My muse finally let me finish this chapter, this has been so heart crushing to think about and I just had to get into words before the new year hahaha.

I am sorry so for the long hiatus on this fic. I wasn't ready to write this chapter when I got to it and then life happened and my muse led me to other ideas. I'm back though. Hopefully!

I hope you like it.

I don't own bones.

Chapter twenty

It's really you, isn't it?

Three years apart, the year of..

He had screwed up. Big time. Toby walked quickly to Brennan's dorm room and knocked quickly on it. "TB, open up." He called through the door. This time there was no going back.

He has come here three times this year. Three times he had had the chance to meet her again and Toby hadn't had the guts to tell him. But this time over the phone, he had told Booth that he had seen her. That he had seen her walking on campus. In the living flesh. Of course he had seen her walking across campus. Towards him. Because he has been lying to his best friend's face.

"Emergency TB." He knocked harder on the door and he heard her on the other side. "I know you're there. Put down the book." He smiled, because he knew she was studying.

This year had been tough and Brennan had disappeared into her books. It was already March and exams were just around the corner. He was tupid to push this upon her now. It had just slipped out.

"I asked this last week but have you seen her?" He heard the sadness in his voice. Booth wanted it to be her that he saw. He wanted it to be real.

"Actually." Toby started and he heard the gasp of hope on the other line. "I saw her yesterday. I didn't have time to call you." He said and bit his tongue at his words.

"Did you talk to her? What did she say? How did she react?" Booth's voice screamed in excitement.

"She was happy to see me." He told him with a smile.

"Did she ask about me?" Booth asked her.

"Uhm, yeah.. Of course she did. " Toby told him. She talked about him every day.

"I'm driving down to you." Booth spoke up after a moment of silence.

"Wha-" Toby panicked.

"I have to see her." Booth told him. "I'll see you in a few days." He said and hung up.

"Booth. No. Booth." Toby called into the phone even though he had already hung up.

Now he had no choice but to tell him and get beat up, probably. She swung the door open and looked at him. "What can be an emergency a few weeks before finals?" She asked him firmly.

"Uhm-" Toby panicked and walked past her into her dorm.

"Uhm?" She repeated and closed the door.

"..." Toby mumbled.

"Speak up." Brennan chuckled and folded her arms over her chest.

"... is coming." Toby shrugged.

"Speak. Up." Brennan repeated.

"I talked to Booth yesterday and one thing led to another and I accidently told him that you're here and he is on his way right now and he will be here in-" Toby glanced at the clock on the wall. "In an hour." He said and turned back to Brennan.

"You what?" Brennan panicked and hit his shoulder out of reflex. "You did WHAT?" She kept on hitting his shoulder until he grabbed a hold of her arm.

"Booth will be here and he knows you're here and he wants to see you." Toby told her cautiously.

"He really knows I'm here?" Brennan whispered. "Is he mad?" She asked.

"I mean.. He sounded over the moon on the phone but I guess we'll find out when he gets here, right?" Toby shrugged. Brennan stood there in shock. He was coming here. To see her. To actually see her.

"He did?" She whispered, shy at the thought of her boyfriend - ex-boyfriend, was over the moon excited to find her. To hold her. Once again.

"Of course, he did. He loves you, TB. You know that." Toby nudged her shoulder.

"I abandoned the life I had with them. I abandoned their love, their home. The safety that they had given me. How would they ever forgive me?" She whispered and met his eyes.

"It will probably take some time. But they all love and adore you. Of course you will find a common ground again and it would be like you never left." He reassured her and embraced her in a hug.

Booth drove into the parking lot of the college and felt his chest tighten. This was it. Three whole years apart came down to this exact moment. She would be different, he felt different, atleast.

He had driven most of yesterday, giving him more time today to enjoy her presence. Talk to her. Yell at her. Love her. These three years had opened his eyes. The girl that he had gotten to know during that year. She made him better, he wanted to be better for her. He smiled more with her. Life was better, with her.

He parked the car and got out to stretch, the four hours he had been in the car this morning had done a number on his legs. After the accident that ruined his shoulder he couldn't work out in the same way as he did before. Of course he worked out, but not as often and not as hard.

Booth glanced over to the grass and to the buildings around him. This seemed like the perfect school for her. Of course, she would go here. Of course, she would. He stopped on two people. His people. The people he had grown fond of during his senior year. There they were. Talking to each other. Something seemed- off. Toby stood near Temperance. Not in a 'I just met you again after three years' kind of way. He eyed them closely.

He scoffed and turned around. Toby had known all this time. He had known, every time they had met up. He had known. Every time they had been on the phone. He had known. He had probably met up with her after they had talked. Where they..? No, he couldn't do that, could he? Toby wasn't like that. He knew.

Booth collected himself and turned around again. This time Brennan looked right at him. He thought back to a year ago when he stood in that exact spot. It had been her. Of course, it had been her. He recognized her from miles away. The hurt and the anger left his body for a moment as his heart rate quickened. They saw each other. She smiled. At him. For him. He smiled back and let out a sigh of relief.

Brennan quickly turned to Toby, telling him something inaudible, and then. Then she started running. Towards him. The wind in her hair and the biggest smile he had seen her wear. It was like they had been away from each other for a week. Like they were reuniting after just a weekend getaway. There she was. The love that he had let slip out of his fingers. Like sand on an endless beach he never wanted to leave.

Her body crashed into his and he wrapped his arms around her waist, spinning her around. He was home. She was home. They were whole. The feeling of sorrow and not being right in this world, disappeared. Everything stopped around them. The warmth from his body surrounded her and for the first time in years, she could breathe properly.

"It's you." He whispered into her hair. "It's actually you." He added. "It was you last year. It was, wasn't it?" He asked. She nodded into his shoulder.

"I should have run up to you, I should have- I should have done more and I shouldn't have left. But I had to- I had to save your family from being destroyed and I just-" Booth let her go slightly and crashed his lips against hers. Silencing her with his lips. Creating that spark that had always been there between them. She giggled. That giggle that he had missed. He backed away and caressed her hair.

"Don't- It's in the past. We are here. In the future. Together." He told her. "I love you." He smiled. She let out a relieved sigh and smiled softly towards him. The smile she only gave him.

"I love you more." She whispered.

"Not possible." He leaned in and kissed her again. Her arms found their home on his shoulders and they pulled each other closer. His tongue granted access and it made sweet love with hers. He picked her up and put her down on the car in front of him. He stood between her legs and kissed every inch of her face. She giggled at the sensation. "I've missed you so much. So much." He whispered against her skin.

"I've missed you too. More than you know." She smiled. "Life hasn't been the same since I left." She sighed.

"Get a room." Toby called out behind them. Booth tensed up. The rage that he had found as he saw them, came back. Brennan noticed the shift in his body.

"You knew." He scolded with his back towards Toby. Brennan gasped slightly. This was not going to end well.

"Booth, I- Yes. I kn-" Toby sighed.

"You knew." Booth continued. "Every time we talked. Every time I came here. You knew. You hid her away. You kept her from me." He turned around and walked up to Toby. Brennan jumped off the car and walked up behind him. She put a hand on his back.

"Watson.." She whispered. The sound of the name that she had given him calmed him slightly.

"Booth. I knew. I did. I've always-" His eyes met Brennan's. "I've known all along. I promised her to keep it a secret. I promised her to- Until you both were ready." He put his hands up in defence when Booth stepped closer.

"You knew. You lied all of these years, man. You saw me broken." He whispered. "You saw how I struggled."

"I- I'm sorry.. I- You don't know how difficult it was to not tell you man.." Toby sighed and put a hand on his shoulder. "She would have beaten me to a pulp if she found out that I tattled on her. He chuckled and saw a tiny smile form on Booth's lips.

"That's true." He turned around slightly to meet Brennan's eyes. She scoffed and glanced at both of the boys. "You don't want the wrath of Sherlock on your hands." He put an arm around Brennan's shoulders and ruffled her hair.

"Hey, stop." Brennan chuckled.

"I wanna see your room." He smiled.

"Here or at Rose's?" She asked simply. "You have to meet Rose." She added quickly with a smile.

"Rose?" Booth asked in confusion.

"I work in her bookstore and she took me in, so I live in her apartment above the store when school is on break." Brennan explained. "She didn't want me to live in a crappy hotel, which I for one wouldn't mind. A bed is a bed." She shrugged. "But I'm thankful for her."

"Then I'll have to thank her for taking such good care of you." Booth smiled and kissed her forehead.

"I'll leave you guys to it." Toby winked. "You and me, hoops, five o'clock." He pointed towards Booth. He chuckled and nodded. Toby turned around and walked towards his dorm.

"So.. Rose?" Booth asked with a smile.

"She has been wanting to meet you." Brennan told him shyly. She wondered why she all of the sudden was shy around him. The one person she could be completely herself around.

The bell above the door announced new customers in the store. The sound always made Rose's heart flutter. She had opened the store with passion for books and it had only grown over the years.

She had passed on her love for books to her daughter. Her biggest dream in life had been to take over her mother's book shop one day. But she had been taken from this world before that could happen.

Lara, her daughter had been a lot like Temperance. Cheerful, shy but at the same time outgoing, focused on her work. That's why she had offered her a dwelling instantly. She saw something on her the moment she stepped into her shop.

"Welcome to Story books and life lessons, would you like a story or a lesson?" Rose spoke up in a cheerful tone, with her back towards the door. It had been years since she started greeting the customers with this phrase and it had just stuck.

"Rose?" Brennan called out as they walked in. Rose turned around quickly at the sound of her voice. She smiled brightly at the girl that had come into her life at the right time.

"Tempe, I was just thinking of you." Rose told her sweetly.

"You were?" Brennan asked cheerfully. Rose glanced at the boy standing beside Brennan and the back at the girl. She put a hand up to her face, hiding from the boy.

"Is that him?" She whispered with an ever growing smile. Brennan nodded with a smile that matched Rose's. Rose let her hand fall and she turned to the boy in front of her. "You must be Seeley Booth."

"I.. am.." He said with an unsure tone and glanced at Brennan for a second before taking Rose's outstretched hand.

"I have heard so much about you that I could basically be a close friend." Rose chuckled.

"Rose." Brennan hissed. This time Rose held up her hand towards her mouth away from Brennan.

"I wasn't supposed to tell you that." Rose whispered with a wink. Booth chuckled and nudged Brennan gently.

"You've been telling people about me?" He teased.

"Every day." Rose spoke up again.

"Rose." Brennan hissed once again, feeling her cheeks burn. "Not every day.." She confessed quietly.

"Well don't just stand there, we have some coffee upstairs and fresh bread on the counter cooling off." Rose smiled. "Turn the sign, sweetheart." She gestured towards the door and Brennan did as she was told.

The day went on with stories from the past few years and coffee cup after coffee cup. Rose wanted to know everything about the guy who had stolen Temperance's heart.

Booth enjoyed the company of the older lady. She could've been his mother's older sister. Which in turn, he understood when Brennan had become so fond of her.

As the clock struck four thirty, they left Rose with a hug and a wave. Brennan had to study and Booth had to find his way to the court. Their fingers interlaced as they walked back to campus.

"I wanted to hate you." Booth whispered after a few moments of silence. Brennan stopped breathing for a second before she glanced at him. "I did. I really did. I hated that you left and I hated the way you left. But I- I can't get myself to hate you." He continued and pulled on her hand for them to stop. He grasped her other hand and met his eyes with hers.

"I understand that." Brennan told him softly. She didn't want him to hate her, but what she did, what she was doing- it was unforgivable.

"No, you don't." He said quietly.

"Yes I do, my family left me. Deserted me. All alone. I know how it feels." She told him. "And here I- I still did it." She added in a hoarse whisper.

"Right.. I'm sorry.." He whispered. "I forget sometimes where you came from." He added.

"I'm sorry I left." She whispered. "I really am. I didn't know what to do and I had an out and I know I shouldn't have taken it and it was so stupid of me and I can't breathe some night thinking of how I-" Booth cut her off by capturing her lips with his. He kissed her with such force and passion that all of her thoughts and words disappeared.

"I love you." He whispered against her lips. "That won't ever change." He smiled. "This was just a bump in the road, but there is a long road ahead, okay?" She nodded slowly, feeling the palm of his hands against her cheeks.

"I love you too." She whispered back, suppressing a smile. His broad smile made her break the serious face that she was trying to hold up.

"I have to go meet up with Toby and you have to study." He touched her nose gently.

"I know.." She sighed. "Come by my dorm later? Toby will show you where it is." She questioned, knowing his answer.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." He winked and leaned in to kiss her again. Inhaling her scent. "God.. I've missed this." He groaned against her lips. "You. Your lips." He smiled.

She pushed him away from her with a giggle. "Go with you. TD is waiting." She winked and turned away from him to make her way to her dorm.

"He can wait." He smiled as he called after her.

"So can you." She purred.

"I have waited three years." He groaned.

"What's two more hours?" She giggled.

"Two hours? Are you insane, Woman?" He groaned and turned away from her.

"You know I'm mad at you, right?" Booth spoke up after a few rounds of HORSE.

"I know and I knew you would be." Toby shrugged. "It wasn't easy all of these years. I wanted to tell you." Booth bounced the basketball to the ground and caught it in his hands again.

"Then why didn't you?" Booth asked in a pained tone.

"Because she-" Toby started to explain himself.

"No, no. None of that bullshit." Booth said. "We're friends, man. Or at least, so I thought. And here you are, spending every day with the girl I love." He scoffed. "Did you think that you would have a chance with her if we spent enough time apart? Is that what it was?" He asked and threw the ball in the hoop.

"No, dude, no. I wouldn't do that to you." Toby defended himself and caught the ball. "I just- I don't know why I didn't tell you, okay? I just didn't. I was going to and then time just passed on." He sighed.

"So, you just forgot?" Booth scoffed.

"No, I didn't forget- I'm sorry." He said and put the ball on the ground. "I don't know what I could do to make it up to you. Do you want to hit me?" He asked. Booth just stared at him. "Okay, hit me." He got ready. "I'm ready, do it." He closed his eyes.

"I'm-" Booth burst out laughing. "You really think I want to hit you?"

"Of course, I do." Toby scoffed. "I lied about her, I kept her from you."

"I'm mad at the situation, I just- I wish I had had these past three years with her. I'm afraid she doesn't feel the same anymore. My feelings-" he scoffed. "My feelings doubled when I saw her. Man.. She is so gorgeous." He sighed.

"I have been sitting up for hours on end, late nights listening to her talk about you. You have nothing to worry about." Toby smiled. "You should go to her. You've seen enough of me." He teased. "I know you wanna get some." He winked.

"Oh shut it." Booth chuckled and threw the ball to Toby. "We'll meet up later." He said and backed away from him. "Hey, Toby?" He said before turning around. Toby hummed in response. "I might be mad but- thank you. For telling me." He smiled.

"No problem, man. Now go get your girl." He smiled and waved him off.

She was nervous. So nervous. She hadn't been with anyone since him. Did he want to- Had he been with anyone? Is it cheating if she left? No it couldn't be, it was like a break up.

Brennan checked herself in the mirror, smoothing out the dress she had on. It was light blue. She hadn't worn a dress in forever it felt like. There wasn't a purpose for it. She had school, and that was it.

A knock on the door startled her. He was there. Here. With her. She had waited three years for this moment, and it was finally here. She checked herself one last time in the mirror before opening the door. Their eyes met instantly but they didn't speak. Words were spoken. But not out loud.

She smiled and he mirrored her movement. He let out a small breath of air. "Hi." He whispered. A flutter of butterflies flew through her stomach. The vulnerability in his voice cut to her core.

"Hey" She responded with the same vulnerability. "You look good." She smiled and touched her chin gently. "It suits you." She added softly. His face supported a subtle stubble. He touched his chin and scratched it gently.

"Tha- thank you." He chuckled and sighed. "You're different." His eyes widened. "In a good way." He added quickly. "You're gorgeous." He whispered.

She let out a sigh of relief. "Come in." She gestured for him to walk past her. He did as he was told and glanced around the room. Brennan softly closed the door and leaned against it. She watched as he walked around the room. His hand gently touched the bookcase and the books she had collected over the years. His hand stopped on one book in particular. A worn down Sherlock Holmes book.

"You started reading them?" He asked.

"Well.." she started and pushed away from the door. "I missed you, I guess." She shrugged. He chuckled in response.

"You missed me, huh?" He smiled and glanced over his shoulder. She sat down on the bed and chuckled.

"Of course I did." She gave him a weak smile. "It broke me into a million pieces when I stepped on that bus." She whispered as she shrugged. "I regretted it every day for a year and then one day, I just- I-"

"Stop - don't." Booth spoke up and walked over to her. He stood in front of her and put his hands on her cheeks. "That's in the past, it had to happen for us to be here now, today." He whispered and caressed her cheeks with his thumbs.

"It's- I just-" She stuttered. He smiled at her nervous stutter. Booth captured her lips with his to calm her down. She moaned softly as their lips connected. A passion between them electrified their actions.

A few hours later Brennan laid her head down on Booth's bare chest. "I missed this." She giggled.

"So that's what you missed?" He chuckled.

"Totally, nothing else." She smiled and kissed his chest. He chuckled and flipped them swiftly, earning a burst of laughter from her.

"Yeah? Nothing else?" He asked in a husky tone covered in happiness. She shook her head with a bright smile.

"Nope." She said. His lips attacked her neck with kisses, earning another fit of laughter from Brennan.

The weekend passed too quickly for their liking and before they knew it they stood by his car. Toby had already said his goodbye and had left them to say goodbye privately. Booth embraced her tightly. "I don't want to let go." He whispered. "Come back with me, we can talk to mom and dad about-" He tried to convince her.

"No, no I can't. It's the middle of this semester and I have to study and-" She shook her head and backed up.

"Bullshit. You know that shit like the back of your hand." He scoffed with a weak smile. "You're scared, I know." He added. She nodded softly.

"Call when you get home?" She smiled and kissed his lips tenderly.

"Won't wait a second to hear that sweet voice again." He winked. "I love you, Sherlock." He whispered against her lips.

"I love you more, Watson." She whispered.

"Not possible." He smiled as he backed up to his car. "Not ever." He shouted. "Temperance Brennan, I love you." Booth chuckled.

"I love you, silly. Now go before I keep you hostage." She smiled and waved him off. He winked and got into his car.

Brennan watched him drive off with her heart once more. No one else would own it. This man had it forever. She let the smile on her lips weaken and the tears met her cheeks.

"Mary, where did you hide the remote?" George called out to his wife.

"You watch that thing too much now that you don't work on the car with Seeley." Mary called back from the kitchen.

"There's a game, Mary.." George pleaded. Mary sighed and gave in.

"Fine. It's behind the pillows." She told him and walked into the living room. "Seeley comes back tonight, right?" She asked her husband. He nodded in response. "I booked a table at the new italian place downtown, I thought we could-" Mary was interrupted by the doorbell. They both turned to the door. "Are you expecting anyone?" She asked him. He shook his head and they both walked to open it.

They were met by two officers in blue. Mary's heart fell into her stomach. George lost his breath, he felt his heart stop for a second. "Is this where Seeley Booth lives?" The officer on the left asked softly.

"I- ye- yes. He lives here. I'm- we're his parents." George spoke up in a hoarse voice. "What's the matter? Is he- is he- okay?" He stuttered, feeling the tears filling up his throat.

"He was in an accident." The officer told them.

"Oh no" Mary let out. "No no no, we- we- no he can't-" She stuttered.

"Ma'am" the officer interrupted her. "He is in the hospital."

"Oh my-" George spoke up. "Jared." He yelled up to the second floor. "Come down, we have to leave now." He grabbed his keys as Jared ran down the stairs. "Your brother was in an accident." He told him.

"What?" Jared let out. "No, he-"

"Sweetheart, let's not jump to conclusions. Let's go see him." Mary tried to calm down her son. Jared nodded silently and the family followed the officers out of the house.

Toby laid in his beanbag, studying for his next test. He had been anxious about it for days. It was his last test for this period. He had more in a couple of months. His phone started ringing and he was broken from his thoughts.

"Mom, let me study." Toby chuckled as he picked up the phone. There was silence on the other line. He sat up straight. "Mom?" He asked again, trying to hold off the panic.

"Toby, Honey.." Josie spoke up softly.

"Mom, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" He asked, gripping the phone tightly.

"No- ah- I'm not hurt. It's not me." She told him.

"What? Who is hurt?" Toby asked and put away his books.

"Seeley." Josie said. "He was in a car accident." She sighed.

"How bad?" Toby panicked.

"Bad."

Silence filled the space and everything went cold. He could hear his heart beating. The words between them werte spoken and never unheard. They tore away at their hearts.

"Can you- can you tell Tempe?" She asked in a whisper.

"How did you-?"

"I'm not dumb." Josie chuckled.

"I'll uhm- I'll tell her." Toby cleared his throat.

They talked until they felt lighter at heart, before they hung up. Toby put the phone beside him and let out the air from his lungs. How would he tell her? How could he?

The next day he knocked softly on her door. She swung up the door and a bright smile was stapled on her lips. "TD" She let out. "Have you heard from him? He said he would call." She chuckled. "He does have a bad memory, we all know that." She shook her head and let him in. Toby laughed internally at the irony in her statement. He walked into the room and kept his back to her. "Toby?" She let out. "What's wrong?" Her voice was tiny and barely heard.

"He didn't- uhm- he didn't make it home." Toby whispered. It felt like her soul left her body, everything went cold.

"What?" She barely whispered. "Did he-?" The tears found her eyes in seconds. They were burning her as she fought them away. "Tell me he didn't." She spoke up firmly. "He didn't. He can't be-" Brennan choked on the air around her. Her chest was caving in.

At this moment, Toby had a choice. He could tell her the truth and she could live with the fact that he has forgotten everything they have been through and might never remember her. Or- Toby turned around and embraced her. "I'm sorry, Temperance." He whispered into her hair. "I'm so sorry."

She broke down in his arms. What he didn't know was that that moment changed her completely. She would never be the same after this. Her life would never feel the same again, she would have trouble letting new people in, she would close off from social interactions more than she already did.

This changed her life completely and she wasn't sure if it could ever go back to normal ever again.

Without him to keep her up, how would she survive? How would she be able to breathe knowing he had taken his last breath? How could she ever love again when he took her heart with him?

Temperance Brennan would never be the same.

Y'ALL DONT HATE ME! hahahah Leave a review kisses to you all! Ill try to be better with the updates! love you xxx