Chapter 15

Finally after three weeks the day that was anticipated by most, but dreaded by one had finally arrived; a certain forensic anthropologist was cleared to return to work.

"Booth, forget it! I'm going." Brennan stated for at least the fourth time that morning.

"Ah, come one Bones. Just one more week." He gave her that begging look.

"That's what you said last week. Forget it. I am going to work today. I am going crazy here. I already finished my book and it's not due for another month and a half. I have read every article in the forensic journal and wrote one myself rebutting what that moron Davidson wrote about stress markers and their help, or lack there of in his opinion, in identifying bodies. I have to get back to the lab."

"But you'll stay in the lab. Right?" He looked at her expectantly.

"Unless I get a case, yes."

"But if you get a case you will only go to the crime scene and then back to the lab. You'll leave the field work to the FBI, right?"

"Booth, you know I won't promise that. If I think it will be helpful for me to be in the field then I will go into the field."

"I don't want you in the field without me."

"Yes, I know, Mr. Alpha Male thinks he needs to protect the weak woman, but forget it."

Booth reached for her pulling her close to him. "I think you are a lot of things Bones, but weak is certainly not one of them. I can't make you stay in the lab, but please be careful. I almost lost you and I don't trust Sully and we still haven't caught the person who took you. I just wish I was going to be with you."

"Sully was your friend Booth. There is no reason you shouldn't trust him. And we never caught the Gravedigger either, but you didn't lock me up. And I want you to be with me too, but that isn't going to happen just now. We just have to convince Cullen to put us back together and until then we will do our jobs."

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Later that day Brennan sat across from Angela with her had thrown back ready to ask the question that had been killing her.

"What if he gets bored?" She blurted out of nowhere.

Angela didn't know what to make of this because they had been talking about one of the bodies in limbo.

"Who?"

"Booth." Brennan whispered

"What do you mean, Sweetie? Get bored with what?"

"Me."

"Don't be ridiculous that man is head over heels for you."

"I'm not being ridiculous. Yea, he fell in love with me, but we were together practically all the time, he had a pretty limited selection. What if he sees how much better off he would be without me now that we're not together as much?"

"Sweetie, he loves you. And he is certainly not to good for you so why would you think that?"

"It's just we've never not worked together, Ang. I don't know how to adjust to this."

"Bren, just talk to him. Tell him your fears. He will tell you that you are being ridiculous. He loves you, sweetie."

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Brennan spent all day thinking about what Angela had said. She should talk to him. He will be honest with her. He loved her. He said he did and Booth wouldn't lie about that.

That night she got home just after six.

"Booth!" She called walking into the door and dropping her keys on the table and flipping the light on. "Booth, are you here?" She had seen his car in the parking lot. She rounded the corner to the kitchen and was meet with candlelight. On the table sat two candles. About the time her eyes registered this her body registered the presents of it's counterpart. One Agent Seeley Booth who was standing to the right of the table.

"Booth! This is beautiful." Booth walked up to her and handed her a wine glass. If the bottle on the table was anything to go by she was holding a very nice glass of Merlot. "Why did you do all this?"

"I wanted to remind you how much I love you. You mean the world to me and I don't know where I would be without you in my life. No matter what happens in our professional life, our personal life is ours. I love you and that is all that matters."

"Booth," Brennan began to connect the dots, "did you speak to Angela today?"

Booth didn't even try to feign innocence. "There may have been an e-mail or two, but that has nothing to do with what I am saying. It just changed when I said it." Booth reached over and took a box that Brennan hadn't noticed off the table. "I know how you feel about me marriage and so I am not pressuring an answer from you. I want to spend my life with you. I don't care if we are legally married, although I would prefer that. I want to be with you forever and I want you to wear this ring as a symbol of the commitment that we share." Booth noticed the tears in Brennan's eyes as he opened the box. Inside was an exquisite diamond and sapphire ring. "This belonged to my grandmother and hers before that. I had my mother send it to me a month ago. I've been waiting for the perfect moment to give it to you. Temperance, I want you to be my wife."

Except for the occasional chocked sob Temperance had remained silent through his speech. Never in her life had Brennan ever had a person say such beautiful things to her. "Seeley, I love you forever. I will wear your ring. My heart has belonged to you for a very long time. I will not agree to marry you right now, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Brennan was smiling…and crying. " I love you." She chocked out.

Booth pulled her close kissing her. There meal momentarily forgotten.

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There lives were different now, but different isn't always bad. Brennan spent less time in the field. Booth was coming up on a promotion. They were in love and really what more could any two people ask for?

THE END

Stay tuned for the sequel"

The Greater the Risk…