Chapter 10

Booth walked fast through the Jeffersonian's medico-legal lab, going straight to his partner's office. He was angry, scratch that, he was completely pissed off. More than that, he was hurt, really and truly hurt.

He got in her office and shut the door hardly, making Brennan jump a little and look up. She was immediately concerned when she saw the expression on his face and his eyes that were red and full of un-shed tears. She got up and walked to face him.

"Booth, what's wrong?" She asked, the panic and concern very evident in her voice.

"You wanna know what's wrong?" Booth nearly shouted at her, making her take a step back, "This is what's wrong!" He opened the letter he held in his hand and started reading. "Dear Dr. Brennan, here's all the information you asked about the yearlong dig in the Maluku Islands..." He threw the paper to the floor. "How could you do this Bones? I mean, I honestly thought you meant it when you said you weren't running away! Has the last 7 months meant nothing to you?" The un-shed tears in his eyes gave away and the tears started rolling down his face, Brennan opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off, "Don't you think I deserve you talking to me about this, telling me? Let alone consulting me?"

"There's nothing to consult about." Brennan said in a quiet, soothing voice.

"Nothing to consult about?" Booth was still shouting. "What, are you actually gonna tell me that I'm not important enough for you to even tell me about this?"

"Booth."

"And it's not like this is a month, or even six months, it's a freaking year!"

"Booth." She said, a bit more loudly.

"Sometimes I swear to god Bones, you make me so frustrated-"

"Booth!" She shouted now, earning his attention finally. "There's nothing to consult about because I'm not going."

"What?" He asked in his regular voice although still breathing heavily, confused at her statement.

"I'm not going, Daisy is; that's why I requested the information."

"You're not going?" His eyes went wider by the moment.

"No," Brennan came closer and wiped away his tears, "I love you Booth, I'm not running away, I told you. No matter what you do, I'm staying. You're stuck with me." She ended in a joke; hating seeing him cry and hating herself for making him feel like he did.

"I'm so sorry Bones, oh god I'm so sorry, I can't believe I said all those horrible things." He whispered, his face filling with panic and self-disgust.

"It's okay Booth."

"No, no it's not. I just love you so much and I simply can't picture being away from you this long and I was hurt and god I'm sorry." He hugged her tightly, new tears rolling down his cheeks.

She wrapped her arms around him just as tightly but pulled away a few seconds later, wiping his new shed tears.

"Seeley Joseph Booth, stop saying you're sorry right now, grab my ass and kiss me like the macho alpha-male I fell in love with." Brennan said firmly.

"Yes ma'am." Booth straightened up and did exactly as told, grabbing Brennan's ass and pulling her to him for a passionate kiss, letting his tongue explore every single inch of her mouth from the inside.

As always, that damn need for oxygen had them having to pull away.

"We're having Parker this weekend, I'm going to pick him up." Booth said, leaning his forehead against hers and still having trouble to breathe in a normal speed.

"I'll grab lunch when I come so don't eat a lot." She said regularly, although flushing at his phrasing – ' We're having Parker this weekend. '

"Okay. Love you bunny." He grinned at his use of their new endearment for each other.

"Love you too babe." She winked and with another kiss he went out, leaving her standing in the middle of her office, smiling like the biggest idiot on planet Earth.

Booth woke up from his nap on the couch to the sound of his partner and his son's voices coming from the kitchen. He was going to get up when Parker suddenly asked a question that he just had to sit and listen to its answer.

"Bones, are you and daddy gonna get married?" The little boy asked. Boy, if the kid only knew what he's getting himself into, Booth thought to himself, only to be startled by Brenna's surprising answer.

"I don't know Parker, for that to happen your dad needs to propose." Brennan said.

"And then will you two get married?"

"If I say yes."

"And will you?"

"Of course I will." She said, sending Booth into a state of complete shock-filled happiness, "But I don't think he'll propose."

"Why?"

"Because of things I previously told him about my beliefs and thoughts about the marriage institution."

"What does that mean?" Asked the confused kid.

"I told him I don't believe in marriage."

"And you do?"

"I do now."

"What do you mean?"

Booth sat there, not being able to move a single muscle and not really wanting to.

"I mean that when I met your father I didn't believe I many things, including love and marriage; but he has taught me over the years that love is a feeling, not something you can put reason into, not something you can explain with science or mathematical equations. Also, I now know that marriage, as opposed to what I always thought, isn't about some sort of deal that declares a man's possession over a woman, but a commitment that says that these two people love each other and want to spend the rest of their lives with each other; want to start a family, have a home and share their love until death does them apart. That's what I want with your father."

Her words were sweet, sweet music to his ears and from that moment, with all those things said, Seeley J. Booth was a man on a mission.

Wow okay I have edited this story so many times, I've already lost count. I really really hope you guys enjoyed it!

Please review the story, I love reviews and of course read + reply to each one! They mean the world to me!

I will post a sequel called "The Growth Of Our Love" sometime in the coming year I believe, so stay tuned!

Thank you so much boneheads! Love you all,
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