Talking to Agent Green took far longer than Booth had planned. Once he began to fill him in on what Dan Warren had shared with him, they began comparing notes on things that to the initial investigators in the case had seemed insignificant, but now they seemed to hold far more meaning. A full-scale investigation into Eric Woods' alibi was being launched as they spoke, as well as compiling background information on his deceased wife Mallory, her family, and both of the Warrens. A new picture of who had motive, means, and opportunity to kidnap and either kill or hide Emma Woods had emerged and they needed to make sure they followed every lead.

"If his story holds up, he'd probably volunteer to come in for a polygraph." Booth's opinion of Dan Warren was that if he was as much of a stand up guy as he seemed to be that he would do whatever it took to help them solve this case. Of course then there was the concern about their cover being blown and as much as he hoped that Dan's 'come to Jesus' experience was honest and true, he needed to remain objective and at least a little skeptical to make sure that he and Bones remained safe.

"We'll backburner that idea until we've checked out Eric Woods' alibi. I don't want to confirm to Dan Warren that you're FBI unless it's absolutely necessary." Agent Green let out a yawn. "And by the way, the nephew out at the Woods' place is clean – no priors, both of his parents are in the Army doing a tour so he's probably just mad at the world."

"I'm going to assume that Katie Woods has been extensively investigated." As the last one to have seen Emma before she disappeared, she had been the focal point of the investigation up until now.

"Yeah, and so far other than the cloak and dagger routine between her and her friends, we haven't turned up anything that concretely connects her to the girl's disappearance." Green continued. "I'll let you know what we turn up when you check in tomorrow."

"Yeah, sounds good." Booth wrapped up the call and let out a sigh as he considered just how long he'd been on the phone and how long it had been since he'd heard any sort of noise out of his partner. He pocketed his cell phone and walked out of the small office, clicking the light off as he went. The only other light on in the house was coming from the bedroom and he smiled as he made his way down the hall. He only hoped that Bones was still up for a little naked fun to celebrate her confession that she loved him too.

She was curled up in the bed, blankets gathered up under her chin, sleeping peacefully.

Booth quickly shucked his clothes off down to his t-shirt and boxers, turned off the light and slipped into the bed next to her, the weight of him sinking into the mattress making her stir just a little bit. He knew that no matter how disappointed he might be that they couldn't celebrate before taking care of work, that this was the way a long-term relationship between them was probably going to play out. One or the other of them was always going to have something to do with work that was going to come first. Of all the people he knew, she was probably the only one who would really understand. He closed his eyes and smiled.

"You're wearing clothes." Brennan knew he had finally come to bed and she didn't even bother to open her eyes as she snuggled closer to him. She wanted to ask him if he'd learned anything new about the case, but at the moment she was more interested in just laying there with him all snug and cozy.

"So are you." He felt only a little bad that he'd woken her up. "You were sleeping." His arm easily slipped around her.

"No, not sleeping, just resting my eyes." It wasn't true at all, she had dozed off, but she wasn't going to admit it.

"Liar." He let out a soft chuckle, letting his fingers smooth back her hair so he could press a kiss to her forehead. "It's late, maybe we should save the mind-blowing sex for after we've had some shut eye." Not that he wasn't up for blowing her mind right then and there, but they worked long enough hours as it was and he was all for encouraging Bones to get a little extra sleep.

"My eyes are already shut, and it's actually impossible to have your mind blow up from having sexual intercourse, unless of course you are shot in the head in the course of intercourse." She smirked in the dark knowing he would tell her that she was being too literal.

"Look who knows so much." He dipped his head and pressed his lips against hers.

She mumbled against his mouth. "I do know quite a bit. I am a genius after all."

He laughed and broke off the kiss. Leave it to Bones to run her IQ up the proverbial flag pole. "You know what I know?" He was pretty damn smart himself, even she had admitted it to him a time or two.

"You know a lot of things." She wasn't sure if he wanted her to be specific and provide a list or if it was just one of those rhetorical questions.

"What I know is that I love you." He punctuated his confession with a kiss. "And I know that you love me." Another kiss. "And do you know what that means?"

"That you would like to attempt to blow up my mind with sexual intercourse?" As much as she wanted him, she was perfectly content to just lay together snuggled closely like this in the darkness.

"Maybe later." His smile was evident in his voice. "What that means is I still know. I'm that guy, Bones. I knew then and I know it now. I may have doubted myself when you weren't ready on those steps before we went off to different parts of the world. But you are the woman I want to be with. I don't want anyone else. Ever." He only hoped that the intensity of his claim wouldn't spook her the way she had been when he'd first confessed that they could be one of those thirty, forty, or fifty year couples.

"While that is highly irrational, given the type of work that we do and all of the associated dangers, I want to believe that we could be together for a very long time." Brennan hoped that she didn't sound doubtful, she had jumped into this new facet of their relationship with all of her brain and as much heart as she could muster.

"I know that we'll be together for a very, very long time." The fact that she had brought up the idea of a child earlier, even if it was in a very Bonesy response to the feelings he had about being separated from Parker, it made him believe that she had put all of herself into this thing between them and that she was in it for the long haul. That thought made him beyond happy.

"I really want that, Booth." Her voice was tinged with doubt. "I do. I hope that we can have that. I hope that circumstances don't steal that from us because I'm not sure I could bear it."

"Lots of people get happy endings, Bones." Booth pulled her a little closer.

"I don't want just a happy ending, I want a meaningful life filled with happy moments, with the end as far off into the future as possible." It was perfectly rational that there should be no reason for them to rush to get to the end. To be at the end would imply that they were finished, and she most certainly wasn't ready for that.

He let out a soft chuckle and kissed her forehead. "I want that too, Bones, I want that too."

She smiled, satisfied. "Good."