AN: Okay so here's the next chapter. It gives some more insight into what's going on with our cast of characters. I hope you enjoy, and please let me know what you think.

"Are you in love with Temperance Brennan?" Booth looked at Annie, his mouth open, trying to think of how to answer that question. Annabelle knew that he and Temperance were best friends, and the fact that she'd been the one to dance with him instead of Carol spoke volumes about how he felt, but it was something he never discussed with her in detail.

"What?"

"Seeley, please don't make me feel like an idiot. I need to know. Are you in love with your partner?"

"I…why do you want to know?"

"I want what we have between us to work. I want it to, desperately, but if she's more important to you..." The pair looked at each other, tension building in the room. Booth ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"I want this to work too. Look, Annie, anything that I might feel in regards to Temperance doesn't need to interfere in our relationship. I've never acted on them and don't plan to."

"Well you say the words but your actions at the wedding seem to contradict that."

"What are you talking about?"

"You couldn't keep your eyes off of her, and after her rather hasty departure, you moped."

"I did not."

"Seeley, you put on a good show for the guests, but I could see the difference. You'd smile when you needed to, but when you thought no one was paying attention, you'd look back at that door. Were you hoping she'd come back?"

"Annie…"

"No, don't. Whatever this fascination you have with her needs to be worked out. I don't want to be second in your life, I can't. I should take precedence, and you certainly don't need any extra distractions."

"You do take precedence."

"No, I don't," she sighed before sitting down on the bed. She fiddled with the beading on her wedding dress. Finally after a long moment, she looked back up at him. "Here's what needs to happen. I am going to go on our honeymoon by myself." Booth began to protest, but she held up a hand for him to stop. "No, just hear me out. I'm going by myself so we both have time to think about this. You need to figure out exactly what your feelings are for Temperance. If when I get back in two weeks you decide you'd rather be with her, rather do this with her, the whole relationship thing, then we can part with amicable feelings. Is that agreeable to you?"

"I can agree to that." Booth knelt before her and wrapped his arms around his wife. Annie allowed the embrace and returned it. The two sat there in each other's arms for a time, Booth occasionally placing little kisses into her hair. "You're too good, you know that?"

"It's not gonna earn you a spot in bed you know. You're getting the couch until you make up your mind."

XxXxX

Annabelle looked through her suitcases while Booth was in the shower. She was making sure she had everything she'd need for her destination. She didn't plan on having contact with anyone until she got back from the Greek Isles. As she closed the suitcase, she let out a sigh. Maybe this wasn't the best of ideas. Maybe she should let him come along so he could see how well they worked together. No, she shook her head. He had to figure this out on his own. If he decided to be with Temperance rather than her, then she wanted him to be happy even if it would mean she herself was left out in the cold.

Annie glanced up as the bathroom door opened. Booth stood there with a towel and nothing else on. His hair was still wet and water dripped down his chest. This separation thing was looking harder and harder to do, she thought as she watched him walk across the room to get some clothes. If Seeley Booth was nothing else, he was one sexy man.

"You're sure you don't want me to come with you?" Booth looked at her as he pulled out a tee-shirt and a pair of jeans.

"Yes. We both need time to think this over. I just really wish the issue came up before we went through with everything. Why couldn't you bring this up before?"

"I wanted to do this with you. I told you that regardless of what's up between Bones and me, I'm with you all the way."

"And I don't want this to be something you regret later on."

"All right then, give me a few minutes and I'll take you to the airport." Booth finished grabbing his clothes and went back to the bathroom. Annie fiddled with the zipper on her suitcase as she sat there. This was one of the hardest things she'd have to do, leaving Seeley. She loved him more than anyone previously, and it hurt to think that level of emotion wasn't returned. If he decided to stay with her, then she'd fight to keep him on track from that point on.

As the door swung open again, she looked up and offered Booth a sad smile. He nodded at her before grabbing her suitcase and heading for the door. As he opened it, he turned around to look at her.

"Are you coming?"

"Yeah, I'm coming." She stood and followed him silently from the room.

They reached the airport about half an hour later, neither saying a word as they went. Booth pulled up to the drop off zone as requested by Annabelle and pulled to the curb. He finally looked over at her as she opened the car door.

"Please don't leave Annie."

"I have to Seeley. I'll see you in two weeks." She gave a gentle squeeze to his leg and got out of the car. Booth caught her hand and kissed her palm.

"I'll be here when you get back." He dropped her hand and watched as she walked away. How had he managed to have his life get so screwed up? As she entered the terminal, Booth sighed and drove away. Now came the hard part. He had to talk to Temperance to get this settled. The only problem was that he didn't even know where she went, and there was only one place he could find out.

XxXxX

Angela looked up as she saw someone walk into her office. Her eyebrows raised in surprise as she looked at Booth standing in her doorway. She glanced at the clock on her desk, and back at the FBI agent.

"Aren't you supposed to be on your way to your honeymoon?"

"You'd think that, wouldn't you?" Booth looked at Angela and sighed as he sat down on a couch in her office. "I need to speak to Bones."

"So call her."

"I have. She won't answer my calls."

"Is that really all that surprising?"

"Angela, please don't. I don't need this right now. I really need to speak with her."

"Well what do you want me to do about it?"

"I know she told you where she's going. I need to know where she is."

"Booth, if Bren wanted you to know where she was, then she would have told you."

"Please."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not at liberty to say. If she wants to talk to you then she'll call you back. Why is it so important anyway?"

"I…it's complicated. I just really need to talk." He looked so lost that Angela felt a slight pang of guilt for not telling him anything.

"Look, I'll tell her you need to talk, but then it's up to her."

"Thanks Angela. I appreciate it."

"This wouldn't be an issue you know if you'd been honest with her a long time ago."

"I know, okay?" Booth stood and headed for her office door. He wasn't going to push his luck with Angela, but maybe he could get some information from Hodgins.

"Booth?"

"Yeah?"

"Take care, okay?"

"I will, thanks." He gave her a small smile, so unlike his normal one and left the office. Angela watched him walk away and again felt sorry for the man. Something was obviously wrong. There was no way he would be trying to track down Brennan if everything was perfect in paradise.

Booth decided to take another attempt at finding her, and scanned into the platform. He made his way over to Hodgins, who was working on goodness knows what. The bug man looked up at Booth briefly before returning his attention to his microscope.

"Hey Hodgins, you wouldn't happen to know where Bones is would you? Did she say where she was going on her sabbatical?"

"Not to me she didn't. You might want to talk to Angela."

"I already did. I know she tells you everything. Come on man, do me a favor huh?"

"I do you a favor and I'll suffer for it later. No can do man, but nice try."

"Come on Hodgins…"

"Sorry, but I'd prefer to stay on Angela's good side. Try Zack."

"Yeah, like that'll work."

"Then I don't know what to tell you, and why aren't you getting it on with Annie? Aren't you supposed to be in the Greek Isles now?"

"It's complicated."

"Dude, you didn't leave her, did you?"

"No, I haven't. I just really need to talk to Bones."

"Wish I could help, but I value my life."

"Nah, it's okay. I understand. I'll see you around." With that, Booth left. He wasn't sure what to do now. After Max's acquittal to which Booth was still surprised he'd gotten away with, he was taken off of anything to do with the Keenan/Brennan family. He knew Max had made some sort of deal with the FBI to be a witness in several pending cases, so he'd even gotten Russ' problems taken care of. By not being on the case, he wasn't going to know where they were that way, but…he still had Max's number in his cell phone.

Booth pulled out his phone and looked up the number. Maybe he could find out where Temperance was through her father. With resolve, he dialed, and waited for the other end to pick up.

"Hello?" Booth let out a relieved sigh that he got through to Max.

"Max, this is Agent Booth."

"Agent Booth, how did you get this number? No one is supposed to have it."

"I've had this for a while now. Look Max, I'm looking for Temperance, do you know where I can find her?"

"After what you've done to her, I don't think I'm interested in helping you."

"What do you mean after what I did?"

"I told you to take care of her, and now she has a broken heart. You did that to her."

"Look Max…"

"No, I'm sorry. If she wants to speak to you, I'm sure she will. Goodbye Agent Booth." Before Max could get off the phone, Booth heard her in the background. At least he knew who she was with, but now he just needed to find out how to find her.