AN: So this whole B&B situation is reeeeallly irritating me, so naturally I had to write this to get over it! This is post 6x09 with Hannah finally out of the picture! B&B happy ending! I think that HH could do SOOO mcuh with Booth and Brennan's relationship once they were together to still make the show interesting! B&B will always be my favorite non-coupl, hopefully soon actual couple! ENJOY!

FYI: Of course I don't own Bones or any of the characters... although I wish I had input on what should happen in the show

It had been several months since Brennan had finally opened up to Booth and offered him her heart. She was devastated after he rejected her. She didn't know how else to deal with it but to just build up those walls again and compartementalize. Booth had noticed her prompt isolation immidiately. He didn't really know how to deal with it. After all, the way he dealt with her rejecting him was flying off to a warzone and falling in "love" with the first girl he saw. Booth and Hannah broke up. Hannah was a nomad, she needed to move freely from place to place, and Booth couldn't do that. He thought the situation with Brennan might all blow over and become normal again, but he was starting to get worried. Instead of her isolation getting better, it was getting worse. Conversations between the parters were always confined to the case and any develpoments and he only saw her outside of the lab every once in a while to look at a body (only if it was absolutely necessary). She didn't shoot him any glances, leaned away from his touch, and didn't even bother participating in their usual bickering. Booth knew this couldn't be good. He knew he had to find out what was wrong with Brennan because after all, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.

It was very late on a Friday evening and Booth knew better than to assume Brennan had actually gone home at a decent hour. He drove up the the Jeffersonian, staring up at the huge building he knew too well. He entered the building and went straight to his partner's office, where she was sitting at her desk looking intently at the computer screen. He tapped onn the open door and she looked up, startled.

"Hey Bones."

Brennan's face turned rigid and quikly went emotionless, "Oh. Hi, Booth… Why are you here? Something about the case?"

He walked into the office and shook his head, "No, Bones. You know why I'm here."

"Booth, it is scientifically impossible for me to know exactly why you are here so late at night. Not I, nor can anyone else, read minds." She answered, irritated.

Booth couldn't help but smile. That's the Bones he knew. "Well, Bones. I was hoping that you and your super scientist mind could infer why I might be here."

Brennan just stared at him, waiting for him to continue. He did.

"I wanted to know what's been up with you lately. I mean, we've gone so…. professional."

"Well yes, Booth." She replied harshly, "We are professionals."

"Well, yeah, but I mean we just aren't friends anymore. It's just not the same, you know?" He looked at her expectantly.

"The same as when, Booth?" She had anger behind her words.

"….You know… before…. before…"

"Before what? Before I told you that I finally got the message? That I finally realized- That I-…. Just forget it ok? What's done is done!" She was face to face with him, fuming. "Just go back home. Go back to Hannah. Just….." Her voice got softer, "Just please leave Booth…. I just want to be alone."

"Bones," Booth started tenderly, "I'm not leaving."

Brennan looked up at him, but didn't want to get hopeful just yet.

He continued, "I want to know what's going on with you! Why were you so mad about me being with Hannah? I know Hannah and I broke up, but didn't you want me to be happy?" That last part stung. Brennan began to fill with anger again.

"Are you kidding me Booth? Of course I wanted you to be happy! I've been supportive of this whole Hannah thing ever since the day you came back from Afghanistan! But, Booth, that rejection by you hurt. It really did."

"Well, Bones, have you ever thought about how much your rejection hurt me? Bones, I put my heart out there for you, I offered it all, and you turned me down just like that! What was I supposed to do?" He was angry, but his words held lingering saddness.

"You could have tried harder."

"What?" He asked stunned.

"You could have tried harder, Booth! You could have tried to explain to me, tried to show me how much you really meant it. If you would have cared enough to try, then maybe it wouldn't have taken me so long to realize my feelings for you."

"So now you're blaming this all on me? I promised you so much that night, I put it all out there!" Booth shot back.

"But then you disproved everything you said," Brennan replied coldly, "You said that you were willing to gamble with me. You said that you were willing to give us a shot, try for 30, 40, or 50 years! You told me that you knew from the very beginning that I was the one. If you had known I was 'the one' for six years, tell me how you went to Afghanistan for a measley six months and fell in love with Hannah? You tried so hard proiving to me that love could last forever, then you fall out of love with me in no time at all and tell another woman you love her! How could you do that to me, Booth?"

Booth had a realization come over him. He really thought about it. He chose his words carefully as he began to speak. "Bones, look, I'm sorry. I truly am. I never wanted to hurt you, but when you rejected me that night, I couldn't bear the pain. I couldn't bear looking at the woman I love so much while I knew that she never wanted more from me. I couldn't do it, so I did what I thought was best. I tried to forget, I tried to move on. I met Hannah and things were so easy. She loved me, and that made it so easy for me to love her, or convince myself that I loved her. When I got back from Afghanistan, you have no idea how much it hurt, how much pain it brought back seeing you again. I couldn't move on. I can't. I never meant to hurt you, Bones. I never, ever want to put you through any pain. I understand if you don't want to give me a shot, but I swear that this time, it'll be different. I won't run away from the pain. Temperance, I've come to realize that when it comes to true love, there's no running away. I'll always be here."

Brennan was speechless. She believed him. He was so genuine, so honest. She had never realized how much her rejection could have hurt him. She was so worried about losing him that all the precautions she took led to losing him anyways. This was her chance. This was their chance. She wasn't going to miss it again. She looked deep into his warm brown eyes and kissed him softly, passionately.

"And I'll always be here for you. After all, the course of true love never did run smooth."

And they held each other in that loving imbrace, not ever wanting to let go.

Thanks so much for reading! I know the ending was super corny...but sometimes corny just fits! ;) I hoped you enjoyed it, and it would make my day if you reviewed! Happy holidays to everyone! (: