I'm happy you're all enjoying this fic. :) I've brought in someone from a previous chapter and they're going to bring something to the B&B table. *speculation* so, here we go:

As soon as they reached the car, Dr. Brennan started, "I don't understand how you can pull something like that off, but be so timid when it comes to sex in general." Analyzing was her mojo. It's what she did best, but Booth liked it better when she wasn't analyzing him.

"Bones. Please, not now."

"Why not now?"

Jeez, did she always need an explanation? He searched for one and his God granted an obvious reason, "Because it's raining now. I'd like to concentrate on the driving." He glanced at her and Brennan seemed to find his answer acceptable.

After a moment of silence, "Mmm, I love the rain." She'd meant for that to be an inner thought.

"Really?"

"Mhm, I find it so calming. It relaxes me."

"I never knew that, Bones."

She smiled at him. "And now you do, Booth."

-

By the time they'd reached the Hoover, the rain was falling at full force. It was a good thing there was underground parking. They made their way upstairs together, with light conversation, as always. Brennan led the way out of the elevator and Booth was in step with her. He opened the door for her and she asked, "Where's Charlie?"

"I'm not sure. And that means I've gotta hunt him down."

Agent Lorenza had watched the partners walk in together and wondered whether Agent Booth had let his secret out. She figured she'd find out.

The sound of light rapping against glass was heard, then: "Booth, Dr. Brennan. Good morning."

"Hey, Dani."

"Good morning Agent Lorenza." Temperance was still a little uneasy about this woman. What were her intentions? And why was she staring Brennan down?

"Dr. Brennan, can I speak with you?"

'Ugh, what do you want from me?' "Sure." 'It better be good.'

Booth flashed his friend a look of stern warning and then winked at Brennan before going on his search for Charlie.

Danielle didn't know how she would go forth with her questioning, but decided that she'd question the good doctor like a suspect. "So..."

Silence.

"You and Booth?"

No comment.

Lorenza supposed that if Brennan wanted to be a stubborn-ass, she would just prod deeper.

"He says he loves you. Do you love him back?"

There was fire in her eyes when her head snapped up, "That is none of your concern."

"Hmm, was that hesitation? I think it was."

Bren was outraged, "You thought wrong."

Lorenza shook her head, "Mmm, I don't think I did. You see, I know Booth. I know his beliefs, his past, -"

"Congratulations. So do I."

"I also know what he looks for in a woman, and what he wants in life. You know, marriage, a family, a house with a gorgeous backyard for his children."

Temperance knew what the agent was hinting toward, but just to make sure: "What are you saying, Agent Lorenza?"

"I highly doubt you are as dense as you let off, Dr. Brennan." The woman she judged looked down at her feet, thought for a moment, and then met her eyes.

The doctor walked up to Danielle and challenged her, "And I highly doubt you know Booth nor myself as well as I do." She turned to walk out the door, but was stopped.

"But I do know that what you're doing now would be considered walking out or running from a problem. So maybe you don't really know yourself as well as you think."

The amount of adrenaline coursing through Bones was at an all-time high, "I've practically been to hell and back, and never have I ever come across someone who is as much of an arrogant, know-it-all, nosey-ass, bitch like you are! Go crawl into a goddamn hole!"

-

About ten minutes after the scene between the women had taken place, Booth walked back in and asked curiously, "Where's Bones?"

But Dani could care less, "Who?"

"My partner, Dani. Where is she?"

"Oh, her. I don't know; she took off."

Seeley remembered that the woman in front of him wanted to talk with his partner. "What did you say?"

"Not much. It was more like what she said."

"Well, what did she say?"

"Okay, out of nowhere, that chick called me a nosey bitch! What kind of shit is that, Booth?"

He thought a moment, "I think she nailed you."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I knew what you wanted, but I thought you would be a bit more respectful."

"Oh, and what is it that I want, Seeley?"

"You wanted to know what it was like. How she felt. How I felt. And you probably told her the things I used to like."

"Psh, oh please. Like you are all that interesting as a topic."

"I know you told Rebecca the same stuff. I had only been dating her a month! And you told her all that I wished for when I was older! I didn't need it at that moment; I was happy, like I am now!" Booth couldn't help but yell.

"You've wanted that whole marriage package since before we've known each other."

"People change, Lorenza. Keep that in mind and maybe you'll get lucky and change with the rest of us."

He was the second person to leave the room in an angry rush. She honestly thought she was helping her friend, after all Danielle had sensed an issue.

But what Agent Lorenza hadn't expected was for her to be the only problem in the partners' lives.

-

"Hello?"

"Oh thank God. Angela, do you know where Bones is?"

Confusion was obvious, "Uh, no. She was supposed to be with you, Booth."

"Dammit! Dani said something to her and she took off." His worry caused him to grip the steering wheel harder, causing his knuckles to turn white. "She's not answering my calls, Ange."

"I'll call her Booth."

"Thanks." He shut his phone and drove in silence. 'Where would she go? It's pouring out here.' His train of thought was lost as he heard the familiar ring of Brennan's phone right beside him. He picked it up and heard Angela's voice.

"Sweetie, where are you?"

"She left her damn phone in my car, Angela."

"Damn Booth."

He thought for a moment, "Did you know she liked the rain?"

"Yes but I don't see how this goes with -"

"Do you know where she liked to go when it was raining? She ever take you anywhere?"

"Ah, okay, I see.... Um, yeah. Once we went to the Washington Monument. We walked along there and talked about things."

"How long ago was that?" The agent in him was itching to get some answers.

"About two weeks ago."

"What did you talk about? Was it important?" He hoped it was, because that'd mean it was a special place for her. Otherwise, she could be at any other random location.

"We talked about you."

He swallowed, "Do you think she's there?"

"That's the first place I'd look, Booth."

"Thank you, Angela."

"Be careful. She's at a critical turning point."

"Okay. I will."

With his heart beating, he made a left turn and drove toward his destination.

-

Seeley saw her, soaked and without an umbrella. He knew she had been crying by the puffy, red rings around her eyes.

"Bones?"

Temperance jumped a little, and wiped at her face angrily although it was a lost cost because the rain recovered her tears' tracks. She cleared her throat, "Booth. Hi."

He didn't know what to say to her. "Bones... What happened?"

"Nothing, Booth. I'm fine." Her voice cracked.

"No you aren't."

She bit her lip to prevent her from bursting into tears. "Just go, please."

"I'm not just going to leave you here." He couldn't get her to look at him, "Bones we have to talk."

"About what? About how as professional partners we seem to complement each other, but our personal relationship wouldn't work because I can't fully meet your true wants and desires?" The tears were there and fully distinguishable from the rain. It was hard for her, all the emotions spilling onto the surface instead of remaining in the deepest corner, it was a big change.

"No, no. I don't want that now. I'm not going to lie to you though, I think it would be an amazing thing to have a family one day, but I'm with you. All the way. One hundred percent, Bones. You're all I want. I'm a happy, satisfied man." It sounded really cliché to Booth, but at the moment it was pivotal.

She didn't know how to react. Of course, she was happy but still unsure as to what she wanted with Booth. Brennan finally looked up at him from her place on the bench and was surprised to see what he actually looked like at the moment. "Booth, you're wet."

Seeley couldn't help but laugh a little, "That's what happens in the rain, Bones. People and everything else gets wet." He pulled her up to stand.

"I thought you would have brought an umbrella." She reached up to fix his hair which had flattened across his forehead.

"I didn't have time." He grabbed her hand and held it. Temperance felt a jolt of chills course through her.

"Of course you had time. What if you get sick?" Booth noted that she was worried for his sake and pulled her in for a hug.

He replied against her hair: "That didn't matter. I needed to know where you were." She shook underneath him. "Bones, you're trembling. You cold?"

Temperance took his face into her hands, "I don't think they're chills from the cold, Booth."

They stood there like that for a moment: her holding his face, his hands on her hips, and both of them staring into each other's eyes. They stayed that way, until he moved in and she closed the gap.

-

Soaked and all, Temperance walked straight through the lab and into her office.

"Uh, sweetie, hi." Angela looked worried for her friend.

She cleared her throat, "Hi, Angela." Brennan rummaged through her desk for her belongings and put everything in her bag.

"Okay, whoa, wait. Are you okay?"

Tempe looked up at her best friend with annoyance, "Yes, Angela. Why would you ask?"

"Um, because about half an hour Booth, you remember him, called and said he didn't know where you were, Bren. He was all hysterical and worried, and so was I. I'd like an explanation, please."

"That damn hussy that Booth brought here to introduce to me, you remember her right? Well, she thought it would be fun to tell me I'm not a well, qualified partner for Booth. And, by partner she meant romantically. So, I told her, as rationally as I could, that she's an arrogant, nosey-ass, bitch." She looked back at her friend who stood in silent shock, "Oh, and I requested that she crawl into a hole, but -"

"I didn't even know you knew those kinds of words."

"I have a steep learning curve, Ange."

Angie wondered where exactly Brennan had learned how to speak like that, but she figured that it was just the woman's mechanism to defend her dignity. "If you say so. So where is Booth?"

"In the car. He wanted to come inside but that would've created more of a mess, which is what I told him."

"I see. Now what? Home?"

"Yes, home."

The artist grinned, "And where is home nowadays?"

Temperance looked down at her feet, suddenly shy. "Oh, uh, I don't know. My apartment? After all, it is bigger, right? So, maybe. We'll have to discuss it."

"Yes. You go and converse about living arrangements with that G-man of a boyfriend you have waiting outside. Go while the rest of us here lead boring love lives."

"You don't have to live a boring love life, Ange. I know you have feelings for someone. Someone who works here. In the lab. With us. As an entomologist, in fact. He has curly brown hair and -"

"Those amazingly deep blue eyes?"

"Uh-huh. That's him."

"Oh, sweetie. If only you knew..."

"I will, when I call you later and we have our own conversation." Bones wasn't one to live down a challenge.

"You'll be having too much fun rolling in the sheets with Booth to remember me, hon." Angela hugged her friend and watched her go along. She wondered about what Brennan said and her eyes flickered toward Hodgins. He was working diligently, as always. Angie looked away quickly though when Jack's own eyes met hers.

'This is far too complicated.'