A/N: And my angst strikes again. This one is smut-less (sorry!). Actually I'm not sorry; I just didn't feel it in this one. While I love smut as much as the next woman (or man, if there are any of you reading this) I feel like there could have been happier endings that didn't necessarily end with these two getting down and dirty against someone's door…or wall…or wherever else. Ahhh… Anyway, things are kind of erratic with school winding down and work picking up. But never fear, I'll keep posting, and hopefully there will be more smut in the future. Who am I kidding? Of course there will be more smut.

Of course remember I own nothing. If I did we would have had B&B in Season 1; because I, for one, cannot delay gratification.

Read and Review. Pretty, pretty, pretty please?

Tag for 05x07 The Dwarf in the Dirt

Gordon-Gordon: Temperance Brennan. You're in love with her. You're building a world around her. A family.
Booth: We're not compatible. She sees the world one way. I see it...
Gordon-Gordon: No. Of course, it's absolutely ludicrous the idea of you two together. But the heart chooses what it chooses, we don't really have a say in the matter.

The partners made their way to Founding Fathers for a drink to celebrate Booth's passing his firearms recertification test. Booth stole a few glances at his partner as he drove through DC and wondered how this woman had become such a huge part of his life.

"Thanks, Bones."

"For what?" She replied absentmindedly. She couldn't help but wonder what possessed people to kill for love. She heard Booth answer her, but didn't hear what he said. "Sorry, say that again?"

"Is everything alright? You seem distracted and you don't get distracted."

"Yes, I'm fine, Booth. Just ruminating I suppose. I…I don't understand why people make life altering decisions based on something as fleeting as chemical reactions."

Ah. So that's what was going on. She was struggling with the case they'd just closed. She didn't understand how a person could love someone else so much as to want to kill for them. But he could. He'd often felt that way about her. Not that he would kill any man that showed interest in her, but he'd certainly kill anyone who intended to hurt her.

They pulled up in front of Founding Fathers and went inside for a drink. After a few beers the partners decided to call it a night. Brennan would need to get into the lab early to finish the paperwork for Booth to give to Caroline.

When they arrived at Brennan's apartment Booth walked her to the door as was their typical ritual. However, instead of leaving her at the door as he usually did he followed her inside.

"Booth?" She asked. "Is there a reason you're following me to my apartment tonight when you typically only walk me to the outer door? Is something bothering you?" She could tell something was bothering him, but she couldn't figure out what it was. She had mentioned not understanding how one person could kill for another just because they were in love. But that couldn't be it. Then again he'd told her just a few days ago that he would kill for her and die for her, although that was in the context of her fight with Angela over that pig. So that couldn't be it. What the hell was wrong with him?

"No…Bones. I'm fine. I'll see you tomorrow." His head dropped and he turned around and headed down the hallway leaving Brennan to watch him.

He definitely seemed dejected, but she still couldn't figure out why. She let him go anyway, she was fairly certain there was nothing she could say that would fix whatever was bothering him.

Finally Brennan shut the door and walked back to her bathroom to shower and change into pajamas. The whole time she was wracking her brain to figure out what was wrong with her partner. Usually the emotions of others didn't concern her; so why did it bother her so much that Booth seemed upset?

She laid in bed for hours before she decided she wasn't going to get any sleep. Eventually she got up and got dressed. She wasn't entirely sure why she was doing what she was doing, but she grabbed her keys anyway and headed out the door to go to Booth's apartment.

B&B

Booth was startled awake by the sound of gentle knocking at his door. What the hell? Who would show up here at this time of night? He made his way out to his living room, but not before running into an end table and stubbing his toe on something else. So much for super sniper senses.

"Bones." He scrubbed his hands over his face trying to force himself to wake up because this sure as hell had to be a dream. "What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep." Came her reply.

"And that brought you to my apartment at 3:00AM because…?" He was totally lost.

"You were upset, but you wouldn't tell me why. And despite the fact that my feelings seem to be irrational I find that I feel that something I said is the reason for your discomfort." She felt delirious as a result of inadequate sleep.

"Bones. Can we have this discussion in the morning?"

"It is morning, Booth."

"Okay." He should have known she'd be so literal. "After the sun comes up? With coffee? And maybe breakfast?"

"I find that I can't sleep because I don't know what is bothering you and I would like to get an adequate amount of sleep tonight although the chances of that are rapidly decreasing." Her sentences were all running together into one long thought now.

"Of course, if you can't sleep, then why should I?" He groused.

"Booth. Will you please just tell me what the problem is? Then I'll go home and we can both sleep." It sounded reasonable enough.

"Why does it matter Bones? You've made your thoughts on the subject crystal clear. Obviously nothing I say is going to change your mind. Love is just chemicals; it could never drive you to do anything irrational because you're Bones, the supremely rational woman." He knew he was being mean, but he couldn't help it.

"I don't understand."

"Of course you don't, Bones. Just leave it alone…leave me alone." This is not what he wanted. This is the opposite of what he wanted. What he wanted was to hold her and never let her go. What he wanted was to show her what love was and why it could make people do irrational things. But here, in this moment, he couldn't bring himself to do either of those things.

"I see." Was all she could manage to say. She had the sudden—totally irrational—urge to cry but also to touch him. She went with the latter. She took a step toward him and raised a hand to his face cupping his cheek. He flinched and her heart broke a little (although logically she knew the heart couldn't break). "Booth." She whispered softly.

"Just go. Please, just go." He begged her. He knew if he continued to let her touch him he'd be a goner. He couldn't give in to her just to have her hurt him again even though he understood she wasn't doing it on purpose.

"No." She shook her head to make sure he understood. "I'm sorry, Booth. I'm sorry that I don't understand that the things I say hurt you. I'm sorry that I don't understand what it was that I said that hurt you. But I won't change. I can't."

"I know, Bones." He sighed. He knew she couldn't change, but unfortunately for his battered heart that knowledge wasn't enough to dissuade him from loving her.

Booth pulled her into his arms and kicked the door shut simultaneously. Although he'd just asked her to leave, he knew that she understood that that was the last thing he wanted. He crushed her body to his and breathed in her scent. The feeling of her in his arms was as close to perfect as he'd ever felt. Her arms came up to loop around his neck. She pulled his head down and kissed him with an intensity she usually reserved for things like studying bones.

He nudged her toward the couch and pulled her down with him. She landed in his lap and moved to straddle him. Her hands tangled in his hair. "Booth…" She panted. "What's wrong?"

Instead of answering, he kissed her more urgently hoping to convey what he knew he couldn't say with words.

"Booth. It's okay. I'm sorry. It's okay." She continued to repeat herself as he kissed down her jaw and neck. Her words did little to soothe him and he only pulled her closer.

Brennan felt moisture on her fingers and she stopped him. "Booth. Look at me." She pulled his head up so she could look into his eyes. She brushed the tears from his face and kissed him softly on the lips. "Booth, it has occurred to me that my previous comments about love are likely what made you upset tonight. While I know that you understand my need to compartmentalize I do not believe that you know how I, myself, feel about the concept. While I previously believed that love was simply a chemical process caused by dopamine, norepinepherine, and serotonin I would have to say that I no longer believe that is true. And while I still don't understand what would cause one person to kill another over the love of a third person, I do understand why you would be willing to kill for me or die for me as the case may be. In fact I experienced those same feelings, although I didn't understand it at the time, when you were shot by Pam Nunan."

She'd said it without actually saying it. She loved him. She. Loved. Him. He'd spent the last couple years loving her, but also never expecting her to reciprocate. His feelings for her had only grown stronger during the brain tumor ordeal, but he was left with the gut-wrenching realization that she would probably never love him back and that almost killed him. But now, here, she'd essentially told him she loved him. On top of that she'd told him she'd loved him for over a year now. How had he missed this?

"Booth?" She questioned. What was he thinking about? Was he going to ask her to leave again? What had she done? She never should have admitted she loved him.

"I love you, Bones." He leaned up to kiss her again this time gently and without the urgency of before. "I love you, so much."

She tucked her head into the space between his neck and shoulder and breathed him in. Eventually he felt her body slacken and her breath deepen and he knew she'd fallen asleep. Trying not to wake her he shifted them so she was laying on top him hands fisting his t-shirt at his shoulders.

"Booth." She whispered.

His body tensed, he hadn't meant to wake her. He didn't want her to go. Maybe if he pretended to be asleep she would just stay.

"Booth, come on. I know you're not asleep, although I don't know why you're pretending to be. I'm not going anywhere, I'm far too tired to be driving anywhere tonight…this morning." His body relaxed. "Come on, let's go to bed."

That last part soothed a part of him he didn't realize was aching. Let's go to bed. She crawled off of him and pulled him up gently leading him by the hand to his bedroom. Booth climbed into bed and immediately settled in the middle but immediately realized he would need to make room for Brennan. When Booth tried to move she stilled him and snuggled herself into him maintaining as much body contact as possible. He realized then that he neither wanted to be alone in his bed again nor share it with any other woman than the one tucked into him at that very moment. Gordon-Gordon had been right after all.