Author's Note: Thanks to those who have stayed with me from the beginning. I know it has not always been easy, and I'd like to take a quick moment to apologize for there being such a large gap between updates this time around. I have a good reason, I promise. My college courses are giving me a ridiculous amount of work all at once. My computer literally crashed and did not work for nearly a week. Also, this has been one of the hardest chapters to write for a multitude of reasons. I hope it makes up for the delay however (and it should, at nearly 7,000 words), so please let me know.

Also, I cannot make promises, but I would very much like to have the next chapter up actually on 9/19. Read this, and you will understand why.

Thanks again! :)


The tension in the way Brennan held herself was evident from the moment he picked her up. She'd finally caved and asked him to come to an appointment with Sweets, a fact Booth took as a good thing, but she'd hardly spoken a word. "Everything okay, Bones? You seem kind of quiet today."

Brennan swallowed and drew a deep breath. She reminded herself of why she had asked him to come with. While she had yet to tell anyone the flood of emotions brought forward from regaining what she did, Brennan knew it would be inevitable at some point. Remembering, really remembering her and Booth like that, together...it was just as much unsettling as it was wonderful. As much as she didn't remember the things outside of that moment, that night had returned with full force. Suddenly, sitting in close proximity with the man himself didn't seem like such a good idea. Booth was a good man and he'd never hurt her, but she was afraid of how she herself would react. It was like a ticking time bomb she supposed, however illogical that seemed; one look or touch, and the barrier she had carefully crafted would fall apart. "No, I'm perfectly fine. I wanted to thank you for coming with me, however. I know sitting and talking to Sweets is probably not on your list of things you wanted to do today."

Booth smiled in her direction, only to noticed she still fixed her gaze carefully at the road. "Yeah, well-" Booth cleared his throat and shrugged before passing the car in front of them. "I think I can handle Sweets for a little while. The guy's kinda grown up a bit, don't you think?"

When he said it, his hand had nudged hers. Whether it was intentional or accidental, Booth had certainly got her attention. "I suppose he has."

"I don't mind, Bones. To be honest, I'm sort of surprised you even asked." Booth confessed. He could see her turn her head to him, clearly surprised, and he wished in that moment they could be somewhere that he could be paying better attention.

"Would it be wrong to say I'm a little surprised, too?" Brennan asked him, her cheeks blushing a little. She watched as he darted his tongue out to moisten his lips, studied his hands as they loosened and readjusted on the wheel. They were natural behaviors that she knew he'd done thousands of times before, but with the new-found knowledge of just how truly intimate they had been, Brennan felt all the more in tune with particular movements he made.

"I guess not. You're just looking for a logical way to move forward, it makes perfect sense." Booth replied. He expected her to thank him or tell him he was right, but instead when he looked over he found her staring into her lap. "What?"

Brennan shook her head. "It's nothing, really. I was just thinking how...normal this feels." She gulped and gestured to the space between us. "This. Us. Headed to see Sweets. I know that it's been years, but I just feel like maybe things can start feeling like they're supposed to. That, of course, all hinges on me. I'm trying."

Booth drew in a deep breath and looked over at her before reaching for her hand. He knew he was pushing, expected her to pull her hand away or at least tell him he was overstepping his bounds. "I know you are, Bones. I'm glad you're giving me the chance to help."

"You've been trying to help, and I've been so completely stubborn. I know you want to help me, and yet I keep insisting I do this on my own." Brennan stared down at their hands intertwined between them. She thought of another, far less innocent twining of hands and limbs and-Brennan stopped herself before her thoughts carried her too far. "I'm sorry if I've seemed too adamant about that fact."

"You wouldn't be you if you weren't stubbornly trying to go about things your own way." Booth laughed it off, because at the moment there really was no other option. He knew Brennan well enough to know when to not press the issue. He was lucky enough she'd even asked him to come with her in the first place, not to mentikon the fact she hadn't tried hitting him for touching her. The feeling itself was a bit guilty, because even if she was letting him, Booth still couldn't help but feel like he was stealing something away from her without her really understanding. Booth would be there in the room with her and Sweets, but in what capacity? The question had been bugging him ever since he spoke with her about the subject just the week before. She'd sounded so sure over the phone, but now that they were headed to see Sweets together she seemed to be thinking about it differently; sure, but at the same time so completely nervous. Booth gave her hand a squeeze as they slowly edged into the parking lot. "You ready?"

Brennan smiled with a shrug as she tried to gauge the way he was feeling. He seemed to feel conifident, but she knew better. "I suppose I don't have much a choice now, do I?"

For a minute, he began to fear that maybe she had changed her mind and didn't want him to come. It wasn't until she was standing outside of the truck and waiting patiently for him to lock the doors that he realized it was just her way of coping with the situation.


Brennan didn't want to discuss what she'd learned with Sweets. It was hard enough thinking of what Booth's reaction to her remembering would be, but she didn't think she could take Sweets knowing that sort of information. Such things were too deep-too personal-and she was fairly certain that even if Booth himself were happy everything was returning that he would not want such information shared. She cast a glance in his direction before turning back to Sweets himself, who aside from greeting them as they arrived and asking a few cordial questions had not spoken much since they walked in the room. "Was there anything in particular you wanted to say?"

Sweets was a bit surprised to see Brennan herself taking the reins of their conversation; he had expected that Booth, having felt more comfortable due to the fact Brennan felt content with him there, would open up a bit more. "I was actually hoping to gain some insight from the both of you. That won't be too much of a problem will it?"

"What do you expect us to say?" Booth asked, automatically linking himself with Brennan. He was toeing the line and he knew it, but he wanted to reinforce the fact he was on her side, regardless of who they were up against.

"I don't have a problem with it." Brennan replied, though as the words left her mouth she couldn't help but wonder what 'insight' Sweets was looking for. "Booth?"

He was relieved to even be there and even though he knew it was not going to be easy, he was willing to do whatever he had to if it meant helping her. "Yeah? Alright, I don't have a problem with it."

Sweets crossed his legs and poised his pen. If he were being honest, he was finding it at least a little difficult to act completely professional in the situation, if for nothing more than the people he was dealing with. Taking a moment before speaking to collect his thoughts, Sweets felt painfully aware of how eerily familiar the scene felt. There were differences of course, but he could feel them staring jointly, like one unit practically, at him. He wondered as he scribbled something quickly on his notepad if they felt it, too. "Doctor Brennan," Sweets began. It was now or never. "I'd like to start by asking you how you feel about Agent Booth's presence here. Does him sitting with us make you feel anxious? Upset? Happy?"

Brennan heard rather than saw Booth shifting uncomfortably beside her. She could see his hand wrapped tight around the arm in the chair, but it wasn't until remembering what it felt like to have it wrapped around something else that she looked away. "I suppose I do feel a certain level of anxiety. It's not completely negative, however." Brennan was quick to glance in Booth's direction, hoping that he'd understand.

"What do you mean by that?" Sweets asked, feeling a little out of the loop. Brennan did appear a little more anxious than she had when it was just them, but he also thought she looked a little...embarrassed? He didn't have a clue as to why. Judging by the way Booth simply listened intently to what she said, he didn't think he was aware either.

"I just mean that, while I am concerned as to whether or not we're all here for the right reasons, I also think that him being here offers more-" Brennan struggled, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth as she thought of the right thing to say. "I suppose the right word would be incentive, though I'm afraid that could be taken the wrong way."

"Do you feel more encouraged to do whatever you can to gain you memory back?" Sweets raised his eyebrows as he asked.

Brennan wrung her hands together before nodding. "I guess you could say I do, but I also have to accept there isn't much more I can do than simply wait and hope everything returns. I have to accept I might never completely be the same as I was before."

"That doesn't mean you won't, Bones, it just means you shouldn't feel discouraged." Booth replied, breaking his silence before he could really think about what he said. Of course it was true, but he had also promised to himself he wouldn't do anything more to pressure her one way or the other.

"I don't feel discouraged, Booth, I just can't help but wonder whether or not I'll ever remember. I've gotten a few memories here and there and the book Angela gave me has proven to help somewhat, but I have to do this on my own." Brennan insisted, again insisting that she still have her independence. "That doesn't mean I don't want help."

"Bones-" Booth began to protest, but Sweets held up his hand and interjected before he could say anything else.

"Alright, so we've covered how you feel about our meeting, but Booth?" Sweets shifted in his chair so he could face Booth a bit more easily. "What did you think when she asked you to come?"

Booth settled back in his chair. The question was an obvious one even if the answer was less clear. Was he happy? Or was he glad to simply be included at all? "I-" Booth sighed and leaned forward. "I'm glad that she asked. I've been trying to tell her ever since she woke up from the coma that I'm here, but she hasn't really responded to that. Until now." He rested his elbows on his knees, and he found himself almost afraid to look in her direction. Taking the opportunity to vent out how he felt about the situation probably wasn't the best move, given how much Brennan had already accepted his help. "But we're not here to help me, are we?"

"No, I suppose not." Sweets replied. "I was merely trying to assess the situation." He paused, expecting one of them to say something, but as he flicked his gaze back from Booth to Brennan, neither spoke a word. "You guys do realize that regardless of what happens in this room, what you say and what you do directly effects what you feel, correct? I know, Doctor Brennan, that you're an independent woman. However-" Sweets paused at a look from them both. He would have laughed had he not believed they probably would've attacked him for it. "I need to you to at least acknowledge the fact that whatever those choices are, they affect Booth as well. He's your friend and husband, and-"

"I know that," Brennan interrupted. "I have already taken that into account. Had I not done so, he wouldn't be here today with us. Can we please just-" Her mouth hung open, her lips stammering in a poor attempt at latching onto the correct words. "I just-" Brennan sighed and shook her head, frustrated boiling up from within. She didn't do emotional displays. It was simply not her style. There were the few public displays since she'd woken up from the coma, but they were kept at a minimum. Admitting she needed help was difficult as well. Feeling them both looking at her, waiting for her to say something else, made the frustration creep even closer to the surface. "Why isn't this helping? I've been coming to you for several weeks now, I've done the exercises you've asked of me. I've walked through the memories you've led me through. I've...I've done all that I can, but it's not enough. I need help." Brennan sighed and balled her hands together tightly, pleading with herself to keep the tears at bay. "I'm sorry, Booth. I just-" She stood abruptly before crossing to the door and leaving them both staring at the path of her wake.

"Bones." Booth stood and started to follow her. By the time he'd gotten to the hall however, she was no where to be found. He gripped the door frame tight before turning to face Sweets. "What the hell was that?"

"Progress." Sweets choked out before very slowly attempting to stand and walk back to his desk. "She admitted she needed help."

"She's done that already, Sweets. How many times does Bones have to say that before it really clicks? Do you think it's easy for her to come in here, speaking with both of us who quite obviously want her to remember as soon as she can, and not feel at least a little pressure? You cannot rush her." Booth stressed the final sentence as he strode up to Sweets' desk, hands propping against the edge as he leaned across to face the therapist. "You know that. It has always been that way. Confronting her with facts will not make this any easier for anybody."

Sweets sighed and set down his pen, and he pulled out his chair but chose to not sit down. It didn't seem like such a good idea with Booth standing ominously before him. "I know it seems like this is going slowly, but I swear to you-"

"No, don't make me promises; don't swear meanything." Booth paused and ran a hand through his hair. He gazed around Sweets' office, taking in the certificates and awards mixed intermittently with books and photographs along the walls. "I'm not the one you're supposed to be helping."

"But aren't I, Agent Booth?" Sweets countered, though he knew he was pushing it as he picked a book up from his desk and walked around Booth to stick it back on the shelf on the opposite wall. He turned to face him in the hopes he could get the point across before Booth started yelling again. "You guys...you're married. As surprised as I was to learn that when I first came back to town, I have to agree it makes perfect sense. Regardless of current events, I know how important that is to you. In fact-"

"Do you? Do you realize-" Booth shook his head, unwilling to let the words flow. "I'm helping, I'm being there for Bones however she needs me. What have you done?"

Sweets began what suddenly seemed like a trek across the small room, and would have made it to the safety of his desk had Booth not grabbed his arm.

"Bones came to you. I know it's not exactly a secret that she hates psychology, but the fact that she trusted you with this situation at all is huge." Booth, too frustrated and angry at the situation altogether, shook his arm. "You wanna help, that's fine, but fix this, Sweets."

"I don't-" Sweets stammered, his cheeks burning as he watched Booth's clenched hand on his own arm. "Could you please just let go?"

He sighed, unclenching his jaw at the same time he let go of Sweets' arm. "Fix this," Booth muttered again before quickly heading to the door.


The sky was overcast and small pellets of rain began to fall as the taxi pulled up to the curb. This was it, she thought before climbing out. She fished out the correct money from her pocket before reaching back in to hand it to the driver. "I won't be very long."

The street light beside her made a few clicking sounds before finally flickering to life, illuminating the portion of the driveway that lead to the door, causing her to realize for the first time how late it was already getting. Brennan hesitated, her foot lingering on the first step, as she ran through what she planned to say again. Frustration seeped through her with the rain, and as she applied pressure to the second step it squeaked. She had a vague memory of telling Booth to fix it over a year before, but apparently it had never gotten the care it needed. Whether it was Parker's visits or a heavy caseload, something must have been in the way. A look down the street didn't help much in collecting her reserve, because seeing the children's bikes propped against garage doors or the young couple shielded underneath the same umbrella as they ran for their own home reminded her of everything she once had, or thought she did. Thinking such thoughts would not make it any easier to say what she was about to. Collecting her breath, Brennan raised her hand to knock, only to leave it hanging a mere second later as the door flung open.

He wasn't quite sure what to make of her standing there on the porch. A number of ideas ran through his head, some of which were simply dreams and others a bit more close to reality; she was coming home, or maybe she had remembered something worth telling him, or at the least she wanted to speak with him without friends or burdening therapists there. He swallowed and nodded in her direction. "Hey, what's-"

"I need to talk to you." Brennan spoke as a means of greeting, brushing against his shoulder as she stepped inside. If she thought being outside of the house was bad for her focus, the inside was worse. Pictures adorned the mantle of the fireplace, ones of Booth and herself along with Parker among others as well, not to mention the flood of expectancy she felt upon entering the house. Their lives-their life, really-had happened there, and being able to separate that from the frustration she felt was not an easy task.

Booth frowned as he closed the door behind them. He turned and watched she wrapped an arm tight around her middle, effectively holding herself together, and was even more concerned than when he had first heard her come up the driveway. "You wanna clue me in to what's goin' on here, Bones?"

She had to face him. Brennan knew it was the right thing to do, but she wasn't sure she'd be able to keep in tune with everything she planned to say if she had to actually look at him while doing so. "Just give me a second."

"Okay," Booth replied slowly, too afraid to step much closer while at the same time not wanting to back away.

Brennan ran a hand through her damp hair, knowing she must have looked horrible what with having to take a cab all the way from Hodgins and Angela's place and running through the rain, but it didn't matter. She came for a purpose, to deliver a message, and it was what she had to do. "I asked you to come because I thought it would help, but now I'm beginning to wonder exactly why I came to that conclusion."

When he'd left Sweets' office the day before he knew she'd been upset, but after he hadn't heard anything negative Booth had simply assumed everything was fine. "And why is that?" he asked, genuinely curious. "Bones, I really wasn't trying to pressure-"

"You had no right, Booth. You came to help me, which is perfectly fine, but then you...you-" Brennan bunched her hands together as she fought to find the correct word. "assault Sweets. He's supposed to be-"

"I didn't." Booth interrupted. He sighed and shook his head as he played the scene from the afternoon before in his head. "I did not assault Sweets, okay? I did get a little close to him, but I didn't hurt him."

Brennan shook her head as she took a step closer to him, only then realizing it might have been a mistake. Considering everything rummaging around within, being in such a close proximity was not the greatest idea. She shook her head and began pacing the length of the room. "I don't understand everything that's going on around me, but I'm fairly certain grabbing the man who is partially responsible for my recovery is not the greatest idea. What possessed you to do that, Booth? You thought it would be okay, or that I would not find out? I know you didn't mean to hurt him, but Sweets, he's fragile and..." Upon realizing what she said and the way Booth kind of smirked, she forgot for a second the pent up anxiety inside. She surveyed the room around them, again taking in the photographs as well as the television and the furniture placed around the room. By all standards, it was a typical family living room, and the reality that she had once lived there peacefully caused an awkward feeling to stir within her.

"Bones, please just listen to me." Booth spoke carefully. What he didn't want was for her to panic and leave, effectively shutting him out further than she already had. "I didn't mean to go off on him like that. I just felt like maybe he was pressuring you a little, and maybe I went overboard, but I still feel like I did the right thing."

Brennan stubbornly shook her head as she wrapped an arm around her waist. "It's not your job to say what is or isn't right for me, Booth. I understand completely your want to be there, but-"

"When are you going to understand that it is part of my job? That I was the one making all of the choices for the past year, talking to doctors and trying anything I could to get you to simply wake up? God, Bones, I know you're an independent person, but this does not effect just you." Booth cried out, massaging the tight muscles in his neck as he took a step in the opposite direction. He wanted to say this, to get it all out, because he had a feeling if he didn't he might never get the chance. When he turned back to look at her he caught a hint of hurt in her eyes, which was the last thing he ever wanted, but something had to happen if it meant breaking through to her. "I waited. I sat there by the bed, holding your hand while Doctor Weston or any number of specialists came in to try and improve your condition. I prayed for some kind of sign, anything that would help me get you back again. Do you know what it was like to explain to Parker that there was a chance you might not ever wake up again? It tore him apart."

"Booth-" Brennan refused, emotion slowly shutting her throat tight.

"No," Booth shook his head. "you need to hear this. He couldn't understand why, and even with Cam toning down the medical jargon for me, I still found it hard to comprehend. Had it not been for your own stipulation, I don't know what would have happened, but I know I would have kept coming back. You mean that much to me Temperance, and I wish you could understand that." Booths swallowed, taking in her defeated frame before slowly walking toward her. He pulled her hand into his. "You don't have to do this alone, Bones. I don't care if you remember every single thing that's happened or not, all that I care about is that you're here."

"But it's not enough to simply be here and alive, Booth. If you really know me as well as you like to claim, you would know that. I can't simply let an opportunity pass me by if that opportunity will help me regain what I've lost in some way." Brennan shook her head before sliding her hand from his. "I know you want to be here for me, and I appreciate that more than you know, but if you truly felt this way, I wish you could have been honest with me from the beginning when I first woke up." She shrugged as she adjusted her purse strap and casting a glance in the direction of the door. "I have to go, I can't keep the cab waiting for much longer."

"Wait." Booth called, stepping right behind her as she headed for the door. When she turned around, they were practically nose to nose. Had he really thought about what he did next he might have reconsidered, but he brought his hands up to cup either side of her face and pressed his lips against hers. He was careful at first, afraid that even as she was Brennan could still deal some damage, but when she didn't pull away he took it farther. Sliding one hand around her waist he threaded another through her hair, tilting her head back to gain better access. His tongue slid across her lips gently, but gradually he applied more force until it slid into a place so completely familiar. She tasted of coffee and mint, presumably from her toothpaste, but there was something else he knew simply as Bones. He heard her elicit a soft moan and he pulled back, placing a gentle kiss on her lips and another one on her jawline, and he would have done more had he not heard her gasp and felt her hands tighten around his arms. "What?"

"I-" Brennan stammered, trying to make sense of the words trying to come to light amidst the fog of her mind. She darted her tongue out, tasting where his had been just seconds before.

He recognized the look of panic in her frozen blue eyes. "Bones, please."

"I have to go. Please, don't follow me." Brennan offered before turning for the door. By the time she reached the front steps, she caught sight of the taillights from the cab at the end of the street, already driving away. A loud clap of thunder echoed, causing her to jump, and she groaned as the rain started pounding even harder. She had no choice but to walk, because after the way she ran out there was no way she could go back inside. To be honest, she was surprised Booth wasn't already chasing her down the driveway. She brought a hand to her lips, whether it was to feel where Booth had just kissed her or to fight back the sob she felt building Brennan wasn't sure, but she figured if she at least walked a little while longer she could stop at a store or diner and call Angela for a ride the rest of the way.

It didn't make sense. Any of it. She came over to get her point across, to define her own lines in their relationship, but she left feeling more lost than she had upon arriving.

Booth was her husband. Hearing the two words combined in the same sentence was one thing, but remembering-feeling, actually-what that had been like was something else altogether. Standing so close to him in the home they had both effectively created made her feel...she wasn't quite sure what exactly, but it was certainly something.

Of course he loved her. She knew that and had accepted it as fact, but how she felt about him in return was still something that caused her conflict. Brennan blinked back unshed tears, or maybe it was an effect to keep out the rain, but she knew enough to realize she had to find cover soon, because walking in the rain wasn't exactly conducive to staying healthy. As she reached the end of the street Brennan remembered the deli that was a few blocks away, which was a place she could at least sit until the storm let up, or ask for a phone to call Angela. Even if she dreaded the thought of explaining the situation. She remembered sitting in the deli with Parker and Booth, more than once she knew, but it was something else that stood out.

"Can we go get ice cream after we leave, Dad?" Parker asked, shoving one final french fry into his mouth. "Please?"

Booth laughed and shook his head before glancing across the table at Brennan. "Well, we actually there was something else we were hoping to speak to you about before we leave, buddy."

Parker started wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, but Brennan was quick to pass him a napkin. "Yeah?"

Booth looked expectantly at Brennan, as if he expected her to offer her own input at any second, and he nodded. "Bones, how did you wanna-"

"Your father and I have something to tell you. Well, that is, I'm fairly certain from what he has told me that you already know."

Parker's eyes widened as a smile spread across his face, his head darting back and forth from looking at them both. "No way, really? Like, really really?"

"I'm not certain of what that means, Parker." Brennan blushed as a smile crept across her own face. She drew her arm out from underneath the table and placed her hand atop Booth's on the table. She met his eyes and her smile widened. "Your father and I have agreed to get married."

"Finally." Parker replied before offering Booth a hug. "Hey, dad? You know...I think this celebration calls for ice cream."

Booth gratefully wrapped his son tight in a hug in return. He laughed as he looked back at Brennan watching them from across the table. "You know what, Parker? I think you might be right."

Brennan paused under the branches of a tree. It wasn't the safest place, but the wind was beginning to make the raindrops move sideways, effectively chilling her. Rubbing her arms and hands, she huddled herself tight. She had to find cover soon. Turning her head in the direction she came from the thought of walking back to the house crossed her mind. She'd only walked two blocks and even though the street wasn't visible, Brennan could picture it with clarity.

"I don't know why you insisted on driving, Bones. An Internet tour isn't going to give you all the details. Even if the place is as perfect as you say it is, chances are someone else has made a better offer already."

"If we're going to do this, then we're going to be doing it the correct way. The website had a three-d tour of the house we're going to look at, and I think it's perfectly acceptable." Brennan glanced across the console at him, worry in her eyes. "You're worried I didn't make a correct choice?"

"No," Booth reached for her hand. "I know we're gonna make this decision together. I do trust your choices. I'm glad you're interested."

She frowned, clearly confused. Her eyebrows furrowed as she wondered why he felt that way. Watching as they paused at a stop sign, she pointed them him in the right direction. "Right here. Booth," Brennan cleared her throat as she adjusted in her seat to face him a little better. "Why would I not be interested in purchasing our house? I understand couples traditionally wait until after the marriage to do so, but logically speaking, this is what makes the most sense. If we're to be living together, while your apartment or mine would be moderately acceptable, we'll be having Parker over quite frequently. He deserves a yard to run around in, and-" She watched a smile cross his face. "Turn left. What is it?"

"Nothing, I just love...you." Booth said as he waited for another car to go before turning left. "I love that you're considering Parker in all of this."

"He's important to me as well." Brennan held up a hand, pointing at a house with a 'For Sale' sign out front, but a gold sedan parked in the driveway. "That should be Stephen. I called earlier to ensure he'd be here to let us in and view the inside portion of the house."

Booth pulled up to the curb and watched as an older man stepped out of the car in the driveway. He watched as Brennan smiled and waved before doing the same.

Brennan could feel his stare on her. Again, she turned in his direction. Before she could say anything, he leaned over to give her a kiss. Quick, like they'd be doing it every day for the rest of their lives. It was ridiculous, thinking of anything in that aspect, but that was what it felt like. "What was that for?" She asked, watching as he looked through the window, already surveying the front of the house.

"For being you."

Brennan shook her head as a knot forming in her throat refused to budge, she remembered the way they really had been happy after buying the house. Parker running through all the rooms, excited about the backyard, and Booth running right behind him. The reason had been perfectly logical, but Booth simply called the place "a perfect fit". How he called it perfect when that was impossible, she wasn't sure. Parker. The argument with Booth crossed her mind. It was true, that she herself was not the only one effected by decisions she made. But why did she neglect to completely factor him in? There were things she had done with him since waking up, but what exactly could she do if she didn't remember them having a relationship at all?

The rain let up a little. Brennan was glad, because it let her pace quicken, effectively getting her closer to her destination. She stopped at the entrance to the park. Something snagged, like a jolt of hear. Not of the place itself, but of something...Brennan reached up with one clammy hand to palm the hair away from her face. There was a covered bench just inside the entrance, and she jogged quickly to it. A chance to dry off at least a little, and to contemplate the thought that bothered her. The park was not that far from their house, so it was likely to assume they had taken Parker there. Though there were kiddie toys like bouncy seats and baby swings, there was a brightly blue colored jungle gym as well as a high row of green monkey bars, something she could instantly picture Parker dangling upside down from, yelling at them as they sat on the bench she sought refuge on.

"Parker? Parker!" Brennan sighed and cupped her hands around her mouth. "Parks, come on! It's time to leave."

Booth ran up to her from the area that held the slide and a plastic mock rock climbing wall. "He's not over there, Bones. I know he likes to hide under the wall, but he's not there."

Brennan worked hard at holding back tears, tried ignoring the fear that clutched her. No. It wasn't happening. It was not possible. "Booth, I'm-"

"What the hell, Bones? I run home to grab the camera, you were supposed to be watching him!" Booth argued. He watched the alarm cross her face.

"One minute, Booth. Cam needed to ask me something about me report, all I took was a minute." Brennan argued, knowing every second they spent fighting they weren't looking for Parker. Her eyes flitted across everyone else remaining in the park, desperately searching for the mop of dark blond curls she'd come to recognize anywhere. "Parker!"

"All it takes is a minute, you know that." Booth warned as they started walking further, looking behind trees and under plastic benches. "Parks, now's not the time to play hide and seek."

He was gone. It was a thought that rang through her, permeated any level of denial she had about being the one to blame. Parker was missing, and it was her fault. Brennan knew that statistics, and they flashed at her like neon signs. Suddenly, she caught sight of a bright blue ball being hurled in their direction, followed quickly by Parker and his smiling face.

"Dad, I just kicked the ball! It went so far." Parker's laugh turned to a frown. "Dad?"

"Parker." Booth hugged the boy. "Don't you ever think about taking off without telling Bones or me first, okay?"

Brennan watched them for a moment before simply hanging her head. She knew what easily could have happened. "I'm sorry, Booth. I was...and there was-"

Booth gestured for her to join them. A genuine smile of both relief and happiness crossed him face. "Come here."

"I'm sorry." Brennan whispered again in his ear as he held both Parker and herself in his embrace. She felt him kiss her temple and squeeze her tight in response, and she knew that he was, too.

Brennan looked at the spot it happened. She watched as a tire swing swung ever so slightly in the wind. Her body ached, and Brennan realized just how hard she was crying. It wasn't fair. Any of it. Not only had she failed to take into consideration anyone else's feelings, but she'd neglected to take into consideration just how much remembering wold effect her. Something made a screeching sound behind her. From the corner of her eye, Brennan saw a pair of headlights. She let out a shaky breath.

"Bones! Bones, are you crazy?" Booth yelled over the rain, even if she was a mere few feet away. He had rolled down the window, desperate in his search for her until he caught sight of her sitting on the covered bench. "It's raining like crazy, just...let me drive you."

Reluctantly, Brennan realized there was not much else she could do than accept his offer.

Booth put the truck in park. He was not going to keep yelling over the rain and the distance between them, but he was not about to leave her either. Running through the rain, he was surprised at how quickly she stood up. He'd been expecting a fight.

"Booth-" Brennan began, eyes wide.

"No, I get it. You made yourself clear, so just let me drive you back to Angela's. I'm not letting you sit out here." Booth demanded.

Brennan shook her head. "No, you don't get it. I-"

"Oh trust me," Booth laughed it off. "I do get it. Come on, let's go."