A/N: Hi guys! Thank you all so much for the reviews for last chapter. They've really increased and I appreciate it so much! =) I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. It does deal a little bit with their vacations but then moves on to their reunion and a short Sweets session. The next few chapters will really allow their therapy to take off and will bring in lots of interactions with all the characters. So stick around! =)

LOL for all of you who pointed out the capitulation/copulation mishap last chapter, Thank you! Talk about a Freudian slip. ;-)

Thank you to Hannah Taylor1 for reading this multiple times and all her encouragement. Make sure you read Problem Solving, The Booth and Brennan Way. Not a story you want to miss!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bones...

~B/B~

Thursday 3:13

Booth, wearing only his navy blue swim trunks, stretched his long body out in a lounge chair and rested his head on his arms, closing his eyes. It was late afternoon and the sun was beating down, spreading a powerful warmth over his bare skin. He ran a hand over his chest, vaguely wondering if he had put on suntan lotion before venturing out to the beach.

Several long moments passed and he was nearly asleep when a couple wandered by, arguing loudly. He listened as the woman berated the man beside her for daring to look at the group of attractive, bikini-clad women further down the beach. The man stuttered his apologies and excuses, making Booth cringe in sympathy for the poor guy.

In his head, Booth heard the running commentary he was sure his partner would be spouting if she was present.

I don't understand. It's perfectly natural for people to appreciate physical symmetry and beauty. Surely she cannot expect that he would never find another woman attractive.

See, Booth? This is why committed relationships don't work. He obviously has needs that she is not fulfilling.

The familiar cadence of her speech, imaginary as it was, made him smile, then sigh. He'd been on vacation for five days and he was getting tired of the constant battle going on in his head. He was supposed to be spending time away from Brennan and as stupid as he thought Sweets' idea about spending time apart was, he'd committed to it. So it was frustrating that he kept hearing her everywhere he went. It had become so bad at the restaurant he'd eaten lunch at, that he'd actually turned to the empty seat beside him to address her.

Reaching down, he picked his phone up off his towel and toyed with it.

He was just used to her being around, that's all. He was hearing her lectures and her questions in his head because somehow over the past four years the more frustrating things about her had become familiar and comfortable, welcome even. It was a perfectly reasonable situation.

He flipped his phone open.

Talking to her would probably fix his problem. Asking how she was doing, what she was doing would probably allow him to just… what was it she always said? Compartmentalize her. That was it. He would just talk to her and then compartmentalize her away for the rest of his vacation.

He started to press her speed dial number, then hesitated, cursing his compulsion to keep any and all rules.

He wasn't supposed to call her, but… a text. That wasn't so bad. He could text her. It wasn't really like talking to her. More like leaving her a message. Surely Sweets wouldn't have a problem with one little text. Maybe two.

That was probably fine.

~B/B~

Thursday 3:27

Brennan ran her fingers lightly over the remains before her, noting in the back of her occupied mind that her partner would disapprove of the way she had been spending her time over the past five days. She had assured him before she had left that she would actually take time off of work during their enforced time apart, but the moment she had arrived at the Phoenix airport she had been recognized and pulled into a case.

But she was enjoying the work, and, in her opinion, was balancing it quite well with relaxation. She'd taken a guided trip out in the desert just the day before and spent nearly every evening sitting beside the pool at her hotel and working on her book. There was a young couple who were often at the pool when she arrived and the man reminded her of Booth. He was strong and imposing, but playful as well. His wife seemed to be quite invested in him and their behaviors were fascinating to observe.

More than once she had wished Booth was there with her to discuss her observations and help her better understand them. She understood that desire, but it did puzzle her that she missed his presence while on her hike. It was the sort of thing he would have hated and she could imagine him complaining about the heat or about the pointlessness of finding the various specimens she had delighted in. She always found his complaining frustrating, and yet there had definitely been something lacking from the experience without him there.

Not that any of that mattered. It was useless to dwell on a scenario that was impossible and she'd simply decided to enjoy herself as much as possible and make copious notes to go over with Booth when she returned.

Refocusing on the bones she was studying, she threw herself in to the work. She was so intent, in fact, that she nearly didn't hear her phone give off the unfamiliar sound that indicated she had received a text message.

Puzzled, she pulled out her phone and found Booth's message staring back at her.

Hey Bones! Having fun? I'm getting insanely tan and having a great time relaxing. Miss you though. How weird is this?

She felt a strange feeling deep in the pit of her stomach, and a smile spread over her face as she re-read his words. She hadn't realized quite how much she missed him until she heard from him, and yet she felt the need to reprimand him for breaking the rules.

Biting her lip, she decided a return text was appropriate if its purpose was solely to remind him not to contact her. And if she included that she too missed their interactions, it would be excusable under the circumstances.

Booth, we are not supposed to communicate, remember? You shouldn't rebel against Sweet's rules after assuring him you wouldn't. I am enjoying my time here and I miss your companionship as well. I am not sure what your last question refers to. If it is important, please provide more information so that I can properly reply.

She sent the text and returned to her work, a slight smile still on her face. Mere seconds later, her phone indicated another text had come in.

That must have taken you forever to type. Use small words. Goes faster that way. You're such a stickler, Bones. You're right. I know. But I miss talking to you. No one talks like you. I'll behave. See you soon. Forget the last question. I'll explain later. Stay safe, ok?

The same fluttering sensation in her stomach returned and she made a note to ask him about the implications of that later. Grinning, she bit her lip and sent him one last return text.

I am being safe. Enjoy yourself and do not worry. I look forward to seeing you soon.

~B/B~

Saturday 6:56

Booth could see her crossing the Hoover building parking lot as he pulled his car into his usual spot and smiled at the familiarity of her gait, her hair blowing in the wind. He noted that her skin was as pale as ever and figured she had spent her entire vacation inside somewhere, most likely working. He would get on to her about it later, but right now he just wanted to see her again. This week apart stuff was for the dogs.

Turning off the car and throwing his door open, he called after her, "Bones! Hey, Bones, hold on!"

She turned at the sound of her voice and he watched as her smile lit her face. She took a step towards him, then hesitated and shook her head, surprising him by turning right back around and heading inside. If he hadn't been so busy catching up to her, he would have laughed at her rigid insistence on following Sweets' rules.

Quickening his pace, he moved behind her and slid his arms around her waist, tugging her to him as he spun her once around. "Bones, you're not running away from me, are you?"

She let out a surprised noise and squirmed in his arms until he set her down. "Booth!" She gasped as she turned around, her smile still firmly in place. "We are not supposed to see each other until we are back in Sweets's office. We agreed."

He shrugged. "Eh, so what, Bones? So we accidentally met up in the parking lot. Not our fault." Taking her hands he held out her arms and surveyed her. "You look thinner. Did you eat at all this week?"

"Of course." She insisted, pulling her hands back. "You know, I ate on a regular basis for years before I met you, Booth."

"Yeah, but you didn't have as much fun doing it." He grinned at her. "Geez, it's good to be back, Bones. I was starting to go crazy all by myself, beach or no beach."

"You do look quite tan." She stepped closer, her eyes sweeping lingeringly over his face. "It suits your coloring very well."

Chuckling, he chucked her under her upturned chin. "Thanks, Bones. You look hot too."

She rolled her eyes at him and he felt a surge of affection for her that had him pulling her in for a tight hug. She surprised him by not protesting in the slightest, instead burrowing into his chest and laying her head on his shoulder. Smiling, he pressed a kiss against her hair and released her, looking down into her face.

"I missed you, Bones." He confessed.

"I too was regretful of your absense, Booth. I have a great deal to discuss with you. Perhaps when our session is over we could have dinner?"

"Sure." He tucked her hand into the crook of her arm and started to guide her inside. "But let's go to the diner. If we go back to my place I'll be forced to acknowledge all the laundry I have to get done."

She frowned. "That's illogical, Booth. The laundry will remain, whether or not you acknowledge about it. It's better to address the problem instead of trying to ignore it."

He laughed and nudged her through the door he was holding open for her. "And there we go. That's what I missed, Bones."

~B/B~

Saturday 7:03

"So you two just happened to meet in the parking lot?" Sweets asked skeptically as the partners settled into the couch across from him.

"Yeah, Sweets, it's not like we had some underhanded plan or something." Booth scoffed, bumping Brennan to include her in the joke. "Besides, what's the big deal? We meet up here, we meet up there. What difference does it make?"

"Well now I can't observe your reunion." Sweets pouted slightly. "As your therapist I have to be there for those important moments so that I can take note of your interactions.

"There is no need to be concerned, Sweets. Nothing important took place." Brennan gave Booth a look as he rolled his eyes and let out a huff. "Booth and I greeted each other, expressed our mutual relief to have returned home, and Booth complimented my physical appearance." She shrugged. "Then we came straight here."

Sweets raised his eyebrows. "Complimented your physical appearance?"

"I was just kidding around." Booth said quickly, holding up a hand to stave off whatever comment Sweets was about to make. "Bones said my tan looked good and I told her she looked good too. That's all."

"You were kidding?" Brennan turned to her partner.

"What?" Booth looked flustered. "No… Bones, you look beautiful, of course. I didn't mean that. I just… you know, didn't want Sweets to get all weird about it." He lowered his voice. "Can we talk about this later?"

"At dinner?"

"Sure, Bones, at dinner."

"You're having dinner?" Sweets interjected. "Did you decide that in the parking lot too?"

"Yes." Brennan volunteered. "We did."

Sweets let out a frustrated breath. "Ok, guys, before we get to what I had planned for this first session, I think there's a something we need to have a rap session about."

Brennan frowned. "Is that strictly necessary? While I enjoy rap music and the culture associated with it, I don't believe I would skilled at participating in either. I admire the spontaneously rhythmic nature, however, and wouldn't mind listening." She looked over at Booth and frowned. "Though I must confess I do not see the connection between therapy and rap music."

Booth let out a loud laugh. "Bones, rap session is middle school speak for having a discussion. Sweets means he wants to talk to us about something."

"Oh." Brennan's brow furrowed. "That seems like an unnecessarily unclear phrasing of the suggestion, but I'm much more willing to participate now. Please continue, Sweets."

Shaking his head, Sweets leaned forward. "I don't get the feeling that you guys are really committed to this. You came to me for help, but so far all you've really done is complain about my methods. My time-tested methods, by the way. So before we go any further you need to wrap your minds around what we're doing here and really devote yourselves to working out this interpersonal issue you have."

"Are we committed, Bones?" Booth looked at his partner and waited patiently as she thought over his question.

"Do you still believe we have a problem?" She asked him after a moment.

He looked down at his hands and shrugged. "Do you?"

"This was your idea from the beginning, Booth."

"Yeah, I know." He looked back up at her. "Maybe I overreacted, though. You think? I mean, maybe we both just overreacted to the whole thing and this is just a waste of time. We're friends, Bones. Of course friends want to spend time together."

"I agree. That seems… quite reasonable."

"Ok, see, this is the problem." Sweets interjected. "Neither of you are really convinced you need therapy."

"Well maybe we don't." Booth shrugged. "I mean, what's so wrong with how we are now? We like to be together. Good for us."

Sweets leaned further forward, intent on not losing the best opportunity that he'd come across since beginning therapy with the partners. "Alright, Agent Booth, I want you to be honest. While you were away, how much did you think about Dr. Brennan?"

Booth's eyes widened and he shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know, Sweets. What kind of a question is that?"

"Give it your best guess. How much was she on your mind?"

"We're partners. We're used to spending a lot of time together. It's completely normal that I would think about her even though she wasn't around." Booth glanced over at Brennan and found her staring back at him.

Sweets nodded. "Sure. So you were on a beach, on vacation, and you spent… most of your time thinking about Dr. Brennan?"

Booth sat forward, fumbling for his poker chip in his pocket. "What?No… not most of my time. Maybe sometimes… I would occasionally… I mean, yeah, she crossed my mind but…"

"Sweets, please begin a different line of questioning." Brennan interrupted her partner's stammering. "Booth is uncomfortable with the direction you've taken our rapping session."

"Bones, it's a rap session." Booth muttered to her under his breath.

Sweets turned to Brennan. "Very well, Dr. Brennan, why don't you answer the question. How much time did you spend thinking about Agent Booth?"

Unlike Booth, Brennan remained calm, carefully thinking over her words before speaking. "I did often think of Booth while I was away. I found that I required his presence in order to explain nuances of social behavior to me and I also found that I missed his company on both the case that I was working on and on a more personal level. In fact, I believe it would be most truthful to say that I thought of him much more than I that I would."

Booth looked over at Brennan and smiled. "Yeah, Bones?"

"Yes." She smiled back at him. "I enjoy your presence."

"Bones, that's really…" He trailed off and scooted closer to her so that her arm was brushing his. "I enjoy being with you too, ya know."

Sweets cleared his throat, drawing the partner's attention back to him. "And while you two were thinking about each other, did either of you contact or attempt to contact the other?"

A guilty look flashed over Booth's face and he considered lying, but knew Brennan wouldn't let him get away with it. "I texted Bones." He muttered, giving his therapist a look. "Don't tell me. That's very interesting."

"He texted me twice." Brennan corrected.

"Thanks, Bones."

"Yeah, it is very interesting." Sweets said. "It proves that you two can't go even one week without talking. Agent Booth, who else did you talk to while you were gone?"

Booth frowned. "I talked to Parker once or twice."

"Is that all?"

"Besides Bones, yeah."

"And Dr. Brennan, what about you?"

"I didn't talk to anyone else."

Sweets sat back, a satisfied look on his face. "See there. That proves my theory. You two can't stand being apart for any length of time. Agent Booth, how will your future wife feel about that? Dr. Brennan, how will that fit into your future plans?"

Booth looked at Brennan. "Bones… maybe…"

She nodded. "We need to restructure our relationship. I understand. I knew that from the beginning."

"Yeah." He sighed and nodded to Sweets. "Fine. We're committed, Sweets. Fix us on up."

"Good." Sweets grin spread over his face. "I was totally hoping you'd say that because I have spent all week working on this and I have a ton of great stuff for us to do. But first, I think I should explain my theories."

"Explain away." Booth waved his hand. "We're all ears."

"Over the past four years, you have both come to consider the other as the ideal version of the opposite sex. Dr. Brennan, Booth is your deal man and Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan is your ideal woman. You're each other's standards and you measure all other relationships to the one you share. That kind of exclusivity has created a situation in which neither of you are willing to step outside of your relationship and pursue others, even if the other relationships are more in-line with what you think you want."

Sweets looked between the two silent partners, waiting. When he received no response, his mood deflated. "You guys aren't buying it are you?"

"We don't understand it, Sweets." Booth corrected, his leg beginning to bounce. "Speak a language other than psychobabble."

"No, Booth, I understand." Brennan cut in before Sweets could rephrase. "Sweets is only stating what you have said all along. Our fondness for each other precludes our fondness for others. You compare the other women in your life to me and I compare the men in my life to you."

"Oh." Booth stared at her. "Do you do that, Bones?"

She nodded. "I suppose that I have done that, yes. You are a good man, Booth and sometimes your positive attributes highlight lacking attributes in others."

"Thank you, Dr. Brennan." Sweets said in surprise. "I really appreciate you backing me up."

Brennan shrugged. "You're welcome, but it was a relatively elementary observation, Sweets. It seems natural and obvious that Booth and I would engage in that type of behavior."

Sweets sighed. "And the compliment turns into a total diss. I should be used to that by now." Shaking his head, he directed them back to the subject at hand. "As I was saying, I believe that is what is taking place, and I believe that, together, we can transform your relationship into something that both of you will be much happier with."

"Fine." Booth flipped his poker chip up in the air and caught it. "We're starving, Sweets, so just give us the facts. What do we need to do?"

"Well, to begin with, we need to get your goals written down on paper. So each of you need to spend some time this weekend thinking about what you want for yourselves over the next few years. Things that are important for you to accomplish. I'll want to see three goals from each of you."

Booth leaned his head back on the couch. "Sweets, you're killing me here."

"It is important to set the groundwork, Agent Booth. These beginning steps are important. Now in addition to your own goals, you'll need to come up with goals for your partnership as well. Three of them. So that's nine goals in total… three from you, three from Dr. Brennan, three from…"

"We get it." Booth held up a hand. "We'll write down the goals. Right, Bones?"

"I suppose so considering using my veto at this point would be preemptive."

"Yeah, seems like it's gonna get worse from here." Booth grinned. "Hey, Sweets, how do you feel about me having the smart kid do my homework for me?"

Sweets laughed, but his chuckling stuttered to a stop. "Wait, seriously? Cause that's not cool."

"Don't worry, Sweets." Brennan said drolly. "No one ever persuaded me to do their homework in high school or college, I doubt Booth could manage it." She sent her partner a cocky look. "It is impossible to manipulate me."

Booth chuckled. "Yeah, you're savvy that way, Bones." Reaching over, he patted her knee. "Come on, bell just rang, last period's over. Time to ditch this place."

"I don't know what that means."

Booth stood up and gestured at her to do the same. "It means we're going to the diner, Bones. It means we're gonna catch up on our vacations and talk about stuff. And you're going to do my homework for me."

Brennan stood and frowned at him. "Booth, I was serious. I won't write down your goals for you."

"Aw, come on, Bones. Who knows my goals better than you?" He nudged her shoulder, scooting her closer to the door.

"Hopefully you do."

"Ok, who knows my goals better and is someone who is actually going to take the time to write them down?"

"Booth…"

Booth opened the door for her and ushered her out.

"Uh, guys? I wasn't really done." Sweets stared after his patients. "We still have a lot of time left in our session. We need to make an appointment for Monday."

Glancing over his shoulder, Booth sent Sweets a quick wave before he let the door close behind him.

"Alright, I'll just… call you. We'll set up a time later." Sweets sighed and collapsed back against his chair. "Someday I'm going to be in charge of these sessions. And then I'll get a raise."

~B/B~

We'll see less of Sweets next chapter and more B/B alone time plus a little Angela time. Hope you guys liked this short little session and their reunion. I'd love it if reviews kept coming in like they did for the last chapter. I really can't tell you how much I appreciate hearing from you!

Thanks for reading! =)