** Just let me say, I LOVE all the comments and alerts/favorites I get! Every time I get an email saying someone has liked my story or reviewed it, I have to smile really big :D

Well, this chapter is just another step in getting us to where we want Brennan and Booth to be ;) I hope yall enjoy!

Don't own them, sadness :( **

After a morning and afternoon of lying around Brenan's apartment, she and Booth sat on her couch that faced wide windows overlooking D.C. Brennan had her legs thrown over Booth's lap as they talked and laughed for what seemed like hours. After all, they had a lot of catching up to do. Eventually, Booth looked down at his watch.

"Hey, I think I'm gonna head back to my place, Bones. I need to run some errands and get ready for tonight," he told her. She stuck out her bottom lip, causing Booth to chuckle.

"But I don't want you to go," she shyly admitted.

Standing up, Booth leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "It's 3 o'clock now. We'll see each other again in 4 hours. Promise." He smiled as he started to walk off. Before he made it to two steps away, he felt something tugging on his hand, causing him to look back.

Brennan stood up, holding onto Booth's hand. She stood on her tippy toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear, kissing his cheek before landing back on her flat-feet.

He looked down with his head tilted to the side as he caught Brennan's hand back in his own. "What do you mean, Bones? Why are you thanking me?"

"For staying with me last night." She sounded bashful as she looked up at him with her big blue eyes. "And for showing so much consideration towards me."

Booth narrowed his eyes as he smiled slightly, searching her face for something…something that was missing. "Bones, you don't have to ever thank me for staying with you or being nice to you."

"I know. I just want to." Her demeanor almost came off to him as not-Bones like. Booth smiled at her and pressed his lips into hers.

"I'll see you at 7, okay?" Brennan nodded with a coy smile as she shut the door behind Booth.

"Hello?"

"Sweets?" Booth asked as he stepped into his SUV.

"Agent Booth," he greeted. "How may I help you today?"

"Cut the shrink-y stuff, Sweets," Booth told him upfront. "I was wondering if I could come by and talk to you real quick. As…as a friend."

Sweets cleared his throat on the other end of the phone. "Of course, Agent Booth. I'm at my office. Stop by anytime."

"I'll be there in fifteen," Booth said as he snapped his phone shut. He took a deep breath as he put the vehicle into drive. There was something different about Bones. Something…something BIG. And it wasn't that he didn't like the change, because he did. He just couldn't place a finger on it.

Booth knocked five times on the large wooden door, labeled with "Doctor Lance Sweets" at the top. "Come in!" he heard before he pushed the door open. "Agent Booth," Sweets greeted again, spinning around in his office chair and standing up.

"Hey, Sweets," Booth nearly groaned as he plopped on the psychologist's couch.

Sweets sat across from the couch in his usual chair and sat back, crossing one of his legs over the other. "What's going on, Agent Booth?"

"Just call me Booth, Sweets. This visit isn't official."

"Right…" the young doctor said with a nod. "Um…What's going on, Booth?" He admired Booth for his bravery and strength, so it was difficult for him to drop the Agent title.

"I…ugh…" Booth groaned again, throwing his head back into the top of the couch. His eyes roamed the ceiling as his stomach twisted. "First…" he said, lifting his head back up. "I was wondering what exactly happened when I…uh…left? What happened with Bones?"

"You know I can't discuss that with you, Booth," Sweets told him as his eyes grew with concern.

"I'm not talking about personal details here, Sweets. I'm talking about…what did YOU notice as her friend?"

Sweets knew that he probably shouldn't open his mouth, but he also knew that Brennan wouldn't ever tell Booth some things that he needed to know. Sighing, he began to talk. "Dr. Brennan went through a great deal of…emotional stress after you left, Booth. She backed even further away from her friends and the people that cared about her, and pretty much went into a solitary state."

Booth cringed as his stomach twisted again. "She quit talking for a while, during which I understand she slept in her office and pretty much never left the Jeffersonian. After a few months…she actually came and saw me."

Knowing that something had to be seriously wrong for Bones to go own her own to see a shrink made Booth realize that he caused more damage that he had suspected. "I can't talk to you about what all she told me, but I can tell you that she really had me worried for a while." Sweets shifted in his seat. "I suggested a few techniques and other things to lighten the stress and emotional trauma that she was dealing with, and thankfully they seemed to work."

"What did you suggest?" Booth asked, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

"You know I can't discuss treatment, Booth. Maybe one day she'll tell you, but I cannot mention anything about it unless she gives me written permission."

Booth nodded. "Onto the second thing…" he twisted his fingers together.

"What is it?"

"If Bones and I…uh…you know…start seeing each other…what will the FBI do about that?" Sweets tried to conceal his smile. "I mean, I've always heard that they'll can your ass, but I…probably need to be more safe than sorry…" Booth avoided eye contact with the psychologist. He knew that Sweets would give him hell about this.

"Well, Agent Booth…" Sweets said attempting to not chuckle, "The official regulation states that partners cannot become intimate at any cost. However, I am the one that decides how much intimacy is too inappropriate. So if that ever decides to come up, I'd just keep it quiet for a while." Sweets raised an eyebrow with a grin at Booth. "So…are you two-"

"Thanks a lot for the information, Sweets," Booth interrupted him and stood up. Sweets rolled his eyes.

"Anytime, Agent Booth. Let me know if I can be of any more assistance."

"Will do, Sweets," Booth called out once he exited the office. After he was in the elevator, Booth leaned back against the wall and sighed. He was right. There was more than just a little something wrong with Bones when he left. He had halfway expected her to just clam up, dive head first into a pile of dead bodies, and continue on her way as if he had never existed.

As the bell dinged, Booth stepped off of the elevator and pulled his keys out of his pocket. He knew he had to make up the previous year to her. He knew that no matter how her demeanor was that morning, she was going to be hard to win back fully. "Here goes nothing," he huffed as he stepped into the SUV.

Once Booth had left her apartment, Brennan decided to lie down on the couch and try to take a short nap. She didn't really expect to fall asleep, but she fooled herself. Jolting awake as her phone buzzed against the coffee table, Brennan quickly sat up, her hair in a royal mess, and threw the blanket in the floor. "Brennan…" she answered sleepily.

"Hey, beautiful…" The voice on the other end of the phone was familiar, making Brennan smile as she glanced at the clock on the wall in front of her.

"Hello, Booth. Couldn't last more than an hour without talking to me, huh?" she teased.

Booth chuckled as he swerved through traffic. "Something like that, Bones. I was just wanting to suggest for you to, uh…" he swallowed hard, "bring something to sleep in…if you want to, that is…"

"Oh," Brennan's heart jumped inside her chest. "Yes. I will do that."

"You don't have to, Bones…"

Brennan stood up and walked into her kitchen, grabbing a glass out of the cabinet. "I know that. But I want to," she chuckled. "Believe it or not, I do desire to both sleep next to you and with you, Booth."

"I can't believe you'd want to, but I'm thrilled that you do want to," he admitted with a grin on his face.

"I don't know what that means…" Filling the glass up with water, Brennan sat it down beside the sink.

Booth laughed to himself. "Don't worry about it, sweetheart. Hey, I'll see you in a couple of hours, okay?"

"Okay, Booth. I'll be there at 7."

"Can't wait," he replied as they both shut their phones. Brennan's heart flitted in her chest as she fell back onto her bed with a loud sigh. She was smiling but didn't know why, causing her to chuckle at herself. It was like she had school-girl emotions about 15 years too late.

As she stepped out of the shower, Brennan wrapped a soft towel around her naked body and wiped the steamed up mirror with a hand towel. "Hmm…" she said as she looked in the mirror. "I know what I'm going to wear!" she announced to no one.

Running into her bedroom, still clad with a towel, Brennan pulled open the armoire doors and glanced through her collection. Eventually, she moved enough clothing out of her way and found the dress she had thought of. "Perfect," she whispered with a grin on her face.

After she had applied a light amount of makeup around her eyes and placed soft curls in her hair, Brennan grabbed the dress off of the wooden hanger. She unzipped the side of the dress and stepped into it, being careful not to rip anything. Shimming her way into it, Brennan eventually held it in place with one hand while she zipped with the other.

She trotted back into her bedroom, slid on a pair of heels, grabbed her handbag, and looked in the long mirror one more time. She smiled at herself, checking from head to toe. Soft auburn curls framed her face, smoky gray makeup shaded her eyes, and the shoes complimented her dress perfectly.

Booth nervously glanced between the watch on his wrist and the clock on the wall as time seemed to slow down. "Oh, come ON!" he groaned. "It's been 6:45 for TEN minutes!" He paced in his living room, looking out the window after every couple steps.

He was dressed in a simple pair of black pants with a charcoal shirt that was topped with a black tie. He pressed a wrinkle out of his shirt as he saw a car pull into the driveway. "Here it goes," he said with a catch in his throat. Within a few moments, he heard a gentle knock on his door.

Taking a deep breath as he slowly took a few steps towards the door, Booth exhaled as he reached for the door knob. With a twist, the door creaked open, revealing the most amazingly beautiful woman standing behind it.

Booth's jaw dropped and his eyes widened as he gazed his eyes across her entire body. Her hair was in perfect curls, just the way he liked it. She had on not too much, but just enough makeup to look sexy. His eyes traced her figure down to the small, black dress that hugged her tight. Strapless and short, it revealed just enough skin to make his entire body tingle. Making his way down her body, he realized that he was speechless when he saw the shiny black stilettos that held her feet.

But those things were just accessories. The absolutely most beautiful thing that adorned Brennan was completely and positively, one-hundred and fifty percent without a doubt…her smile. It lit her entire face up as her lips curved upward. "Oh…God…" Booth eventually choked out. He held out his hand for her, eyes still wide.

"You don't like it?" she asked, confused. She knew that most people only exclaimed the so-called god's name when they were in distress or unpleased.

His eyes wandered back up to hers as he shook his head and took her other hand in his. "Oh, that's not it at all, baby." He kicked the door shut, leaning down to wrap his arms around her waist. As he pulled her closer to him, Brennan wrapped her arms around his neck. "You…" he said as he kissed the top of her head, "Are…" he kissed her forehead, "So…" he kissed her nose, "Beautiful…" he finished with one last kiss to her lips.

As they separated a little, Booth saw her smile come back to her face. "So I wore the correct attire?"

"Most definitely," he said, still not being able to take his eyes off of her. "Are you ready?" he asked.

She smiled as she clutched her handbag. "Very."

"This way, then…" he said as he held onto one of her hands and guided her deeper into his apartment.

"Where are we going, Booth? The door is back there…" Brennan observed, noticing the dark room ahead of her, but continued to follow him.

She could see well enough to notice the smile on Booth's face as he stopped and gently flipped on a light switch. Showering the room with a dim light, a lamp across the room flickered on. "This way…" he whispered as he pulled her towards him, eventually placing his hands on her hips and guiding her in front of him.

"Booth…" she groaned, not being able to see what was in front of her. Without any words, Booth guided her towards a chair.

"Have a seat," he whispered as he kissed her temple. She sat down as he pulled the gold lighter out of his pocket and lit a flame atop two candlesticks.

Brennan looked across the table in front of her and noticed the candles, plates, glasses of wine, and food. "Oh, Booth…" she gasped. He grinned as leaned down and pressed his lips into hers.

"I hope this is table is alright for you, Miss Brennan," he teased.

"It's perfect, Seeley," she whispered, pulling at his tie until he met her lips again. "You cooked all this?" she asked as he sat down.

"Yes mam. All for the beautiful vegetarian that is meeting me for dinner tonight." Brennan smirked, understanding his joke. Her plate was filled with an amazing-smelling spaghetti and perfect garlic toast.

She placed a napkin on her lap and picked up her fork, taking a delicate bite. "Wow, Booth! This is quite impressive…" she complimented him as the flavors overwhelmed her tastebuds. He smirked across the table. "I didn't really think that you would cook."

"Constant surprise, Bones. Constant surprise." With a shared smile across the table, Booth and Brennan enjoyed their perfect, absolutely wonderful dinner.

"Tempe…" Booth called softly from across the table.

"Hmm?" She looked up with her blue eyes wide, a smile creeping across her face.

"Want to dance?"

With the smile still plastered on her face, Brennan nodded as she placed her napkin back onto the table. By the time she looked back up, Booth was holding out his hand for her. Still grinning, she placed her hand in his and stood up, following him to the middle of the room. Grabbing a remote on a nearby table, Booth hit a button, turning on slow, soft music.

Booth resumed his place by Brennan as he gently placed one hand on the small of her back and as she put an arm across his shoulder, followed by them joining their free hands. The dim light that was given off by the candles was just enough for Booth to see her smile and the gleam in her eyes.

As they started swaying to the soft music, Booth smiled down at Brennan. "You are so beautiful…" he whispered, kissing her temple.

"Since I decided to ban myself from squint talk tonight, I'll just say thank you." Booth chuckled and rolled his eyes. Her smile was still radiating. Brennan rested her head against his chest as the music continued to direct them around the room.

After what seemed like forever…figuratively, of course…Brennan sighed, realizing she was as happy as she could be at that very moment. "I love you, Seeley Booth," she said plainly as she looked up. Her blue eyes pierced his brown ones, showing him as much of her soul that was possible.

"And I love you, Temperance Brennan." Booth, smiling, leaned down and pressed his lips into hers, causing a soft moan to leave her vocal chords. Brennan wrapped both of her arms around his neck, pressing her lips into his again as she was wrapped with his strong arms.

As their tongues met, sparks seemed to fly across the room, causing both of them to lose their breath. Looking at each other, both smiling, Booth brushed a curl out of Brennan's face, afterwards tenderly cupping the side of her face with his hand. Kissing her one last time, Booth pulled his head back and sighed. "So, Miss Brennan," he said with a smirk. "Would you like to go back to my place?

Brennan laughed as she took both of his hands in hers. "I'd like that, Mr. Booth."

As he chuckled, Booth flipped the light switch, showering the room with brightness. Before walking any farther, he took a step back, pulled Brennan to him again, and pressed his lips to hers. "I can't get over how beautiful you are," he whispered in her ear.

"Booth, you're embarrassing me," she admitted.

"What? How?" He knew that she had never been comfortable with true and genuine compliments, but he also was on a mission to change that.

Clutching his hand as the two walked back towards the entry way, Brennan rolled her eyes. "You know how I feel about compliments, Booth."

"And you, Bones," he started, nuzzling her temple with his nose, "know how I feel about giving compliments. Especially to you." He kissed the top of her head as she sighed.

"I need to get my bag."

"Unlock your car, I'll run get it."

Brennan put a hand on her hip and cocked an eyebrow at him. "You also know how I feel about having things done for me."

"Just for one night, Tempe, let me be the man and take care of you," he nearly pleaded. She quickly thought his plea over, smiling as she reached a conclusion.

"One night," she said, reaching into her handbag and hitting the unlock button to her car. Kissing her on the cheek, Booth left the house for approximately 2.7 seconds before he returned carrying Brennan's bag.

"So, Bones," Booth grinned as he shut and locked the door, Brennan taking it from his hands. "Whatcha got in there?" Brennan smirked.

"I guess you'll just have to find out, Agent Booth." After seductively smiling and narrowing her eyes, Brennan turned and walked slowly towards Booth's bedroom, making absolutely sure to sway her hips as much as possible, giving him one last glance over her shoulder as she reached for the bedroom door..

Suppressing a groan, Booth leaned his head back and looked at his ceiling. "She's going to be the death of me…" he spoke quietly before following her down the hall.