A/N: I always felt like season 5 builds up to Brennan and Booth finally becoming a romantic couple, but it doesn't end that way. Much to my chagrin... Anyway, I recently hit "The Parts in the Sum of the Whole" and "The Death of the Queen Bee" in my Bones rewatch party, as I'd like to call it, and it got some wheels turning in my head. I still believe that Brennan saying "no" to Booth was genuine, but not because she didn't feel the same way. I think it was because she was too scared. There was something about the look on her face when they danced at her high school reunion that planted a seed in my mind. I think she had an epiphany, but chose not to act on it. In all of my years of watching the show, I could never get over why the writers didn't get Brennan and Booth together in a season that was set up perfectly for that exact outcome. They had a few chances to rectify it, but didn't. So, I'm doing that myself! I feel like this rewrite fits the tone of season 5 much better than what actually happened, but what do I know? I'm just a lowly college student and TV fanatic who writes in her spare time. ;) I don't know if this has been done before, but I hope it's enjoyable either way! Happy reading! :)

P.S.: By popular demand, I posted a second chapter of "A Night at the Bones Museum, Reimagined," so check it out!

Brennan and Booth walked off together in tears, but still arm in arm. She had rejected him out of fear and shock, and they both knew that. She hated rejecting him, but she didn't know what else to do. It's not like she expected him to act on Sweets' advice right away, let alone even take it. She thought she had a little more time before that happened. Something wasn't sitting well with her about turning him down, but she couldn't figure out what. Until she knew what it was, they would have to try as hard as they could with their heavy hearts to return to their normal lives while awaiting a new case.

Booth dropped Brennan off at her apartment around 8 after saying goodbye. She unlocked her front door and dropped her keys in the bowl before taking off her trenchcoat, and headed straight for her bedroom. She collapsed on her bed and stared up at the ceiling.

This was your chance, Brennan, she thought to herself. Of course you had to fuck that up.

She closed her eyes and threaded her hands through her hair. Letting out a big sigh, she got up and walked around her room while speaking softly to herself out loud.

"I wasn't expecting that to happen so fast, or at all, really. I didn't think that he'd even feel the same way. He does favor his gut instinct over careful thought... But I'm not good with emotions. My most meaningful relationships are with the dead, not the living. There is absolutely no reason why he should want to enter into a romantic relationship with me, even if it might benefit both of us. I didn't want to jeopardize my working relationship with him by prioritizing my personal feelings. The work is most important, not me. I'm fine with being alone. That's how it's been for years."

That's not true and you know it, she thought to herself. Booth has been right by your side for the past 5 years. You love him, and now you know that he loves you. This is the natural next step. Don't be so afraid of it, or you could lose him.

"I should just call Angela. She's better at this than I am." Brennan went over to the chair in her bedroom onto which she tossed her trenchcoat and dug her phone out of the pocket to call her best friend, who picked up almost immediately.

"Hey sweetie! What's up?"

"I need your help, Ange."

"What's going on? Are you okay?"

"I'm... I'm fine. I just need your advice about something. Can you come over?"

"Will there be alcohol?" Brennan chuckled.

Of course she'd ask that.

"I will most certainly be enjoying some, and you're welcome to do the same."

"Oh, I'm so in. I'm leaving right now." Brennan heard the rustling of hangers in the background.

"Thanks, Ange. See you soon." She ended the call and quickly tried to clean herself up. Her makeup had smudged a bit from crying, so she decided to take it all off. Brennan wanted to get out of the dress she had been wearing for the day, so she exchanged it for pajamas. She took one last look at the dress before tossing it to the side. There was no hiding the pain she felt in her chest, even just by looking at something as simple as an article of clothing. She then headed out to the kitchen to get out a bottle of their favorite Cabernet. Grabbing two glasses, she poured them both half of a glass. As soon as she put the cork back in the bottle, there was a knock at the door.

That was fast.

She quickly set the bottle back on the counter and answered the door.

"Hi, Ange. Thanks for coming on such short notice."

"Anything for you, sweetie. I've missed our girl talk! What's going on? You sounded really upset over the phone."

"Yeah, about that..."

"Oh, no. Is this about Booth?"

"I haven't even said anything yet!"

"I just know, okay? I'm your best friend. Now, tell me what's wrong." Brennan let out a sigh.

"I'm gonna need a drink first." Angela laughed, then grimaced.

"Ouch! That bad?" Brennan walked into the kitchen to grab their glasses and met Angela back over on the couch, handing her a glass.

"It wasn't originally terrible, but it got worse as the day went on. Booth and I met with Sweets this afternoon to talk about his book, and to correct an error in it. He thought that the first case we worked together was the murder of Cleo Eller rather than that of Gemma Arrington."

"Oh, yeah! I almost forgot about that one." Angela took a sip of wine as Brennan continued.

"We had to tell Sweets that we kissed and almost slept together. He freaked out, and then told us that one of us has to 'break the stalemate' in regards to his conclusion that we're in love. Sweets told Booth that he has to do it because of his history with gambling and taking risks."

"I see where this is going..." Angela took another sip, bracing for impact.

"We were there for several hours, because we ended up explaining the entire case to him. After we left, we were planning to go get something to eat, but Booth stopped. He said that he wanted to give a romantic relationship with me a chance... I wasn't expecting that to happen. Not that quickly, anyway. He kissed me."

"Oh, my God. You rejected him, didn't you?" There was a pause.

"Yes..."

"So, this is Sweets' fault?"

"In part, yes. I feel as though he may have ruined my relationship with Booth permanently. But I..." Brennan stopped herself. She really didn't want to say it out loud. That would make it more real, somehow, and that wasn't a reality she wanted to give much thought to for the time being.

"I'm assuming you regret rejecting him?" Brennan said nothing. Instead, she took a generous sip of wine. That was all the response Angela needed.

"Okay, sweetie. You listen to me. This is Booth we're talking about, okay? He's been in love with you since the two of you became partners, and you've been in love with him for just as long."

She shook her head. "Angela, that's ridiculous. I don't love Booth."

"You really need to work on your lying, honey." Brennan bit her lip and looked at the ceiling, shaking her head as she tried to hold back tears.

"He told me he was going to move on, anyway..." Angela was still giving Brennan the look, so she told her what she wanted to hear: the truth.

"Fine. I don't know if I'm in love with him, but I do harbor a few... romantic feelings for him. But that doesn't mean it's the right decision to... to jeopardize our working relationship because I happen to have personal feelings for him. Our work is the important part, Ange. I can't mess that up, too."

"Brennan, you have to understand that it would only make things better, not worse, if you two finally got your asses in gear."

"You can't know that. What if we decide to pursue a relationship and then end up... breaking up? That would ruin the entire team's dynamic. And Booth is the only FBI agent I'd ever want to work with. I wouldn't work with the FBI anymore if we ended things. You can't just... transfer that kind of symbiosis to another random agent. We're all friends. I like the way things are now."

"That breaking up thing is never gonna happen. I can guarantee that. He's in this for the long haul. Has been, and always will be. I know you're scared, sweetie, and that's okay."

"I've never felt like this before. When I've met a compatible mate in the past, I've usually felt quite confident about it. With Booth, I get so nervous even just at the thought of pursuing anything remotely romantic. There's so much at stake."

"That's love, sweetie. You're in love. Remember when Hodgins asked me out for the first time? I was nervous as hell to even go through with it because, deep down, I knew he was it. Deep down, I felt like we would be together forever. I broke things off with him for the same reason. I was still afraid of being so in love with another person. It's scary to want to commit to someone for that long. You and Booth have a bond that no one else does. It's unique, and beautiful, and it can't be duplicated with anyone else, no matter how similar they are to Booth. You two are soulmates." Brennan cocked her head a bit.

"So, you believe in Plato's theory that we were all born with two faces, four arms, and four legs and were separated into our current form, thus dooming ourselves to search for our other half?" Angela chuckled.

"Whoa! Easy on the theories, babe. But, yeah, I do believe in soulmates. It's rare for a person to actually find theirs, in my experience, but you and Booth? You guys are the real deal. Everyone can see that. I know you have your own valid reasons to be worried. Your parents and brother abandoned you for a really long time at a really young age, but your dad came back. So did Russ. And Booth? He's here to stay, no matter what happens."

"I'm just... I'm not good with emotions. And I'm not supposed to be in a family. That's just how it is. I've been alone for half of my life. I've done just fine on my own, you know." She downed the rest of her glass.

"I'm getting more. Do you want some, too?" Brennan had her hand extended in the direction of Angela's glass.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks." Angela handed over the glass as Brennan walked to her kitchen and popped off the cork to the bottle. Moments later, she returned with the two glasses filled halfway again.

"Hey, I do have a few things to say. Don't think you could get out of this conversation by bringing me more wine." The women laughed.

"First of all, you haven't been alone for that long. Booth has been here for 5 years, and I've been here, too. And secondly," Angela paused to take another sip, "there is more than one kind of family, you know. There's blood relation, and there are the ones you choose to have in your life. Hodgins, me, Cam, Booth, your interns? We're all part of your family, too."

"But..." her voice sounded much smaller and softer now. "What if I'm too late?"

"You aren't, sweetie. That man will love you until the day he dies. When you tell him that you feel the same way, he'll be jumping for joy."

"But I didn't..." Angela interrupted her.

"You don't have to. I know how you feel about him. I know what you're too afraid to say out loud. Now you need to let him see that, too." Brennan was quiet for a moment, swirling the remainder of the wine around in her glass.

"Well... what should I do? How do I rectify this situation?"

"As much as I want to tell you to say 'fuck it' and go over to see him right now, I know you can't. You always have to think things through, and I respect that. So, my advice is to take some time to think about it. It is a big decision. A no-turning-back kind of decision. Once you open that door, you can't change your mind, and neither can he. Listen to your heart for once, too. That's not your thing, I know, but just... give it a try. For me. You know what you want to do, but you're terrified. That's okay, but don't let it ruin what you and Booth have. When you live your life based on fear, you miss out on so much. I told you that about Sully, and I'm telling you that again about Booth. Booth is the one you really can't lose. Sully wasn't meant to be, but Booth is. No matter how hard either of you try, he's always gonna love you, and you're always gonna love him. There's no use in looking elsewhere when the real thing is standing right in front of you." Brennan looked at the floor and nodded softly.

"I think you're right. I do need to think about this."

"I know, sweetie. Take all the time you need, but don't take too long. There's a perfect window of opportunity here that you can't miss." Angela put her hand over Brennan's.

"I love you, Brennan. Everything will work out, I promise. And if, for some reason, it doesn't, I will personally go kick Booth's ass." Brennan smiled.

"Thanks, Ange. I love you, too."

"I think I'm gonna head home now. It's almost 11, and my job is done. Don't worry, I took a cab here knowing we'd be drinking. I'm not that irresponsible." She rose from the couch and kissed Brennan on the cheek.

"Get some rest, honey." Brennan got up and hugged Angela.

"Thank you for everything, Ange. Really."

"This what best friends are for, sweetie. I'm just giving you a nudge in the right direction. You know what to do. Try to get some sleep for now, though."

"I will." She walked her friend over to the door, giving her one last hug.

"Night, Bren. I'll see you tomorrow." Angela grabbed her coat and headed out the door, leaving Brennan alone again. She let out a sigh and decided to get ready for bed, hoping sleep would come easily tonight.

About a week later, they got the call. A new case in Burtonsville. As usual, Booth picked Brennan up so they could drive out to the crime scene together. They made small talk about the case, trying not to allow the awkward tension to dominate the car ride. The body was found near her high school, which Booth seemed to be thrilled about. He had always been intrigued about what the squints were like before they got to the Jeffersonian, but he was especially curious about Brennan. He asked many questions about her high school life as they drove down the highway, and she responded to them with a bit of annoyance. Brennan hated high school. Like almost everyone, high school was the opposite of her glory days. She was disliked by most of her graduating class, but that was only one part of what made high school so terrible for her. She had a lot on her mind. Dealing with the trauma of her parents' disappearance, Russ leaving, and being thrown into the foster care system. That's a lot for anyone to process at one time, but especially for a teenager with a frontal lobe that is still developing. Luckily, Brennan was always more advanced in her processing and reasoning skills, so she could compartmentalize with ease. Her life was much better now than it was then, and that brought her some comfort. It didn't, however, stop her from experiencing extreme displeasure about returning. She never had any intention of visiting her high school after all this time, but she tried to view it simply as a necessity and only that. The cop who greeted them turned out to have been Brennan's old lab partner. It really was a small town, apparently. She seemed to be the only one who branched out.

At the scene, Brennan examined the skull that was found and sent it to the Jeffersonian. The team found an injury to the jaw that allowed her to identify the victim: a former classmate of hers named Evelyn Simms. Not only was she working with her former lab partner who cheated off her chemistry paper, but she would have to solve the murder of her old doubles partner. Booth suggested that they go undercover in order to get more information about her classmates, and they quickly went with a husband and wife simply here for the reunion. As an atheist, Brennan didn't believe in signs from God, but she did believe in the universe – and it was trying to tell her something. She wasn't sure what it was, but she would figure it out eventually. She always did.

The reunion was in full swing now. Former students and their dates filed in and headed to the dance floor, where "The Bomb!" by The Bucketheads was playing. Brennan and Booth were dancing together awkwardly at first, but things got better after a few minutes. Brennan started doing "The Electric Slide" and Booth did "The Sprinkler" to complete the awkward dance moves being put on display. To unsuspecting onlookers, they seemed like a happy couple with some quirks, but if only they knew the many emotions they were hiding from one another. Booth danced along in an attempt to distract himself from the temptation to watch her dance, and she was trying to lighten the mood. Neither of them were extremely successful.

They had stopped dancing when Brennan got a text from the lab, giving them more information. At the same time, she heard "Kiss From a Rose" by Seal begin to play and her heart skipped a beat. She wanted so badly to be able to dance with Booth, but she had a feeling that he wouldn't be comfortable with that after everything that had unfolded the week before. Booth tried not to think about the slow song that was playing and tried to get her focus back on the case, to no avail. He was about to walk away when she stopped him.

"Oh! Can we dance, Booth? It's Seal."

"Well, it's a slow song."

"Oh, I'm sorry, is that too difficult for you?"

"I just don't want any misunderstandings here. That's all, Bones. I mean, you know... we, uh, opened up a door there that neither one of us wants to walk through." A white lie, but it somehow helped him get through the conversation.

"I know. I– I was just asking to dance... because I remember the song. I'm sorry..." She knew it was coming, but she couldn't deny the sadness that came over her. He saw it happen and immediately felt guilty. He forgot that she didn't get to experience much of this.

"No, you know what? Hey... It's just a dance. It's– it's your reunion. Okay, let's do it. Let's dance." He smiled at her and she did the same. It might be hard for him, but it was worth it to see her happy. One dance wouldn't hurt, right?

She tried to bring him close, but he kept her at arm's length. Literally.

"Why are you so far away?"

"Just leaving room for the Holy Spirit, that's all." It was then that Booth saw Mr. Buxley wielding as sharp knife. Brennan turned to see the same thing.

"Why are you always so suspicious about Mr. Buxley?"

"Because, you know, he's a psycho. He has access to the shop and he has a big knife."

Mr. Buxley walked over to a cord and cut it, resulting silver stars to dangle over the dance floor. Everyone applauded, and Brennan felt herself tear up a bit. She began to wonder if this is what school dances were like.

"That is so cool!" Booth was genuinely impressed. Maybe Mr. Buxley wasn't such a bad guy after all. Brennan just continued to look up at the stars hanging above them.

"Bones, you're tearing up." She looked down and shrugged her shoulders.

"This was the prom I never got to go to." She was tugging at his heart strings. Big time. Despite what happened between them, he decided to give her the real thing. She should be able to experience prom, even if it's in her 30s.

As Booth held her close for the dance she never got, Brennan smiled and enjoyed herself. She felt happy; at peace. There was no one she'd rather be here with than Booth. She relished their closeness, never wanting it to end. After a moment of joy, she felt herself become upset. She might have ruined her chance to dance with him, just like this, whenever she wanted. She wondered what things would be like right now if she had accepted him instead of rejected him. They both would have been much happier, and there wouldn't be so much distance between them. Now she knew what the universe was telling her to do.

Once the Jeffersonian confirmed that the stars were the murder weapon, they arrested Julie Coyle for the murder of Evelyn Simms. Unexpectedly, she also confessed to murdering Sarah Tidwyler with Evelyn's help. The three girls had formed a pact about someone they had all developed a crush on, so they wanted to share him. When Sarah wouldn't give him up, the others killed her. Julie did the same thing to Evelyn. With the murder solved, all was well at Burtonsville High once again. Well, for the most part. Some things can't be taken out of a high school now matter how hard you try. Wendell was right about wondering how more murders don't happen in high schools.

After the local police took Julie into custody, Brennan and Booth decided that it was time to drive back to the motel for the evening. They would have to stay in town for a few more days in order to complete paperwork with the cooperation of the Burtonsville Police Department. The motel was close by, so they sat mostly in silence as they drove over. Before parting ways, they said their goodnights and planned to head off to the police station together around 9 the following morning.

As Brennan closed the door to her motel room, she sat on the bed.

This would be the perfect time to tell him.

It was true. They'd have time to adjust if it went wrong or if they did decide to become a couple. It made sense to tell him while they were still here, away from everything and everyone they knew. There wouldn't be as much pressure. She wasn't sure when or how she was going to tell him, but she knew she needed to do it before they went back home. She decided on sooner rather than later.

About an hour after returning to the motel, there was a knock at Booth's door. He had taken off his tie and jacket, but not his dress shirt and pants. Brennan hadn't changed either, but did clean herself up a bit before braving the storm. He walked over to the door and opened it to reveal his partner standing there, looking a bit anxious.

"Bones, hi. Is everything okay?"

"Yes, I just... can I come in?"

"Yeah, of course. Sorry." He opened the door and stepped out of the way so that she could enter. Once inside, she walked to the middle of the room and began to pace a bit.

"Are you sure you're okay, Bones? You don't usually pace like that." She turned to him sharply.

"I was wrong, Booth."

"About... what exactly?"

"About us."

"Wait a second, Bones..." She put her hand up to stop him from going any further into the conversation.

"No, please, let me finish. I need to be the one to say this." He nodded, then sat down on the edge of the bed. She cleared her throat and took a breath. At the last minute, she got scared and started to walk back toward the door.

"Fuck, I can't do this," she said softly. He stood up suddenly and ran over to her, catching her hand before she walked out.

"Bones, hey. Look at me. Hey. It's me. You can tell me anything." He was still holding her hand, not wanting to let go until he knew she was going to say what was on her mind.

Angela was right.

Brennan inhaled deeply. "Okay..." She closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, he was looking at her with loving, comforting eyes that gave her the courage to speak again.

"I do want to give us a chance. Romantically, I mean." He was slightly confused, not believing what he had just heard.

"But you just said no."

"Yes, I know. I was... I was scared, Booth." She teared up, but continued on.

"I still am. I'm terrified, but I don't want to lose you. I don't want to miss our chance."

"Is that the only reason you're saying that you want to be with me? That you don't want to miss our chance?" The tears spilled out. Her chest tightened as she tried to control the pain she was feeling. Emotions were painful to her, no matter how true they may be.

"No, Booth. It's not... I'm sorry, you know I'm no good with feelings." She used her free hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"I've never felt like this about anyone before. It's different with you. Every time I'm around you, my heart rate increases. I actually enjoy your presence. You make me feel safe, and happy. I'm not used to people actually wanting me around, but you do. I wasn't expecting you to act on Sweets' advice so soon, let alone at all, so I was taken aback by your proposal. That's all. I want you, Booth. No one else. I know you said that you were going to move on, but I hope you haven't completely closed that door, metaphorically speaking." He stepped closer to her.

"And you're absolutely sure that you want to do this? Because I'm in for the long run, Bones. There's no going back."

"Yes, I'm completely certain. I've had some time to reflect since last week. I've consulted with Angela, too, because she's better with emotions than I am. She assures me that what I'm feeling is love, although I cannot verify that statement because I have no idea what being in love is like. I do know that I don't want to lose any more time just because I'm frightened about what could happen if things don't work out. But, for some reason, I don't seem to care about that very much. I think it's because a part of me know that it will work out." A wide smile appeared on his face.

"I was hoping I would never have to close that door. I didn't want to move on. I never did. It's still open, Bones." She smiled back at him. It was almost as if the universe sighed with relief along with them.

Booth grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in for a long, slow kiss. Brennan wrapped her arms around his neck. They both know that together is exactly where they belonged. She smiled into his kiss, knowing now that she had, indeed, made the right decision.

"I'm so glad that I don't have to close that door. So happy. Let's not waste any more time, Bones." They embraced lovingly, both of them over the moon. He kissed her hair and allowed his head to settle on top of her head. They stayed there for a moment, both feeling relief and immense joy. After they released one another, Brennan was still smiling. She had just remembered something that an old friend of theirs had said not too long ago, and finally knew what she meant.

"Avalon was right," she said, taking Booth's hand in hers. "Everything really does work out eventually."

I hope you all enjoyed this one! Please don't hesitate to let me know your thoughts on this one, and thank you so much for reading! :)