Okay, here you go. The rest of the story. The chapter is very long but there wasn't a good place to break it up so I hope you don't mind too much. Enjoy and let me know what you think. Thanks, T.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Booth raised his gun and fired but in his mind's eye he saw the little creep holding a knife to his partner's neck in a dirty alley and not the paper target on the gun range of the Hoover building. It didn't help. He was still enraged that someone had put their hands on his partner, threatened her safety, her very life, and he had failed to protect her. He wasn't sure anything could make him feel better about that but he was giving it a damned good try, emptying clip after clip into the targets. As weird as it was, the familiar, repetitive motion of pulling the trigger relaxed him and he knew from the unbelievable amount of time he had spent doing just that over the last two weeks that he would feel better, at least temporarily. But he didn't want a temporary fix, he wanted a permanent end to the bitter anger eating away at his guts, the pain in his chest every time he even thought about his partner, the aching sense of loss he felt every time he saw her or even heard her voice.

And he wanted the gut churning, self directed rage he had been feeling almost constantly over the last two weeks to stop. He still had trouble believing he had allowed the twelve year old pain in the ass goad him into telling Brennan how he felt and everything about the way he had done it made him cringe inside with regret. He could only assume he had been temporarily insane because what else would explain him forgetting everything he had learned about her over the years and hitting her in the face with the one thing she struggled to understand and express every day? God, he had practically accosted her and then when she had turned him down (big surprise there), he had immediately told her he had to move on. Way to go, Booth. I'm sure that really gave her confidence in a relationship between the two of you considering you had just told her you wanted to spend the next 50 years with her. NOT! Wincing in shame at the reminder, Booth could only agree with his somewhat snarky inner voice.

Oh, yeah, he had messed up, big time and his heart ached at the lost opportunity to court her, woo her with romantic dates and flowers and everything that every woman had the right to expect from a man saying that he loved her. And the really sad thing was he had tied his own hands so thoroughly that he could never give her that now. Hell, his hands were tied so securely that he had spent the last two weeks afraid to bring it up again in any capacity, afraid she would see it as pushing and run. So, he had kept his mouth shut, hid his own pain and tried to be the partner of old but, within the last hour, he had begun to think that had been an even bigger mistake than the unforgivable way he had told her he loved her. And all because of what had happened in her office.

What the hell had he been thinking in her office? Well, that was an easy one, he hadn't been thinking at all, at least not with his big head. He had been angry and trying to teach her a lesson but the second he had touched her, he had become the student. He had learned that her legs were firm, toned and as shapely as they appeared, that the sliver of exposed skin on her lower back was as soft and silky as it looked and he had learned that he didn't have as much control over his feelings for his partner as he had thought. He had learned, for him, that there would be no moving on and he had learned that no matter what she said, she had been just as turned on as he had been, that she sure as hell felt something stronger than friendship toward him.

He knew he should be ashamed of himself but he honestly couldn't bring himself to regret it, especially since it had given him an epiphany that made his heart pound faster with hope. As badly as he hated to admit it, he hadn't heard a word she had said that night between her turning him down and her asking him if they could still work together, all his senses concentrating on holding himself together instead of shattering with the pain of her rejection. Was it possible that he had missed something important? That if he knew exactly what she had said, he would know what the real problem was because he knew she felt something for him, he knew it. Was it possible that he had spent the last two weeks in excruciating pain simply because he hadn't had a simple conversation with his partner? He was beginning to think the answer to all those questions was a resounding yes and that royally pissed him off.

He had let her set the parameters of this relationship for so long that he automatically continued to do so and he was done. He had no intention of turning into a stalker or pushing her toward a relationship but he was done with letting her boss him around, done pretending that he didn't love her, done with pretending he was happy with just being partners, done with all the bullshit of not talking about their feelings for each other. Yes, Brennan had the right to choose to not be with him and he would accept that if he was convinced she really meant it but right now, he just wasn't sure about anything except that he wasn't about to let her go without even a simple conversation. He knew he would be taking a chance on her seeing it as pushing and running but wasn't being happy for the rest of his life worth taking a risk for? After the last two weeks, he sure as hell thought so. And if she ran? Well, he would deal with that if it happened. But the bottom line was if she wanted him out of her life, she was going to have to kick him out kicking and screaming because he wasn't going anywhere, not as long as the possibility of them existed. Feeling a little weak from his decision, he laid the gun down, braced his hands on the counter and hung his head, sending up a quick prayer for God to show him how to do this right this time.

"Aren't you going to check the target?" Booth stiffened and raised his head, slowly turning it toward the female voice behind him.

"What are you doing here, Bones?" he asked softly, his eyes openly running over her. She didn't looked pissed off enough to kick his ass but the look in her eyes told him she definitely had something on her mind. He had to admit that she had every right to be pissed, he had been completely out of line in her office and if she wanted to lecture him about it, he would listen. Then it would be his turn to talk and he had several things to say to the good doctor. Without taking his eyes off of her face, he pushed away from the counter, picked up his gun, ejected the empty clip and inserted a full one.

"You should finish what you were doing first," Brennan replied pointing toward the clean target. "What I need could take a while," she finished quietly, not even aware that her fingers were plucking at the buttons of the coat she had folded over her arm. Noting the unusual sign of nervousness, Booth's eyes narrowed but he followed instructions.

"Okay, then." Booth turned back to his target, automatically sighting and pulling the trigger, his mind racing over scenarios that might be responsible for his partner being here, not at all reassured by the ones he was coming up with. Firing the last shot, he laid the gun on the counter, took a deep breath and turned toward Brennan, trying to quell the nervous rolling of his stomach and slow his pounding heartbeat. God, he felt like a teenager about to tell a girl he liked her for the very first time, he silently acknowledged, a wry grin curving his lips. "If you're here to kick my ass for what happened in your office, would an apology help?" he asked softly, resting a hip on the counter and crossing his arms over his chest, his eyes holding hers levelly.

Brennan blinked, then dropped her eyes to stare blindly at the floor. He was sorry for what had happened in her office? Did that mean it had only been a momentary loss of control? That he hadn't really meant it? That he still found her physically attractive but hadn't said he loved her that night because he really didn't love her? Had he already moved on? Oh, God, she couldn't do this, she shifted in panic, ready to spin on her heel and simply run. Stop it, she ordered herself firmly, you can't run away from this. That's what you've been doing for 5 years and it's time to face it and deal with it, one way or the other. Yes, it was time to deal with this but she couldn't just blurt out her feelings, not until she had some indication from him that he still felt the same way. She needed to gain more data and she thought she knew how to do it, if she could just find the courage to follow through.

"I'm not here to kick your ass, Booth," she said softly, raising her eyes to his face, blinking at how intently he was studying her face, unaware of the apprehension and confusion swirling in her eyes.

"I'm glad to hear it," he smiled, uncrossing his arms and gripping the edge of the counter, instinctively feeling that whatever had brought her here was very, very important.

"Booth, I have go. My wife will kill me if I'm late tonight. Are you finished?" came a male voice from behind Brennan, startling her enough for her head to swing around and see the agent standing behind her.

"We need a few minutes, Stevie," Booth said smoothly, his eyes never leaving his partner. "Go ahead, just lock up and I'll let myself out."

"Okay," Stevie returned, his interested gaze flitting between Booth and Brennan, the tension rolling off both of them in waves. He really did have to get home but, man, would he love to be a fly on the wall and see what happened between these two when they were alone. "Goodnight, then," he murmured, not surprised when no one answered him, Booth and Brennan's attention so focused on each other that he doubted they had even heard him. Shaking his head with a wry grin, he turned and made tracks, those two were either going to have a knockdown, drag out fight or they were going to jump each other and they definitely needed some privacy for either of those things.

Brennan's eyes flitted back up to Booth's to find his smoldering, brown eyes openly running over her face and upper torso, narrowing and lingering on the thrust of her breasts under her thin t-shirt, making no attempt to disguise that he liked what he saw. Brennan's breath caught at the fluttering in her lower abdomen and she suddenly knew there was no way she was walking out of here tonight without her answers, afraid that if she walked away tonight she might never find the courage to address it again.

"You know, Booth," she straightened from the wall and slowly walked toward him, "you were extremely insistent that I learn the correct FBI procedures to frisk a suspect and you were exceedingly…thorough with your demonstration but you forgot one thing." Leaning around him, she placed her coat on the counter beside his gun and straightened to step up until they were standing toe to toe.

"And what was that?" he asked huskily, his hands clenching on the counter to keep from reaching for her, his body reacting and beginning to harden just from her being this close.

"One of the most important aspects of teaching is determining if the student has adequately retained the information and can properly utilize it," she lectured, but this wasn't her usual teacher voice. This voice was a low, husky purr that sent shivers down Booth's spine and turned his brain to mush, interfering with his ability to understand her words.

"I don't know what that means," he admitted after clearing his throat.

"It means, Booth, that now it's my turn," she didn't even try to hide the satisfied smile on her face. Booth blinked then his eyes widened, his stomach coiling in panic as her meaning sunk in. Oh, God, she was here for payback and even though he might deserve it, he didn't think he could take her hands all over him without jumping her on the spot.

"Bones, I don't think that's a good idea," he murmured, trying to ignore the scream of protest from his body which was saying that it thought it was a wonderful idea.

"So you're saying that you really don't care if I can properly frisk a suspect?" she queried, blinking up at him innocently, knowing she was pushing and unable to stop, wanting to push him until he snapped and either made another declaration or just showed her how he felt, terrified that without that she wouldn't be able to find her voice and tell him how she felt.

Closing his eyes, Booth knew he was between a rock and a hard place. Yes, he had every intention of pursuing a relationship with his partner but he had no intention of repeating the mistakes he'd made outside Sweets' office and he needed a little time to figure out how to avoid that. Plus, he needed to be calm for that conversation, not aching with the need to pull her against him and simply show her how he felt with his body and after what had happened in her office, he didn't think that was going to be anytime tonight.

As he saw it, he had two choices. One would be sheer torture but there was simply too much riding on it for him to chance a serious conversation when they were both this volatile. Physical torture it was. Sending up a quick prayer for the strength to get through this, he opened his eyes and stared directly into cerulean pools that were studying him thoughtfully. "Show me what you got, Bones," he sighed, pushing off of the counter and standing up straight. He hadn't meant it as a dare but the way Brennan's eyes narrowed and the gleam of anticipation that suddenly appeared in them told him that was exactly how she had taken it. "Bones," he began warningly, stepping toward her, his voice breaking off as she suddenly pivoted, grabbed his arm, bent it behind his back and used his own momentum in stepping toward her to propel him into the wall.

Too surprised to stop her, Booth hit the wall with a muffled oomph, not hard enough to hurt him but definitely hard enough to arouse his more primal instincts. Swallowing hard, he tried to ignore the visions of them getting just a little rough with each other parading through his mind but there was no way he could ignore just how hard those visions made him, especially when he felt Brennan step closer, her breasts flattening against his back, pinning his body between the hard wall and her much softer body.

"Assume the position," she huskily ordered into his ear and he didn't have a hope in hell of stopping the shudder that wracked his entire body.

"What are you doing, Bones?" he growled, turning his head and pinning her with eyes so hot, so turned on that she had to take a long moment to steady her breathing before answering.

"I'm showing you what I've got, Booth. Isn't that what you did in my office?" she queried, hoping her voice wasn't as shaky as her legs or her hands or her fluttering belly, dropping her eyes so he wouldn't see the reciprocating heat shining there.

Damn, thought Booth closing his eyes, she just had to go and use logic on him, reminding him that he deserved whatever she was about to dish out. Teeth clenched so hard it would be impossible for words to get through, he followed her instructions, pushing back from the wall and flattening his palms against it, biting back a groan as his movements pressed Brennan's breasts against his back more firmly. God, he was so turned on he could barely stand still and she hadn't even touched him yet.

Forcing herself to step away from him, Brennan clutched her trembling hands together, ignoring how eager they were to be gliding over her partner. Taking a moment to calm herself, she walked around him, her eyes running caressingly over his aesthetically pleasing bone structure and well developed body. But she had lost the ability to assess Booth clinically years ago and now her gaze was hot, needy, lustful and God she wanted to touch him. But more than that, she wanted the right to touch him whenever she wanted, she wanted him to have the same right regarding her, she wanted to stop being afraid to show him how much she loved him and she desperately wanted to believe that it could last forever, to find the courage to give him the chance to prove it to her.

Very much afraid that this was her very last chance to reach for any of those things, Brennan took a deep breath and stepped forward, her hands landing on either side of Booth's hips. Hooking her thumbs into his belt to keep them still, she forced her lust and fear addled brain to concentrate, immediately seeing how Booth's body needed to be repositioned. "Spread your legs," she ordered huskily, inserting a slender leg between his and nudging at his legs. Becoming more aggressive when he didn't immediately respond to her instructions, she slid her bent leg up between his heavy thighs, pushing them apart, accidently going a little too far until her soft thigh was pressed against his groin, rubbing back and forth.

"God, Bones," Booth couldn't stop the guttural, strangled release of breath any more than he could stop his hips pressing downward and rocking back and forth, her knee angling upward and treating his erection to passing grazes. Panting, his hands fisted against the wall, Booth used every ounce of willpower he possessed to keep from turning around and reaching for her. God, she was killing him here, he was hard as a rock and he couldn't even think about the curve of her ass without his entire body clenching even more tightly but his instincts were screaming that this wasn't about payback for what had happened in her office. This was about something else entirely, something important if he could only get his lust fogged brain to focus long enough to figure it out.

"Sorry," Brennan mumbled, the torment in Booth's voice bringing her to her senses and reinforcing her impression that there was definitely a strong sexual attraction for her on his part, giving her hope that he did, indeed, love her. Dropping her foot back to the floor, she stepped back, a little dizzy from her body's rampant reaction to touching him, her breasts tight and aching, her lower abdomen twisting into knots, her center throbbing and flooding with moisture from the simple fact that she could turn him on so easily. Slowing her rapid, jerky respirations from sheer force of will, she squatted and reached for his right ankle with shaky hands, beginning to seriously doubt her ability to push Booth to the limits of his control while hanging onto her own. That impression was reinforced when her hands began to stroke up his hard calf and moved to his well developed thigh, her hands itching to rip the cloth away and run over his bare skin, her breath hitching at the erotic images running through her mind of her doing just that.

Booth was having some trouble catching his own breath, the muscles in his right thigh quivering at the feeling of those firmly caressing hands. It felt wonderful but at the same time, it wasn't enough, he wanted her hands on his bare skin. Hell, who was he kidding? He wanted them both naked and hot and sweaty and, dammit, if she didn't stop the glide of that hand up his inner thigh there was no way he was going to be able to stop his hands from reaching for her. And he knew, without a doubt, that if he put his hands on her again tonight, he wouldn't be able to restrain himself. He would have her naked and pressed up against the wall before he could stop himself. Desperately trying to ignore the way his erection twitched and throbbed at just the thought, he clamped his thighs together, trapping her hand in silent protest, dropping his head between his arms, closing his eyes and hoping she got the message.

She did and moved on, her hands becoming efficient and moving down his other leg, suddenly eager to be face to face with him, needing to see his expression, hoping his eyes would tell if he was feeling anything other than the expected response to arousing stimuli. She thought it would break her heart if that's all she saw but she needed to know too badly to stop now. Relaxing at the change in her touch, Booth released a sigh of relief. Yeah, having her hands on him period turned him on but he could handle this. That short lived relief deserted him entirely mere seconds later when she stood and her hands landed on his butt, kneading and clutching, her nails scraping down the length of his butt cheeks. Breath hissing out, his hips jerked forward just as her hands slid around his belt and slipped into his front pockets. Jesus, what the hell was she trying to do to him here? Drive him completely out of his mind?

"I forgot to ask if you have anything dangerous in your pockets," Brennan muttered breathlessly. Leaning forward and rubbing her breasts against his back to ease their ache, her hands moving up and down inside his pockets, stroking his upper thighs and moving dangerously close to his aching hard on. And, God, he wanted her to touch him like that, wanted to feel her hand wrapping around his needy flesh and stroking him to release, wanted to push inside her eager body and take them both on a journey of discovery, wanted to do every erotic thing imaginable to her incredibly beautiful body but not like this. Loving her as much as he did, he didn't think he could handle her making love with him because she had been overcome by lust or even as her best friend with benefits, not unless it meant she was willing to give them a try.

"Stop it, Bones," he growled, a little surprised when she immediately obeyed him, pulling her hands from his pockets, leaving his shuddering, hungry body hard and aching. And he was suddenly absolutely furious with her for dangling what he wanted most in the whole world before him when he wasn't sure he could have it, for tying him up in knots just because she could. Shivering, her whole shaking with desire, Brennan wanted to scream in frustration that Booth hadn't given in yet. She knew it wasn't fair or rational for her to be afraid to tell him how she felt until he reassured her that he hadn't changed his mind but there was nothing rational about the way Booth made her feel and she was terrified the last chance for them to be together was quickly slipping through her grasping fingers. Dragging her heavy breasts across his back just because she couldn't help herself, she stepped to his side and slid under his raised arm, wiggling her body between the hard wall and his hard body.

"What are you doing?" Booth groaned, not even pretending he didn't enjoy the wiggling, not even trying to control his body surging toward her when her hips slipped into the perfect position and pressed against his hard on.

"I'm being thorough, Booth," Brennan panted, her hands reaching out to very, very thoroughly explore his chest, her confused eyes taking in his closed, angry expression and trying to make sense of it in conjunction with his obvious arousal.

"Are you done?" Booth growled as her hands settled to rest on his belt, knowing he was being abrupt, that he was confusing her but he'd had just about all he could take. He was so freaking hot and hard that just the thought of sliding into her tight warmth almost sent him over the edge and if he didn't get her away from him soon, he would be fucking her against the wall despite his best efforts not to. Gut roiling with anger and desire, he looked down into glazed, unfocused blue eyes, her bottom lip red and swollen from her biting it to hold back her own groans when she had been touching him, her entire expression utterly needy and wanton and knew, without a doubt that she wanted this as much as he did. That made him even angrier and he wanted to punish her for doing this to him, for showing him what he could have but being unwilling to give it to him in a way he could accept.

The need to put some distance between them before he did something stupid paramount, he pushed off of the wall and tried to step back only to be brought up short by Brennan's two handed grip on his belt buckle. Looking down in surprise, his eyes narrowed and he raised them to his partner's face, glad to see that she looked furious. Well, that was fine with him, he was more than ready to fight with her, needing some kind of release before he simply exploded from the gathering pressure in his body.

"I'm not done, Booth," she smirked, panicked that he seemed ready to just walk away from her again, leaving her with no answers and little hope that she would ever get any. Feeling that if he walked away again she was going to lose something infinitely precious and dear to her and not even knowing what it was made her furious that he wouldn't just do what she wanted and confirm that he loved her. Heart aching with the possibility that she had been wrong and he really didn't love her at all, she figured she had nothing left to lose at this point because if Booth didn't love her she had already lost everything anyway. Allowing her fingers to drift lower, past his belt buckle and dangerously close to his pulsing flesh, she held her breath and waited for his response.

"Go ahead," Booth taunted, placing his hands back against the wall and making no attempt to stop her despite knowing he should just shut his mouth and walk away, very seriously doubting if even his very straightforward partner would do what she was threatening. His doubt was shaken as she lifted her head and he caught sight of her eyes, eyes that were swirling and glinting with so many emotions he couldn't hope to identify them all but he didn't have any trouble recognizing the determination and anger. Well, good then, they were both pissed off but he needed to make himself very, very clear about what she was about to do. "But if you do, you'd damned well better be ready to back it up. Because I will most definitely consider that an open invitation," he hissed, bending his head until they were nose to nose, sure that threat would dissuade her from pushing him just too damned far.

Scared, desperate, goaded, Brennan held his eyes and deliberately ran the heel of her hand slowly down his erection, pressing firmly enough for him to get the full effect but not firmly enough for the zipper of his pants to hurt him. Faster than even he had known he could move, Booth grabbed her hands, slamming them against the wall over her head and holding them there with hard hands, his big body roughly pushing her up against the wall. Looking down at her, seeing her pressed against the wall in almost exactly the same spot he had held her captive in the Cleo Eller case, a strong sense of déjà vu swept over him, reminding him in vivid detail of the things he had wanted to do to his luscious partner even way back then. Only knowing he hadn't had the right to touch her like he wanted to had saved her back then but he no longer felt like that. In fact, he felt like he was the only person who would ever have the right to touch her like that again.

Knowing he wasn't being rational, knowing that his emotions were driving him, and he would very likely come to regret it didn't stop him from bending his head and placing his open mouth on her neck. If this was all she could offer him, all he was ever going to have of her, then he was damned sure going to have a taste. Moaning, Brennan tilted her head to the side, her mind struggling to make sense of the look on anger on Booth's face while her body bowed toward him, wanting more, craving everything he had ever promised her in those teasing little conversations about love and forever and making love versus crappy sex. Sucking on her neck like a starving man, Booth couldn't stop his body from urgently surging against hers, slipping a thigh between her legs and pressing high and hard. The breathy, whimpering little sighs coming from her throat as her hips bucked against his thigh threatening what little control he had left, Booth dragged his mouth away from her neck and covered her lips with his, instinctively trying to stop those arousing noises, immediately knowing it was a mistake.

But, God, it didn't feel like a mistake. His tongue slipped into her mouth seeking and finding the sweet, sweet taste of his Bones, a taste that he had craved to indulge for the last six years and it felt wonderful. Her tongue glided teasingly against his, tempting him into the deepest recesses of her mouth and it felt perfect. They shared a moan as her bucking hips shifted angles and stroked his hard length with every forward motion and it felt like something he wanted to do every day for the rest of his life. He knew it would destroy him to have her like this and then have her walk away but he just didn't have the strength to pull away from her, not now. And that thought brought on an epiphany of blinding proportions, one that made his heart race with hope and relaxed the knot of anxiety in his gut had been twisted in for the past two weeks. He knew that his partner cared about him and their partnership too much to risk destroying it in a meaningless sexual encounter. Was it possible she had come here tonight to tell him she was ready to give them a try? It was not only possible but highly probable, his gut told him and he wanted to laugh aloud at the realization that everything he so deeply desired seemed to be within his grasp. But he could hope and dream all day, Brennan was the only one who knew what her motivations were and he simply had to know for sure.

Releasing her wrists, his hands cupped her face and tilted it upward, his mouth softening on hers and losing its hungry urgency, he kissed her with aching, possessive tenderness, trying to convey every bit of love he felt for her in that one kiss, his heart lurching in his chest when Brennan's mouth softened and turned just as tender as his. All too soon, he knew if he didn't pull away now, he never would and it wouldn't be fair to either of them to start off a relationship like this. Dragging his mouth away from hers, he trailed hot, open mouthed kisses across her jaw line to her ear.

"Why did you come here tonight, Bones?" He whispered directly into her ear, his teeth toying with the sensitive lobe.

Lost in the sea of sensations generated by her body being pressed so tightly against one she had lusted after for so very long, his lips moving across her skin sending darts of desire directly to her core to increase the empty, aching feel that only he could appease, Brennan forced her heavy eyelids open and tried to make sense of what Booth was saying. His breath puffing against the sensitive shell of her ear sending shivers down her spine and the teeth tugging on her earlobe making that next to impossible, she turned her head, eagerly searching for his mouth with hers. Busy hands quickly undoing the buttons on his white dress shirt, she bent her head and dragged her open mouth across the hard muscles that were slowly being revealed.

Growling deep in his throat, Booth's hand fisted in her hair, the feeling of her soft lips gliding across his bare skin, her tongue licking and lathing sending darts of exquisite pleasure along every nerve ending. He had fantasized about this very thing too many times to count but, God, the reality was so much better than the fantasy. Ever stroke of her fingers, every glide of her lips, every flick of her tongue making him harder and hotter until he felt like he was going to shatter into a million pieces at the next touch. His other hand moved to her hip, encouraging the roll of her hips, the grinding of her hot, wet center against his thigh, urging her hips closer to graze his aching cock with every roll. Moaning against the sweat slickened skin of his chest, Brennan gladly followed the urgings of his hand on her hip, rolling, jerking her hips along his hard, hard thigh, the friction her pants generated against her swollen, sensitive clit sending her closer and closer to the edge with every pass.

Shuddering, knowing that if he didn't get his answers very, very soon, it would no longer matter because his screaming body was going to take over and demand relief from the aching agony only she could generate in him, Booth cupped her face between his hands and gently forced her mouth away from his chest, groaning at the loss of contact. Tipping her face upward, his gut clenched even harder at the look of utter abandonment, complete wantonness in her glassy, unfocused, very dark, blue eyes.

"Why are you doing this, Bones?" He growled gutturally, desperately needing the answer so he could just let go of his control, give in to the clawing need to join his body with hers.

"Does it matter?" Brennan gasped, so caught up in how he made her feel that she was incapable of anything other than very rudimentary thought at the moment. Busily trying to push his shirt off of his shoulders, it took her several long seconds to realize that his current position made that impossible and she sighed in disappointment, her attention turning to his pleasure giving mouth that was only inches from hers. "I don't want to talk, Booth," she whined, leaning forward and catching his lower lip between her teeth, giving it a less than gentle nip then releasing it to sneak her tongue between his gasping lips. Laughing throatily when his mouth covered hers before he could stop himself, she sighed in pleasure and opened her mouth under the aggressive, possessive slant of his, her hands smoothing down his chest and exploring the ridged lines of his washboard abs.

Booth didn't particularly want to talk either. His entire body was shuddering, shaking with the need to just rip her clothes off and bury himself inside her, but he needed to know exactly what he was getting himself into. Not that it mattered anymore because he knew that nothing on the face of the earth was going to stop him from making love with her here and now but, as ridiculous as it might seem, he needed to know what it was going to mean to her. Feasting on her avid mouth only increased the need to stop thinking and just enjoy as did her hand drifting down his chest but he just couldn't let it go. One way or the other he had to know and if her hand moved a few inches lower, he wasn't ever going to get his answers. Hell, if her hand kept moving lower, he wasn't even going to remember the question. Grabbing both of her wandering hands, he forced them against the wall on either side of her head, jerking his mouth away from hers and resting his forehead against hers, panting heavily.

Moaning, Brennan met smoldering almost black eyes that sent darts of electricity jolting through her system, making her want to put her hands and mouth all over him. Now. Tugging at her hands to free them so she could reach for him, she finally realized that Booth wasn't going to let her go and every bit of her frustration and tension from the last two weeks, not to mention that she was more aroused than she had ever been in her life with no relief in sight, turned into anger. "What is your problem, Seeley Booth?" she snapped. "Is this what turns you on? Being in charge, being a tease?" she continued nastily, appalled at the words spilling from her mouth but at a loss to stop them.

Looking into her furious face, Booth couldn't prevent the grin from tipping his lips upward, even when her eyes narrowed and she glared at him. He thought pissed off, snarky Bones was adorable. "I just want you to answer a question for me," he murmured softly, ignoring her questions about what turned him on for the moment, not being entirely sure she was ready to hear that.

"What?" she practically yelled, not sure if she wanted to jump him or hit him more at the moment, knowing that she had completely lost control of her brain and her mouth and not even caring.

"Why are you doing this? Why did you come here tonight?" he asked, his eyes boring into hers until she winced and his attention was drawn to her mouth, to where she had her bottom lip clamped between her teeth tightly enough to draw blood, presumably to keep herself from answering his question.

Suddenly feeling very lighthearted, Booth raised her arms above her head and transferred both wrists to one of his big hands, his other hand going to her mouth, his thumb gently removing her lip from between her teeth. "Unn Uhh, no cheating," he chided gently, tenderly stroking her abused lip, only his sniper reflexes saving him from a nip of his own when she made a low growling sound in the back of her throat and tried to bite his thumb. Biting back a laugh that he didn't think she would appreciate, he gave her a reproachful look, feeling oddly glad to see his always in control Bones so close to losing it, honestly feeling that it would do her good to just turn loose of all that structure and control and just let go every once in a while. "Why did you come here tonight, Bones?" he asked quietly.

Grinding her teeth together in fury, the question reverberated in Brennan's head until she just wanted to make it stop, the feelings raised by the question itself, the exhausting internal debates over that very thing, the scared, lost way she had felt for the last two week, she just wanted it to all stop. And she could no more have stopped the words pouring from her mouth than she could have stopped the tide from coming in. "What do you want me to say, Booth?" she yelled. "That I can't think about anything but what you said outside Sweets' office? That every time I do, it makes my stomach hurt and I'm so scared that I just want to run away where I don't have to ever think about it again but I can't do that because the idea of not seeing you every day, not being with you scares me even more? That I don't even look at other men anymore because I compare them to you and find them wanting? That I can't even bring myself to masturbatory orgasm without imagining that it's you touching me? Does it make you happy to hear that, Booth? She screamed directly into his stunned face, not sure who she was angrier with, him for making her feel this way or herself for not being able to control those feelings. "Let me go, Booth," she demanded, yanking on her hands.

"Not a chance," he said softly, knowing he should feel bad about upsetting her so badly but simply unable to bring himself to feel anything but joy over the fact that she had just announced that she loved him. She might not be too happy about it at the moment but there was no way in hell she was walking out of here until they got a few things straight. Hand cupping her face, he gently forced her chin up, wanting her to be looking at him when he said what he needed to say so that she would see how true his words were. "I feel like I've been waiting my entire life for you to say that you love me, so, yes, it makes me very, very happy to hear you say those things," he whispered tenderly, his thumb stroking over her cheek.

"I didn't say that I love you, Booth," she scoffed, embarrassed and appalled at her loss of control, cringing at the revealing words she had spat at him now that her senses were beginning to return.

"Yes, you did," he insisted softly, his nose nuzzling against hers, his eyes glinting with something Brennan had never seen there before.

"No, I didn't," she insisted stubbornly, not even knowing why she was arguing. "I don't even like you very much right now," she added truthfully.

"Yes, you do," Booth laughed huskily, his lips whispering over hers. "You're just mad." His lips settled against the corner of her mouth, open and nibbling at her upper lip.

"How do you know?" she moaned, unable to resist turning her head for fuller contact with his lips.

"Because you are a very, very bad liar, Bones," he sighed into her mouth as her lips opened and her tongue slid aggressively into his mouth. Groaning, Booth's lips firmed and opened over hers, his tongue dueling with hers for long, long minutes until the need for oxygen became paramount and he reluctantly separated their mouths, resting his forehead against hers and panting for breath. "Sorry, Bones, but you said you love me and there are no changes, no takebacks," he told her firmly, raising his head to grin down at her, looking so young and happy and relaxed that her heart turned over in her chest. "In fact, I have to say I'm a little hurt that you would try to take it back," he pouted theatrically and Brennan couldn't help but smile. "I would never, ever try to take back saying I love you," her assured her fervently, his free hand working under the hem of her thin t-shirt and stroking over her abdomen, moving upward, causing Brennan's abdominal muscles to clench and jump under the caress, her breasts swelling and aching in anticipation of his touch.

"You never said it," Brennan gasped, arching toward him as his long finger brushed against the undersides of her breasts, struggling to concentrate on their words, knowing they were important.

"Never said what?" Booth was barely paying attention, not really needing any more words because all his important questions had been answered. She loved him and that was all that mattered. His body eagerly demanding that he get back to what they had been doing earlier, he nibbled on her lower lip, his big hand sliding over the smooth, satiny skin of her abdomen, just brushing the undersides of her lush, heavy breasts. His gut clenched tightly with the need to dispense with clothing altogether and explore her luscious body with his eyes, hands and lips.

"That you love me." Brennan fought to hold onto her train of thought as his hands and mouth threatened to drag her back into that world of pure, sensual feeling. "You never said that you love me," she clarified breathlessly, needing to get this out into the open.

"What?" he asked, his head jerking back in confusion. "Of course I said I love you that night," he insisted, his eyes running over Brennan's face, seeing by the head shake and the look of confusion and hurt that she most definitely didn't believe he had said the words that night. And, dammit, she was right, he realized seconds later after replaying that scene in his mind. God, could he have messed that night up any worse if he had actually been trying? Probably not, he admitted but it was time to let it go, to clean up his mess and move on. He couldn't change the events of that night but he could make damned sure that the love of his life was never left in doubt of his feelings for her again. "Oh, baby, I'm so sorry for the way I hit you with everything that night," he sighed, releasing her wrists and reluctantly dragging his hand from under her shirt to cup her face in both hands.

"It's okay," she murmured dismissively and Booth's heart warmed at her trying to make him feel better about screwing up.

"No, it's not but we'll talk about that later," Booth murmured, dropping his forehead to rest against hers. "Right now, I want to make something crystal clear. I love you, Temperence Brennan. You're the last thing I think about before I go to sleep and the first thing I think of when I wake up and we won't even get into how often you visit my dreams." Laughing huskily at the gleam of interest in her eyes at the mention of his dreams, Booth continued, determined to come clean, to lay it all on the line. "Sometimes you make me so angry that I can't see straight but just being in the same room with you makes me happy. Sometimes you make me so crazy that I want to beat my head against the wall but just hearing your voice makes me smile. You make my bad days bearable and my good days fantastic, Bones. I hope I do the same for you and I want to spend the rest of my life doing that, driving each other nuts and making each other happy."

"That statement is completely illogical, Booth," Brennan couldn't help but point out and Booth could feel the need to beat his head against the wall coming on. Until she raised blue eyes shimmering with tears to his and smiled, "But I like the way it sounds," she whispered, her heart a melted puddle of goo in her chest from his tender words.

"Yeah?" he whispered, a slow, sexy smile that made her lower abdomen flutter and tighten curving his lips.

"Yeah," she whispered back, suddenly knowing that she could deal with her fears much more easily than the loss of Booth from her life. That would break not only her heart but her spirit and, as afraid as she was of saying the words, he deserved to hear them. "I love you, Booth," she whispered, her hands cupping his face in an imitation of his hold on her.

Booth's breath caught in his throat and his heart stuttered in his chest, knowing how hard it had been for her to simply say those specific words and knowing that she wasn't just informing him of her love but was making a commitment to him, to them. "I love you, too, Bones," he murmured huskily, not sure his body could contain the joy surging through it.

Bending his head, he captured her lips with his, kissing her with aching tenderness, with every ounce of love and joy in his heart, with relief that they had finally found each other and could get on with making a life together, with utter devotion and adoration. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Brennan returned the kiss, matching every brush of his lips, every glide of his tongue, every nuance of emotion, her heart feeling like it was swelling and expanding with love and happiness until she wasn't sure her chest could contain it. And as wonderful and right and perfect as those earlier kisses had felt, this one was even better, containing the promise of their commitment to each other and to making a life together. And it stayed soft and tender until Brennan's nails scraped down his chest, repeatedly running over his hard nipples at the same time her lips closed around his tongue and she sucked it into her hot, wet mouth. Moaning, Booth's mouth opened over hers, hot and hard and hungry and the kiss turned utterly carnal in the space of a heartbeat, his earlier arousal only intensified by now knowing that she loved him.

With a growl, Booth jerked her against his hard body, seeking her lips in a kiss of such heat and longing that her stomach clenched, sending a throb of sensation straight down between her thighs. His hands working under her t-shirt and pushing it upward, his calloused fingers stroking over her skin sent jolts of pure electricity throughout her entire body, making her feel so jittery, hungry and needy that appeasing that hunger was the only thought in her mind. Wrapping her arms around his neck and opening her mouth to the insistent demand of his tongue, she let go of that little piece of herself that she always held in reserve, even in intimate situations and totally surrendered herself to someone else for the first time in her adult life.

Booth sent his tongue aggressively into her mouth. God, she tasted so good. He very much wanted for their first time to be slow and sweet and tender but there was no stopping this, they were simply too hot for each other for either to call a halt now. He was harder than he had ever been in his life, aching with the need to bury himself inside her, the sexy, mewling little sounds she made as he rubbed that hardness against her making him crazy. Working his hands under her t-shirt and sliding it upward, he groaned into her open mouth when he encountered the weight of her lush breasts, breaking contact with her lips only long enough to pull the shirt over her head and toss it carelessly aside. Immediately returning to her avidly waiting mouth, his hands reached behind her back to release the clasp on her blue bra, leaving it in place for the moment, wanting to savor the anticipation of his first look at her perfect breasts.

Brennan was on fire, the aching and throbbing in her core already almost painful after almost 2 years without a release that hadn't been at her own hands. She whimpered as her aching nipples rubbed against Booth's granite chest, sending tendrils of fire shooting straight to her groin, but she wanted, needed, more. God, she wanted naked skin on naked skin. She wanted him inside her now. Her hands reached for the still done up buttons on his shirt, but she was too impatient to take the time to unbutton each one. Instead, she grasped the sides of his shirt and jerked, sending buttons flying, urgently shoving it off of his shoulders.

Pulling his hands from her body just long enough to shrug out of his shirt, Booth continued to kiss the amazingly sensual creature in his arms with something akin to desperation. He felt like his blood was bubbling in his veins and he was so hard he hurt, the primal desire to put his stamp of ownership on her in such a way that she would never forget or question that she belonged to him again almost overpowering. Fighting against those primal instincts, he held onto his fast disappearing control by a slender thread, his breath hissing out between his teeth and when she found his erection and eagerly caressed him through the fabric of his pants. Knowing he was fast approaching an absolute loss of control, Booth wanted to see every inch of her incredible body before that happened. Giving her one last, long, deep, hard, tongue thrusting kiss, he pulled away from her eager mouth, her whimper of protest shooting straight to his aching groin. His eyes dropping to her chest, he slowly peeled the straps of her bra down her arms, slowly revealing the plump, milky globes topped with pebbled pink tips to his mesmerized gaze.

"God, baby, you are so beautiful," he whispered, his head bending, his lips capturing a hard nipple and sucking it into his mouth.

"Ah..," Brennan cried out, arching her back, her head dropping back and thumping against the wall, every tug of his lips on her nipple generating a corresponding tugging pull in her core. "Please, Booth," she panted against his ear, her hands racing over his chest and settling on his belt buckle, her hands shaking too badly to manage to get it undone. "I need you inside of me now," she pleaded, her hand sliding down to curve around his distended flesh and stroke him through his pants.

The touch he had craved for so very long on his aching flesh and the utter need in her sexy voice snapped Booth's control completely, hurtling him so far into the realm of pure, raw, physical need that there was no slowing down, there was only the desperate desire to find fulfillment for both of them. Within seconds, he was squatting in front of her, jerking her shoes off and throwing them aside, his big hands hooking into the waistband of her yoga pants and peeling them and the tiny excuse for underwear she seemed to prefer down those long, perfect legs, urging her to step out of them and tossing them aside. Still kneeling at her feet, he leaned forward, pressing a string of kisses to her taut abdomen and swirling his tongue into her bellybutton. One hand went to cup her bottom, the other combing through the auburn curls in front of him to find her hot and dripping wet, her hips jerking toward his fingers pleadingly. His fingers slipped forward and flicked her distended clit and her head fell back against the wall with a thump that brought his head up.

"Please, Booth," she whimpered, wanting him inside of her but not wanting him to stop what he was doing, so turned on that her needy body just wanted some relief. "I need to come. Please," she panted, her hands cupping and lifting her breasts, her fingers restlessly plucking at the aching tips. Growling, his eyes glued to the movements of her hands, Booth slid a single, thick finger inside her slick channel, shuddering at how tightly her inner muscles clamped around his finger. "More," Brennan moaned, her body no longer under her control, her hips jerking and rolling as her body coiled tighter and tighter.

Fighting down his own need, wanting, needing to give her this, Booth slipped a second finger into her wet, tight core and began a leisurely rhythm, but she wanted none of that. She wanted hard and fast and she wanted satisfaction now her thrusting hips told him. Suddenly, unable to wait to hear her call his name in satisfaction, he lifted one leg over his shoulder and opened her to his mouth. Leaning forward and running his tongue along her moist folds, Booth rubbed his tongue back and forth across her distended nub and increased the tempo of his fingers, loving her taste, her smell, the way her body was responding to him, getting hotter and wetter, loving every single thing about making love with this incredibly sensual creature. Feeling her walls tightening around his fingers, he knew she was on the edge and he wanted it to be good for her, so damned good that she would forget anyone but him had ever been able to give her this. Determined to make that happen, his lips firmed and closed around her clit.

Panting, whimpering, Brennan was poised on the precipice of a shattering orgasm, the intensity of which promised to be beyond her experience and that just made her want it more. Just a little more she begged, her hips pumping frantically against his hand. Her breath hitched and stalled as his lips closed around her clit, sucking hard and suddenly she was there, her whole body bowing toward him as she screamed his name. Her body wracked with shudders, she was propelled into a deep, dark abyss of pure pleasure, wave after wave of throbbing release spreading from her core to every cell of her body.

Completely out of control, his whole body throbbing with the need to be inside her, Booth was on his feet kicking off his pants and underwear before her screams of satisfaction completely faded, lifting her with his hands on her bottom and pulling her legs around his waist. Pressing her tightly against the wall, he was pushing inside her before her orgasm faded, the tight drag of her still contracting walls against his twitching cock excruciatingly pleasurable.

"God, Bones," he shuddered, fighting to hold back his own orgasm as he worked his length into her unbelievably tight sheath with slightly rough thrusts. God, he wanted to be gentle but the need to be buried as deeply inside her as he could get just wouldn't let him. And she sure didn't seem to mind the roughness, her hips rolling in tandem with his thrusts, whimpering, her eyes closed, her head rolling from side to side against the wall, her hands all over him, stroking and teasing. Growling, Booth gave one more hard push and slipped fully inside. Ignoring the need to keep thrusting, he held himself completely still, savoring the sensation of finally being where he had wanted to be for so long. And, God, it was so much better than he had ever imagined, indescribably arousing and erotic but more importantly he felt like he had come home and he never wanted to leave. Tangling one hand in her hair, and tilted Brennan's face up and waited until her eyelids fluttered open and she met his eyes and they took his breath away, dark and cloudy with desire, blazing up at him with the same need and love that he was sure was shining from his.

"Are you ok?" he asked gently, his thumb stroking across her cheek.

Finding herself unable to speak, Brennan nodded. She was better than okay, she was wonderful. She suddenly felt like she had found the place she hadn't even known she had been searching for her entire adult life, the place she belonged, the place she would always be safe and wanted and loved. The place she never wanted to leave and that place was her partner's arms. She was thankful and very much wanted to give those feelings the appropriate consideration but she simply couldn't ignore the feeling of Booth's hard length buried inside her, stretching her deliciously, reigniting her desire and reminding her that Booth had given her a mind-blowing orgasm but he was still achingly hard, still wanting. As much as she wanted to experience that addictive pleasure again, she wanted to give it to him more, to make him feel as special, as loved and desired as he made her feel. Reaching up, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down biting his lower lip then sucking it into her mouth, deliberately tightening and relaxing her internal muscles around him. As tightly as she already fit around him, the milking motions were almost unbearably erotic for both of them and when her hips thrust forward, seating him even deeper, Booth completely lost it.

"Hold on tight, Baby," he growled, taking her mouth passionately, his hands going to her bottom, lifting her almost off of his erection with the strength of his arms alone. Moaning into each other's mouths, Booth released her bottom and let her own weight carry her back down. Gasping, Brennan locked her legs around his hips and repeated the movement. Deep, animal growls issuing from his throat, Booth pressed her even more tightly against the wall and began thrusting hard and fast, the friction from her tightness quickly sending him spiraling toward climax, his mouth eating at hers, eagerly swallowing all the sounds of pleasure issuing from her throat.

Knowing she was close to a second orgasm, Booth worked a hand between their joined bodies, stroking her clit as he pounded into her, his body growing harder and tighter with every thrust. Head dropping back as her entire body tightened, Brennan tightened her arms and legs around Booth and just rode out the storm, concentrating on the pleasurable pulses originating in her core and spreading throughout her entire body. Latching on to her exposed neck and sucking hard, Booth let go and buried himself inside her as deeply as possible again and again, each stroke pushing him higher, the pleasure already almost unbearable. With a strangled scream, Brennan came hard, her hips thrusting jerkily toward him, her whole body trembling in his arms and her orgasm triggered his. Starting at the tips of his toes, it rolled upward, gathering in intensity until it exploded in his groin, every cell in his body vibrating with pleasure as he poured everything he was into this woman, groaning her name against her neck as the ecstasy of release seemed to go on forever.

Long minutes later, Booth drifted back to full consciousness to find himself almost crushing a limp, sated Brennan against the wall. Attempting to pull back, he realized his knees were shaking and leaned back against the wall for support, shifting his weight slightly so as not to crush her. Lifting her head with a finger under her chin, he met sleepy, sated blue eyes.

"Are you ok?" he asked with a tender smile.

"I'm perfect," Brennan purred with a soft smile and Booth had to laugh at the response.

"Yes, you are," he agreed softly. "You are utterly," tilting her chin a little higher, he brushed a soft, tender kiss across her swollen, rosy lips, "completely," his lips lingered, nudging hers apart for a deeper kiss, "perfectly perfect. I love you, Bones," he sighed into her open mouth intending to give her a gentle kiss, but her tongue slid into his mouth and the kiss turned hot and hungry instantly. Incredibly, Booth felt himself growing hard while still buried in her hot depths.

"God, woman, what are you doing to me?" he gasped, pulling his head back just far enough to get the words out. Completely ignoring the question, Brennan attacked his neck with her teeth and tongue, whimpering low in her throat while moving suggestively against him, sure that she could make love with Booth every single day for the rest of her life and never get enough of this addictive, drugging pleasure. With a long groan, Booth pushed them away from the wall and turned them until his back was against the wall, jerkily sliding down until he was seated on the floor with her straddling his lap, his usual smooth moves with women completely eclipsed by his passion for this one woman. Before he could even catch his breath, Brennan adjusted the position of her legs and was gliding up and down his hard length, hands gripping his shoulders tightly, her dark, dark blue eyes holding his even as she released a shuddering breath each time she fully seated herself on him.

Booth had never seen a more beautiful sight in his life than the face of the woman he loved lost in the pleasure of them making love. And, despite his past romantic entanglements, he honestly felt that he was truly making love for the first time in his life. Reaching up and fisting a hand in her hair, he pulled her head down for a deep, reverent kiss that left them both gasping for air. Dipping her head, Brennan lightly bit his shoulder, the sensation of her teeth closing on his flesh sending shivers down Booth's spine to join the ones already radiating upward from her hot, tight glide on his cock.

Unable to believe how fast she was sending him toward orgasm, especially considering the spectacular one she had just given him, Booth gripped her waist hard, pulling her down as he thrust upward, long gasping moans from both of them echoing around the empty room. Lowering his mouth to her perfect breasts, Booth used his lips, tongue and teeth to show her how much he adored this particular asset, paying special attention to the distended nipples. Whimpering at the pleasurable sensations bombarding her body from multiple points, Brennan increased her speed adding a swirl to the end of each thrust of her hips, her thighs trembling, her inner muscles tightening around his hardness.

"I love you, Booth," she moaned into his ear. Growling, his hand wrapped in her hair and dragged her head up for a deeply passionate, possessive kiss.

Brennan was already so hot, she was reconsidering her belief in spontaneous combustion, every movement of their straining bodies driving her closer to orgasm and the utter possessiveness of that kiss sent even further into that never ending abyss of pleasure that she had only discovered tonight. Moaning into his avid mouth as her body stiffened and shattered, Brennan's inner muscles clamped around him so tightly she could feel every twitch, every throb of his cock as he lengthened and hardened inside her.

And that did it for Booth. His hands tightening on her hips, he arched upward as he pulled her down, holding his position as he emptied spurt after spurt of his seed deep inside her body. Feeling her tighten around his sensitive flesh, knowing that she was coming apart in his arms because of him, because of what they had together, sending him right into the abyss of incredible pleasure after her. Seconds later, Brennan collapsed against his sweaty chest, her head falling to his shoulder, sighing tiredly, her sleepy blue eyes fluttering closed.

"That was incredible," Booth whispered, one arms wrapping tightly around her shoulders to hold her close, the other rising to brush the hair off of her damp neck and cheek so he could see her face.

"Ummm hmm," Brennan murmured drowsily, too exhausted to speak much less move. Smiling tenderly, Booth's thumb brushed across her cheek, unable to stop touching her.

"You can't go to sleep yet, Bones," he chided softly, his thumb stroking across her bottom lip.

"Why not?" she mumbled, not opening her eyes but her lips curved into a smile under his thumb.

"Because we're naked on the gun range of the FBI building," he whispered like he was telling her some deep dark secret, his nose nuzzling her cheek. Laughing, Brennan opened her eyes and looked directly into dark, brown ones that were regarding her with so much love and contentment that her heart actually went pitter patter in her chest.

"You look happy," she whispered, reaching up to cup his cheek.

"I am happy," he agreed instantly, his hand covering hers and pressing it against his cheek. "You make me very, very, very happy, Bones," he assured her, bringing her hand around to his mouth and pressing a tender kiss into her palm. "I hope that I make you happy, too, baby," he whispered, dropping his forehead to rest against hers.

"You do make me happy, Booth," she replied instantly, looking contrite for not already telling him how happy he made her.

"But?" he queried, seeing the flicker of anxiety in her eyes. "Come on, Bones," he prodded when she shrugged and dropped her eyes, "you'll feel better if you tell me. Sharing is part of being a couple," he urged, instantly regretting the words when he saw her flinch. "Oh, baby," he sighed, running a hand over her hair, "I know you're scared, but everything's going to be okay. I will never let you down, Bones. I will never betray you," he told her firmly, holding her eyes, his voice filled with absolute conviction.

"I know that, Booth," she said, the thought of him doing either never having crossed her mind. "I'm not scared for me, Booth. I'm scared for you," she whispered, her eyes filled with apprehension.

"I don't know what that means," he admitted, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"I'm really bad at relationships, Booth," she said fretfully, her hand absently stroking his chest. "What if I can't be the person you need me to be to make you happy?" she whispered and his brow cleared, knowing he could handle this crisis.

"Oh, baby," he whispered, his eyes softening, his lips curving into a smile of absolute tenderness. "Don't you know that you already are the person, the only person, I need to make me happy? And that I wouldn't change a single, solitary thing about you even if I could?" Brennan blinked, her eyes telling Booth how very much she wanted to believe his words and he knew he would just have to show her he was telling the truth but he had no problem whatsoever with spending the rest of his life doing that. "I wouldn't change a single," his big hand tilted her chin upward and he brushed a gentle kiss across her lips, "solitary," another tender kiss, "thing about you. Trust me, baby," their lips met in a longer kiss, "I love you just the way you are." Resting his forehead against hers, Booth didn't think he had ever been happier than when her lips curled into a soft smile and she nodded in acceptance of his words. For her, it was a definite leap of faith that proved just how much she trusted him.

"I kind of wish we could just stay here for a while," Brennan sighed, wishing they could stay her like this for the next 10 years or so and not have to face the inevitable issues that would arise between two people who were so very dissimilar.

"Well, Bones, I guess we could but it might get a little embarrassing when Stevie comes in and opens the range in the morning," Booth teased, grinning at her.

"You know what I mean, Booth," Brennan snorted poking him in the side. Laughing and grabbing her finger because she had zeroed in on a ticklish spot, Booth brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers.

"Yeah, baby, I know what you mean," Booth assured her solemnly, "but we have to go out there sometime."

"I know," Brennan sighed regretfully, sitting up and looking around for her clothes. Grinning, Booth used his longer reach to gather the scattered articles of clothing and hand them to her, watching with interest as she quickly slipped her pants and shirt on, forgoing underwear completely. "What?" she asked, catching his wicked grin, the way his eyes were possessively roaming her body.

"Nothing," he grinned, reaching for his own clothes, standing up to slip on his boxers and dress pants, his eyes still running over Brennan.

"What?" she demanded again, planting her hands on her hips and looking down to see if something was exposed that shouldn't be.

"I was just thinking that from now on, every time I look at you, I'll wonder if you're wearing underwear," he grinned, pulling on his shirt and doing up the buttons that Brennan hadn't ripped off in her aggressive need to rid him of his clothing, not missing the way she rolled her eyes at the juvenile statement.

"For the sake of clarification, if I'm wearing pants, you can assume that I'm not wearing underwear," she informed him helpfully.

"Bones, I so did not need to know that," Booth groaned, pausing in the act of tucking in his shirt tail.

"Why?" she blinked innocently and Booth sighed, zipping and buttoning his slacks and taking two steps, closing the distance between them and cupping her face in his hands.

"Because I already get hard just watching you walk across the room or bending over one of your tables and knowing you aren't wearing isn't really going to help with that," he informed her with a wry grin.

"Sorry," she apologized, slipping her arms around his waist, the gleam of amusement and twitch of her lips telling him just how sorry she was.

"Yeah," he snorted, "I can see how sorry you are. Are you ready to get out of here?" he asked softly, knowing they had stalled long enough, watching her intently for any signs of distress.

"I'm scared, Booth," she whispered, chewing on her bottom lip.

"I know, baby," he acceded softly, dropping his forehead to rest against hers, "but you just have to remember that we love each other and we want to be together and that nothing can change that unless we let it." Holding her eyes, willing her to believe him, he relaxed when her eyes softened and she nodded.

"I accept your logic," she stated firmly, stiffening her spine and raising her head.

"That's my girl," Booth praised, dropping a quick kiss on her lips before taking a step back and holding a hand. Without hesitation, Brennan placed her hand in his and allowed him to lead her toward the door, both of them knowing this relationship wasn't going to be easy, that they would face everything from minor spats to major issues. But they also knew that their lives simply weren't worth living without the presence of the other and each would do whatever it took to make the other happy.

"Ready," Booth asked quietly, pausing at the door and looking down at her, his chest swelling with pride when she looked back at him with determination and absolute conviction shining from her eyes.

"Ready," she answered firmly.

Booth opened the door and as one, they stepped through the doorway from their past into their future, a future that just like their past could be whatever they chose to make of it.