AN: Sorry for the wait! I had hoped to have this chapter posted a bit sooner but uni has been really busy and this chapter was also quite tricky to write. Thanks again to my lovely beta W5Jasmine for all her help. Also a big thanks to everyone who read the last chapter! I am delighted to have received 11 reviews, as well as find that 18 of you added it to your favourites and 34 of you added it to your alerts! If you have a spare sec, I would love you to leave a quick review for this chapter. It's just nice to read your words rather than just look at numbers. Thanks for reading! X Mara

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two.

The slate-coloured sky was empty of stars; normal for the city. The night was like any other, but to Brennan it felt different somehow. She felt an unfamilar calmness, and tinges of hope that she immediately forced away. She'd learned to do that many years ago. She sat in the passenger seat as Booth drove smoothly, along roads they'd travelled endless times before.

"Vincent would've liked that sendoff," Booth broke the silence, his eyes trained on the road ahead.

"What?" Brennan queried.

"Our sendoff. It was nice. Plus, I think Sweets was stoked to find an excuse to sing Lime in Da Coconut," he said with a light laugh. He stole a glance at Brennan, praising the headlights of the car beside them for bathing his beautiful partner in welcome light.

She smiled. "Yes. I think he has been wanting to perform it for quite some time," she said, responding to his second comment only. This did not go unnoticed to Booth, but he didn't press the issue.

"Booth…?" He voice wavered as she spoke. Booth was surprised to find that she sounded almost shy.

"Yeah..?" he spoke gently, following her lead.

She let out a breath through her clenched teeth, as if frustrated with herself. "The potted plant was wrong, wasn't it?"

"Bones…" he looked over at her. She tilted her head in that way she did when she demanded the truth.

"It wasn't wrong, Bones. People just normally leave flowers, that's all. But just because it's different… that doesn't mean it's wrong."

He anticipated a rebuttal, but she just watched him with blue eyes that he was grateful were dry. She looked at him for longer than he – as the driver - could look back. Then she nodded and let out a breath. Her eyes closed as he turned the car off the main road. She took strange comfort in letting him take the reigns.

With her eyes closed, she felt his hand find hers on her lap, brushing against the rough maroon fabric of her coat. Instinctively, her hands closed around his, cocooning his fist. He smiled as he felt the softness of her skin and the cool rigidity of her mother's ring.

She opened her eyes and focused on their hands, spreading her fingers a little so she could observe his. She traced her index finger over his thumb, feeling where his proximal phalanx so neatly met his metacarpal. She was startled when his hand shifted and slowly moved from her grasp. Looking up, she saw that they were pulling into the garage below Booth's apartment building. His hand had moved to the gear stick to shift the car into park as they pulled to a stop in his allocated space.

"Am I staying here again?" Brennan asked.

He suddenly realised he hadn't driven her home. He felt ridiculous. Feeling his face heat up, he spoke quickly. "Gosh, Bones. Sorry, I didn't even think about it. I guess I was just on auto pilot." Though, he thought, that should have meant he ended up outside her apartment building, for he drove her home frequently. He was a little taken aback (but not unhappily so) that he had transitioned into their couple status so effortlessly.

"It's okay," she said. "I can call a cab." She leant forward and grabbed her bag, searching for her phone.

If he hadn't been embarrassed by his own actions, he would've chuckled. "No, no, no, Bones," he reached across again, placing a hand on her wrist, stopping her search. His pinky brushed her wrist. She looked up at him and let her hands fall back to her lap. "I can drive you if you'd be more comfortable at home. But, I'd love for you to stay again," he said, locking eyes with her.

She straightened. "Oh," she said, her brow furrowing momentarily as she quickly processed this information. His warm eyes seemed to smile at her encouragingly, though she knew this was impossible. "I'd like that too," she admitted matter of factly.

He beamed from ear to ear and leant forward a little, his seatbelt fighting a losing battle. When she leant in a little too, he closed the gap and kissed her. He kissed her with all the love and joy he felt in that moment, letting his hand hold her face and feel it's softness for the first time. He felt his fingers brush over a practically invisible scar beneath her eye. One day, he'd ask her about it.

Pulling away reluctantly, he pressed a kiss to her nose for only the second time ever.

"I once questioned whether people actually do that."

"Do what?"

"Kiss each other on the nose. Caroline said that we had to kiss on the lips and that cheek or nose kisses would not count."

She didn't.

"Did she now? Well, I must admit I'm quite grateful. Because as much as I love your nose," he nuzzled his nose against hers, not caring if he seemed like a lovesick teenager. "Getting to kiss your lips was…"

"You were reluctant, though. If I recall correctly."

"Well yeah, I wanted to kiss you every single day, and didn't want it to have to be because you were blackmailed."

"I think she would not have minded kissing you herself, in fact."

He sputtered into laughter. "Don't worry, Bones. I'm not kissing anyone but you."

"I didn't mean th–" she began, wanting to point out that she was not expressing jealousy or concern, but was merely stating a fact. He interrupted with a kiss.

"You are going to do that a lot, aren't you? Use kisses as a means of stopping me mid sentence."

"I plan to, yes." He admitted with a smile. Her eyes narrowed, squinting in half-hearted annoyance. He chuckled at her expression, whilst simultaneously revelling in the fact that she was thinking of the future.

"Come on," he said with a flick of his head, opening his car door and meeting her at the bonnet. He could hear gramps in his head, Shrimp, you should always go round an open a lady's door for her. But Bones cherished her independence and self-reliance. He didn't want to take that away from her. He'd be there for her and help her when he knew she needed it. But, he reminded himself, only then.

Leading the way without taking her hand and forcing her to follow, he led them up the stairs into the lobby of his building, then into the old lift – with a small, secret smile appearing on his face – and finally, to the door of his apartment.

Pulling his keys from his jacket pocket, he swiftly unlocked the solid, dark wood door. He pushed it open with a hand above her head, letting her enter first and in doing so, handing a bit of the power over to her.

"Alright," he said for no reason, flicking on a light. Just the one. "Want a beer, Bones?" he queried, as he wandered into the kitchen.

"Sure," she replied, standing a little awkwardly by the couch where she had spent some of the night before. She fiddled with the firmly knotted belt of her coat.

"Make yourself at home, Bones." He casually hollered from the kitchen, as if sensing her awkwardness.

With deliberate haste and conviction, she undid the coat buttons and knot in the belt, sliding the coat from her shoulders and lying it neatly over the back of the couch just as Booth reappeared. Handing her a beer, he clinked his own bottle against hers and collapsed comfortably into the old brown couch with a sigh.

She sat next to him neatly, as close as can be without really touching. Her knee, however, rested comfortably against his.

"Tired?" she asked, noticing his eyes had shut momentarily.

"Nah, just resting," he said. He lifted an arm, letting her decide if she wanted to tuck into his side." He was delighted when she did, after a barely existent moment of contemplation. Looking down at her, he asked. "What's on your mind, Bones?"

She answered honestly. "I am not thinking of anything specific. It is not something I am generally skilled at."

"That's good. Your head needs a break." He felt her settle a little closer. Her head slipped down a little into his chest, in the same spot as the night before. The spot he decided that she – subconsciously or not – had claimed as her own.

The apartment, with all its vintage charm, was so unlike hers. However, she savoured the coziness of it, and all the things that were so 'Boothy.' Continuing her cataloguing of such objects, as begun the night before, her eyes traced the surroundings from her view past Booth's chest. Her eyes caught sight of the old telephone, sitting neatly on the end table by the couch. "Booth."

"Yeah?"

"Do you feel it is too soon after Hannah for you to begin another relationship?" she asked boldly. She'd always thought it better to get straight to the point.

"What?" He was not expecting that. "No, Bones. No. It's not too soon at all," he spoke with honest conviction, meeting her eyes. "Hell, you and I have been working up to this for years," he continued. "Bones, I've had time since Hannah left. I've let her go. I'm not holding on to any feelings. Truth is, considering it didn't take me long to let those feelings go, I know they were never as strong as I had myself believing."

She stiffened a little, her brain working as she processed his words. "Logically, that indicates your feelings for me were only minimal also." He looked puzzled. "You were able to let me go and begin a relationship with Hannah." She spoke honestly with no accusation, just increasing apprehension.

"No, Bones. I tried to let you go. But I didn't. I couldn't. That's why we're here right now. I'm not fighting anything anymore, Bones. And I don't think you are either."

"I would understand if you needed more time."

"I don't need more time, Bones. I promise you, I'll never let you go."

She watched him for a long moment. Then, satisfied with his words, she suddenly leaned up and quickly pressed her now bare lips to his. She caught him off guard as she seemingly threw caution to the wind. But the kiss was not frantic. She held it for long time. When she pulled back, it was only for a fleeting moment to get her breath. Then, she began kissing him just a little more forcefully. He felt determination in these kisses and knew what she was asking. Gently pulling back after a moment, he ran his hands down the angular planes of her face and looked at her intently.

"I love you… Bones." he spoke, letting his hands steal a last touch of her face before falling. "I love you," now he'd said it once he couldn't help but repeating it. "And if those kisses are heading where I think they are," he smiled. "I need you to listen to me first, okay?" he waited a moment, checking he still had her attention. "Bones, I am completely in love with you. And it's not just a rush of chemicals from those kisses of yours. As spectacular as they are."

"Booth…" she began, not sure she was ready to hear this, yet feeling joy emerge at the same time.

"I want to spend forever with you. However long forever is," he continued. "But I'm not going to ask you to promise anything, okay? We'll take it one day at a time. Just so long as you know that I am not planning on leaving."

"I don't want you to leave." She admitted, eyes shining with a perfect union of vulnerability and happiness.

"I won't, baby." He couldn't help the 'baby' and was grateful when she didn't complain. Not for now, anyway. "I won't," he repeated.

Convinced or choosing to accept it for the moment, her lips met his with a gentle determination. A barely there tear stepped from her cheek to his as their faces met. Her hands clung to the warm skin of his back, having quickly crept under his shirt. He followed suit and gently danced his fingers across the small of her back, relishing touching her where he had so many times before, but never with the luxury of no fabric in the way. As the kisses showed no sign of slowing down and her hands expertly removed his silky black tie, he pulled back gently.

"Bones. We don't have to do this tonight," he wanted her to know that whether they made love tonight or not, he'd still love her just as much in the morning.

"I want to," she said simply, maintaining eye contact.

"You sure?"

"I'm always sure, Booth," she said teasingly, yet sincerely.

When he led her to his room a moment later, he lay down with her and held her close like the night before. She felt the softness of the bed and the softness of his touch, as he pressed simple kisses all over her face and neck before going any further. When after a little while his hands delicately undid the buttons of her shirt, she realised that she needed to say something.

"Booth…" she began, her voice breathy.

"You okay?" he asked, his hands stopping but remaining where they were, calmly resting against her abdomen.

"Yes. I'm fine," she assured. "I just think you should know two things. One is that I have not had sex in a significant period of time," she told him simply. He was glad this moment would obviously be special for her, but couldn't give it much thought, however, as she quickly continued speaking. "Two…," she began. But her gaze left his and he read the nervousness on her face.

"You can tell me, Bones," he reassured her.

"I am still not entirely convinced that I believe in love to the extent that you do. But I feel confident in saying that whatever it is you are feeling, I feel it too."

His eyes were misty as he drew an elated breath mixed with laughter and shook his head in sheer joyful wonder. He kissed her furiously but gently, and whispered words of love against her lips. The whispers continued sporadically and she found them comforting, as he slowly introduced her to the marvel of making love.