A/N: My sister called about a week ago and when I told her I thought I was getting sick again she responded by asking, "you were well?" That pretty much sums up my fall, winter, and spring. I think I am finally coming out of it...at least I hope so.

Thank you so much for all your patience in waiting for this next chapter and all the encouragement and support I have received. It means the world to me and has literally kept me going with these two stories I am still working on.

It took forever, but I finally got this chapter done. I swear I wrote it a couple sentences at a time, which was no fun at all. Because of that I am extra thankful to snowybones for reading and giving feedback and chosenone for being a sounding board and editing this chapter. I was a wreck over it, very unsettled and it took a long time to get to a place where I was happy with it. I am anxious to get your feedback so please consider reviewing.

Hope you enjoy!

Love and Hugs

~DG

Phitsanulok, Thailand

"So," Booth tried to sound casual, "are you going to tell me where we're going, Bones?"

She adjusted her grip on the steering wheel nervously and looked over at him with those beautiful, soulful eyes of hers, momentarily stealing his breath away.

"Angela said we needed time away. I tried to explain to her that we were already away, but she insisted we weren't away enough, which I don't fully understand."

"You told me that already." But she wasn't ready to give up their final destination, not entirely, so she purposefully dodged the question.

"She knows more about these things than I do."

"Bones."

"Yes."

"We've been driving for hours. Are you trying to get back to D.C. from here because…," he chuckled, "I don't think that-"

"No." She looked genuinely puzzled which made him smile and provided a much-needed break from the tension he'd been feeling. "Of course not, Booth. There are two oceans between us. I couldn't drive there, even if I wanted to."

"Yeah, well, it kind of feels like it." His discomfort from being trapped in the car all day was evident as he adjusted himself almost endlessly in the seat.

"We are going to Chiang Mai. Well, not actually to the city itself, about an hour and a half past that, but that would be the closest recognizable landmark."

"That means nothing to me, you know that, right?"

"Trust me, Booth. You know I am a very trustworthy person." Her eyes were soft, and he realized that beyond the anxiousness he'd been feeling from her since she woke him up at the crack of dawn for this unexpected trip, there was also a layer of excitement.

Of course he trusted her, it was just that she was being so uncharacteristically secretive. Usually she was very blunt, no lies or hidden agendas, just Bones. It was one of the things he loved about her. He always knew where he stood, but not the last few days. These days he had no clue what she was thinking. That, on top of the awkwardness that seemed to be ever-present since their late night intimacy along the banks of the Mun River, left him more than a little worried.

She felt all jumbled to him, a hotbed of emotions.

On top of that, he was pretty sure this whole Angela-says-we-need-to-get-away thing came from one of their secretive late night Skype talks. For the last several nights, immediately after they'd gotten home from the dig or getting dinner, she'd just disappeared into her room, closing the door behind her and leaving him feeling very much on the outside. All he had been able to make out were muffled sounds of the two ladies talking.

Not that it was a bad thing. Women need girlfriends and girl time, he understood that, and he hadn't been eavesdropping, he would never do that. No, he'd sat there night after night in the living room of their shared bungalow, alone, wishing she'd just talk to him about it because he was sure they were talking about him, about them as a potential couple.

Everything would be so much easier if she would just talk to him about it, but no matter how hard he tried, no matter what investigative techniques or charms he employed, Bones never gave up what was bothering her, nor did she give him any hint on what she discussed in her late night chats. So, he was never quite sure if it was Bones asking Angela for advice or Angela just inserting herself into the middle of their relationship, causing problems where there didn't need to be. If he had to make a guess, he'd say the latter for sure. That woman liked to mettle, there was no doubt about it.

Because there were problems. Well, not really problems per se, just weirdness and a complete lack of progression, nothing past some kissing, making out. God, that sounded so high school. Which seemed oddly appropriate because it kind of felt high schoolish. Like he needed to pass her a note or something. Each little gesture, holding hands, a kiss on the cheek, every brush of her hand against his left him excited, and she felt it too, he was sure of it.

It scared her. It was the only explanation that made sense.

Adjusting, groaning, resettling himself, he sucked in a deep breath, held it until his cheeks were puffed out, then slowly let it out. She was looking back and forth between him and the road, trying to be sly about it, but he caught things like that. Those little nonverbal cues were never lost on him, they were obvious, blatant. Smiling softly, he caught her eyes but didn't say anything.

He'd expected there to be some hesitation on her part; she'd panic, maybe run a little. Time would take care of it was his initial thought, but this was just, he didn't know how to classify it, weird and getting weirder. It seemed like every time they got close she'd just freeze up. Like everything would be going fine, beautiful, connected, but then hot would turn to cold, damn near arctic, then awkward, followed by nothing.

And he was determined not to push her. He'd done that when he kissed her on the steps of the Hoover and it hadn't ended well. He wasn't doing that again, not until he was sure he knew what she wanted, which he didn't.

The conversation stalled, leaving a long stretch of silence as they traveled through the open countryside of Thailand. Normally, Booth would have filled the space, but he was quiet for the moment, which was fine with her. She needed the time to think.

Taking a deep breath she settled back into driving.

The silence felt good.

Phrae, Thailand

The miles rolled by without conscious thought, the passing of time going unnoticed. They'd long ago left behind the open farmland and were now in mountainous territory, hills thick with teak trees. It was beautiful, peaceful. Booth had fallen asleep some time ago, and she welcomed the time to think. She wasn't accustomed to spontaneity. Well planned and thought out actions were hallmarks of her personality and points of personal pride. They provided her with stability and comfort, comfort derived from control. She knew that about herself. This, this trip within their trip, felt dangerous to her.

Angela had tried to convince her that there was nothing spontaneous about it because she'd planned it, down to the finest detail, including how and when and what she would tell Booth over the last three days. Still, it left her feeling out of control and she found herself uncomfortably anxious. Glancing over at her partner, she took a long deep breath.

He was beautiful. She knew he wouldn't appreciate that description, it wasn't considered a manly word, but he was beautiful to her. Maybe that was why it was so hard for them to be together, not because he was beautiful or handsome, but because when she looked at him she saw more than just his fine features. She saw a host of experiences that made up that man. A man, the only man, who'd ever made her feel safe and secure.

It was a feeling she'd fought for years, fearing what might come if she ever yielded her defenses to him.

It was a feeling she still fought, and she was sure he was fighting it too, although almost assuredly for different reasons. It was the only explanation that could account for his odd behavior over the last couple of days. Angela assured her that it was their working relationship that was getting in the way. The result of years of boundaries and self-imposed rules of engagement. It was why they needed to get away, farther away, away from any reminders of work or their work roles and the restrictions of those roles. Far enough away that they could just be two people who had feelings for one another.

The lack of specificity in Angela's logic made her uneasy. There was no scientific way to define all these emotions or to tie them to specific behavior, and, without clear definition, how could they ever make sound decisions about their future?

Angela, of course, told her a sound decision was the last thing they needed. She argued that they had been adversely affected by logic and rational thought. What they needed was a complete lack of thought. They needed to act on impulse, give into desire, and for that, Angela insisted, an escape was in order. Some change in their circumstances that would push them past their present set of circumstances. It was the contemplation of those circumstances that led her musings back to their most recent interactions.

"Poultry?" She didn't mean to vocalize her thoughts, but she must have because Booth sat up, and responded.

"What? Poultry?"

"No. Not Poultry. Poultry isn't right." He was confused at best, but she didn't respond to his confusion; she was deep in thought, looking for answers in her own quagmire of thoughts. "Rooster." She was grasping now, and although she tried to sound definitive, she was searching for the right term. "No. That's not it either." She looked back and forth between the road and Booth as if he knew what she was talking about and would magically provide the answer. He did that for her, more often than not, knew her thoughts, understood her meaning, and provided her with a means to articulate them. "Chicken? That's it. Chicken." She looked suddenly satisfied. He looked more confused than ever. "The game, the game you told me about, the one you used to engage in as an adolescent that involved two individuals driving automobiles at extreme rates of speed directly toward one another."

Booth smiled. "I know what Chicken is, Bones. What about it?"

"We seem to be engaged in a game of Chicken...you and I." With a purposeful glance toward Booth, she watched for his reaction. Eyebrows raised high on his forehead, he looked skeptical. "Not literally, obviously, figuratively." Waiting, he watched as she pulled her lip between her teeth then let it go as she exhaled softly. "Sexually."

"What?"

"Sexually." Boldly stated this time, her shoulders squared, posture straight. If she was going to say it, she would own it, she never shied away from sexual topics, but her fidgeting gave away her uncertainty. "You and I. We seem to be involved in an extended game of Chicken, which is why Angela suggested we-"

"I'm not chicken, Bones, and I am not a prude."

"Not a chicken. That is not what I meant."

"I didn't say I was a chicken, I said I'm not chicken, and I don't see what Angela has to do with any of this."

"This is getting confusing."

Booth let out an exasperated sigh. "Look, I'm not chicken. I'm respectful, okay? That's what I am. Respectful. A gentleman, because you aren't ready-"

"Me?" Her reaction was guttural, so instantaneous that she couldn't hide the shock in her voice followed by a burst of scoffing laughter.

"Yeah, you, or you'd make that move. I know you would, and until you do...I'm not pushing you." He'd done that before, though he didn't specify that, he didn't want to get into all that with her.

Feeling her push him away and pound against his chest, he didn't think he could survive that again. So, whenever she balked, that was it, he pulled back. Self-preservation, that's what that was, and protection, for her, protecting her right to wait. God, he didn't think he could manage another heartbreak at her hands. With all his soul he wanted this, needed it, and he was convinced she did too. No one would love her more, care for her more, protect her more than him. It was him, he was the one for her. He knew it, he'd always known it. But now he knew better than to push.

"Booth." She'd said his name several times before he turned his head, acknowledging her.

"Sorry. I was just...are you saying it's my fault that, you know, that things haven't…," he motioned with his hands as if he were moving things along, "you know, progressed?"

"Progressed? You mean, why we haven't had sex?" Why did she have to put it like that, so scientific, so removed, analytical, not connected or emotional at all. It would never be just sex with them, she had to know that. She watched as he cringed, then cleared his throat and sat more upright in his seat. He looked uncomfortable. "I don't know if fault is the right word. You're just, you stop, really, that's all I'm saying, and when you stop I do too."

It had troubled her that every time things started to get moving and she thought the natural progression of things would lead to the consummation of this progression in their personal relationship, he never made a move past kissing. His hands wandered, true, but nowhere that would be considered even remotely inappropriate. She didn't know what it meant and found herself hesitating every time he did. Only now he was indicating that he was following her lead. Re-analyzing every encounter, she let her mind wander, trying to determine if she, indeed, was the first to stop.

"So, you don't want me to stop? Is that what you're saying?" She shrugged, then nodded, her eyes wide. He saw in them a vulnerability that he'd missed before. It was easy to forget, given her strong, independent, often brazen personality, that she needed his reassurance whether she ever said so or not.

Clearly his attempts to let her control the pace had backfired, leaving her unsure if he wanted this or not. "Nothing's changed for me, Bones." A wave of panic rolled through her eyes, the memory of his tears, that night, that horribly confusing and overwhelming night she'd replayed in her mind a thousand times as he told her he would have to move on. And he must have sensed it because he soothed her fear almost immediately. "I still want this. I still wanna give this a chance, you and me, us."

"Okay."

"But, you have to want it too."

"I do." She was quick to answer, speaking right over him as soon as she got the gist of what he was saying.

"You're sure?"

"I would not say it if I wasn't, Booth." There was truth in that, he knew it, but still there was something else too, he could feel her hesitancy and he wondered where that was coming from. Maybe her past, from her experiences with family and other relationships. Maybe whatever drove her to think she needed to protect him. And really, whatever that was, how could he ignore it?

The miles continued to roll by. A couple more rest stops were made, snacks were eaten, laughter was shared, and families were caught up on; they talked about Parker and Rebecca, Russ, Amy, the girls, and Max, until Booth dozed off again.

Chiang Mai, Thailand

They'd stopped along the road somewhere between Lampun and Chiang Mai to stretch their legs. A blanket, a bag of fruit, and treats in hand they walked along a path parallel to the road that followed a small river. Old structures nearly swallowed up by the landscape captivated their attention. They'd both had opportunities to travel the world, seen parts far older than anything America offered, but neither of them had the time or inclination to sightsee on those trips, too engrossed in purpose to really enjoy their surroundings. Work, military missions, archaeological digs, always took precedence.

Booth was still on the fence on Angela's relationship advice but she'd gotten one thing right. They needed this time away, a non-working vacation within their working vacation. It was good. They stopped in front of what looked like an ancient temple sitting on a small raised island of sorts, bricks crumbling from years of exposure, set right in the middle of a small river.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? Given the architecture and materials, I'd say it dates back to around 800 A.D."

"It is...beautiful." She caught him staring at her. He'd been less discreet about that, which she loved. "Oh you mean that...the..."

"Small temple...or shrine...most likely Buddhist." Chuckling, she shook her head softly and tucked a wisp of stray hair behind her ear.

"What?"

"You."

"What about me?"

She didn't know how to articulate what she was thinking, thoughts so jumbled with emotion, with years of partnership and friendship and that unparalleled draw she'd always felt for him. So she shrugged. It involved so much feeling, that being unquantifiable, as feelings were. She found them hard to gauge or, for that matter, even understand, and definitely hard to translate into words. A soft smile and vulnerable eyes let him know it wasn't a bad thing. Smiling back, he pointed to some rocks they could sit on close to the water's edge.

They settled. Him up above, higher on the outcropping of rocks, her below him close to the edge of the river.

Cutting a mango, he handed her slices as they shared their snack. They didn't get much fresh fruit in D.C., not really fresh like it was in Thailand. Everything was vibrant, more flavorful. He was pretty sure he wouldn't have a problem eating healthier if fruits and veggies tasted like this back home.

They sat in silence for awhile, eating, taking in the blue sky and light breeze, puffy white clouds rolling overhead. His mind wandered, still troubled by the long conversations she'd been having with Angela, not that he minded that, he got it, it was a girl thing. But, when it came to them, their relationship, he just wanted her to talk to him too, and she would have to if this was going to work. With a mouth still full of the bright orange treat, he spoke somewhat hesitantly.

"I get the importance of girl friends...not like boyfriend/girlfriend relationship kind of things, I mean girls having other friends that are girls."

"I'm not a girl." He smiled. She was so literal.

"No, you are definitely a woman, I get that, but you know what I mean." She nodded, uneasy with the sudden shift in conversation. "And I get that you and Angela are best friends...and that you rely on her, you know, you talk to her about girl…," he shook his head correcting himself, "woman stuff." Eyes wide and troubled, she waited for him to finish. Setting his knife and the fruit down, he scooted off from the rock he was sitting on until he was right behind her and she was nestled between his legs, then pulled her back against his chest. "And I'm not saying you should stop talking to her, that's important, I get that, but I want you to know you can talk to me too, especially about us stuff."

"Us stuff." Grateful for his strong arms surrounding her, she wiggled back into him.

"Yeah, you know, relationship stuff. Instead of talking to Angela, talk to me." Nodding against his chest, she took a deep breath. He could feel her tense in his arms. "Not that you can't talk to her about it too, I just want you to know you can talk to me directly, even if it's about me. You can trust me. That's good communication, right? And I will talk to you, more, I'll be better at it."

It wasn't that simple, not to her. Everything about communication felt complicated and dangerous, always had for her.

"It's scary, I know, Bones, but who better to tell me what you're thinking or feeling or what you need than you, and the same goes, you know, for you. If you need to know what's going on with me, just ask."

"I trust you." She contested, because she did, she trusted him more than she'd ever trusted any other man, but she was scared, scared of the million things that could go wrong, the million things she could do wrong, all of which she had considered, starting with not communicating with him as he felt she should. "I just don't...I'm not good at social interaction, you know that about me." What she didn't say was how that made her doubt why Booth would be interested in her past their professional partnership and friendship. Her social skills were clumsy at best. She offended people, often, even Booth.

Pressing a firm kiss to her temple, he let his lips linger there. "You are good at communicating with me." She let out a scoffing laugh. "Seriously, you are and when you fall short or I fall short, we'll work it out together, right? Me and you."

"What's ours is ours."

"Well, yeah."

Ban Pa Sak Ngam, Thailand

Taking in a long, nervous breath, she pulled the car into the dirt slot set aside for parking that was closest to their accommodations for the next several days. It was time. That they were going somewhere was obviously not a surprise after they'd been traveling for nearly twelve hours, but their destination, their accommodations were.

"Booth." She whispered quietly. Groaning, he stretched against the stiffness and confines of the small car. He'd been sleeping when they got to the resort and she decided not to wake him up until after she'd registered them and gotten directions to their cabin. "We're here."

He could hear the tension in her voice. Nervousness, he suspected. Taking a long deep breath, he blinked, trying to pull the world into focus. He found himself looking straight out the car window while she watched his expression transform.

"What? No way." Those beautiful brown eyes lit up as he followed the wooden staircase in front of him winding its way up a huge trunk to what looked like a cabin nestled in the treetops. "This is so cool, Bones. This is where we're staying? For reals?"

"You're happy." Chuckling, she felt relief for the first time in days.

"Are you kidding me? Of course I'm happy, who wouldn't be, living the Swiss Family Robinson dream." He was out of the car in no time, checking out the surroundings. "I've always wanted to stay someplace like this."

They were in the clearing of a pretty thick forest area. There were several other treehouse cabins, some barely off the ground and some up higher in the trees. There were even some swing bridges forming pathways to what looked like a dining area and clubhouse. He could hear a river running close by and saw all kinds of signs pointing to different activities. Some written in both Thai and English, others with pictures to help tourists. It wasn't huge, though, and it was definitely secluded. "So, this one is ours?" He asked as he started unloading the trunk and gathering up bags.

"Yes." Her arms were full and she lobbied for taking several trips, but Booth wanted to get up there and explore. Why make two or three trips when you can make one, he argued. So they set off, her with a piece of luggage in each hand and one bag draped over her shoulder, him with easily two or three times as much.

"It's owned and operated by the man who built the cabins, he's a retired architect." She spoke as she climbed the stairs.

"They look incredible."

"Each one is unique."

They were up to the first landing, when she stopped suddenly, turning to face him.

"Geez, Bones, you need to be more careful, I could've run into you and knocked you over or something."

"I'm fine." That look of joy and relief was gone, she looked nervous again, more nervous than she'd been before.

He motioned for her to keep moving up the stairs, but she stood there, not saying anything at first, shifting her weight from foot to foot, looking anxious. "You sure?"

"Yes, of course." But, she didn't move. Taking in a long slow breath, she let it out as she looked up toward the cabin. "There's a bathtub." She waited a moment until he nodded in acknowledgment.

"Good….Great. Can we?" He offered, leaning forward as if to start moving up the stairs again.

"I thought you would like that, you haven't been able to soak in the tub this whole trip." Thai bathrooms were very different, and they took some getting used to. The entire room was tiled and there was no division between the shower and the rest of the facilities. Booth had complained about them daily, sometimes twice a day depending on how many showers he had taken that day.

"Sure. True. Um, do you think we could talk about it more when we get up there?" He motioned up with his chin and her eyes followed his to the top of the trees where the cabin rested. "These are kinda heavy."

"Yes. Yes. Of course." They'd only made it to the second landing of the weathered wooden stairs when she started talking again, thankfully while still climbing this time. "Of the ten cabins here at the resort, this is the only cabin with a bathtub. The rest have showers, some of them open-air showers. Even with the privacy provided by the foliage, I figured you wouldn't like that." Her face scrunched up a little in distaste, which made him smile. "This one isn't as high in the trees as some, but it has the tub."

"Well, thank you, Bones. I look forward to a good long soak."

She reached the next level, a porch complete with a sitting area and the first part of their cabin, there was a second story above them. She was a few steps in front of him when she stopped abruptly, whipping around to face him.

"There's only one bed." They stared at one another for what seemed like forever to her, he didn't say anything, didn't respond in any noticeable way, so she continued. "It's a king sized bed, well, the dimensions are close to a king sized bed, it was built to fit in the space, but there's only one...bed." Searching his deep brown eyes, she talked softer. "We can share the bed...which is what I anticipated we'd do...share...if you're okay with that." A soft smile spread across his face, lighting up his eyes.

"Relax, Bones, of course it's okay." Her shoulders fell in relief and she chuckled soft and low before looking up to meet his eyes. "It's all good, okay? This is good. We're good."

Sighing in relief, she let out a long held breath and turned back toward the door of their home for the next few days. There was still a significant amount of unknown which made her nervous, she didn't like the unknown, but their travel time had helped and she found herself feeling much more settled than she'd been when she'd anxiously woken him up at the crack of dawn to start their journey.

"After you," she motioned, holding the door open, and Booth obliged, arms full, still grinning from ear to ear.

Only a few steps in, he stopped, dropping their bags where he stood. "This is so cool." He wandered, eyes darting all around the space as he circled a thick tree trunk and branches that came right through the center of the room. He was in what must be the living room. There were bench seats under the windows, a small couch, a sink with little cabinets, and even some bookshelves tucked in under stairs that led up to what he assumed was the bedroom.

Setting the bags she was carrying down on the couch, she followed him as he opened cupboards and doors in exploration. They found that bathtub she'd picked the cabin for, it wasn't anything fancy but it was deep and the owners of the treehouse resort promised there would be plenty of hot water to fill it. He thanked her again for her thoughtfulness, after a long day of traveling, he was sure a bath would feel good.

The stairs led up to a small landing and door. Outside was another deck, this one looking out over the river he'd heard. Leaning over the railing he looked out both ways. This deck was tucked away. There were no other cabins in line of sight, very private, with a small table and two lounge chairs.

He grabbed her hand as he came back into the cabin and pulled her up the stairs with him toward the bedroom. There wasn't much space up there, and most of it was taken up by the bed which was surrounded on the outside by heavy curtains that could be pulled closed. The raw wood was beautiful and highlighted the intricate angles of the roof. The slatted windows were open, and there was a breeze blowing light curtains into the room. The rustle of leaves was calming, and he was sure it would make for perfect white noise to fall asleep to. There were shelves surrounding the bed, on which were candles, a couple of small lamps, and fans for cooling the place down.

It was magical. A far cry from their very functional and drab bungalow back in Phimai. This was definitely more like a real vacation.

Still holding her hand, Booth pulled her into his arms and leaned down to kiss her. One kiss then two, as they moved their way closer to that very inviting bed. Her soft hums of approval egged him on as he abandoned her lips and headed over to her ear.

"It's perfect, Bones." His breath tickled her ear and she found herself curling into it as he kissed his way down her neck, his hands tracing the curve of her hips while holding her close.

This was perfect, she was perfect, and he was sure it was finally going to happen for them, when the loud ring of her phone interrupted her fingers undoing his belt buckle.

"Seriously?" He complained, refusing to give her much space as she struggled to get her phone out of her pocket.

"It's the front desk." She mumbled. "It's about dinner…" His hands were still busy and he wasn't at all sure he needed dinner, his hunger currently redirected. "No restaurants," she barely stuttered out, "hour and a half away." They'd finished the last of their snacks at their last rest stop. "I'm hungry."

"Me too." He whispered as his lips made their way across her collar bone. Chuckling, she shook her head.

"We have to go, Booth." His hands fell to his side as he took a step back.

"You sure?"

"Yes. Dinner was served earlier this evening. Because of our long travel time they cooked this meal especially for us."

"Okay." He finally gave in. "Okay...but after dinner-"

"Dessert." She teased as she grabbed his hand and led him back downstairs.