This chapter's a bit shorter than the last one, theoretically I could've made it longer but I sort of like where it ends. The next chapter will probably be the last for this story (and it will be significantly fluffier than the first two), hopefully I'll be able to update this weekend. I apologize in advance if I can't, I have 3 papers and a project due next week, but I'm going to try! The fact that people are actually reading this and signing up for story alerts makes me beyond excited, I (internally) do a happy dance every time I get a new e-mail that someone's signed up for alerts. I hope everyone likes this chapter! Comments are always welcome =)

After receiving multiple rounds of hugs from the squint squad, Booth returned to his apartment. As Angela had instructed, he waited for his partner to decide to come talk to him. He paced his apartment for a while and eventually ended up in front of the TV, though he wasn't actually paying attention.

Temperance Brennan fought rush hour traffic as she drove to Booth's place. She would have left earlier but it had taken all afternoon to regain her composure after the funeral. She had driven straight to her apartment after hitting Booth and as soon as she had walked through the door, she had collapsed to the ground in a sobbing heap. She wasn't completely sure why. Booth was alive. She should have been relieved, happy. Instead, she felt as hurt as she had when he was "dead" it was just a different kind of hurt. Instead of hopeless and empty, she felt angry and betrayed. She had spent two weeks mourning that man and he had been alive the entire time. And he hadn't told her. Now she was on her way to his apartment to demand answers. She strengthened her resolve as she got closer, she was angry and she used that anger to bury her hurt. The hurt she would deal with later when she was alone again.

She stomped up to his apartment and pounded on the door. When he answered the door she pushed past him. She began her inquisition without preamble, "Why didn't you tell me?"

He looked at her closely, her eyes were rimmed in red and despite her attempt to hide it by wearing extra make-up, it was obvious that she'd been crying, "You were on the list that I gave to the FBI, Sweets was supposed to notify everyone on it." He stepped towards her with his arms outstretched, wanting to apologize, but she backed away from him.

"That's not what I asked. I want to know why you, my partner, did not tell me that you were still alive. Why didn't you make sure I knew?" She worked at keeping her voice under control but her voice kept creeping towards hysterical.

"I didn't think to, Bones. I trusted the FBI to inform everyone on my list." His voice was apologetic, but he was becoming slightly annoyed despite Angela's warning that this would happen.

"You didn't think to?" She yelled before taking a deep shaking breath, "You let me think that you were dead for two weeks because you didn't think to check that I knew?" She could feel the ache of betrayal sitting heavy in her stomach and she fought hard to maintain her crumbling composure, she realized that she was being slightly unreasonable but she didn't care.

"What should I have done, sent you a printed notification that I was alive? I was stuck at an FBI safe house with no access to the outside world except for a crummy TV that only got six channels and a couple visits per day from other agents bringing me food."

"Well excuse me, I had no idea you were put through such suffering," she said scathingly.

Now, thoroughly irritated, he spat out, "I don't even know why you're so angry at me. You don't seem particularly happy that I'm alive. I'm sure that you just 'compartmentalized' and continued on with your life." He instantly regretted his words as he remembered what Angela had told him. He watched the rage drain out of Brennan's face, leaving her staring at him her eyes huge in her pale face.

"Do you really think I'm that unfeeling?" Now that her anger was gone, her voice was barely an anguished whisper.

He sighed, "Of course not, I'm sorry Bones I didn't mean to say that." He tried to approach her again but she took another step back, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I just... I thought that we were friends Booth," she was trying desperately hard not to cry.

As Booth watched his partner hold back tears, he saw not just the strong woman he knew, but also the remnants of the fragile young girl who had been abandoned by everyone she had ever cared about. And despite all of his promises to the contrary, he had unwittingly become one of them, "Bones... Temperance, I didn't mean to cause you any pain, I swear. I would never abandon you on purpose, okay?" He moved towards her one more time and wrapped his arms around her trembling form, ignoring the fact that she shied away from his touch, "I am so sorry that you had to go through this."

As soon as his arms were around her she lost what little composure she had left and leaned into him, beginning to sob, "I thought you were gone Booth. I missed you so much that it scared me. It felt like there was a hole in my stomach and it wouldn't go away." She pressed her face into his chest and he could feel her hot tears sinking into his t-shirt.

His heart broke for her and he tried to imagine how he would have felt if their situations had been reversed, the thought made him clutch her even tighter. He realized that she seemed thinner than she had a couple weeks earlier, that she probably hadn't been eating enough, because of him. He couldn't think of anything else to say, so he continued a whispered litany of, "I'm sorry Bones, I'm so, so sorry."

They stood like that for a long time until she finally took a step back, still sniffling. Her face and eyes were red and puffy from crying, "I'm sorry Booth, I shouldn't be bothering you, I'm sure you have a lot of work to be catching up on at the Bureau." She wiped at her eyes, and he could practically see her putting her emotional walls back up.

"It's fine, Bones. I'm glad that you decided to talk to me," he said, resigned. He had really hoped that she was having some sort of emotional break-through.

"Booth?" Her voice was soft, and she almost sounded nervous.

"Yeah?" He responded curiously.

"I think..." she trailed off, she really wanted to tell him how she felt but she was suddenly afraid to; she was so bad with emotions, "I think that I might be in love with you."

I hope that everyone reading this loves cliff-hanger endings as much as I do!