Apologies for the delay. Just this French essay to get out of the way, then I can get back to writing again. Wish me luck!

I don't own Bones, sadly, apart from the ones in my body. I'm just playing with them for a while.

When Brennan arrived, dressed in running shorts and a tee shirt, Booth was about to give up and go by himself. He knew Brennan was concerned about him, but right now he couldn't focus on that. All he could think of was his son, and of Jason Swift, who had trusted his parents to take care of him properly. His relationship to Bones was pushed out of sight, behind the case and the problem with his son. He wasn't ready to forgive Bones just yet, not until he knew that his relationship to Parker was safe. Deep down, he knew he was being unfair, but he couldn't see past the pain of possibly losing Parker.

As she got out of the car and greeted him, he pulled his baseball cap firmly down on his head and set off at a steady pace, slightly faster than he would normally. Brennan kept pace with him, but said nothing, and he soon forgot she was even there. He pounded along, working out all the frustrations of the day. Soon he found his mind wandered to where it always did when he ran; it was just his body versus the world, and the sidewalk moved easily beneath his feet.

After a while he felt the tension starting to leave his body, and he eased the pace slightly. Beside him, Brennan slowed as well, and he became aware of her breathing heavily. She still had said nothing, and it was this realization, that she was ready to stay by his side, there to give him support but not to demand attention, that told him this relationship could work. For the first time since they had stepped over the line from working together to something more, he knew for sure that they had something really special. Sure, she had said some things that maybe upset Rebecca, but he trusted her; she would have said nothing that he himself didn't believe, and maybe, just maybe, Rebecca would take notice of what she had said and reconsider her decision.

Slowly the pace and rhythm broke through the barriers he had forced up in his mind, and he was ready to forgive and move on. He turned the block and headed towards home, but then turned off into the park that was a block away from his apartment. Brennan was struggling slightly by his side, he could tell from her breathing, but still she made no complaint, no attempt to slow his pace or ask for a break. He headed for the path around the park, and a hundred yards or so in, they approached a bench. Booth indicated it. "I'm just going to do a couple of circuits," he said, noting with pleasure that he could still talk easily. "Wait there if you like."

"You will come back for me?" There was only a small note of doubt in her voice. He leaned over and kissed her, and she smiled. "I'll take that as yes," she said.

He left her behind and lengthened his stride, enjoying the challenge of the slight rise in the path. The route took him alongside the edge of the children's play area; a few teenagers hung around, throwing a ball or just shouting at each other. They took no notice of him as he ran past them. He kept going, past the gardens, round the corner, down an incline that he felt in the back of his knees, then back along the playing field towards Bones. She was sitting back on the bench, staring into the distance. As she noticed him she turned towards him, and he could tell even in the half-dark that she was smiling at him. He waved, ran past, and did another circuit, but this time as he approached her he slowed down to a walk and then sat down beside her. He sat forward, his elbows on his knees, breathing heavily.

"Feeling better?"

He nodded. "It always helps, when I need to get things out of my system. You're pretty fit."

"I like to go running when I can." She smiled at him. "I find it helps, too."

They sat in silence for a moment, then when he was breathing normally again he turned to her. "What's the plan now?"

"I want to go back to Pittsburgh," she said. "We need to identify that second victim, and we've had no success so far. There must be something out there that we've missed, something that can solve this mystery for us."

Booth nodded. "I need to go talk to Charlie, and check out his side of the story. The officer who questioned him said he had no record of a boy and his father staying at the motel at around the time Jason disappeared."

"Want to share cars?" she offered tentatively.

"That would make sense." He hesitated. How far could he push this? He'd been pretty mean to her. Was she ready to forgive him? "If you were to stay at my place we could get an early start."

"I'm all sweaty, I need a shower." Bones pulled at her top, revealing an interesting glimpse of cleavage.

"I have a shower, you're welcome to use it." Booth paused. "It's a big one." He gave her the smile he knew she couldn't resist.

"Big enough for two by any chance?"

His heart leapt. She really seemed to be enjoying herself. "Uh huh."

"Well, that would save arguments about whose turn it is first, I suppose." Brennan grinned at him.

"So are we heading back to my place?"

"Race you back!" Brennan stood up and was halfway down the path before Booth had a chance to respond. His longer stride easily caught up, but she had had a longer break and easily kept up with him as they headed out of the park and along the pavement to Booth's apartment.

I'm running in a race in a couple of weeks. Guess I'd better get into training instead of making my characters run for me ;-)

Please let me know what you think of the story. I love receiving your comments.