A/N: Quick note, I mistyped in the first author's note. This story takes place in mid-2013, not 2012. Sorry about that.

And thanks for the reviews and story alerts...hopefully this lives up to expectations.

Chapter Two

Booth collapsed in a sweaty heap next to the heaving, just-as-sweaty body of his girlfriend, desperately trying to catch his breath. "Damn, Bones…" He sucked in air and tried again. "That was…"

Brennan nodded face-down into her pillow. Her muffled response in agreement drew a chuckle from Booth and he rolled to the side and kissed her naked shoulder. "You okay there, Bones? I kind of bent you like a pretzel there for a minute…"

Smiling widely, Brennan finally raised her head and nodded again. "I assure you, I am more…more than alright. Thank you."

"You're very welcome. We aim to please."

"And you always hit what you aim for."

Laughing happily, Booth pulled Brennan over and hitched her up so that she was sprawled across his chest. "You really are becoming quite amusing, Bones."

"I believe I've been telling you that for years, Booth." She grinned up at him, and then bent her head to kiss his chest affectionately. Booth sucked in a breath and pulled her closer, still completely charmed by her loving nature even after almost two years of sharing his bed and his life with her.

When they had finally decided to give up all pretenses and admit their still-intense feelings for one another, Booth assumed he would be the one who would have to guide her through the more intimate aspects of an exclusive, loving, committed relationship. But time and again, Brennan surprised him with her spontaneity and passion and dedication to making them work as a couple. Both in bed and out, Brennan was the fearless one, the one who lead by example, and Booth was right there beside her, in constant amazement of her. Even after all this time, there was still so much to learn about Temperance Brennan, and Booth was a willing and eager student.

"Hey, before I get sidetracked by your naked breasts all pressed up against me, one of us needs to be here this afternoon for the cable guy."

Brennan rolled her eyes. "You are more than welcome. I am not the one who is in agony over the loss of the sports tier. You can wait for them; I have a 16th century Samurai warrior to catalogue."

"A Samurai? Really, Bones? That's so cool!" Booth grinned like a kid at Christmas, excited in a way that surprised Brennan.

Brennan pulled herself up into a sitting position, quirking an eyebrow. "I admit, I am looking forward to this examination as well. It should shed some light into pre-industrial Japan, and it may even warrant a journal thesis."

"That's great, Bones. Sounds like you have a full day ahead of you, so why don't you take the shower first and I'll scrounge something up for breakfast." He jumped out of bed, giving Brennan a perfect view of his backside as he rooted around for the boxers he'd discarded the night before. He turned and hid his smirk at Brennan's glazed eyes, still trained on his half-naked body. "Bones?"

"Hmm?" She shook her head, forcibly pulling her attention back to Booth's words and not his body. "Oh. Yes, I'll take the first shower. And don't go to too much trouble with breakfast, there is some fruit salad in there I can eat."

Pointedly ignoring Brennan's ogling, Booth nodded and headed for the bedroom door. "It's a plan. Have a nice shower. Get all the good spots."

Brennan shook her head, amused, as she got out of bed and moved to the bathroom. It both embarrassed and excited her that seeing Seeley Booth naked every day never seemed to get old. She had known that he was well-structured long before they began sleeping together, but the reality was so much better than any fantasy she refused to admit she'd ever had about her partner. Turning on the water in the shower stall, she smiled to herself. Despite the fact that everything in her life seemed to be going better than she had ever anticipated, exploring a relationship with Booth had turned out to be, by far, the best decision she had ever made. And she was comforted by the fact that no matter what happened; Booth was there, with her, to stay. She knew with the same certainty that she knew the bones of the human body that he would always be there for her. And it was with that happy thought that she stepped into the shower and officially began her day.

B&B

Cameron McDonald glanced into her bathroom mirror as she twisted her long hair into a tight bun on the back of her head. Once each stray lock was firmly in place, she turned and grabbed the blouse behind her, pulling it over her shoulders and buttoning it quickly. She put the final touches on her uniform and checked her reflection one more time before heading into the small, cluttered living room of the one bedroom apartment she had called home for the last six years. After collecting her keys and knapsack, she took one more look around before exiting the apartment and locking the door behind her.

She took the rickety stairs quickly, already running late and chastising herself for staying up to watch the local news. So far, there had been no mention of the police finding Dale's body, but she knew that it was only a matter of time. In fact, she was counting on the authorities finding him much sooner. The only reason she could think of that might have prevented his discovery sooner was that she had hidden the car too well. Luckily, she knew that her timing was impeccable and in the end it didn't matter when they found Dale, only that they found him…and all of the messages that she had left with him.

Cameron turned on a local talk radio station, no longer interested in the news. As she steered her car into the nightmare that was Washington DC traffic, an enigmatic smile crossed her face. It might not be today, and it might not be tomorrow, but eventually Temperance Brennan was going to pay dearly for ruining her life.