A/N: Okay, here's the final and second installment. Warning, this is very cheesy and out of character. But since this is my fic, I can do whatever I want. Thank you for everyone who alerted and reviewed. Btw, another fic is in the works at the moment. I'm not sure if it's going to be a one-shot or a chaptered fic. But I want to really finish the whole story first before I post it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bones or any of the characters.
If only Booth stayed a minute longer…
He would have seen Brennan shaking her head, the ring clenched in her fist instead of putting it on her finger.
"You know I don't believe in marriage, Jared." She told him.
Jared smiled at her. "That's okay. It's just going to be a sign of our relationship."
"You don't understand." She replied but not looking at him. She knew she had been lying to herself far too long. She had tried to be happy with Jared, she really did and at some aspect, he made her happy but it wasn't enough. He was a Booth but he wasn't Seeley Booth. She took a deep breath before continuing, "I'm so sorry, I should have been honest with you. I really tried to love you, Jared…but my heart, my whole heart belongs to someone else.
Jared understood what she was talking about. He had suspected it that there was some kind of attraction between his big brother and Temperance but he just ignored it. "It's Seeley, isn't it?"
Brennan just nodded but cascades of tears were uncontrollably running down her face.
"I've known all along, you know. I just thought I could replace him. I guess I was wrong." Jared replied.
"I'm so sorry." It was all Brennan could say.
"So this is the end then." Defeat evident on his voice.
"Thank you, Jared."
After Jared had closed her door, Brennan sat on her chair, face buried on her hands. She felt bad, that she had to hurt Jared but it was better this way because the longer that they stayed together, the larger the damage would be. Jared deserved someone better, someone who could really love him.
She then heard her door open. She looked up and saw Angela. "So, sweetie, when's the wedding?" Angela asked before sitting across Brennan. She was still oblivious with what happened because after Booth left, she also busied herself with her work, not really wanting to intrude to what she thought was a special moment for Brennan and Jared.
"There's no wedding, Ange."
Angela's brows furrowed together in confusion. "But I thought you accepted?"
"I didn't. I couldn't."
Angela leaned back on the chair, sighing. "Poor Seeley."
"What? Why?" Brennan perked up.
"Sweetie, he was here. He even brought flowers with him. He thought you accepted his brother's proposal. He told me he was happy for you but hurt was written all over his face. The man is madly in love with you but I think he had given up when he thought that you accepted Jared's proposal." Angela explained to Brennan.
Brennan squeezed her lips together, trying to suppress the tears. "He can't give up Ange. He can't. I love him I have been in love with him for a long time. I should have listened to you."
Angela stood up to give her best friend a hug. "Bren, you two have to talk. It's the only way."
"But what if…"
She was cut off by Angela, "What if what? If you think about the what ifs, you might lose him for good, hon."
She wiped away her own tears with the back of her hand. "I'm going to talk to him."
Booth was sulking in his apartment with his beer when he heard a knock on the door. He was going to ignore it, not wanting to face anybody right now, but the knock wouldn't stop. So he stood up from his couch to look through the peep hole. "Bones"
He heaved out a sigh before opening the door gesturing for her to come in. "Bones, what's up?" He tried to sound as casual as possible. "By the way, Congratulations." He trailed off while walking towards the couch. "You're going to be my sister-in-law."
Temperance just remained silent. She braved herself to sit beside Booth. "Is that what you want, Booth?"
He was taken a back with her question, "What I want isn't important, Bones. What's important is that you're happy."
She wanted to roll her eyes with his reply but didn't. "There is no wedding Booth."
Booth who was raising the bottle of beer towards his mouth, stopped at midair. "What do you mean, Bones?"
"I didn't accept his proposal, Booth. So technically, I won't be your sister-in-law." She said in a matter-of-factly tone.
Hope swelled in Booth's chest but then again, maybe her reason was that she still thought that marriage was a useless, ancient tradition. "Why didn't you accept?"
Brennan just shrugged her shoulder. "I don't know. He wasn't the person who could change my view on marriage."
"Oh…" It was all Booth could manage to say.
Brennan then faced him, looking straight into his dark brown orbs. Those eyes whose mere look could make her knees go weak, whose gaze could comfort her and whose stare could make her feel home. "Quite simply Booth, he wasn't you." She said softly but clearly. She wasn't even aware that tears were falling down her face.
"Bones…I love you." Those three simple words were all they needed. Their lips met. The kiss started out as a sweet chaste one but as pent up feelings and suppressed longing came into the surface, the kiss turned passionate. It had turned into a dueling of tongue and a release of emotions. Finally they broke apart when the need for air was a must.
"Wow, Bones. This was a long time coming." Booth said before kissing the tip of Brennan's nose and the trail of tears on her face.
"But it happened because everything happens eventually, Booth."