They were showered and in the kitchen before either spoke. "What are we going to do Booth?"

"Do about what?" In his mind the hard part was over.

She looked at him in complete puzzlement. She had assumed that if he and Hannah were not together that he and she would … By the look on his face he had no clue as to what she was referring. Had he moved on? Am I really to late? Her eyes roamed over Booths face trying to figure out what he was thinking and when all she saw was a blank stare, she assumed the worse. "Oh, I am sorry Booth, I … I … sorry." She quickly went and sat down and opened the laptop, pushing the power button and staring at the screen willing it to boot up faster.

Booth watched an array of emotions cross Brennan's face "Whoa, wait, I think I missed something here.

"I made an assumption and I shouldn't have."

"What was your assumption Bones."

"Nothing, it was without corroboration." He watched her walls start going up.

He pushed the laptop closed. "Don't do that, don't shut me out. There is a lot I want to talk to you about. A lot I want to say, I just … Dammit Bones I don't know where to begin and I don't know how to keep you from running." He held her gaze hoping she could see he was sincere "And I am really … really just confused and trying to work it out. Part of what I didn't tell you about Hannah was because of me."

"Booth I understand the difficulty you must be going through seemly stuck in a fake relationship so close to the painful demise of yours." She got up and walked out the door of the cabin leaving Booth there wonder what the hell she just said and what it meant.

"Fake relationship, does she assume everything I said is an act? How can she be so smart and so clueless at the same time? He found himself going out the front door after her and she was no where in sight. He headed for the main house assuming she was heading for their daily session. When he came through the door heads turned watching him, apparently he didn't enter the room as nonchalantly as he assumed he did. As his eyes scanned the room his heart started to beat faster as he processed she wasn't there.

"Has any . anyone seen Bo … my wife?" he stammered. Everyone continued to watch the change in this normally self controlled man. Booth ran his hand over the back of his neck as he turned to head out of the main house.

"Mr. Booth?" It was Edgar's voice. Booth turned around and looked at the older man. "Are you okay?"

Booth stared at the older man for a moment and nodded slightly "I just need to find her." Booth turned and stopped "If you see her would you tell her to please … wait for all the evidence. She will know what it means?"

"I will Mr. Booth."

Booth took off, his mind racing thinking about where she could be and then a thought crossed his mind that sent panic through him. He quickened his pace until he was at a full run heading back to their cabin. "Oh please God don't let her run." As he cleared the trees there sat the car with the trunk open. He grabbed her set of keys out of the lock as he passed by and headed straight in the house and up the stairs.

As he cleared the landing she picked up a bag from the bed and purposely headed for the stairs. Booth stepped into her path. "Why are you running?"

"I am not running." She squared her shoulders and stepped to the side only to have her path blocked again.

"You are not leaving, not this time. I don't care if we have the WWE going on in here you will not leave this time."

"WWE? I don't know what that means."

"Doesn't matter; just know you will not leave until this is settled."

"Booth you can't keep me here against my will."

"Jesus Christ Bones, stop running scared."

"I am not scared"

Booth took a step towards her and she took one back. "What was that Bones?" She glanced down at the floor and pulled her lips tight. She stepped to the side, so did Booth while also moving forward into her space.

She stared up defiantly into his eyes "What do you want Booth?"

"I want you to stop running. I want you to face what you are scared of. This hot and cold act is getting annoying. One minute I think you feel … and then you're gone." He reached and grabbed the handle of the bag, she jerked it. He tipped his head, never breaking eye contact with her. "Let go" She took a forceful breath in and breathed it out again through her nose, but she released the bag. Booth never taking his eyes off her tossed the bag to the side.

He grabbed her arms and backed her into a wall, holding her there with his body, more for his protection from flailing arms and legs. "You make these assumptions and never give a guy a chance to give you the facts. You like facts don't you Bones?" His mouth was with inches of her "Well Baby I got some facts for you. I was trying not to send you running, but seeing as you, in true Brennan fashion, are already doing that, you will hear me out before you go."

Feeling his body pressed against hers fueled something in her, she couldn't quite figure out of it was anger, desire or both. But whatever it was, was messing with her rational thought. The pressure of his body on hers caused a warm sensation to travel through her veins, much like a straight shot of whiskey when you are cold. The smell of his aftershave mixed with his own unique scent was enough to make her knees want to crumble. But she had to hold strong, she was frightened about how something so simple as him being all alpha male made her want to surrender to him. She mentally shook herself, trying to bring herself back under control.

"So Bones here are some facts, Fact one Hannah put on your perfume, God help me the moment I smelled it, it was no longer her beneath me, it was you. Jesus Bones I have fantasized about you thousands of times and in that one moment it was you I was actually making love to, it was you I could feel moving against me, it was your body begging me for more, not her."

"Booth, I …"

"Shhh I am not finished yet. I have been walking on egg shells afraid of you running. But you are going to run no matter what, so I am going to finish before I don't have the nerve to." Fact two you are the most challenging woman I have ever met. One moment I think you are fascinating and the next I want to strangle you. But at the end of the day, you . are who I miss when we are not together; you . are who I can't wait to see the next day. You make life interesting and fun."

He could feel some tension slip out of her body, but he still was not going to give her a chance to flee. "Fact three and probably the one that will send you to Alla Babba of Persia …"

"That is not a place Booth."

"Shhh, I know. The point is what I am about to say, I have said before and it scares the hell out of me, but once I say this, you are free, the rest is up to you. Because God help me, I can't change." She watched him and as soon as he said he couldn't change, he felt her stiffen up. He stared at her as he mentally and physically took a couple of deep breaths. "I told you I had to move on and God as my witness I tried and you know if not for that night Hannah and I might still be together, me pretending she was enough. See Bones you are the standard and no one can meet that standard except you." He closed his eyes, took a final deep breath and then opened them to stare into her crystal clear eyes. "I love you Bones, God help me, I love you and I can't change and I don't want to change." She froze and did not move. He swallowed hard and leaned into her his forehead against the wall next to her head he whispered "I love you, the rest if up to you. If you run I can't stop you, but I hope you don't." He stepped back from her releasing her and held her keys out to her.

She straightened herself and he watched her stare at him like she was staring at bones on a table. She studied him intently for a moment before picking up her bag and heading for the stairs. Booth staggered backwards and crumpled onto the bed as he listened to her steps on the stairs, then silence.

Before anyone sends out a posse, things get better I promise.

I promise the ride will be worth it.