Almost my last chapter. I think this is going to be when they figure everything else out…at least, I hope. I am really getting into this story, and I hope the readers are too.

As always…I do not own Bones or any of the characters.

Booth's Point of View

How did she know? No one was supposed to know that I was thinking about leaving. Other than Cullen, Rebecca and myself no one knew. Except…Angela and Hodgins knew too, but they wouldn't tell her.

He was shocked. After everything that had happened between the two of them, this is what she got upset about. She was the one who usually ran away from something like this. Expect for now…she was standing there, ready for battle.

He couldn't do anything but take the picture of her standing there in.

Her hands were clinched into fists, hanging limply at her sides…but he wasn't fooled because he knew what Temperance Brennan was capable of when provoked. Her eyes were no longer a calm, peaceful blue; they were dark blue, being ruled by thunderstorms. Her hair like lightning was flying around.

He couldn't help but love her. Even when she was as angry as she was now, that's what made him love her even more.

It was her willingness to fight for what she wanted…to stand up for herself. In the past she never would have done that, well not for love at least. She had stood up for herself when it really mattered; in front of a gang leader, in front of Jared. She could defend herself.

But here she was, ready to do battle to protect her heart. She was ready to kick him across his apartment if need be. He was so proud of her, in that moment; he couldn't help but smile at her.

"Oh no you don't Booth. Don't you dare smile at me. That isn't going to get you out of this mess you caused. How could you think of leaving to go half way across the country? Why would you do that? Why would you leave me? And I know you weren't going to tell me either."

She stopped speaking and stared at him.

Getting up off his couch, he moved to stand right in front of her…in the danger zone. He had to show her that he was willing to fight for her…he was not going to back down, even when she was in one of her moods.

"How did you find out? No one knew." She cocked her head to the side, so he quickly continued. "I couldn't stay here, not with you marrying him. I had to get out of the city, as far away as possible. I needed to get away. I was so scared that I was going to run into either the two of you together or one of ya'll separately. I couldn't take the chance of running into you, because I wouldn't be able to handle it. Running into Brandon was a whole different story. I knew he knew how I felt about you, and he loved using it to his advantage. I knew that if I ran into him, he would somehow provoke me and I would end up hitting him. I couldn't have him running back home to you, whining that I hit him for no reason. So I decided that the best thing for me to do was to go away. I wasn't doing it to hurt you; I was doing it so that I would be out of your life."

How could he tell her everything he was and had been feeling? He couldn't tell her about all the restless nights and screwed up days he had been having, could he? He would not be the one to mess up her life or make her revert back to her old ways.

He took a breath before continuing. "I never wanted to leave you. I promised you that I would always be there for you, and I was going to keep my promise forever. That was, until you met Brandon. I never realized how serious you two were getting, either because you weren't telling me or I wasn't listening. There was never the right time to tell you how I felt about you. I did not want to be the one to ruin your relationship. And what if you didn't feel the same as I did? What if you had no feelings for me what-so-ever? Where would we be then? I wanted to tell you, but the longer it went on with Brandon, the more I knew I couldn't tell you. I would not be the one to ruin your one chance at happiness."

Brennan's Point of View

How could she tell him that the only reason he was with Brandon was because he never gave her any indication that he harbored feelings for her. The entire time they worked together he never made any advances towards her. Never gave her any clues as to his true feelings.

But, what's saying that he didn't give her clues? She might have been too closed off to notice them. For all the science she knew, she knew nothing about love and feelings. She had shut herself off from those feelings a long time ago.

Booth was the one who opened her up. He was the one who took her walls down, brick by brick. He was the one who got her to buy a TV. Booth got her to hang out with his son, even though she always said she didn't like kids.

He always promised her that he wouldn't leave her, and he had kept it. He hadn't left her, even though he had been offered numerous promotions. Those promotions always came with a pay raise, bigger office, more prestige…but along with all that came the task of moving to a new city.

In everything he did for her, wasn't that telling her that he wanted more? He understood her better than she understood herself. He knew what she needed before she even asked for it. He was the one who was always there for her…protected her.

Basically, she never noticed how much she needed him in her life…until now. She finally realized that if he moved, a piece of her would be leaving with him. How could they be that closely bound, especially when she was supposed to be marrying Brandon?

Could it be that even though she and Brandon were together they weren't 'soul mates?' They were just together for the moment, but they weren't supposed to be together forever?

"So…in not telling me that you were thinking of leaving the city and moving across the country, you were merely protecting me?" he nodded his head, so she continued. "You were protecting me from you…because you loved me that much. You loved me that much, more than Brandon. You were willing to leave to protect me from your love. Without telling me that you loved me, that you cared for me that much, you were just willing to up and leave."

He reached out, placing his hands on her shoulders. Bringing her into his chest, he wrapped his arms around her back. Leaning down, letting his lips brush her ears he whispered…

"No Bones. You don't understand what I am saying. I said that I loved you so much I couldn't bear hurting you. I knew that if I ended up hitting Brandon I would be hurting you. I didn't want to take that chance. I knew that if I were able to leave without you finding out, that maybe I could spare you the hurt of having to say goodbye. It was hurting me so much, seeing you two together…I had to make a change. I was hurting so bad, every day and every night. I just needed the chance to heal…from everything."

Nodding her head she understood everything he had just told her. He wasn't leaving her to hurt her, but rather spare himself and herself the pain of running into one another. He knew how she would have felt if he ended up hitting Brandon; she would have blamed Booth without asking any questions.

She knew he hadn't made this decision lightly either. He knew what would have happened if she were to find out before he was able to move. He knew how she would take it; like she was being abandoned again. He was just waiting for this 'wedding' to be over with, then he could move on just like she was.

Except she wasn't. She wasn't leaving him. She wasn't getting married. She wasn't going to let him move. Not without her.

"Are you still going to move?"

She felt him take a deep breath before answering her question. "That is a tough question Bones. I don't want to move, but if Rebecca decides to move, then I really don't have any other choice. If I don't move then I won't get to see Parker, and if I do move then I won't get to see you. How am I supposed to choose between you and him?"

"You don't." a bewildered look crossed his face. "You don't choose between us. He is your son. Your offspring. You can't choose me over him. It would be like abandoning him, and I will not let you do that. I won't let you do to him what my parents did to me. If she decides that moving is going to be the best decision for her, then you will move with them."

"But…"

"Let me finish Booth. If, and that's a big if, if she decides to move then you move with them. You will not be leaving me because I will not let you leave me."

Slanting his eyes at her, he said "what do you mean you will not let me leave you? Bones…what do you mean by that?"

"Exactly what I said Booth. If you are to leave DC to move to Seattle then I will go with you. Maybe not at first, it might take a couple months if not a year, but I will join you, and Parker and Rebecca in Washington."

He stood there, quietly taking in her pronouncement. The fact that she was willing to leave her job to be with him astounded him. She was willing to leave the city, where her friends were just to be with him.

She had never before taken the chance that she was taking with him. She knew that they had something different, something deeper than she had ever had with another male. They were drawn together; like two half's of a whole. They completed each other. They were made specifically for one another.

What would she do if he turned down her idea? Would she stay here in DC? Probably not. If he wasn't here for her, or even there for her then she would leave the city. More than that, she would probably leave the country. There was always a dig that she could join.

"No Bones. Do not even think it. You are not going to run from this. I am not going to chase you half way around the world…even though I would do it, and you know I would too. I am not up for the chase at this moment in time."

She smiled. "How do you know what I am thinking Booth?"

"Because I know you Bones. You think that because I am standing here and not giving you an answer to your offer that I am rejecting you." Pulling her back just far enough to look into her eyes; he said "I am not going to let you get away from me again. I lost you one time, and it damn near killed me. I am not going to lose you to some dig halfway around the globe. We will figure everything out when Rebecca gets back."