I wrote the next two chapters late last night and I not sure if I like them, but after reading them over and over and over. I guess I will put them out there for you guys to make of them what you will.

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Booth fought the urge to go to the Jeffersonian; he called Wendell instead for updates. He needed to be the least distracted he could be to make some life altering decisions. He needed to not doubt these decisions when it came time to talk to Bones. The one thing he did know was this time he was not going to let her hide behind her science if she tried. He would remind her of no regrets, not missing any chances. He might even play dirty if he had to. Wendell finally called him 2 weeks into the investigation and informed him that the graves were approximately 100 to 110 years old, all were related, probably a family and most likely were buried after some illness swept through the area.

Booth found himself spending lots of time at the reflecting pool just thinking about life, love, happiness, and fate. Every time he came to the same conclusion. Life - He had to have her in his life, at one time she had been his best friend and partner. He wanted that back and more. Love – He did love her, he always had from the moment he laid eyes on her and she loved him at one time, even if she didn't admit it in so many words. But would she allow herself to again? Happiness – He had some happy moments in his life, the happiest was the birth of his son and next to that was anytime he was with her. Fate – He always chuckled when he thought of this. She didn't believe in fate, but he had no doubt fate was playing a big part in not letting them slip to far apart. But fate could only give him the opportunity, the rest was up to him.

Late one evening she sat alone on their bench at the reflecting pool remember things Booth had told her. Everything happens eventually. What did that even mean? They never happened, well that wasn't exactly true, they might have happened if she wouldn't have pushed him away. If he wouldn't have come back with Hannah it might have happened, but again she had to blame herself, she hadn't given him a reason to not move on. There is someone you are meant to spend the rest of your life with. She had let that someone go; no she had practically chased him off. She could hear his voice in her head, "Bones, you can love a lot of people, but there is only one you love the most." She thought about the men in her life, 3 stood out, Booth of course, Sully, and Jonathan. Sully held a special place with her, he was the most like Booth and he never let her run from the chemicals her body released. But, he still could not equal Booth in her eyes. Booth was the man she compared all men too, not that she would admit that to anyone, but it was true.

Her thoughts turned to Jonathan, he was a good man and they got along well, they could probably have a good relationship. They respected each other and she wasn't against having sex with him. They understood each others work and the importance of that work. He made her laugh, she made him laugh. She looked down to her hands in her lap, but when she thought of him, her heart beat was even, her breathing was normal, there was no, what Angela call it butterflies in her stomach feeling. He also could not equal Booth. When she thought about Booth her heart would falter, her breathing would become erratic and she got the butterfly feeling in her stomach. When she thought of Booth with Hannah, she felt like someone was crushing her heart inside her chest. Maybe mutual respect was better for a long term relationship than the irrational impulses caused by chemicals coursing through you veins.

He couldn't sleep and ended up walking near the reflecting pool when he saw her sitting on their bench staring into the night. He watched her from the shadows, she appeared deep in thought. He watched emotions race across her face, at times he thought she was going to cry and just a quick she would regain her composure. He wondered if he was part of what she was thinking, were thoughts of him evading her brain as much as thoughts of her were evading his. He finally felt the familiar tug telling him he needed contact with her even if only briefly, he slowly approached. "Hey Bones"

She startled a little and he could see her shoulders stiffen. "Booth"

"I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's okay."

She finally turned her head up and looked at him and he felt his heart falter when her eyes encountered his. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I just come here once in a while to sit and think. It is very relaxing."

"I know. Mind if I sit for a few minutes?" She scooted over and motioned for him to sit. They sat in silence and looked out over the reflection pool. They would steal glances at each other out of the corner of their eyes.

"How have you been Booth?"

"You know, one day at a time Bones, one day at a time and you?"

"I am doing quite well. I am stronger."

"You were always strong." She smiled "How is Jonathan?"

"He is fine, been busy lately at work. Seems DC is having an abundance of traumas."

"He seems like a very nice man."

"He is. How-how is Hannah?"

Cam hadn't told her and he wrestled with whether he should or not. He was afraid if he did she would blame herself after that display in front of Caroline about their working relationship. He changed the subject quickly before she could ask, "You remember when we use to come here after The Founding Fathers just to sit and talk?"

She smiled weakly, "Yeah, some of my favorite times were spent here."

"We were good together." She turned her head away from him. "I mean work wise, we were a good team."

"Yes, the best." she agreed

"Do you ever wonder what would have happened if ... there hadn't been a ... if I hadn't came back ... if there had been no Hannah?"

"Booth, it would be a waste of time ... she glanced over at him ... yes I have. But I can't move on with what ifs, so I have to not think about it." She stole another glance, "Do you?"

"Yeah more than I should I guess." They sat for several more minutes in silence. "Well, I should be going, maybe we could have coffee one day soon?" he asked hopeful.

"I would like that."

"Take care Bones." He walked away turning back just before going around a corner to see if she was watching and she was. That was a plus.

As Booth headed home he felt happier than he had in a long time. They had taken a step in the right direction. She talked with him; she didn't make him go away.

Brennan watched him walk away; she was taking slow steady breaths. Her heart to flop around in her chest like a fish out of water? I need to stop this; he belongs to Hannah now. I missed my chance.

When Brennan arrived home she found Jonathan sitting on the floor outside her door. He got up as she approached. "Hi Temperance"

"Hi, what are you doing sitting on the floor outside of my door?"

"I couldn't sleep and I was hoping we could talk." She slipped her key into the lock and they went in.

"Do you want something to drink, coffee, tea, juice?"

"Water is fine" She grabbed him a bottle of water and they sat on the couch

"So what did you want to talk about." She watched him for several minutes while he figured out to put into words everything that had been floating through out his brain for weeks.

"You know Kim was not always like that." He glanced at Brennan, "She use to be care free and fun, she could make me laugh at the silliest things. We were struggling while I went to medical school and did my internship. Then something happened once I started making money, she changed and became this woman I didn't even recognize. She started having plastic surgery, became obsessed with having to have the finest clothes, furniture, and cars. I can't even tell you when I quit loving her, the change was happening subtly and one day I woke up and looked at her and moved out of our bedroom. We continued to live under the same roof, but we were strangers." He shook his head, "You know we didn't see each other for a week once. Lived in the same damn house and didn't even see each other."

Brennan had spent times like this before with Booth when he was telling her something difficult from his past. Jonathan had similar qualities to Booth and she recognized his need to tell her these things, but to tell them at his own pace. She slid next to him and took his hand in her, slipping her fingers between his, then leaned her head against his shoulder. He leaned his head against hers and stared at their hands.

"I was relieved and hurt when Kim and I divorced. Relieved it was finally over, but also hurt that the marriage failed. I hid away for awhile not wanting to be part of the human race, then I met this remarkable woman." He kissed the top of her head, "who shared a similar type of pain." Brennan knew he was referring to her. "Temperance you have been a god send to me, you made me feel human again and you made me realize that there is still a lot of living to do. I hope I have given you some of what you have given me?" She raised her head off his shoulder and looked at him. "I have been doing a lot of thinking about us." He saw the panic creeping up her face. "Temperance, I won't do anything to jeopardize our friendship, so you have to trust me on this and listen to me." She nodded and laid her head back down on his shoulder.

"I have been around a woman that has bore herself into my thoughts. I find I think about her a lot and I get excited when I know I will see her." He felt Brennan stiffen. "Temperance relax, don't panic yet. There there is another woman that I am comfortable with and secure and I don't have to play dress up to impress." He nudges her, "the second one is you. Temperance I have thought about us together. I love you dearly as a friend, I trust you completely, you probably know me better than most and the thought of having an intimate relationship with you is ... well ... But that is not the point, the point is we could have a good life together because of mutual respect and fondness. There there is this other woman who I can't stop thinking about and it scares me. I see her and I find I have a hard time talking unless we are in a group, then I usually don't look like such a fool. So my question is do I stay with the safe comforting friendship or do I go after the woman that scares the hell out of me?"

"You're asking me?"

"Well, yeah."

"Why me?"

"Because we are the same creature Temperance just in different forms. You love Agent Booth that is obvious and you ran from him because you are scared of that love, but look at us." He motioned to them. She was sitting with one leg over his holding his hand and her head on his shoulder. "We are comfortable and safe. The bottom line is I can't hurt you, you can't hurt me, so we have no fear of affection with each other."

"You have thought about having intercourse with me?"

"Temperance I am a hot blooded male, and handsome I'd like to think and you are a very well put together female. I would be nuts to not have thought about it."

"So do we?"

"Do we wha-wait are you suggesting that we ...?"

"You mentioned thinking about it?"

"Temperance thinking about it and doing it are ... did you want to?"

"I ... well ... you know ... thought too ... but ... it might not be a good idea, right?"

"Right probably not a good idea."

Brennan rested her head back on his shoulder, "So who is this other woman?"

"Your boss."

Brennan's head snapped up, "Dr. Saroyan?"

"Yes"

"Wow, I never thought. Are you going to ask her out?"

"I might." They fell back into their comfortable silence as they sat with each other.