AN: Writing this was like pulling teeth or forcing myself to exercise. I get rusty in the summer and this is my attempt to not lose it completely during these lazy months. I also felt like writing a semi-follow up to the finale. I guess it's not really a follow up, but it is set somewhere in Season 5.

She looked to her left. She looked to her right. Look both ways before you cross the street honey. Yes Mom. Hold my hand. Yes Mom. The words played out in her mind and the corresponding scene. Every time she stepped foot onto the hard asphalt lately the words resounded, her hand twitched, but that was years ago. Her clean sweep completed, she walked. Walked past the cars, trucks, motorbikes; people halting their progress, their routine, so that she could cross. She had these flashbacks often now that she had finally permitted them to enter the heavily guarded gateway to her mind. She glanced up at her destination and smiled as she saw the familiar SUV parked in front of the Royal Diner.

It had been a few days since she'd seen the familiar sight and she hadn't realized how much she'd missed it. She'd been away; away from home, away from him, away from them. She'd been to her first home, the place where it had all fallen apart and the place she had gone to to fit in the final piece before pronouncing herself 'together'. She'd come to some conclusions while she'd been away; about life, about love and about him.

While he had been recovering from his surgery she had stayed at his place, ready to accommodate his needs. They had spent nights curled up on his couch watching movies, gone for long ambling walks, had discussions that carried on long into the night. Far from finding the task onerous she had enjoyed being there for him and had felt a void open up inside her when he was finally able to look after himself again. It was then that she realized that what they had before his operation wasn't going to be enough anymore. She just had to come to terms with how she felt about that. She had seen it in his face as well. When the moment came for her to pack her bags and move home again he hadn't liked it any more than she had. She had stood there, her hand on the doorknob, looking into his eyes, almost hoping that he would tell her not to go, but terrified that he might do just that. It was then that she realized that she needed to get away and figure out what this was; what the rest of her life might be. She had pressed her lips to his cheek and told him that she'd be incommunicado for a few days. He'd looked saddened by the thought, but upon hearing her reasons and receiving her adamant declaration (numerous times) that she would definitely be going alone he had reciprocated her earlier gesture, kissing her cheek, and told her that he hoped she found what she was looking for.

She wasn't in a hurry and she knew her lunch date had probably already ordered for her so she took a moment to glance around at the ordered chaos of everyday life that had gone on as usual despite her absence, something she rarely afforded herself the time to do. Suddenly she heard a tap on the glass a few feet away from and her and looked over to see Booth making a face at her through the thick pane. She rolled her eyes and pushed the door open.

He stood up as she entered and held his arms open. She walked into them without a second thought. He pulled her close and she reveled in the warm, albeit a bit too tight, embrace. He released her, but not until she fully felt how much he'd missed her.

'Stopping to smell the roses Bones?" he asked as he stepped away from her and sat down.

'The diner doesn't plant any flowers Booth," she chided.

He only smiled.

"How was Chicago?"

"It was….cathartic."

"Poetic."

"Truth."

"Why?"

"Because what I said was a fact and therefore true."

"Bones, I'm not trying to start a debate. I'm asking why it was cathartic"

"Oh," she paused, took a moment to collect her thoughts. "Well, it was hard visiting the old haunts, our old home….my old houses. It was also cleansing and I'm glad I did it. There were moments when I regretted going, wondered why I felt the need to exorcise my demons in that fashion when I could have dealt with them just as easily here, but as I said, I'm happy I did it."

She watched him wince as she described how difficult it was for her to see the homes that she spent two miserable years moving in and out of, and knew that he was again wishing that she had let him accompany her.

"I needed to do it alone Booth," she sighed, knowing that he wouldn't understand.

'Why?' How many times had she heard that? Too many to count.

"Because I did. At times I did wish you were there, but I had to spend some time in my head, figuring out how my past experiences were affecting my present relationships, decisions."

"I never pegged you as one to go off and 'find yourself'." He paused, she knew, waiting for the inevitable spiel, describing how one could only find oneself if one had somehow lost oneself, but it never came. She only locked her gaze with his and smirked.

"Well, I guess the past few months made me a bit more amenable to the idea."

Her sudden decision to ask Booth to father her child, her reaction to his surgery and the feelings that had assailed her as she nursed him through his recovery had all gone so expressly against what she stood for that she felt the need to escape, corral her thoughts and come to some definite conclusions. She was aware of how she felt about Booth and was pretty sure she knew what she wanted, but she had to be certain before she risked her heart… and his. He was too important to her for her to even entertain the thought of going into this with her eyes half open and expectations only partially formed.

"I get that," he said, nodding.

She was somewhat taken aback, but had known that he of all people would understand how affected she was by the twists and turns their lives had taken recently. There wasn't much that she couldn't weather, but when the decisions looming before her affected people other than herself, affected him, she knew that she had to actually do some mulling

They ate their meal in companionable silence interspersed with intimate conversation about her family and the closure she had received on her trip. She could tell he was surprised at how much she was sharing with him. Her confidence in him had been increasing significantly over the last few months, but this level of intimacy was new. She wasn't holding anything back now and it was liberating….for both of them.

An hour later they emerged from the diner and he moved toward his SUV. She halted his progress, lacing her fingers with his and tugging him in the opposite direction.

"I want to walk."

"Don't you want to get back to work? You were away for five days," he said, frowning before seeming to finally notice their entwined grasp. His eyes were glued to their hands for a moment before they returned to her face.

She just shrugged ambiguously and tossed him a small smile.

His brow furrowed, but he followed her without complaint

"Are you alright Bones?" He was clearly concerned and a bit bewildered by her actions, and she knew her silence wasn't helping.

"Yes," she said softly. "In fact, I haven't felt this good in a long time."

"Your trip."

"Among other things," she said, sneaking a glance at him.

His hand tightened around hers and he gave her an easy smile, but there was still confusion in his eyes and she knew she'd have to elucidate.

"It wasn't only because of my family that I went away Booth," she began.

"It wasn't?"

"It was because of you too."

"Me?" he asked, hurt flickering on his face before he schooled his features into a neutral expression.

"Not in bad way," she hastened to qualify. "I just had to think about…." Where was she going with this?

"About me?" he offered, his little smile returning.

"Well.. yes, about you…and me."

"About you and me equals us?"

She blushed and nodded. "Yes."

"And…." He looked so hopeful that she almost stopped and kissed him on the spot.

"And I really want there to be an 'us'. I knew before I left, but I felt I owed it to you to be sure." She looked into his eyes and felt his burgeoning grin reflecting itself on her features. When she had entered the diner she had been prepared for a few last minute apprehensions, but looking at him now she knew that she could never regret the decision she had come to on her trip: she wanted him, in the worst and best way and she wanted him for keeps.

'And are you?" he asked, stepping closer, moving so he was directly in front of her, just a hair's breath away.

"I've never been more certain of anything in my life," she whispered before giving in to the urge and pressing her lips to his. It was as wonderful and mind blowing as she'd anticipated and she could finally accept the reason for it: she loved him. What she had with him would always blow away her past experiences and encounters because she finally understood what it was that cemented them together, could finally acknowledge what everyone else had always known: they were like one person. It was on her trip, when she finally came to terms with how her past had molded her and made her who she is today, that she finally felt able to open herself up to the idea of coming together with someone else.

His arms wrapped tightly around her, his lips moving sensuously over hers, evoking feelings of peace and yet making her feel entirely out of control. Temperance Brennan was always in control, but right now it didn't matter. She wound her arms around his neck and abandoned herself to the sensation of letting go.

She pulled back, an uncomfortable thought popping into her head.

"Are you sure Booth? I know how I feel, what I want, but do you? I want this, but if you're not completely certain then you have to tell me now. You created the line, you…." He cut her off with a soft kiss before settling his forehead against hers.

"Don't ever doubt for a moment how much I want you Bones," he earnestly reassured her. "If these past few months have showed me anything it's that I don't want to go back."

She felt ready to burst, as improbable as that was.

"To moving forward," she breathed as his lips descended on hers again.

The End