WOW. so it's been a really really long time since I worked on this one. But I'm gonna try to get back to it!

Since its been a while- I strongly suggest you go back and re read the previous chapters just for a refresher.

Oh and to clear up some questions about the previous chapter... I don't think Brennan was a slut in grad school. I think she was someone who was just very... In charge of her sexuality. We know from season two that she had an affair with her professor and then she also references a time when she had an affair with her doctorate advisor. I always thought this was really interesting and telling about her character- especially in relation to Booth. Clearly, Brennan had no problem with not being professional and sleeping with inappropriate people in her past- but Booth was different.

anyway...

In the time that followed Brennan's departure, if there was one thing that Booth could be grateful for, it was that no one in the lab seemed to hold it against him. He had braced himself for the expect blame and cold shoulders, but was surprised when it never developed. For the most part things continued as usual. Crimes were solved, but not as fast. Bodies were examine and picked over, but not with the usual battle of flesh vs. bone. Jokes and pop culture references were made, but no explanation was ever asked. Psychological perspectives offered, but with no rebuttal.

All the same and not at all.

One thing that had changed, is that Booth now avoids Angela on a fairly regular bases. Although its clear she doesn't hold Brennan's leaving against him, he can tell that she just waiting for an opportune moment to get him alone and hash out the whole situation, which is the last thing he wants to do. So rather than risk upsetting a woman in her third trimester, he makes a point to never give her the chance to get him alone.

For the most part he has been successful in this, until the morning after his former army buddy turned sniper assassin show up in his apartment threatening his life and his son's. His head is pounding as he goes to the lab and he's pretty sure he hasn't slept in over 36 hours. When he walks right into Angela's office that morning he's not on his usual game.

He finds her lounging on her couch with her cell phone to her ear; instantly he knows who she on the phone with, but its too late to turn around.

"Hey, Sweetie? I've got to go," she slowly makes her way up as best as her pregnancy will allow. "Booth's here. I'll talk to you later, okay? Miss you. Bye."

Trying not to give Angela an opening, Booth goes straight to the issue. "So what do you have for me?"

"Good morning to you too, Booth. You know that was..."

"Yeah. I know," he cuts her off immediately. "I'm her for what you got on the bullet Broadsky used."

He watches as Angela rolls her eyes an goes to her desk to grab a file of papers and hands it to him.

"What is this?"

"It's a smart bullet. You can program it to split before it actually hits the target."

"This is too advanced for Broadsky,"

"Yeah, most likely he had it made by a private dealer."

Booth closes the folder and notices that this is his cue to exit. Maybe he will make it out of this, "Thanks, Ange."

"Booth, wait."

He turns back around to she her giving him a look that challenges him to ignore her, "Ange, I..."

"She misses you."

Booth can feel his chest tense instantly, "She said that?"

"No." Angela huffs and sits back down on her couch, "She never talks about you... which is exactly how I know."

"Angela..."

"She's miserable out there. She's all alone."

"Ange," he was doing his best to be gentle but his patience was running thin. "She made a choice. She wants to move on and you need to respect that."

"I just... I think that you should call her."

"And say what? I'm sorry your miserable. I'm sorry it's my fault. But hey-I'm miserable too now. We're even."

Angela could only shake her head. "It doesn't have to be this way."

For a moment Booth considered standing there and arguing with her all the reason why it did, but then thought better of it. "Thanks for the info, Ange. I'll see if I can find the manufacturer."

Booth spent much of the next hours at his office; doing his best to shake the conversation from the morning. It wasn't successful. He kept picturing Brennan in Chicago. Tucked away in her apartment every night and eating alone. He wondered if her walls were going back up, or maybe they already had. For six years he had worked to bring them down, and now they were probably back up in a matter of days.

Flashback...

Cups were smashed, promises of loyalty had been made and liquor was poured. The clock was now closing in at half past eight, and while it wasn't a late hour for drinking, it was certainly well after hours in the Hoover.

Booth picked up the bottle again and for the first time noticed its light weight, "I think we're out, Bones."

She leaned forward and eyed the bottle carefully, "We are most definitely out. Unless you have another in your um... your um..." She gestured back to his desk unable to find the word in her alcohol induced haze.

"Nope, sorry this was it."

"Probably for the best..." She sucked in a deep breath. "I'm going to be sick tomorrow."

Booth couldn't help but laugh a little; she was certainly going to be sick tomorrow, "What happen to Dr. 'I can hold my liquor' Brennan? Didn't you once tell me drank pot booze?"

"Fermented Cannaibis," she corrected. "I drank that in India when I was a grad student."

"Yeah, that's right."

Her eyes narrowed at him, "When did I tell you that?"

Booth's eyes went wide for a moment. They had never spoken about that night since their partnership had begun and wasn't sure if now was the right time to be recalling it. Especially, if she didn't remember. "It was, you know... That night."

"What night?"

"You know... that night..." Her eyes only squinted at him in more confusion and he could feel his heart racing. How could she have forgotten? That night had remained permanently clear in his mind since the time it happened- sometimes it practically haunted him. "It was the night, you know. Our first case when we almost..."

"Had sex?"

"Yeah. You remember?"

"I remember propositioning you for sex... I don't remember telling you that I drank pot booze," she said casually. "I remember we were drinking- very much like we are now- and you fired me. Then I told you we should have sex."

"Right," Every time she said 'sex', Booth could feel his collar tighten a little more around his neck.

"We didn't, though."

"You didn't want to," he pointed out.

"No."

"No?"

"No. You were a very attractive man Booth-"

"Wait. Were?"

"In great physical condition. Clearly, not lacking testosterone. With the responsibilities of the case we were working on removed- I very much wanted to sleep with you."

"Oh."

"I just..." Suddenly the inappropriateness had caught up to Brennan,and she remembered why this had been a restricted topic. "It was probably for the best that we didn't..."

"Yeah. You're right."

"I'm... I'm sorry if you felt that I rejected you, Booth."

"Hey," He flashed her smile that hid reluctance. "You and I... We got a good thing going here."

"We do. We really do," she felt the urge to reach for his hand but resisted. "I won't betray you either, Booth."

So if you think I should continue this ancient story... Review and let me know!

Since I have to keep b&b separate for now (I know it's generally disliked when these two are kept apart) I've decided to keep including flashbacks to previous episodes. I think this helps keel down the angst too. So let me know if there's a one shot you want to see that an episode cut short!