Author's Note: Sorry for the delay guys :o( This week hasn't been the easiest for getting any writing done…between work and the holiday (Easter comes a week later for me) things have been a bit screwy. Anyhow…here's chapter 5! Yay! Please send me the feedback! And I'm expecting that the chapters should be coming a bit quicker now :o) Thanks!

Chapter 5

"Booth won't you at least let me clean the dishes?"

Walking up behind him, Temperance stacks a handful of dirty dishes on the countertop beside him.

"Absolutely not Bones! You're our guest. No way am I letting you do the dishes."

"But you went through so much trouble making that delicious dinner…"

"Oh, so my culinary skills met with your approval did they?"

On some level Booth knows that arguing with Temperance Brennan in any capacity is a pointless exercise. But as per usual, he doesn't let that deter him.

She simply wouldn't be the woman she was if she let him have the last word on anything…and that's when he decided that they'd done enough talking all together.

"…It's only fair that I—"

Leaning over unexpectantly, Booth cuts her off with the soft pressure of his lips as he catches the words right out of her mouth.

After a moment's lingering, he shifts his body away from the temptation of her kiss. Smiling stupidly over at her he asserts proudly, "Hey…I think I've finally found a way to shut you up."

Smacking him on the arm a bit roughly, she can't contain the smile plastered over her lips; no more than Booth can contain the satisfied chuckle that escapes his breath when she pushes him in her exasperation.

"Very funny…"

"…Thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment smartass…"

Even though her words are meant to chastise, her tone and the accompanying grin that lights up her face as she speaks them are anything but stern.

"Seriously now," Booth makes one last plea, "…would you relax? I've got this under control. It's just a few dishes Bones. I'm pretty sure I can handle this mission all on my own. "

"Fine," she concedes with a small smile. "You mind if I use your bathroom?"

"Sure. It's just down the hall there on the left," with one hand pointing her in the direction of the hallway, the other grabs at the dishes sitting beside him.

"Thanks," she mutters.

Moving away from him, Temperance comes first across the den where Parker sits entranced by some sort of televised sponge in Bermuda shorts tinkering around an underwater pineapple.

Scary!

Then descending down the hallway she quickly finds the bathroom; making use of the facilities, she dawdles for a few moments as she freshens up. Then opening the door and switching off the light, she catches sight of a dimly lit room across the hall. Her curiosity piqued, she steps through the doorway. The clanging of dishes from down the hall telling her that Booth is probably still occupied in the kitchen anyway. Poking her head further into the room she immediately realizes that what she's found is Booth's bedroom.

Hmm…maybe I shouldn't be in here…

It is an invasion of his privacy…

Deciding to obey her conscience, Temperance begins to retreat, but upon turning back toward the door her interest is instead drawn to the nightstand beside the bed.

What is…?

Smiling tenderly at the realization of what she's found, Temperance steps further into the room and walks straight toward the object she's discovered.

Approaching it slowly, she wasn't quite sure why she was so fascinated to discover that Booth read her book.

In fact, his apparent knowledge of her characters on occasions past had indicated to her long ago that he'd been familiar with her work.

…that isn't it…

What truly captures her interest isn't the realization that he's read her book…but instead it's more that the binding seems so worn.

How many times could he have read it…?

Sitting down carefully on the bed beside the nightstand, she sees her own picture staring back at her. The book is flipped onto its back cover; the soft light of the lamp beside it illuminating its glossy surface.

Taking the book into her hands, she flips through the pages in awe. Upon inspection, it appears that several of the pages are dog-eared…and most of them involve encounters between the heroine and her FBI agent colleague Andy Lister.

In fact all of the marked passages detail the two of them in moments rife with sexual tension and innuendo.

Her body is shocked into stillness as she just sits upon the edge of his bed, staring at the glossy cover.

"Hey…"

Her attention snaps toward the soft intrusion of her partner's voice. He's standing in the dimly lit doorway…dish towel in hand…watching her through a tender smile and keen interest.

"Hey…" her answer is considerably quieter than his, the likely result of her deep thoughtfulness.

"I'm sorry," she starts awkwardly, "…I was…uh…" knowing herself to be incapable of lying to him she confesses lamely, "…snooping…I guess is the word?"

His answering grin grows wider at her confession as he approaches her slowly. She was so beautiful to him in moments like these, moments when she tried her hardest to hide her embarrassment. It wasn't a sight that he got to indulge in very often, so when the opportunity did present itself he was always eager to savor it.

"You're forgiven," he tells her instantly. Her questioning gaze as she peers up at him from her position sitting on his bed sends a ripple of shivers up his spine.

"…Even if it bothered me, which it doesn't," he tells her, "…I doubt if I could ever be upset finding you in my bed."

She blushes violently as he chuckles under his breath, apparently satisfied by the result of his teasing. Moving to sit beside her on the edge of the mattress, his smile grows as she nudges him with her body.

Then noticing the cause of her apparent thoughtful state, Booth addresses the book she's still holding.

"Uh oh!" He's so close beside her that she can almost feel his breath on her neck, "…Busted!"

"How many times did you read my book?"

"A few…" he lies.

Her clear disbelief was not lost on him, "Booth…judging by the condition of the binding, and the wearing of the pages I'd say it was more than just a few," she challenges.

"Yeah, well you know us G-men are bound by the law to be thorough…" his lame excuse immediately falls flat.

"Booth…?"

In the air between them hangs the promise of their unspoken understanding.

"…Yeah?" He's pinned by her penetrating stare, and suddenly his resolve is broken.

"Why?"

Smiling absently as he shifts his gaze back onto the book in her hands he tells her quietly, almost confidently, "…because…it's us…isn't it?"

She doesn't answer at first. Not trusting her own voice, she nods slowly in response.

How could he have possibly known that?

At the time she'd written it nearly a year ago…even she hadn't realized her intent.

"What is it Bones?" his voice somehow managing to be both anxious and encouraging in equal measure. "Is this okay?"

And for the first time in longer than she can remember she can feel tears threatening to fall, not out of sadness or distress…but out of sheer hopeful joy.

Feeling the intense need to reassure him, she instinctively leans her body against his and drops her head onto his shoulder; her glee growing seemingly more obvious when she senses his movement as he turns into her and drops a kiss into her hair.

"Yeah Booth…" she says smiling into the crook of his neck, "…It's okay".

It's then that she feels his arm come up to wrap more fully around her side and pull her tightly into his warmth.

Marveling at the incredible feeling she can't help her soothing whisper, "…it's more than okay."

Can't wait to hear your thoughts :o) You guys are AWESOME!