Disclaimer: Yet again I own nothing except my laptop, my mp3 player, my ideas and my crazy little poodle who thinks he's part human. If I owned Bones Booth would never wear a shirt. If I owned the song I would be rich.

Chapter 3 – An Realization

Inside the apartment, Brennan moved to the coffee table to see what Booth had left for her. It was a Sheryl Crow CD and there was a note attached. 'Temperance, listen to the track Strong Enough and you'll know what I meant earlier. Booth.'

She went to the CD player, got everything set and listened. The song was really good, she had always liked songs that said something, ones that had a point. It was obvious what Booth was trying to tell her, that he was strong enough to handle anything she sent his way, but was he?

As the song finished, she went back to the CD player and restarted the song. This time she set in on a continuous loop and turned the volume up. She settled back on the couch nursing her beer.

GOD, I FEEL LIKE HELL TONIGHT
TEARS OF RAGE I CANNOT FIGHT
I'D BE THE LAST TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND
ARE YOU STRONG ENOUGH TO BE MY MAN?

Yeah, she definitely felt like hell tonight. She had so many emotions going thru her. Rage was one, rage at her family for leaving her, again. Rage at her father for talking to Russ and not her. Rage at Russ, he knew how badly she had been affected by her family's previous desertion and for him to do it again was almost unbearable. Rage at herself for letting her father get away. The one person though that she wasn't mad at was Booth. She had been so torn when Booth had pulled the gun on her father, but she couldn't let Booth be the one to arrest or shoot him. He would have felt too much guilt. She would have been mad at him then for arresting her father. It would have come between them, she just couldn't let him be the one. It didn't make any sense to her, so how could she explain it to him. Is he strong enough?

bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb

Out in the hall, Booth could hear the song playing over and over. He smiled to himself…this just might work.

bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb—bb

NOTHING'S TRUE AND NOTHING'S RIGHT
SO LET ME BE ALONE TONIGHT
CAUSE YOU CAN'T CHANGE THE WAY I AM
ARE YOU STRONG ENOUGH TO BE MY MAN?

Booth always seemed to know just what she needed. If she needed alone time he gave it to her. When she needed company he was there. He seemed to know what she needed even when she denied it. No, Booth couldn't change the way she was, but then again, he had never tried. He might have tried to get her to improve certain aspects of how she dealt with situations, however, he had never tried to change who she was. Booth was happy with her the way she was, even though she drove him nuts some times. But was he strong enough to be her MAN? Not just her partner, but her family.

I HAVE A FACE I CANNOT SHOW
I MAKE THE RULES UP AS I GO
IT'S TRY AND LOVE ME IF YOU CAN
ARE YOU STRONG ENOUGH TO BE MY MAN?

Booth really knew her. He knew the little things: how she liked her coffee, what her favorite color was, what kind of donuts she liked. But Booth also knew the big things, the things that scared her, the things that made her sad and happy. Angela was her best girlfriend. Booth was just her best friend. There were so many things that he knew about her that no one else knew. It was a comforting thing, because he still kept coming back. He never gave up on her. Maybe, he is strong enough.

WHEN I'VE SHOWN YOU THAT I JUST DON'T CARE
WHEN I'M THROWING PUNCHES IN THE AIR
WHEN I'M BROKEN DOWN AND I CAN'T STAND
WILL YOU BE STRONG ENOUGH TO BE MY MAN?

There were so many times that, due to lack of social skills, she had said something rude and unforgivable to Booth, yet he always returned. He put up with her anger. He put up with her stubbornness. He even busted himself out of the hospital when she was in danger. He held her when she was scared, even that time when he had broken rib. He always put her needs before his own. Maybe he is strong enough! This thought brought a smile to her face.

As the song finished yet again, who knows how many times it had played, she went over to the CD player and shut it off.

I PROMISE I'LL BELIEVE
LIE TO ME
BUT PLEASE DON'T LEAVE

Booth hadn't lied to her, he never had. He had told her that he loved her, he wanted to be her family. He told her that he would be there for her no matter what she decided.

He told her he was strong enough. Now all she had to do was decide if she believed!

She grabbed her keys and bag, heading for the door. She just needed to see his face, look into the chocolate brown eyes she loved. If she could just see his face she would know. Brennan had what she needed, she took a deep breath and opened the door to go find Booth.