Ch

Hodgins had just put some samples down at his work station when he happened to glance up and see Booth striding by.

"Hey Booth, how's it..URK!"

Booth had reached out and grabbed Jack by a handful of shirt, not to mention a more than a few chest hairs, and had hauled him to his feet, and Jack found himself nose to nose with a very serious looking Booth.

"Where's Temperance", was all he said.

"Jeeez, what's eating you Booth? ow ow OW!! Ease up Booth, I don't have that many hairs to spare there!! "

Booth had pulled Jack even closer, and snapped again, "Where's Temperance?!"

"She's examining some skulls! I just saw her go....she's in Limbo.....OOF!" Jack dropped back down in his chair as he was suddenly released and watched Booth stalk off.

Jack sat there staring after Booth, rubbing at his chest. ."Ow, wonder how many chest hairs I just lost?"

Angela's hand came to rest gently on his shoulder.

"Don't worry sweetie, its no great loss." She said.

"What the heck is going on with Booth, anyway?"

"He's going to have a talk with Temp." said a breathless sounding Angela from behind him.

"So? What's the big deal about that?"

Angela acted like she didn't hear him. She just said, "I hope it goes the way it should go. If he hurts her..." Angela's hand slowly formed into a claw...

Jack said, "Why would Booth hurt..ow!..ow!..OW!..OW!! fingernails Angela!!...OW! OW!.....FINGERNAILS!! OWWWW"

Booth found himself at the doorway to the room, and he hesitated. Should he do this? Was it the right thing to do? He turned as if to leave, doubts raging inside him.

Muffled sobbing erased those thoughts, and he took a long stride into the room, scanned it quickly, and then his eyes came to rest on Temp.

She was on the floor, propped up against the wall, her legs drawn up to her chest. Her arms were wrapped around her legs, like she was trying to hug herself, and her face was buried against her knees.

More soft sobs drifted from her, and Booth found himself filled with concern and crouching by her side with no memory at all of having crossed the room.

He reached to touch her, let her know he was there, and he opened his mouth to speak, when he heard those four words.

"Booth, I love you."

Booth's heart flipped in his chest, and if he hadn't been crouching down already, the wave of giddy dizziness that hit him would have put him down anyway.

God, how he had longed to hear those words from her! She loved him!! He couldn't believe it. SHE loved HIM!!

He tried to find the breath to speak. For a long moment there was none. Finally, he managed to say her name.

"Temp." he said softly, as he gently touched her hair. "Temp....Temperance.
He took a deep breath. "I love you too....."

Brennan slowly lifted her head and looked at breath hitched from sobbing. Her hair was in disarray. Her eyes were swollen and puffy and red.. Her cheeks tear streaked, her makeup a mess, her nose was running....and to Booth she was the most beautiful thing in creation.

"Temp." He gave her a gentle shake as he tried to make her understand him. "I love you too. I....I've loved you for so long..... I've loved you since the beginning, I think. I love you more than any woman I've ever known. I love you so much I'd die for you without a second thought. I love you so much I'd do anything for you. I love you like no other....I love you so completely......Once Booth finally said it, he couldn't seem to stop...

"Booth?" Brennan said, sniffing.

"..I love you.....Yes Temp?"

"You're babbling." *sniff* "Shut up and hold me."

There in a room full of bones, and still sitting on the floor, they hugged fiercely, Temp still sobbing, but in happiness now. Booth, with his eyes closed, clutching Temp to him, and a look of total joy on his face, and the both of them softly telling each other "I love you" over and over again....

....Sweets wandered by Hodgins work station, where Jack sat, alternately either massaging his shoulder,or sticking his finger in his ear and wiggling it and working his jaw like he was trying to pop his ear or something.

Sweets said "Hey Jack? Have you seen....say, what's wrong with you?"

"Let me just say there's two things I learned about Angela today, Sweets."

"What?" Sweets asked.

"One: Never be within arms reach of her when she's really, REALLY worried about a friend's well being." Jack grimaced and rubbed his shoulder again.

"And the other reason?" Sweets asked.

"Two: Never be within two miles of her when she lets out a long pent up squee." Jack wiggled his finger in his ear again. "This thing is going to ring for months, I know it."

"Uh, OK" said Sweets, not really understanding. "Anyway, have you seen Temperance? I need to go over some things with her."

"She left" said Jack. "She took the rest of the day off."

"Oh, OK, well I'll just get hold of Booth then."

"No,he's gone for the day too. Nobody will be able to get hold of him today." Jack said. "Well, you won't, anyway." Jack gave a wicked grin.

"Gone? Both of them?" said Sweets. "But we have work to do...."

Jack said,"Trust me, Sweets forget it. You're not gonna get any work out of those two today. They're.....busy...."

As Jack said this, he got that devilishly naughty grin on his face that only he could he turned around to his desk, wiggled his finger in his ear, and went back to work.

Sweets looked at Jack's back, then looked around the lab in confusion, and saw Angela drifting by with a big dreamy grin on her face.

And he just stood there, not having a clue what was going on, hands held out helplessly, looking baffled in that way only he could do.