The Sum of the Days by SueK

Prologue "Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down."
Brandi Snyder

"No. Just, you know what - drink. Drink. I'm just really- I'm just mad. I'm just really mad at all of you. I'm just mad, okay? So you want to know how this is going to work? Okay, this is how this is going to work. Me and you are partners that's what we do. Me and you we're partners. And I love that. I think that's great. And we're good people that catch bad people, right? And - and we argue. We go back-and-forth. We're partners and sometimes after we solve the case, we come here and celebrate. That's what we do, we celebrate. So as far as I can see, that's what happens next. Are you okay with that?... Great caus you know, if you are, you stay here and you have a drink with me, all right? Maybe we have a little small talk, a little chit chat. If not, well, you can leave, there's the door. And tomorrow, uh, I'll find you another FBI guy."

"Those are my only choices?"

"Yeah. Those are your only choices."

"...Then I'll have a drink."

Booth and Sweets

"Agent Booth, got a minute?"

"Sweets, come on in."

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry about you and Hannah. If you need to talk, I want you to know I'm here for you."

"Thanks Sweets, but I'm fine."

"It sometime takes awhile for the shock to completely register. For a person to realize, completely, what has happened. To assimilate, as it were, the entirety of the situation; to get back to normal."

"That's just what I want, Sweets, to get back to normal. To go back to the way things were. The way they were before..."

"Before what Agent Booth? Before Hannah? Before you went to Afghanistan? Or before something else happened?"

"You know it's your fault Sweets. You told me to take the gamble. That was my mistake, listening to you. Everything was just fine until you poked your nose in our business. She was happy and I was, well, I was coping."

"And the 'she' you are talking about is who? Dr. Brennan?"

"What are you, twelve? Do I have to pass you a note in study hall? Of course it's Bones. I want us back the way we were. I want to get back and I don't know how."

"You can't undo what has been done, Agent Booth. You don't get back, that's just the thing. You go onto the new place, whatever that is."

"You sound like a fortune cookie. How do I fix this?"

"This might sound simple, but have you tried talking to Dr. Brennan since you and Hannah separated?"

"It wasn't so much a separation as an amputation. And I pretty well burned all my bridges that night."

"You mean when you told her that you two were just 'partners'? Yeah, I heard about that. Go, talk to her. Find out where you stand. As things are, you have nothing to lose."

"So Sweets, what you're saying is I need to 'grow a set'?"

"Pretty much. Think about it. You know where to find me."

Booth and Brennan

It took Booth a week, but he finally found himself at The Jeffersonian. As he approached Brennan's office he saw her through the open office door, sitting at her desk, hair falling over her face as she leaned over a report. She looked up when he knocked on the doorjamb.

"Booth, what are you doing here? Do we have a case?"

"Hi Bones. Do you have a minute? Can we talk?"

"Yes, I have a minute. We are both capable of speech, so, yes, we can talk."

Booth smiled and sat down. "Bones, I want to apologize to you. To tell you I am sorry."

"For what Booth? Have you done something wrong?"

"I've done a great many things wrong. I was wrong to push you, to try to rush you into a decision you weren't ready to make. I was wrong to run away and not stay where I belonged. I'm sorry for everything that happened when I came back."

"Booth, you did nothing wrong. You did what you thought you had to do. That is the difference between us. You took a chance; I couldn't. That does not make what you did 'wrong'; it was the right thing for you. And you didn't run away, we both left. I left to clear my mind, to re-evaluate my...our relationship."

"Bones, when you were in the Mukluk Islands..."

"Muluku Islands."

"OK, Muluku Islands, did you re-evaluate our relationship?"

"Yes Booth, I thought about it quite a bit."

"And what did you decide?"

"I decided that perhaps, someday, it might be possible for us to enter into a more intimate, affectionate relationship."

"Well that's something I guess."

"It may never happen Booth."

"I know. But if it ever does, you will let me know, won't you?"

"Yes Booth. You'll be the second one to know."

Booth looked puzzled for a second. Then he laughed. "I get it. You'll be the first to know. Right? You made a joke."

"I have developed quite a sense of humor over the last year."

Booth and Brennan and Sweets

It had been almost five months since Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan had resumed their "working" relationship. They had started out walking around each other on eggshells. A bit too polite, a tad too careful about invading each other's space. But gradually, with care and respect, they had begun to be more at ease with each other. They still were not back to where they were before they had parted, and Hannah had entered, but they were close. Both of them seemed comfortable with the situation and with each other and were back in FBI ordered couples therapy. Sweets was happy with their progress, and took most of the credit.

"Good morning Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan. Anything interesting happen this week? How is the new case?"

"Just routine," said Booth. Unidentified decomposed body, turned out to be a drug dealer who was in the wrong place and was executed by a rival dealer."

"There were some interesting irregularities in the formation of the skeletal structure that lead to the identification," added Dr. Brennan.

"You should have seen Bones, Sweets. She was giddy as a schoolgirl putting those bones together." Booth smiled and looked at Brennan with pride.

"Stop it Booth! I have never been 'giddy' in my life", said Brennan, patting him on the arm. Besides, my new intern, Cindee, was most helpful. She was the one who first pointed out the skeletal abnormalities. Also we were able to use the Rynogeny 50, the new bone scanner. It was very exciting."

"I like Cindee. She seems almost normal", said Booth. "Even if she is an Indianapolis Colts fan."

That's when Sweets noticed something. While Dr. Brennan was patting Agent Booth's arm he covered her hand with his own, and she didn't protest This touch lasted a couple of seconds, and then both withdrew and looked slightly embarrassed.

"So everything is good professionally. How about personally? Any disagreements? Bickering?"

"Nope", answered Booth.

"Nothing", answered Brennan.

"Then I'll see the two of you next week."

"Bye Sweets", they said in unison and out the door they went.

Sweets leaned back in his chair, his fingers interlocked and a puzzled look on his face. "Oh Boy!"

Someday

"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending."
Carl Bard

It had been a long day. Booth was tired and frustrated. Not only was the latest case far from solved but Bones had been avoiding him for two days. She wasn't answering her phone or returning his calls and had been a no show at the coffee cart this morning. Booth knew he would never be able to completely unravel the riddle wrapped in an enigma that was Dr. Temperance Brennan, but he did think that they had an understanding of sorts. Perhaps he was wrong; he had been before. After taking out some of his frustration in the FBI gym he started for home. He made a quick detour by Bones' apartment building. Her windows were dark and no car in her space. As he pulled up in front of his apartment one mystery was solved. Brennan's car was there taking the space where he usually parked. As he maneuvered in to an only slightly illegal spot Booth wondered what the hell was this all about. As he walked down the hall he saw her sitting on the floor outside his door. As soon as she saw him she stood up and started in on him:

"Booth, where were you? You are very late."

"Sorry Bones. Didn't realize I had to check in with you."

"You're being sarcastic, right?"

"Damn right I am" Booth answered as he unlocked his door and held it open for Brennan. "And I can ask the same question. Where have you been? Why have you been avoiding me for two days?"

"I just need some time to sort a few things out."

"And my presence would have stopped you from sorting?"

"Yes. The things I had to sort were about you. Actually about you and me. I felt the need to take a step back and evaluate our relationship. Ask myself a few questions; try to find some answers."

Booth stopped in mid-stride. There was a sudden knot where his stomach used to be. The last time she had evaluated their relationship things had not turned out very well. "So, Bones, what was the outcome of this evaluation?"

"That I need to ask you a question Booth. I need more information."

Booth plopped on the couch, looking up at her. "OK Bones, ask away."

"I have come to realize that I depend on you; trust you. I also realize how much I missed you the last two days. I don't ever want to feel like that again; empty and incomplete. As though half of me is missing. So my question is 'Is that love?' Is this what love feels like? Please tell me the truth, Booth. I need to know."

He took her arm and pulled her down next to him. "Bones, I cannot answer that question for you. That is one question that everyone has to answer for themselves. But I think you already know the answer, don't you."

"Yes, I believe I do. I love you Booth. Do you love me back?"

A single tear started at the corner of her eye. She leaned her head on his shoulder. He just held her. Her breathing became shallow and her body relaxed against his. He held her as she fell asleep. He kissed the top of her head, and just held her. He held her all night. She woke the next morning, with him still sitting on the couch, his arms still around her.

"Booth, have you been sitting her all this time? You must be exhausted."

"Bones, it was the best night of my life."

Epilogue "Sex is like snow, you never know how many inches you're going to get or how long it will last"
Joanne Woodward

Brennan stood up, took Booth's arm and hauled him to his feet. Booth leaned over her and gently kissed her cheek. He was headed south from there but Brennan stopped him.

"Booth, I am taking you to bed."

"I would like to say 'This is so sudden' but after seven years that ship has sailed. Besides, that's usually the girl's line."

"Booth, you have been awake all night and I have to go home, clean up and get to work. You should call in 'tired'."

"What? Whoa. Wait a minute!" said Booth, catching her arm and twirling her around to face him. "You can't just waltz in here, announce that you love me, then go to work as though nothing has happened."

"Well, nothing has happened, yet."

"Give a guy a minute to adjust here, OK?"

"Booth, you have been sitting on that couch all night. You already have a bad back, and that could not have helped."

"My back is just fine and in about twelve minutes I intend to prove that to you."

"Why twelve minutes?"

"I figure 8 seconds for me to throw you over my shoulder; 42 seconds to carry you, kicking and screaming, to the bedroom, 10 seconds for me to undress, 5 seconds for me to rip your clothes off. That leaves 10 minutes and 55 seconds for foreplay."

"And after that?"

"I'll have to wing it. This isn't an exact science."

"What if we just skip the throwing over the shoulder and the me kicking and screaming parts?"

"You want me to draw you a chart? By my calculations we should already be at the ripping off of clothes part."

"Well, in the interest of pure scientific experimentation..."

Booth did prove, much to Bones' satisfaction, that there was nothing wrong with his back.