Temperance's Choice

Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used in this story. No matter how much I wished I did.

A/N: Hey! Sorry this has taken so long to post but I have had some real problems trying to get Brennan's character right. Hope you like. Reviews are appreciated. Now on with the story.

"Bones, I've had these feelings for a while. I've tried to deny them. Tried to push them to the back of my mind and pretend they don't exist but it doesn't work.

"I know I shouldn't have these feelings for you, Bones. I mean you're my partner. It's not right. But the fact is that I love you Temperance Brennan.

"And I don't care about all the things that say that that isn't right. I can't deny it anymore and I wanted to tell you.

"Because a small part of me hopes that you have feelings for me too. And I think that if we tried we could make this work but I need to know how you feel Bones.

"If you don't feel the same then we can go back to being partners and friends but if you do feel the same then I think we can make this work and I'm willing to give it a shot.

"But I need to know how you feel. It's your choice Temperance. And I'm not going to force you to chose either or. It's up to you."

What? No. Why was he saying this? He didn't really mean it, did he

Temperance looked at Booth. No, really looked at Booth. She gazed into his eyes and she could see dozens of different emotions in those chocolate coloured orbs. Hope that she would say yes, relief that he had finally told her his feelings, nervousness of what she would say and…love. She saw pure, undiluted love, which, confirmed for her that everything he had told her that evening, was true.

She was drowning in the emotions in those eyes and there was nothing she could do to save herself. She thought that she had been so careful. She had built her walls up and she had reinforced them every time that there was a crack, making them bigger, taller and stronger than the last but still he had managed to break his way through them and into her heart. Chipped away at the stone and ice that had surrounded her heart, protecting her from getting hurt again.

Because she had been hurt and she knew how devastated she had felt because there was nothing that she could have done to have protected herself because the fact was that she had trusted people and let them into her heart, which was a dangerous position because anyone who had the right to earn that trust then had the potential to hurt her, in a way that nothing else could. She had promised herself that she would never let that happen to her again.

But she knew that by letting someone into her heart like Booth was asking her to do, would leave her vulnerable, something she hated. But also she knew that leaving Booth would be just as bad. She knew she would hurt him by saying no but he would still be in her life, which was all that mattered.

Meeting Booth's gaze again, Temperance realised that Booth was waiting for her to say something. She guessed that when people made heartfelt revelations, they usually expected an answer.

"Booth, I…" Temperance let out a sigh. This was going to be harder than she had originally thought, but then again she had never thought it was going to be easy.

"Booth, the past two years that I've known you, they've been some of the best in my life. You've opened my view on life and made me realise and feel things I haven't felt before.

"You're my best friend and I have to admit that, over the years my feelings for you have grown past friendship. You know I don't believe in love, Booth, it goes against everything I believe in, it's irrational, so there isn't any point in me telling you that, when I don't believe it myself.

"But I feel something for you that I've never felt before."

Booth's eyes brightened, his smile coming back into place.

"And it's for that exact reason, that we would never work."

Booth looked up, shock registering on his face. A flash of pain, hurt, and anger flickered across his face before settling dully in his dark brown eyes, as resignation took its place. Opening his mouth to protest, Temperance stopped him.

"Booth, no. Don't you see? If I let you in, if we tried to make it work, you'd only end up leaving me. Everyone who loves me leaves and I can't lose you Booth. I won't."

"For years, I've told myself that I was independent but then you came along and now I need someone. I need you. Please tell me you understand why we can't do this? It can't work."

Booth looked bewildered as he met Temperance's eyes. She dropped hers to the table top, suddenly finding the engravings and engrains in the wood top, very interesting.

"But why? Why can't we make it work Temperance? I'm not going to pretend that I understand, because I don't. I'll never leave you. Why can't we give this relationship a shot?" His voice broke at the end, making Temperance feel like someone had punched her in the stomach.

"Because it WONT! Something will happen. You'll leave me or there'll be an accident and you'll be taken away from me! What happens if you get shot or attacked by one of the suspects that we meet everyday? Hmm what happens then? It's better this way…please?"

Booth might have objected, in fact he had a very good argument planned out in his head, up until that point, but hearing her voice filled with pain and anguish in the last word, knowing that he had put that pain and anguish there, made him hold them back.

Numbly he nodded. He didn't register when she stood up or when she walked out the door of the diner. He didn't register anything.

Apart from the fact that she said no.

So there's the first chapter. What do you think? All reviews are appreciated. It's nice to know what the readers think.

Hehe

Lee