Okay, so I lied there will be an epilogue after this chapter. I'm sorry I tortured everyone with the cliff hangers, I'm a sucker for cliff hangers even though I know that they are just mean and I am "angered" when others do it to me:) I try to update fast though, so I hopefully don't make it too painful a wait. I hope this chapter makes it worth it. Thank you everyone again for taking the time review, wow I could not be more pleased with your response. You guys really made my day.
And thanks to Temper Temper for inspiring me to look to the Foo Fighters for some musical inspiration for this chapter. I have a writing playlist on my itunes but none of the songs were really cutting it for the emotion needed in the first half of the chapter. I checked out the Foos and found Everlong (the acoustic version), which helped me break through. Thanks girl!
Booth burst through the door to the parking garage just in time to see Bones squeal away.
"Damn it." He muttered aloud, digging frantically into his pocket for his keys while he ran toward his SUV. His heart was slamming in his chest and his fingers were clumsy, making him curse when he dropped them in a hasty bid to hit the unlock button so he could get into his car.
He'd known that Dunham wasn't a viable suspect from almost the get go, he could tell that she was genuinely devastated and that she'd had feelings for the man they'd found dead in that empty lot. What he hadn't foreseen was how alike their situation had been to his and Bones'. They were opposites, one the stodgy scientist and the other the artist who operated from a place based more in emotion than anyplace else. Sometimes intervention came in the strangest forms and he could only be grateful that in the face of such a horrible tragedy Bones had made the connection in her mind.
Jumping into his car, he cranked the ignition and threw it into reverse without even bothering to look to see if it was clear and then sped off toward the exit. In her condition he was fairly certain she'd want to be alone until she pulled herself together so he crossed his fingers that she'd head to her apartment while he aimed his car in that direction.
His heart hadn't slowed down since he'd overheard her walls crumbling through his earpiece. He knew Molly Dunham probably thought he was completely insane when he'd gone utterly still across from her while he hung on Brennan's every word. He'd even held up a silencing hand to her when she'd looked as if she might ask him what was wrong.
She'd said everything that he'd been too afraid to ever dream of hearing her say and he'd felt frustrated and anxious being locked away in another room but unable to will his legs to move, afraid he'd miss even a moment of the confession his heart had ached to hear.
Then he'd heard her leave the room and he knew he couldn't let her go. Not when she was vulnerable and scared. She'd go somewhere and refortify her defenses to protect herself and he couldn't let her do that. For both of their sakes, he had to catch her while her wall was down, had to make her see that he would never leave her in a million years before she found a way to hide her heart away from him again. He'd hurriedly told Molly Dunham that she was free to go and chased after Bones like his life depended on it, his suspect staring after him as if he had two heads.
Angling hastily across two parking spots in her apartment's garage, too panicked to care that he hated people that parked that way, he leapt from the driver's seat and raced toward her unit. Relief swamped him when he saw her car. She was here. Now he just hoped she'd answer her door.
It seemed like the longest distance that he'd ever traversed but he finally made it to her place. "Bones!" His voice had an edge of urgency to it that he couldn't mask as he pounded on the door with the side of his closed fist. "Temperance! Let me in, please!"
Several heart stopping moments passed and he banged on the door again. "Bones, I'm not going anywhere so you may as well let me in before I break your door down."
He sounded like a crazy person and he was sure that her neighbors were probably calling the cops at that very moment, but he didn't care. He was desperate to get to her.
He lifted his fist again for another round of pounding when he heard the door lock disengage. He lowered his hand just in time for her to yank the door open, her face a tumult of emotions ranging from pain and fear to anger and also desperation. He wanted to grab her up into his arms but he knew that he couldn't do that just yet. Her stance in the doorway blocked his entrance and he could tell this wasn't going to be easy.
"Temperance, let me in."
"I need some time Booth. I can't do this right now."
His own emotions threatened to bubble over the surface but he held them back with a sharp intake of air as his eyes pierced hers. "No Bones, we need some time and we will do this right now."
He began to walk toward her and though both of them knew that she could have stopped him if she'd really wanted to, she backed up to allow him access to her apartment. Once he was clear of the door he slammed it shut behind him, never taking his eyes off of her. "I'm not letting you run away from this Bones, we're facing this together just like we always do."
She shook her head, desperate to recapture the earlier wave of anger that she'd ridden the entire day. That hot, edgy anger that had kept her safe from having to face the unknown. "I'm still my own person Booth! You can't come in here and tell me what I am or am not doing!"
Booth walked away from her and into the center of her living room, needing to put some space between them so the temptation to ring her neck would abate. He was an ex-army Ranger, a sniper, and yet his trained and skilled hands were shaking as he spun back to face her. She hadn't left her spot at the front door.
"You know what Bones, for someone who is as hyper rational and as logical as you are, you sure have a lot of irrational fears."
Something snapped in her and she stormed over to him until she was inches from his face, her finger pointed at his chest. "You don't know anything about me! I've never had anything but transient relationships in my entire life, from family figures to lovers. It isn't an irrational fear on my part but a known fact that I am not the kind of person that is meant for the long haul. I've always known that!"
Booth's eyes flashed and he grabbed her by the shoulders. His words coming out through clenched teeth. "Oh yeah? Well, let me tell you something that you don't know about me. I've always known that when I fell in love it would be for life and I'm in love with you Bones so you better just get to dealing with that!"
He gave her shoulders a tiny shake before he swiftly released her and stepped away, turning his back to the expression on her face that he was suddenly afraid to see.
Silence stretched out between them as his words rang in her mind, making her incapable of doing anything but stare in shock at his back. He was in love with her. No one had ever said that to her before, they'd never stuck around long enough. No, she corrected in her mind, she'd never allowed them to stick around long enough. Now, here in her living room was the most important person in her life, the most constant, the best friend and partner she could ever hoped to have had, and he was holding out his heart for her.
All she had to do was reach out and take it.
"I don't know how." She whispered through the fresh tears that were brimming in her eyes, her words warring with the silent conversation she was having in her head.
Booth turned quickly at her words and saw the conflict in her face, saw the fear. He took a tentative step toward her. "Tell me. Tell me what you don't know how to do."
A tear rolled down her cheek as she held fast to his gaze, the patience and the love that she could see in their warm brown depths acting as a lifeline for her. The lump in her throat was making it impossible for her to speak for a moment and he took another step closer, reaching his hand out to take hers. It was warm and large, making her feel safe. She wasn't alone. She didn't have to be alone in this world anymore.
He lifted his other hand to her cheek and wiped away a tear with his thumb, waiting patiently for her to be able to speak. When she did her voice was small and shaky. "I'm scared Booth."
He wrapped her in his arms then, tucking her head under his chin and closing his eyes as he held her tightly to him. "So am I Bones. So am I."
They stood in her living room, clinging to each other as her tears flowed, letting themselves take the time to gather comfort from one another. Neither of them were people who admitted fear easily, but the fact that they could admit it to one another eased the discomfort in it somehow. They trusted each other, they always had.
After a moment Brennan pulled away just enough to look up into her partner's eyes. He'd seen her at her worst, seen her at her best and he was still here, looking down at her with those eyes that said he would always be. She didn't know what she'd done to finally have this in her life, but she was grateful that whatever it had been it was obviously good enough.
Slowly she leaned her head in, tentatively brushing his lips with hers. His heart began to pick up speed and his eyes never left hers as she continued to press small, soft kisses to his mouth which he returned as tentatively as she'd offered them.
She carefully unwound her arms from around his waist and then wrapped them around his neck, pulling him in close so she could rest her head on his shoulder. She kissed his neck once, twice and then lifted up slightly on tiptoe so her lips reached his ear.
"I love you too Seeley. I love you so much it hurts."
Her whispered words made him tremble and he pulled back from her so he could look at her face, the awe in his eyes making her cheeks feel slightly hot.
He leaned in and kissed her mouth, his lips sweet and loving against her own. She let her eyelids flutter closed, her lashes resting wet against her cheeks as she surrendered to his touch. This kiss was different than the others they'd ever shared in that it was a declaration. They loved each other and now they both knew it.
His lips left her mouth and began to travel across her face, stopping at her cheeks, her nose, her eyelids, her forehead. She felt like a teenage girl, her legs going warm and wobbly as he threaded his fingers through her hair to cup her head as he scattered his affection everywhere he could reach.
Lowering his hands from her head he let them brush down her back, leaving a trail of heat in their wake until he let them drop. Her eyes fluttered open as she felt him lace his fingers through hers, his eyes burning. "Come with me." He murmured, pulling her gently by the hand back toward the bedroom. Her legs followed him automatically.
He led her to the center of the room and then picked up where they'd left off. Their kisses were sweet, almost innocent, but in their present context they felt more passionate than any Brennan had ever experienced. She'd never had this, the ardent kisses of first love, but she couldn't have been happier that the man she was experiencing it with was the one in her bedroom right now.
His eyes were closed as he concentrated on the feel of her, on opening his soul to her with the way he took his time. They'd only just started down this road, but he knew he was never, ever going to grow tired of touching her. She felt him begin to move backward toward the bed and she followed after him. He sat down on the edge once they'd reached it, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his face in her flat belly with a sigh of contentment. She ran her fingers soothingly through his hair and they stood there for a moment, absorbing the feel of each other.
Looking up, he met her eyes and rubbed his hands up and down her back for a moment before he hooked his thumbs under her shirt and slowly began to pull it up. She helped him with it when it had gotten too high for him to continue to remove from his seated position and then dropped her hands to her sides when he reached around behind her and deftly unfastened her bra.
Heat pooled in her stomach as he pulled the garment off without breaking his intense hold on her eyes. Placing his large hands on her exposed belly, he leisurely began to run them up until they cupped her breasts. She let her head fall back. Last night had been wonderful, but it had been slightly frantic for the most part in their desire for each other. Now they were taking their time and the difference in the sensations that assailed her with each brush and stroke of his hand were palpable.
With a soft groan he buried his face in her breasts, wrapping his arms back around her to crush her to him as she cupped his head with her hands. His hair was thick and felt amazing tangled between her fingers but not more amazing than the kisses he was scattering across her chest. He took her right nipple in his mouth, suckling it lightly before he licked a delicious circle around it with his tongue and she inhaled sharply at how good it felt. He went to her other nipple next and felt pleasure surge through him as her breath came out on a small sob. God, he loved making her feel good.
Standing up he dragged his own shirt off and pulled her close so he could kiss her more deeply than she'd ever been kissed. The power of the emotion behind his kiss and the feel of his skin against her own was her undoing and her knees buckled slightly. Feeling her unsteadiness, he swept her up into his arms as if she were a princess in a castle and he carried her to the side of the bed, laying her down effortlessly as if she weighed nothing. His strength would never cease to be an area of intense admiration for her.
She scooted over from where he'd laid her down to make room for him beside her. Once he'd joined her on the bed they faced each other on their sides, gazing into each other's eyes again as they stroked one another's face with gentle brushes of their fingers.
He turned his face toward her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm. "I'll never leave you Temperance. I love you." He turned his face back to hers. "God, I love you."
She smiled, the moisture in her eyes rising up from joy rather than the fear or anger she'd been feeling up until this glorious point. "I'll never leave you either. You're the only man I've ever loved and the only one I ever intend on loving."
He took her mouth again, intoxicated by her words, her feel, her very presence. She ran her hand up and down his chest and he suddenly needed to be closer to her. Lowering his hand to her belt, he worked the fastener and then popped the button to her pants so he could lower her zipper. She followed his lead and they both drew apart long enough to discard their garments before they went immediately back to the eager embrace of the other.
They rolled so he was positioned on top of her but they did no more than kiss and stroke, relishing the skin on skin contact, in no hurry to see it end. It was humbling to Brennan how much she'd missed the mark in her life when it had come to sex. Here, all they were doing was laying together, yet it felt more intimate, more personal than any act of intercourse she'd ever participated in.
She ran her hands down his back, memorizing the ripples of his athletic build as she reached the crests of his backside. She ran her hands over it, thrilling at the small moan that met her ears at her touch. He began to move lower, kissing her chin, her jaw, her neck, her collarbone. He placed a kiss between her breasts and then spread kisses across her belly. Her breathing began to increase in speed as he moved even lower still, kissing her hip bones, her abdomen. He skipped the part that was desperate now for his attention and instead tortured her with kisses to her thighs, her knees, her calves and her ankles.
When he reached the arch of her foot, he pressed his lips there lightly before he began to move back up, revisiting the places he'd just left and lavishing attention on them all over again. Only this time, once he'd passed her thighs he placed a kiss to the small thatch of curly hair between her legs and she sucked in a breath of anticipation. His hands reached up to her thighs and pushed them gently apart so he could gain access to that part of her that was the most secret, the most hidden.
Ducking his head, he took her in his mouth as she grabbed the quilt on the bed in her fists and arched her back in ecstasy. He felt slightly dizzy at the heady scent of her, the soft feel of her most sensitive part against his tongue. Her breathing was coming in gasps and she loosely grabbed his head as she came closer and closer to the brink. Just as she was about to topple over he moved, directing his attention back to her abdomen and moving up.
"Oh God, Seeley." She moaned, her body desperate for the release he'd just robbed her of. Reaching down between them when he got back up to her mouth he ran his fingers back and forth across the place he'd had only seconds ago experienced. She whimpered as the tension began to build in her again.
"Do I make you feel good?"
She moved her head up and down in a jerky nod. "So good."
"Do you want me to make love to you Temperance?" She flung her arms around him, pressing her nails slightly into the flesh on his back. "Yes, Seeley please."
He moved his hand, depriving her yet again of that blessed release that her body was now screaming for and positioned himself at her entrance. She remembered how large he was and she gave a small undulation of her hips, sheathing a fraction of his tip inside of her.
When he didn't move she opened her eyes to see his baring down into her own. The fire and intensity she'd seen last night was back, making him look formidable and unbearably sexy and she realized why the look in his eyes had been such an awe inspiring thing for her to look upon. This was the look of a man in love. In all of her experience she'd never seen someone look at her the way he did, like his eyes were boring into her soul.
Stunned by the power of this realization she reached up and took his face in her hands. "Tonight I want you to know that I'll be making love to you too."
His breath hitched as they gazed at each other for another moment and then he pushed past her barrier, making them one. Their gazes locked as they moved together, not wanting to tear away from the contact until the sensations became to much and Booth let his eyes fall closed as he tipped his head back.
She wrapped her legs around him, letting him get a deeper angle as he continued his deliberate, unhurried pace. She could feel herself gathering again beneath him, feel the need in her body to let go and she pulled his head down to crush her lips against his.
She began to move her hips to meet his and he had a hard time catching his breath as the movement made his body tingle all over. For someone who had never been one to relish clumsy, rushed sexual experiences, this was a more powerful experience than he'd ever had, even compared to last night. He'd known that he loved her, but knowing that she loved him too made every move, every kiss, every touch burn a thousand times more brightly.
She began to moan against his lips, his name coming out like a sob and he had to squeeze his eyes shut at the pleasure that surged through him when she shuttered beneath him, her walls constricting around him in rhythmic spasms.
When he was sure she was at the peak of her release he let go, the sound issuing from him a mix between a growl and a groan before he collapsed over her.
Their labored breathing was the only sound in the room as they lay motionless for a moment and then he shifted his weight so he lay beside her again. She kept her leg laying across him and he ran his hand up and down its long smooth skin as she ran her hand lazily along his chest.
"We're going to be okay. Everything is really going to be okay." She said, the wonder in her voice at the true ring to her words making him smile across the pillow at her.
"As long as we have each other, then yes, everything will be okay."
Scooting over so she could nuzzle into his chest he threw his arm around her and they lay in contented silence, looking forward to the start of this new chapter.