He stands with his back pressed to Parker's door, waiting, listening…hoping. After a few seconds he hears the lamp in his bedroom being turned off. Another few seconds and his heart sinks. He could have sworn that he saw something in her eyes, some sort of longing to open up to him. But not tonight. Over the couple of months he had begun to feel that he had been pushing her away, his relationships with both Cam and Rebecca hadn't promoted his feelings for her. She was just so hard to read.

He pushes away from the door and settles into the single bed, pulling the space ship covered sheet up to his chin he folds his hands over his eyes. He'd been so sure that she was starting to understand the way that he felt about her, then with his weak submission to Rebecca, something between them had changed. Rebecca would always have a place in his heart, to an extent he still loved her, his mother told him that it was because she was the mother of his child, but he knew that could never be enough for him. Cam, she was exciting, so full of life, aggressive… but it was a purely physical connection. When he'd realised that she held a deeper attachment he had come clean and they'd mutually agreed to call it off.

Neither woman was the reason for his recent sleepless nights. Temperance Brennan was the only creature torturing his mind. Bones and his brother. He couldn't really get his head around it. The idea that he may have pushed her into the arms of his brother is what kills him the most. He'd been too scared, too scared to lose the undefined relationship, the comfort, that they share.. and now he believes that he may just have just lost so much more. Having her only ten feet away, sleeping in his bed only adds to his tension. Closing his eyes he lets out an almost silent groan and prays for sleep to take him away.

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Brennan carefully tip toes around Booth's home, her cab is on it's way, Jared is going to meet her at her apartment and Booth hasn't come out of his room yet. As she stoops down to pick up her shoes, she catches sight of a very sleepy looking Booth padding down the hall towards her. He runs a hand through his already ruffled hair and gives her a lopsided grin.

"You're leaving now?"

"Yeah, I'm really sorry for imposing…"

Booth frowns and reaches a hand out to rest on her shoulder "You are always welcome here Bones.. I'm just sorry you weren't here on more pleasurable terms" He watches as a confused look passes over her features and realises how that sounded. "I mean… because you wanted to be here..I didn't mean… You know."

A car horn outside interrupts the awkward silence and Brennan noticeably startles. A look that resembles relief passes over Booth's features and he forces a smile. She hooks a thumb over her shoulder.

"I should go. Thank you again…."

He nods and smiles as he watches her walk out of the house, shoes dangling between her fingers, the door closes and he slaps his forehead. "Idiot."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As the cab pulls away Brennan leans her head against the window and lets out a sigh, watching as the house disappears a frown graces her features. "I did want to be here."

"Sorry? What was that Ma'am?"

She glances at the cab driver who is smiling pleasantly at her in the rear view. "Nothing, sorry."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Booth pads into his bedroom from the bathroom, a toothbrush hanging from between his lips, he tosses a shirt onto his bed and opening his cupboard pulls out a tie and suit. He wanders back into the bathroom and returns a couple of moments later minus toothbrush. After changing into his suit, he dumps his pyjama bottoms into the laundry basket and picks up a pillow to start stripping the bed. The pillow in his hands, his mind wanders to the fact that she'd been here, in his bed and without thinking he raises the pillow to his nose inhaling her scent, but almost as though she had never been there, all he can smell is his soap and his shampoo. Dejectedly he continues to strip the sheets.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As she lets the water from the shower head skim over her body, Brennan casts her mind back to the night before. Seeing Jared today had been like a breath of fresh air, he was so simple, so uncomplicated… she didn't have any of the conflict that she felt with Booth… she was starting to realise that it may be because she just didn't feel for Jared. Her mind is so torn between the brothers, between the man that she should want, and the one that she is now starting to slowly realise she does want.

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I just had to do a little before and after to fill in for the 'stop over' at Booth's place. It is short, but I promise the next one's gonna be a brilliant chapter!