daisesndaffidols wanted a sequel to chapter 1.

Thanks for the wonderful reviews. I really appreciated them.

This chapter is a little longer than is normal for me. You might want to grab a Kleenex. It may seem angsty; but, there is a happy ending.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

Brennan and Christine had been back for three days. The Jeffersonian team had done a heroic job and finally cleared Brennan of the murder charge. They had found definitive proof that the evidence showing Brennan was a murderer had been manipulated and that Brennan had been set up. The FBI had turned its attention to Christopher Pelant in the murder of Ethan Sawyer, of Inger Johanssen and of Ezra Krane. It had taken several days for Brennan and Max to confirm that the arrest warrant had been vacated and that the breaking news stories on CNN and FOX weren't a trap to get Brennan to come back prematurely.

Before Brennan had returned home, she had worried about her relationship with Booth. She had expected Booth to be angry with her and she had been afraid that he may have grown to hate her for taking his daughter away from him. What she had found was a confused Booth. He had greeted her with open arms. His kisses had been urgent and tender. His tears had been real and his insistence that he understood why she did what she did seemed honest.

Brennan had been surprised and grateful for the home coming she had received and yet she knew that something was wrong. Something was wrong with their relationship and she wasn't sure how to fix it. Though Booth was kind to her and loving towards her and their daughter he was also reserved in how he talked to her, how he responded to her.

The first night that she had been back he had just wanted to hold her and that was how they fell asleep together. Brennan had felt relief that he had still wanted her in his bed and she realized that he was exhausted and this was probably the first peaceful sleep he'd had in weeks.

The next night, he had gone to bed before she did and was asleep when she had finally gone to bed. Afraid to awaken him, she had lain on her side facing him and watched him sleep, finally closing her eyes and allowing herself to sleep.

The third night, he had gone to bed early again and as happened the previous evening, Brennan found herself looking at a sleeping Booth. Worried, Brennan had lain on her side of the bed until her anxiety pushed her from her bed. Walking across the room, Brennan had quietly rummaged through her jewelry box, found what she was looking for and had then left the room, walking down the hallway and then down the stairs. Walking over to the couch, Brennan had lain on the couch and held her wrist up to her face crying.

Booth, had awakened when he had felt Brennan get into bed and then shortly after get out of bed. He had heard her rummaging in her jewelry box and then heard her leave the room. Sighing, Booth had opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He was confused about his feelings towards Brennan and was afraid to tell them to her. He didn't want to hurt her and yet his anger about her abandoning him was all too real for him. He loved her and yet he was so angry that she had not trusted him enough, loved him enough to take him with her. Deep down he understood the logic behind her actions; but, he was a man of emotion not logic and he found it hard to forgive the hurt she had done to him.

Realizing that the most serious problem they had was their inability to communicate with each other forced Booth to roll out of bed and in search of Brennan. Walking down the hallway, Booth first looked in Christine's bedroom and saw that his beautiful baby daughter was sleeping. Smiling, Booth walked in and looked at his baby and felt sad that she had grown so much while she had been gone. It hurt him that he had missed some of her firsts. He would never get that back. He had missed so many firsts with Parker and he had thought that somehow things would be different with Christine.

Rubbing his hands across his eyes, Booth sighed, turned around and left his sleeping daughter's room. Walking down the hallway, Booth had then slowly walked down the stairs. Hearing Brennan crying, Booth stopped at the foot of the stairs and sat down on the lower steps. Resting his head in his hands, Booth listened to Brennan cry. Uncertain what he was supposed to do, Booth sat and waited. After awhile, Booth realized that Brennan was still weeping and she seemed to be gasping for breath.

Standing up, Booth walked over to the couch, kneeled down beside the couch and put his right hand on Brennan's back. Rubbing slow circles on her back, Booth said, "What's wrong, Bones?"

Taking a deep breath, Brennan moved her hands to her eyes and wiped her tears away. Slowly sitting up, Brennan looked at Booth's concerned face and said, "I'm afraid that you don't love me anymore."

Sitting back onto his heels, Booth said, "I've loved you since the day I met you, Bones. I still love you and that will never change."

Shaking her head, Brennan said, "I don't understand then. You welcomed me when I first came home; but, now, you won't touch me. I told you why I did what I did and you said you understood; but, you won't touch me and I don't understand why."

Putting his hand on her knee, Booth said, "I don't know what you mean, I touch you. I kiss you every morning before I go to work. I kiss you when I see you in the evening. "

Frowning, Brennan said, "Booth, you know what I mean." Putting her left hand on Booth's hand, Brennan said, "You won't make love to me. Are you really that angry with me? You said you understood; but, I don't think you do."

Puzzled, Booth looked at the watch on Brennan's left wrist. Bending down, Booth picked up her left hand and held it up closer to his face. In the half light coming from the night light near the couch, Booth said, "Where did you get this watch?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan said, "I've had this watch for a long time. I keep it in my jewelry box."

Shaking his head, Booth put his hands on the watch and said, "That's the watch you lost after Pam Noonan shot me. " Looking up, Booth said, "You said you lost it."

Swallowing, Brennan said, "I couldn't give it back to you. You told me to keep it safe and I had to do that. I had to keep it safe. I couldn't keep you safe; but, I knew no matter what happened I could keep your watch safe."

Opening his mouth and then closing it, Booth looked in confusion at Brennan's face. Finally, Booth moved his hands to Brennan's hands and held them. Looking intently at her, Booth said, "I'm really trying to understand you, Bones. I really am; but, I don't. Tell me what you mean."

Nodding her head, Brennan looked down at the watch and said, "Before you were operated on, you told the EMTs that you wanted me to have your personal effects. You wanted me to keep them until you were able to leave the hospital. Agent Pierce gave them to me to keep safe for you and then later he told me you'd died. All I had left was your watch and the other things that had been in your pockets. You left me without saying good-bye and all I had left were the things you wanted me to look after. I couldn't keep you safe; but, I could protect your things. Then I found out you were alive. I didn't need your things because I had you back in my life. I didn't need to keep your watch and other things safe. You could do that.

When it came time to give you your personal effects back, I couldn't give them all back. I knew that I needed to keep something of yours and keep it safe. You had given me your personal effects to keep safe and I did. You trusted me. It was the first time I had proof that you actually trusted me. I was your best friend; but, you had never asked me to take care of anything that belonged to you. You were always taking care of me; but, you never let me take care of you. Your watch represented your trust in me. For the first time in my life, someone trusted me and I didn't want to lose that trust. I kept your watch to keep it safe. You trusted me to keep it safe and I did."

Listening to Brennan ramble, Booth was more confused than ever. Shaking his head, Booth said, "Of course, I trust you, Bones. I've always trusted you. Hell, you've saved my life more than once. How could I not trust you?"

Looking away, Booth said quietly, "It's you who don't trust me Bones. I don't know why and I'm really trying to understand; but, for some reason you don't trust me. I know we had some serious problems between us for a while; but, I thought we got past that. I thought we understood that the past was a mistake and that we love each other enough to overcome those past mistakes."

Sighing, Booth moved his right hand over his eyes and said, "I thought you loved me Bones; but, you left without me. I'm sorry that you can't trust me; but, I don't know how to make you do it. I've really tried to make a life for us; but, I haven't been doing something right. I'm sorry, Bones. I really tried. I don't know what to do to"

Throwing her arms around Booth, Brennan started to cry again. Through her tears, Brennan said, "I do love you. I do trust you. I will always love you and I will always trust you. I left you here to protect you. I know that you love the law. You love the FBI. I could never take that from you. I was afraid that if you came with me you'd grow to hate me. I was afraid you'd leave me. I couldn't live without you Booth. I left you here to protect you. Not because I don't trust you."

Wrapping his arms around Brennan, Booth started to cry. "I'm sorry Bones. I'm sorry. I thought you really didn't love me anymore. I thought maybe you'd thought it over and that I just wasn't what you wanted in life. I know you love your job and I was afraid that you felt that I was keeping you from doing what you love best."

Sobbing, Brennan said, "I love you Booth. I love you best."

Holding each other, slowly the tears stopped and relief set in. Booth, rubbing Brennan's back, whispered into her ear, "You know what our problem is Bones?"

Shaking her head, Brennan asked, "What?"

Smiling, Booth moved back to look into Brennan's face and said, "We don't really talk to each other. We assume too much. We have to stop doing that."

Nodding her head, Brennan said, "Yes, you're right. We have always been reticent with each other and we have to stop that."

Sighing, Booth hugged Brennan again and asked, "Are you going to give me my watch back?"

Shaking her head, Brennan said, "Of course not. You gave it to me to keep it safe."

Laughing, Booth said, "Yeah, I don't really think I meant for you to keep it permanently."

Pulling away, Brennan looked into Booth's eyes and said, "When you retire. I'll let you have it back and not a minute sooner."

Shaking his head, Booth said, "Fine. You keep it safe for me. The day I retire I want it back though."

Smiling, Brennan said, "It's a promise."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

What do you think? It's a long chapter (for me); but, I really wanted them to clear the air.

Up next: Booth save me.