I am simply amazed about the response of the first chapter. Thank you guys soooo much that reviewed, and also those who read but thought it was too hard to press a little green button and make my day. Anyway, this chapter is all B/B. Hope you like it!

I would like to thank divine529 for her magnificent help and editing on this chapter. She did an amazing job and I am truly greatful. :)

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Brennan's taxi pulled up to her all but un-familiar apartment building. She paid the man, grabbed her bags, and exited the taxi. She stared at the building for a minute, taking in the place she hadn't been to for a year. She
already had paid for a full year's rent, so she had nothing to worry about.

She greeted the security guard, who was rather happy to see her, as she made her way over to the elevators and she got on, heading to her apartment. When she got to her floor, she exited the elevator deep in thought. She walked down the hall in a daze and opened the door and walked into her apartment; observing the place she had left for a year. Everything was so neat and organized.

She walked around and on the end of her old coffee table, was a picture of her and Booth. She picked it up and ran her fingers across his face. She couldn't believe he had brought Joan home with him. She couldn't believe he had even moved on in the first place.

He knew she needed time to think about everything, but like he had said so long ago, things had to change. Joan seemed nice enough, and it seemed like Booth truly liked her and he deserved that. But she couldn't
help but feel a sharp pain in her stomach, one that she couldn't explain.

If she would've said "yes" that infamous night over a year ago, she wouldn't be alone right now. Hell, she wouldn't have even been alone for a year, without all her friends, and without Booth. She probably wouldn't have even gone to the Maluku Islands.

But that was in the past. She had to forget about what could've been. She had to focus on the present, and most importantly, the future. But she still couldn't help but wonder if Booth was still in her future; if she still even had a chance with him.

He seemed pretty content with Joan right now, but what will happen next week? Next month? Next year? Only time would tell.

She didn't feel like unpacking her things, so she left them in the living room, walked into her bedroom, and sat down on her bed. Deep in thought she lay awake and when she couldn't take anymore, she cried herself to sleep like she had so many times in the past year. She fell into a dreamless and restless sleep, thinking of what could have been.

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She woke up the next morning to the sound of knocking on her door. She looked at the clock: 10:39. This would have to be the latest she had ever slept in since she was a kid. She got up and walked out into the living room, towards the door.

She checked the peephole just as Booth told her she should do, and when she saw the exact person she had on her mind standing outside, she opened the door.

"Booth? What are you doing here?" she asked, groggily.

"You said I would see you tomorrow. Plus, I kinda got worried when Cam told me you hadn't been into the lab yet." he answered, pushing past her and looking around her apartment. "Wow, I've missed this place."

"As have I." she replied.

He wandered around the used-to-be familiar apartment. He passed an end table that had a picture lying down flat on the front.

"What's this?" he asked, picking it up, and seeing a picture of him and his Bones. "I remember this."

"From the mummy case last year, where I solved the mystery of King…."

"Yeah, I remember. You did an amazing job."

"Thanks." she said, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

"No problem Bones. It's what you do. You're great at your job."

"As are you."

They were getting closer and closer to each other.

"Do we have to have this conversation again?" he asked, laughing.

She laughed. "Well, we haven't talked to each other about our jobs for over a year. I think it might be necessary to reminisce on how things used to be. Don't you?"

"You know, there's something I uh…I have to confess."

"What's that?" she asked seductively.

Their faces were inches apart.

"I uh…I really wanted to uh….kiss you that night." he whispered, almost inaudibly.

"Then why didn't you?" she whispered, huskily.

"We were uh….we were partners. I uh…I didn't want to ruin anything."

"You were afraid the dam would break?" she asked.

"Yeah, Something like that."

Their lips were now on each others, but they were not kissing. Booth gulped. Brennan gulped.

"Bones. What uh...what are we doing here?"

"What we should've done that night."

Brennan decided to take charge. She grabbed the collar of his jacket and kissed him. For a second, he stood there, trying not to fall to his knees. But then, he deepened the kiss, as they devoured each other passionately. Booth turned her around and pressed her against the wall.

He started kissing her neck, then he moved to her arms, his lips never leaving her skin. Then he moved up to her ears and she moaned in response. Finally, he moved back to her lips.

She ripped his shirt off, as he unbuttoned hers, one button at a time. He struggled with the last button. He got
frustrated as he just ripped it off, throwing it on the ground.

They began kissing again, with 6 years of sexual tension finally being released. Then, reality started to kick back in. Booth realized what was happening. As much as he wanted to show Brennan what making love really meant, he still had a girlfriend, one that he really, really liked. He couldn't do this to her.

He backed off of Brennan, as she reached to kiss him again, but he pushed her against the wall, holding her shoulders to keep himself from taking her right there.

"I can't do this. I'm sorry. I have a girlfriend. I really like her…I, I can't do this."

"I…I understand." She replied sadly, and ducked her head in sorrow.

She backed out of his grasp, and started pacing around.

"Bones. I'm sorry."

"I..it's fine, really."

"No it's not. You don't know how bad I want to make love to you right now. I want to so bad that it hurts. But….you rejected me, over a year ago. You rejected me and I moved on. And now I'm happy. Joan makes me happy. I can't…I can't do this to her."

"I know!" she yelled. "I know that you're too much of a loyal man to cheat on another woman. I know that I rejected you, I know I hurt your feelings, and I know I pushed you away! I blame myself, for everything. But there's not a day goes by that I don't regret what happened. But that's all in the past, and I'm sorry
about what we almost just made our future. I know she makes you happy, and I can tell, from what little evidence I saw, that you make her happy too. So go, be with her. It's fine. You're a man, a gentleman. And I respect that."

He walked up to her, running his hands down her soft, gentle face.

"Bones. I'm sorry. I knew that the one year time difference was going to change things. And I had hoped that it would change your feelings for me and you would finally give us a shot. But I never thought that my feelings would change. I never thought that I would meet someone and finally move on. You know, we weren't aloud to date over there? We weren't aloud to let anyone know that we had a thing for each other. It's against Army regulations to fraternize with fellow soldiers, nurses, commanders, etc. So we decided that once my year was
up, she was going to come home with me, and we were going to give us a shot. And that's exactly what we're doing right now. But....I still care about you. I still remember all the good times we had and how much I loved you....and still do. But for right now, I need to explore this relationship with Joan. I at least owe myself that much. But I still want us to be best friends, I want us to be partners again, I still want to....have you, and her. It's selfish I know, but...it's what I need for right now."

"I...I understand. I broke your heart, I rejected you, I caused our partnership to fall apart. So I can't blame anyone else but me. I don't hate you for what you're doing right now…I could never hate you. I also still want
to be friends and partners, and maybe someday....we can be more. But for right now, you deserve happiness, with Joan."

"Thank you so much Bones, you don't know how much I appreciate this right now."

He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and kissed the top of her head.

"I uh....I have to go to the lab. If you want, we can have dinner at the diner later."

"I would like that."

"Good. So, I'll see you later."

"Okay." He said, heading towards the door.

"Bones?" he asked, turning around.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Sure."

Then Booth turned around, and opened the door; but before he left, he turned around and gave her a sympathetic glance and a small smile, then left the apartment with a pain stricken Brennan behind him.

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What'd we think? I'm sorry for not letting them teach each other about the laws of physics, but Booth is too much of a man to cheat on another woman. He also needs time to explore a new relationship and see what he wants in life. Feedback would be greatly appreciated ;)