AN: What if Booth and Brennan kissed right before he left for Afghanistan at the airport. He snuck off the base to come see her during the finale of S5.

"Dr. Brennan we really have to go." Daisy stated as she grabbed her bags. The group had said their emotional goodbyes and both were and weren't ready to leave.

"Dr. Brennan?" She asked again, as Temperance got distracted.

"Oh my god." Cam said as from afar she noticed Booth in his uniform walking up to them, focusing his attention solely on Temperance Brennan.

He had been friends with his partner in crime for so long and even in love with her for over a year. Maybe longer, but he didn't realize it up until now.

Brennan grabbed her suitcase by the handle and slowly walked up to Booth. They stood still, only a couple inches apart, their sparkling chemistry undeniable.

"Sorry, I couldn't get a pass, I had to sneak off the base and come say goodbye. Listen Bones, you be really careful in that jungle okay?." Booth cared for her. A lot. During their years of working together he had proven to be there for her when she got into trouble. When she got hurt, a little piece of his heart broke. He couldn't bare to see Bones in pain. She could have been his Bones if Brennan wasn't as scared to be with him when he wanted to take the shot. 'I knew. Right from the beginning.' He had said. Brennan needed solid facts, and 'gambling' didn't sound like rational thinking to her. She was a scientist after all.

"Booth, in a week you're going to a war zone. Please don't be a hero. Please just don't be you." She said, really needing her partner to be okay. Probably caring more for him than she would like to, scared to mess him up. He looked at her with mixed feelings, ones she could not quite explain.

Booth felt determined, leaving for Afghanistan is what he had to do to serve his country and to get a clear mind. The past year his feelings for Brennan had only grown stronger and with her rejecting him, it had made a pretty deep cut. Deeper than he would have imagined and it would take some time to heal. He felt sad because he would not see his friends and son for a year and of course Temperance Brennan was the one he wanted to see most, even though he wanted to take a distance. And lastly, he felt happy. Happy that he got to say his goodbyes at the airport.

Booth stepped just a little closer, if that was even possible and softly grabbed her hand. She looked down as his hand touched hers. To Brennan, his touch felt safe, something she had never really felt with another guy. She had felt attraction between her and other guys and could always explain it through theory. But what she felt when Booth held her hand, she couldn't quite explain it.

Brennan leaned a little closer, as she knew that Booth wasn't going to initiate. For once, she didn't know if it was the smart or the stupid choice, but she softly let her lips touch his. That soft touch, that was barely a kiss, let Booth know what he needed to. Brennan couldn't explain it to him, but she needed to get her ducks in a row. 'If that was even the right expression', she thought. Of course she cared for him and somewhere deep inside she wanted to be with him too. She just wasn't ready for it yet.

Their foreheads touched as she said, "We need to both take some time to process everything that has happened lately. We need to both do this for ourselves. To better ourselves ."

"I agree, Bones." That was all he could say, knowing what she meant. "Look, one year from today we meet at the reflecting pool on The Mall. Right by the-"

"Coffee cart, I know." She jumped in. "One year."

"One year." He nodded at her. "You promise?" He asked, making sure she would meet him there.

"I promise." Brennan said as she smiled at him, letting go of his hand.

AN: and somehow they both knew that their story wasn't over.