A/N: So I just realized that I went from a chapter entitled Puckish to a chapter about hockey. The pun was NOT intentional, but my brain must have subconsciously made the connection… If there are hockey fans out there, forgive me for any lack of reality and remember I'm an American, I watch baseball. Sunsetdreamer, I'm looking at you. :)

Brennan watched as Booth smiled happily from across the table at the diner.

"So Bones, tell me all about the last six months of your life." He said.

"What would you like to know?" She asked.

"I don't know, anything big or important happen?" He asked.

"I finished my paper on craniofacial reconstruction." She offered. Booth nodded.

"That's…good." He said, not knowing what else to say on that topic. Brennan knew that he wasn't looking for something like that.

"What can I say? With you gone, we all took a bit of a vacation. Aside from writing, I mostly spent my time trying to clear out bone storage."

"Were you successful?"

"We identified over one hundred people." She said.

"That's my girl." He said with a proud smile. Brennan tried to hide her smile at his statement. She had never wanted to belong to anyone, firmly believing that she was a grown woman and could handle herself, but there was something about the way that Booth said it that caused her to not mind so much. A loud crash came from behind the counter and caught everyone's attention. Grateful for the distraction, Brennan took the second to pull herself together.

"How are you going to spend your first weekend back in the States?" Brennan asked, wanting to hear about him for a change.

"I don't know. I didn't have any plans." Brennan smiled. "Why?" He asked her, suddenly realizing that she was up to something. She didn't say anything, just slipped an envelope across the table. He glanced at it quickly before turning his attention back to her.

"What is that?" He asked.

"Just a little welcome home present." She said.

"Bones, you didn't have to get me anything." He said.

"You don't even know what it is yet." She said. Deciding it would be rude not to accept whatever it was until he actually opened the envelope, he reluctantly reached across the table and picked it up. He opened the flap and peered in to see what the surprise was. The look of shock on his face told her that he was more than happy to accept the gift.

"Bones…" He said, pulling out the tickets for the next Capitals/Flyers match-up that was taking place in a few days. "These are… impossible to get. How did you get these?"

"How do I get anything? My publisher." She answered with a smile. "I figured you could take Parker."

"These are on the red line." He said as he held up the tickets.

"Is that okay?" She asked with an unsure wince.

"Bones, they are the best seats in the arena." He said. "I can't believe this. Thank you!" He said as he stood up and walked around the table to hug her. She stood up to accept the hug and smiled.

"I'm glad that you are pleased. You deserve to have some fun."

"You have to come with me." He said. She looked at him surprised.

"I don't know the first thing about hockey." She said. "You would have a lot more fun taking Parker."

"It will be fun, Bones!" He said. "Parker's out of town with Rebecca this weekend, so he's out. And besides, I haven't spent any time with you for six months! We need to make up for lost time." He told her with his charming smile that he hoped would still work on her. Judging from the look on her face, he hadn't lost his touch.

"Okay," she smiled. "If you're sure." She added.

"Yes!" He said happily as he raised his arms above his head victoriously.

OOOOO

Angela smiled as Brennan walked out of the bathroom in her brand new Flyers t-shirt. She had purchased it herself. She had made up some story about how it was part of sports culture and that as an anthropologist, it was Brennan's job to blend in and follow traditional norms. Once again, Angela was never wrong when fashion was in play. The t-shirt fit Brennan like a glove, hugging her curves in all the right places. Her jeans and heeled boots completed the ensemble perfectly.

"Do I look like a hockey fan?" Brennan asked as she held out her arms.

"Honey, you look like you just stepped right out of Booth's personal fantasy. If he doesn't try to take you home tonight, he's officially gay." Angela said.

"Ange! That's not the point of this. He's my partner. We're just going to spend some friendly time together."

"Mmhm." She said, unconvinced. "I've been your best friend for six years and I have never gotten any "friendly" tickets from you." Angela smiled with a knowing look on her face. They both turned as they heard Booth's voice enter the lab. "He's here." Angela clapped her hands giddily. "Have fun, do something that I would do for once." She said as she pushed her friend's jacket onto her shoulders. Brennan smiled and walked out of her office to meet Booth.

Booth was smiling at Hodgin's joke when he saw her coming out of the corner of his eye. He had to do a double take. She seemed to be moving in slow motion as she made her way to the front of the lab. Her hair was curly and tumbled softly around her face in a way that reminded him of their time in Vegas all those years ago. The Flyers logo on her t-shirt was playing peek-a-boo from under her jacket, but he could tell that it clung to her chest in all the right ways and he couldn't help but run his eyes up her tight jeans, which made her legs look even longer.

"Dr. B, I didn't know you were a Flyers fan." Wendell said. Hodgins smirked as he took in her attire, knowing full well that she wasn't.

"Angela thought that it was necessary." She said, dismissing his comment. "Are you ready to go?" She asked Booth. You have no idea, Booth thought, suddenly very aware of how long it had been since he had been with a woman.

"Hm? Oh! Yeah, let's go." He said, escorting her towards the front door. She started walking towards the door, but Booth hung back for just a second longer.

"Thank your wife for me." Booth whispered out of the side of his mouth to Hodgins before scrambling to catch up to Brennan before he got caught. Hodgins just turned to look at Wendell before flashing Angela a thumbs-up sign as she watched from her office doorway.

OOOOO

Brennan noticed the way that Booth was looking at her all night and it made her feel good. She hadn't been with a man in two years and frankly she was going a little stir crazy. She tried to control herself, but every time Booth glanced in her direction, she felt wanted in a way that she hadn't felt in a very long time.

Booth was concentrating on the hockey game. This was one of the best games he had ever seen and thank God, because nothing short of these amazing tickets at this amazing game was going to be able to distract him from the sinfully tempting (and totally forbidden) partner sitting next to him. Ever since he had woken up from his coma, he had known exactly what he had been missing out on with her. Every move she made next to him reminded him of the way he had loved her in the dream, how much he had wanted her. It was torturous trying to remember to act the same way around her as he had before he had woken up.

"The game's almost over. What happens if it stays tied?" She asked as she leaned in close.

"Then we go into overtime." He said, trying not to focus on how great she smelled. She pulled away and Booth felt a combating sense of loss and relief. With only a few seconds left on the clock, the Flyers managed to shoot the game winning goal. The stands went nuts as Booth and Brennan both jumped out of their seats to hug each other. Realizing what they had done, they both pulled away quickly, the smiles still on their faces. They stayed and chatted about the game as they waited for the throng of spectators to leave the arena.

"I still can't believe that we won!" She said.

"So you had fun?" Booth wanted to make sure.

"I found this to be much more exciting that I originally thought it would be." She smiled. "I can understand why you love it so much." She said. Her cheeks were rosy from cool atmosphere around them and her eyes were shining brightly as she threw an arm around his. Booth thought she was the most adorable thing he had ever seen.

"I'm glad. Come on, it's freezing in here without all the people in the stands. I'll take you home." She nodded as she let him lead her out of the arena. Once in Booth's warm SUV, she remembered the way that Booth had been eyeing her all evening. It wasn't like him to notice her before, and if he did, he had never made it known. She wondered if this was another side effect of his brain tumor or if the sight of her in a Flyers t-shirt really made that much of a difference. As Booth pulled up to her apartment, he parked in his familiar spot. He met her on her side of the vehicle, remembering that she never let him open the door for her, even when she was injured. He rolled his eyes at her independence as she searched in her purse for her keys.

"Are you going to come up for a while?" She asked.

"Sure." He said, thinking her invitation harmless. They did this all the time before, right?

"Great." She said with a smile. They made their way up to her apartment in comfortable silence. She threw her jacket on the edge of a kitchen chair as she made her way into the kitchen to get them something to drink. "I've got beer or scotch." She offered.

"I'll take a beer." He said. He had to drive home yet, and scotch would only loosen him up even more than he was already. It was best to keep himself in check.

"There you go." She said as she handed him a beer and plopped herself down next to him on the couch.

"Thank you." He said. "For the beer and for the tickets. You're a great partner Bones." He smiled.

"I feel the same way." She said with a smile as she clinked bottles with him in an unspoken cheers. There was silence for a minute as Brennan turned to face him. "Can I ask you a personal question?" She asked Booth.

"Sure." He replied, not sure at all.

"In your dream, we were married, right?"

"Yeah." He nodded once.

"Just like the characters in my book."

"I guess so."

"What was it like?" She was honestly curious.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Well, you and I are so different in real life. I was just wondering how that could have possibly worked out for us." He chuckled as he thought about it.

"We were good together." He said. "It wasn't very different from our relationship now. I teased you about being a genius, you called me superstitious and overprotective." He smiled. "The only real difference was that we…" He caught himself before he said the words. "You know, that we lived together." He finished lamely. She knew what he had meant to say.

"Yes." She murmured. "I've always wondered what that would be like too." She admitted softly as she bit down on her lip. Booth stared at her, suddenly losing his ability to speak. Was she actually serious? She was teasing him. She had to be. She raised her eyebrow as she awaited his response. Her blue eyes went a bit darker.

"Bones…" He started, wondering what he had gotten himself into.

"Booth, it's okay. I'm just letting you know that you're not the only one who has dreamt about it." She said. "I was just curious what a relationship between us would look like from your perspective." She said honestly.

"It was everything that you would think it could be and more." He replied just as frankly as she had asked.

"Did we, how should I say this, 'break the laws of physics'?" She asked hesitantly, unsure if and when his puritanical upbringing would kick in. He swallowed hard as he fought the urge to jump her. Suddenly it dawned on him that she might actually be looking for that very thing.

"You looking for a play by play description here, Bones?" He asked, his voice tinted with sarcasm, but getting lower as his desire grew. She closed her eyes, overwhelmed at the thought of him describing his dreams to her. At her silence, Booth knew that was exactly what she wanted. He leaned in closer, hoping to tease her a bit, make her aware of the tortuous feelings he had felt all evening.

"You always came to bed after I was already asleep." He started, his voice low, but playful. "I would wake up to the smell of your perfume and the feel of your creamy, soft skin against my own and your lips on my bare chest." He looked her in the eye, wanting her to be aware of what he was saying. "I can still feel them on my skin." He admitted. "And the way your soft hair felt beneath my fingers." He reached up and ghosted the silhouette of her curls, never letting himself actually touch her. "It was like being in heaven for a few glorious days and then waking up to find out that you had returned to your old life." He looked into her clear blue eyes and he couldn't help but get a little lost within their depths. These were the eyes that had haunted him when they were together and even more when they had been apart. It was their connection that translated into a successful partnership by day and a friendship that was unlike any other by night. He could feel her getting closer, but his mind didn't comprehend what that meant for them until her lips hit his. The pull towards her came from deep within him and he knew that there was no denying it. Suddenly, his senses exploded into color as he experienced the familiar taste of his partner for the first time in years.

To be Continued…