YEAH! I finished this chapter before my deadline! Now I can breath easily. This is kind of a transition chapter. Please review after you read to tell me whether or not you want the rating bumped up. I've got a couple of ideas but may have to postpone the next chapter to work on a Twilight fic. It came to me when I went to see Stephenie Meyer at her book signing. (and PS: she was AMAZING!) So I am going to be working on an angst fic for Bella and Edward. Hopefully a one-shot but I am bad at doing that...

Chapter Rating: T

Chapter Five

A/N: This story takes place about a year and a half after this season. So basically two and a half since the beginning of the show. That way, they have more of a relationship established. And there is no such thing as Camille. (That devil woman. ROAR!)

Brennan stared at the large sign in front of her with incredulity. "The Zoo, Booth?"

"Uh-uh," Booth smiled down at her and zipped his coat up. "It's not your turn to ask the question. And you didn't answer mine. What is your favorite animal?"

"Booth, why are we at the Zoo?" Brennan crossed her arms over her breast and frowned up at him. "It's cold and you expect me to walk around outside just to look at a sleeping lion?"

"First off, Bones, there are more than just lions here. And second, almost everything is inside now this time of year. Third: what's wrong with the zoo? Do you have a phobia or something because if you do we could totally turn around right now and get back in the car. And finally: you still haven't answered my question."

"I like panda bears. And no, I don't have a phobia, I just don't understand why you took me here."

"I like the zoo, Bones, and besides they have lights up so when it starts to get dark it'll get really pretty out. So what's the problem? They have really good ice cream." He wiggled his eyebrows and Brennan couldn't stop a short laugh from escaping.

"Fine, Booth. Let's just get going before I freeze my tail end off out here."

"We wouldn't want that, would we?" Booth smiled as he slipped his hand around her waist and led her up toward the entrance. "Now, it's your turn to ask the question, isn't it?"

Brennan took a moment of silence to get used to the feel of his arm around her before speaking. He had done such things the entire afternoon: holding her hand at the table for a moment or two while she spoke; brushing his hand down her back; things that usually meant nothing to her when someone else did it but now it sent a tingling sensation all over her body. It wasn't entirely unwelcome but it was frightening that her body welcomed his touch so much already. "Have you ever gone to a musical and, if so, what is your favorite?"

"That's two questions, Bones. It's not allowed." Booth smiled down at her and she felt the now-familiar blush creeping up to cover her face.

"Just answer, Booth."

Booth sighed in mock resignation as he moved his arm from her waist and dug in his pocket for his credit card which he handed to a small man sitting in the ticket booth. "I have gone to musicals and I would definitely say that my favorite is the Phantom of the Opera. It's unrivaled. What about you?"

"I've seen the Phantom of the Opera and I enjoyed it but I would have to say that Wicked is my favorite."

"Is that the one about the Wicked Witch of the West?"

"Yes. I saw it a couple months ago with David." She trailed off, a frown crossing her features. "That was the night that he proposed to me."

Booth nodded with a sigh. Now that he thought about it he remembered he remembered her mentioning the day before the fateful night that she was going to see it. "Why did you say no?"

Brennan's frown deepened and her forehead creased. "You already know my standing when it comes to marriage, Booth."

"Yeah, yeah. It's not in the best interest of the species but did you know that many other animals dedicate themselves to one mate and one mate only? The gorilla, for instance, or the penguin."

"I'm hardly a penguin, Booth."

"Maybe not but all of those species are doing O.K. Why do you think that it wouldn't be that way with humans? And besides: Earth is getting a little crowded, don't you think?" He smiled playfully and reached for her hand, twining his fingers with hers.

"A romantic like you, Booth, shouldn't accepting of marriage. Don't you find it terribly unromantic that the entire relationship relies on a simple piece of paper?

"That piece of paper doesn't make it less romantic, Bones. It gives the couple something to fall back on. If a couple of four years began to have problems and yet weren't married then they would be able to leave each other without any repercussions. They would go and make mistakes and find somebody else just to spite the other. But when you are married you have to think about what you are doing. It takes time and effort to divorce and if a couple really loves each other they won't make that kind of mistake. That piece of paper helps a couple reevaluate their relationship and patch up small problems and even some bigger ones. Granted, it doesn't work with many couples and marriage shouldn't be approached unless you are absolutely certain, but it can be terribly romantic."

"You've put a lot of thought into it, haven't you?" Brennan said slowly. Her frown was gone and she looked bemused.

"Well of course. I did propose to Rebecca when I found out she was pregnant with Parker. She refused, obviously, and I can't say that I am kind of glad that she did." He squeezed her hand and her heart fluttered at the implication of his words. To cover her embarrassment, she thought of another question.

"Why did you decide to play twenty questions?"

Booth chuckled as he led her down a small path leading to a building with a large whale painted on the front. "Because I realized a while back that I knew next to nothing about your life and I decided that this was the best way to find out what I wanted to."

Brennan's mouth formed a small "o" as she mulled that over.

"My turn. Have you been enjoying yourself today?"

Brennan looked up at him and stopped walking. He followed her example and locked eyes with her, a small frown on his face. Her head was cocked and the crease had returned to her brow. He felt his heart speed up at the familiar look in her eye that meant that she was thinking hard and the way that her face was flushed in both a lingering embarrassment and from the cold. He knew she was ready to speak when her eyes cleared ever so slightly and she pursed her lips.

"Yes, Booth," she said, her voice soft. "I have enjoyed myself. I've enjoyed this game and I've enjoyed your company. I think I've done more talking today than I ever have outside of work since…ever." She smiled gently and her fingers, still entwined in his, tightened just a little bit. Booth smiled and his breath came out in a whoosh of relief.

"I'm glad." His free hand rose to brush a strand of hair away from her face. "You know, I've wanted to ask you on a date since we started working together, don't you?" he grinned in amusement when she shook her head in shock. "Yeah, but first there was Tessa and then David and there was just never an opportunity. But last night? I've been craving that kiss since the first time that I saw you. First it was just to see what it was like to kiss a woman like you and then it became…more. It became a need. Every time I kissed Tessa it was you that I wanted to be holding. Every time that I saw you and David holding hands I wanted to be in his place. And almost every night I would fall asleep and banish the horrible images of the day with your face."

He paused to let her absorb this information. Her eyes were wide and her face was once again warm with embarrassment. She looked away from him to the darkening sky above them and inhaled deeply. She wondered to herself when they had reached such a level of trust that he was saying such personal things. It was both uncomfortable and liberating to have someone speak to her like this and give her the chance to do so as well. He was giving her a chance to address the way she felt – something no one except her brother had ever done for her before. It felt liberating and frightening at the same time.

The thing that scared her was the shocking way that their platonic relationship was being approached so swiftly with little to no warning beforehand. Before yesterday she had only her late-night dreams of his lips on hers. Never before had she dared to believe that it would ever really happen but here she was, holding hands and talking about innermost feelings. And he'd kissed her twice already.

It felt like she'd run into a brick wall and was sent careening backward to land on her butt.

But maybe it wasn't so unexpected. Maybe it hadn't been her imagination that his gaze often lingered longer than per usual. Maybe her feelings – however unwelcome they had been in the beginning and how reluctantly she'd accepted them – had not been unrequited as she had so believed. Maybe this had been in front of her face the entire time but the shroud over her eyes had grown so thick that she couldn't see it.

She had long ago gotten over how unethical the relationship would be, if it were ever to actually develop. As she wrote her novels and watched the tension grow between her two characters, so she felt the tension towards this man grow. And soon she found herself wishing that she was Kathy and that she had Booth chasing after her just like Andy.

But maybe it wasn't just a dream. Maybe it could be real if she let it. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

"Too many damn maybes," Brennan growled to herself, not realizing that she'd spoken aloud. When she heard Booth's dark chuckle, she looked back at him.

It was snowing now and a few stray flakes had landed in his hair, giving her a delicious image. She felt her heart expand and a lump grow in her throat when the thought occurred to her to throw out the maybes. He'd often asked her if she ever did something spontaneous and every time she'd disregarded it as foolishness, preferring her impeccably ordered world to one that she didn't know each and ever possible outcome. Or at least have a good idea of what those would be. But now, as she watched his dark eyes now clouded with doubt that his confession had not been in vain, she threw caution to the wind.

Tipping her head up she leaned in, her lips inviting him as her eyes slid closed of their own accord. When she pressed them against his, she felt her heart stop and her face heated up once again. Her free hand had found its way to the collar of his jacket as she held her lips in place for a long minute. When she finally pulled away she opened her eyes and smiled shakily. He returned the smile with a small quirk at the corner of his mouth. His eyebrows were raised ever so slightly

"I'm not very good with words in this kind of a situation," she whispered by way of explanation. This brought a full smile to his face and her heart lurched at the sight.

"That's OK, Bones," he muttered before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. His forehead rested against her and their breath mingled in a cloud between them. "I think I get the message." Pulling her up the rest of the way he pressed his lips firmly over hers. With a tiny moan her hands moved to the back of his neck, her fingers tangling themselves in his hair as she molded her body against his. They broke apart only briefly, gasping for breath before kissing again.

This time, as the pressed closer together, Booth flicked his tongue out to touch her lips, requesting entry. She eagerly obliged and their tongues met in a slow dance. Brennan moaned again at the contact and felt her control slipping. His hands were clutching her against him so that their bodies fit together perfectly. And from this position she could definitely tell that he was as aroused as he was by all of this. Their eyes were closed and her fingers were digging into his hair, greedily pulling him closer.

Reluctantly, Booth pulled away from her and they both sucked in a deep breath of cold air. Brennan rested her head on his shoulder as she tried to regain her equilibrium and slow her breathing. She could feel his hands on her back, stubbornly holding her in place.

When she could trust her voice, she said the only thing that came even close to summing up the turmoil of feelings. "Wow."

Booth scoffed softly as he buried his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply. "Yeah." His moved his head and his lips skimmed her jaw before brushing across her lips. He looked into her near-silver eyes and felt something inside him click into place. And when she smiled ever so slightly, he brushed his finger across the corner of her lips and felt suddenly possessive. He didn't want anyone else to ever touch her again.

They stood, lips nearly touching, eyes locked, for a long time. It was snowing harder and the flakes swirled around them in the wind. Eventually Brennan felt herself shiver against the cold and Booth moved away. "Come on, Bones," he said with a smile. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her to the large building. "We won't get to see the sharks if we go on like this."

She felt a small laugh slip past her lips as he tugged her forward with that childish smile on his face. This may progress into something more than what she would have been comfortable a year ago but so many things had changed and she knew that she didn't mind the occasional obstacle.

Please push the little blue button. If you push it chapter six will come (you have to read that in a deepish voice and real slow. Just so you know.)

Deamon