A/N: WOW… I never thought I'd have such loyal readers for this story… NOT my best. I could have tried a HELL of a lot harder, but I am trying to work on my own novels, I just couldn't leave this idea and let it disappear. So thank you all for reading, alerting and favorite. YAY for all of you. :)

I somehow managed to compartmentalize the situation. I withdrew all emotions and feelings regarding Booth and Hannah, and stood clear from either of them whenever I could. I didn't offer to go out in the field with Booth, and he rarely asked. I continued my work in the lab, where I felt the most comfortable. I no longer appreciated being out of my comfort zone. It was much easier to be in the comforts of familiarity and the people that allowed the situation of Booth & Hannah's new-found romance to be left OUTSIDE of my lab.

Angela and I had agreed to leave the conversation out the door… okay, so I demanded that ANGELA leave the conversation out the door. I didn't want to mention Booth, I didn't want to discuss his relationship with Hannah, and I didn't want to hear the word jealousy rear its ugly head ever again. I was busy with work… and my writing, and that was it!

But I couldn't help it when Booth came into my office unannounced, babbling about never getting to spend time together anymore. He basically demanded that I finish my work then and there and go with him to the Royal Diner. I fought him on it, tooth and nail, unwilling to be told what to do. He was not my boss, I was in control… but he won… it was Booth. All he had to do was stand in that powerful way he did and grin that perfect God-sent smile and I was a goner. Geez, the man had power, like the miracles of Jesus… not that I believed in Jesus, I was speaking metaphorically.

I finally caved, and the two of us went to the diner for lunch. But I wasn't happy about it. I pouted, and all Booth did was laugh at me, which made me angry.

"You never even told me how the Maluku Islands were?" he pressed as we ordered coffee, and Booth ordered pie. I don't like pie. Never could understand why someone wanted their fruit cooked.

"It was good," I lied. I left out the part where I had pinned for him day after day for an entire year, balancing the choice between staying or going to Afghanistan to see him and tell him how I was feeling. "I discovered a lot about bones… and history… even learnt something about myself," I admitted subtly.

"What did you learn about yourself?" he asked looking interested.

My eyes locked on his, and that THING happened, where I struggled to breathe. It had been a long time since I felt that, and it took me by surprise. He held my stare for a long time, determined for an answer, I wasn't sure I could give him.

"Brennan…" he pushed.

The bitterness and anger rose in me again, and I couldn't help ask. "What happened to BONES?"

He frowned. "What?"

"You don't call me Bones anymore… you call me Brennan," I stated. "WHY?"

"I didn't notice," his eyes moved to the right, and I knew he was lying.

"Seeley?"

He flinched.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" I challenged.

He shifted uncomfortably.

"Your pupils moved to the right, Booth… that is a clear indication that you are not entirely truthful," I stated matter-of-factly. I could always tell when he was lying.

He looked down at his shoes.

"Tell me, please…" I ordered.

He hesitated. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes," I nodded firmly. His reasons had to make more sense than his NOT calling me by the name that he had since we'd met. Brennan sounded so strange rolling off his tongue.

"Alright…" he said. "But you can't be mad."

"BOOTH!" my patience levels were low. I couldn't stand the suspense.

"I felt the need to distance myself," he said.

"From me?" I felt that stabbing in my chest again. I shifted on my feet.

"I needed to think about Hannah… and I knew that if I made things personal between us, or brought back the past, I would find it harder to…"

"What Booth?" I asked oblivious to what he was trying to tell me.

"I would find it harder to let go," he sighed.

"Let go of me?" I guessed. My heart rate increased by his words, and I felt an overwhelming urge to touch him. I refrained.

"Yeah," he nodded. "You're special Bones- Bren- DAMN IT!"

I suppressed a smile. He still cared somewhat about me. That was a good sign… I think. I'd have to ask Angela and she could determine the meaning his words for me, just to be sure.

"This is what I CAN'T do!" he stated standing from the stool. "I'm sorry, I thought that we could be friends, and go back to the way things were but… I just can't."

"Why?" I panicked. A life without Booth… I didn't want it.

I had learned a lot about myself in Indonesia, and about my feelings for Booth. I had discovered that no amount of time could change what I felt, and that my running away wasn't going to make the feelings go away. If nothing else, it made them stronger. I had learnt to trust myself, and believe in trusting someone else… not just anyone else, but Booth. I didn't want him to leave me… I would only fall back to old habits and I couldn't do that, not to myself. I had learnt too much to return to the past.

"Because I can't do this to myself!" he spat. "I can't pretend that everything is the same, or that it doesn't hurt to be around you. I can't allow myself to go back to the place that makes me feel so bad."

"I make you feel bad?" I frowned.

"Yes," he admitted. "But only because you don't want the same things that I do."

"But I do, Booth… I want what you want," I whispered.

He looked up to meet my eyes.

"Bones, I…"

"Seeley?" a voice behind us dropped his eyes away from me.

He turned to see Hannah standing beside him.

"Hannah," he stood quickly and embraced her in an awkward hug. She seemed to notice, and took a step back. She looked across at me.

"Hello, Dr. Brennan," she greeted.

"Hannah," I nodded. I could feel the tension between us, and I wanted to run. I preferred excusing myself from situations that made me uncomfortable.

"I've been watching the two of you…" she confessed. "From across the diner,"

Booth's face, seem to turn a pale shade. "Hannah, I can explain…"

Explain what? I wondered. I didn't realize there had been an issue with two former partners sharing a lunch at the diner. But then I was oblivious to the modern ways of pop culture. There were many references that Booth had to explain to me. She raised a hand in protest. "I don't want to hear it," she shrugged. "I think I know what's going on here…"

"You do?" I asked.

"Bones," he warned.

I smiled. He called me BONES.

"Hannah, I was just talking about-"

"We don't have to do this," she interrupted. "In fact, I'd rather not. I think maybe you and Dr. Bones need to compare notes. I can see that she's crazy about you, and the way you talked about her in Afghanistan, you're crazy about her…"

"Hannah!"

She shook her head. "Goodbye, Booth," she leaned over and brushed her lips gracefully against his cheek, as I sat watching in stunned silence. How could she gather that information about me? When she knew so little about me, we had barely had a conversation, and yet she had depicted my emotions so easily.

Booth and I watched as she walked out the door.

He turned to me, looking almost angry. "I can't believe you…" he stated.

"ME? What did I do?"

"You sat back and watched her say all those things, and you didn't deny them?" he accused.

"I didn't know you wanted me to," I admitted. I would have, it I had known that was what he wanted from me. I couldn't help hearing the words flash across my mind the way you talked about her in Afghanistan… had he talked about me a lot? What did he say?

"I would have liked you to tell the truth for once," he barked.

"I did," I said matter-of-factly. "I told the truth by staying silent!"

He flopped back down on the stool beside me. He looked stunned.

"You… are you saying you're crazy about me?"

"Not in those words," I said easily. It was strange how easily the feelings rolled off my tongue. "I would have used the word LOVE… I think."

A strange smile crossed his lips. "You love me?"

"I think so," I shrugged. "In the way that you always described it."

"You want to be with me?" he pushed.

"Yes," I nodded.

"Be my girlfriend?"

"YES!" I laughed.

He nodded. "Alright," he stood from the stool again, this time moving closer towards me. I didn't flinch. I didn't back down. I allowed my emotions to lead, and when he leaned down to kiss me, I let him. I entwined my fingers in his hair, eagerly pulling myself closer to him.

What I felt… was free.

I hope it wasn't too tacky. lol… it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to, but hopefully it was okay. I'm not so great at first person where Bren is concerned. I probably could do Booth better. Lol. Reviews help me know what you like and what you don't… :)