Disclaimer: Don't own, kthx.

Author's Notes: Oh, yey. Yet another much-cliched plot. :p Still, it's worth the cliche-ness for the beautiful fluff. :D


COUPLET

"Hey, Bones!" said Booth, walking into Brennan's office. He stopped short when he saw that there was no one at the desk. "…Bones?" It wasn't like her to not be at her desk, especially when they didn't have a case going on. Sitting down in her cushioned chair, he decided to wait. He surveyed the top of Brennan's desk, seeing scattered papers and diagrams. Near the edge of her desk were a few framed pictures—one of her and Angela, another of her mother, Christine Brennan, and one of her and Russ when they were younger. Booth's gaze fell on another object—something a little more familiar. It was a plastic pig. He picked it up. Jasper. He smiled fondly at it, but then noticed that there had been something lying underneath it. A folded piece of paper, smudged with dirt. Oh, good to know you've been using my gift as a paperweight, Bones. He opened it up. It was a ripped page from her book, and it seemed like nothing more until he turned it over. On the back was scribbled a note, in Brennan's handwriting.

Booth – It's not your fault. I trust that you did the best you could.

Thank you for being the best partner and friend I could ever have. I love you.

Love, your Bones.

Tears almost sprang to his eyes as Booth realized where this was from. Brennan had written this the day that she and Hodgins had been buried alive in the car. He shut his eyes momentarily, trying not to imagine what would have happened if he had read this note under different circumstances—at her funeral, or after pulling her lifeless body out of the sand.

"Booth?" Booth almost jumped as he heard Brennan's voice from the doorway. "What are you--?" She stopped short, seeing that he was holding the pig and the note. "Oh my God," she whispered. "Booth, you weren't supposed to…"

"I know," Booth said quickly. "I was waiting for you, and I saw Jasper, and then the note, and…" He trailed off. "I'm sorry, I didn't know what it was until it was too late."

"Too late? Booth, you shouldn't have been looking at my stuff in the first place!" she said angrily.

"Bones, come on! I thought the most incriminating thing I'd find would be a skeleton diagram, not…this." Brennan snatched Jasper and the paper out of his hands.

"It doesn't mean anything," she said. "I wrote it when I was almost unconscious."

"Really? So, tell me, what would you have written if you had been conscious? 'Gee, Booth, sucks you couldn't get here in time! But it doesn't matter now, since my body's already started decaying and I don't believe in heaven. It's all your fault. From, Brennan'" Brennan stared at him.

"Booth, that's not—" she began, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Oh yeah? Well then, what is? I come to your office, I find this note that you wrote to me in case you died—"

"In case I died!" said Brennan. "And from what I can see, I'm not dead."

"—so I read the note. You shouldn't be embarrassed because of what it says. I'm just—" He paused, trying not to let his voice break. "I was happy, that in your dying hour that's what you'd say to me. And then you walk in and tell me that it's all a lie because you were delirious. So now I want to know. What would you have changed about the note?" Brennan shook her head.

"I wouldn't."

"Okay, so now you wouldn't change anything."

"I love you."

"What?" Booth looked up, positive that he had misheard her. Tears were streaming down her face.

"I love you," she repeated. Booth moved closer to her and reached out, brushing the tears away with his thumb.

"Bones, hey. I didn't mean to make you cry. I'm sorry," he said softly. She nodded, looking down. He moved his index finger to her chin and tilted it up. "I'm sorry," he repeated. He pressed his lips to her forehead, and she closed her eyes. "I love you," said Booth. "You know that, right?" Brennan nodded, and feeling his arms begin to envelop her she gratefully accepted a hug, burying her face in the crook of his neck while gripping the fabric of his gray t-shirt as if she could never let go. When they finally did pull away from each other, after what seemed like an eternity, Booth leaned his forehead against hers.

"I'm disappointed in you, though," he said with an air of solemnity. Brennan pulled away and looked at him, shocked.

"What?"

"I'm disappointed that you wrote that note."

"Why?"

"You never for one second should have doubted that I'd be there," he said, breaking into a smile.

"Oh, well, you know Hodgins. He was convinced we were going to die. I didn't want to let him down." She smiled back at him.

"I do have a question, though," said Booth.

"Yeah?"

"Are you really 'my' Bones?" he asked. Brennan laughed.

"See, that's the part where I was delirious." She punched him lightly on the arm and they both walked out of her office.


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