His eyes blinked open slowly, adjusting to the light pooling in from outside. He heard a noise outside his bedroom, and on instinct reached for his gun as he slowly crept for the door, remembering to avoid the parts of the floor that creaked under his weight. His hand was on the doorknob and he slowly turned the handle. Peeking through a slit in the door, he saw Brennan, wrapped in her robe and making what smelled like an amazing breakfast. Her hair had grown down to just past her ears, and although he kept assuring her she looked beautiful no matter what, she was more than a little self conscious of it. As if she felt him watching, her hand reached up and her fingers curled in her short hair as she attempted to push it out of her face. She paused and looked over her shoulder at him, smiling, "Morning..."

He smiled back, placing the safety on the gun and tucking it into the closet. "Morning, Bones. What are you doing up so early?"

"Early?" She scoffed, pointing the spatula at the clock that read 10:29 am. "Since when is that early?"

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his lips to her cheek, "I thought you were going into the Jeffersonian to get some work done..." He muttered, avoiding her question.

"Already did..." She smiled as his eyebrow raised, "Couldn't sleep. Somebody... though I won't name names, kept hitting me in my sleep..."

"Again? I'm sorry, Bones... I don't know why that keeps happening..."

She shook her head, "It was the third time in two weeks. At this rate, I'm going to end up moving back to my own apartment just to get some sleep..."

"You wouldn't."

Laughing, she replied, "Luckily for you, you're right. Anyway... So finally at about four this morning, I got frustrated enough to get up and go to the Jeffersonian to do some paperwork. The gang says hello, by the way. Also, Angela asked about this lovely bruise you gave me," She said, lowering the edge of her robe to show him the large purple mark, "And she said that some bruises feel good..." She stopped when Booth snorted, staring at him as she flipped the pancakes. "So I take it you get what that meant?"

"Yes..."

"And I was right to assume it was something I absolutely don't want to know..."

He smiled, pulling her into his chest. "Now that... I don't know. I think everything up to the bruising you'd enjoy..."

A light went off, and she smiled, "Oh... OH..." She kissed him, feeling his heart beat beneath her hands. "Maybe later. The pancakes are going to burn..."

She tried to pull away, but he held her close, "We can make more..."

"No, this is a really good batch. Look how perfectly round they are-I'll never be able to do that again. Besides, if we eat any later, it'll practically be dinner."

He laughed, releasing her. "Sometimes, you are just too much."

"Only sometimes?"

"Yeah... usually you're just enough" he kissed the back of her neck before heading for the living room. "Is there a..."

"Newspapers on the couch with a cup of coffee..." She called, smiling. The past two months she'd spent living with him had been perfect. Well... almost perfect. Every once in a while, she'd wake up after a dream-a dream very similar to her coma-induced one-and she'd have to tiptoe from their bed and cry in the living room. She still felt the ache, the void that had been left behind. Although this life was quite amazing... there was no fairytale proposal, no double wedding (as corny as she now knew it had been), no double birth. She longed for the perfection and the happiness that had been there, but hated when it invaded her life again, creeping in while she slept in Booth's arms and causing even more confusion when she realized the dream wasn't real. She was stirred once again back to reality when Booth tapped her shoulder.

"I'm wasting away over her, sweet cheeks..."

"You call me that again and I'm going to have to hurt you..." She said, fighting the urge to smile.

"Aw, you'd never hurt your knight in shining, FBI standard-issue body armor, now would you?"

She leaned forward and kissed him gently, "Yes, yes I would. Now, go eat the pancakes... I'm going back to work."

"Back? Why?"

She shook her head, walking to their bedroom to get dressed. "Because I still have a few more bones to identify before I can take the next two days off, remember." She looked at his blank face and sighed, "I have that east coast book tour to do for my newest novel. I need to ID these bones so that my duties to the Jeffersonian are fulfilled and I don't feel like such a jerk, okay?"

"But they already said..."

"I know what they said Booth, I was there. Zack said he can stay late and finish them, but I'm not okay with leaving someone else to do my work. So I'm going back. I should be home in time for a late lunch... do you want me to grab some take-out?"

He smiled at her, flipping open his newspaper. "Sure. Whatever you feel like."

He was so engrossed in the sports section, he didn't notice her sit beside him until she leaned against his shoulder. "Oh... what's up, Bones?"

"Nothing. I was just... I was thinking that I should thank you..."

"For what?"

She smiled at him, "For everything. For being so understanding these past few months... for not giving up on me... for loving me." She took a deep breath, and recalled her toast to him at the wedding that never was. "When the world comes crashing down... you're always there for me, Seeley. You're there to help me pick up the pieces, and you never let me down. You show me every day that there are things in this world worth hoping for, worth holding on to. And I know that the next time our world comes crashing down around us, everything will be okay... because you'll be there, just like you've always been..."

He set down the long-forgotten newspaper and pulled her into his arms, "And I always will be..."

---

AN: So, that's it for this story. I'm still thinking about the idea of a sequel, so keep your eyes peeled. Thank you to all of your amazing reviews-I adore all of you. You're too nice to me after I was mean and made their happiness all just a dream. But-as you can see here-the sequel will probably be more happy fluff... lol. Thank you all again!