A/N: Hey everyone! Here it is! The next chapter! Thank you all so much for your reviews! I responded to most of them before I remembered that the email system is down. When they fix it, will the back emails be sent? If you know the answer to that, let me know. If not, I just want to say how incredibly grateful I am for all of your guys' wonderful reviews! You guys are absolutely terrific!

A/N 2: Just some story notes: Parker has all of three lines in this one but again, in case you've forgotten, misspelling in his dialogue is intentional. And italics indicate Booth-thought. And thats it! Enjoy 'THE TALK'.

"I think he's asleep," Booth whispers to his partner as the credits begin to roll.

Bones rolls her eyes at him. "He's been asleep since five minutes into the movie," she tells him, indicating his son lying against her arm. "And I think he's drooling on me."

Booth chuckles softly. "Well, that means he likes you! He doesn't just drool on anyone, you know." He smiles at her and she laughs silently.

"I'm gonna put him to bed," he tells her, carefully removing the blanket, and sliding his arms underneath his sleeping son. "Don't go anywhere." She nods, her hands reaching out beneath Parker as he picks the child up, as if he might drop him.

Booth quickly makes his way to Parker's bedroom and lays him on the bed. In the midst of changing him into his pajamas, he wakes up slightly.

"Daddy?" His voice is thick with sleep.

"Hey bub. Go back to sleep," he says, lifting some curls away from his son's eyes.

"Do I still get pancakes?"

Booth smiles. "Yeah, buddy. You still get pancakes." He throws his son's discarded clothes into the laundry basket and turns on the night light.

"I like Dr. Bones, Daddy."

"That's good, buddy. She's a good friend," he tells his son, sitting down on his bed.

"She should come every year. It'll be a new traditon." Parker's eyes slip shut once again, and Booth leans down to kiss his forehead.

"That would be nice," he whispers. "Merry Christmas, son." He stares at his child's face for a moment, before standing and moving to the door.

This is it, he thinks as he flicks off the light. Taking a deep breath, he gently pulls the door shut behind him, leaving it open a crack.

As he wonders back into the living room, he notices that the couch is empty and immediately starts to panic.

Did she leave? I pushed, she got scared and bolted.

He starts to unhinge when he hears the sink running in the kitchen.

"Bones," he says, as he leans on the doorframe. "What cha doing?"

"Wiping down the counters," she tells him without turning around.

"Why?"

She finally turns, her brow knitted together, and her eyes penetrating his. "Because they're dirty?"

He has to take a deep breath to calm his heart. "Yes, but why are you doing it?"

She turns back to the counters and continues wiping. "Well, you made dinner, so I thought I would just clean up a bit while you were putting Parker to bed." She gives a little shrug of her shoulders, and Booth almost can't control the urge to wrap his arms around her.

"Well, stop. You're a guest," he says, entering the kitchen and heading toward the fridge. "Glass of wine?"

"Sure," he hears her say, and he smiles. She's not scared yet.

He pulls the bottle of Chardonnay out of the fridge and turns to find her staring at him, hip leaning against the sink, and arms crossed over her chest. Her brows furrow as she stares at him.

"What, Bones?" He asks, moving to the cupboard to pull out wine glasses.

"I don't understand why they don't like him," she tells him.

"Why who don't like who?" He stops in the midst of his pouring to look at his partner.

"Whom. And Charlie Brown."

Booth chuckles softly and continues to pour their wine. "Because he's got a Charlie Brown head," he says and gets a blank stare from his partner. "They just don't, Bones."

"But there's no rational reason not to like him," she says, voice filled with concern.

"Bones, it's just a cartoon," he tells her, handing her a glass of wine.

"I know, but it's unfair to not like someone just because they look different." She quickly takes a sip of her wine.

There was something in her voice that made him think she might not be talking about Charlie Brown anymore. "You're absolutely right." He says, throwing a charm smile her way.

She smiles as their eyes meet, and it feels like hours before he can actually speak. "Bones, I need to tell you something," he starts.

"Where's Cam?" She asks quickly, turning back to a particularly stubborn stain on his counter.

Booth's flabbergasted. He starts to respond several times but he just can't figure out what to say.

Finally, she looks at him, and holds her hand up. "It's alright, Booth. You don't want to talk about your relationship with Cam, that's fine," she tells him, scrubbing viciously.

Pull it together, man. You're screwing this up.

"There's nothing to talk about," he sighs, taking a gulp of his wine. She turns, placing the sponge on the sink, lifting one eyebrow up in question. "Whatever we were, it's over now."

She stares down at her feet, placing her hands in her pockets. "I'm sorry," she says in a whisper.

"I'm not." Her head snaps back up and she stares him directly in the eye. "Cam and I…we weren't…it wasn't –". He can't seem to get out what he's trying to say. He takes a step closer to her so that he's within arm's length. "It didn't mean anything. It was just—"

"Sex," she finishes. He flushes a bit but nods. She gives a pronounced nod in agreement, takes her wine and leaves the kitchen.

What just happened?

He grabs his glass and follows her out into the living room, where she sits on the couch and gestures for him to do the same. He cautiously settles himself next to her, within inches of touching, and turns to find her staring at him.

"Go ahead," she says.

He shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders. What is she talking about?

"You said you needed to tell me something," she says, and urges him to continue with a roll of her hand.

"Right," he says, clearing his throat, and turning his entire body to face hers. His mouth gapes like a fish for a moment before she shifts her body to face his, rolling her eyes.

"Squirt it out," she tells him.

He smiles. "Spit, Bones. 'Spit it out'."

Her face screws up in defiance. "I think squirt could have worked."

He shakes his head, softly chuckling.

"Booth," she places her hand on his knee, "you've been trying to tell me something all night. So, just tell me."

He gives her a doubtful look.

"Booth, I'm ignorant of pop culture and without certain social graces; I do not lack observation skills."

He tilts his head and stares at her.

"Okay. I do lack some observational skills and I'm not very good with people. But I'm good with you," she says, quietly. "I can see through you," she whispers, looking down at her lap.

"Yeah. You always could," he replies softly, placing his hand over hers on his knee.

This is it. No big speeches, no references she won't understand, no flowery words that she'll hate. Just tell her how you feel.

"Bones, I want to tell you something, and I don't want you to get scared, or panic, or bolt out the front door. I just want you to listen to me, and then we'll go from there. Okay?"

She looks at him dubiously, but nods her head, their eyes locked on each other.

"I'm not exactly certain how to tell you this, so I'm just gonna be blunt because I figure that's what you'd prefer. Bones, I –"

"Are you being reassigned?" She quickly asks concern in her voice and her features.

"What? No, Bones, that's not it."

"Are you sick? Is it cancer?" She shoots off the questions so fast his head starts to spin.

"NO, Bones, I'm not sick. Would you please—"

"Are you quitting? Because you're extremely good at your job and I don't think –"

"I'm not quitting, Bones –"

"But you are leaving our partnership? I know that I can be difficult to work with, Booth, but think of all the good we do –"

"I'm not going anywhere, Bones!" He practically shouts, annoyance emanating from his tone.

"Well, I don't understand. I can't think of anything else you could say where I'd get scared."

"Well, maybe you should let me finish a damn sentence!" He tells her, rubbing his hands over his face in frustration.

Her face flushes and she quickly stares down at her lap.

He releases a sigh of relief and turns his face back to his partner. He watches her for a second, reveling in how beautiful she looks, and he smiles. Lifting her chin with his fingers, he finds her eyes. "I love you, Bones." He watches as her eyes widen and her entire body tenses. "No," he tells her, placing his other hand on her arm. "We agreed you wouldn't panic."

He releases his hold on her chin and places his palm on her cheek, weaving his fingers through her auburn hair. "Now, you're probably thinking about the consequences of this. Whether you feel the same way or not, you're probably worrying about our professional relationship, how we're going to work together, in a relationship, not in a relationship, how do we remain friends after this, and if things go wrong, how do we salvage what we used to have?" He gets an extra boost of confidence when he realizes her body has slowly relaxed under his hold, and her eyes have not wavered from his.

"But I'd really like you not to do that right now. I want you to push the future aside. I don't want you to analyze anything. I just want you to tell me what you feel, okay?"

She nods slowly. He releases her face, relaxing his arm onto the back of the couch, his fingers lightly brushing her shoulder. He places his other hand on her knee just to keep contact. I need to touch her.

She takes in a deep breath, closing her eyes. "You're wrong," she replies in a quiet voice. He leans back a little, his heart plummeting into his stomach.

Please God. Don't let her turn me down. Please let her love me too.

"I wasn't thinking all that," she says, opening her eyes. "I was thinking that that was the reason you've been trying to kiss me all night."

He stares at her in shock and amazement. What does that mean? Does that mean she does or she doesn't?

"I can't read any other living person on this planet, Booth. But I can read you." Her face softens as she gazes at him.

His mouth forms a small smile. "Yeah."

"Booth, --"

She's thinking, Seeley. Stop her.

"I know what you're gonna say, Bones. We're too different. You're a head person, I'm a heart person. I'm a traditionalist and you're more unconventional. You're independent and like to take care of yourself and I'm probably the best example of an alpha male you've ever seen."

"Booth, I wasn't --"

Yes she was.

"Please, listen to your heart for two seconds."

"Booth, you –"

No science lessons!

"I know, Bones. Your heart can't tell you anything. It's an organ that pumps blood through the body. It doesn't contain feelings or emotions. I know that. You've told me that a thousand times, just give it a chance.'

"Well, you don't—"

She's balking.

"Bones, please. Could you pretend we're not at some sort of science conference? Because I don't--"

"BOOTH!" She shouts. He turns his head to look at her, his eyebrows drawn up in surprise.

"I love you too."

Yep, I did leave it right there. I have to go get ready for a New Year's Eve party, but I wanted to get this done and out there for your reading pleasure. Hope y'all have a very safe and Happy New Year:)