Tartantrace, Ger (yeah agree but don't worry they'll figure things out), mendenbar (agree on what you said about me lol, not on the Booth part though), nicolee23, Mezzo187 (sorry no I didn't watch that show, so umm nah didn't get the inspiration for this from there, more from spoilers that aren't really related to this story, except for the existence of a sniper), hotforteacher3 (it isn't the end of the conversation), MMWillow13 thank you all for sending your reviews.

Don't worry guys I thought I already dropped enough hints in the "present" situation for you guys not to be panicking so much. Anyway sorry for the long wait between the last chapter and this one, especially given the way I ended the last chapter.

So without waiting any longer here's what you guys want.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I'm not sure if us being together is such a good idea anymore."

Brennan blinked as a tear fell from her eye. She had never experienced such emotional pain, not since it dawned on her that her parents had abandoned her and Russ.

"Are you breaking up with me?"

"Yes. No. I don't know."

"I don't understand."

"Look Bones, I don't know what to do all right? I want you. I love you. Love you so much, but I can't see you hurt like that. I mean while we were partners, I could still get over it, rationalize it, but now that I know what it's like…to know how it feels to have you my arms, to kiss you, to have you make love to me. I just, I can't knowingly put you in danger, can't have you hurt because of me, you understand?

"No Booth I don't."

"You know I love you right?" Booth swiped at the tear that was threatening to fall from his eye.

"Yes."

"I just, I can't believe I allowed that man to take you."

"It was me or Parker. I understand."

"How could I?"

"I don't doubt that you love me Booth. Do you?"

"I just – how could I?"

"Maybe we should talk to Sweets."

Booth laughed a bitter laugh. "You never used to believe in psychology. We hate his couples therapy sessions remember?"

"I have come to change a lot of the way I think in the past month that we've been together. You made me see and feel things I never thought possible."

"I'm sorry Bones. I just, I need some time and space."

"Are we breaking up?" She asked again, feeling a little unsteady on her feet.

"I don't know. Just give me some time okay? Some time apart? You need to think. I need to think, clear my head."

While Brennan didn't understand, she had to respect his decision. She certainly didn't feel the same need he assumed she needed to clear her head. She was very clear on what she wanted this time.

"You're leaving me."

"I just need to get my head together. I need some time to think, alone. I'm sorry. I know this is hard and I'm not making sense. But I can't have time and space while we're living together right?"

"What about working together?"

"Well we don't have a case yet. If we do, I can get another Agent to work with you for now. I mean coming back from suspension, they'll probably put me on desk duty for the next week at least anyway."

"So this is it then?"

"Yeah I guess it is. Look I know I'm not being fair, just let me figure this out okay?"

"I'll be waiting."

"And I'll have an answer for you." Booth stood up pulling Brennan to him for a brief hug. "I gotta go."

Brennan nodded, suddenly feeling a gaping hole in her heart. This felt surreal, like it couldn't be happening.

"Don't go through this alone, go talk to Angela or something." Booth offered.

"I've always talked to you." She replied softly.

"Take care of yourself."

With those parting words, Booth opened the door to her apartment and walked out.

…

That had been two weeks ago. And now here they were on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, meeting again after what seemed liked an eternity to Brennan. Meeting at Booth's request. His only communication to her since that he left her apartment.

"But I have to respect your decision. Whatever we decide, it should be a mutual, an agreement on both our parts."

"Yes of course."

"Only one thing, if we can't be in a relationship anymore, I don't think I can work with you either. Perhaps this would be for the best since I no longer have any ties with you – "

"Whoa! What? No longer have any ties? Why would you – " Booth asked, his nervousness making him sound more agitated than he would have liked.

"I thought you asked me here to break up with me."

"What? No. What made you think that?" Booth stood up.

Brennan stood too, growing a little agitated as well. "You walk out on me and I don't hear from you in two weeks. The only communication I got from you since that night was this text message you sent me this morning asking me to meet you here."

"I'm sorry Bones. I did ask for time and space. Not talking to you kinda is part of the idea."

"Are you mad at me?"

"No. I mean, well maybe because you actually think I wanna break up with you – "

"Two weeks not hearing from you led me to conclude that you think you're better off without me."

"No! No way. I don't want to break up with you. Do you want to break up with me?" Booth asked, his voice suddenly small.

"No why would I? You were the one who suggested the time apart thing."

"Well good."

"Good?" Brennan was thoroughly confused.

"I mean that you don't wanna break up with me, cos I don't want to either." Booth shifted his weight from one leg to the other nervously.

"You know how bad I feel about choosing Parker over you that night don't you?"

"Yes. And I don't blame you. I would blame you however if you had chosen me over Parker."

"Right." Booth quirked a smile. She loved his son as much as, maybe even more than he did. Buoyed by the fact he got down to business.

"I didn't ask you here to break up with you."

"Then the purpose of asking me here was?" Brennan asked, feeling a little more relieved. "I promised you I would have an answer."

Booth stopped. He had it all planned out in his head but her words had threw him off. He smirked to himself. She always did that to him. Throw him off his game a little. That was one of the reasons why he loved her so much.

"Why are you smiling?" Brennan began to feel irked. He was annoying and knew how to push her buttons, but deep down inside, she had to admit she liked it. She liked, no loved him. Every annoying thing about him.

Booth's expression grew serious. "Listen Bones, about what happened with Swift… I couldn't get over the fact you were hurt because of me. What if he killed you? At first I thought that I would rather not be with you and it would hurt like hell but at least you'd be safe. Cos it's just better to know you're alive and well and happy. The pain of you dying would be a hundred, no a million times worse than not being with you. So I figured in order to prevent something like this from happening again, it would be safer if we stopped seeing each other."

"So you are breaking up with me." Brennan's voice betrayed her hurt.

"No! That was what I thought I should do, at first." Booth ran a nervous hand through his hair. This was going worse than he had planned.

"I – you – " he sighed. Keep it together man!

He tried again. "When we were apart, the two weeks without you felt like hell. Fact is I can't live without you Temperance Brennan. You've invaded every aspect of my life, I'm a better person for having known you and I love you. More than I thought possible. Screw all those freaks and psychos who wanna hurt me by hurting you, they've gotta get past me Special Agent Seeley Booth before they can get to you. I just – "

Booth shoved his hand back into his pocket, fisting the small velvet box in his hand. He got down on one knee and looked up at Brennan. He took a breath, time to grow a set and man up.

"You know when you see older couples who've been together for 30 or 40 or 50 years, it's always the guy who says I knew. I knew. Right from the beginning. I knew. I'm that guy Bones, I'm that guy. I knew."

Booth opened the small box, the tiny stone catching a glint of moonlight. Brennan's heart skipped a beat. She did not expect this. She knew when they got together that he was going to ask. It was just in him to ask. Since then she had desperately tried to find the answer. Her answer.

"I thought it over. I had two weeks to think it through. Well I thought it through in a little more than a week. I had this sitting in my pocket for a couple of days…" Booth looked up into the depth of her eyes.

"I'm that guy, I know. I know that in 30 or 40 or 50 years I'll still love you and I wanna spend the rest of my life with you. I just hope you do too. Temperance Brennan will you marry me?"

Time seemed to stand still. Booth could hear the mad pounding of his heart in his chest, the blood rushing in his ears. Say yes, please say yes, I can't spend the rest of my life without you.

He saw a glint of teardrop in her eyes, then her face it up into a smile. She had found her answer.

"Yes."

"Yes?"

Brennan pulled Booth to his feet.

"Yes." She said just before throwing her arms round his neck and crushing her lips to his. They broke the kiss and with trembling hands Booth removed the ring from its box.

"Pops gave this to me years ago. Belonged to my grandma. I took it to the jewelers, had them put in a new diamond, not too big cos we don't want it to get caught on your gloves." Booth explained as he slipped it onto her ring finger.

Brennan smiled, holding it up for him to see. It was a perfect fit.

I had to use that line from the 100th. It such an epic line. Happy ending yay!

Anyway new episode this week! Yay! And I'm beginning to think it'll be a much better second half of season 6 for BB-wise.

Hang on for one more chapter!