A/N: I can't believe it's been so long since I worked on this story. Sorry to all of you who kept up with it, I know how frustrating it is to be really into a story and to be left hanging. It's been a long time since I've even written anything at all, hopefully this will flow with the previous chapters. Enjoy!

Brennan sighed as Emma closed the door behind her, leaving Brennan alone in his room with Shalimar. It wasn't that he minded - quite frankly, he enjoyed the rare opportunity for him and Shal to be alone - but now he was trapped. He was stuck on a roller coaster with no option of escape until the ride stopped itself.

"So, Brennan," Shalimar said softly, allowing a faint smile to brush her lips. "You wanted to tell me something?"

Brennan nodded and motioned for Shal to take a seat beside him. She happily seated herself beside him on his bed and looked up at him expectantly.

"Well..." Brennan began to rise, but halfway decided that it would be more appropriate for Shal to be looking down at him. He grinned inside as he knelt in front of her, enjoying the feeling of the carpet under his knees.

"Shal..." He began, but trailed off. He couldn't do it. What if she didn't return his feelings? What if she flat out rejected him? It would screw up their friendship for eternity, and things would never be comfortable between them again. Could he really take that chance? Did he really have the right to put their friendship and their working relationship in such jeopardy?

"Brennan," Shalimar whispered, "We've been here before. Just tell me. I know you can do it."

Brennan shook his head, cursing inside his mind. "I... I don't know, Shal... I just... I can't."

Shalimar sighed and slid off the bed onto her knees. She gently placed her arms around Brennan and pulled him closely to her.

"You don't have to be afraid," she whispered softly in his ear. "I'll always be here for you, and that's something that won't ever change, no matter what."

Brennan smiled and returned her embrace. He sighed and murmured, "I don't know why it has to be so hard."

"What?" Shalimar gently pulled away and gazed up into his eyes. To her astonishment, Brennan's eyes glistened brightly with fresh tears.

"Why's it so hard with you, Shal?" Brennan asked, his voice barely a whisper. "I've never had such a hard time before... But now, it's so different..."

Shalimar frowned, growing increasingly anxious. "Brennan, what are you talking about?" She raised her hand to his cheek and gently brushed away a tear. "What's so hard, what's so different now?"

Brennan pulled away from her and rose suddenly to his feet. Tears of frustration and pain spilled out of his eyes as he lost control of his emotions.

"Damnit Shal, to tell you how I feel about you! Every single day I fight with myself because I don't know what to do, and you have no idea what I'm really going through! Every time I come close to telling you, something happens or I chicken out. But why? I've never had this problem before, Shal! Never, not until I met you! Not until I realized I actually had something to lose!"

Shalimar shakily rose to her feet, clearly lost. Softly, she mumbled, "What... What are you saying, Brennan?"

Brennan sighed and turned his back on her. He was so afraid of what could happen... It wasn't like his previous relationships with girls he had fallen for. It had been so easy telling them his feelings, because if they didn't return them, he simply moved on... But it was different this time. There was no moving on from someone like Shalimar.

"Brennan?"

Brennan slowly turned around to face her. He took a deep breath, and as he let it out, he finally said it.

"Shal... I love you."

Shalimar's eyes widened, and a silence fell over the two of them. It seemed like an eternity before anyone moved, but finally Shalimar broke the awkward stillness.

"You... love me?"

Brennan nodded and let out an exasperated sigh. "Yes, Shal. I love you, I love you more than anything or anyone I have ever loved before."

Shalimar stared at Brennan, unable to believe his confession. He loved her...? Was that even possible? She had been longing to tell him that she cared deeply for him, but she had always figured he wouldn't go for someone like her... She had always believed he would settle for someone so much better...

Brennan sighed and hung his head. "I... didn't want to tell you, because I didn't know what you would say."

Shalimar frowned and opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. Brennan took it as a sign to continue.

"I was so scared that you wouldn't return my feelings, Shal... I was so scared that it would mess up our friendship, and I didn't want to lose you and I was worried that it would mess up the team and I didn't know if I could-" Brennan began, but his sentence was cut short as Shalimar grabbed Brennan's neck and pulled him forward, pressing her lips against his. After a long and passionate kiss, the two drew apart.

"You should have told me sooner," Shalimar said with a grin. "It looks like we've both been fighting over the same thing."

Brennan's eyes widened. "You mean...?"

"Yep!" Shalimar smiled. "I've been trying to get up the courage to tell you the same thing. Looks like we're both a little chicken when it comes to revealing our feelings, huh?"

Brennan let out the breath he hadn't known he had been holding, and was graciously refreshed by the relief that washed over his body. He had finally professed his true feelings for the woman that he loved, and his dreams had miraculously come true with her mutual passion for him. The tips of his mouth curved upwards in a smile of the purest form of happiness.

"I'm glad I finally got the courage to tell you I love you, Shalimar."

Shalimar's feline features softened to reflect the same happiness pouring out of Brennan's eyes. "I'm glad too… Because now I have the strength to say it. I love you, Brennan."

Brennan felt as though his breath had been knocked out of him, but in the most heavenly way. He had always dreamt of hearing Shalimar say those three magical words, but hearing her actually say it was far more incredible than he had ever imagined. Staring into her eyes, he could see love and desire burning in their depths, the exact same emanating from his own.

Suddenly, both Brennan and Shalimar felt their self-control break down as the long-suppressed concoction of emotions spilled over them: passion, anxiety, impatience, desire, lust, and a mixture of many other feelings. Within a split second, they both moved in towards each other, and they both found what they had been longing for as their lips met in a light but cherished kiss. They drew apart long enough to gaze into each other's eyes once more, and in that moment, they felt their hearts united as one.

"I love you," Brennan breathed softly, and at that point, his hormones had completely taken control of his body. His hands reached for Shalimar's face as he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers, fiercely this time. His tongue grazed her lower lip, demanding more than a surface kiss. Shalimar complied, parting her lips and granting his tongue entrance into her mouth. Brennan groaned softly in pleasure as he explored the contours of her mouth, his tongue eager with desire. He lightly touched Shalimar's tongue with his own, and every particle in his body shivered erotically as Shalimar let out a soft moan in response.

After what had seemed like an eternity, Shalimar drew apart, gasping for breath. Brennan suddenly realized that he, too, had been gasping for air. He had been so captivated by their kiss that he hadn't even noticed his increasingly growing need for oxygen.

"Shal," he spoke between gasps, "you're dangerous… You could kiss me to death and I wouldn't even realize it was happening."

Shalimar let out a soft chuckle. "Well, thankfully for both of us, I only have one head to think with."

Brennan's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," Shalimar stated matter-of-factly, "that I won't get caught thinking with the wrong head."

Brennan drew back from her and folded his arms defiantly across his chest. "Woah woah, I'm not only after satisfying Sparky down there."

"Sparky?" Shalimar bit her tongue to hold back laughter. "You named it… Sparky?"

"Yes. Yes, I did." Brennan's lips turned into a cunning smile. "You know, because every experience with him is full of sparks, and it's absolutely electrifying."

Shalimar couldn't help herself this time, and snorted into a fit of laughter. Brennan's shoulders fell, and his smile faded in disappointment. Shalimar wiped some tears from her eyes and took a mental note of his description to potentially blackmail him in the future.

"Well Brennan, I just don't buy it."

Brennan arched an eyebrow, and spread his arms wide. "What's not to buy, baby? I already got you to fall in love with me, didn't I?"

Shalimar stuck out her tongue in a playful manner. "Yeah, so? Why don't you show me this electrifying experience you're talking about?"

Brennan's face lit up, and Shalimar could almost see sparks of desire, lust, and anticipation erupt out of Brennan's eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but her breath caught in her lungs as Brennan lunged at her. In a few seconds, he scooped her effortlessly into his muscular arms, and laid her gently on her bed. Shalimar let herself drop onto her back, Brennan gliding with her as he lowered himself onto her body.

"Let me show you," Brennan whispered softly, and they were back in a passionate tongue tangle as they had been in moments before. Brennan slid his arms down the sides of Shalimar's perfect body, his fingers curling around the bottom of her tank top. He broke the kiss just long enough to pull the piece of clothing off of her. He plunged his tongue back into her mouth, circling her tongue with his own. His hands slid down her back, searching for the clasp of her bra. His fingers worked frantically to pull it open, and he heard a small pleasure moan from Shalimar as he worked it loose and removed her bra.

"You are so beautiful," Brennan breathed, his voice enthused with lust. Shalimar reached for his shirt and pulled it off, her feral senses also eager to be satisfied. She stared at Brennan's perfect chest; his muscular arms, his sexy abs… The image of his body alone sent her craving to new heights.

"I love you, Brennan."

"I love you, Shalimar."

Within a few moments, all their clothes had been thrown carelessly to the ground, and the two were immersed in the heavenly pleasure of making passionate love.