He pulls back slowly, his heart racing and his palms dampening the strands of hair held in his hands. He dares to open his eyes and look at her, silently confident in his assertions, needless to say he is stunned when he feels the sharp sting of her hand across his cheek. His hands automatically leave her hair and one reaches up to cradle the offended cheek. He steps back from her and lowers his eyes to the floor, instantly shamed.

"I'm sorry. I deserve that…"

She lowers her eyes to the floor, her cheeks flamed by her discomfort. Booth, still holding his cheek, walks into the lounge leaving her leaning against the door. Her fingers touch her lips gingerly, the tingling sensation that his lips had caused still lingering. She is torn between going to him or leaving and her anger, although still there, has dissipated slightly. She hears the leather of the sofa creak under his weight and something inside of her wants to go to him. She turns and opens the front door pausing on the threshold, still undecided. The image of Rebecca answering his door last night is enough to propel her over the threshold and towards her car.

Booth hears the front door close quietly, the engine of her car roar to life, the gravel crunch under the car tyres. Leaning back further into his sofa he closes his eyes and silently curses himself for his lack of tact or respect.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She walks into the deserted halls of the Jeffersonian, the lights flicker on as she passes through each section. She reaches her office and lets out an audible sigh, this is where she feels safe, comfortable. Her altercation with Booth this evening has shaken her slightly, she prides herself on being sure of almost everything, and yet with Booth she is never sure of anything.

She enters the office and settles herself at her laptop, booting it up and then concentrating on the file notes in front of her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Booth opens his door and sighs resignedly as his brother faces him with a confused look. Booth walks back into the lounge and flops onto the sofa. Jared closing the door behind him follows.

"You okay See?"

"I'm fine" He lies.

Jared's eyes roam over the untouched pizza and then back to his dejected looking brother. He drops his keys onto the table and perches on the end of the table.

"Jared, I have a sofa."

"I can see that…. So what gives?"

Booth shakes his head and remains silent. Jared smirks and leans back on one hand. "What have you done Seeley."

"Why didn't you tell me you called things off with Bones?"

Jared shakes his head and huffs out a chuckle. "I knew this had to be about Temperance…. It only just happened last night See, I didn't exactly have time to let you know…. I take it she managed to find the time though."

"Yeah.. she did. She showed up here and – "

Jared holds up his hand and pulls a face "You know what, spare me the details. I don't need to know what happened…"

"Rebecca was here when she got here. Nothing happened." Jared looks at his hands and then pats his brother's knee. "What happened with you and Bones Jared? Why did you end it?"

Jared moves to sit on the sofa, reaching across to the table he picks up a slice of the untouched pizza. "We agreed that since you were in love with her, it wouldn't be right to continue the relationship." Booth's eyes rise to meet Jared's. "I guess that since she was in love with you too, that made things even more difficult."

"She's not in love with me. Trust me, I've got the bruises to prove it."

Jared's confused expression returns and Booth shakes his head and holds up his hand. "You think that might have anything to do with her finding Rebecca here last night? She was on her way here to let you know how she felt about you, and when she gets here she runs into the mother of your child. Was Parker here?"

"No." Booth hangs his head. "Don't give me that look Jared."

"You're not even looking at me, how would you know what look I was giving you?"

"Years of being on the receiving end of it has honed my senses. She came over to discuss some extra time for me and Parker. That was it."

"Was it?"

Booth lets out a deep sigh and leans back. Jared takes another bite of the pizza shaking his head.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Zack bounds up the steps to the platform after swiping his security pass through the scanner. He is almost taken aback to see Brennan already working over the bones.

"Dr Brennan."

She doesn't look up from the table and points to the folder behind her. "Pass me that will you Zack."

He nods and passes the folder to her. She glances up and smiles appreciatively. "Thanks."

"Did I miss something?"

"No. Of course not." He beams at her underlying praise. "I just managed to discover that the unidentified body was not one of the suspects. In fact, I'm almost certain that the John Doe was a hostage of some kind."

Zack looks confused, Brennan smiles and ushers him over to the set of remains. "I noticed on one of the victim's wrists that there was a plastic residue on the bones before they went for cleaning. I looked back at the pictures that Angela took and I noticed that it was identical on both wrists. When I compared it to common materials, I found out that it was garbage ties."

Zack studies the prints on the table and then looks at the wrists of the skeleton. "But that would have taken hours to discern."

She nods and smiles. "I need you to work with Angela on the reconstruction, I need a face for this victim as soon as possible." Brennan looks around the lab. "Where is Angela?"

"Um, Dr Brennan… it's seven thirty am. No one comes in until after eight."

Brennan looks at her watch almost as though she doesn't believe him. She nods "I didn't realise it was so late."

"It's not, it's early Dr Brennan."

"Okay Zack, just continue putting the markers on the skull for the facial reconstruction. I'll be back in an hour or so. If Cam asks, tell her I've gone home to shower."

Zack nods and watches her leave.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Brennan lets the spray of the spray of the shower wash over her. Time had once again escaped her and she'd spent a long night engrossed in her work. She turns off the shower head and reaches for a towel, wrapping it around her tightly and squeezing the remaining liquid from her hair. She may not have been able to get any sleep last night, but at least her mind hadn't been full of thoughts about Booth. She knows that he will come by today and she knows that he'll be ashamed of his actions, he'll apologise and they'll continue their professional relationship. Things are going to change and while she longs for it she's also afraid of it.

She hears a knock at her door and shrugs into her robe. Going through and opening it slowly she is taken aback to see Angela on the other side waggling two cups of coffee in her face and wearing that grin that only Angela seems to wear.

She forces a smile and steps aside.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Angela sips on her coffee as Brennan takes their empty plates into the kitchen. Angela follows.

"So he just kissed you?... No romantic declarations of love first?"

"It wasn't like that Angela. I don't think Booth is in love with anyone to be honest. I mean he's slept with Rebecca and Cam in the past month and then tried it with me. I think he has low self esteem."

"Sweetie, stay away from the psychology. I wish I could just bump both of your heads together. He didn't sleep with Rebecca."

Brennan turns to watch Angela who has raised her coffee to her lips. "What did you say?"

"I said, he didn't sleep with Rebecca. When you went around the night before last, he told me that she was there. Why were you going there Bren?"

"I don't know."

"Oh come on, you do. You are just too afraid to admit it now. Say it with me Bren, I went there last night, to tell Booth that I wanted to give us a chance…. I believe in you, you can say it."

"It's not as simple as all that."

Angela rolls her eyes and leans back against the counter. "It is that simple. You just have the knack for over complicating things which is weird since you are basically a low maintenance chick. Explain this to me, I'm already late for work anyway.."

"I don't know how to explain it. One minute I'm dating Jared who's funny, smart, good looking.. a good match.. and then the next I'm…." She stops and sighs unable to complete that sentence. She seats herself at the breakfast bar and leans her chin on her knuckles. "Ugh, this is all Jared's fault."

"How's that?"

"If I hadn't gone out with Jared then none of this would have happened. I liked how things were, I liked our dynamics."

"Liar."

"I did. I liked that Booth would come in and he and Zack would have this strange relationship. I like that you and Booth would flirt, that Jack was completely paranoid about Booth being an FBI employee, I liked that we would be able to fight and still remain friends."

"And yet, you fail to mention the long lingering looks, and never ending flirtatious banter. Sweetie, it's been obvious to everyone but you from the start that you two are made for one another."

"Angela. Please, don't. Whatever reason I went to see Booth for that night, I refuse to be just another woman that he sleeps with…"

Angela's eyebrows seem to crawl across the ceiling at this comment. "Whatever happened to sex just being sex?"

"There are some people you can't just have sex with." Booth's words resurface and she frowns. He had said the exact same thing to her once. Angela watches her friend in silence, Brennan's brow has knit together as she contemplates something.

"What is it Bren?"

"Nothing, it's just that Booth said that to me once."

Angela grabs her purse from the kitchen counter and slings it over her shoulder "Maybe you should stop and think about that then."

Brennan looks up at her confused. "Why?"

Angela puts her hand on Brennan's shoulder and guides her out of the kitchen towards the door. "Because Bren, if he meant that… then what does that mean for him trying it on with you? If he can't just sleep with you, then what other possible motive would he have for kissing you?"

Brennan lets out a small sigh as they make their way out of the apartment.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Booth walks into the Jeffersonian. Angela spots him and waves making her way towards him. He groans inaudibly at her chipper appearance. His eyes unconsciously scan the floor for Brennan. Angela takes his arm and starts to lead him to her own office.

"Relax sweetie, she's in her office. Best to give her some space don't you think?"

"She told you?"

"Yeah, way to go on the kissing, not so way to go on the doing it right after she ran into Rebecca at your place."

"I need to know what's going on here Angela. I've made such a mess of this whole thing."

"Yeah, you got that right… But don't worry, I'll help you fix it."

"No, I don't want anyone's help. It's how I got into this state in the first place. I need to figure this out myself..without anyone's advice."

Booth storms ahead to Angela's office leaving her to watch after him. She shakes her head and takes a deep breath before going to join him with her findings.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hmm the case hasn't really picked up has it? I keep getting too wrapped up in what's going on with the characters.

I'll try harder for the next chapter.