So here's a longer chapter... with some BIG things going on. Big!

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They spoke very little to one another over the next two days. Booth could tell that she felt uncomfortable around him now, so he decided to give her some space. As much as she hated being without him, she was grateful for the distance. After his confession she didn't have the slightest clue how she should act around him; she wished she could go back to that night and keep herself from letting him stop her. If she had just left like she planned, he would have never been able to tell her of his feelings and she never would have been able to reject him. They would have both been able to continue in there ignorant bliss with their feeling both deeply buried. Things were far complicated now.

Rationally, she knew she had done the right thing by rejecting him; there were plenty of practical reason. But as she watched him quietly move about the apartment, she couldn't help but recognize a hopelessness in him. He looked as if he felt like the most unlovable creature and her heart ached at not being able to tell him it wasn't so. After two days of this, Brennan finally had to leave the apartment for a day, so she called Angela for lunch. It occurred to her that Angela would more than likely bring up Booth... but some how talking about Booth seemed much easier than looking at him.

"You seem really dazed, Sweetie," Angela couldn't help but noticed as they ate."What's going on?"

Brennan shrugged at the question, "I'm just a little tired."

"Are things not going well with studly?" When they first arrived at the diner Angela had asked... but now she was getting the feeling that things weren't as fine as Brennan had initially made out. "Did things not go well at his doctor's appointment?"

Her eyes widened at the question; an obvious give away,"I..."

"Oh my God, Bren- is Booth okay? It's not... I thought they got it all..." Angela was suddenly starting to panic.

"No- no. That's not it, Angela. Booth has been recovering quite satisfactorily. Something happened while we were at the hospital..." She wasn't sure if she wanted to continue.

"Oh... Oh! Something happened..." Angela remarked suggestively with a sly smile. "Something happened..."

"Yes... Why are you saying it like that?"

"Just go on, Sweetie."

"Booth's doctor was absent due to a family emergence, so we met with another doctor. He gave me his telephone number and implied that he would like me to call him for a dinner with romantic and sexual implications."

"Oh God," Angela threw her fork down on her plate; she knew exactly where this was going. "And Booth got pissed, right?"

Brennan was shocked at her accuracy, "Yes. How did you know that?"

"Seriously, sweetie?" Angela couldn't believe how oblivious Brennan could be sometimes. "If a guy stands a little too close to you Booth starts smoking!"

"Booth doesn't smoke..."

"Steaming. Fuming. Think metaphorical, sweetie. Booth goes crazy anytime another man takes an interest in you. Tell me you haven't noticed how extra irritable he is when you're dating someone? Or how when he finds out your sleeping with a guy, he always tries to find ways for us to stay later at the lab? I can't tell you how many extra hours I've clocked in just because you were getting some."

"Booth has always been protective of me... I know that," Brennan wasn't that oblivious to his actions, but she usually wrote it off as him being concerned for her well being. Not jealousy.

"He's more than protective, Bren," Angela hoped Brennan knew what she was implying. "So anyway, tell me what happened after this doctor asked you out? Was he hot? Did Booth's head explode?"

"He was... very pleasing. The ratio of his zygomatic and mandible was very appealing..." Brennan had recognized his good looks, sure, but that was all. "I was flattered that he was interested in me... but I had no intention of calling him. But that didn't seem to matter to Booth..."

"I never does..." Angela said wistfully. "So what'd he do?'

"Nothing. He didn't say anything. But I could tell that he was very tense about something, and when I asked him about it at dinner he got upset. He was upset with me. So... I was going to leave..." Brennan wasn't sure how much more this story she wanted to share.

"What happened?"

"He told me he didn't want me to call Dr. Kane," Brennan took a deep breath. "And then he asked me why it had never been him. Why we had never..."

Angela sighed, "I'm guessing this doesn't end with you jumping into his arms?"

"I told him that we work together. That there are lines- which he set up and we cannot cross those for good reason."

"Oh, God. He was crushed wasn't he?" Angela's heart went out to Booth; she knew how hard that must have been for him.

"I told him that I thought he was confused," Brennan confessed quietly. She hated that she said that to him, but she still thought it was true. "He looked so sad."

"Poor Booth. Sweetie... why didn't you tell him the truth?"

"I did tell him the truth, Angela," As far as Brennan could see there hadn't been a single lie.

Angela shook her head and took hold of Brennan's hand. "No, why didn't you tell him how you feel?"

Brennan began to protest,"I don't feel..."

"No. You do. We all know it. We all see it. We've make bets about it around the lab..."

"Bets?"

Oops... Angela hadn't meant to let that one go," Its a very small pool... its just me... and Cam and Hodgins... and Sweets... and a few of your interns..."

"How do you make bets about this?" Brennan was slightly offended.

"Well... we all put in twenty five bucks... in a pool. And then we guess weeks in the calendar that we think you and Booth will finally..." Angela felt slightly ashamed...

"You make bets for when you believe Booth and I will engage in intercourse?"

"See... now that sounds slightly vulgar. Its more like... when you will both be honest with one another..." Which would probably be followed by the intercourse...

"That's horrible."

"I know... my week was coming up too. I had seventy five bucks riding on this..."Angela looked down at her salad. Defeated.

"I thought you said it was twenty five?"

"Well... we've been playing for along time..." Angela sat up and looked her friend in the eyes. "Listen. I'm not telling you this because of the bet. I'm telling you this because you're my best friend and I care about your happiness, okay? Tell him, Bren. He's still the same guy."

"Then why didn't he say something before?" It was the question she'd constantly been asking herself since that night. "Why didn't he say this before?"

"Well... he had a tumor. Maybe he wasn't able to think clearly. He saw that life with you... and he sees it now. Let him love you," Angela was pleading with her now.

"I..."

"Go to him. Put on some sexy lingerie. Let him love you."

Meanwhile...

Brennan had been gone for about an hour when the phone call came. All day he'd lied in bed, tossing and turning, wishing he could just sleep through this reality. Wishing he could go back to his dream world where his bed wasn't so empty.

"Booth."

"Hello," the woman on the phone began. "I'm calling from from Bethesda fertility clinic in regards to your donation..."

"My donation?" Booth didn't have the slightest idea of what she was talking about.

"Yes, the deposit that you made last month for a Ms. Temperance Brennan. Our records show that she hasn't picked up your deposit. We weren't sure if you had changed your mind or not. We can keep it for as long as you like- but if you have changed your mind we'd like to know so we can dispose of it or, if you'd like to, we can put it up as a public offer."

"A public offer?" was this woman crazy? Did she have the wrong number?

"Yes, it would require some additional information and paper work if you're interested. Or, if you and Ms. Brennan are still thinking over your decision we can keep your donation until your ready to have her inseminated."

Booth's heart stopped. Insemination? When had this happened?

So Booth has no memory of their "let's have a baby" stint right before his surgery. Its apparently very common to lose the last couple days before you have brain surgery or even a week or so prior. So he wouldn't have remembered this. And Brennan didn't tell him...

Ohh... what will happen when she gets home?