She sat there in the darkened office. Staring into space bracing for the inevitable. Waiting for the familiar knock at the door. The knock belonging to her knight and shining armor. This wasn't an odd thing of Doctor Temperance Brennan to do. Hiding out in the comfort of her office from the world with the lights turnedoff, certainly not when she was experiencing these kind of emotions.

Her brain was racing trying to come up with solutions to the soon to be asked questions. Anything but the truth she told herself, ANYTHING but the truth. It was then her thoughts were interrupted by the knock. The familiar knock that she has been dreading throughout her personal battle with her emotions.

"Bones?" her heart stopped and his heart raced.

"Bones, I know you're in there. Open up for me?" she sat still and ignored him, hoping he'd just leave her alone.

"Please? Please open up Bones?" The stubborn doctor started having a battle with herself in her mind. She wanted to open the door and feel the warm embrace of the man on the other side. Extinguishing all of her emotional turmoil, reassuring her that everything will indeed be okay and she wasn't rejected. However, she wasn't ready to confront what she was running from, not prepared to deal with the truth and answer the several impending questions that he was sure to ask.

"C'mon Bones. I'm dying out here. Would you please just open the door? I won't say a word."

"Booth, I... I'm not ready... not ready to... to... to talk to you." She managed to get out between sobs.

"C'mon Bones. It's only me. I won't say a word. Just lemme in."

"Y.. you promise?" She said from directly behind the door, barely louder than a whisper.

"I promise Bones. You trust me don't ya?" With that he heard the lock pop and the doorknob turn, opening the door just a jar. He let himself in and instantly felt himself being swallowed by the darkness. She closed the door behind him locking it. She walked to the couch and sat cradling her head in her hands trying to keep her sobs to herself. Her knight and shining armour walked over and plopped himself on the couch beside her. He could hear her sobs and sniffles causing his chest to ache. Placing a hand on her back rubbing soft circles over t-shirt. Offering as much comfort as possible without over stepping the mark. The FBI agent thought back over this mornings events, trying to piece together what exactly went pear shaped to leave his partner in this state, trying to get his own answers.

FLASHBACK

'Sitting in the SUV on their way back to the Lab and the office after their lunch at the diner, the forensic anthropologist kept her baby blues on him as much as she could, occasionally looking away before he could catch her. He went into sniper mode and could feel her watching him, looking to the right of him out of the corner of his eye for less than a second catching her before she could turn away without her being aware of it. He chuckled. "What?" she said with a hint of a giggle to her voice. They pulled up outside the Lab and she unbuckled her belt. "You couldn't keep your eyes off of me" He replied with a smug grin on his face. She could feel the heat starting to rise staining her cheeks red. Wondering how he knew, not remembering coming into contact with his chocolate brown orbs. And with that thought he answered her as if he could somehow read her mind. "Bones, I was a sniper. I could feel your eyes on me." "Well, I think you should go back and do some new sniper training Booth. I wasn't looking at you. Not for the slightest second." Staring out the window at absolutely nothing. "Oh yeah?" "Yes, Booth." "You lied.." "Wait, what I didn't lie!" she half snapped back at him. "Well than admit you were looking at me." "Fine, I was looking at you, happy?" Without a hint of sarcasm in her annoyed voice. "Very, thank you. So why we're you staring at me so intently with that goofy grin on your face?" "I don't know." She said. "Cause I love you." She said in a tiny whisper hoping that his ears weren't working to well. "What? Bones?" A stunned and confused look on his face. She didn't respond, she got out of the truck and headed straight for the doors. Going at a pace faster than a walk but slower than a jog. Scanning her security card in all the necessary places. Her eyes almost over spilling with tears as she felt the rejection. She was on route to her office when she almost bowled over her best friend. "Bren, Sweetie?" she called after her. Receiving no answer and a weak wave. She reached her office shut the door and turned off the lights. Booth soon came into the Lab, a concerned and unsure look on his face. Running into Angela. "Hey studly." She said to the handsome man. Nothing in response but a weak wave once again. Angela rolled her eyes and continued to her office trying not to read too much into what had just unfolded before her very eyes. He then found himself outside her door. Pleading'

They sat in silence, he kept rubbing her back and she tried to hide her tears. His eyes never tearing away from her for a second. "You don't have to stay here. I'm fine. You probably have work to do."

"While you're like this, not any amount of work in the world could make me leave you."

"You promised you wouldn't say anything." She replied.

"Yeah, I did. But, you spoke first." She didn't answer just simply leaned back against the couch, tipping her head back closing her eyes.

"Bones, what happened back in the car... I'm sorry? I was just stunned. I just... just didn't know what to say."

"It's fine Booth. Just pretend that I didn't say anything. I know I am."

"Temperance. Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why now?" He said quietly. "I mean. It was just so out of the blue. Why'd you choose that moment."

"I... I just." She paused. "I know it's irrational but, I just haven't been able to stop thinking about you, about us. About what could be. About what I might come to regret. And I just said it. I didn't think you'd be able to hear me. And when you did and responded the way you did. I... I just ran."

"Bones, you took me by surprised. You know how I feel about you. I just never thought that you'd admit your feelings. Not only to me, but to yourself."
He shifted over on the couch their thighs now slightly touching. She took a peak at his face. Trying to figure out what he was thinking and feeling.

"Bones?"

"Mmm...?" Was all she could manage as a response.

"I love you." He said in a definitive tone. "I have loved you for a very long time now. I just... Love you" He spoke with a smile in his voice.

She could feel the water beginning to pool in her baby blues. Closing her eyes to keep the tears in. He put his arm around her shoulder and when one stray tear rolled down her rosy cheeks he brushed with his thumb and pulled her to his shoulder, cradling her in his arms.

They sat in a comfortable silence enjoying one another's comfort for what seemed like hours. The forensic anthropologist was first to speak, "Booth... I meant what I said."

"Oh, I know you did honey. And I know you ran because you thought I was rejecting you, abandoning you in a sense. And that's okay, I understand."

She look up at him her baby blues making his heart skip a beat. Just like they always did. He looked back at her with his chocolate brown orbs reassuring her with his eyes that everything was okay.

She made the first move. Grabbing the back of his neck in a gentle tug so that his lips could connect with hers. He kissed her back and their mouths began to move in synchronisation. Subconsciously she parted her lips allowing access for his tongue. He took the hint and when their tongues met it was the most amazing thing that either one of them had ever experienced in their lives.