[Author's Note: I've had this on my computer since the episode aired, and I just came across it and I liked it. I'll write about episodes from earlier seasons over the hiatus, but this is how I see that morning. It´s kind of short, apologies. Enjoy. Spoilers (I suppose) for 6x22]

5. No More Lying.

Brennan woke up first.

The sun was on the wrong side. It wasn't supposed to greet her from the left. It was supposed to be above her. Why was it on the left?

Then she felt something move. And she saw her own hand, holding someone else's hand. Right in front of her. And then she smelled him. Booth. And she smelled something else. Sex.

Then, everything hit home. Vincent, Booth's reaction. His plea to let him take her home. Her acceptance, his goodnight wish. Her insomnia. His kind words. Her tears, his arms. Her surrender. Their first time.

It had been mind blowing, thought shattering, fear eliminating, wonderful and amazing, and somehow, she couldn't bring herself to leave his side. She knew she probably had to, but she couldn't. His warm chest to her back, his legs between hers, his arm around her, his hand in hers in front of her naked chest.

Then she felt his hand tighten around hers and his breathing change. The hairs on her neck rose at the realization that he too had woken up. She lay impossibly still to gauge his reaction first, to see what he would do. No point in making decisions if he was going to run.

'Bones?' he whispered.

She kept quiet, willing her breathing to stay even.

'I know you're awake,' he said, his thumb caressing her hand. 'Please don't panic.'

She closed her eyes again, pushed her head into the pillow a little and sighed.

'I won't run, Booth.'

'Good,' he whispered back. 'Because I would have chased you if you had. I can't handle you running right now.'

She just nodded. 'I know.'

His heart was still fragile and tender and she had tried soothing it tonight, and she had succeeded, but the vulnerability he felt right now, at her mercy, his life depending on the decisions she made right now, made him ready to beg her to stay. But he didn't need to. She didn't make a move to get up, or even to separate herself from his embrace.

After a few moments of silence, she had gathered the strength to address the issue.

'Booth.. I'm tired of lying.'

He raised his head to try and find her eyes, but she kept them closed, finding it easier not to have to confront him. He lay back down, his hand still in hers.

'Lying? About what?' He didn't sound scared or confused, just soft and supporting. And that was what gave her the courage to see this through.

'About myself. To myself. I've been telling myself this wasn't an option. You know, us. Like this, together. But I'm not doing it anymore. I'm tired of it.'

He dared to press his lips to the base of her skull, his cheek brushing her hair. 'You mean about us?'

'Yeah,' she said, accepting his affection, returning it by squeezing his hand softly. 'I'm done trying to tell myself it's a partner thing.'

He smiled and released her, pulling her to turn around so she was facing him. 'You're amazing. You're right, you don't have to lie to yourself. It's not going to go away, Bones. We are who we are.'

'And we belong together,' she added. 'I know that now. I never liked the concept of belonging, and I still don't, but it's not about belonging to someone. It's belonging with someone.'

His smile increased and he had to kiss her. He kissed her softly, and when he broke away, she was smiling too. 'It's strange that it took such a terrible thing to make me realize it.'

'But I'm glad you did,' he added. 'Realize it, I mean. You're right you know. I'd never say you belong to me. But I do believe we're a team. In every way, if you want to.'

She nodded, closing her eyes once more, enjoying their early morning intimacy. 'I want to.'

After a few moments of silence, he dared to speak again. He was still enjoying the buzz from what she'd just said, but he had to let her know some things too.

'I did always know, Bones. That wasn't just some trick to get into your pants. I knew.'

She smiled against his chest. 'It would have been a pretty lame trick, Booth. I knew you believed it. But I just wasn't sure. I mean.. We have such disagreements sometimes. I just wasn't sure we would be able to overcome those.'

'We won't,' he answered. 'Bones, we'll always have our disagreements. We have different opinions on a lot of stuff. But that doesn't make us wrong.' He sighed. 'God.. That feeling I got when I first saw you? Nothing changes that. Nothing compares to that. I knew you had a fire that I would never be able to live without.'

She frowned. 'But.. But we fought pretty bad back then, Booth.'

'Yeah, but you know, I was a different man. I mean, I didn't believe that people could change at first. But I was wrong, people do change. I've changed. I was a proud cop, full of himself, and you just threw me way off balance. You put a mirror in front of my face and showed me everything that was flawed with me. Right from the beginning. And back then, I couldn't handle that, but only because.. Because I knew you were right.'

Brennan rolled onto her back, and he did the same.

'Did you ever think of me in that year we weren't working together?'

She wanted to know, had wanted to know for a very, very long time. Had he?

He was silent for a few moments, debating whether or not to tell her the truth. He concluded the truth wouldn't be the safest option but it would be what she wanted, so he told her.

'Every day.'

'Really?' she asked, her voice soft.

'I ah.. I even came by the lab a couple of times to check if you were ok. And if you were still around.'

'I thought I saw you there once. So that was you. Why did you do it? You know I don't like to be spied on.'

He nodded. 'Yeah, I'm sorry. It's just.. I don't know, I felt like I had to protect you. And I could, in a way. Just by making sure you were still at the Jeffersonian, every once in a while. It just felt good, I suppose.'

She knew she had to be pissed but she wasn't. She just loved his dedication. 'Ok,' she said. 'I'm going to take a shower.'

Half an hour later she was preparing breakfast and he walked into the kitchen, just having finished his shower, his hair still wet.

'You ok?' he asked, when he saw her gaze fixed on her coffee and the sandwich in front of her. She almost jumped up, startled by his voice. 'Yeah, sure. I'm fine.'

'Ok.. Which tells me there's more. Come on Bones, I know you.'

'Yeah.. It's really nothing, Booth. Just.. Worried, about everything. There's so much we need to arrange for Vincent, and what we did, it shouldn't have happened, but it did and it was great, amazing even, and I don't know if..' He interrupted her. 'Hey. Take it easy. One step at a time, ok? We'll take care of Vincent first, then we'll discuss us. But right know you should know I loved last night, it wasn't a mistake, it was perfect. And I know you felt it too.'

'Yeah, and I'm just tired of saying no. To myself and to you.'

He took her hand over the table, looking into her eyes, like he had done a million times before. Only this time his life depended on her answer.

'Then don't. Let's do this. I'm no longer angry, and I think I'm ready to try this. But we won't know unless we try.'

She nodded slowly. 'I think I've reached a point where I can only improve further if I take the risk. My imperviousness.. It's almost gone. But I won't know for sure unless I open myself up and try this, right?'

'I like your logic,' he smiled. 'Thanks,' she answered.

And like that their decision was made. They would try this, this relationship that had been hanging between them for seven years now. The had both known it was inevitable, but both had tried to fight it for a long time. Now, they were tired, and just so much in love that really, there was only one way to do this. If some higher power decides you're in love, then there is nothing you can do about it. You're in love.

The heart chooses what it chooses, we don't really have a say in the matter, Gordon Gordon had once said. It's absolutely ludacris, the idea of you two together. But. And they were going to prove the but. This had worked for seven years, it could work for seventy.

Because a wise man once said: Everything happens eventually. All that stuff that you think never happens? It happens. You just gotta be ready for it.