Authors Note:

Just a little warning that the last scene is probably getting close to an M rating - if you're not old enough you should probably not read that part (it'll be obvious which bit I mean). Otherwise, on with the last chapter!

Chapter 17: Beginning

"You love someone, you open yourself up to suffering, that's the sad truth. Maybe they'll break your heart, maybe you'll break their heart and never be able to look at yourself in the same way. Those are the risks. That's the burden. Like wings, they have weight, we feel that weight on our backs, but they are a burden that lifts us." Temperance Brennan

Of course it wasn't as easy as just walking out of the Bellagio and going home, although Booth toyed with the idea of doing just that. Unfortunately home was a five hour plane ride away and before they could even get to that he and Bones had to spend the rest of the morning going over everything that had happened. They'd both been on the other side of the table in the past – victims of the same criminal – and the reminders didn't sit well with either of them. Worse than that, talking about it while leaving out all the personal details created distance between them once the initial rush of feeling and attraction had been tempered to a manageable level.

"You okay?" Booth put a hand over his partners once it looked like they were finally done. He glanced over at Bones, sitting on a FBI standard issue - translation damned uncomfortable - interview chair beside him and frowned. "You look tired."

"That's because I am," she replied. "I'm not sure that several hours of nitrous oxide induced unconsciousness counts as rest Booth, meaning -,"

"Meaning it's been a hell of a long night ... day ... it means we've been up a very long time," Booth concluded for her.

"Yes," Bones agreed simply.

"We'll be out of here soon, I promise," Booth reassured her. He wanted to pull her closer, offer her some level of personal comfort but the changed status of their relationship had him hesitating. If they hadn't both 'confessed' their feelings, if they'd still been just partners then he'd have hugged her partner to partner and offered whatever support he could.

But they weren't 'just partners' anymore. Their changed status was a done deal as far as Booth was concerned ... he didn't think even Bones could go back on what she'd revealed but if she tried he wasn't letting her back down. It was that simple. He needed her which was something in itself but she needed him too and that was everything. She was everything and as he'd watched her struggle through explaining Christian O'Connor's motivations and the origins of seven years of murder he'd wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms and swear that he'd protect her – either that or kiss her into senselessness so she'd forget even the suggestion that somehow she was responsible for setting O'Connor off. He didn't do either of those things because honestly he didn't know what she'd think of that or how ready she was to declare them a couple to the rest of the world – deliberately that is, since their squints could hardly be left doubting given what they'd walked in on.

Yes, Bones had admitted to loving him and agreed that she could believe in a long term future for them because he believed it. That was the big picture stuff ... it was all the little things they had to learn about each other that had him feeling his way uncertainly. They were more than the partners they'd been the day before but a few heated kisses in the midst of life threatening circumstances wasn't enough to transition them to that new paradigm.

"We have everything we need for now Agent Booth," Agent Michaels returned to the interview room with a grateful smile on her face. "You and Doctor Brennan are free to go home. If we have any further questions we'll pass them through the DC office."

"Right," Booth rose, putting a hand to Bones' back as she stood beside him. His muscles protested the movement after so many hours sitting down – putting a hand surreptitiously to his ribs he quickly dropped his hand again when he saw his partner's narrowed glance.

"Given that you sent Doctor Hodgins and your team back in his helicopter several hours ago I took the liberty of organising your flights back to DC," Michaels continued. "Everything was booked until mid afternoon so you've got a bit of a wait which should allow you plenty of time to refresh yourselves. We recovered your personal effects from hotel storage but obviously we can't release them to you yet."

"Evidence," Booth grimaced, looking down at his blood splattered dress shirt and scuffed pants. Bones looked more put together than she should given the events that had occurred since she'd first put that dress on but he knew she'd appreciate a shower and a change of clothes too.

"The manager of the Bellagio offered you the use of the hotel's facilities as well as whatever personal items you require ...," Agent Michaels began.

"No," Bones said abruptly.

Booth looked at her with a raised brow.

"I know it's irrational but I don't want to go back there," she admitted.

"I thought you might say that," Agent Michaels smiled, earning Booth's gratitude as Bones immediately relaxed. "You can use our facilities. If you give me a list of personal requirements I'll see that you get what you need."

"Thank you," Bones smiled gratefully.

"Right. This way then," Michaels motioned them forward.

"Is there a medical clinic nearby?" Bones asked briskly, staying where she was.

"Are you in need of medical attention Doctor Brennan?" Michaels looked concerned.

"I am well," Bones replied. "I believe that Booth however has at least one cracked rib and should be seen by a doctor before we return home."

"I'm fine Bones," Booth dismissed her concerns casually.

"You're not," she shot back impatiently. "I have observed repeated instances of you checking your ribs and you tense every time you move."

"Bones," Booth began.

"I would feel better if you saw a doctor before we leave," Bones looked into his eyes, her concern more than evident.

Booth looked at her silently for a few moments and then nodded, not sure what to make of what had just happened. Was she cashing in the 'girlfriend' card already? Using their emotional connection to urge him to do what she wanted? 'Like you haven't done the same thing in the past," he told himself ruefully, thinking of all the times he'd prefaced an argument about her eating or sleeping more with something like 'I need my partner in top form'. If she was doing the same now then he had only himself to blame – she'd learnt that technique from him.

"There's a clinic we utilise regularly a block from here," Agent Michael's gave them directions, waiting for them to make their lists and then promising to get them seen to while Booth was being checked over.

"You know this could have waited until we got home, right?" Booth murmured, looking around the waiting room of the busy local clinic. He felt out of place and uncomfortable and sure that everyone else was looking at them, wondering at the couple dressed for an evening out that had obviously gone very wrong.

"I never noticed your reluctance to seek medical attention before," Bones swivelled in her seat to assess him. He didn't like the calculation in her eyes and when she leaned towards him, putting a hand right where it would hurt the most and getting an involuntary groan of pain from him he saw why. "You're not fine," she reiterated, turning back to her own observations of those around them.

"I know what a broken rib feels like," he knew he was being stubborn but wasn't willing to stop just yet. "What do you want to bet Bones? You say cracked or worse, I say just bruised. Whoever's right gets to ask for something from the other."

"As a recovered gambler it would be unwise for you to engage in a wager with me Booth," she said primly.

"When I gambled I usually won," he reminded her, cocky grin in place. "Of course, if you're scared of what I might ask for –."

"Seeley Booth?"

They both turned to see one of the attending nurses waiting for someone to respond.

"Last chance Bones," Booth said teasingly, getting up and looking down at her.

"Very well," she surprised him both by agreeing and by getting up as well.

"Bones?" he frowned, frozen in place.

"I wish to accompany you," she said it formally but the uncertainty was there. Booth wasn't sure what was driving it. Was she reluctant to be separated so soon after what they'd gone through? Or did she feel the need to confirm for herself that he was in fact okay? "If that's all right?" she added, looking at him hesitantly.

"It's all right with me," he said simply, grabbing her hand and squeezing firmly.

She nodded, smiled and then tugged him forward. The nurse confirmed his identity and then escorted them to an examination room to await the doctor, leaving then alone in the small room.

"This is kind of nice Bones," Booth took a seat on the exam bed, grinning across at his partner. "You worried I was going to cheat on our bet?"

"On the contrary I simply wanted to ensure you wouldn't downplay your injuries to expedite our return home," Bones said logically.

"So you're not gonna get all soft and clingy on me?" he teased, grabbing her hand and pulling her in to stand between his legs. Bones let out a soft grunt as he tugged until she fell lightly against his chest.

"Booth – your ribs," she protested but he could see the faint smile playing across her lips. Lips he decided he couldn't wait another moment to taste again, now that they were finally alone. Threading his hand through the hair at the back of her hair he urged her closer, his lips mere moments from touching hers.

"Agent Booth," the doctor's arrival had them breaking apart abruptly. Booth felt flushed and it wasn't just the embarrassment had having been caught 'making out'. Bones on the other hand looked like it was an everyday occurrence for her, nodding professionally to the doctor as she moved to stand beside him.

"I'm Doctor Evelyn Harper. What can we do for you today?"

"Agent Booth was in an ... altercation early this morning," Bones spoke before Booth could get the first word in. "I have since observed him testing the region between the third and fifth right ribs on multiple occasions and as you can see he is displaying severe bruising over the left zygoma and mandible. He lost consciousness for approximately five minutes but hasn't exhibited any signs of concussion."

"You were hit in the stomach as well as in the face Agent Booth?" the doctor translated Bones' words succinctly.

"That's correct, although, as I was telling my partner before we wasted your valuable time, nothing's broken," Booth smiled charmingly. "My ribs and my face are just bruised is all ... along with my ego," he murmured under his breath.

"Well, you just let me do my job and we'll have you back to work in no time," Doctor Harper said, looking from Booth to Bones with an amused expression.

"I believe that x-rays would best inform us of Booth's true condition," Bones stated firmly.

"I understand ...," the doctor broke off, looking for an introduction.

"Sorry, this is my ... ah, this is Doctor Temperance Brennan," Booth tried to smooth over his brief stumble with a charming smile. "Nice going Seeley," he thought to himself, struck again with the awkwardness of the first stages in a romantic relationship. Professionally Bones was Doctor Temperance Brennan of the Jeffersonian Institution, those words flowing smoothly off his tongue in multiple situations. Less formally he'd often just introduced her as his partner. But she wasn't in the exam room with him for professional reasons and a part of him hadn't wanted to slot her into that professional role. She was Bones – his Bones – and he wanted to declare that but calling her his 'girlfriend' when they'd never been out on a true date seemed ... presumptuous.

"Medical doctor?" Evelyn asked curiously.

"No, forensic anthropology," Bones explained.

"Well, Doctor Brennan," Doctor Harper began. "While I understand your concerns for your friend I'm sure you'll agree that it's best to follow correct procedures. Agent Booth," she turned to him with a smile, "if you'll remove your shirt I'll examine you and determine if further action is required."

"Of course," Booth shot Bones a quick look and then began unbuttoning his shirt.

Bones shifted away from the bed to give him and the doctor room, her eyes locked to his. "I could ... maybe I should wait outside?" she offered. He could see the wheels spinning in her head as the 'intimacy' of the situation finally occurred to her. Booth undressing in front of her with a doctor present was a declaration of implied intimacy between them. She moved and, sure that she was about to rush from the room, Booth grabbed her hand.

"No, stay," he insisted, pulling her back beside him again.

"Booth," Bones protested, looking unsure as she glanced at the doctor and then back to him. Booth was aware that Doctor Harper was watching them interestedly but he ignored that in favour of putting Bones at ease.

"Hey, it's not like you haven't seen my chest before," he joked in a low tone. "At least this time you aren't picking evidence off me with a pair of tweezers or wheeling me through the lab for everyone to see."

Bones laughed and he felt the relief at having put her at ease. "Yes, in comparison this is a far less awkward situation," she agreed. "Very well ... I'll stay."

"Great, glad we got that sorted out," Booth returned to unbuttoning his shirt, shrugging it off his shoulders once he had it fully open. He grimaced with pain when he had to twist to remove it, his hands colliding with Bones' as she moved to help him. They shared a smile that continued when she helped him with his singlet too until his chest was bare.

"Yes, there is severe bruising," Doctor Harper made no comment on their routine, pressing gloved hands to his ribs. She was gentle but Booth couldn't stop the flinch when she touched the right – or rather the wrong spot. "I think you've been lucky Agent Booth – you'll be sore for a few days but I don't think anything is broken."

"See, what did I tell you?" Booth shot Bones a winning smile.

"You can tell that without an x-ray?" Bones asked, her eyes narrowed.

"After twenty years experience yes I can," Doctor Harper didn't take offence. "I'm sure you are similarly confident in your own field Doctor Brennan."

"She can tell the gender and age of a skeleton just by looking at it," Booth offered proudly.

"My point exactly," Harper smiled as she put a hand to Booth's cheek, turning his face so that the light shone in the right place. "Again, bruised but not broken," she declared after checking his cheek and jaw bones. She shifted away for a moment, returning with a small penlight she used to shine light into his eyes. After checking his pupil responses she nodded, clearly happy with the results. "No signs of concussion either. I think a hot shower and a few days of rest will do wonders Agent Booth."

"I won't say I told you so," Booth grinned at Bones.

"You do realise that in declaring that you won't say 'I told you so' you have in fact said I told you so," Bones said pointedly.

"See, now you're getting it Bones," he teased, eyes twinkling. "And if I'm not mistaken you owe me something of my choosing."

"Within reason," Bones added. "What do you want?"

"I think I'll hold off on claiming my prize," Booth decided, enjoying the way her expression tightned when she realised she hadnt set enough parameters before agreeing to his bet. "You never know when something like that will come in handy, especially in our line of work."

"I'm sure the two of you have a very interesting story to tell," Doctor Harper tossed her gloves in the trash. "You're free to get dressed Agent Booth. We have an arrangement with the FBI so just sign the form at the front desk on your way out."

"Thank you Doctor," Booth said gratefully.

"Yes, Thank you Doctor Harper," Bones added. "Although your methods were not as rigorous as I initially would have expected I found your approach both informative and reassuring."

"I'm glad I could help," Evelyn said with an amused smile. "I'll leave you to get dressed," she added, nodding to the two before leaving them alone.

"So, now we can go home?" Booth put a little pleading in his voice.

"I am satisfied that you're fit to travel," Bones declared, moving to help him with his shirt again. She stood in front of him, carefully buttoning up his shirt and that seemed just as intimate as when she'd unbuttoned it.

"Bones," he put his hands over hers, stopping her movements. She looked up at him, their eyes locking together. Raising one hand he smoothed a thumb across her cheek, the bruise where O'Connor had hit her clearly visible. "Should have had the Doc check you out too," he murmured.

"My cheek doesn't require medical treatment Booth," Bones replied softly.

"Maybe just this then," Booth leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to the bruise.

"You realise there's no scientific basis for the concept of kissing an injury better to aid in recovery," Bones said in an academic tone even as she leaned into him.

"Just go with it Bones," he instructed in a low tone, placing a string of tiny kisses across her cheek. He felt her smile and shifted to kiss her lips just as softly. He meant to leave it at that but Bones grabbed his lapels, pulling him closer in a demand for more. He deepened the kiss ... as Bones would say 'there was tongue contact'. Lots of tongue contact. He wasn't sure what would have happened next if a nurse hadn't opened the door, obviously expecting the room to be vacated.

"Oh! Sorry!" she muttered, clearly embarrassed.

"No, we shouldn't have ..., ah, we were just leaving," Booth stammered, not missing Bones' amused smile at his embarrassment. Levering himself off the bed he grabbed Bones' hand and dragged her from the room. "Let's not make a habit of that," he told her in a low tone, smiling for the receptionist as he signed the required form.

"Outward expressions of sexual interest are perfectly natural Booth," she told him academically as they exited the medical clinic and turned back towards the FBI offices.

"Maybe," he put his arm around her and steered them into the doorway of a shop that was closed for the day. "But," he pressed her into the door, crowding her with his body, "I'd prefer it," he leaned down until his lips were just shy of touching hers, "if our first time was somewhere," he gave her a sexy grin, "private." Closing the remaining distance he pressed a hard kiss to her lips, breaking away before it could get out of hand. "Seven years Bones," he said simply, letting her interpret that any way she wanted. Taking her hand he pulled her from the doorway and started walking again.

Too many hours later they were finally in a cab and pulling up outside Booth's apartment. They'd showered and changed into the casual clothes Agent Michaels had procured before she'd driven them to the airport herself. Bones had caught a few hours of sleep on the plane while Seeley had settled back beside her, watching her sleep as he tried to forget how close he'd come to losing her ... knowing that moment when he'd been sure O'Connor was about to shoot her would stay with him for a long time.

Back on home turf neither had been ready to call the day done so he suggested they watch a movie at his place and wind down.

"Just let me check my machine," he put a hand to her back, urging her inside and closing the door behind them.

Bones nodded, settling herself on the couch and resting her head back. Booth pressed the playback button on his answering machine, listening with a fond smile as Parker reminded him that next weekend they were going to a careers expo. The event was way too old for his ten year old son but Parker wanted to see the hands on science exhibits, something Booth was sure Bones had a hand in informing Parker of. He was okay with that - it was just another indicator of why he had no concerns that his son would react unfavourably to the change in his relationship with Bones - the little boy loved her too.

"Drink?" he offered, heading for the kitchen.

"I could definitely use a drink right now," Bones agreed fervently, straightening on the couch when he returned and handed her a beer, moving to sit beside her with his own bottle.

They drank in silence for a time ... silence that started out as companionable but swiftly moved into awkward.

"Okay, this is insane," Booth finally declared, swivelling so he could look at Bones. "Do you want to talk about this?"

"About what?" she returned, brows raised.

"About why we're sitting here not talking," Booth shot back impatiently.

"I'm fully cognisant of the reason for my silence," Bones replied complacently.

"Well, share with the class Temperance," he urged sarcastically when she followed that declaration with silence.

"I was considering the acceptable time frame to allow before requesting that we have sex."

"What?" Booth knew his face would be a picture of cartoon incredulity right then but she'd seriously surprised him. That was so not what he'd expected her to say, although ... really, if he wasn't so tired and off balance himself he probably should have.

"I was thinking about our having sex and wondering how soon that was likely to occur," Bones rephrased.

"I heard you the first time," Booth flopped back on the couch beside her, looking up at the ceiling praying for guidance.

"Then why did you request that I repeat myself?"

"Because ..., you know what, never mind," Booth shifted again so that he could watch her as he asked his next question. "You don't want to talk about what happened the past couple of days?"

"Not unless you feel the need." Bones turned too, putting a hand just above his knee and sending his pulse jumping forward. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I can't believe I'm saying this but yeah, I do," Booth put his hand over hers, keeping the contact but stopping her from moving her hand anywhere even more ... stimulating. "O'Connor forced confessions out of both of us Bones and while I have no intention of letting either of us back down it's not how I would have chosen to start this. Doesn't it bother you?"

"Many things bother me Booth but since we can't go back and change them discussing them serves no real purpose."

"Would you have ever confessed to feeling anything for me without your life being threatened?"

"In actual fact it was your life that was threatened, and in all honesty I don't know," Booth admitted. "When I discussed it with Doctor Sweets he urged me to consider talking to you and while in general I think that psychology has little value, in this regard if he'd repeated his message with enough regularity I might have eventually seen it from his point of view."

"Wait, you talked to Sweets about this?" Booth felt slightly horrified at the idea. "He knew how you felt before I did?"

"I didn't voluntarily talk to him," Bones said defensively. "He surmised and I couldn't dissuade him from his beliefs." She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "Are you saying that you never discussed your feelings with anyone before revealing them to me?"

"Ah," Booth swallowed nervously, "not exactly. Sweets knew from way back, Wyatt too, and ah ... Angela might have suggested something when I spoke to her yesterday. But you know, like you she guessed and I didn't agree. I just didn't disagree either."

"So we concur that recent events simply sped up something that would have potentially happened in time," Bones summarised. "Does that satisfy your desire to talk about this?"

"No!" Booth frowned, frustrated. "I want to talk about what you said Bones ... was any of that for O'Connor's benefit?"

"I don't know what you mean Booth."

"Were you speaking solely to me or was it just an act for him," Booth clarified. "I know you meant what you said at the end there Bones, I just need to know how much weight to put on the rest of it." He was pretty sure she'd been speaking to him but he needed her to admit it before she could compartmentalise the implications away.

Bones looked down at her lap, clenching her hands together. Booth reached over and covered them with his, moments later feeling the hot tear that splashed against his skin. "He was going to kill you," Bones kept her eyes down, the tremble in her voice evidence of her struggle to speak. "I spoke truthfully because if I hadn't and he'd shot you I would have blamed myself for the rest of my life."

"What bothers you the most?" Booth asked gently, resisting the urge to just gather her in close and never let go. "Your fear that something will happen to me? Or what you'd be willing to do to ensure that nothing does?"

"Both!" Bones finally looked up at him earnestly. "How do you live with this constant worry Booth? It's distracting and ... and irrational and I don't like it!"

"Hey," putting his hand to her cheek he stroked her tears away, gratified when she instinctively turned her face into the contact. He stopped for a moment, considering what he was going to say next. "Did you worry about me any less while I was in Afghanistan and you were on Moo Poo Poo?"

"Maluku," Bones corrected impatiently.

"I knew that," Booth held in a smile, watching her closely. "Just answer the question."

"No," Bones looked at him, the torment there for him to read. "No - if I were able to accurately measure the energy expended I believe it would show that my level of concern was in fact higher, even though all logic says it should have been the opposite."

"What does that tell you?"

"That remaining apart wasn't an effective method for correcting the problem," Bones summarised.

"It wasn't for me either," Booth offered. Settling back again he put an arm around her and finally drew her close until her head rested on his chest. "When you love someone it's natural to worry about them Bones. Comes with the territory. You get used to it but you never completely let it go. It's gonna be harder for us because what we do is dangerous." He squeezed her tighter for a moment. "I can't tell you not to pull out all the stops if I need saving because I'd do the same. I can't tell you what I'd do, what I've already done, to save you." He rested his head against hers and spoke with quiet promise. "I meant what I said to O'Connor too. I'd kill for you Temperance - I'd add as many to my tally as it takes to keep you safe and pay the price without question. I wouldn't hesitate for a second. You need to be okay with that."

"Strangely I find your alpha male behaviour to be both reassuring and quite stimulating."

"Good to know." He laughed suddenly, reminded again of just one of the many reasons why he loved her. No one could beat Bones for in your face honesty ... when she being honest with herself of course.

"Were you equally honest during our recital for O'Connor's benefit?" Bones uncannily echoed his thoughts and he knew immediately what she was referring to.

"Finding out that you kept quiet every time the issue of our true feelings came up made me angry Bones," he said honestly. "You know, thinking back to all the times I watched you get in a cab and leave me behind, when I was sure I'd never get to be with you like I wanted to ... I get why you felt you had to do that but I can't deny that it hurt."

"You may not believe this Booth but I believe there is something worse than standing on the sidewalk watching someone you love driving away." Bones shifted to look up at him, letting him see the emotion swimming in her eyes. "It's sitting in the back of that cab and looking out the window at someone you love, knowing that circumstances and the things that inherently make you who you are preclude you from revealing it, from taking what you want. It's understanding that if you tried and failed you would damage them and never be able to look at yourself in the same way again."

"You're not going to fail Bones," Booth stated firmly, leaning in to kiss her. "We're not going to fail ... and it goes both ways. When we succeed you'll never look at yourself the same way again either."

"I look forward to seeing it as you do," Bones said simply, humbling him.

"I love you Temperance Brennan," Booth declared, the formality feeling necessary for so many reasons, culminating in the way her smile seemed to rise from deep inside her at his words, making her eyes glow.

"Despite my continuing concerns I find it necessary to return your declaration," Bones replied.

"So ... return it then," Booth said pointedly when she remained silent.

"I love you too Seeley Booth," she declared with complete seriousness.

She opened her mouth to say something further but he stopped her with a finger on her lips. "Aa," he told her firmly. "No caveats, no warnings, no 'Bonesy' declarations based on anthropological whatevers. Let's just rest on the simplicity of having declared ourselves for now, okay?"

"Very well." Bones looked at him with that calculating, sexy, full of intentions expression. "So, can we have sex now or doesn't that fit with your -,"

He stopped her with a kiss, taking over her mouth as they both quickly remembered where they'd broken off last time. Maybe he should have slowed them down, insisted on some time for them to get used to being a couple before they consummated their new relationship. But Bones wasn't wired that way and with the degree of feeling he had for her his wiring was screaming at him to just take her and show her what making love was all about, before something or someone could intervene and stop them. They'd never been on an actual date but in some ways he'd been courting her for years - it felt like the right time to reap what they'd both sowed over seven years.

"Bedroom," he ground out, hauling her up and straight into his arms. He carried her, not really caring at that point if she thought it an unnecessary display of masculine strength or an undesired statement of their respective roles. She didn't say anything though - not even to point out that he shouldn't be carrying her with his bruised ribs. He'd rested enough on the plane to already feel better but even if he wasn't there was no way a couple of bruised ribs was going to stop him. Bones tucked her legs into his stomach to make it easier as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself close.

Once there, Booth held her as he pulled back the covers on his bed and then reverently settled her gently to the mattress as though she were the most precious thing he'd ever carried. She watched him with uncharacteristic silence as he ran his fingers down each of her legs in turn, caressing her bare skin and then removing her shoes. Pulling her up he slowly unbuttoned her blouse, revealing the simple bra she wore underneath. This time he rested his hands under the shirt, cupping her shoulders and then running his hands down her arms as he lowered the blouse and then removed it. Her skirt got the same treatment and then he was urging her to stretch out again.

She was beautiful ... Booth had known it, lived with that fact for six years, and still found his perceptions renewed by viewing her through a lovers eyes. He let himself just look at her first, the delicacy of her form something usually lost in the midst of the work they did. She was tough too and he saw that as well, in the definition of muscles in her arms and legs. And God, she was so damn sexy - legs he'd beg to have wrapped around him, a narrow waist he wanted to span with his hands and Lord, her lush curves, her breasts ... the beauty of her face enhanced by her knowledge of the next few hours of their future, knowledge that had burning desire rising in the depths of her eyes. He'd been within her sphere of influence for too long because he found himself thinking about the human design and how everything about her, everything that made her a stunning example of the female form seemed specifically tailored to plug into everything that made him a man. He was already fully aroused but there was no urgency to do something with that beyond show her what they'd both only dreamed about for years. He wanted to wipe every other sexual experience from her psyche until there was only him - her prior views on sex as a pleasurable distracion weren't intimidating, they didn't make him nervous to perform ... they challenged him to change her view in the best possible way.

"You are so hot," he whispered in her ear, hovering over her, still fully dressed ... hovering but not touching.

"Perhaps you should remove your clothing as well," she smiled suggestively, "so that I can collect sufficient evidence to return the compliment."

"All in good time."

Booth started at her temple, the motion of his lips down her cheek across to that place below her ear barely qualifying as kisses. He smiled when she shivered, repeating the gesture. He'd wondered over the years how she'd react to the various caresses he imagined delivering and set about finding out. In doing so he paid homage to her, earning the right through her welcoming responses to remove the rest of her clothing until she was naked before him.

"I want to feel you," she murmured, running her hands up under his t-shirt and defining his muscles with her fingers. She had him shivering at the simple contact, enough that he broke away, standing to shed his clothes without ceremony so that he could give her what she wanted.

And then Booth stretched out beside her, pulling Bones back to him so that they were spooned his front to her back. He shifted her hair aside and pressed a heated kiss to the back of her neck, wrapping his arms around her middle. She responded by wrapping her arms over his and pressing back into him, capturing his arousal between them. Everything slowed until it was just the two of them breathing together, acquainting each other to what it meant to be intimate at the most basic level.

"We never talked about why O'Connor's victims were all couples on the cusp of marriage," Bones' voice barely stirred the silence beween them.

"No," Booth agreed, tightening his arms protectively. It was hard to feel even the small amount of gratitude Seeley acknowledged was there within himself - O'Connor had killed fourteen people and would have added he and Bones to the total without blinking. But even with that Booth did feel a sliver of gratitude because events had precipitated the change in his relationship with Bones. That had him waiting to see what she would say rather than protesting that she'd brought the topic to their bed.

"I believe he thought it was a kindness to sacrifice them on their wedding day - at the pinnacle of their happiness together," Bones explained. "He thought they'd never be as happy after that day. He was wrong."

"How so?" Booth nuzzled his face between her shoulder blades, breathing hotly across her skin.

"Although I don't have imperical evidence to support my conclusions I now believe that part of being with the right person is the expectation that shared feelings will strengthen and grow over time," she said with an earnest logic. Her fingers caressed his forearms and she continued. "I realise now that my regard for you has broadened since I first admitted internally that I had these feelings - despite receiving no direct input from you. I ignored that because I believed love to be transient. I am ... content that O'Connor was wrong ... that I was wrong."

"You continue to amaze me," Booth shifted so that she was lying on her back, holding his weight up on his forearms as he hovered over her again. "You're right Bones. And I bet those thirty, forty and fifty years married old men would all tell you the same thing. That they love their partners more now than they did when they got hitched. That's the way it should be." He leaned down, putting his own feelings into the the kiss he gave her. "That's the way it will be," he promised.

She nodded, tears brimming over. He had to kiss them away - seeing her cry had always cut him deep and no comfort he'd offered had ever felt like enough. That kiss was all it took to unleash the passion between them. It was a rush of sensations and impressions - he'd remember for a long time after how it felt but not specifically what they each did to get to the point when finally, for the first time he was buried inside her and they were as close as they could get. They paused to saver that feeling of complete intimacy and then the urge to complete the act took over, driving them to move together. He'd needed to be with her like this and it was only as they reached the pinnacle that he appreciated that. He'd needed her just as she needed him and it was everything and more.

"I love you," he whispered it again just because he could, feeling her smile against his chest even as she dropped over the edge into sleep, leaving him once again to his thoughts.

He didn't expect their relationship to be easy - she was stubborn and opinionated and there was no way she'd switch off the logic and reason and sheer bluntness of approach just because she'd admitted that she loved him and wanted to be with him. He had no intention of caving to her approach either, so yeah, there'd be differences of opinion and probably flat out arguments too but it was all good.

Bones was everything and Booth finally got to show her that. As for everything else ... well, he wouldn't have it any other way.

The End.

Authors Note:

Apologies for the delay with the last chapter - always tough to finish the editing and just let the story go when you get to the last chapter. I wanted to post rather than reply to reviews from the previous chapter - I will get to those soon but thank you everyone who did review for taking the time. This is the point where I ask respectfully that you review this last chapter... in my prior experience the final chapter tends to result in less reviews, leaving me wondering whether the ending was disappointing. I'd hate to go away with that impression for this story.

Thanks once again to everyone who read, alerted, favourited and in particular reviewed this story. You've all made my introduction to Bones fanfic an amazing experience! Thank you all for letting me muck around in this very cool new playground - the new equipment rocks and I am definitely going to check out how everyone else is using them now I've finished my story. I've already alerted a few stories to save for future reading and look forward to discovering all the lovely gems I'm sure are posted here.

Until the next story ... bye for now!