Booth and Brennan laid together on the office couch covered by the afghan, each in their own thoughts. Words needed to be said, but each were afraid of breaking the moment. Finally, Booth got his courage up.

"Bones?"

Brennan remained snuggled into Booth with her head in her familiar spot on his chest. "Yes, Booth?"

Booth moved Brennan to sit upright. She gave Booth the afghan and she reached across the end table to grab Booth's shirt. He couldn't help stiffening up when he saw her in his shirt with the swell of her ample breasts teasing him. After taking a moment to think of saints, he managed to forget for a few minutes.

"Bones…I'm sorry….I'm so sorry."

"I know, Booth."

Booth moved to close the blinds. No one was there usually on Sundays but he didn't want to take a chance on giving someone a free show of Brennan to someone they knew. He inhaled for a moment as he thought how to phrase his next question and decided simple was best.

"Bones, how did you know?"

Brennan took Booth's hand and squeezed. "It was the night you and Angela were in the hospital. Earlier in the day, Cam found me in my office and proceeded to lecture me about how I needed to find out why you broke the engagement and to put my panties on."

Missing Booth's 'huh' face, she continued. "That's what we were doing at the hospital that day you found us. She took me out to a location where Pelant couldn't find us or know what we were talking about. When we were there, she had me look at the situation rationally without any emotional issues. I treated it like one of my lectures as she made me write out everything that happened that day…..she let me cry, Booth because the events of the last few weeks….t-they were suffocating me.."

She waited a moment before continuing. "While you were getting your tests done in the emergency room, I took a walk to look at things rationally. I went outside to the garden and I sat and enjoyed the quiet. I could have done without the cherub staring down at me."

Booth gave her another quizzical look but she ignored it to continue. "I cleared my head and thought of nothing. I am unsure of how long I sat there, but it was all of a sudden that things started to make sense."

"What exactly made sense, Bones?" Booth said as he combed her hair back from her face.

"You're Catholic…your God considers us living together a sin. Rebecca wouldn't marry you years earlier and it upset you. Hannah turned down your proposal and it made you so angry."

Brennan got sad for a moment, then continued. "I felt this wave of relief because….I did wonder….was it me? Did you no longer love me? Did you realize that you were still angry about me taking Christine and didn't want to upset me by making up another reason to not to marry me?"

Booth moved to comfort her, but she held her hand up. "Booth, let me finish".

Brennan waited for her boyfriend to sit back down before going further. "After about a minute, the relief turned into anger. You lied to me….you made me feel…these feelings I had….feelings that I thought I had gotten passed. It made me remember how I felt when my parents left. I was feeling these emotions but it wasn't from my mom and dad, or Russ, but from you."

Brennan felt tears swimming in her eyes. "You are the one person I knew would never leave….and you did….emotionally."

Booth's heart hurt as he watched Brennan wipe a tear away. He wanted to comfort her, but he knew that she had something to say. After all he did, she earned the right to speak uninterrupted.

"I couldn't talk to anyone about it because I couldn't verbalize it to anyone without fear of Pelant finding out. I also couldn't because I didn't understand what I was feeling. All I knew was that I was so angry at Pelant, myself, and you."

Booth couldn't hold back anymore. Grabbing the woman he loved, he caused the blanket to fall as he took her in a hug to comfort her.

"I'm so sorry, Bones that I made you feel that way. I wanted to tell you so badly but I knew Pelant wouldn't just kill strangers….he would have come after you, Parker, and Christine. As much as I wanted to tell him off, I thought about my sniper days all over again. I had to take lives, Bones, lives I still think about every day. Pelant knew that from hijacking Sweets' files and he used it knowing my history. I couldn't forgive myself for putting my happiness above innocent people."

"I know, Booth." Brennan said as she caressed his face. "I know and I understand."

Booth watched Brennan as he pondered for a minute, but decided to reveal what he knew. "I read the book, Bones."

Brennan was confused. "What book, Booth? Do you mean my manuscripts? You know I don't like you reading those until they're done and it's not possible because the flash drive in my purse."

"No Bones, the diary, about Anton…."

She froze and lost all color to her face. Booth saw it and was afraid he went too far. "I'm sorry, Bones. Your father got it somehow. He must have had a copy and sent me to the tree house tonight to read it. I'm glad I did, though, especially to tell you I like where your adipoopy tissue is and your eyes are not a mere blue. They are a stunning blue….blue as the sky in—"

"As the clearest sky in God's heaven. My hair was as auburn as the sunsets at Hank's cabin in Erie."

It was Booth's turn to freeze and turn white. "W-wait, how did you know that?"

Before Brennan could tell him, realization hit as he remembered Max in his office earlier that day. "It was Max, wasn't it? He got ahold of my notebook. I knew he was up to something."

"Max and Angela. I imagine they are how you got possession of my writings."

'Now I don't have to shoot him.' Booth thought as he laughed. The old rhino came through for them. "Thank God, Bones for nosy family and friends."

"Yes, it was a good thing we have people who care enough to get up in our feces."

Booth sat confused for a moment before cracking up. "It's get all up in our shit, Honey, but close enough."

After about a minute, Brennan got serious. "Booth, what do we do now? Do we get married? Do we put our plans on hold until we find Pelant? Indefinitely?"

Booth felt sadness in her tone and in himself. He knew what he wanted to do, but wanted to feel out Bones' feelings first. "What do you want to do Bones?"

Brennan got quiet for a minute. "I think that it's logical that we do not get re-engaged while we are looking for Pelant."

Booth hated it, but she was right. "I know…you're right…Pelant is still out there—"

"But…"

Booth lost track of thought. "But what, Bones?"

Brennan straightened her shoulders. "But the illogical, irrational part of me says get married and just…screw Pelant!"

"Bones….did you just say 'Screw Pelant'?"

"I did, Booth. We wasted six years….six years we could have been together instead of being afraid. I do not want to waste anymore."

Booth felt his heart glowing as he smiled. "I'm glad you feel that way, because I feel the same."

He got off the couch and went towards the bag by the table. He pulled something out and gave it to his girlfriend. Brennan looked at it unsure of what Booth's plan was.

"Tofu jerky?"

"Yes, Bones, tofu jerky" He replied.

Nude, he got up and walked to the desk where his pants were hanging off the edge. Pulling someone out of the pocket, he held it behind his back as he walked over and stood in front of Brennan.

"Bones, I love you. I would die for you. I want to spend the next 30, 40, or 50 years with you bickering about weird anthropological stuff, how to handle Christine dating without shooting anyone, having more children, spoiling grandchildren…..living our lives."

Opening the small box, showing a silver band with two small sapphires and one small diamond slightly recessed into the band next to a set of wedding rings.

"Bones, this was my grandmother's engagement ring. Pops gave me this and their wedding bands right after he met you for the first time. He said I was to give them to the woman I intend to marry. When I decided to propose to Hannah, I should have used these, but I didn't. For the longest time, I didn't understand why but now I do. Pops gave this ring to his soul mate and wanted me to give it to mine. Hannah wasn't it….you were and are. You complete me."

"Oh, Booth…"

Booth got down on one knee and removed the engagement ring from the box. Holding it out, he took a deep breath.

"Temperance Joy Brennan….will you marry me?"

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes Seeley Joseph Booth, I will marry you in front of your God so we can be a legal husband and wife in the District of Columbia!"

She jumped into his arms, each hugging each other so tight afraid to let the other go. When she let go, Booth slipped it on her finger and it fit perfectly.

"Wow, it's like I was meant to wear this, Booth."

Booth held back his emotion as he pulled out the wedding ring set. Lifting each so the inside could be seen, each had the following engraving:

HB & MB 6-13-48.

"June 13, 1948 was their wedding day. To use these would mean the world to me, but if you prefer me to get another wedding set, we can do that—"

"Be quiet Booth. We will do no such thing." Brennan gently admonished. "From the stories Hank has told, he and your grandmother had a great love. They were friends, lovers, parents, companions and so are we. I would be honored to wear Marie's engagement ring and their wedding rings."

They admired the engagement ring on her finger before Brennan voiced her thought that she was certain Booth agreed with.

"Booth, we need to do this quickly and quietly so Pelant doesn't find out."

"You're right, Bones. So let's do what we do best…..come up with a plan of attack."

Brennan and Booth tapped their heads together as they sat on the couch admiring the ring on her finger again. They knew she would have to wear it around her neck or leave it at home for the time being, but for now, she could display it proudly.

Pelant may be smart, but they and the rest of the squints, including Sweets were smarter. They would need everyone's help to pull off their biggest adventure yet.