"Tell him, Bren, if you don't I will." I hear Angela's words reverberate over and over as I slowly walk the steps towards his office. I know it is childish of me but the fear inside seems to have taken a hold and I fear it won't relent.

So now here I walk, like a ghost I float up the three flights of stairs hoping I have the courage to speak the truth. The truth I have been hiding from so long, it feels almost like a fantasy.

"Dr. Brennan!" Charlie squeals as I almost walk into him but I don't even stop to acknowledge him. I am a woman on a mission.

"Andrew…" I snap as I push open the door I seek without warning.

"Temperance," He smiles but his smile soon falls, "so nice to see you. What brings you to me this evening?"

"We need to talk…" I narrow my eyes at the suddenly nervous man before me.

"About those flowers… I… I didn't know you didn't…" He fumbles, refusing to look up from his desk, "Who the hell knew you didn't like purple?" He says defensively as my eyes rake up his weak form.

"About Booth, Andrew. Not those stupid, shitty flowers you sent me." The stark growl flowing from lips sends his now fearful gaze to meet my burning one, "We need to talk about our… rules."

"Rules?" Andrew leans back with surprise, "I assure you whatever rules you and Agent Booth have has no correlation to you dating me."

"FBI… ru- guidelines… about partners…" I bark at in astonishment. How in the world can this idiot not see that the only FBI personal I will be dating will be the man I adore not some damn sheep, "partners in a committed sexual relationship." I say sternly and he sinks.

"Oh."

"I remember clearly that when you wanted to engage in sexual intercourse" I continue, ignoring the man falling apart before me, "you said there were some forms that needed to be filled out to bypass the regulations…"

He nods.

"A disclosure of sorts…" He shuffles through the papers on his desk, still in shock, "it is still in the beginning stages…."

"But will it work?" I plead, "Will it be sufficient? I need this to work… I need him. Please, Andrew, Please."

My trembling voice brings his gaze back up to mine. I can feel the fear consuming me piece by piece and I know he can see it as plain as day. His eyes fall to his hands but soon lock onto me.

"You really love him don't you?"

"Yes." For the first time in weeks my voice is firm and strong.

"And I never had a chance, did I. I mean even if I were to have sex with you, you would have been thinking of him wouldn't you? Comparing everything I did to him, concluding that I would never measure up…" He trails off, wondering how he ever thought he could make me love him.

"Andrew, I am sorry…"

"But it wasn't me… I mean, if anyone would have had a chance… I would have had a good shot, right?"

I am silent. My heart has been my partners for so long I have forgotten what it feels like to have feelings for another.

"Wow." His eyes go wide as the truth slowly sets in, "This is more than sex, isn't it? This is…"

"Irrational, stupid and I don't even know if he feels the same..." I break as the tears begin to flow, "but I just need to know. I need to know that I gave this my all. I need to know I did all I could because… as irrational as it seems, I need him."

"So…" Andrew coughs in a feeble attempt to clear the tension, "about that form…"

Clenching the thin, white paper sealing my fate I march down the hall toward my partner's office. As I turn toward his door my fear suddenly turns to anger. He is the alpha male. He is the one who should have done this… if it is me he wanted at all. But he didn't, he took the cop out at the slightest sign of a broken heart.

"Sign this." I walk into Booth's office and slam down the piece of paper.

"Bones…" His eyes draw up from the paper to my brazen stance in his office. They flicker with something, some deep dark emotion that forms a growl around my lips. He better not cop out… again.

"I don't need you to read the damn thing" I bark but my voice soon softens at his chocolate pools, "please… Booth… please just sign it for me." My voice wavers as I lean over the desk for strength.

"And what if I don't?" He scans the first few lines and sighs, "I may not know what this means but I do know it affects my partnership too."

"I know but…"

"But what?" He waves the paper in my face, pleading for answers, "Are you even going to tell me what the hell is going on? You have been so distant… so… infuriating for weeks and now out of the blue you show up at my office with some stupid paper from Hacker. I am not going to agree to your little sex games with him. He is my damn boss!" He hisses as he leans over the table, a few millimeters from my face, "I know I am just your partner and I know it is not my right but… Bones… I just can't. I just… can't." His face falls but that just causes his forehead to brush against my lips.

"Please… just sign it…" I plead, eyes wide in devotion as my lips drag across his skin, "please."

"And what if I do?" His voice catches as my lips stop their soft movements, "Will you ever tell me?"

"Yes." The word washes over his body as he slowly signs and pushes the paper forward, refusing to look up.

"There. Fine. Happy?" He whispers, defeated.

"Booth." I reverently gasp his name and his face finally lifts in shock.

Without giving my mind a second to process it, I press my lips against his in the softest, desire filled kiss I can manage. I suddenly pull back and run out of his office, paper in hand and leaving my partner stunned in my wake.

"I love you." I whisper softly as I run as fast as my feet will take me, knowing the loud thumps slowly inching closer can only be the sound of one man I adore.