Brennan kept true to her silent promise. Over the next few weeks she observed his behavior closely. Gradually she began to see what Angela did. There was something hiding behind Booth's eyes that without looking for it wouldn't be noticed. His ease with people wasn't quite back. Questioning suspects was still a breeze for him, but she began seeing a moment of uncertainty before he began speaking. He acted as though he were still in pain, which Brennan didn't understand. Booth's body should have completely healed.

"How are your ribs?" She questioned him randomly one day.

He gave her a strange look. "Fine."

She also detected he seemed exhausted. Always. "How are you sleeping?" Another afternoon she asked over lunch.

"Why?"

"Well, the dark color under your eyes-"

"I'm sleeping about as well as I ever have since… you know, Bones." Booth avoided looking at her.

Because of her preoccupation with Booth her relationship with Baker was turning sour. Finally he broke it off. "Your heart just isn't here anymore," he told her.

It effected Brennan little. She was still trying to figure out the feelings of jealousy she came across every time Booth mysteriously disappeared.

A month or so later she was let into that part of his world. The two were driving late one night on their way back to the Jeffersonian when his phone rang. "Booth." He answered. Instantly his tone changed into affection. "Whoa, wait. What's wrong?" Pause. "Yeah. I can. I mean, I'm with somebody right now." He looked at Brennan out of the corner of his eye. "Okay. We'll be right there." He hung up. "I gotta make a stop."

She obliged.

Booth parked next to an apartment building out on the street. "You can wait here if you want."

Wait? She was too curious. "It's fine." She slid out.

Booth's expression tightened. He exhaled before letting her upstairs with him. At a door on the third floor he started to pull out his keys, then knocked instead. The action didn't go unseen by Brennan. This had to be his girlfriend. He had keys?

Debbie opened the door. "Hi. Come in," she welcomed them both. They stepped inside together. Booth made introductions.

"I've heard so much about you," Debbie greeted Brennan.

"Wish I could say the same." She eyed Booth coldly. Critically she took in Debbie. Again the jealousy showed itself.

"I hate to be rude," Debbie continued. "But can I speak to you in private?" She turned her attention on Booth.

"Of course," Brennan permitted.

The two disappeared into Debbie's bedroom. The door shut behind them.

Brennan took the opportunity to poke around Debbie's apartment. From what she could gather the woman was a lawyer. Unintentionally she rolled her eyes. Figured. Booth always went for lawyers.

Back in Debbie's bedroom she jerked Booth away from the door. "Last night, did you notice anything?" She faced him.

Uh oh. Woman territory. He better tread lightly. "Was I supposed to?" Lamely, he asked.

She cocked her head. "I'm serious. Did you see anything on my hip?"

He grinned boyishly. "Deb, when we're having sex I'm not usually looking at your hip."

Debbie didn't share his expression. She lowered her jeans just enough to show Booth an angry red lump on the side of her hip. The area around it was a multitude of dark colors. "I discovered it in the shower this morning."

Booth whistled. "What'd you do? Did you bump into anything?"

"No."

"It's probably just an infection or something."

"Booth," she squeezed his hand. "This is the spot where Brenghause injected me."

Understanding flooded his face. "No," he said simply. "You're not sick. We're not sick."

"You can't be sure of that."

"They ran tests on us. In the hospital." He swallowed nervously. "They ran everything. They did AIDS tests on us. We came back clean."

"You know as well as I do that can take months to show up." When Booth looked away she applied pressure to his hand once again. "We both know you haven't been feeling well for a while now."

"I don't have a lump." He had a scar at the injection site. The same scar he'd been checking every day for months.

"I'm going to the doctor tomorrow."

"I'll take the day off and go with you."

"What about your case?"

He held her close and kissed her. "This is more important."

By the time he left to drive Brennan to the Jeffersonian he couldn't feign his shock. Was Debbie sick? Did that mean he was ill as well? What was he going to do if they were?

He and Brennan got back into the Suburban. His mind went numb before he was able to put the key in the ignition.

"Booth?"

He lifted his gaze to Brennan.

The complete terror in his eyes frightened her. Something very bad had happened. Was happening. There was nothing she could say. She didn't know if he would tell her even if she did. So she did what came natural to her concerning him. Brennan hugged him tightly.

For the first time in months, he hugged her back.

***

The following morning Booth woke up feeling heavy hearted. He untangled himself from Debbie, kissing her on the forehead. After calling into work he got into the shower. While soaping up he examined his arm just as he always did. Today he noticed a large red lump looming back at him.

His heart stopped.

***

That same morning Brennan sat in her office thinking. She gotten the news that Booth wasn't coming into work. She wasn't stunned, and truthfully she was glad. Just for a while she needed to be away from him to sort herself out.

She thought back to everything they'd endured together. The anguish she'd felt after nearly losing him to Brenghause. The heartbreak when he'd rejected her. The envious feelings of Debbie; of everything he shared with her. In that moment she came to discover she wasn't jealous of Debbie, per se. She wanted to be Debbie. She wanted Booth's love. "Oh, God." She spoke out loud. Brennan didn't just love Booth. She was in love with him.

Hodgins happened to arrive in her office just then. "Dr. Brennan I-" he stopped himself when he noticed her expression. "Whoa. Are you all right? Because you look like you just stuck your finger in a light socket."

Angela was right behind him. "Oh. I think this is a 'girl moment.'

"I'm leaving," Hodgins smirked.

Once he was gone Angela shut the door. "Sweetie, what is it?"

"I'm in love with Booth," she mumbled, still bowled over her revelation.

"Duh." Angela snickered.

Brennan shot her a confused look.

"Hun, everyone has known you two were in love except you."

Brennan stood. "I didn't know till I saw him with Debbie. I have to tell him."

"No!" Angela's strong voice made her sit back down. "No, you don't. Not until you're sure your feelings are true, and this isn't just a fit of jealousy."

"Why?"

"Because he's loved you forever."

Brennan scrunched up her face. "That's impossible. We haven't been alive forever."

"He's loved you a long time," Angela amended. "With everything he's been through it will destroy him if you tell him you love him and then take it back."

"If he's loved me then why is he with Debbie?"

"Because you've never returned his feelings. He gave up."

That phrase hurt worse than anything else Angela had said.

"Sweetie, all I'm saying is before you act listen to your heart," Angela headed towards the door. "Don't break his."