Secret Life by Thriving Ivory

Hangs up her coat like always
Wouldn't have it any other way
The TV glows in her apartment
Much better than most company

Is something on your mind?
*Answer* cold as ice she said…
Tell me about your secret life
And all the things you've seen
Tell me what you think of me…

You dance like a queen
In spite of all the things you never wanted
When you're left out in the cold
You dance like a queen
Your silhouette is still my reflection
You speak to me, you speak to me in riddles,
And you speak to me in riddles

Puts on her face like breathing
Another day in black and red
Coat is old, car seats freezing
And a radio that just won't play

You speak to me, You speak to me And you Speak to me in riddles, you speak to me in rhymes
Oh, I'll find you on the waterfalls no empty house and talking walls I'll come to you in pieces ,I'll come to you in pieces…cause you speak to me in riddles, yeah you speak to me in riddles…

Brennan was helping Ashley pour the blueberries into the pancake batter while she praised the little girl at her efforts.

"Like this Auntie Bwen?" Ashley asked wanting to make sure she was doing it properly.

"Yes, just like that Ash. Slowly tilt the bowl as I stir so all of the blueberries won't end up in one side of the pancake, but spread throughout it." Brennan answered as Booth flipped the pancakes that the two women had previously poured into the pan. He glanced at Brennan and Ashley now and then a smile in his eyes, one he couldn't deny.

Brennan finished scraping the last of the batter into the pan as Ash held the bowl up, "It's getting heavy Auntie." Ashley grunted and made a face looking to Brennan or her dad to take the bowl from her. Brennan quickly grabbed the bowl worried of Ashley doing too much too soon.

"You can let go now Ashley." Brennan said and Ashley exhaled a bit overdramatic.

"Woo. That was heavy Auntie Bwen. Good thing you gotted it for me, huh? I could have spilled it like evehwhere." Ashley said exasperated and sounding a lot like Piper.

"Everywhere, and although a possibility I think your dad or I would have caught it before you dropped it Ashley." Brennan reassured the girl.

"That's good. Cause you guys are good helpers for making pancakes." Ashley said.

Booth chuckled, "Yeah baby, we're good helpers."

"Auntie Bwen is showing you the wight way, huh daddy?" Ashley stated and asked in one sentence. Booth put the pancakes in the pan on plates and regreased it with Pam as Brennan poured the remaining batter in the pan. They sizzled and Ashley looked to her daddy who held the spatula. She giggled, "The battah needs to be flipped now daddy." She clapped her hands together. "Chop, chop." Brennan smiled to herself at Ashley's' 'Booth lingo'. Booth noticed Brennan's small smirk as he flipped the pancakes; her smile made him smile too.

Soon pancakes were on plates and everyone was sitting down at the table. "Daddy, can I have the syrup please?" Ashley asked Booth.

"Yeah, let Bones put it on for you."

"But I can do it myself." Ashley argued with Booth.

"Ash-"

"Booth, she is capable of doing it on her own. Let her try otherwise, she will never learn what she is capable of doing." Brennan said to Booth. Ironically, all Booth could think of was how fitting that sentence applied to Brennan and his past. At first she was scared, scared to let her self love him. If you asked her now how and why she opened herself up that particular night, she would still say she didn't know. She didn't, because it just happened. Kind of well maybe, well to an extent. As Booth watched Brennan watch Ashley pour the syrup 'all by herself' on her pancakes he flashbacked to a particular night at her place when everything changed.

Booth and Bones were on the couch in Brennan's living room finishing off the last bit of their beer. Booth leaned forward and set his empty bottle on the coffee table with a sigh. "So, Bones how have you been? We haven't done this in a while."

"Haven't done what?" asked Brennan.

"Just you and me, you know kick back and have a few drinks. Hang out." Booth said. "What's on your mind Bones? I know there is something going on in that genius mind of yours." he smiled.

"Oh, oh no we haven't, you have been with Hannah, Booth." Brennan pointed out Booth's old relationship which had been broken off for about a month. Hannah said she needed space. Which, Booth felt was odd because she was practically miss independent herself. He was the last guy to suffocate a woman. So, he wondered if that really was the reason sometimes. Silence linger as his eyes met Brennan's. She looked away, and he wondered what was going on in her brilliant mind. He had an idea he just didn't know if he had the courage to voice it aloud.

"Hannah, she bothered you didn't she Bones?" Booth asked slowly.

"No, of course not, Hannah is very pleasant." Brennan's response was almost immediate and sounded rehearsed. Booth knew she was lying.

"Bones, Bones look at me." Booth asked. Brennan looked into his eyes and they both felt the silence radiate through the room as the truth of the matter shown through in Brennan's eyes. She couldn't hide how she felt, couldn't hide the yesterday's she yearned to have back.

"It bothered you." Booth said, saying what Brennan couldn't. Though, Brennan didn't move. She sat still concentrating on his eyes as not to waiver in front of him. She had no idea what to say, she was caught.

"No." she laughed a fake laugh breaking the tension and easing her nerves. "You are wrong. She did not bother me as you have stated." Brennan said swallowing.

Booth tilted his head and looked at her questioningly. "That night in front of the Hoover, after we talked to Sweets…you said no Bones. You said no to me. I had no choice but to move on. What was I supposed to do?" Booth asked, dismissing what she said and giving her, her answer to her unsaid admission that his relationship in fact did bother her.

Brennan looked away out of the corner of her eye and then directed her gaze back into Booth's eyes. She looked down at her fidgeting hands, her voice a whisper. "What you just did Booth."

Booth lowered his voice to match hers. "What are you talking about Bones?"

"You asked me what you were supposed to do." Brennan inhaled and looked up from her hands into his eyes. "Ignore what I said that night Booth. You were supposed to ignore what I said. Just because I didn't say it didn't mean I didn't feel or want it just as badly." Brennan said and Booth inhaled.

"You were just scared." Booth finished for her and Brennan looked away.

"Commitment to another person is hard for me. I'm aware of that fact. I'm sorry I gave you so many mixed signals. I understand what a crushed heart feels like now, so it's okay." Brennan said and Booth sighed.

"No Bones, a crushed heart is never a good thing. No matter whose you crushed or who you got yours crushed by." Booth said.

"Though, I know how it feels now Booth." Brennan explained.

"I wish you never had to know that feeling." Booth said.

"Thank you Booth. I wish you didn't either, but you are correct in stating that your relationship with Hannah bothered me. When in Maluku I had a lot of time to think about us." She looked up to him. "I came to a conclusion Booth." Brennan said exhaling shaky.

"Oh? What would that be?" Booth asked.

Brennan looked down and then hesitantly into his eyes, her large blue eyes locked onto his. "If I never try commitment how do I know what I'm capable of doing? I won't ever learn unless I try. I don't want to be an atta girl Booth. I decided I was ready to give us a bang." Brennan said.

Booth smiled, "A shot."

"That's what I said." Said Brennan.

"Why didn't you tell me Bones?"

"I was going too. I was excited to see you when you returned from overseas. Though, you showed me a picture of Hannah before I said anything. I decided it would only complicate matters which is why I did not say anything to you." Brennan said. "You have always understood my unsaid words Booth, and it's the unsaid words which hold the most meaning." Brennan said with a smile and a shrug of her shoulders.

The silence lingered and neither had words to explain the moment. The moment when Booth saw the candle that still burned for him was on fire in her eyes and Brennan noticed that her eyes weren't the only ones that still burned for a certain someone. Unsaid words drifted through the air, pent up emotion that had been held inside them was released into the night as his lips met hers.

"What about Hannah?" Brennan asked in a heavy whisper wanting to pull back, but not daring to stop.

"We're on a break…"he kissed her again. "….she didn't say if it was for good or not…and… me" another kiss, heavier with more passion "…me… neither…" that's all Brennan needed to hear "…oh God Bones, you feel so good. We're over…our love died..." he parted for a breath and kissed her again"...it's too complicated." Booth said reassuring Brennan. Bones silenced him by leaning up and taking control.

The kisses were slow full of heavy passion at first whilst exploring and familiarizing each other's mouths. Soon Brennan was laid back on the couch like a teenager and Booth was kissing her neck, as his hands roamed other areas of her body. It felt so, so…normal to be together like this, to be more than partners.

"I love you Bones." He felt her tense at the words and she stopped kissing him. He looked down into her eyes. "You know that, right? That I love you." Booth asked and Brennan inhaled sharply.

After a moment Brennan nodded and swallowed, "Ditto."

He smiled, because he understood her unsaid words. Smiled because two silhouettes almost merged into one dancing a dance as old as time.

That night, Booth watched with an intent fascination as Brennan slowly spread her wings and poured her heart out. Thus, allowing her to soar to heights she never even knew existed.

"Daddy?" Booth snapped out of it as Ashley called his name for the third time.

"Booth?" Bones called a bit worried.

He looked to the women of the house as the pint sized blue eyes blond spoke. "I did it Daddy, all by myself. Were you watching?" Ashley asked.

She took the syrup bottle and poured more syrup onto her pancakes for effect. "See? I pourded it all out, all gone just like dis. Did you watch dat time?" She asked Booth with big baby blues and a charm smile from ear to ear.

"Uh, yeah…yeah, good job baby." Booth said smiling at Ashley and glancing at Bones.

"I did it Booth." She said as she awoke in his arms the next morning.

He smiled into her dark blue doe eyes, "What would that be Bones?"

"I tried something new without any help and found out what I am capable of doing." Brennan smiled as Booth kissed her forehead.

That night she had taken the shot, and he had pulled the trigger. Though, as he sit eating pancakes with Ashley and Bones today. Booth couldn't help but wonder if there were even any more rounds left to fire?