Disclaimer: sadly I still don't own Bones

A/N thanks for taking the time to review. I know the last chapter was pretty quick I hope to have this one last a little longer

WHEN YOU KNOW. – chapter 2
There was something different about the silence in the SUV. Usually Booth and his partner talked, argued or discussed cases, when there was silence it was comfortable. Not that the current silence was uncomfortable, but there was just a different quality to it.

As the SUV waited at a red light, Booth stole a glance at Temperance. She was gazing out of the passenger side window chewing on her thumb in a distracted manner. Now was one of those times he wished he could tune into her thoughts like a radio station. He'd gotten better at reading her but she still managed to stump him sometimes.

"Hey Bones?" he turned his attention back to the road as he started moving again when the lights changed. "is there a reason you asked about that thing earlier?"
she glanced over in his direction and debated her answer. She didn't need to formulate one however, when he stole another glance at her he had his answer.

"so I finish your thought too huh? That's cool!"
"it is?" she shifted slightly in her chair as the SUV pulled up outside her apartment. When the enguine stopped, booth turned to face her fully.
"Sure it's cool. Can you guess what I'm thinking right now?" his charm smile flashed across his face as he moved slightly closer to her.
"Booth I can't read your mind. Though it seems like you manage to read mine sometimes and I'm not altogether comfortable with that"
he sighed heavily "well, it's probably a good thing you couldn't read my thoughts, you'd have used me for martial arts practise!"
he couldn't help but grin at he confused expression. Her brow furrowed slightly and smallest hint of a pout played with her mouth. He felt his stomach flinch as he let his eyes linger on her lips. Wondering how they would feel if he were to touch them with his own.

"I don't really understand what you're saying Booth."
"didn't think so," he smiled "have you eaten?" she opened her mouth to answer but before she could get half of the first word out he laughed.
"what's funny?"
"that was a silly question wasn't it? I found you in your office after hours swamped in case files, of course you haven't eaten."
When she glanced up from her hands she couldn't help but smile. He was giving her his charm smile.
The first few times he had used it on her she had found it frustrating and annoying, but now she welcomed the sight of it. She'd come to associate it with her partners boyish side that always seemed to want to get her to do something.
"what?" she asked smiling wider as he started to wiggle his eyebrows at her.
"well, I have a urge" he smiled and moved closer still to her side on the car "it's almost uncontrollable"
her mouth went dry as she leaned against the car door as he moved closer still. "it involves you" the space between them closed even more "and me" she impulsively licked her lips "and my phone".

His phone? What in the world was he talking about? The confusion must have shown on her face because Booth chuckled. He pulled his cell out of his pocket and held it up. "take out?"

Booth locked the SUV while he was on the phone ordering their meal. He let his eyes follow his partner along the pathway to her building. He was sure he must have imagined it, but at the same time, he was sure she had thought he was going to kiss her.
She had let him invade her personal space. He could swear to God he had seen her lick her lips, inviting him. He'd panicked slightly when he'd seen the subconscious action and plundered into his offer to get food. It was what he'd been planning to do, but he couldn't stop himself moving toward her. The thing that amazed him the most was that she hadn't run. She had backed up slightly but then it almost seemed like she were about to allow him to indulge himself.

He made a mental note to try again later, this time intentionally. Maybe a nice Take out meal from Sid and a good bottle of wine would help relax her.

"Did you shut your tie in the door again?"
her voice carried across the empty pathway to Booth who was still standing by his car watching her, he'd ended the call to Sid a few minutes before.
"what?" her voice had snapped him away from his thoughts
"why are you waiting by the car?" she moved back towards him "did you get your tie stuck again?"
quickly he jogged around the front of the SUV.
"no, and for your information, I've never done that"
"yes you did, I saw you do it the other day. At the diner. Remember? I was there with Angela"
"oh yeah, the day she took you shopping. But I didn't shut my tie in the car door!"
"selective amnesia!" she unlocked the main door to her building "remember I was wearing that dress Angela made my buy? You were checking me out and shut your tie in the door"
"ah yeah the pale blue one?" when she turned to stare at him he rememberd that he was supposed to deny two things.
"ok first, that was a nice dress but I wasn't 'checking you out', and second, I did not shut my tie in the door!"
"if you weren't checking me out then how come you can remember the colour of the dress?"
"because it was nice" he could see he had fallen into a trap, and she was teasing him which he didn't mind, it was a sign she was at ease with him.
"I can't really remember that dress" she said as she fumbled with her apartment keys "was it a high neck?"
"now it was a low V neck" oops! He cringed knowing he wasn't about to deny his way out of this one.
"HA!" she spun on him as her apartment door opened. She walked through it backwards pointing at him as she moved "you completely fell for that one!" she dropped her keys on the hall table and carried on grinning at him as she slipped her jacket off.
"you were checking me out! You think I'm hot!"
with a heavy sigh he decided to take a new track. "totally!"
he smile faded "what? You were supposed to deny…"
he smiled to himself "I think you're gorgeous, I've never met or ever seen another woman who comes close to you. That dress was damn hot!"
"Booth… you're….." she backed away slightly as he advanced
"I couldn't help it. I slammed my tie in the door because I was so distracted by you."
She gave a nervous laugh and he followed her as she continued to move backwards through her living room.
"Booth, I think maybe you should…"
"No Temperance, I'm not leaving" her stomach tightened as he used her Christian name. "I know I said we couldn't cross that line but not crossing it is too much"

The back of her knees made contact with the sofa and she fell back onto it, staring up at him as he moved in front of her. The fear in her eyes told him that he may have been a little too bold. He knew what she was like with this sort of thing. Maybe the best thing he could do was tell her that he understood.

"look Temperance," he reached out and placed his hand over one of hers, she flinched but didn't pull away, he took it as a good sign. "I know that this is difficult for you. I know that you think if you let someone in, let someone love you then they'll leave." She swallowed hard as she listened to him. "I hoped you'd know by now, after the past two years, after all we've been through together, I will never leave you." He moved slowly forward.

"I'll never let you fall, I'll always be there to catch you. And if for some reason I should miss, then I'll never leave your side until you're better again." She was frozen in front of him. The sight encouraged him to continue. In her eyes he no longer saw fear, he now saw warmth as tears started to swim across the bright blue. He knew that she believed him.
Quietly he picked up her hand and held it in both of his.

"we started of as partners, then we became friends." He smiled at her "you are my best friend Temperance, and my feelings for you are far beyond what friends feel for each other"
he raised her hand to his mouth and lightly kissed her knuckles.

She gasped quietly as his lips touched her skin. Her eyes flicked closed and a single tear slid down he cheek.

He let his lips linger on her hand before he pulled looked back to her face. His heart melted when he saw the effect his words had taken.
"Temperance?" he knelt on the floor directly in front of her, his voice just about a whisper "Bones?"

when she failed to reply to both names a fear flooded through him. Though she was still letting him hold he hand, he was scared she was withdrawing from him. Had he been too forward with her? Had he made her run? Would she ever be the same with him again?

After a moment she opened her eyes and regarded him quietly. "Booth…." Her voice was small "Seeley" she corrected herself and the use of his given name injected him with hope that he hadn't ruined everything. He nodded at her but remained silent, waiting for her to speak. As the silence stretched out he brought her hand back to his mouth and rested her skin against his.

"Seeley, I….we….I feel…the same" he closed his eyes and released the breath he'd been holding in. he placed a hand on her cheek and smiled in relief at her confession.
"I know that you understand me better than anyone. And I know that you'd never hurt me, not intentionally anyway."
He moved closer to her, his eyes fixed on her mouth as she spoke.
"but you said there could never be anything between us, because we work together"
"Tempe, there is something between us and it's happened because we do work together." He smiled "we spend so much time together at work that we know what the other is thinking with knowing it. There have been so many times that my actions have been because I care about you more than I'm supposed to"
she looked confused.
"Remember when I got blown up by your fridge?" she nodded "I left the hospital to find you, because I care about you." He thought for another example. "Remember the gravedigger?" she shuddered and nodded "I couldn't give up on you even after the clock had run down. I had to find you because I care so much about you."

He closed ever more of the gap between them and his heart jumped into his throat when she brought her free hand to stroke his cheek with a watery smile.
"Without these feeling I have for you Tempe, we wouldn't have the partnership that we have. It's different with us because those feelings are what make us a good team." He was whispering. Her face was so close to his that he could feel her breath on his skin and it sent electric currents though his entire body.

He let his eyes drift to her mouth as he leaned his forehead against hers. slowly he tiled his chin forward until his breath mingled with hers, making him dizzy. He stole a quick glance at her eyes to find they were closed. He let his attention turn back to her parted lips, nervously me moved even closer until….

The door buzzer made them both jump out of their skins. Their dinner had arrived.

A/N so close!!!!!! well that was a bit longer.
Please let me know what you think. Any ideas? Suggestions? Please review and let me know