a line in there that says 'Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings', so…they were just making fun of me, that's all."

"Oh" Brennan frowned. "Well, there are no such things as angels."

"Yeah, okay" Booth pressed his hands to his hips and watched as the numbers decreased to the bureau lobby.

"Well, if you agree, then why did you laugh? If you know that angels don't exist--"

"Look…I know that's what you think, Bones." He cut her off. "Hey, I didn't make up that saying and I sure as hell didn't ask Marty to make up his own version of it, alright? It was his joke! So why the hell am I getting into trouble for it? Newsflash, Bones. Most men don't like getting treated like a failing student. And last time I checked, I'm not your student, okay? Maybe, for once, you could just act like a normal woman and laugh at a joke. Or hell, I don't know…feel sorry for me that someone was making fun of me. Put your hand on my arm and say, 'Oh, that sucks'. But no…that's too much to ask, and instead…I…I'm just so damn tired of getting lectured all the time for stuff I already know."

The silence in the slow moving elevator was stifling, and Booth turned to face her, seeing her face was stricken and soft.

"Ah, hell, Bones." He'd known the entire time he was talking that he was making a mistake, but…damn it did he have to be the one to make things right every single damn time?

"I'm sorry," she murmured and then looked down to her feet. Booth's jaw jutted out a bit before he nodded once and pressed his tongue to the inside of his cheek.

"Don't…" he turned to face the elevator doors, stepping through them when they opened. "Don't worry about it."

But as Brennan cleared her throat and followed him, she figured she wasn't likely to forget about it any time soon.

--b&b—

7 PM.

Booth ran his tongue against his teeth and checked his watch. Sweets looked at him and then sighed, nodding toward Brennan.

"I guess that's all the time we have for today."

Brennan stood up when Booth did, and she followed him out the door. His words from earlier that day rang in her ears, and when he walked toward his office, she put a hand on his arm.

He tensed and then stared at her hand, not quite meeting her eyes. She knew that he knew that she was trying to make an effort, but for some reason, that just seemed to make him even more upset. "Look, Bones. I gotta run. I've got an appointment, and I'm running late, so…"

"Okay…" she pulled her hand back, her question if he was okay or not going silent. "Then I suppose I'll see you later."

Feeling pissed and edgy and dreading the actual appointment he actually had, he just cupped the back of his neck. Part of him wanted to just tell her, but the other half of him didn't really want to get into it. Especially if everything he said only managed to get him another dose of anthropological inevitabilities, or worse…put that 'lost little girl' look in her eyes. He just didn't have time. Didn't have time to tell her and didn't have time to fix whatever else would happen next.

"Yeah," he nodded and shrugged. "Later."

His mood only went further south as he drove to the tuxedo shop for his fitting. Agreeing to be Jared's best man had been one of those 'right thing to do' moments, and he'd gotten past his reservations about Padme. But what was gnawing at him now was the reality that Jared was getting married.

Before him.

He wasn't picky. He just wanted a roof over his head and the woman he loved in his bed. He wanted to do his job to the best of his ability and he wanted to represent the FBI and his country…he didn't think any of that was too much to ask. He wasn't the jealous type, always knowing that he didn't deserve much and it was important to be happy with what he had. And he'd lived his life like that, happy with what he had. But now, he was damn jealous.

Immature? Yes. Deserved? Possible.

He'd spent almost his entire life sacrificing so that Jared wouldn't be hurt. So it made no sense that standing next to his brother, watching him smile wide in happiness, made him want to punch the nearest wall. It just felt so unfair…so freaking unfair.

"What's the matter, Seeley?" Jared wheedled, sensing his brother's annoyance. "Let me guess…something to do with your lovely partner."

"Shut up," Booth warned, slapping his credit card down onto the cashier's desk for a deposit. "Just shut the hell up. I'm serious."

He must have been spending too much time with her, because he knew he was being irrational. He'd been annoyed about his tux fitting and lashed out at her, and now, he was annoyed by that and was lashing out at his brother, as if his fight with her was what was making him upset.

It was confusing and pounding in his head. And hell, he knew he was acting like a baby, but damn it if for just once in his life, he wanted to. He wanted to not be responsible. Just once.

"Yeah, okay" Jared didn't take the hint. Or maybe he was just taking the bait, Booth didn't know.

"You know…" his brother continued. "Weddings are a great time to make a move. And Temperance is coming with you, right?"

"Just. Stop." Booth clenched his jaw and his fists, indescribable rage coursing through his veins. "Stop talking about it."

Jared paused and looked at him. Finally looked at him. "Ah…" he smirked. "I see how it is."

"Don't do this," Booth warned, physically unable to move from where he stood in the parking lot.

"No" Jared shrugged. "It needs to be said. Yeah, I was just joking when I said you should make your move on her at the wedding." His stance widened. "But you're not going to, are you? You're just going to pussyfoot your way through another missed opportunity. You know, you are so full of shit."

Booth snarled and leaned in, pushing Jared away with his closed fists. But Jared didn't back down and just leaned in further.

"You are a lying sack of shit. And what makes me crazy is that she believes you. She actually thinks you care about her, that maybe you're just waiting for the right time. Did you know that? But…no, you won't let her see that, not really, because that would mean, I don't know…you might actually have a weakness."

His own fists clenched at his sides and he barely spared a glance at the small crowd forming. "You think you know her so well?" Jared taunted, using the one thing he had. "Do you know what she told me about you? When I had the balls to actually ask her out? Hmmm?"

"Just shut the hell up!" Booth grabbed Jared's shirt collar. "If you don't, I swear to God…"

"You'll what?"

Booth heard the question through his haze of fury, but Jared wasn't done.

"You'll hit me? Do it, Seeley." Jared's hands were open. "I'm serious. Punch me in the face. You know you want to."

"No…" Booth hissed, feeling major weight on his shoulders. "I'm not like that."

"You want to…" Jared slapped his face a bit. "Come on. I'll even give you a good excuse. Did we stay up all night long? Yeah. Talking. She talked about you all night long. It was like the fucking Seeley Booth fan club. As if I needed another reminder in my life that I'm not as good as you at anything. 'Why can't you be more like your brother?'…my whole damn life, that's all I hear. But it was just the same thing. She was so desperate for you she would have done me just to be closer to you."

Booth growled and reacted, incapable of stopping his left hook from connecting with Jared's jaw. It was almost in slow motion, and he'd known the minute he'd gotten out of bed this morning that this was going to be a shit of a day.

"Yes." Jared mocked. "There. Does that make you feel better? Probably not…" he threw a punch that connected near Booth's eye, the skin there splitting.

Booth felt blood trailing down his cheek and he lunged.

Jared grabbed him by the waist and shoved his palm into Booth's nose. "Finally. There. How does it feel? Good, right?" He groaned as Booth punched him again. " Surprise for you, there, Seeley…you're just like the rest of us. You're allowed to be like the rest of us. I'm so damn tired of your protection. And I'll bet your partner is too." Jared stopped fighting and shook his head and stepped back, spitting out blood from his mouth. He flipped off the curious patrons of the tuxedo shop before walking away.

"Jared…" Booth grunted, his mind whirling with regret and self-disgust. The one thing he'd always promised himself he'd never do…

"Nope…" Jared shook his head. "You're not apologizing." He called as he walked backward. "Maybe now you'll actually do something about it. Or maybe not. Maybe you'll just go home and fuck your empty sheets. Screw you Seeley. I've been waiting my whole life for you to just punch me, once. Just so you could finally get it in your brain that you're no better than the rest of us. You know what? I'm happy. I'm happy with Padme, and she loves me. I'm happy with my life. If you want to keep being happy being miserable, then do it. Screw you" he repeated.

Booth's jaw clenched so tight it was a wonder his teeth didn't crack. He watched Jared get onto his bike and shove on his helmet before riding away, and Booth felt his chest split.

His face stung, and he lifted a hand to his cheek, feeling his own blood there. He looked down to his shirt and noticed that the white was now spotted with blood, from his nose and cheek. His fists were red, his knuckles raw, but that was nothing compared to his sense of responsibility. How the hell had he let this happen?

There were no answers, only adrenaline and stunned replays as he drove home, just trying to keep his eyes open against the misery of his day.

When he finally made it to the top of his steps, he groaned at what he saw. At who he saw sitting outside his door, waiting for him. No, this could not be happening.

"Bones…" he rasped, his voice desperate.

--b&b--

Brennan gasped and stood up, taking in his bloodied face and shirt. His normally perfect shirt was untucked, his shoelaces were untied, and his face…

"What happened?"

Her eyes were wild and she stepped toward him, hesitantly reaching up with a hand. He knocked it away, and she frowned when he hissed as he walked past her to his door.

"I'm not really interested in company, Bones."

A feeling…she didn't know what it was called, but she felt it…unpleasant, unwanted. She wasn't company. She was his partner. And she needed to know. "What happened? Were you accosted by a suspect?"

His bitter laugh confused her even more. She'd never heard that tone from him, ever.

"No…"was all he said as he rolled his shoulders back and cursed the way his fingers shook as he held his keys up to his door and tried to unlock it.

Brennan watched as he almost kicked the door in. his entire body was a livewire, but his eyes…they were almost dead inside.

"Booth…" she insisted, almost growing more concerned when he didn't put up a fight at all when she followed him inside.

But when he whirled around and faced her, concern was far from her mind.

"I hit him." He confessed. His eyes were now wild and frantic, and his voice sounded far away, even to his own ears. "Years…years I kept my hands to myself, but…" His face contorted with pain and he cupped the back of his neck.

Brennan remembered his earlier words to her, and she placed a tentative hand on his arm. "Oh." She swallowed, desperate to do the right thing. "That sucks."

His jaw worked back and forth and his eyes narrowed into small dark beads, completely unreadable.

With a soft growl, he closed his eyes and moved past her to his kitchen, throwing his keys toward the bowl near the fridge.

"Booth…" Brennan followed him. "What's wrong? I said the right thing."

He tossed her a glance and then stared at her, considering. "You know, Bones…I'm a hard man."

"No…" she contradicted immediately.

"Yeah." He cut her off. "I am. When I was young, I really used to dream about having a family. And a woman that loved me. But…it never happened. It's never going to happen. And for years, I've just let my heart grow hard about all of that, because there comes a time when it just hurts to much to feel. So when that happens, you've got two choices. Harden your heart or hurt all the time."

Her eyes searched his face. "I don't know what to say. I'm trying to say the right thing, Booth. You said I should--"

"I know…" he nodded. Despite everything, a small smile curved up. But it was not a smile that met his eyes, nor made her feel any better. "With you, it's the worst, Bones. When you're annoyed or pissy with me, it sucks, but most of the time, I deal. I've gotten used to it. Not that I'm perfect" he corrected when he saw her stiffen. "But…when you're sweet to me, Bones." His sharp inhale was so full of pain that it took her own breath away. "When you touch me…it hurts." His palm pressed against his chest. "It just brings up all those dreams, and…it's just too hard. I need you to just not care about me like that, okay? Then I'll be fine. You can leave, that's fine too. I just need some time to process it."

Brennan interrupted his words by pressing her lips against his in a kiss meant to sooth and quiet him. She didn't know the right thing to say, but she did know that his words, his self-hatred…it was hurting her. Booth pulled back and closed his eyes, and Brennan watched as the most rapturously painful expression she had ever seen on a human face crossed his face, and her heart broke.

He opened his eyes and saw her confusion and compassion and his brow furrowed in pain. "You're killing me, Bones," he rasped in a hoarse whisper.

Her eyes grew troubled. "What can I do?" she pleaded. "I'll do anything to help you."

Booth felt as if he were standing on the edge, and he knew he had to make a choice. Both could end in pain, but waiting any longer just wasn't good enough. He had to be honest. "I need you to either love me or leave me alone about it."

The room was silent, and her eyes were wide. It was impossible for him to think of anything else to say as he waited.

She swallowed and stepped just a fraction closer. Her lips parted, and then… "I don't know how to do either of those things."

And that was the rub. The skin near his eye felt like it was burning, but it was nothing compared to the way his heart pounded in fierce energy and painful expectation. "What do you want to do?" he asked her.

Brennan felt tears of frustration prick at the backs of her eyes and looked down to see her hands wringing. But at Booth's side, his bloodied hands were resting. A sense of peace, an answer to a question settled in her chest, and she placed her hands over his, moving to stand in front of him.

Booth's eyes widened in curiosity, even as his mouth parted slightly in emotion. "Bones…"

But she just took his hands into hers and held them between them. Her thumbs caressed over his palms, and she met his eyes. In them was a spark of vulnerability so intense that it took her breath away. But as she inhaled, the words she needed followed on the exhale. "You're a good man, Booth."

He tried to pull his hands back, but she didn't let him. Instead, she stepped closer until her legs were on either side of his. He almost had to tip his head back to keep his eyes on hers, and Brennan watched as his throat worked up and down, words of disbelief rising up, she could tell.

"You are" she insisted before he could voice them. "You're a good partner, and a good father, and a good brother, and…"

"I hit him" he rasped, swallowing hard. "My own brother. Bones…my whole life, I had to project him, but…"His jaw locked tight, and Brennan looked down to his hands, seeing the way his knuckles were still painfully swollen.

"Your hands are good." She whispered the words, and rubbed her thumbs over his tight skin. "Not bad."

For years, she'd imagined the feel of his hands on her bare skin. The smooth slide of his fingertips against her body. But now, she realized she needed to convince him that it would be okay to touch her. She pressed his palms against her cheeks, still keeping her hands outside of his, never letting go. His face reflected pain and a desperate desire to believe her.

Brennan didn't want to let him down. All these years, he'd been convincing her that love existed, that she was worth loving and that love was worth it, but now…now it was up to her to convince him that he was worthy of loving her. And the only way to do it was to show him.

Keeping his hands in hers, she led him to his living room and to his couch. He sat, and she clasped their hands between them, sliding them down the front of her body, watching as he shifted on the couch. Brennan allowed her knees to rest on either side of his, moving even closer to him.

"Bones…" he rasped again, and she felt the way his hands tightened in response over her breasts. Even through the sweater and bra she wore, a warmth radiated over her skin at his touch.

"You're so good, Booth." She murmured, not knowing what else to say. But if he thought she was wrong or awkward, he wasn't saying it. "Your hands save people, every day. You're caring and patient, and…"

She moved his hands from her chest down to her waist, letting them cup along her hips. Still, all the while, her hands remained on his, guiding him, giving him permission to accept what he wanted. His eyes were so dark, but she didn't look away, and instead lowered his hands to the hem of her dress. Brennan shivered hard at the feel of their fingers along her bare legs, and her breath became very uneven as she moved two of his fingers to the bottom seam of her underwear.

Booth's other hand clenched to the inside of her thigh, and Brennan's fingers tangled in his.

"You're wet" he gasped, sliding two raspy fingertips over the front of her panties.

"Yes" she gasped in return, unable to prevent the quick forward movement of her hips in reaction to his touch. "For you. For your touch."

His eyelids lowered for just an instant, and then his eyes opened, even darker than before. Brennan took a chance and moved her hands from beneath her dress. Incredibly pleased when he allowed his to remain, she began to work the buttons on the front of his now ruined white dress shirt. Once that was completed, she moved the fabric over his wide shoulders. "For these…" she admitted, running her hands over the muscles of his shoulders. "For this…" His chest was wide and smooth, and her fingers skated gently over his nipples. "For these…"

Booth's hips arched off of the couch, ever so slightly, as her fingers skipped down over his taut stomach muscles. "For this…"

She buried her face in the strong curve of his neck and inhaled deeply. "I've been wanting to feel your hands on me for a long time" she admitted in a soft whisper. "Because I've known how good it will be. And because of what a good man you are."

Her lips pressed against his jaw and his cheek before she turned her face the rest of the way and then her lips were only a millimeter away from Booth's. For a moment, they were both suspended in awareness. Mingling soft breaths, her hands on his shoulders, his fingers brushing lightly against the evidence of how good it was already.

And then Booth took the initiative and moved the last inch needed to kiss her. Mutual sighs of acceptance coursed between them and Brennan let her hands move to cup the back of his head. Her body settled more on his lap, his hands still cradling in between her legs.

Just as the tip of his tongue touched the tip of hers, his index finger tapped against her clit and a harsh shudder wracked through Brennan. She pulled back and closed her eyes in ecstasy.

She opened her eyes and pressed her forehead against his. It was one thing for him to love her, and want her love, but… "Do you want me?"

Booth swallowed hard and his hands tightened on her hips. "Yes" he growled. He grabbed one of her wrists and then cupped her hand over the tight ridge of his pants. "I want you, Bones. I want you. And I want your hands. All over me."

"Yes…" Brennan crooned, massaging him in her palm. His groan reverberated between them, and he tugged her closer before wrapping his arms around her.

With a grunt, he stood and began carrying her back to his bathroom, kissing her all the while.

Brennan gasped as her bare legs met the top of his sink, and she wrapped her legs around him, keeping him close, even as her hands were now available to start tugging at his pants. "Why aren't we in your bed?"

"Mmmm…" his teeth bared against her neck as his hands worked under her sweater. "I'm a mess, Bones." He worked the rims of his teeth so gently against her neck and jawline. "I've got to clean up for you."

She breathed in his rugged, angry scent, and sucked at his neck. "Don't. I like you just as you are."

A harsh laugh and moan rose from his lips, and he pulled back, pressing his hands to the sink on either side of her legs. "Don't move" he commanded in a low whisper. Then he turned and yanked back his shower curtain, rotating the knob to start the pounding spray. He looked at her and stripped out of the rest of his clothes. "I'm going to take a shower," he insisted, and then he held out a hand toward her. "Join me."

Brennan eyed his open palm and felt the memory of his rough but soft touch against the inside of her thighs. She peeled off the rest of her clothing and then placed her hand in his, keeping their eyes locked as she followed him into the hissing shower.

"Ah…" Booth rolled his shoulders back against the water before turning her so that she was under the spray. When his hands caressed her hips, Brennan knocked them away.

"No, Booth…" she began to run her fingers up and down his back. "Let me…"

His face went slack as she pulled his hands in hers again and settled them over her bare breasts. The feel of the water trickling over her shoulders, combined with his fingers made her thighs part in anticipation. Booth growled and pushed her back against the shower wall, inserting one of his legs between hers. He captured her mouth with his, but let her control his hands.

She arched against him, rubbing her breasts in his palms, working his thumbs over her aching nipples. He didn't wait for her permission but used his index fingers in tandem, gently tugging on her, rubbing and teasing in the same rhythm as he kissed her. Brennan's head fell back against the shower wall with a thunk, and her hands grasped at his shoulders before she slid them up his neck and clasped his face. He hissed and pulled back and she realized he was sore.

Her eyes opened and she examined him, gently rubbing her fingertips over the small but angry red gash forming near his eyes. She cleaned the dried blood from his face, watching the dark red melt down to the drain near their feet. Pain, gone.

Lifting up on her toes, she pressed her lips against his wound, soothing her lips down his cheek to the bruise there. "Booth…" her eyes were pained, not because of what he'd done, but because of what had happened to him. His pain felt validated, and for once…acceptable.

Booth's hands settled against her hips and then bottom as he stepped closer, moving both of his legs between hers. It was a dominant move, but there was no question that he was submitted to her soft and gentle touch. She was the only woman worth the pain. To feel her butterfly light touches against him soothed more than his cuts and bruises.

She was healing his heart.

Feeling vulnerable, in contrast to their earlier arguments, he rested his forehead in the spot where her neck met her shoulder and began to nibble little kisses against her sweet skin.

Her thighs parted around his and she rubbed up and down his back. But then he stepped back and captured her wrists in his hands, pinning them to her sides. "Bones…" he swallowed hard. "I need…"

Her eyes searched his face, desperate to know what he needed. "What?" she finally whispered, the sound barely audible over the splash of water around and between them. "What do you need."

His face, his gorgeous, wounded face grew closer to hers and he pressed his lips to hers in as desperate a kiss as she'd ever experienced. "I need…" his face turned to the side in emotional pain. "I need you to let me show you how I feel."

For years, he'd been convincing her that emotions were valid and that she should express her feelings, but when it came to her, he'd been very closed up. "Yes…" she nodded gently, her fingers forming into fists for just one fraction of a second before she relaxed, leaning back against the wall. "Yes, Booth. I trust you."

His breath left him in a rush, and he pressed his mouth to hers in a kiss so fierce that she wondered if she'd misunderstood. Perhaps he wanted to show her that he wanted rough sex with her, she realized.

But then his lips softened, and his hands moved her hair away from her face, his fingers tangling in the wet strands. "Thank you," he whispered, and she'd never seen a more genuine expression on any other person's face. It resonated in her being, and she understood that he was as incapable of putting words to it as she was.

That gave her great comfort as he touched her. He didn't say anything, just ran his fingertips down the slopes of her shoulders, measuring. He tracked droplets of water over her elbows and forearms. The water caused a slight friction, and his warm hands cupped her wrists as he leaned over and placed his lips against her collarbone. It was sensitive to his touch. Every inch of her was sensitive to his touch, she discovered, as his mouth moved over her body. Tender kisses against her breasts, warm suckles against her belly, soft nips against the insides of her thighs.

Brennan tried to relax as best she could and pulled her hands from his, needing to regain some control. But he didn't seem to mind and instead just placed his hands on the backs of her legs as his lips ghosted over her sensitive skin. When he'd once told her that making love needed to go gently, she suspected even he didn't know it could be like this.

His kisses grew longer and closer to her body, and Brennan felt his hands clench on her legs. She needed him.

"Booth…" she placed her hands on his shoulders. "Please…"

He looked up and met her eyes and then stood when she bent toward him. "Yeah, Bones?"

Booth closed his eyes when she trailed her own hands over his chest.

"I need you." She murmured, leaning in to press her own series of kisses along his jawline. "I need all of you."

He stared at her. And then came the smile. A little shy. A whole lot sexy.

His mouth found hers and she sucked his tongue into her mouth, feeling him start in surprise. Then he eagerly deepened the kiss. His delight in her desire pleased her as well.

"Ready?" he settled himself at her entrance, and she nodded.

But no amount of conversation could have prepared either of them for the feeling of being joined with the other.

A harsh groan fell from his lips, and her fingernails tightened on his shoulders as the head of his penis came to rest at the very end of her core. How could they have known that the perfection they'd thought it would be was nothing compared to the reality of the exquisiteness of being in each other's arms.

"Kiss me…" he nipped at her lips, and she complied, wrapping her arms around his neck and one leg around his waist. His hands settled at her hips and he began to rock forward, and back.

"More, more, more, more," Brennan pleaded, following his rhythm. "More of you, Booth. I need more of you."

"All of me" he groaned, quickening his thrusts. "You have all of me. I promise, Bones."

"Oh!" She gasped, beginning to climax around him. "Yes…"

They stared into each other's eyes and came together. It was almost painful, the sensations and emotions ripping over them, between them, and it was impossible to tell where one began and the other end.

Soft sighs mingled with harsh breaths, sleek legs slid against hairy ones, pale curves rested against dark muscles.

"Stay…" he murmured into the side of her neck, and she nodded, slipping her fingers into his damp hair.

On unsteady legs, they both managed to exit the bathroom and dry off before collapsing onto Booth's bed.

Booth held her in his arms as he pulled the dark red comforter and sheets down and over them, and they settled into a state of relaxation.

"Booth?" her quiet question snuck up to his ears from where she snuggled against his chest.

"Yeah?" his fingers rubbed the damp ends of her hair.

She backed away and looked at him. "What was it that made you fight with Jared?"

There was no room between them for anything, let alone dishonesty, and Booth sighed. "You. You, Bones."

"Me?" she asked, confused. "But…"

"No…" he soothed. "Not in that way, at least, not really. It was more that he is with Padme and getting married, and…he sort of challenged me that I needed to tell you how I feel."

Brennan smiled at him. "And you did."

Booth's lips curved up, but he shook his head. "Not really. I mean…if you hadn't literally been at my door, I don't think I would have. I would have just stayed silent."

Her fingers rested against his lips, and then she kissed him gently. "But not anymore, right?"

"Right…" he kissed her back, rolling her on top of him. "Not anymore."

They settled into sleep, and a couple of hours later were woken up by a knock on the door.

Booth groaned and then pressed a hand to his pounding head.

"I'll get it," Brennan soothed, pushing his shoulders back to the mattress. He groaned again when he heard another knock, but she kissed him and moved from the bed, quickly pulling on the robe she found hanging on his door.

When she opened the door, she blinked, pulling the robe tighter around her. "Jared."

His eyes widened as he took in her appearance, her sleepy eyes and rumpled hair.

"I'll get your brother," Brennan nodded, stepping back to let him in, noticing with not a little bit of pride the black eye that Jared was now sporting.

"No…" Jared held up his hands and then actually smiled, displaying a busted lip. "I just came over to apologize, and…to see if Seeley was okay. But…" his hands closed as he lowered them to his sides. "I can see that he is. More than okay."

"Do you…" Brennan shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "Do you still want to apologize? I can…"

Jared smiled. "No, just tell him I stopped by. I'll talk to him tomorrow."

Feeling unsure on whether or not she should insist, Brennan paused. "I…um, I can't speak for him, but I think he was also sorry for what happened."

Jared shook his head. "Tell him not to be. Tell him…" his face grew thoughtful and serious. "Tell him I'm glad he's happy."

Still feeling confused, Brennan watched him walk away. She closed Booth's door and then walked back to his bedroom, standing in the doorway for a moment to watch him.

He looked rough, shirtless, bruised and…peaceful. His eyes opened then, and he started to rise.

"Who was it?"

She approached the bed and sat on it. "Your brother."

"My brother?" Booth tried to sit up. "What did he say?"

Brennan swallowed and then met his eyes. "He said he came over to apologize and to see if you were okay, but that he could see that you were. And he said he was glad you were happy."

She waited for his reaction, feeling anxious to know his thoughts and thankful when he pulled her close to him and settled her against his side. "You make me happy, Bones."

Brennan tucked her hands to his chest and closed her eyes. "You make me happy too, Booth."

--b&b--

The end!

Stay tuned for the next story, the beginning of a story called "Safe House"where Booth is called away after an assignment, and he and Brennan are forced to really deal with the emotions associated with the time he was 'dead'. :)