Chapter One: Repentance
She had always thought his love would be the last missing piece of the puzzle known as her life; but as she watched the only proof of that love's existence run bounding up her front steps she knew it was nothing more an a fairytale. She had everything, even down to her prince charming, but as soon as it was within reach it had slipped from her grasp, leaving her with a constant reminder of what could have been.
"I… I love you." Brennan mumbled against her tear-drenched windowpane, "I… I… just…" She mumbled as the door swung open revealing the undeniable jet-black curls of a girl barely tall enough to reach the doorknob.
"Mommy!" the young child shrilled as she ran to Brennan, "You'll never guess where daddy took me today!"
"Where?" Brennan forced a smile as she looked adoringly at the only proof left of a love lost among late night cups of coffee and countless pieces of paper.
"The zoo!" The girl beamed. "The monkey's tried to steal daddy's hat and… and… mommy…"
"Yes, dear." Brennan smiled as she drew the child closer.
"Why are you so sad? Daddy said he would come back… he promised."
As she looked down on the child, Brennan couldn't help but let her heart shatter into a thousand pieces once more. A child all but five years old could see what her father had refused to believe for far too long. It did not matter what he had said or done, some fairytales were just never meant to come true.
"I know, Christine and we will be here waiting."
The child smiled at the false promise as she bounded in her room, assured that once again her family would be whole. As the door clicked behind the child, Brennan sighed as the tears began to trickle down her rosy cheeks.
"I just hope it happens before it is too late."
"I know, Pops. I just… just…" Booth rambled, refusing to look upon the stern glare falling from his grandfather's steel eyes.
"You froze Seeley. It happens to the best of us, but this bull you are trying to pull is doing nothing but destroying that little girl. This is not the man I raised you to be, Seeley. You broke a woman's heart, but that child has done nothing but love you."
"You taught me not to lie." He humbling tried to defend, "I… I just thought maybe she…" He rambled, tracing the cold outline of the letters before him.
"So loving her was a lie? All the years you spend head over heels in love with this woman were all just a figment of your imagination, is that what you are telling me?"
"No… I did love her…" Booth stammered with a hard swallow.
"You do boy, there is no denying it anymore. I have never seen a man so smitten with a woman in all my years. You love her; you love that little girl so you had better hope she can forgive you for all you have done. My little angel deserves it."
"What if she doesn't want me back?" Booth's voice cracked at the thought. Although he had spent the last few months building impenetrable walls around his heart, there was no sense in denying it now. He knew that the only friend he had left was before him. "I did break her heart."
"You did more than just break her heart. You broke the heart of a child that has done nothing but adore her father. By hurting Temperance, you have in-turn destroyed the bond a daughter has with her father. She sees everything you have put her mother through and how much pain you have caused. The only way to win back the love of your daughter is to win back her mother."
"She won't even look at me anymore, Pops. What if she…"
"This is the last thing your mother wanted from you, Seeley." Pops outstretched his palm against the fresh overturned soil, "Now go be the son she had always believed you were and win back the woman you were meant for. Do not let this be your fate as well."