On to Booth!! Him and all his yummy, chocolate chip cookie-like, goodness…lol…he's better than a Hershey bar…lol…all those who love Booth: RAISE YOUR HAND!!!!!!

Chapter 3

"OK…someone please confirm my observations please: 1) Dr. Brennan just jumped off the platform, 2) she through herself into the arms of an unknown male, early 30s by the guess, blonde, blue-eyed, 3) said male proceeded to lift her off the ground, 4) she didn't break his arms, and 5) she dragged him off to her office and shut the door."

"I concur with Hodgins' findings."

"Thank you, Zach. Now can we move on now to my next question? What the hell was that?"

"That, if I'm not mistaken, was Detective Andrew Ryan."

"Who is Andrew Ryan?"

"Before Bren went to Guatemala. She worked in a lab in Montreal for 5 years and Andrew Ryan was kind of like her partner. Had a reputation for being a serious lady-killer when they met but he spent the next two years trying to get Bren to go out with him. She told me that after an arrest that almost went bad they just kinda…fell together. They were together for 3 years and then he got called to serve in the military again and she got the call to Guatemala. After that she came here."

"Wow…so they were…"

"Pretty serious from the way Bren sounded. But she also told me that they never spoke again, so, I dunno what he's doing here now. Did she ever say anything to you?"

The three turned to the only member of their little group who'd remained completely silent throughout the last 5 minutes. He was still staring at the door Temperance and Ryan had disappeared through.

"Booth?"

Angela looked sympathetically at him. She could see something swirling in his eyes.

"Hey, Booth? Do you think you could help me with something really quick?"

He didn't respond.

"Booth."

She reached out and tugged on his arm. He jolted out of his reverie and looked at her, as if realizing for the first time that she was there."

"Ange. What?"

"I need your help."

"Oh…OK."

She led him by the sleeve to her office and shut the door behind him. She pulled him over to the couch in her office and sat him down. She sat beside him and turned to him.

"Sweetie, are you OK?"

"What? I'm fine. I thought you needed help."

"I think you're the one who might need some help right now."

"I'm fine, Angela. What makes you think I need help?"

"Well, the look in your eyes for one."

"What's wrong with my eyes?"

"Well…you look like someone kicked you in a bad place for one."

"You're crazy."

"Booth, I've seen that look in your eyes exactly four times since I've known you before today. I know that look."

"When have you ever seen this 'look' in my eyes?"

"When you saw Bren with David. And when she told you she was going out with Michael. And with Will. And then a few months ago when you saw her with Sully in her office."

"You…saw that?"

"I saw you."

"Angela…she's my partner. And those guys they…they weren't right for her. They weren't…good enough for her. They weren't…"

"They weren't you?"

He looked up at her and saw the sadness fill his eyes…and the denial started to fade.

"I don't…I don't know."

"I do, sweetie. You love her."

"She's my partner and my friend. Yea, I love her."

"No…I mean…you 'love her' love her."

"No…I…"

"You. Love. Her."

She saw the last of his denial run out of his eyes and he nodded slowly.

"I love her."

"Then why haven't you done anything?"

"Because I told her we couldn't…"

"You mean the two of you have talked about this before!?"

"No…well…sort of. After Epps. I told her I was breaking things off with Cam because it wasn't good for people in high risk positions to be in relationships…that it clouds judgment, you take risks, and people get hurt."

"Oh, Booth…you don't think that the two you already take risks for each other? You left the hospital after getting blown up to find her. You dug her out of a car. She asked her fugitive father for help, almost beat up a bounty hunter, and lied to the FBI…all to find you."

He seemed to be thinking about her words.

"You need to tell her, sweetie."

"Ange…I don't know."

"She needs to know. She deserves it. You've been there for everything these last few years. Her mom, Russ, her dad, the Gravedigger. All of it. I don't think she's ever trusted anyone with as much as she's trusted you."

"Yea? What about this guy?"

"No…you know more than he does. She told me. He knows her parents were gone but not to the extent that you do. She asked you to look into their file. You know more about her past than any of us. Even more than me."

He looked unsure.

"Sweetie, do you want to be with her?"

He looked at her and she saw the start of a smile at the corner of his mouth.

"Yea…"

"Then you need to tell her…"

"And if she doesn't…feel the same?"

"I have a hunch, sweetie…kinda like you and your gut…go with it."

He smiled fully now and stood, heading for the door.

"You're the best, Ange."

"Oh, I know."

The door to her office was closed but he didn't think about it as he tapped on the door. He thought about it even less as he opened it.

He did think about when he felt himself freeze all over at the sight that met him.

Temperance Brennan was standing in the middle of her office, her hands resting lightly on the chest of the man who was currently kissing her like there was no tomorrow.

A/N: God…sucks to be him right now, huh? Don't worry…I'll make it OK again…lol…