I am beyond flattered by the wonderful feedback! Keep it coming! My next update might be delayed just a tiny bit. This weekend is my daughter's 9th birthday.

To the guest who reviews every chapter with such forethought and kindness-please sign in so I can thank you personally! :)

In this chapter, I gave Hodgins a bit more credit than the writers did, at least at that point. He is an intuitive, big-hearted guy, and I don't feel like I took him out of character so much as I allowed him to behave in a way that we now know would be typical of him. This is also a chapter without a case, because I felt like they needed some downtime to enjoy each other. We'll be back with the next episode in Ch 12.

As I've said before, this one is quite a bit steamier. You've been warned. ;)

Chapter 11

Booth drove her back to the Jeffersonian to pick up her car so that she could go home to change clothes. She was still wearing the outfit she'd put on Christmas morning. On the way, they agreed that he would stop by her apartment later for dinner and to finish up the paperwork on Careful Lionel. Since it wasn't a typical murder case for them-the assailant being already dead and no need to prosecute-the volume of paperwork was considerably less. Brennan knew that it would take both of them no time at all to finish up the documentation on their own, but getting together to do paperwork over dinner was another part of their routine that neither wanted to give up.

"So…" he said as they pulled into the parking structure, "There are security cameras in here, right?"

She chuckled, understanding his implication. "Yes. But maybe we could work on figuring out where the blind spots are." His grin widened in response.

"Sounds like a plan."

He pulled up next to her car and let her out, promising to be at her place by seven. Brennan noticed that he waited until she was in her car and moving before pulling away, and she shook her head at the alpha-male display. She was definitely going to have a talk with him about that. There were certainly times that his protective nature appealed to her greatly, but she was still visited by the occasional desire to smack the back of his head and tell him to knock it off.

By six, Brennan had showered again and dressed very deliberately in a pair of exceptionally well-fitting jeans and a top that she had deemed 'too revealing for work' quite some time ago. She let her hair dry naturally, which gave it more curl than usual, and left it down. She decided to keep her makeup very natural as well, using just enough to emphasize her eyes and lips.

She had decided to cook for him and opted for Italian. Though she didn't eat much meat, chicken parmesan was one of her favorite dishes. Brennan knew that Booth tended to prefer red meat, but there hadn't been time for a grocery trip. Once dinner was in the oven, she tidied her already clean apartment and paced nervously.

She had no idea why she was anxious. They had declared themselves, agreed to be in a relationship. They'd had the most earth-shattering sex she'd ever experienced less than twelve hours ago. Why should she be nervous?

Brennan was still pacing when she heard his knock at the front door. She took a deep breath and gave her appearance a final check before letting him in. The expression on his face when he saw her was extremely flattering, and she knew that she had chosen her attire wisely. His eyes moved over her as though he were starving and she was the meal. It sent an immediate tremor through her body, ending in a slow ache between her thighs.

"Bones… Wow." Booth was speechless at the sight of her, especially since he knew that she had probably dressed with his reaction in mind. She shouldn't be disappointed then, he thought. Every part of his anatomy was responding to every part of hers. He'd changed clothes as well, opting for a slightly roomier pair of jeans and a button down shirt which he left open at the top. Brennan remembered that he'd been dressed similarly when they danced in Aurora and how much she had wanted touch the skin he'd revealed.

Smiling at the knowledge that there was nothing to stop her now, she stepped closer to him and met his eyes. He smiled back and kissed her deeply, his hands resting on her hips and pulling her against his chest.

"The last time you were dressed like that, we danced together in a bar," she told him in a husky voice.

"I remember."

"I wanted to kiss you so badly. Here," she said, brushing her lips softly against his. "And here…" Brennan pressed a kiss to the base of his neck, drawing a long groan from his chest. He wrapped an arm around her lower back and moved the other upward to entwine his fingers into her curls. Booth had never seen her hair curly like that, and it was gorgeous.

He brought his lips down on hers again and kissed her gently until the oven timer sounded. She made a small noise of protest, but backed out of his arms with a rueful smile.

"Come on, we should eat."

"Mmmm, what's for dinner? It smells great. I meant to tell you that when I came in, but… I got distracted." He followed her to the kitchen, enjoying the rear view nearly as much as the front.

"Chicken parm," she told him a bit nervously. "I hope that's okay. I didn't have time to go to the store for anything more elaborate."

"It's perfect," he assured her.

He helped her get their food and drinks on her dining room table and pulled out a chair for her with an expression that dared her to argue. Brennan opened her mouth to do exactly that, but she stopped short when she saw the look on his face and realized he wanted her to complain. So simply smiled and thanked him as she took her seat. His grin widened in response, though he knew she wouldn't tolerate his chivalry on a regular basis.

They laughed and flirted over their meal, touching each other frequently. She asked about his Christmas with Parker, and he told her that his son had made a special request for her presence during his next visit. Brennan smiled warmly at the thought. Although she didn't have a lot of experience with children, she liked Parker. He seemed to accept her awkwardness without judgment, which is more than she could say for many adults she knew.

"I really wish you'd come over and had Christmas with us, Bones."

"I know, Booth," she smiled gently at his persistence. "I just needed the time to really think about things. The past, the future...what I wanted. Last night I… I came to terms with the way I'd been living my life, and I realized that I didn't want to do things that way anymore."

"I'm not sure I follow," Booth answered uncertainly. She laughed a little.

"I don't blame you, I'm not very good at articulating things like that. Suffice it to say that I realized what I wanted, and I decided to stop letting my past prevent me from having it. Does that make sense?"

"I think so," he said hesitantly. "What you wanted was… me?" Booth asked with a grin.

"Yes," she answered with a small nod. They looked at each other tenderly for a moment before he spoke again.

"Well, I suppose I can get behind that, but… You're spending New Year's with me, Dr. Brennan. No arguments, no barricading yourself in Limbo-"

"Modular Bone Storage-"

"-no claiming you don't celebrate New Year's Eve for some squinty reason or other. We could go out somewhere, or you could come over, and I'll cook for you, and we can watch a movie...or we can pretend to watch a movie and make out instead…" He winked at her impishly, and she laughed happily.

"That sounds perfectly reasonable."

"Which part?"

"All of it."

"Good," he said, leaning over to kiss her softly. "I'll clean up here if you want to get those files started," he offered.

"No, I'll do the dishes. But you can help," she added quickly before he could argue. He nodded his approval of the plan and watched her get up from the table. She unwittingly leaned over just enough to give him quite a show, and he sputtered a little.

"Um...Bones? I haven't seen that shirt before, have I?" She gave him her adorable crooked smile.

"No, I doubt it. I used to wear it to work-" his eyes widened in alarm, "-but I decided it was a bit too revealing for the workplace after…" She stopped, trying to choose her words carefully.

"After what exactly?" He asked, concerned.

"When I realized that it made Zack uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable? Wait, you don't mean…?"

"I noticed he was aroused on several occasions, yes." Booth gritted his teeth but didn't speak. "I didn't realize that I was the cause for it until I saw him staring as I leaned over an exam table." Her expression was slightly guilty. "I tried not to make him feel badly about it, but… you know how awful I am at avoiding awkward topics sometimes."

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Bones. I knew that kid had a thing for you the first time we worked together as partners. It's obvious. Well, to everyone except you I guess."

"A thing? I don't know what that means."

"I mean he thinks you're hot, you know? He wishes the attraction was mutual." She looked unconvinced.

"That's ridiculous. Zack is… well, he's Zack. The idea of he and I-"

"Yeah, please don't finish that thought, Bones. I get why it doesn't make sense to you. But that doesn't mean it's not true. For him, anyway."

She let the subject drop as he cleared the table and brought the dishes to the sink.

"I'm a little glad I didn't see that shirt until now," he told her, enjoying the view from over her shoulder. She didn't miss the direction of his eyes and was now absolutely certain that it wasn't the first time he'd taken advantage of that particular benefit of his height. This was only the first time he'd allowed her to catch him.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because now I can act on the thoughts it puts in my head," he told her, giving her a sexy smile.

"Hmm. Have you had that problem often? Thoughts in your head you can't act on?"

"Every single day that I'm with you," he replied honestly in a low, husky voice. "And the ones in between too."

As she finished rinsing the last dish and dried her hands, she felt his strong arms wrap gently around her waist from behind and his lips brush against her neck. Brennan tilted her head to give him access and shivered when his mouth fastened itself lightly to the pulse point below her ear. She moaned softly and bit her bottom lip, instantly wet for him, and her breath came out in shaking gasps as she trembled.

Booth moved both hands slowly upward to cup her breasts, and she whimpered softly at his boldness. She could feel his arousal pressing into her and reached around behind her to place her hand firmly against his length. Her hips moved against him of their own volition, and he groaned loudly into her ear. The sound made Brennan suddenly hungry to taste him, to hear his noises as she took him into her mouth. Booth, however, had other ideas at that moment. With one hand, he gently tilted her face toward his and captured her lips with his own. The other hand slid deliciously down her torso, under the waistband of her pants, and stopped only when his fingers came to rest against her slick folds.

Finding her already as aroused as he was heightened the passion of his kisses, and Brennan was breathless in seconds. A new urgency colored their movements, and they began undressing one another rapidly. Brennan heard the buttons of her shirt bounce against the tile floor, and she let out another gasp when he turned her to face him before sinking to his knees in front of her. Her pants came off next, and he moaned with hunger as he took in the sight of her.

"You're so beautiful, baby," he told her, pressing a kiss to her stomach. "So beautiful…" Brennan tried to respond, but words were suddenly beyond her capacity as she felt him raise her left leg to place it on his shoulder. She was open and exposed to him then, and the heat flooding her core was unmistakable. Brennan couldn't stop watching him. She'd known what he intended to do from the moment he'd dropped to his knees, but the touch of his tongue still sent shockwaves through her body. She clutched the countertop behind her with a cry of pleasure and struggled not to collapse to the floor. He seemed to sense that remaining on her feet was becoming difficult, and he moved her gently sideways to an open space of counter. She laid back against it gratefully and watched him wedge a shoulder beneath each knee. He pushed her carefully upward until her hips rested on the countertop, and all the while, his lips remained fastened to her. His tongue thrust deep in a rhythm that drove her to madness, and when her entire body began to shake with her desire, Booth knew she was close.

He moved his lips to her clit then, sucking relentlessly until she shattered against his mouth. He watched her face as she came, and her cries were softer this time: desperate, breathless moans that echoed over the tiled floor. The aftershocks of her orgasm were still rippling through her when he quickly rid himself of his own pants and plunged deep inside of her. Now she was shouting.

"Booth! ...Oh my god…" Her hands reached out wildly for his shoulders and pulled him down against her. Booth slipped his own hands skillfully beneath her and picked her up from the countertop. Her legs locked instinctively around his waist, and their lips crashed against one another. She could taste herself on him, and it was nearly enough to send her over the edge again. He stood completely upright then and walked them carefully from the kitchen. He was still inside of her, but it was now her hips that controlled the pace and depth.

He had been headed toward the bedroom, but deliberate tightening of her inner muscles stole through his self-control. Booth pinned her against a wall in the hallway and thrust deep into her again. The pace quickened, and for a moment he thought he was being too rough with her, but she urged him onward with every gasp and moan of his name.

Brennan clawed his back like a wildcat, matching his movements urgently as she rocketed toward yet another spectacular release. He had called her beautiful, but as she looked into his eyes and felt him moving feverishly within her, she thought he was the most breathtaking sight she'd ever seen. As she neared her climax again, she couldn't hold the words back another second.

"I love you, Booth."

And she broke, feeling him reach his own release a half second later. Booth's arms clutched her so tightly it was almost uncomfortable, but in that moment, she wanted nothing more than to be as close to him as possible. To be his. His own body shook as he tried to collect his scattered wits. He had planned to make it into the bedroom eventually, but her words had undone him. He placed a shaking kiss to her forehead, her cheek, and finally her lips. Finding his voice at last, he whispered softly into her ear.

"I love you too, Bones. I love you so much."

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"You're very quiet all of the sudden. Are you okay?" Brennan asked curiously. They had been talking for nearly an hour, laying in her bed, and holding one another comfortably.

"Sorry, yeah. I'm fine. Just...thinking," he answered calmly. Booth's hand ran in smooth strokes up and down the bare skin of her back as she lay against him. Temperance Brennan lying naked in his arms was a sight he would never tire of seeing. He would never tire of looking at her, being with her, talking to her… He knew it as certainly as he knew the sun would rise in the east.

But at the moment she was looking at him with a curious expression, wanting to know what was on his mind. Where to begin?

"I love being with you," he began. "I'm the happiest I've been in a very long time, just laying here with you in my arms. Hearing your voice, feeling your skin… kissing your lips," he paused to sweep his lips gently across hers. "I'm afraid of waking up tomorrow and find out it was a dream. I'm so happy that it's hard to believe it's real," he admitted.

Brennan understood his predicament perfectly.

"I know, Booth. That thought has crossed my mind as well. But I think I know the solution."

"What might that be?" Booth asked, smiling sweetly at her.

"We wake up together. Just like this. Then we'll know it was real." She returned his smile and kissed him once more.

Several moments passed before she spoke again.

"Booth?"

"Hmmm?"

"Tell me something about yourself that I don't know yet." He looked surprised by her request, but he understood it immediately. He wanted to know everything about her, completely and fully. He was humbled that she wanted the same from him.

"Well… what would you like to know?" Booth asked with a tiny grin, unsure where to start.

"Anything, really... " Brennan tried to settle on one of the many things she wanted to know about him and decided to start with the easiest. "How about your socks?"

"My socks?"

"Yes. When we worked the Gemma Arrington case, I made a comment about free-thinkers and rebels with leadership qualities finding ways to declare their distinctiveness, and you said-"

"I'm a free-thinking rebel." He grinned widely, remembering. "Right after that, you asked if I was single." She huffed a small laugh.

"Yes, well… we both know how that one ended." Her focus drifted for a moment, remembering their first kiss. "But I've noticed that you wear rather...interesting socks sometimes. Is that because of what I said?"

"Maybe," he said coyly, adoring the hopeful expression on her face.

"And the boxers?" Brennan persisted. The Scooby Doo boxers she'd noticed the first night he stayed with her had been the tip of the iceberg. She had snuck peeks at him on several of the evenings he'd spent in her guest room, and she had certainly noticed the holiday print he wore while receiving his anti-fungal injection. The ones he had slipped out of most recently were adorned with smiley faces.

"What about my boxers?" Booth asked, pretending to be offended at the suggestion that his undergarments were in any way extraordinary. She saw through him easily.

"You know what I'm talking about," she told him, chuckling softly. "Is it more rebellion or did you wear things like that before you met me?

"Hmmm… Okay, well, I'll admit that the socks thing-yeah, that started because of you. And I wear the occasional obnoxious tie I guess."

"And the cartoon character underwear?" Brennan asked again, trying to hide a smile. Booth sighed.

"Well after, you know… that night," Booth looked at her meaningfully and didn't have to explain further. "I got the impression that you approved of those 'rebellions,' and… I was feeling pretty confident that you'd see my boxers eventually," he told her with a confident wink. She burst into laughter at his ego.

"You are so cocky," she laughed, shaking her head in amusement.

"Mmm, good word," he said softly, allowing his hand to drift significantly lower down her back. Booth fought the urge to really start her up again, and it took no small amount of willpower to resist. But he had a feeling that the subject of his off-color wardrobe choices wasn't what she really wanted to discuss.

"Is there anything else you'd like to know, or is it my turn yet?"

"Your turn?" Brennan asked, confused.

"To hear something I don't already know about you," he explained.

"Well I suppose one question would be fair," she said, flashing him a brilliant smile. "Make it a good one."

"Hmm," He pretended to ponder the options for a moment. He knew what he wanted to ask, and he knew that it would allow her to bring up her more serious questions. "Do you ever talk to your brother?"

Brennan looked taken aback by the serious direction the conversation had taken. It wasn't that she didn't want him to know about her family-what little there was that she could even tell him-but her brother was a sore subject for her.

"Um… No, not really. He calls once a year, on my birthday. But...I don't talk to him. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious. You never talk about him, so I figured there were still some hurt feelings. And rightly so, I just didn't know how things stood between you," he explained. Brennan nodded and gathered her nerve before asking her next question.

"Why don't you ever talk about your family? I mean, other than Parker and your grandfather," she asked hesitantly. He'd known what she would ask before she even opened her mouth, and he felt relieved that he didn't have to find a way to bring it up. She deserved to know about his screwed up past, but it wasn't the kind of thing you just come right out and say.

"My family is… complicated, I guess." Booth sighed, choosing his words carefully. "My dad drank. A lot. He was abusive in just about every imaginable way. My mom got the worst of it for a long time. But she went to the ER to get patched up one day and just… never came home."

Brennan was shocked. She had drawn a reasonable conclusion that the reason he never spoke about his family was due to some kind of emotional upheaval. But a story of abuse and abandonment was not at all what she expected. He seemed so… confident, strong, collected, happy. How did he manage all of that with such a shadow hanging over his past? And more to the point, why couldn't she manage that as well? She listened as he continued, feeling tears gather in her eyes.

"After my mom left, all of the abuse was directed at us. Well, me primarily. Jared is eight years younger, and…"

"And you protected him," she finished. Of course he did, she thought. That's who he is.

"Yeah," Booth took a breath. "I took most of his beatings." She flinched at the word, cringing at the mental image it presented, and struggled to contain a sob. "But a couple years after mom left, Pops figured out what was going on, and we went to live with him and my grandmother. They raised us after that, until Grams died. Then it was just Pops. I owe him a lot," he admitted softly.

Brennan didn't answer for a moment, know she would lose hold of her emotions. The last thing he needed right now was her blubbering, she thought. When she located her voice, it was tremulous.

"I'm sure he doesn't believe you owe him anything, Booth. I don't know much about family, but I would imagine that he simply did what he felt was right."

Booth nodded in reluctant acceptance of that assessment, but he couldn't resist checking her expression. She didn't look nervous about how messed up he was. Or afraid that he might be like his father. Her eyes were filled with nothing but love and compassion, and it humbled him. But he didn't miss the tears she was trying to hold back, and he squeezed her tighter to him, pressing a kiss to her hairline.

"I promise I'm nothing like my father, Bones. You don't ever need to worry-"

"Booth… I know that. You don't need to promise me anything. I know that you're nothing like him. You're a good man," she told him firmly. "Please don't ever doubt that."

He looked into her eyes silently for a few moments, amazed that a woman as brilliant, as kind, as good as she was could know even half of the things she knew about him and still believe that he was a good person. He leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes almost reverently.

"You called yourself damaged," he reminded her gently. "And I hate that you would use that word to describe yourself, but… I'm damaged too. Maybe we both are. But somehow… we make each other whole."

She didn't respond for a moment, hating the sound of the word when he directed it at himself. But that last part made sense, she thought. She had felt broken and hollow for too many years, and she knew instinctively that he had as well, even if he did a better job of hiding it. He made her feel whole again. Booth had swaggered into her life with his bold confidence, his charming smile, and his relentless need to take care of others. And somehow he had made her feel a little like the person she'd been before her parents had disappeared. The pain of not having a family had eased, because he wanted her to be a part of his.

She leaned into him to press her lips to his, and he returned the kiss instantly.

"Thank you, Booth." He opened his eyes and leaned away from her slightly to focus them.

"For what, Bones?"

"For trusting me with your past. For loving me. For making me whole… for everything."

"You don't have to thank me for any of it, Bones. You do all of those things for me, every day."

She smiled at him gently and remembered that she still had a lot of things to tell him about herself. But the thought of getting into all of it at that moment made her exhaustion seem like a heavy weight upon her.

"I know that there are still some things I haven't told you," she admitted drowsily. "I haven't forgotten, and I'm sure you haven't either. But can we talk about it another time? It's nothing that won't keep," she assured him.

He nodded immediately, returning her sleepy smile.

"Of course, there's no rush," he told her. "Let's get some sleep; you look exhausted. Can't imagine why." Even in the dark she could see his playful expression.

"Cocky."

"Absolutely."

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Brennan woke the next morning feeling more rested than she'd felt in years. Maybe ever. Curiously, she took stock before opening her eyes. They were laying much as they had been the morning after that first night they'd shared her bed. His arms were wrapped around her from behind, his mouth blew his breath gently over the skin of her neck, and even his slumber, his body wanted hers. Judging by his breathing pattern, he was still asleep, and Brennan lay motionless in his arms as her mind wandered.

She thought back, remembering his words during their first case.

"I just feel like… this is going somewhere."

He'd certainly been right about that, and she smiled to herself at the thought. Brennan found herself lamenting how much time they'd wasted, that they could have been together for over a year by now. But that thought brought her up short. She wasn't at all sure that a relationship would have lasted if they'd slept together that night, though they had both clearly wanted to. She hadn't known him then, not really. She hadn't yet seen what a remarkable person he was beneath that exterior of bravado and brooding magnetism. She probably would have found a way to sabotage things before they'd even had a chance.

Brennan was determined not to do that now. As much as she had always believed that monogamy had no logical place in modern society, the thought of Booth with anyone else made her feel slightly ill. And the thought of another man touching her was just as unappealing. He had effectively ruined her for anyone else, she thought, slightly stunned. How exactly had she allowed that to happen? When had it happened? When they'd made love? When he'd first silenced her with a kiss that had seemed to set every inch of her aflame? Or was it even before that… When he'd told her about his past as a sniper, or the torture he'd gone through as a prisoner of war? When he'd insisted on providing answers for Cleo Eller's family before doing anything else in the investigation? When he had vouched for her with Cullen? When he had threatened her ex at even the implication that she'd been in danger?

Try as she might, she couldn't find the beginning of it all. But at some point, he had become the only man she wanted-or would ever want. She knew that, as a Catholic, Booth would want to get married eventually. She'd been carefully avoiding the topic, even in her own mind. And even now, she didn't need a legal document to prove their love for one another. She'd never had a reason to even consider marriage… until now. Brennan knew she wasn't ready to discuss it with him and hoped that he wouldn't bring it up for quite a while.

But one thought led to another, and she soon found herself considering their differences in opinion on religion as well. While she didn't agree with his beliefs, she still respected his right to have them. And it seemed that he respected her opinions as well, at least so far. Brennan wasn't particularly worried about that, however. Booth had never been anything but respectful of her.

Would he want more children? Booth was a wonderful father who clearly had difficulty being away from his son so much of the time. Why wouldn't he want more kids? Brennan had never entertained the idea of motherhood in any real way, and although she liked Parker very much, she wasn't at all confident that she could be a good mother. In the afterglow of their first lovemaking, he had panicked slightly at the realization that they'd forgotten about protection. She had interrupted his profuse apologies to reassure him that she was on the pill and had a clean bill of health. Relieved, he assured her that he was clean as well, and they hadn't spoken another word about it. Had the thought of pregnancy actually disturbed him or had he simply been more worried about her reaction?

Brennan had no idea how she would feel about it, were it to actually happen. But for now, she resolved herself to put it out of her mind. She was on birth control, and that wouldn't change unless they made that decision together.

Movement of the arms that still held her drew her attention back to the here and now. Booth made a noise somewhere between a sigh and a moan, pulling her a little closer. Brennan enjoyed the feeling of him against her ass again and felt a little thrill that she could do something about it now.

She reached a hand slowly between their bodies and stroked him slowly. They'd fallen asleep naked, and her light touch was like electricity. Booth hissed inwardly as he became fully awake.

"Wow," he groaned into her neck. The sensation gave her goosebumps. "Best alarm clock ever."

"Mmmm, I concur." She turned toward her head toward him, meeting his lips with slow, aching tenderness. "I can think of only one better."

Booth looked incredulous.

"I seriously doubt that, Bones. Unless of course it's me waking you up this way."

"Fair point, but still not want I was thinking." She gave him a wicked grin and moved quickly, pushing him onto his back and straddling his thighs before he had blinked even once.

"Whoa…"

Brennan moved her body slowly down the length of his legs, feeling herself dampen in anticipation.

"I wanted to taste you yesterday, Booth. But you stopped me," she chided him with a smile.

Her voice was pure sex and sent a thrill of desire racing through his body. He grew impossibly harder and felt a little lightheaded.

"Only because I knew I'd never last if I felt your mouth on me at that moment," he assured her.

"Yes, well. No distracting me this time…" Brennan leaned down to lick the entire length of him along the underside, and he gasped at the touch. She paused only briefly to smile at him in satisfaction before taking him slowly and completely into her mouth.

Booth worried momentarily that he might lose consciousness at the exquisite feel of her lips and tongue, and he brought his hand to rest gently against her head. His touch remained light, but he couldn't stop the slight thrust of his hips into her eager mouth. It was all he could do not to push himself deeper into her mouth, and he fought to control the urge.

She could tell, and she lifted her head away from him long enough to whisper three little words.

"Don't hold back."

And then she took him back into her mouth, relaxing her throat to swallow him whole. Booth shouted at the sensation, and felt his resistance crumble. His hips kept pace with her movements, and within minutes he was careening over the edge. He gripped the sheets beneath him in tight fists so that he wouldn't be tempted to twist his fingers into her hair.

She was incredible, he thought as she swallowed every last drop of his seed hungrily. Amazing, magnificent, extraordinary… Again, Booth felt at a loss for a sufficient descriptor. He panted wildly as he came back down to earth and looked down to see the satisfied look on her face. The heat in her gaze told him that her actions had excited her nearly as much as they'd thrilled him, and he returned her smile with a rather mischievous one of his own.

"You're amazing," he told her fervently, reaching for her arms and pulling her up the length of his body.

"You're pretty incredible, yourself," she complimented. "I wish I'd been able to do that the first morning I woke up next to you."

Color flooded his cheeks at the memory. He had been embarrassed of his body's reaction, but apparently she'd been turned on by it.

"Hmmm. It was probably a good thing you didn't. We'd have never made it to work that day," he told her with certainty. She chuckled sexily.

"I suppose it's a good thing today is Sunday then."

"A very good thing." Booth rolled her onto her back, his eyes conveying a hint of a challenge. And he proceeded to show her just what else he had in mind for their day off.

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They spent the day talking, laughing, and making love. It was the happiest and most relaxing day either of them could recall. Booth teased her a little about her lack of a television, insisting that they stay at his place that night so he could begin what would undoubtedly be a lengthy chore of cultural education. Brennan took his ribbing in good grace but countered that she would be introducing him to some healthier foods.

They showered together again, but this time neither of them bothered with the 'saving water' excuse. Booth noted that Brennan seemed to greatly enjoy shower sex and was more than happy to oblige. Every damn day if that's what she wanted, he thought happily.

As they gathered a few things she would need for the next day, Brennan asked when he would have Parker again. Booth shrugged a little but answered.

"I'm supposed to have him a couple weekends a month, but it doesn't always happen that way. Sometimes I have to work, or sometimes she makes plans for him that interfere. But I'm supposed to have him two weekends from now, since I just had him at Christmas."

"You had him less than a full day for Christmas this year," she pointed out.

"Yeah, I know…" Booth wasn't sure how best to explain the situation to her, but it turned out he didn't need to.

"I understand that you want to do what's best for Parker, so you've tried to keep things civil with Rebecca. But she's acknowledged you as his father. You deserve to see your son on a reasonable schedule," she said seriously. "Even if you didn't pay support, which I'm sure you do, you would still have a legal right to visitation."

"Of course I pay support, Bones. And… Pops told me the same thing when Parker was born. That I shouldn't just let Rebecca manipulate things like she does, that I should try to get custody. And I've certainly thought about it, but… she's a lawyer. She knows how to drag things out in court, and it wouldn't take long for me to run out of money." Brennan opened her mouth to speak, but he continued, "Not to mention that she has a tendency to forget Parker is in the room when she talks sometimes. I don't even want to think about the things she would say in front of him if I started a custody battle." Booth sighed in defeat, and Brennan's brow wrinkled in concern. She thought for a moment before speaking again.

"If money weren't an issue," she began tentatively, "would you want to push for more visitation?"

Booth knew immediately where her logic had taken her, and his jaw tightened slightly.

"No, Bones. I know why you're asking me that, and I will not take your money. If it ever comes down to it, I'd take out a loan or something." But even as he said the words, he knew that wasn't an option either. His credit was still a mess from his gambling days, and though he'd been working to clean it up, it was a slow process.

"It just seems like a logical solution to the issue-"

"Logical or not, Bones, I can't do that."

She stared at him, not really understanding his stubbornness. Brennan knew that he was a proud man, but this was important. She decided to let it go for the moment, not wanting to argue.

"Okay. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," he said, pulling her into his embrace. "It means a lot that you would offer to help. For me and for Parker. But if I ever go down that path, I need to be able to do it myself."

"I understand, Booth," she said, even if she didn't really. "Are you ready to go? We could stop to eat at that diner on the way."

Booth recognized that she was ready to change the subject, and he was grateful.

"Hell yeah. Their pie was awesome; you really should have tried some."

"I don't like my fruit cooked," she insisted. "But I'm glad you enjoyed it."

After dinner, they went to Booth's for the night. Brennan had packed an overnight bag with the things she would need for work the following day, and they settled down in front of the television to watch a movie. He'd selected Back to the Future, telling her it was a classic that he couldn't believe she'd never seen before.

She spent the first half of it explaining why the whole premise of the film was entirely impossible and the rest of it allowing her hands and lips to wander. By the time it was over, even Booth had no recollection of actually watching the movie, and he scooped her up playfully to carry her to bed.

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Booth watched her dress the next morning with a mildly tortured expression. How was he supposed to get through their workday knowing what was under that outfit? He had taken her against the shower wall not fifteen minutes ago, but watching her slip into her lace undergarments and well-fitting clothing had him wanting her again.

Brennan glanced at him in the reflection of the full-length mirror and shook her head in amusement.

"You know, if you look at me like that at work, our secret will be out before lunch. Angela will spot it a mile away."

Booth groaned in frustration. He was starting to wonder if they could really keep this to themselves after all. When they'd agreed to that, he'd been on a post-coital high of sorts. Obviously not thinking clearly. He said as much out loud, and she turned to him uncertainly.

"I've been a bit nervous about it too. I'm a terrible liar, Booth. If Angela asks me about you, my face will give the whole thing away. She's been telling me to sleep with you for weeks."

"Do you think she could keep it to herself?" Booth asked hopefully. She shot him a look that questioned his sanity, and he laughed in spite of himself. "Well, I don't know then. Your only real option is to deny it. I mean, whether she believes you or not, if you don't confirm it, I don't think she'd run off and start rumors. Do you?"

"No. I think she would gossip, but only after she had confirmation from one of us," Brennan answered. "Or from her own eyes. Which is why you can't be looking at me like you've seen me naked."

"But I have seen you naked," he countered in his low, sexy voice. His brows waggled comically, and Brennan chuckled back.

"That's exactly my point."

His expression smoothed to a gentle smile. "Okay, well… if we're asked, we'll deny it. Say we're just partners, nothing more. Until we're ready to let people know."

"Partners and close friends," she suggested helpfully. "Since I'm pretty sure most partners don't spend as much time together as we do."

"Sounds good," he said, pulling her into his arms. They kissed deeply for several moments, and by the time his mouth lifted from hers, they were both short of breath.

"We really need to finish getting ready or we'll be late," she admonished. "That would be very difficult to explain." He nodded, accepting the wisdom of her words. Brennan watched as he shrugged into his shoulder holster, and her eyes became just as hungry as his had been. He huffed a laugh.

"You know, you don't get to look at me like that either."

Her cheeks reddened immediately and shook her head to clear it. He was smirking at her, and the look in his eyes dared her to deny the effect he'd had on her.

"I find your shoulder holster to be a bit… distracting," she admitted vaguely.

"Distracting?" He swaggered toward her, rolling his shoulders around exaggeratedly. She laughed loudly at his antics and reached forward to curl her fingers beneath the leather straps on each side.

"Yes. Mostly because it makes me think about doing this." She pulled him toward her forcefully and seized his lips with her own. He was hard immediately, and she felt his arousal pressing against her. She smiled against his lips victoriously. If she was going to be uncomfortable today, then it was damned well going to be mutual.

They broke apart after a few more moments, breathing heavily.

"Damn it," he groaned. "You did that on purpose."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Booth gave her a look that told her he wasn't fooled for an instant but let it go as she handed him a few things from his dresser. They were the objects he carried with him each day. His badge, a wallet, a butane lighter, and his gambling sobriety token. She eyed the last of these curiously, noting the length of time indicated, and she recalled the confession he'd made right before their first kiss.

As if he could read her mind, he smiled and said, "In case you're wondering, you had a lot to do with that."

Brennan met his eyes uncertainly. "I remember… I believe you said that you were 'dealing with it.'"

"And I did-I am," he answered with a nod. "The day I met you was the last time I gambled." Booth held his breath, wondering what she would make of that.

Brennan's mouth fell open slightly in surprise. He'd stopped gambling...because of her? She was struck by the magnitude of it and couldn't seem to articulate her thoughts.

"I wanted to be a better man, Bones. You made me realize that. I wanted to be a better father, a better person. I'm still working on it, but-"

This time it was she who silenced him. The heat of her kiss took his breath away, and they clung to each other for what seemed like an eternity. When at last they separated, she placed her hands lightly against his face so that she knew he was listening.

"You are a good man, Booth. You're a good father, a good person, a good friend, a good partner. And I'm proud of you. I hope that doesn't come across as condescending, but it's the truth."

Her words ignited a glow that warmed him from deep inside. It seemed to radiate outward until he felt powerless to contain it, and the smile on his face was the most beautiful she'd ever seen.

"Thanks, Bones. It's not condescending. It makes me feel… whole." The last word came out in a whisper, and he tilted his head until their foreheads touched.

"I love you."

"I love you too," he answered. Booth looked at the clock and groaned.

If he drove with the lights on, they might just make it on time.

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Booth pulled the SUV up to a curb within sight of the Jeffersonian parking structure entrance and put the vehicle in park. Brennan looked at him in confusion

"Booth, I'm going to be a little late as it is. Why'd you stop?"

"Security cameras, Bones. You didn't really think I wasn't going to kiss you goodbye, did you?" He looked at her with playful incredulity. She laughed her sultry laugh and leaned toward him.

"I suppose not." Their lips collided in a kiss that had them both tingling immediately, and they continued on for several minutes, punctuality be damned. Hands wandered, tongues explored, and when at last they recalled their surroundings and pulled away from one another, neither were sure if their actions were going to make their day apart easier or more difficult.

And in the complete immersion in their intimate little bubble, neither took note of the small red car that had stopped briefly alongside the SUV. They didn't see the curly-haired, bearded man driving the car, and they certainly missed the man's expression of shock as he watched them make out like a pair of teenagers.

Hodgins had recognized Booth's vehicle and been immediately curious as to why it was parked on the street rather than in a visitor lot or in the structure. When he pulled up next to it to check for an occupant, the sight of his colleague and her partner playing tonsil-hockey was the very last thing he'd expected to see. He briefly considered staying there to give them a thumbs up when they finally came up for air, but his quick intelligence reminded him that there have been must be a reason they'd stopped in that particular place. They didn't want to be seen.

He would bet his millions that when next he saw them both together in the lab, their behavior would be as professional as it had always been. Hodgins sped quickly away and through the parking garage entrance, hoping to beat Brennan into the lab. She and Booth were extremely lucky that Zack had taken a cab into work earlier that morning, since he typically caught a ride with Hodgins.

He considered Brennan his friend, and he was thrilled at the idea that she might have found some happiness after so much time alone. But he knew her well enough to know that if anything could ruin it for her, it would be her own tendency to freak out. And if anything could make her freak out, it was Angela.

He flashed his ID at security as he hurried through the building and made a beeline for Angela's office. She was standing near the windows with her eyes trained on the main glass doors.

"Hey, Ange, we gotta talk," Hodgins said a little breathlessly.

"Can we do it later? Brennan's late, and she's never late."

"She was late a couple weeks ago," he pointed out, hoping to distract her.

"That was because of that asshole professor of hers. I'm worried about her; Christmas is a rough time of year for her, and we all just ran out of here after the lockdown was lifted. I didn't even think about what she would do until after I'd left. I should've made her come with me; I feel like a terrible friend."

"Hey, you're not a terrible friend. And the rest of us did the same thing, so if you're guilty, then we all are."

"Maybe, but I'm her best friend," Angela insisted. Hodgins knew there wasn't time to argue with her about it. Brennan would probably be walking in any moment.

"Okay then, you want to be a really really good best friend?" Her forehead wrinkled and she gave him a questioning glance. "When she comes in, you need to leave her alone for a while."

"What? Why?"

"Because she's going to need some time and space today, and you're going to be the greatest best friend ever and let her have it."

"Why does she need alone time? Did something happen?" Angela was looking even more concerned now, and he rushed to reassure her.

"No, nothing bad. That's not what I meant. But you know how Brennan just needs to process things sometimes, right?" Angela nodded in reply. "Well, it's like that. I'm sure she'll talk to you when she's ready."

Angela was even more confused and worried now. How did Hodgins know something about Brennan that she didn't? The only thing she knew of that Brennan had been secretive about lately was…

Her eyes widened instantly. "You know something."

Hodgins caught the realization as it lit her face and shook his head emphatically.

"I'm not gonna tell you that. She will. But not today, okay? Just give her some time." Angela regarded him suspiciously, not appreciating the feeling of being out of the loop. But she knew that for Hodgins to get himself involved, it had to be important. He'd known Brennan for longer than she had, even if they weren't as close.

"Okay," she told him with a sigh of resignation. "But at some point, you are going to tell me what you know."

"You got it," he said immediately, smiling broadly. Angela returned his grin, and he felt his breath catch in his throat for a moment. She really is beautiful, he thought inwardly. He wondered if there was even half a chance that she'd ever see him as anything more than a friend and colleague, and he pursed his lips with a sigh, chiding himself for his wishful thinking.

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Brennan entered the lab moments later, alone and determinedly keeping her eyes forward as she passed the platform and the offices of her co-workers. If it were possible to feel someone's gaze, Brennan would swear that she could feel Angela's eyes tracking her. Once she was secluded in her office, she risked a glance out the window and was relieved to see that her late entrance hadn't seemed to attract attention.

After about a half hour of answering emails and returning phone calls, she still hadn't been disturbed, and Brennan felt herself relaxing gradually.

Maybe this wouldn't be as difficult as they'd thought.

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