Chapter 8... 'Chances'

Brennan felt much better now. After what Sweets had said to her in his office, she was able to be around Booth without feeling awkward or jealous. It was only when Jennifer appeared that those hateful feelings emerged.

They were working on their second case back, now. A body had been found in a vintage car which had been dumped a few hundred yards off of a main highway.

"Ooh, what a waste!" cringed Booth as he looked at the classic Kingswood sitting in front of him.

Brennan just chuckled a bit. She never understood what Booth saw in old cars.

"It's just a car, Booth" she said, knowing she'd get a response out of him.

"Just a car, Bones? Just a car? This car is a classic. Bench seats, V6 engine, classic stick shift. Bones, this is the type of car that dreams are made of..."

Brennan thought about her own dreams. They never involved a classic car, especially not recently. Then the thought crossed her mind. Booth + Brennan + Classic Car = Extremely satisfied Brennan

"Bones!" said Booth. She'd gotten lost in her daydream.

"That's good math" she mumbled under her breath.

"Did you say something, Bones?" Booth stood over her shoulder, cue cards and pen at the ready.

"Male, late teens or early twenties. I can't see any indication of clothing, meaning..."

Booth cut her off. "Meaning he was probably doing what I'd love to have done in a classic car at that age!"

Brennan smiled at his immaturity. "Booth!" she said, in a slightly girlish tone.

"Let's get these remains back to the Jeffersonian for the squint squad to analyse. Isn't that right Bones...? Bones?"

She was lost in another daydream of her and Booth in a vintage car.

The ride home was blissfully silent, at least for Brennan. She looked over at Booth, and wondered what he was thinking.

"Booth." Brennan finally spoke.

"Yeah, Bones?" replied Booth, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Have you... thought about... you know?"

Booth sat quietly. He glanced at her, but only for a fraction of a second. He knew what to say. He just never knew the right time to bring it up. If I tell her now, she can't storm off. Well, she can try, but she'd fall out of a car going 60, onto a rough road. Booth smiled at this thought of Brennan being so mad that she'd actually do something that stupid. He thought it was, or would be, cute. I can't tell her now. That'd be cornering her. I'll wait till we're back at her office.

"Not yet..." he lied, wanting to tell her the truth.

Brennan stood on the forensic platform, Angela at her side.

"Get Hodgins to take some samples from the remaining flesh, and ask Cam how long she'll be with the body."

"I'm almost done with the facial reconstruction sweetie. We can get lunch afterwards, if you like. I'll just give the sketch to Booth to run through." She emphasised that Brennan needn't see Booth unnecessarily.

"No, Angela, that won't be necessary. I can give him the sketch myself. I'm quite capable."

Angela was a bit shocked. She leaned in close to Brennan. "Are you sure, Sweetie?"

Booth was standing in the doorway to Brennan's office, watching Angela and Brennan discuss the case. As soon as he saw Brennan turn to leave the platform, he raced over.

"Bones, I need to talk to you." It's now or never, Booth. You can do this.

Brennan turned to Angela, and nodded, indicating that she'd be fine. She led Booth into her office and shut the door.

"What is it Booth?"

He sat her down on the couches.

"I lied to you yesterday, Bones, when I said I hadn't thought about the... uh... situation. I didn't think it was fair to tell you if we were in the car. You'd have no way of running away, if that's what you want to do of course, and you'd have no one to talk to. I felt as though if I had, I would've been cornering you."

Brennan just nodded, acknowledging that this was an acceptable reason to lie to her. She was preparing herself for what was coming next, knowing that this time she couldn't break down in front of him if it was bad news. That would just guilt him into staying with her.

"Go on, Booth. I'm fine."

"I said to you last year that I needed to move on. I still love you, Bones. I always will. And I now know that you do feel the same..." He paused, knowing he was about to drop the bomb on her, and Booth had no idea of how she would react to it. He could see in her eyes that she wanted him, she wanted to be with him, in every sense of the word. "... But I need to give this a shot, being with someone else. I don't expect you to wait for me, if things go bad between me and Jennifer, if that's what you think I'm getting at." She was looking down, not looking at him. He took hold of her hand, and she looked him in the eyes. "I know you don't believe in fate, Bones. But I do. And if we are meant to be together, I believe that we will be. And I don't mean in a partnership, colleagues way, Bones. I mean in a deep and meaningful relationship." He could see the tears starting to form in her eyes.

"If it's going to be too hard for you to work with me, I will understand. But Tempe..." he lifted her chin up with his fingers. "I have to do this..."

She didn't need to hear him make excuses. It was pointless. After what she'd put him through, the last thing Brennan needed from Booth was an explanation of why he had to do what he had to do.

"It's okay Booth, I understand" she whispered in his ear. No tears flowed from her eyes this time.

"Thank you, Bones." Booth pulled Brennan in for a not-so 'guy hug'.