A/N: Sorry that this chapter took so long… My muse fled when she found out about all the exams and homework I had this week. I hope that everyone had a good Turkey Day! Thank you to everyone who reviewed and added my story.

Nothing could've prepared Seeley Booth for the breathtaking beauty of a sleeping Temperance Brennan. And he was a boy scout, so he was supposed to be prepared for everything. He had sat here for the past hour just drinking her in. He loved how her auburn curls framed her porcelain face. He loved how she felt, snuggle right up to his chest, her hands tucked up under her chin. He loved how even though she was pretty tall for a woman, she felt small in his arms. She snored lightly, as her mouth hung open sending small puffs of warm air towards his chin. He chuckled at how adorable she looked when all of the worries of the world were smoothed from her face in sleep.

He reached out and tucked one stray strand of hair that fluttered near her mouth. He pulled his hand back and let his knuckles graze across her cheek, marveling at how soft and warm her skin felt. She shifted slightly, burrowing further into his side.

"Seeley."

His eyes widened in surprise as his first name left her lips in a breathy moan. She never called him Seeley. Even when she was introducing him to people, she said his whole name. His heart gave a tight squeeze when he let himself imagine that maybe, some day, she'd call him that all the time. When he'd been with Cam, he had hated it when she called him Seeley. But, when Bones said it, it sounded right.

He let his gaze rest on her lips, those lips that just hours before he'd felt placed on his again. He had come here with the purpose of telling her how he felt. But she hadn't let him. Instead, she fought with him until she cried herself to sleep in his arms.

He lightly grazed his knuckles across her cheek one last time, then moved to stand up. He shifted her lightly, getting her into a more secure grip, and lifted her up. He made his way down her hall, bumped the door to her bedroom with his hip, and stepped into her room. He'd never been in here before, but he liked the room instantly. It felt so like Temperance, not Dr. Brennan. A painting by Angela hung over her bed, gauzy mauve-colored curtains covered the windows, a large closet off to the side, and a chaise lounge covered in her clothes stood underneath the windows. He walked over to the side of the bed, and gingerly set her on her feet.

A moan escaped her lips, and her eyes began to flutter. He quickly grabbed the corner of the duvet and pulled it down. He gently grasped her elbow.

"Here, Bones, lay down." She smiled when he heard his voice, and he felt his chest expand. He'd never met anyone who could control his mood with just a smile. He gently pushed her down among her pillows and brought the blanket up around her chin. He smiled as she squirmed a little to got comfortable. He stood there until her breathing began to even out. On impulse, he pressed a kiss to her forehead, then smoothed her hair away from her face.

"Goodnight Bones." He had turned to walk away when a small hand snaked out from under the covers and gripped his wrist.

"Please," she said, "please stay with me?" Her eyes fluttered up, and caught his. He melted a little when he saw the look that crossed her beautiful blue irises.

"Okay." He scooted around the edge of the bed, and sat down next to a suitcase. He reached out to move it when a thought crossed his mind. Wait, hadn't Angela said something about her sleeping curled around a suitcase when she'd found her the morning after he "died"? He looked up at her, and found she'd fallen back to sleep already, her light snoring having returned. He grabbed the edge of it and spun it until the lock was facing him. He popped it, then cringed at the loud noise it made in the quiet room. He waited for the inevitable, "what the hell are you doing Booth?" But, it never came. He glanced back at her and found the noise had done nothing to disturb her.

He gently tugged the lid up, and looked inside. He reached in and pulled out the first thing on top, it was a copy of her book. More precisely, it was the copy she dedicated to him. He flipped it open to the dedication page. His heart always beat a little faster when he read those words. It always made him smile that she'd thought of him. However, this time, another piece of paper obscured the writing on the page. He grabbed the rumpled piece of paper and began to read.

Booth,

I know that you did all that you could. I know. Do not blame yourself, please. Please tell Russ that I don't hate him, and that I love him very much. Have him tell my Dad that despite everything, I love him too. Angela, tell her I'm going to miss her.

I do have one regret. I'm sorry that I'll never get to tell you in person how much you mean to me. I'm sorry that I'll never get to tell you that when I close my eyes at night, and when I open them in the morning, inevitably, you are always on my mind. I'm sorry that I'll never get to tell you that if love is that squeezing feeling you get in your chest when you're around someone (even though it really has no basis in science) and knowing that someone is always there to catch you if you fall, then I think that I love you.

Temperance

He squeezed his eyes shut as he realized what this was from. When she'd been buried by the Gravedigger, she'd written a note to him, telling him not to blame himself if he found her dead. He reread the last part of the letter, then I think that I love you. He felt his whole body start to shake as he realized that she loved him too. He pinched the bridge of his nose, and blinked furiously to hold back the impending moisture. He'd never felt this feeling that was rushing through his body before. It was a mixture of anxiety and love. Anxiety was due to the fact that he'd almost lost her that day. The love was harder to explain. He knew that he loved her. That's why he was here. But this was different. Knowing that she loved him to left with this intense feeling radiating through every part of him.

He folded the letter and tucked it into his pocket. He reached back into the suitcase and grasped silky material. He pulled on it, and out came the little black dress he'd bought her in Vegas. The same one that had made his heart stop, leaving him speechless and without his customary witty comeback. He had yet to meet another woman who, with just being herself, could render his wit nonexistent. He reached in again and pulled out a Wong Foo's menu. And again, and pulled out her Foreigner album. Slowly, it dawned on him exactly what the suitcase was for. Reaching in one last time, he grabbed what felt like a picture frame. On top, he found Brainy Smurf and Jasper. He slowly picked them up and set them on top of the Vegas dress, balancing them so they wouldn't fall. His breath hitched as he saw what the picture frame held. It was a picture of him and Bones, but it was snapped in one of those moments where they were just looking at each other, speaking volumes with their eyes.

"I couldn't look at anything that reminded me of you," she said, her voice gravely from just waking up. He jumped up, feeling like he just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Nope, this was far worse than a cookie jar.

"What?" His voice was much shakier than he intended it to be.

"After you died," her voice cracked as she dredged up the memories of that night once again. "After you died, I couldn't look at anything that reminded me of you. But I couldn't throw them away. They meant too much to me." He watched as she swiped at the tears escaping from under her eyelids.

He couldn't take it anymore. He crawled of the bed and straddled her.

"Temperance. I am so sorry. I am so, so sorry." He couldn't stop them, tears poured down his face as he cupped her face and kissed every part of it. He kissed her cheeks, her forehead, her nose, her chin, her lips. His eyes popped open in surprise when she grabbed his arms and flipped him onto his back. The breath in his lungs left with a small grunt. He looked up at her, and saw a look he'd never seen before blazing through her eyes.

"I know Booth, I know." He swiped his thumb underneath her eye and caught a tear as it fell. He lifted his head and caught her lips with his own. He felt her hands bunch up into his t-shirt as she tilted her head to deepen the kiss, her teeth slowly scraped against his bottom lip. He grasped her hips and lightly pushed her back. He wiggled a little to sit up straight, and looked into her confused eyes.

"Bones, I came over here tonight because I realized something." He stopped and took a deep, calming breath. "I came over here because I realized that these past couple of weeks that you've been distant, you've been trying to push me away. And to answer your question, I can take a hint. I've just chosen to ignore yours. Those two weeks I was dead, I thought that you knew that I wasn't. But those two weeks that I couldn't talk to you, it was horrible. Albeit, not as horrible as yours, but still extremely uncomfortable. I sat in my hospital bed, barraged by agents telling me this and that. But through all of that all I could think of was you."

He heard her gulp, and this made him smile. "For two weeks I was glad that I stood in front of that bullet for you. I'm still glad that I did it. I was relieved that nothing had happened to you. And I realized, that if something had happened to you…" His breath hitched a little. "I wouldn't have been able to tell you that… I love you."

She opened her mouth to say something, but he held up his hand. "Before you interrupt me, let me finish. I have loved you for a while. I don't even remember when it really happened, but it's always been at the back of my mind. And when Kenton had you, and you were taken by the Gravedigger…" He took the paper out of his pocket and pressed it into her hand. He watched her eyes widen in recognition, as she figured out what he'd just given her. "I almost died inside. When I saw that puff of dirt, it felt like every cell in my body split, and yes I know that's scientifically impossible," he said when she opened her mouth again. This time he put his fingers over her mouth. "But when I grabbed your hand and pulled you out of that damn whole, my whole body shook with relief. I'm surprised that I didn't kiss you right there."

She pushed his hand away and put her fingers on his mouth.

"Booth!" He stopped and looked at her expectantly. "Now, if I can talk for a second." He looked down guiltily. "What I was going to say is, I wish you had kissed me there. That's what I wanted too!"

He opened his eyes a little wider when it hit him what she was actually saying.

"When you were…dead… I realized why it hurt so much. The reason I was crying so hard was because I'd never be able to turn to you and have you explain pop culture references. I'd never open the door at 1 in the morning and find you with Wong Foo's. I'd never be able to give you another guy hug when I was scared. And, I'd never be able to tell you that, these three years, you've made you way into my heart." He was watching her closely. Through the whole speech, not once had she looked him in the eye. Her eyes had roamed the room as tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes. He crooked his finger under her chin and lifted her face.

"Say it." He said it softly, and with every ounce of tenderness that he possessed.

"I love you, Seeley. I think, I've always loved you." He looked deep into her beautiful blue eyes and smiled his best charm smile. He had never felt so happy and content. His whole body was pleasantly tingling as he gazed into her eyes.

"Well." He looked at how they were arranged. She was sitting in his lap, while he was propped up against the headboard. "This isn't exactly how I pictured telling you. I had something more romantic in mind. You know, sweep you off your feet."

"What do my feet have to do with this?" She looked at him with genuine confusion in her eyes. He laughed, a real laugh, one from deep within his being. He grabbed her and flipped her onto her back.

"I love you." He watched her forehead wrinkle in confusion.

"What does this have to do with my fe…" He dipped his head and captured her lips with his own. She didn't respond for a second, then her lips became pliant under his. Never had he felt anything as intense as this kiss. It was tender, passionate, heated, and hungry all at once. He moved his lips down her jaw to her neck, enjoying how she responded to him.

"What were you saying?" He asked her, as he lightly nipped her shoulder.

"Huh? What?" He laughed again as he slowly tugged up her shirt. He'd finally found a way to render the woman who had an answer for everything, and a question for everyone, totally incoherent.

A/N: One, maybe two more chapters after this. Again, I'm sorry it took so long. College is a bitch sometimes.