A club called "the lab". Temperance Booth. A murder. A marriage. A pregnancy. A romantic attraction in the real world…

"Doctor Sweets? May I come in?"

Doctor Lance Sweets jerked out of his reverie and looked up from his desk to see a tall, graying man with a squashed nose standing in his doorway.

"Doctor Wyatt!" He stood up hastily. "Come in! Sit down- how can I help you?"

"Well, Sweets- may I call you Sweets? Yes, well, I got a call from an extremely agitated Agent Booth the other night. I'd like to speak with you about that."

Sweets fidgeted. This had to be about Agent Booth and Doctor Brennan, and Booth's comatose dream. He motioned for Dr. Wyatt to sit down, then took a seat himself. He looked slightly nervous.

"There's no need to become upset, Sweets. I am not here to reprimand you- merely to speak to you- colleague to colleague if you will." He cocked and eyebrow, waiting for Sweets to respond. Sweets nodded. "Now, Agent Booth told me something that I happen to have known for quite some time now. What do you think that might be?"

"That he had brain surgery?"

"Well, that I didn't know, but he told me something I do."

"What?"

"That he is in love with Doctor Brennan."

Sweets paused. "I see. Doctor Wyatt," He held out three scans. "These are scans of Agent Booth's brain before, during, and after his coma. As you can see, before the coma, Agent Booth had very little romantic activity- during, however, there was tons, and after- the same." He watched Gordon Wyatt examine the scans closely. "I think you'll agree with me, Doctor Wyatt, that Agent Booth's affection for Doctor Brennan will wear off like the other effects of his coma. The romance came merely from his comatose brain processing the story Doctor Brennan was reading to him."

"Ah." Doctor Wyatt handed him back the scans. "Tell me, Sweets. Did this coma affect Agent Booth's heart?"

"Wha- no. I… Doctor Wyatt, you and I both know that we do not feel affection or desire from our literal hearts."

"Undoubtedly. But, it is only when we come to terms with our feelings that the brain truly processes it. Agent Booth was in denial that he loved his partner before the coma. Afterwards, however…" He smiled lightly at Sweet's expression of disbelief. "And Doctor Brennan needed no coma to introduce these feelings as a reality."

Sweets was extremely confused. "But this could all be a side effect. If Booth gets Doctor Brennan to open up and then realizes that he doesn't really love her… Doctor Brennan will never love again."

"Yes. Yes, but the point is that Agent Booth does love her. He loves her very much, in fact. His love is real. He just isn't willing to take a chance."

………………………………………………………………………………...

"Booth."

Special Agent Seeley Booth was tired. A long case, a long day, a horrible declaration of love gone wrong. He could use a beer and a good nap.

"Booth? Its me."

Tempie. No. Bones! Bones. His heart performed the usual leap into overdrive as he heard her voice. So familiar… "Yeah, Bones? What's up?"
It was harder than it should have been to keep his voice level.

"I'm going home early today- Russ's girlfriend wants to meet me for lunch."

"Oh. Do you need me to pick you up?"

"No, I can manage."

"Are you sure? Its no problem." Dummy. Too willing. Take it down a notch, Seeley. "I mean, if you need one."

"Okay, if you're sure."

His stomach leaped happily. "Ok, Bones. I'll be there in a minute."
No sooner had he hung up than his phone rang again. She must have forgotten to ask him something.

"Bones?"

"Agent Booth! How wonderful that you picked up on the first ring. Your phone had been busy for a while now."

"Gordon Gordon! Thank you for getting back to me."

"I spoke with Doctor Sweets about your problem, Agent Booth. How would you like to meet me at that diner you like in a few minutes?"

"I have to give Bones a ride first, but after that, sure."

"Excellent. I will see you then." Gordon Wyatt closed his cell phone with a snap and pondered Agent Booth's behavior. Rather than being embarrassed or self-conscious about his feelings for Doctor Brennan, he was letting those that could help him know, so that he was sure of how he felt before confronting her. He truly cared about the woman. That kind of love didn't stem from a comatose dream.

Booth pulled up outside the Jeffersonian. His stomach clenched in anticipation as he rounded a corner to where he knew she would be waiting. What was he, a high school freshman with a crush? He knew better than to be affected like this. But as he saw her he felt as if he had been in pain and she was the respite; just the sight of her filled him with such happiness that everything else in the world seemed trivial. He wanted to scoop her into his arms and hold her so closely they would meld together… "Hi Bones." How anti-climactic. After all the waiting… He walked up to her and gave her a quick hug- breathing in the warm goodness of her, reveling in the feel of her hair brushing against his cheek- the smallest of touches seemed intimate and filled with hidden meaning. He pulled back and opened the car door for her.

"Thanks Booth. You didn't have to do this."

"Yes I did." His eyes sought hers- chocolate brown searching for icy grey, and he felt a swooping sensation somewhere in his chest, like when you went down the first hill of a roller coaster. The ride passed in silence. She seemed to fill the entire car with her essence, her scent, her being… oh how he longed to reach out and- "This is it, Booth."

"Oh." It was over too soon. He pulled over and let her out, handing her the bags she had set down. His fingers brushed hers and he let them linger there for as long as she would allow.

"Bye! I'll call you tomorrow."

"See you, Bones. Have a good day."

"You too."

He didn't pull away immediately, but watched her go. He sighed and shook his head to clear his thoughts and drove to the diner to talk to Gordon Gordon Wyatt.

………………………………………………………………………………...

"Agent Booth, there are a few things about which I would like to speak."

"Shoot."

"Well, the first is Doctor Brennan. You, as you have previously expressed, are infatuated with her and you believe these feelings to be the byproduct of your mind processing her book during your coma."

"Right."

"I disagree. I believe that it was only in your coma that you realized these feelings to be true."

"But Sweets said-"

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, as I'm sure you would have taken the excuse to not tell her the depth of your feelings, but Doctor Sweets is mistaken. Matters of the heart cannot be analyzed or laid up on charts."

"I would tell her! I'm just worried about hurting her!"

"Yes indeed. I am sure you would. Special Agent Seeley Booth is not a coward."

"Damn right he isn't."

"So. Tell me, what is it that attracts you to her?"

"What?"

"Let me rephrase that- tell me what attracts you to her in the real world, then tell me what attracted you to her in your dream world."

"Well…" He fidgeted. He knew he was blushing. "Well... She understands me better than anyone else." His eyes dared the physiatrist to laugh at him. Gordon Wyatt did no such thing. His expression was deadly serious as he looked at Booth.

"Go on."

"And um… we work together really well, and-" Suddenly he seemed to gain confidence. "And she's sweet, and funny, and she doesn't understand what I'm talking about half the time, and she's beautiful and caring and smart-"

"I see."

"And I love her."

Gordon Wyatt smiled. "Now what attracted you to her in your dream?"

Booth's face became glazed. "All the same things…. And she loved me."

"So the only other thing was that she loved you back?"

"Well that and other stuff." He trailed off.

"Other stuff?"

Booth mumbled something unintelligible. Gordon Wyatt caught the word 'bed'. "I see." He repeated.

"Now, if there is only one thing about your affection for Temperance Brennan that changed from the real world and your fantasy- then isn't the logical conclusion that you care more for her in the real world than you did in your fantasy and that this love is real?"

"Yes." He beamed. "Yes."

"Well then, why haven't you told her? You're an intelligent man; I'm sure you've figured out that your feelings are real."

"Because- because I'm afraid of how she'll react."

Gordon's eyes softened. "If she wrote that story, and she understands you better than anyone else, and she laughs with you and is the best partner you could ask for- then isn't it normal for her to love you back?"

"I guess."

"Then dear man, go to her! Confess your feelings! What is holding you back?"

"I-I'll do it."

"Wonderful. I shall see you again soon, I presume." He winked.

………………………………………………………………………………

"Bones?"

She was bending over the remains of an ancient Japanese victim from 1203 or sometime around then. He really wasn't paying attention to the bones. He was paying attention to her. The little furrow she got over her brow when she was thinking hard… the way she snapped at the edge of her rubber gloves when she was frustrated… the way her eyes were staring at him right now, waiting for him to answer her question he hadn't heard.

"I said, what time do you want me to meet you?"

"Oh!" He rubbed the back of his neck. "How about eight?"

"Sure." She didn't say anything else, just returned her gaze to the crumbling bones on her examination table. He knew she was wondering why he had asked her to have dinner with him- she probably thought he had a case. What would she think when he told her? Would she say she didn't love him back? Would she ignore him? Would she be disgusted? Delighted? Offended? Scared? What if it ruined their partnership and he wouldn't even get to see her at work? His mind was in hyper speed, his thoughts whirling until his head hurt.

"Booth?"

She was talking to him again. "Yeah?"

"Why- why are you still here? Is there something else?"

He had been standing there, worrying, gazing at the back of her head. He flushed and shook his head. "No, sorry. Just thinking. See you tonight."

"Bye."

She had been distant ever since the talk with Avalon; had Avalon said something? Booth's heart seemed to be in his throat. If she had, then Bones knew he loved her and she was choosing to ignore the fact- no, Bones would never do something like that. As Booth left the lab platform, he knew that there was no one he trusted more not to laugh or scorn him, and that he could tell Bones anything. But 'anything' could be awkward….

………………………………………………………………………………

Bones was looking through her closet. She wasn't planning on dressing up- after all, they were only going to the diner down the street, but she liked to change after a day in the lab- she always felt unclean after working with remains. She decided on black pants and one of her favorite patterned v-necks, and one of her usual clunky necklaces. She drove down to the diner a little early, expecting some time to herself, but Booth was already there, sitting at their table, smiling lightly. She sat down and smiled back at him.

"Hey."

"Hey." For a minute, neither of them said anything. Bones licked her lips. "So, what is this about?"

"Um..." He was- scared? Booth never got scared. This was the man that had protected her from attacks, bombs, and rampaging serial killers. This was a man who never showed fear. And yet, he was pale, fidgeting, and obviously uncomfortable.

"Booth?"

"Um- ever since I got out of my coma I've needed to tell you something." He sounded like a broken record- hadn't he just said this? But she settled back in her chair, listening intently.

Booth winced inwardly as he used the same words as he had before. Hadn't he just said that? He watched as Bones sank back into her chair, looking expectant. It was now or never. He might not have the guts to-

His phone rang.

Did his phone just really ring? Why? Why why why why why why why now? He grimaced at her and answered, a little more aggressively than was really necessary.

"Booth."
"Booth, this is Sweets. I thought we could have an extra session with you and Doctor-"

"Sweets, this is not the time."

"But-"

"This is really not the time, Sweets." His voice was deadly quiet. He heard Sweets suck in his breath and suppressed a smile. It was so easy.

"Ok I'll call back."

"Yeah. You'd better." He hung up, but the moment was ruined. He couldn't do it anymore. He couldn't bring himself to. It was impossible to make her look more confused. But he had to-

"Booth?"

His mouth was suddenly very dry. His chest seemed to be very tight. His heart was pumping, and he could feel the adrenaline pulsing through his veins, pounding in his head.

"I love you."