Brennan sat in her friend's car quietly staring out of the window. Her hand was playing nervously at her bag, and Angela couldn't help but notice her friend's tapping foot. "Are you okay, sweetie?" She asked, watching the tapping foot stop and her fingers disentangle them from her purse strap.

"Huh?"

"The nervous ticks… the quiet you… are you okay?"

"I'm fine… why wouldn't I be fine?"

"You seem nervous."

"I'm not nervous. I'm tired."

"You don't look tired, you look nervous." Angela said as Brennan turned and glared at her friend with a slight smirk.

"I am not… nervous."

"What are you doing tonight?"

"Probably going to bed." She replied. "It's Tuesday night… not really a bar hopping night… besides, I'd actually have to hop." She said, regarding her foot with a nod. "And I'm not sure I'm up for that." There was a soft silence filling the car as Brennan listened to her friend take a deep breath. She knew she wanted to ask her a question, but she also wanted to avoid the awkwardness that Booth's request had given her. She needed a diversion. "So, you're thinking of getting back together with Hodgins?" she said quickly, her head turning to see her friend's jaw drop slightly.

"I never said that."

"Actually, you said exactly that." Brennan replied, a knowing smirk on her face. "Your hypothetical that wasn't hypothetical."

"Yeah… I am weak, what can I say?"

"You're not weak, Ange…"

"For Hodgins I am… and… you know, I really don't want to mess things up with him this time. I don't want to get his hopes up and crush them…"

"Then don't." Brennan said with a shrug. "He loves you, Ange… maybe that's living in the moment…"

"Bren… moments don't last forever… that's why they're called moments…" She said as she pulled up to Brennan's apartment building, her friend's eyes focusing on hers for a moment. "You know that better than anyone…"

"Maybe I'm wrong." She shrugged, opening the door, she pulled her crutches from the back seat and smiled politely at her friend, who had gone completely silent by the response that she had gotten. "Hey… um… I think Booth is going to bring me in the morning." She said, watching Angela nod her head, a smirk rising on her lips. "What?"

"You should try, you know… living in the moment…" Angela said with a knowing smile, shaking her head.

"I intend on it." She said as she adjusted herself on her crutches and turned. "Goodnight, Ange." She said, waving to her friend and closing the door, Angela watched as her friend adjusted her bag on her shoulder, and made her way confidently into her building.

Brennan made her way up the stairs toward her apartment, moving swiftly down the hallway on her crutches, she leaned on the door jamb as she looked for her keys.

"Hey, Doctor Brennan…" A younger man in his late twenties spoke from beside her, sending her attention in his direction.

"Hi Troy." She said quickly as he started to pass her on the stairs on the way to his apartment.

"Do you need some help with that door?" He asked politely as he took a step or two down toward her.

"It's fine… I think… I think I have it…" She said as she continued to dig in her bag for her keys.

"I can help…" He said as he reached the landing and glanced to her, as she let him help her look for her keys.

"Thanks… this broken foot his more trouble than it's worth…" She said as she sighed, watching him as he grinned as he held up her keys.

"Thanks, Troy…" She said as she smiled at him politely.

"Hey Doctor Brennan… do you think you'd be interested… maybe… we could get a drink or something sometime…?"

"Troy… are you asking me out on a date?" She asked, her cheeks blushing slightly as she watched the young man become slightly self conscious, shifting from foot to foot as he shrugged.

"I … well, you know…"

"Sorry Troy, she's not available." Booth's voice interrupted from the bottom of the stairs, two bags of Thai food in his hand as he walked up the steps.

"Booth…" Brennan said with a disappointed tone as she glared at her partner as he approached her, a hint of humor in her eyes. He grabbed her keys. "Cute bag." He said to Troy as he slid the key into the lock and turned it, opening the door, he walked into Brennan's apartment and closed the door behind him.

"Sorry Troy…" Brennan said with a polite smile as she reached for her bag and gave him an apologetic look as he handed it back to her. She slid it onto her shoulder and reached for the doorknob, glancing back to her neighbor.

"You and…?"

"Yes…" She nodded as she tilted her head and swung the door open. "Booth… feet off the coffee table…" She said into the apartment as she moved inside on her crutches. "Thanks again, Troy." She said as she promptly closing the door on her neighbor's surprised face.

She made her way into the apartment and watched as her grinning partner looked up at her, his eyes sparkling as he shook his head. "This is bedtime casual?" he asked in a humored tone.

"I was running behind… you had to have been right behind Angela…" She said as she swatted at his feet with her crutches, watching as he moved them off the coffee table.

"I had to drive around the block about three times… what were you two yapping about, anyway…?"

"Living in the moment." She said, avoiding his eyes for a few moments, feeling the grin on his face that was being shone in her direction.

"Really…?" He asked, tossing the bags onto the coffee table, he stood up and approached her slowly.

"Yes." She said, trying to move backwards, she could feel the end of her crutch hit the leg of the coffee table.

"Whoa…" he said as he reached for her, grabbing hold of her arms before she fell backwards, her body swinging around and landing in his arms, as she tried to right herself, only to nestle farther in his arms as he helped her back to her foot. "You okay…?" he asked as she gripped his arms tightly, watching his eyes as she seemed to slip into a very serious mode for a moment.

"Yeah… yeah, I'm okay… are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine…" He shrugged, noting that they were only inches apart. She had a mischievous glint in her eye and he returned the same look into hers. "Though… I'm a little bothered by the little twerp in the hallway…"

"What little… oh…" She grinned. "Troy?"

"Yeah…"

"Well look at that…" She said with a grin, her blue eyes wide and bright as she still refused to let go of his arms, her hand lifting slowly to his cheek as she tilted her head. "You're jealous…" She said with a giggle.

"I am not jealous!" he exclaimed as he tried to take a step backwards, only to be pulled closer by his partner, her face dangerously close to his now as she moved her arm around his shoulder, resting her hand on his neck, the cool, soft skin of her hand sending goosebumps across his body. "Bones… what are you doing?" He asked as her nose touched his, her eyes set directly into his dark eyes.

"Living in the moment." She whispered as she tipped her head slightly, moved forward, and devoured his mouth with her own. He held her to him and tipped his head, slipping his tongue into her mouth as she let out a tiny whimper, her hands moving over his shoulders as she slipped her thumbs beneath his jacket and began to pull it down, hearing an almost protesting grunt from him as he pulled his lips from hers, and looked her directly in the eyes."

"Bones..." He said, swallowing, he licked his lips. "I just... I just wanted to say that... I am very glad, that you decided to live in... this moment... and not the moment about sixty seconds ago." He said, his smile sending her heart into a flutter as he watched her eyes.

"You mean Troy?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, I guess you were just at the right place at the right moment..." She said, her fingertips dancing over his neck as she looked deeply into his eyes.

"You can say that again..."

"I said... I guess...Mmmm!" She exclaimed with a giggle as he hushed her with another kiss as he tipped them both backwards and sent them crashing down onto the couch carefully, with her weight pushing down on him, as they lost themselves in the moment.