Woohoo! Two chapters in two days! :D J-word courtesy of Dea_Ex_Machina1 and my beta Bonesbird, and to her go all my thanks for her great betawork.

Set "during" the s6 premiere, but the spoilers for it are just very general, I am almost spoilerfree myself, I only watched the promo and the basic stuff. That's why I'm posting it before the episode airs, because this is just my version of what could happen ;)

Bones is not mine, but it will be back on our screens in less than a week!

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Joy

Waiting. She has been waiting for more than two hours. He would come. She knew he would. She didn't know anything, anything at all about the future and what would happen next, but she knew one thing. She knew he would come.

She took the coffee cup to her mouth but realized it was empty and she tossed it into the bin nearby, together with the other one she had already finished. Two full cups of coffee in two hours… not very healthy, she scolded herself. She had bought two cups, one for him. But he was late and his coffee was getting cold so she drank that one too.

She looked at her watch. It was getting late but she was not going anywhere. He would come. He would come. He would come.

She stood up and realized that she was slightly shaking. She knew it was not because of the coffee. Well, not only that, at least. She was nervous, maybe more nervous that she had been in her whole life. In a while, hopefully not too long , she would hear her partner's voice again, she would see his smile again, his warm eyes. In the past seven months apart she had longed to see them so much.

She didn't know what he would do, she didn't know what she would do, she didn't know what they would do afterwards, but what she knew was that she wanted to see him. She looked around. She needed to see him. She needed to make sure he was ok, that he had finally come back all in one piece and unharmed.

She sat back on the wooden bench and closed her eyes. She was very tired, she didn't even stop at home to leave her bags, she had come straight here from the airport. He would be there soon. Something made her eyes pop open again. In the dark of the night she couldn't see much but she knew. He was there. Even if she couldn't see him she could feel him. He had arrived. She took a deep breath to steady herself and stood up again.

And she could finally see a very familiar form walking towards her. He was still very far from her but she recognized him immediately. He was still in his fatigues and carrying a duffel bag, which suggested that he, too, had come here straight from the base. This reassured her somehow. The fact that he was late wasn't voluntary.

Then he was close enough that she could see his face. He looked exhausted and had a slight stubble. But his tired eyes had a light in them, a light she had not seen for a long time even before they left. And he was smiling. Not his famous grin and not even his charm smile, but his little sweet smile. That exact smile she had missed for so many months. He was happy. That he could see. She realized she was smiling herself and suddenly she couldn't wait anymore. She grabbed her bag and started walking towards him. Not running, just walking, walking fast until she finally met him in the middle and stopped only when she was right in front of him, staring into those brown, warm eyes after way too long.

She still didn't know what to say, what to do. She just drank in his eyes and his smile.

"Hey Bones." he said easily, as if they had only seen each other the day before.

That did it for her. Hearing his voice again, with his usual light and playful tone, like nothing had really changed, and hearing her nickname after seven long, terribly long months, his name for her, made every ounce of self-restraint she still had crumble.

She literally launched herself in his arms, her own arms tightening around his neck as he caught her and hugged her back.

For a long time she just stood there, in his arms, breathing his scent again, her face buried in his neck, just enjoying the feeling of finally being in his arms again. Nothing, nothing was better than that. After being so long apart she had such a craving for him she couldn't even explain… or maybe she could, but she didn't want to think about it now. Now she was there, drowning in him, in his scent, in his muscular body under her hands, in his breath in her ear.

She couldn't identify most of the feelings she was experiencing while holding, and being held, by her partner, her best friend, her… she didn't even know what he was anymore. But there was one feeling she was absolutely certain of. Joy. Complete and absolute joy. Joy for seeing him again, joy that he had maintained his promise to come back to her and not to be a hero, joy for being in his arms again. Just joy, pure joy. And she was more than happy with it. The other feelings didn't matter. She smiled.

"I missed you." The words escaped her mouth in a whisper, so soft that she didn't even know if he had heard. But when he reacted she knew he heard them.

Only that it wasn't the reaction she had expected. His arms stiffened around her, as if he wasn't that comfortable anymore. She felt him moving to try and step out from their hug but she was faster. She wasn't feeling much comfortable herself anymore. She swallowed painfully and slowly released him from her grip, instantly feeling the loss of the his arms and his body against her.

She looked up into his eyes again and watched as a quick shadow of regret and apology and sadness passed through them. He didn't need to speak. She understood. She knew it was different. They weren't them anymore. She had changed in the past seven months and apparently he had changed as well.

She didn't know exactly what was different, what had happened to him during those damned seven months apart, but she would learn it very soon.

There was indeed one thing that had happened. Its name was Hannah.

And that light in his eyes? The light she had seen and enjoyed few minutes before, and during the five years of their partnership… that beautiful light of happiness and joy she had missed so much and was so happy to see again… she realized it wasn't for her anymore.

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Sooo… what did you think about it? I have to say, I loved writing this chapter so much, I even got very emotional towards the end! I'm glad my Muse has finally decided to wake up. And you know what helps it be even more awake? Reviews and feedback :) constructive criticism too, of course, I want to get better, but I can't see if/what I'm doing wrong if you don't say anything!

Any K-word you have in mind for the next chapter is very appreciated!