A/N: Like I said in the summary this was meant to be a one-shot, but it was getting long so I decided to split it into two parts. Plus, I wanted to a least post something for all the people who read My Very Dear Temperance and requested fluff. This started out being very lighthearted, but apparently I have issues with just pure fluff so it's a little deep. There will be a little bit of fluff in the next part, but I needed to set the story up in this first part.

Hope you enjoy!

Disclamer: Don't own Bones, but I sure wish I owned Booth. says while wiggling her eyebrows

"Where are you taking me?" Bones asked rather irritably. She had been fully prepared for a long, yet fulfilling day at work when she was met with a loud knock at the door around seven in the morning. Opening it, she was surprised to find Booth, a man she knew never rose before this hour, wholly armed with coffee and other breakfast supplies and dressed in his usual casual wear.

"You do know it's seven o'clock on a Wednesday, right?" Bones questioned.

"Yes, I do. Now will you please let me in before I drop all of this food?" Booth said as he stepped around her and placed everything on the kitchen counter.

"Why are you here?" Bones asked impatiently. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy Booth's company. She just had hoped she would be at work right now rather than playing along with Booth's shenanigans.

"Well, if I remember correctly, today is someone's birthday. I decided to make it a special one. I already called Cam. She knows you are taking the day off." Booth said defensively, knowing he was about to get an ear full.

"Why would you do that? You know I hate birthdays and I have so much to do at work!" Bones shouted exasperatedly.

"Look, we don't have a case right now and those bodies from limbo aren't going anywhere. Plus, you only say you hate birthdays because you haven't spent one with me." Booth said smugly, displaying his charm smile. He knew she couldn't resist the charm smile.

"Fine. But we have to do paperwork together on Sunday." She said fighting hard to maintain the irritated façade. She really couldn't resist that charm smile.

"I'll bring the Thai food!" Booth chuckled.

"So what do you have planned?" Bones inquired as she sat down and Booth began preparing several eggs and a few slices of bacon.

"It's a surprise Bones. A wonderful surprise." He said, grinning widely at Bones' skeptical look.

This was why a blindfolded Dr. Brennan was currently in the passenger seat of Booth's giant SUV, grumbling periodically. Booth could hardly help but laugh.

"I told you it was a surprise Bones. You wouldn't want to ruin the surprise now would you?" He teased.

"But we've been driving nearly two hours; if you don't give me a hint as to where we are going, I am going to rip this blindfold right off!"

"Okay, fine. We're in Virginia. And don't worry, we're almost there." Booth said lightly. His partner quieted down once again, allowing his mind to wander.

It had been nearly two years into his partnership with Bones when he had realized he was in love with her. There had always been an attraction there, and then gradually feelings, but he usually just chalked it up to the fact that they were constantly together and helped each other through the hard times. They were friends, close friends, but nothing more. Soon those feelings started to get to him, so he made up excuses, defense mechanisms, ways to separate what they had from their working relationship, excuses like the line. But then one day, it hit him. Maybe it was at Angela's wedding when he saw her stare at him with such emotion, her sparkling blue eyes glistening with tears, as he told her the reason her dad allowed himself to get arrested. He realized then that he would do anything to make her that happy again. He would risk everything. To him, the only name for that was love, and he no longer wanted to deny it.

Back then, he wasn't so sure if she loved him. But it increasingly became obvious to Booth that he was the one person in her life that she completely trusted and had opened up to since the disappearance of her family. And sometimes when they stared at each other, she could hardly hide the intensity that burned behind her brilliant orbs. He knew her well enough to know that she loved him. He just wasn't sure she knew herself well enough to admit it. Knowing Bones, Booth understood that she was going to need time to fully come to terms with her feelings. If he came on too strong, she would close herself off again. He couldn't do that, not to her and not to himself. He needed her and she needed him; they were a part of each other now. So he would take it slow, gradually inching closer to that line until together they would plunge off the edge.

Things had been going really great for them lately. It had been a rough couple of months for Bones, what with her father being released from prison, Booth getting shot, and Zack's betrayal. Booth assumed that she would close herself off, like she did during the two weeks he was dead, but surprisingly, she never wanted to leave Booth's side. She was like a lost two year old- she didn't want to be left alone, she didn't want to go to the lab, and she was always trying to get Booth to talk to her about anything but work. Booth figured it was because work reminded Bones of Zack; thus, by staying constantly by him, she never had time to think about anything else. Booth understood this, so he tried as hard as possible to keep her thoughts occupied. They were together every night for a month and oftentimes spent the night at each other's apartments just so they could be comforted by each other's presence. By the time Zack's replacement had been working at The Jeffersonian for two months, Bones was almost completely back to normal and Booth felt like they were closer than they had ever been, and because of that, they were considerably happy.

That was until two weeks ago. Lately Bones had been depressed. To some people, her mood would hardly be perceivable; but Booth knew her better than most, and there was definitely something eating her away under the surface. Concerned that she may once again be upset about Zack's absence, Booth tried to talk to her. But when he tried to get her to open up, she simply assured him that nothing serious was wrong with her and that she would back to being a pain in his ass soon. He laughed unconvincingly at her joke, hoping that she would escape her funk soon, but thankful that she was not shutting him out completely. Booth was glad to find that Bones was right, she was surely back to her irritable self today, but he was in far too good of a mood to be phased by it. After all, they were on their way to one of Booth's favorite places and he couldn't wait for Bones to see it.

What's wrong with Bones? Where is Booth taking her? Review and you will find out ;)