Brennan woke up alone, but toasty warm thanks to Booth making sure the fire didn't go out all night. She glanced around and didn't see him and for a moment she was afraid he had left until she heard the scrapping sound coming from outside. She got up and went to the window to find Booth outside shoveling snow. As she watched him she thought about how different their lives could have been if only she would have not rejected him.

Can't change what is done, all she could do was move on and make the best of their friendship. She went into the kitchen, pulled out a cast iron skillet, some eggs and her 'fake bacon, as Booth called it. She then settled in front of the fireplace and poked the logs around until she had a stable surface to set the skillet on. She went and changed clothes as the bacon started to sizzle. She just pulled the eggs out when Booth walked through the door.

As soon as he opened the door the smell of food hit him. "Did the power …" he saw her sitting on her knees in front of the fire place "Guess not" he smiled as he watched her. "You cooked over a fire?"

"I am a woman of many talents Agent Booth."

"I knew that, but I didn't know you know about cooking over a campfire."

"Booth it isn't really that hard, I have seen it done on documentaries before, you just need to pay attention and make sure you don't let the pan get to hot."

He chuckled, "What was this documentary about? Cooking Western Style"

"If you must know it was about a tribe that, even though they didn't use cast iron, they would use large thick leaves to wrap up their Food and stick them in the coals for cooking. They also had pots that were able to withstand the fire for cooking other things in or heating water. Similar principals apply here, just more … modernized."

"You never cease to amaze me."

"I am pretty amazing."

"Yes you are."

"How long have you been up?"

"Couple of hours, we got quite a bit of snow last night and I was listening to the radio in the SUV and they are expecting more tonight. Looks like we will be here at least through tonight."

"I hope we get the power back."

"I sort of hope we don't, maybe we can talk more."

"Booth nerves are too raw for us to talk about this, at least right now. I would prefer not to try to enjoy this rather than argue or have one of us with hurt feelings."

"Bones we are going to have to figure out something soon, we are having a baby."

"No Booth, I am having a baby.

She could see the hurt in his eyes. "Bones this is my kid, I can't just walk away and I don't want to." As Booth looked at her the voice in his head tried to prompt him to say more. "Tell her you love her. Yeah, as if she is going to believe me after everything that has happened."

"Booth, I told you I would never keep you from your child. I just don't want you to feel obligated to me. I have already talked with Angela and timing should be such that she will be able to be my coach."

The look on Booth face would have been clear to anyone that saw it, accept for Brennan. He looked like someone had drove a stake through the heart. Last night she had told him she loved him and today she drove in that stake. "I don't feel obligated, this is my … our kid. It is my duty to be there…"

"See Booth you even call it duty. I don't want you to feel that way or you will end up resenting me and the child. I never wanted to trap you or make you feel like you had to do something because it is the right thing to do, you did that with Rebecca."

"I missed out on a lot because of the circumstances with Rebecca."

"I always wanted you to be part of this. I was afraid to ask, afraid you might feel it was a 'duty'." When she brought her eyes to his they were mixed with emotions happy, scared, elated, but mostly sad.

"Tell her you love her. I can't, not right now, it isn't the right time. She will run. When exactly will be the right time? I don't know, but I do know that now isn't it, she will bolt if I say it." "Bones, I want to be there, I don't want to miss anything. I don't know where you and I are going, but I want to be the best father I can to our baby. You believe that don't you."

She studied his face for a bit. Even thought Booth had taught her a lot she wasn't good at reading people. But she trusted him, she had always trusted him and he did come after her, even if he was prodded along by Angela. "Yes, I believe that."

Booth got up and stoked the fire and started to put back on his coat and gloves. "I am going to get some more shoveling down and see if I can get some snow off the roof."

"Aren't you going to eat?" He stopped and nodded, he helped her move the food to the table and they sat in silence and ate their breakfast.

"I really need to get some of that snow off the roof." Booth said as he got up from the table.

"Want some company?" He looked up at her face and her round eyes captured his and he couldn't have said no if he had wanted to, she looked adorable.

"Sure, just dress really warm."

"Booth I am a grown woman I know how to dress for the snow." He gave her a pointed stare that told her that he would be checking anyway.

Once outside Booth refused to allow her to shovel snow. In frustration she sat down on a pile of snow and then went around to the front yard and made a snow angel, once done with that she turned her sights on making a hole in the snow. Both worked in silence and lost in their own thoughts. Thoughts about what if things were different, what if she had not rejected him? What if they had not left DC all those months ago? What if he took her in his arms and kissed her? Booth shook his head at the thought of kissing her, if he kissed her it could break the icy wall of awkwardness between them or it could send her into the flight mode and he would have to be on watch to make sure she didn't try to walk away in the snow.

When he turned around she was sitting in the hole she made in the snow and her head was leaning back, she wasn't moving. Booth immediately became concerned and started moving towards her swiftly. "Bones? Bones are you okay?" Just as he got to her a snowball disintegrated square in his chest. He stopped, startled for a moment as his mind registered what had just occurred and just as it did another snowball hit its mark in the same place as the last one.

"Oh you are so going to get it." He reached down to scoop up some snow just as another one hit him in the shoulder. "Bones" She laughed and ran around behind her snow mound and started heaving snowballs one after the other at him. "What the hell, is that was you have been doing this whole time, making snowballs?" He ducked his head down and put up his arm to ward off any incoming snowballs and then he went over the top of the mound and grabbed her around the waist just as she took a snowball and smashed it on the back of his head.

He took her to the ground as gently has he could and he gained control of both of her hands at the wrists, the rest of her body was pinned to the ground by his. He looked down into her cold bitten face, her eyes just sparkly against her skin. The sight of her took his breath away. They both shook off the last of their laughter as they stared into each others eyes. Booth pushed up a bit when he realized how close his lips were to her and how much he wanted to kiss her.

Although he had her arms pinned close to her head, in her attempt to free herself she managed to pull her arm straight out to her sides causing Booth's arms to stretch out lower his lips dangerously close to hers. For him to move away from her now he would have to release one or both of her hands. "Take the chance, kiss him." Her heart was racing and her body was tingling under his weight. She lifted her head in one smooth quick motion and pushed her lips to his.

He froze the instant their lips touched, then almost as fast he couldn't get enough of her. He returned her kiss as he slowly brought his hands up to cradle her head. Without opening his eyes he slowly slid his lips back and forth across hers, she was intoxicating. The feel of her lips, her body under his, her breath on his face, her head in his hands. His body ached and trembled with his desire to have her. He let a low growl escape from his throat and forced himself away from her. His body screamed at him for being ripped away from her.

She was trying to catch her breath when he pulled away from her and she mistook what had just happened. "Oh." She scrambled to her feet. "I am so sorry Booth." I-I didn't mean … I … sorry." She bolted for the house.

"Bones no …" He reached for her and she sidestepped him. "Bones please." She closed the door to the house. "Dammit" He sat down in the snow his elbows on his knees and his head hung down. "You need to tell her. She kissed you; no one coerced her into doing that she did it because she wanted to. You need to tell her before she shuts down. You saw the look on her face; she thinks you didn't want it."

Booth walked into the house and without looking up he removed his boots, coat, and gloves. He did notice the electric was back on, there was a warm glow cast by the fire in the living room. It was a sharp contrast to the grayish gloom outside. "Bones where are you?"

"Thought since we had electric I would take a warm bath."

"Yeah" he rubbed his pant legs "Good idea, warm yourself up."

"I will hurry so you can."

"No, you go ahead, I am fine."

Booth walked over and stood by the fire, he had his arm up on the mantle and he had his head resting on his arm. He still loved her; he had figured that out, what he hadn't figured out was if he was ready to take the next step. He had to be sure he was ready, because if he messed it up this time, she would never give him another chance. She would never trust him again.

Being snowed in with her was proving to be challenging. He wanted her physically, there was absolutely no doubt, just the thought of making love to her made his pulse quicken, his breath catch in his throat, and his knees almost buckle. Physical love was the easy part; right now they were having problems with the harder stuff, like communication. Never in all their years had they not been able to talk, about anything. And right now it seemed anything that came out of their mouth was awkward.

"Booth" he had been so lost in thought he hadn't heard her come out of the bedroom.

"Yeah"

"I'm sorry"

"You don't have anything to be sorry about."

"I shouldn't have kissed you, I … well you seemed to like … I'm sorry" she turned and walked back in the bedroom, Booth right behind her.

"Bones, its not that I didn't like it, because I think it was pretty obvious it affected me."

"I noticed and I know that the reaction was in a purely physical way and I should have known that would happen especially after our talk the other night. I should never have … anyway would you excuse me I-I need to get dressed."

"Um Sure, I'll be …" he motioned to the other room. She nodded and closed the door as he backed out of it. He stood there staring at the door. "What the hell did she just say? This is what he was thinking about. They talked like bumbling fools anymore when they were around each other."

He pulled back on his boots and coat and headed outside, he needed to clear his head. He had no idea where he was going, but a walk would do him some good. He scribbled a note and left it on the kitchen counter and walked out the door. He took a deep breath of the cold air and headed out towards the road. He wanted to get a look at it anyway to see if he could gauge how long they might be snowed in or if he could get the SUV out and get them into town, maybe even home.

Booth returned 45 minutes later, he had decided if he needed to he could get out, however, they were not getting home. He had checked the weather off his cell and found that they was another front moving through that night a third the night after that. They had enough food for several days so there would be no need for them to risk trying to drive anywhere. Booth was almost to the house when Brennan came barreling off the porch and into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and she held onto him tightly. "Whoa Bones, What is going on?"

It was only when she spoke he could hear that she had been crying. "I had the news on the TV and they had an accident about a mile up the road from here and you were gone and I couldn't find my cell to call you."

"Whoa, Shhh, its okay I am right here." He pulled her tightly against him and rubbed his hands up and down her back.

"I know I am acting like a fool, but I can't help it. Angela said hormones would make me behave in ways that were unbecoming. I am assuming this is what she was talking about."

"It's okay, let's get you inside and get settled in for the night." He tucked her under his arm and kissed her forehead as they walked back up onto the porch. Once inside they headed for the kitchen and Booth stopped. "Wow you have been busy while I was out walking." His eyes were glancing over the cut up zucchini, carrots, celery, and onion. "What are you making?"

"Minestrone Soup with Tofu." Booth scrunched up his face at the mention of Tofu. "You need to give it a chance, it will take on the flavor of the soup and you won't be able to tell the difference."

"I am sure I can tell when I have tofu in my mouth." He pops his hands against his stomach, meat and potatoes, that is what built this body."

She rolled her eyes at him, "And you are getting to an age where you need to be more conscious of what you put in your body, you don't need all that fat, when you can get the your protein from plants. And you know Booth, soon your eating will catch up to your middle there." She pointed to his waist.

"Ouch, are you calling me fat?"

"No, I am just pointing out that as we get older, it is hard to maintain our muscle definition."

"Oh so now I am old?" He raised his eyebrows teasingly at her. She sighs heavily and pulls her lips into a tight line. He grins "I am just kidding. I will try your soup and I am sure I will like it even if it does have tofu in it."

As he watched her cook, he decided after dinner he was going to ask her about that kiss. So far they had actually made no headway on what was going on with them. When they tried one usually ran away, her. Tonight he could not let her run away and he had to keep any anger in check that he might have. She needed to be able to speak freely without worrying about his reaction to anything.