A/N: I can't say it enough, but thanks! Continue to enjoy!

Thanks to Melissa and Effie who are two girls I'm thankful that Bones helped bring into my life!

Disclaimer: I still do not hold any claim over Bones. Never will, I'm afraid.

ooo

They stepped into his dark apartment, diner bags in hand. Booth set the bags down on the counter and grabbed two beers from the fridge going to meet Brennan in the living room.

"Beer?" he asked knowing her answer before she nodded and took the bottle from his hand. "You want to eat in here or at the table?"

"In here is fine," Brennan replied quietly and Booth nodded. She hadn't said much since they left the lab and he was letting her work through whatever it was she wanted to discuss with him. She sat down on the couch and tucked her now bare feet up under her. The silence was nearly overwhelming in the small apartment and it took almost everything in him not to break the silence himself. "I don't know where to start."

"Start wherever you want to," he told her after the silence was finally broken. "It doesn't matter to me."

"I know it doesn't," she responded, "and I'm certain I don't deserve the patience you have given me over the years."

"Nonsense."

"Booth," Brennan stated firmly, "you've been incredibly patient and after everything I put you through…"

"Bones, none of that matters to me. You were worth the wait. Are worth the wait. None of that matters now."

Brennan bit her lip and pressed her eyes closed to hold the tears in. "There is so much I need to tell you."

"Hey, hey," he said setting aside his dinner and reaching over to massage her knee, "we don't have to do this now. It doesn't matter to me."

"I know it doesn't," Brennan said with a small smile, "but it matters to me. And I know it really does matter to you."

"Bones…"

"Please Booth," she begged as she stopped the ministrations his hands were completing on her knee. "I need to get this out."

"Okay Bones," he replied seriously and leaned back. "Go for it."

"Thanks Booth," Brennan replied. She chewed on her thumbnail as she gathered her thoughts before starting quietly. "I'm nervous about continuing this relationship when I know I can't give you want you want. At least right away."

"Bones…"

"Let me explain Booth," Brenan stopped his interruption. "I'm fully committed to this relationship, I love you. And I know you love me. But I don't know when, if ever, I'll be ready for marriage. And I know you want to have more kids but you're apprehensive about having them out of wedlock..."

"Bones wait. I'm not expecting you to marry me."

Brennan stopped his statement, "but that is just it Booth. You want marriage the illusion of happily ever after…"

"Bones I'm serious, just being with you is enough for me. I swear."

She continued barely hearing his argument, "now, I have seen marriage be a good thing for some people and though I'm exploring how I feel about changing my outlook on that I don't know when I'll be ready for that."

"I can wait Bones," Booth assured her, "and if you're never ready then that is fine too."

"Is it really?"

"Yes," Booth assured her as seriously as he could. "I'm completely serious Bones. It doesn't matter to me if we're never anything more than a committed couple, because I just want to be with you."

Brennan couldn't keep the smile from forming on her face as Booth's assurances made their way through her mind. She scooted over and tucked herself into his lap. "The dreams started simple enough, with my parents on that last day that I saw them as a kid."

"Oh Bones," Booth whispered against her hair and Brennan closed her eyes to let the images pass.

"But then it morphed," Brennan continued, "and I was standing on the Lincoln Memorial and you were there. And you were telling me that you couldn't be with me anymore. That since I couldn't give you what you wanted you had to move on."

The tears were flowing freely now and she choked back the sob that threatened to escape. She took a couple deep breaths to settle her emotions and continued shakily. "Then the next dream had me leaving. I was leaving because I couldn't stand to be around you and not be with you. Angela was trying to convince me to stay but I left anyways."

Booth wrapped his arms tightly around her and tried to transfer some of his strength to her. She continued a few moments later her voice quiet, "it was the dream that I had in the car this morning that crushed my heart."

"We don't have to do this now," Booth reminded her when her voice cut out and a sob escaped from her throat. "We don't."

"I want to," she replied, "I need to tell you."

"Okay."

"It was a birthday party for one of Angela and Hodgins' kids. The oldest, so the one she is pregnant with now I would assume. And I guess I wasn't supposed to be there. It was a surprise that I came back from wherever I was early to attend. But because she didn't know I was going to be there, you were invited. "

She paused and wiped her hands over her cheeks to dry the tears that were there. It took a moment for her to continue. "You were arriving and Angela was apologizing to me, and I turned around and you were there. With your arm around some tall blonde who had wedding rings on her finger and an obviously pregnant stomach. I collapsed and that's when you shook me awake. "

Booth tightened his grip further on Brennan and let her cry. When she finally started to calm down he turned her face around to look into her red-rimmed blue eyes. "I'm never going to leave you."

"Booth…"

"I'm never, ever going to leave you okay? Never. No matter what."

"You can't…"

"But I can," Booth insisted, "I can say that. I know you don't believe love is eternal, but I do. And when I promise to love you, I'm promising forever."

"Booth, I don't know what to say…"

"You don't have to say anything Bones," Booth assured her, "I don't care how long it takes you to believe me, but I'll be here everyday to remind you."

Brennan captured Booth's lips with hers and turned herself around to hover above him on the couch. They kissed like it was going to be their last kiss ever and when they finally pulled away, out of breath, they both had smiles on their faces. Just as Brennan leaned down to kiss him again his stomach let out a painful cry and she dissolved into giggles and pulled back.

"I suppose I should let you eat," she said with a smile, "especially since I'm pretty sure you're going to need your energy later."

"Is that a promise?"

"Yes," she said with a smirk, "yes it is."

The next morning Brennan woke up in a tangled mess of sheets and limbs and a smile of her face. Booth rested beside her, his arm wrapped around her body and a grin on his face. She pressed several kisses along his bare chest and groaned when his hands made their way down her body.

"We don't have time for this," she warned in a quiet whisper, "you have to be at work in just over an hour."

"Why didn't we get up earlier?"

Brennan giggled, "Because if you remember clearly, we stayed up exceptional late."

"Oh," Booth said with a cocky grin, "I think I remember some of that."

"You think?" she asked teasingly. "I sure hope it is more than you think…"

Booth grabbed Brennan around the waist and pulled her down on top of him with a grunt. "It was definitely more. Are you sure we can't have a little fun."

"You can't be late your first day back," Brennan replied with a huff and lifted herself off of Booth and off the bed, "but I think that if you hurry, we might be able to have some fun. I'm taking a shower."

"Was that an invitation?"

"What do you think?" Brennan asked over her shoulder with a grin and Booth laughed.

"I think I'm damn lucky," Booth answered as he jumped up to follow her and Brennan laughed when he lifted her off of her feet. Booth leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "Yeah, I'm damn lucky."

ooo

Booth stood in his empty office and looked around with a sigh. Things were eerily similar and yet so different and he was working on how to reintroduce himself back to work.

"Booth!" a voice called from the doorway and turned to see Charlie Fitz standing in the doorway, "welcome back man!"

"Thanks Charlie," Booth replied with a grin. "Were you able to hold down the fort here while I was gone?"

"I did what I could," Charlie replied with a shrug. "You have a good group over at the Jeffersonian, that is for sure."

"And those were just the backups," Booth responded with a laugh, "well, some of them are."

"And you and the good Doc are back now," Charlie responded, "which things mean will get back to normal around here."

"When are things ever normal around here Charlie?"

"Good point," Charlie responded with a laugh. "Well, welcome back anyways. Good to have you home."

"Thanks," Booth responded, "It's good to be home."

Charlie smiled and with a nod turned and walked away. Booth shifted his weight onto the balls of his feet and sighed deeply.

"Looks bare in here," another voice called from the doorway. "I figured you would have had it back to normal before now."

"It's been ten minutes Sweets," Booth responded without turning around. "I haven't had time. And Marie hasn't gotten my boxes from storage yet."

"Ah," Sweets answered and walked into the office. "How are you doing Booth?"

"Do not shrink me Booth."

"I'm asking as a friend," Sweets answered quickly. "I haven't seen you since Christmas."

"You've been visiting Julie's parents," Booth reminded him, "How did that go by the way?"

"It was good," Sweets answered with a smile, "but I'm not going to be sidetracked Booth. Seriously, how are you?"

"I'm great Sweets," Booth replied to him, "honestly. It's been a pretty great couple of weeks."

"And your relationship with Brennan?"

"Sweets." Booth growled and turned around to look at the young psychologist. "This is not one of our sessions."

"Once again Booth, I'm just trying to be a friend."

"Things are good," Booth answered and patted Sweets on the back. "Things are really good."

"I'm happy for both of you," Sweets answered with a turn. "It is good to have you both back. It was pretty boring around here without your bickering."

Booth laughed despite himself, "We are your most colorful patients."

"And I'm sure it's going to be even more colorful now," Sweets answered with a chuckle. "I'm looking forward to that."

"We will not be discussing mine and Bones' private life in our sessions. Not going to happen."

"We're going to have to discuss all aspects of your relationship," Sweets informed him gently, "because all aspects of your relationship will take into affect how you work together."

"Sweets…."

"Don't worry Booth, I don't see any problem with your partnership and relationship with Brennan, but the director is insisting."

"I'm sure you didn't fight it."

Sweets smirked, "that might be true. But don't worry, you'll be fine."

"We better be," Booth warned him, "If you break our partnership…Bones would not react well to that."

"I am aware of that Booth," Sweets answered, "and I'm not going to jeopardize that. Trust me, okay?"

"Thanks Sweets. So, tell me all about Julie's family."

"They are quiet a bunch," Sweets responded with a laugh and sat down opposite of Booth. "They seemed to like me well enough though."

"Good, Sweets. This is good."

Sweets nodded and smiled, "I feel like I've known Julie a lot longer than I have. It's strange."

"Strange how?"

"I don't know," Sweets responded with a groan. "It's just different."

"Different isn't always bad."

"I know that Booth."

"So what's the problem?"

"We've haven't even been dating two months," Sweets moaned, "It's too soon."

"Too soon?"

"To tell her I love her," Sweets answered quickly and stood and started pacing the office. "It's too soon."

"It's never too soon to tell someone you love them," Booth argued, "don't wait."

"But…"

"My turn to give advice," Booth interrupted leaning forward on his elbows, "Don't wait. She needs to know how you feel."

"But…"

"No buts," Booth continued ignoring Sweets' attempt to interject. "If it feels right then it's right. Just go for it."

"Thanks Booth."

Booth nodded and Sweets rose and shoved his hands in his pockets. "It's going to be a long day for you huh? When do you meet with Cullen and Hacker?"

"In about a half hour," Booth responded with a shrug. "It'll be basic paperwork and evaluations. When do I have to meet with you?"

"I believe you are on my schedule for two this afternoon," Sweets told him. "Shouldn't be more than a half hour or so."

"Really?"

"Did you want your eval to go longer?"

"No."

"Then be glad I've only got you for a half hour," Sweets assured him with a chuckle. "Just have to make sure you are field ready."

"I am."

"I know that," Sweets said quickly, "I just have to follow protocol."

"I know," Booth responded and leaned back in his chair. "I'll see you this afternoon."

"Yeah, see you later."

His office was once again quiet as Sweets exited and he was lost in the solace of the empty room. A knock on the open door revealed several maintenance men all carrying boxes of Booth's belongings that had been temporarily cleared out and he waved them in. The numerous boxes were stacked in the corner and Booth wandered over to them and sighed. He had more stuff than he remembered and he knew setting it back up was going to take some time.

His cell phone rang and he smiled when Brennan's name flashed across the screen. "Well good morning to you."

"It has been a very good morning," she answered automatically, "but you were right there with me."

"Is everything okay?"

Brennan laughed, "everything is fine Booth, I was calling to see how you were doing?"

"You were?"

"Yes," she replied, "your first day back has to be a little overwhelming."

"Wow."

"What?"

"You really have changed," Booth responded with a smile. "Before you would have never called to see if I was okay."

"True," Brennan answered reluctantly, "but only because at the time I didn't feel it was my place. Things have changed for us."

"Yes they have."

"And being a good girlfriend means that I check up on you."

"I thought we weren't using the term girlfriend or boyfriend?"

"We aren't," Brennan answered and he could tell she was smirking, "but the term seemed to fit into the conversation at the time."

"It did," Booth replied, "and I kinda liked hearing it."

"Don't get used to it," Brennan warned, "it won't be something you hear every day."

"Didn't think it would be."

"When is your first meeting?"

"I have to meet Cullen and Hacker in about twenty," Booth told her, "I should be out in time for lunch, want to meet up?"

"I believe that I could make some time in my day for a lunch meeting," Brennan responded with a chuckle. "Diner or Sid's?

"Diner," Booth told her, "it's closer and I have an appointment with Sweets at two I can't be late for."

"Okay," Brennan agreed, "diner at one?"

"Sounds perfect," Booth responded while he straightened his tie. "Meet you there, gotta go."

"Bye Booth, love you."

"Love you too Bones."

Booth tossed his phone down onto his desk with a smile as he prepared to head up to his boss' office for his first official meeting back as Special Agent Seeley Booth. And it felt good.

ooo

A/N: First, I wanna say Congrats to Emily Deschanel! I'm so happy for her and send my wishes for a happy and long marriage!

Second, thanks for reading and if you could take a second to let me know what you are thinking about this story. Your comments help me continue to write.

And Third, this is the final actual chapter of this story. An epilogue is in the works and also, if readers are interested a sequel. Thanks for taking this journey with me.