Disclaimer: They are not mine, and still, I continue to do with them as I please…

Warning: M rated chapter for sexually explicit scenes

Authors note: I hope the lack of reviews is due to the time of year and not the story content, I don't want to take it personally but if you are following the story, please let me know you're out there. This is not about requesting complimentary reviews, as a writer I just need to know there is an audience for my work. If the story is just not raising any interest, I will move on to another. As always, thanks for reading. Jaed.

After ten minutes of silence he reached over and placed his hand on her leg, squeezing gently. She pulled off the freeway and into the parking lot of a truck stop.

There were a million thoughts crashing through her head, at this point there was no way to reduce the list of possible suspects. It could be anybody, with any kind of motive from anonymous to very personal. She felt his hand on her chin, turning her face toward him. His eyes were soft and warm and his voice was like a touch on her that no one could see.

"Temperance, this is going to be okay. It was only a truck, not even mine really, it could just be a person with a grudge against the FBI, a fanatic. You know, a Hodgins type guy gone crazy." She smiled at that, feeling better with the scenario that this was not aimed at Booth. His thumb gently stroked her cheek before sliding back to her neck and pulling her into a reassuring kiss. "By the way, why are we at a truck stop?"

She smiled brightly, glad to shift the focus back onto their day, realizing how annoyed she had been by the interruption of their time together.

"This is where we're having breakfast." She announced it proudly, taking in his questioning look. "There is a restaurant in the back, family owned, everything is home made and served in trucker sized proportions."

"You never cease to amaze me. If I had been give twenty guesses to figure out where you were taking me for breakfast this morning, I still would never have said the local truck stop." He was grinning and shaking his head gently, marveling at this woman he thought he knew.

Once inside they were seated in a booth at the window when a large woman came marching over, grey hair braided down her back, her thick hands wringing through a towel as she approached.

"Well Doc, how are you and where the hell have you been? We haven't seen you in a blue moon. You certainly look good." Much to Booths surprise the woman leaned down and wrapped Temperance in her ample arms for a hug, which was returned just as enthusiastically.

"Hello Mable, it's good to see you. As usual, I've been working too much and it's this gentleman that is to blame. Mable, this is agent Seeley Booth. Seeley this is Mable Harper." Mable turned and shook his hand with a strong confident grip.

"Well pleased to meet you, agent Seeley Booth, you certainly are easy on the eyes." Seeley could feel himself turning red, but before he could respond, she continued. "Booth, wait a minute, this must be the Booth." She was smiling broadly, glancing over to Bones for confirmation, who gave a single nod. "Well, well, well, enough said. How about I hook you both up with the house special?"

"You know how I like mine Mable, make his the standard issue. How have you and Joe been?"

"We're as happy as pigs in shit. Business has been hoppin' and everyone is healthy. What more could we ask for? Danny will be upset that he missed you so you'll have to promise to come back by when he's here. He looks so good you won't know him."

"I promise, we'll make a point of it."

"Let me get your breakfast goin' before you starve to death socializin' with me. It was nice to meet you agent Booth."

"Please, call me Seeley and it was nice to meet you too." It was the first time he had the chance to speak. He had been so intrigued by the relationship between the women that he had just been staring.

"Coffee will be right up Doc and for the record, you were right about him." She nodded toward Seeley and walked away from the table. When Temperance looked up at him he was staring at her, eyebrow raised in question.

"What Booth?"

"You were right about what? And how does Mable know who I am?" He was trying to look serious but the smile was giving him away.

"I met Mable and Joe years ago. They had an older son that died and I was involved in the case. The testing we did revealed that a rare genetic abnormality of the heart had been a contributing factor in the cause of death for Joe junior, and it also affected her surviving son, Danny. We were able to get him the preventative help he needed and arranged for heart surgery when he got older so he's going to be fine. It was one of my first cases and Mable and Joe were very involved so I got to know them very well. Having met Mable you can see how she would have made herself hard to ignore. I've always stopped in and checked on them, Danny e-mails me now and then to let me know how he's doing and to remind me if it's been too long since I've visited."

"Friends Bones, they're called friends. She certainly seems to care about you."

"They're like your military friends, we went through a difficult time together and we still keep in touch but they aren't people I see all the time. Still, when we get together it feels like no time at all has gone by since the last time." She was smiling softly, thinking it through even as she explained it to him.

"You still haven't explained how she knows me and what she was referring to when she said you were right." Mable stopped by and delivered their coffee, letting them know their food would be right up.

"I may have mentioned you to her once or twice, we were working on cases after all and you are my partner. Besides, if I tell you anything I said that was good your head won't fit back in the car." Her cheeks were turning pink and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"So there was good stuff, this is progress. What kind of good stuff and for how long have you been telling her these wonderful things about me?" He had the look, the Cheshire cat grin and sexy eyed look.

Mable brought the food to the table and Booth paused, he had never in his life seen such big portions, there were four eggs, a mountain of hash browns, at least a half pound of crisp bacon, a slab of ham the size of a small plate and toast made from homemade bread that was over an inch thick. Temperance's plate had fruit instead of ham but was otherwise the same as his.

Mable looked from one smiling face to the other, "there's enough heat between you two to have scrambled eggs right here at the table. Enjoy your breakfast." Shaking her head and chuckling to herself, she walked away.

"When you said trucker sized proportions you weren't kidding." His eyes were huge. She was laughing, he suddenly had that look of wonderment that reminded her of Parker. They both began eating, hunger getting the better of them, conversations all set aside. After a few moments Temperance broke the silence.

"When the FBI says we should 'lay low', what exactly does that mean?"

"Well, I've been thinking about that and maybe we should go stay in a hotel for a few days, just to be on the safe side. We'll stop back by each of our places and grab what we need, make sure we're not being followed and just go check in somewhere under different names. It would give us a little space to figure out what's happening without having to worry about being caught by surprise. After all, we have no idea who this is or what their intentions are and it will only take a day or two for the forensics results to start coming back. If George finds out anything before then he can always reach me on my cell phone. Just as a precaution, and besides it could be fun." His eyes were sparkling as he finished.

"Can I still go into work?"

"Yes but lets limit your activity outside the Jeffersonian, no bone retrieval in the field for at least a few days."

"And this fun part, how would that work?" She had let a wicked smile creep across her face. His eyes dropped, following her neck down to her cleavage, where it lingered before slowly coming back to her. She could feel herself growing warm under the heat of his gaze, her breasts growing heavy.

"Well, the fun part can work almost anywhere, against the back of the door, against that cold tile in the shower, over the dresser, or those little round tables they always put in hotel rooms, in the tub, on the floor, in the chair or any number of ways in the actual bed. Of course that's just inside the room itself, would you like me to continue, maybe give you more details?" She was blushing deeply now and he had slipped his hand across the table and was running his finger over her wrist where her pulse was franticly beating just below the surface.

"I think I'll wait for the hands on demonstration, is that a service of the hotel also?" Her voice had dropped slightly, her eyes were shining.

"It's a service, but not of the hotel."

"Does this mean we'll be sharing a room?"

There is a flash of doubt across his face, "it does solve the question of what we were going to do for the next couple of days. It gives us more time together and a reason that the squints won't question as to why we're together. As for sharing a room, we'll be under an assumed name at sign in so no one will know and since it's not covered by the FBI, we're saving money." He paused, "unless you don't want to share a room, then I'll book two and you can have your own." He was a little nervous, despite the fact they were playing there were underlying issues here of which he was all too aware. His mind was on the fast track to the hotel room, immediately bombarded by images of her naked body but he knew that she could want to be alone, especially since she was feeling some stress. "I know we said we were going to talk about this so all kidding aside, you know I'll respect whatever it is you want to do."

How had the conversation progressed to something so serious so quickly? She was having a difficult time keeping up with him. She was impressed that he had taken into account that she might not be ready yet for anyone at work to know about the changes in their relationship. Wondering at the same time if he was also enjoying this time in which it was just the two of them and like her, was hesitant to include anyone else in their secret. She was aware that her history dictated that she would reach the point of wanting her own space and in fact it had happened long before now in her previous relationships, but so far she had not felt the urge to hide from Booth. Maybe because they already knew each other so well or because he always accepted her for who she was so she didn't feel the exhaustion and anxiety of trying to maintain a social front. She glanced at him, having been lost in her own thoughts and there he was, patiently waiting for her to work her way through how she felt, his brown eyes soft with compassion.

She smiled softly, deciding she would deal with the desire to be alone when it came to her and until then she would allow herself to just enjoy his company. "Get us one room Seeley." She watched him visibly relax and had to laugh, he was as nervous about them as she was, it made her feel surprisingly better.

"What convinced you, the safety?'

"No, it was that service you mentioned with the hands on demonstration." His penis lurched in response to her and he jumped slightly, shifting his position to try and cover himself.

The lust was written all over her now, in her darkening eyes, her pouting lip, her nipples hardening to the point of visibility beneath her shirt and her breathing was shallow. "So, where are we going to stay?"

"I'll pick somewhere."

"Why can't I pick the place?"

"Bones, just let me make the decision."

"Why?"

"You know this is where that game I wanted to teach you comes in handy. I'm going to show you how it works and then we'll play, the winner of two out of three gets to pick the hotel. Agreed?" She eyed him suspiciously but nodded in agreement. Booth took the next few minutes to explain the three symbols to her and how no matter which one you chose; there was one that could beat you and one that you could beat. She caught on fast, understanding the logic and balance in the game, liking the immediate gratification of a solution but questioning his request that she stare into his eyes as they played because he felt he could read her next move as she was looking at him.

As Mable approached the table she saw them engaging in the age old problem solving game.

"I see you two are using advanced strategies to solve world issues. How about some boxes for those leftovers?" She was smiling, looking back and forth between them.

"Boxes would be great Mable, thanks. Booth was just showing me what a simple decision maker this game is and I have to agree, it's quick and objective." She was clearly enjoying herself and suddenly all their decisions were reduced to a five second gesture.

Booth was choosing the hotel, his win. Brennan was driving, her win. They were going to her place first while it was still early, his win. She was picking their new names, her win. She was not getting a gun, his win. He was paying for breakfast, his win. They laughed their way through the whole process and Seeley wondered why he had never thought of using this to settle an argument with her before, after all, it gave them an equal chance of winning. Having finalized their plans they finished up their coffee, paid the bill, hugged Mable and headed out the door.

Brennan felt surprisingly uncomfortable when they reached her parking lot, all signs of the SUV were completely gone as though it had never happened. She noticed Booths mood had shifted; he was looking around, scanning the streets and buildings even as they had approached. Once outside the car he slipped his arm protectively around her waist and moved her quickly into the building. Despite the porcelain blue skies and whispering breeze the moment felt suddenly ominous and Seeley paused, looking intently, unable to shake the feeling that they were being observed.

Once inside, Brennan moved quickly, feeling rushed by the anxiety, hoping it was just their own mix of paranoia and precaution stirring her feelings as opposed to actual immanent danger. She noticed that both of them were unusually quiet and that Booth had stopped to bolt the door after they were safely inside. She packed for a couple of days, including both work and casual clothes, grabbing her tank tops to sleep in and then stopping. She stood over her underwear drawer trying to pick what he would like, wanting to surprise him but so embarrassed by her own behavior that she was blushing. She didn't know what to make of herself, she had always dressed to make herself feel good, not because a man was going to see her although she was aware of the effect that sexy underwear had on men, she was shocked at how much she wanted him to like it. What was happening to her? She thought of how he would look at her, with that raw expression of desire and hunger and how that look made her feel. Even as a memory her body warmed in response. She went to the bottom of the drawer, opened a box and quickly stuffed the contents into her bag as though she was afraid someone would see her.

His voice from the other room made her jump, "Bones, are you making outfits or packing them?" Running a mental check list she thought through what she had and decided she was just about ready. She walked down the hall and deposited the bag at his feet.

"You don't want to rush me Booth, you know it doesn't make me move any faster, it just annoys me."

"Actually you do go a little faster when I rush you and as for being annoyed, you're beautiful when you're annoyed so I don't mind." When did he acquire the ability to so completely disarm her? He reached for her hand, softly kissing her palm. "I just want to get us out of here and on our way, okay?"

She softened immediately, "okay, just let me grab a few things from the bathroom and we can go." She packed her bathroom items in just a few moments and then her laptop and reference material just in case she was overwhelmed by the need to work. When she reappeared in the living room he was pacing. "Okay, I'm ready; let's go to your place now."

"Bones is there another way out of your building?" His look was serious, his brow creased in concentration.

"There is a maintenance entrance on the side of the building. Why?"

"Just in case we were watched when we came in, we're going to leave the lamp on so it will look like someone is home later and call a taxi to pick us up at the side entrance. If anyone was watching us come into the building then they won't see us leave and when it gets dark the light will be on so it will appear that we're still in here. We can take a cab to my place and the hotel and then pick up the new FBI vehicle tomorrow so we're in a car that no one recognizes. My gut telling me we should take some extra precautions at this point." His last sentence caused them both to smile, releasing a little of their nervous tension. He squeezed her hand and called them a cab, giving the driver very specific instructions to pick them up at the side of the building. He didn't want to panic her, but he had such a bad feeling.

"Bones by any chance do you own a baseball cap?" The question caught her off guard and she had to think for a moment.

"Yes, actually I have several, some from promotional companies, some from school, publishing companies and there's a few others, people just keep giving them to me so I throw them in a box. Why?"

"Go get us each one, I'd like to hide your hair if we can, because I know I can pick you out in a crowd by your hair, so let's put it up." He kept his tone light but she could feel the undercurrent in his conversation so instead of arguing she went in search of two caps. He watched her come out, her hair all tucked up under her cap and he nodded his approval as he pulled one on his head. "The taxi should be here soon, lets go."

When the taxi arrived they quickly got in and were off in the direction of Booth's. He would feel better after they were done with these errands and safely in the hotel. They moved in and out of his place within twenty minutes and just to be safe he had them change taxis at the train station. It was late afternoon before they checked into the hotel; Booth had chosen a nice Holiday Inn right downtown, filled with families and tourist. They signed in as Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Johnson, Temperance blushed as Seeley pretended to be her husband, paying cash in advance and explaining their licenses were taken in a mugging but they would be able to give them replacements tomorrow. After meeting with the manager, they were given their keycards and at last went up to their room.

Booth ran his card into the lock and let them in, even as they came through the door his words from this morning came back to her; against the cold tile, over the dresser, on the round table…she was blushing. They dragged in their bags and Brennan busied herself getting organized so he wouldn't notice the color rising in her cheeks. As she was hanging up her work clothes he came up behind her and turned her around, he brushed his fingers across her cheek.

"How're you holding up?" His touch was warm and she closed her eyes for just a few seconds, leaning her face into him.

"I'm fine for now, there's been too much happening to really think about it all. I'm starving though."

He laughed softly, "Bones you are always starving." He gently removed her cap, drawing a small breath as her hair cascaded back down around her face and onto her shoulders. "I've been wanting to do that since you put it on back in your living room." His voice was a low whisper, his lips grazing hers as she leaned into him, relishing in the solid feel of him after a day that felt so fragmented to her. She moved her arms around his neck and brought him to her, opening her mouth to him, wanting to taste him, to feel him fully against her. The desire blazed through her with such heat she wondered briefly if he could feel it radiating from her body. His hands began moving over her back and down to the edge of her shirt, his need to feel her skin washed over him and through him. He dropped his head into her neck and she tipped her head back, an offering to his descending mouth. He rubbed his chin along the delicate skin, raising a chill with the whiskers of his unshaven face, attaching his mouth to the soft spot where he could feel her pulse faintly fluttering against his lips. She moaned and felt the warmth spread between her thighs as her body grew wet in anticipation. He moved to the swell of her breasts, following the lines of her, rubbing his rough cheek across her and then retracing his path with his mouth, licking and kissing the sensitive trail. Her hands were in his hair, moving down to his shoulders she kneaded her fingers into the firm flesh, clawing across the material, wanting it off of him. She kissed the top of his head as he moved across her, turning her face she rubbed her cheek softly against him.

His hand came up her side, peeling her shirt along with it and she broke from him to allow it to be taken from her. She pulled at his shirt, trying to move it up his body and he stepped away from her stripping himself down to his jeans. He reached for her hand and walked her to the other room stopping to take her back into his arms, his kiss full of need, his tongue moving across hers. Her hands were exploring him, gliding across his taut skin, feeling the muscles fill her hands as he moved.

He moved down the front of her, pulling aside the cup of her bra and scooping her breast out to his lips. He ran his chin across it and she whimpered in response, he closed his mouth over it, moaning, sucking in small pulses. Her hips jerked in rhythm to the movements of his mouth, a long groan rolling from within her. Her hands moved to his hair, her fingers winding through, holding him to this place against her.

His hands moved down over her buttocks and lifted her, her legs wrapping tightly around him, a gasp falling from her as his erection pressed against her. He walked to the table and laid her across it, looking down at her, she was smiling, both recalling his earlier words. Her chest tightened as she looked at him standing between her legs, his magnificent chest bare, muscles flexing as he undid her pants and peeled them along with her underwear down her legs. His eyes were dark with lust as he reached up quickly removing her bra, sighing with satisfaction once he had her naked before him. He ran his hands down the front of her, cupping her breasts, rolling her nipples between his fingers, watching her body arch into his touch. He leaned over her, taking an aching nipple deep into the searing depths of his mouth, pulling hard against her, flicking his tongue rapidly over the hard bud. She was pulling his hair; her hands clenched tightly, a hiss passing her lips. He moved down her body, kissing her with an open mouth, dragging his tongue against her skin. His arms caressed down her legs, sliding them onto his shoulders as he moved into the heat of her. His tongue slowly parted her lips, sliding into her silky wetness, licking the taste of her into his mouth and groaning softly. He slid his tongue up, circling her clitoris, stroking the sensitive skin beneath it until it was swollen tight. Her hips were pushing against him, wreathing under the torturous pleasure, she was moaning and whimpering his name. He pulled her clitoris into his mouth, sucking it past his teeth, his tongue flicking firmly over the tip, sinking deeper against her, his hands holding her hips against him. She let go of his hair, stretching out her arms and grasping the sides of the table as she arched up and pressed into him. Her eyes slammed shut, her legs tightened, a cry escaping her as the first wave crashed into her. He sucked harder, her hips pumped madly under him and he struggled to hold her firmly against him as he drank every drop of desire from her body, following each wave with his mouth until he felt her start to settle.

His penis was so tight it was starting to hurt. As he removed his mouth from her he began to rid himself of his remaining clothing, the scent of her stronger than the oxygen in his lungs.

She was trying to catch her breath when she felt him move, his arms leaving her for a moment, she heard his zipper go down, the sound raising the hair on her arms in a chill. She opened her eyes as he stood up, gently adjusting her legs he waited for her to nod to him. Instinctually she held the edges of the table again at the same time she felt him grasp her hips and in one lunge he was inside her, stretching her, filling her, pushing out her sensitive walls and burying himself into the deepest part of her. His entire groin ached, feeling like he had pushed himself into a tight glove of liquid fire, he stood frozen, holding himself there. Her legs were trembling against him as he slowly began to move within her, long steady strokes that teased past her swollen nerve endings, feeding the relentless ache growing once again within her. He increased his speed until he felt her begin to tighten and then slowed him self down, beginning again at an agonizingly slow pace. When he slowed down the second time her fist hit the table in frustration, her whimper twisting into a whine.

"Seeley, please, please finish this. I can't take…" Her breath hitched as she tried to speak to him, to tell him. He bent forward slightly and began to move faster, increasing as he went, her body rocking up to meet him with every thrust. They became the rhythm, instinct taking over, their bodies slaves to the urge driving them against each other, all control slipped from their grasp as their voices rose, his hips slamming into her, legs locked, her hips grinding into him, her core pulsing around him so hard he felt his orgasm sucked out of him by hers. There were stars behind his eye lids, they were both sweating, chests heaving for air, his legs felt like rubber, he had to lie down. He eased out of her, both of them taking in a small breath in reaction to the separation. He stepped to the side of her and scooped her into his arms, a chill washing over their damp bodies as he moved. In two steps he lay her onto the bed and stretched out beside her, it was the last of his energy.

He couldn't speak, he had no idea he could feel this way. He loved her, he loved her in a way that stretched outside the confines of his body, beyond the borders of his life to level that was truly profound. A thousand years from now long after they were dead, if all that was ever said of how he lived his life was that Seeley Booth truly loved Dr. Temperance Brennan, then that would be enough. Every minute of every day for the rest of their lives would not be enough time to show her how he felt at just this moment.

He wanted to tell her, to explain how he felt but as he opened his mouth to begin, an elaborate explanation failed him and instead he whispered to her, "I love you Temperance."

Without a pause he heard her respond, "I love you too." Her eyes opened wide as she realized what she had said, what he had said, what they both had just admitted, out loud, to each other. A small alarm was ringing in the back of her head, trying to trigger her flight response but her body didn't respond. She had said it so easily, without even thinking it over, without analyzing if that was how she really felt and what it would mean. She smiled then, because she knew why and no one had to help her figure it out. She did love him, of course she did, whether it was frightening or not, she still loved him. Her body knew it and her heart knew it long before her brain accepted it, that's why it fell so naturally from her lips, because the rest of her answered before her fear could protest. Of course she loved him, how could she not have seen it sooner? She had certainly felt it. It was called making love for a reason, and that is what they had just done; their bodies spoke so loudly the words were almost redundant. She chuckled softly. He looked at her, a quizzical expression responding to her laughter.

"Of course I love you, how could I possibly ever love anyone but you?" It was a statement for herself as well as to him. He kissed her, a feather light touch and then his face split into a wide grin.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He had been watching the building since they had entered it but had not seen them leave. Her car still sat in the lot. He called her number from a business down the street but she didn't answer, her voice on the machine softening him for just a second. He waited half an hour before entering the building, he listened outside her door until someone walked by and he had to move on to keep from appearing suspicious. There was no sound from inside. Could they be sleeping? After fucking all night they were probably exhausted. The sound of her echoed in his head, the image of their naked bodies together filled his brain and the rage welled up inside him once again. She was his, and his alone, she was meant for him, chosen for him. He would be able to make her see the mistake, she was a brilliant woman, once she understood, really understood, she would thank him, for showing her the right way and she would be in his arms, forever. This was all just a mistake that needed to be corrected and it was well within his ability to do so. He already had a plan of correction, a way to make the world right again and just thinking about it calmed him some. He waited two more hours before realizing they must have given him the slip, but he didn't mind really, he knew exactly how to find them, he was in no hurry. I'm coming for you Temperance. Can you feel me coming for you? He smiled and got into his car.