(Two Bodies in the Lab)

Thank you for reviewing my story. Remember this story is AU.

I don't own Bones.

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"You love me?" Brennan was stunned. Was Booth saying what she thought she meant? "As a friend? You love me as a friend?"

Afraid he was scaring her, Booth knew he had to be careful, but he really needed to be honest with her too. "No more than a friend. I've been in love with you for a while or at least I think I have. I was just too afraid to say anything. I know you don't believe in love and you think . . ."

"I have to go. I have a headache." Brennan felt like she was bordering on a state of panic and she couldn't stay. Standing up, she retrieved her purse from the floor next the chair she had been sitting in. "I have to leave."

She left so abruptly, Booth knew he had frightened his partner very badly. Afraid he would never see her again, he turned off the television and closed his eyes. His hand found the down button for the bed and he lowered the bed so that he was lying at a less steep incline. Gamely, he tried to accept that he'd made a mistake and the consequences. He knew about her personal history, he knew that she didn't believe in love or God or monogamy, but he had almost lost her that day and the thought of losing her without saying how he felt about her seemed to be so wrong. She needed to know that someone loved her and that someone was him. Now she did.

Certain that the fallout was going to be bad, he clinched his jaw and fought to keep from becoming too emotional over what had just happened. After all, this was just more of the same. Besides his Pops and his son, no one loved him and he guessed they never would. He was a gambling addict and he had a quick temper. How bad is it when your own parents hate you?

He knew he wasn't someone that most people would consider a good man. He'd learned that lesson a long time ago. No one really cared if he lived or died. That's what it meant to be Seeley Joseph Booth.

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She didn't go far. Once the elevator deposited her on the ground floor of the hospital, Brennan moved across the Lobby and stopped near a group of unoccupied chairs. Torn between leaving and staying, she compromised and sat down on one of the chairs.

He loves me? Love isn't real. Love is just chemicals and they can fade very quickly. He says he loves me, but what does that mean? Is he willing to jeopardize our partnership? Does he want an intimate relationship with me? Has he changed his mind about having sex with me? If so, why risk our partnership our friendship over something that would probably be fleeting? I don't understand.

She was afraid and she knew it. Besides her parents, no one had ever professed to her that they loved her. Since she knew that love wasn't real and that it was mere chemicals controlling the person experiencing it how could she trust it to last? Her parents had loved her and they disappeared when she was fifteen and her brother . . . well what can you say when someone who is supposed to love you just gives you to the state of Ohio because they don't want you anymore? If her family could stop loving her then how could she trust Booth not to lose his feelings of love for her? How could she trust anyone with her emotional wellbeing?

Yes, I want an intimate relationship with Booth because I'm attracted to him and he's my friend, but what if it all goes wrong? We don't have a lot of things in common and therefore it is likely that a personal relationship would shatter sooner or later. I know that. Booth has admitted that he's been in a lot of failed relationships. Look at what happened between myself and Peter.

Confused about her feelings and afraid to make a decision, Brennan sat in the Lobby of the hospital and debated her next move. Booth was alone in his room. He had professed that he loved her and she had run from him. She always ran when someone tried to get too close to her. She knew that. The thought of her happiness being contingent upon someone elses happiness made her wary of most relationships. Peter had been an experiment and that hadn't turned out well at all. Yes he hadn't professed that he loved her, but they had had a lot in common and they should have been compatible. In the end, Peter had tried to control her and she couldn't allow that. She had not been willing to allow Peter to control her destiny or her happiness.

Booth is my friend. Besides Angela, I've never had a friend like him. He isn't afraid of my intellect. He actually admires it. He's a great friend. I've never known anyone like him. We are accomplishing a lot as partners and we are both highly respected in our fields.

She thought of their rocky start and she knew they were both temperamental. They were careful in their partnership not to push each other too much. They both remembered the slap that had kept them apart for almost a year and they knew there was a line they couldn't cross when they bickered. They argued and bickered a lot because they both were opinionated, but they were careful not to say or do anything that would destroy their friendship. They liked each other too much to let that happen.

Since she had become Booth's partner, she had learned that she could trust him. When she was confused about something, she knew she could ask him about it. Between Booth and Angela she had learned a lot about friendship and how to handle certain social situations. Her partner could be impatient with her, but in the end he always helped her and she appreciated it. She also had a tendency to be impatient with Booth when it came to certain things and yet he never seemed to let it consume him like it did others she'd dealt with in the past.

He's kind to me most of the time and he's willing to listen to me. He likes me the way I am. He's told me this in the past and I believe him. Unlike Peter or Michael, he doesn't try to force me to do anything I don't want to do. Booth is honest with me and I value that trait the most. I trust him.

I do trust him. I have never trusted anyone like I trust Booth. Can I trust him now? Can I trust myself?

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She stood in the doorway and stared at her friend. He appeared to be sleeping and she knew that he needed the rest. It was all part of the healing process. Torn between entering the room and leaving that decision was taken out of her hand.

"Are you going to stand there or come in?" Booth had known she was there when he caught a whiff of her perfume in the air. He loved that particular perfume and appreciated it when she wore it. When she didn't say anything, Booth opened his eyes to make sure if she was still there. "It's okay, Bones. Come in. I think we need to talk."

Determined not to allow her fears to control her, Brennan silently entered the room and moved over to the vacant chair near his bed. After she placed her purse on the floor she sat down. "I apologize for leaving earlier. I should have stayed."

Her tone of voice worried Booth. She was using her 'lost' voice and that wasn't good. When she was unsure and afraid she had a tone of voice that Booth thought of as her 'lost' voice. She was strong and brave, but there were times that situations confused her and made her uneasy. She wasn't confident when it came to most social situations and Booth knew that. It was one of the reasons that he was willing to forgive her when she said hurtful things to him. He knew she was blunt and honest to a fault. This caused misunderstandings with some people she dealt with and in the end some of those situations caused her emotional pain. He knew a lot of people considered her to be cold, but he knew better.

Much to his embarrassment, he'd caused her emotional distress and he wasn't sure how to fix it. He hoped she would forgive him. "I didn't meant to upset you, Bones." Cautiously, Booth tried to apologize without making the situation worse. "I shouldn't have upset you like that. I'm sorry. I know you don't believe in love and I shouldn't have told you how I feel. I don't want you to think I'm trying to force you to do anything. This is my problem not yours. I'm still your friend and I don't expect anything else from you. I hope we're still partners and friends." He quit talking and hoped she wasn't there to tell him they were no longer partners.

Not really sure what she should say, Brennan remained silent for a few minutes while she decided how to respond. The sad look on Booth's face told her that she was probably taking too long and he was worried. "I shouldn't have left earlier. I should have stayed and talked to you. I'm sorry I did that . . . I came back so we can talk."

"Thank you." Booth was grateful that she had come back. He was still worried that she might want to severe their partnership. "I know you're science all the way and you don't believe that love exists, but I do believe in love and I wanted to be honest and tell you how I feel . . . Look, just because I love you doesn't mean I expect you to love me back. I know you don't love me and that's fine. It's more than fine. So don't worry about it. I don't want it to ruin our friendship . . . please?" He had said that last word so softly she had almost missed it.

"Please Booth, stop apologizing for how you feel." It made her sad that she had made him so apologetic especially when he was just being honest. Wasn't that something she valued about him? His honesty? "Yes, I don't believe in love, but I do recognize the influence of chemicals and hormones on the human body that make you believe that you're in love . . . I feel those chemical reactions too."

Brennan looked away from Booth, nervously cleared her throat and returned her gaze upon his battered face. "I value our friendship and our partnership, Booth. I have never trusted anyone like I trust you. You are honest and brave. You're loyal to those you consider friends and family. You're determined to help the weak and to get them justice when they need it. You're a kind and good man and I am actually honored to be your friend . . . I . . . I would like to have an intimate relationship with you Booth. I don't believe in love, but I do believe in trust and I don't think I trust anyone as much as I trust you. If you are willing to jeopardize our partnership so that we can become a monogamous couple then I am willing to do the same."

Stunned, Booth stared in wonder at Brennan. "You think I'm a good man? . . . You want to . . . you want to be in a relationship with me?"

Slowly, Brennan nodded her head. "Yes."

Reaching out his hand, Booth grabbed her hand and held it tightly. "God Bones. You've really surprised me here. I thought you came back to tell me we weren't partners anymore and instead you've made me the happiest man there is." He pulled on her hand forcing her to stand. Once she was closer, Booth kissed the back of her hand. "I do love you Bones. I don't expect you to love me, but I want you to know I love you."

"I know Booth." Brennan leaned forward and kissed him. "I just hope we're making the right decision. I value our friendship immensely."

"I do too Bones. We'll make this work." Booth returned her kiss and was so happy he felt no pain.

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