AN: So first off, thank you so much for the massive response! 20 reviews for one chapter, that has to be a new personal record for me. And then there's all of the adds I received…so grateful! You all wanted me to continue so here it is, containing spoilers from The Beginning in the End. Also a warning that evolution is discussed at the end. I know this can be a touchy subject for some people and I apologize in advance if I offend anyone. I was simply trying to capture the views of the characters. Enjoy!

Change: to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of something different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone.

Change: the very definition of her life of late.

Change: the one thing she considered herself to be "bad" at.

Change: the one thing she wouldn't let happen, which was actually going to occur.

Brennan stared at the skull on the table in front of her. She couldn't surmise how long she'd been sitting there in limbo staring at it. She'd been plagued by this sinking feeling lately, and it was throwing her "off her game" as Booth would have put it. The feeling had been there ever since Booth had left her apartment last week. As usual, they hadn't talked about what they needed to. He'd told her that she was the one he wanted to spend the remainder of his life with…at least that's what she assumed "I've found her" meant. But of course, they hadn't spoken a word about it since.

And now, everything was changing; changing even more than it had been last week. Daisy had been granted the opportunity to go to Indonesia for the hominid project; the same project Brennan had been asked to head. The Army wanted Booth back to help train new recruits in Afghanistan. It was here that she found herself stuck in this empty void.

Daisy had told her that she and Booth were holding each other back. She was quite possibly the best anthropologist alive at this point in time and she should really be helping solve the mystery of evolution, not identifying murder victims. And Booth had the heart of a warrior. He should be saving lives, not stopping people from killing more people. Brennan had to be honest that the only reason she'd stayed at this job for the past five years was because of Booth. She was much more content working with ancient cultures instead of five-year-old victims.

Hence the sinking feeling and empty void. She was being forced to choose between her career, her life's passion, and the man she was very well quite possibly in love with. Granted love was still bit of a foreign concept to her, but…

Her eyes again focused on the skull and she reached for it. She found herself uninterested in this case. The murder case of a hoarder was nothing compared to the hominid remains found in Indonesia. Brennan had been propelled to accept the offer to head the project. This was an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime, opportunity. But was leaving Booth alone to fend for himself in the middle of a war worth it? It was simple: if she stayed, Booth stayed. He'd be right here in D.C., with her, where he'd be safe. If she left, he left, and that risked the chance that they would never see each other again.

One year apart would turn into two and two into three. He would forget about her and finally find that person he'd been searching for: the kind of person who believed in love and marriage. Or worse yet, he would try to be the hero like always and have his life taken from him far too soon. No, Brennan couldn't let that happen. But in truth, there was nothing else that she could do. After this case, she and Daisy would be on a plane to Indonesia and Booth on one to Afghanistan. After this case, the burning feeling of change would continue to weigh her down until she completely lost herself and retreated back into her protective shell.

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He didn't want to solve this case. It wasn't because it was difficult or personal; he just didn't want to solve it. Because Booth knew the moment it was all over, everything would be over. Bones would be on her way to becoming an evolutionary discoverer and he would be back in the Army. It would be as though they had never changed their career paths, as though they had never met.

But he knew that wouldn't be entirely true because he had met her. Booth figured she would probably be on his mind 24/7. How could she not be? He was worried…no terrified that heading up this project would forever turn her away from her work at the Jeffersonian, with the FBI, with him, and would encourage her to remain in foreign countries uncovering ancient cultures. She wouldn't be Bones, the forensic anthropologist, anymore; she'd be Dr. Temperance Brennan, the evolutionary anthropologist.

He couldn't have that. He wanted his Bones to stay here, with him, where he could keep an eye on her and protect her. And as honored as he was to be asked to train the new recruits, he really didn't want to do it. His life was here, with his son, with his team, and with his partner. A whole year away from them all…he just couldn't imagine it. But what could he do to stop it? There was no way she would stay just for him. This discovery thing was monumental and she had already turned down the idea of a relationship with him. Hadn't she? But what was it that she had said last week about being afraid of losing him? Did her leaving him constitute her losing him?

God, why was this so complicated? He likes her. She likes him. It should be as simple as that. Why did he have to fall for the one woman who has to analyze the crap out of everything? One thing was for sure; her analyzing skills were starting to rub off on him.

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Booth sighed and looked over at his desk clock. Bones' plane was leaving in half an hour. He looked back down at the photos of his old army buddies and wondered whether or not he should go say goodbye. The case had ended and other than a conversation mostly about eye contact, they still hadn't really talked to each other. They were both avoiding the topic so maybe he should just avoid her. Maybe if he didn't show up, she would think that something was wrong and would come to save him. Maybe she would realize what a huge mistake she was making and…

Booth flipped the page in his photo album, wondering if he was making a mistake. He'd just assumed that with her gone, he'd want to be gone as well, even if that meant leaving his son for a year. But looking at the baby pictures of his only child, he felt like he had made the wrong decision for all of the wrong reasons. He looked back over at the clock wondering if he was going to miss her plane…

(Insert line break here.)

As Brennan pulled away from her hug with Angela, her eyes instantly scanned the surrounding area for her partner.

"Where's Booth?"

"He didn't come with us, Sweetie," Angela answered softly.

"Well, is he coming?"

"I don't know."

"Dr. Brennan, come on! We're going to miss our flight!"

"Just a minute, Miss Wick!"

"And you're willing to spend a whole year with that and leave your best friends behind?" Angela retorted.

"Booth is going to be gone too and I figure now is the perfect time for you and Dr. Hodgins to go on your honeymoon. So stop complaining."

"Dr. Brennan!"

"Miss Wick, calm down. They haven't even started boarding yet."

She scanned the crowd again, disappointed when she couldn't find his warm brown eyes and comforting smile. How could he not be there to say goodbye to her? Why were his last words to her "well I guess we're done"?

"Bren, you should probably head out before Daisy has a panic attack," Angela said, rubbing her arm. "Booth probably just got caught up at the base."

"He shouldn't even be at the base," Brennan mumbled, worrying again of what might happen to him over seas.

"You know why he's there don't you?" She detected a hint of resentment is Angela's voice. At least she wasn't the only one worried about him…

"Because I'm here," Brennan answered softly, dragging her luggage toward Daisy. "I should go. See you next year."

She followed Daisy as she headed toward the baggage check. Her sinking feeling officially had her sunk. She had managed to push away the only person she really truly cared about. Perhaps it was inevitable.

"So I was thinking how ironic it is that the letter of recommendation you wrote for me is actually allowing me to work for you yet again and –"

"Bones!"

She felt her heart skip a beat at the sound of his voice and at the sound of her name. Brennan turned around slowly, hoping that she hadn't gone crazy and that Booth was really there.

"I'm sorry I'm late," he apologized.

She suddenly felt like she was in one of those cheesy movies Angela had made her watch as they both rushed towards each other. She flung her arms around him and he nearly lifted her off of the ground with the force of his hug.

"I thought I'd pushed you away," she whispered into his shoulder.

"You could never do that, Bones," he said, stroking her hair.

Brennan pulled away, suddenly aware of the presence of her team. She noted her four friends watching them over Booth's shoulder and Daisy tapping her foot impatiently behind her. Wordlessly, Booth slipped his fingers in between hers.

"Don't go."

"How can you say that, Booth? I mean look at you; you're already wearing an Army issued uniform. They need you to help them out, just like I'm needed in Indonesia –"

"Don't care."

"Booth…"

"A year is too damn long, Bones. Too long for me not to be able to see you."

He ran the back of his hand down her arm.

"To touch you."

He leaned in so his lips were inches from hers.

"To kiss you."

"Boo –"

He didn't let her finish, crushing his lips against hers. She felt her heart skip a beat again, before reacting like she had the night they ruined Sweets' book for him.

"No!" she shouted, placing her hands on his chest as tears started burning at the back of her eyes. "Don't, just…don't."

"Why not?" Booth asked, grabbing her wrists. "Why the hell not?"

"You're making my leaving too hard."

"That's the point. I don't want you to go. There I said it. I don't want you to go. I want you to stay here, with me, acting like the good forensic anthropologist that you are, solving murder cases. I believe that God created mankind so there's absolutely no reason for you to leave and look at some boring old remains. You need to be here."

"And I don't want you risking your life out in Afghanistan, but I'm not trying to stop you from doing it! I respect your religion, Booth, I really do, but you're wrong. Man didn't just appear, they evolved. That's why I have to go examine this discovery. It's a huge piece in the evolutionary puzzle."

"Jesus, Bones, I wasn't trying to get into an evolutionary debate with you. I just…a year is too damn long."

"You said that already," Brennan said softly, dropping her arms to her sides.

"Dr. Brennan, they're boarding first class! We really need to go!"

"Bones…"

"It was when you faked your death and I thought you were dead."

"What are you talking about?"

"You told me to find that one moment that I knew. That was it. After that, everything was different. That's why I'm so afraid of losing you; the next time might be for real and I –"

"What are saying, Bones?"

"Just that I…I feel the same way you do. Now just…it isn't a good time. I have to go, Booth. I'm sorry."

She picked up her suitcase and again headed toward the baggage check.

"Wait! Just…promise me something?"

"What?" she asked, turning around.

"That you'll be here next year when I come back."

Brennan stared at him for a long moment before she moved over and kissed his cheek.

"I promise."

AN: Sort of different than the way I wanted it, but eh… Well Feedback is majorly appreciated. And I was considering another chapter…