Note: Some comments on the last one. For those who think Brennan wouldn't even consider kissing someone other than Booth, you have to keep in mind how she got there – she's seen Booth devastated after Rebecca rejected him, and again with Hannah. She thinks he wants her to propose to him – and he says no. She's faced with the possibility that they're not going to be together long term, and she's wondering what her life would be like without him in it. Yes, there are other ways that could go, but I think this one is plausible. Oh, and she didn't have an affair – during the early morning phone call, she was still working. Curt fell asleep waiting for her to finish.

And if I need huge paragraph to explain things, maybe it wasn't all that clear. :)

Here's the final installment – since people don't seem to like it when I end things with Booth & Brennan still apart.

What if: Brennan figured out it was Pelant who convinced Booth not to marry her?

AU? No

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The thud of his fists hitting the bag were the only sound in the gym, everyone else having given up and gone home hours before.

He didn't care. Being there was better than watching Jared and Padme together, or listening to a quiet voice reading a bedtime story in the other room.

It hurt to see them, to realize that he might never get his family back, so spent his evenings eating take-out at his desk, then punishing himself in the FBI gym until he was exhausted enough to sleep. He threw one last punch and decided to call it a night. He grabbed his hand towel and wiped his face as he walked towards the locker room.

The room was deserted, a discarded towel in a corner, a few lockers standing open, a spare shoe kicked under a bench. He threw the towel on the locker room bench and was spinning the dial on his lock when he sensed someone behind him. He looked over his shoulder, wondering who was still around.

"Bones!"

He glanced around the empty room. "This is the men's locker room", he hissed.

Her lips twisted in a hint of a smile. "I'm aware of that."

He looked over at the closed door. "How did you get in? The door automatically locks at nine."

She shrugged. "Angela is very good."

They stood in silence for a moment, as he tried to figure out what to say next. She broke the ice. "Weren't you going to take a shower?", she asked.

"Right", he answered. "Do you want to wait here?" He opened his locker and tossed his shirt inside as he waited for her reply.

"No", she grinned mischievously. "I thought I'd join you." He spun around as she pulled her shirt over her head and dropped it onto the bench. A moment later, the rest of her clothes had joined it and she was walking towards the shower.

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By the time he made it to the shower, she had two faucets spraying hot water. She stood under one of them, her hair soaked, water rolling down her body.

She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

He hung his towel on a hook and hesitated for a moment, until she gestured invitingly at the shower next to her. He walked over and ducked under the water, feeling the warmth cascade over his already-heated body.

She stepped closer and pressed herself against his back, wrapping her arms around him. He could feel her breath on his neck as she leaned closer.

"What did Pelant do?"

Stunned, he spun around, taking a step back, out of her arms. "What?" he sputtered.

She stepped forward, embracing him again, and whispered, "He can't be listening to us here, but we still need to be quiet. I need to know, Booth."

He slumped against the wall, cold tile against his back. "He's going to kill people. More people."

"If?", she asked, her eyes on his.

"If I marry you, or tell you about it."

She nodded. "I thought that might be it."

"I didn't want to … I want to marry you, Bones. I've never wanted anything as much as I want that. But I can't be responsible for innocent people dying."

"You wouldn't be", she answered. "If they die, it's Pelant's fault, not yours. And if we catch him, he won't be able to kill anyone."

"How are we going to do that? I mean, we've tried, Bones, and he's still out there."

"We'll figure it out. Together, just like always."

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "I wish I believed we could do that."

"We're very good."

"We are." He laughed. "Oh, Bones, it feels so good to tell you about this."

"We can't discuss this anywhere else", she explained. "We don't know how he's getting his information."

"But you decided he wouldn't bug the FBI gym?" he asked.

"Well, the showers", she answered. "The water would destroy any electronics, so we're fairly safe here."

He pulled her a little closer. "I'm so glad you figured it out."

She rested her head against his chest, feeling the beat of his heart. "Me too."

They stood there for a moment, until she asked, "Booth?"

"Mmm", he answered.

"Are you ever going to kiss me?"

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And … Max is the next chapter, in an entirely different story - which is already written, because this is crazy-busy week for me, so naturally I made time to write two chapters instead of zero.