Okay, this is the final chapter. I hope people enjoyed the story, sorry if the ending isn't very good.

Booth was looking at Brennan and Brennan was looking at Booth. It was in this moment that it hit her how often she found herself gazing into this man's honest eyes. She made excuses to look at him throughout the day, because when she looked at him she felt safe – she felt loved. And as he looked at her now, earnest yet cautious, passionate yet protective, she knew what he was going to say.

"Booth –"she began, even though she had no idea what to tell him. She just knew she needed to stop him before he said something he regretted.

He wouldn't give up that easily, however.

"Bones – there's something I need to say, and I'm having a hard time saying it, but – but I need to, because you need to know, it's just – I've gone over this so many times in my head, but now that it's real, I can't – I can't.." he stopped his rambling in order to look at her.

"Find the words?" she supplied helpfully, averting her gaze to a spot on the floor.

"Yes," he said, never taking his eyes off hers. He took a step towards her. She took a step backwards and looked up.

"Booth. Don't do something you're going to regret." She warned him, but he took another step. She was up against a wall now and there was nowhere to go, and within seconds the distance between them was closed. She could feel his breath on her skin and it made the hairs on her neck stand straight up.

"Booth," she whispered as he drew nearer. His lips now hovered tentatively, only inches above hers. She closed her eyes and waited, but he came no further.

"I shouldn't be doing this," he said softly.

"Don't stop now," she said. "You're so close. Just tell me already."

"Fine. I love you. Happy?"

"Very."

He leaned in and kissed her with the pent up passion of a man pining for the woman he's loved for so long. She eagerly returned it, and within seconds she had her hands in his hair, all thoughts very far away.

She paused, only to return his words to him, and then their friendship was over. It was gone past a point of rescue, the point she had been so determined never to get to, but as she watched it fly away, she realized that was okay.

"Friends" was just a charade between them anyways, as a wise man had once noted.

They finally broke apart. She grinned up at him in a very un-Brennanish way, and said "So what do we do now?"

"Hmm… I don't know about you, but I'm starving. How about some Thai food?" he flashed her a charm smile and took her hand affectionately.

She smiled even wider. There were a lot of lines that were going to be crossed that night, and in weeks to follow, but it felt nice to know that nothing was changing dramatically between them, at least for the time being.

She followed him out the door.

"I'm driving." She said as they walked to the elevator.

"Yeah right."