A/N: Hey there! Sorry for such a long time between updates. You'll never guess who had a tad case of writers' block...ME! Oh and I was a bit distracted by that you know, little insignificant incredibly amazing game between the US and Algeria this morning! AHH! My brother cried. No joke. It was amazing. But here it is, the next chapter. The time stamps will still be there for a while; I haven't exactly decided where/when they'll stop. But anyway, please enjoy and let me know what you guys think :)

August after senior year

Brennan looked around her new apartment and sighed. Packing and moving alone was not her first choice but the Army extended Booth's training by another month, meaning she was moving to D.C. on her own. She had been living in D.C. for a few weeks alone, which didn't thrill Booth.

She was just happy she had finally finished unpacking. But it still didn't feel like home yet.

She was alone. And she hated that feeling…not that she couldn't take care of herself.

But she still wasn't used to having an empty apartment. Booth had found them an apartment in D.C. and promised to help her move in. Neither of them expected Booth to be the best in his class and be recommended for further training. It was an opportunity they both knew he couldn't pass up.

The new apartment was smaller than their one in Chicago but she knew they couldn't afford anything like their old one. The Georgetown neighborhood was expensive, too expensive for one doctorate-bound anthropology student and one Army ranger, so a small apartment, where the kitchen, living room and bedroom were all in the same room, was all they could afford.

She lay on the bed and stared at her surroundings. Brennan could see every corner of the apartment from where she was. Admittedly, it was a step down from where they had been, but once she had her dissertation challenged, was awarded her doctorate, and found a good job, they could move out and into a bigger place.

Maybe a house. With a yard in a good neighborhood with schools close by, she thought.

She wasn't sure exactly when she had seriously started thinking about a family, but it probably started the weekend before she left for D.C. when Angela took her dress shopping. Standing in wedding gown after wedding gown was really when things started to set in for her.

She hadn't found a dress. She really wasn't thrilled with the dresses Angela had picked out for her either. Brennan wasn't one for giant ball gowns and layers of tulle and organza. She wanted simple.

Nothing is all that simple.

Her life wasn't simple. She should be living with her fiancé and she shouldn't be worried constantly that he was going to be sent away to war without giving her any warning.

Brennan wanted to be angry at Booth for choosing this career path, angry that he would give up a life of ease for a life of danger. But she loved him more than anything and she'd give anything to make him happy.

The phone rang and Brennan jumped off the bed to answer it. She leapt over the couch, around the kitchen table and slid on the kitchen tile to grab the phone by the third ring.

"Hello?" her breaths came out in pants from racing to the phone.

"What are you wearing?"

"Really? We haven't talked in almost two weeks and that's the first thing you say to me?" she tried to sound upset but her laughs ruined the charade.

"I miss you, Bren."

"I miss you, too, Booth. When are you coming home?"

"Soon. I think."

"They still haven't told you? Ugh, I hate this, Booth. I know this is what you want but I miss you. And…I have…biological urges that need satisfying! I want you to come home."

He laughed loudly. "Trust me, that will be the second thing that I'll do when I see you."

"What's the first?"

"Saying hello. Duh. Wow, for a genius, you really don't get the proper way to great someone."

"Will you please just ask someone when you get to come home?"

"Bren, this isn't like college. I can't just talk to my bosses like you talk to professors. Plus, if I come to D.C., it might not be for long. I'm in active duty, babe. Not the reserves. I'll probably be stationed somewhere."

"I don't know what that means."

"That means we should've gotten married before I left for training like I wanted to. I might get stationed across the country. Or I might get shipped out. Who knows, Bren? But there's not going to be any good time in the near future to get married."

"Oh, so a spontaneous wedding down at city hall would've been better?"

"I don't want to fight with you, babe. All I'm saying is, and I really do hate to say this, that you might have to go longer than a few months without me."

"Why?"

There was no answer for a long time but she could hear a lot of talking in the background.

"Hello? Seeley?" She hated using his given name. It didn't sound right to her but she wasn't in the greatest mood at the moment either. She just wanted him to come…home wasn't the right word for where she was living. It wouldn't be home until he was there.

"Sorry, Bren, I gotta go. Look, I'll call you when I can."

"Wait, what's going on? Just tell me what's going on."

"Bren, we're getting debriefed on something but that's all I can tell you. I'll call you tonight if I can. I love you."

She sighed, knowing that was the best she was going to get from him. "I love you, too."

She heard the click of the phone on the other end being placed on the receiver and did the same. She hated not knowing what was coming next.

"Bren, sweetie, listen to me, it's probably not as bad as you think. You're just overreacting. Just keep telling yourself that. He'll call soon. Just don't worry, sweetie."

She knew Angela was right. After a good, solid cry, Brennan picked herself up and called her friend. She was embarrassed that she would let herself cry over something that was, so far, completely trivial.

"Don't worry, Bren. Private First Class Studly is going to call you back and he's going to tell you he's coming home soon. Then, you can have your way with him and everything will go back to normal."

"I know, Ange, but…"

"No. No 'buts', sweetie. Just calm down and have a beer or something. He'll call."

"Yeah. I know. I'll talk to you later. I need to go pick up some groceries."

"Okay, sweetie. Take care, okay? Call me when you talk to Booth."

The two said their goodbyes and Brennan left for the grocery store. She ran through a plan in her mind of the quickest route to and from the store and the quickest route in the store to pick out what she wanted. Based on her plan, she estimated she wouldn't be gone for more than forty five minutes but that was too long in her mind.

Less than a half hour later, Brennan approached the door to her apartment. Struggling with the bags in her hands and the key still in her pocket, she thought she heard the phone ringing through the door.

Brennan shrugged it off, thinking she was too impatient for his call and worked on getting the key out of her pocket. She set the bags on the floor in the hallway to free a hand. Without the jostling of the paper bags, the shrill of the phone came through the door loud and clear. She burst through the door, leaving her groceries out in the hall.

"Hello?"

"Twice in one day you answer the phone out of breath. Are you constantly working out or something?"

"Booth. Hi."

"Hi, babe. Do you have a minute to talk?"

"Give me a minute. I left the groceries out in the hall. Hold on."

She set the phone down on the counter and ran to get her food. She set all the bags right inside the door, not bothering to take them to the kitchen just yet.

"Okay, I'm back. What's going on?"

"I'm shipping out in two weeks. I'll be in D.C. in two days and I have to be back down to Fort Benning the day before we leave. Will you call Pops and tell him for me? I wanna use all my phone time for you."

She felt like she had the wind knocked out of her. "Shipping out where?"

"I can't say."

"Seeley, I need to know."

"I'm not allowed to tell you, Temperance." Now he was mad. They never used their first names toward each other but it was even rarer for Booth to call her anything other than Bren. "I'm not allowed to tell anyone."

"Fine. How long will you be gone?"

"I don't know all the details yet, Bren. But you'll know as soon as I do…if I'm even allowed to tell you."

"I hate this, Booth. I really do." She knew she shouldn't have said that the moment it left her mouth.

"I know. We'll talk as soon as I get there. Don't forget to call Pops. Maybe me and you can have a few days to ourselves and then Pops and Jared can come spend some time in D.C. with us."

"Yeah, I'll call him in the morning."

"You know I love you, Bren. I just want you to know that."

"I do know that. You tell me all the time. And I love you, too."

"You're still mad though, aren't you?"

She didn't answer.

"I'll see you in a couple of days, babe. I might not be able to call before then, but I'll see you when I get to D.C. Call Pops, okay? I love you."

"I love you, too," she repeated before she hung up. Ignoring the bags of groceries still sitting by the front door, she dressed for bed and climbed in. It was still early and Angela would probably tease her for going to bed so early.

But it was something Brennan needed to do.

She was going to have to get used to sleeping alone.