Tonight was the night. When Booth had first told her, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. This couldn't be the end. But Booth was a man of his word, and she knew that. No matter how crushed her heart was, she would sit back and smile, and congratulate him on his future happiness. Tomorrow, anyway. For now, she would lose herself in the massive loads of work that had piled up when she was in Maluku. For now, she would try and steel herself for the cold reality that she had lost Seeley Booth's heart forever. And that Hannah was the one who would keep it.

She worked for hours on end, not once glancing at the clock. Still, a part of her longed for the interruption of her overprotective, alpha male partner. She quashed that desire as well. As much as she wanted otherwise, Booth was not her property. Booth would no longer be the one to look out for her. No more midnight take-out, or guy hugs she'd always known were anything but. No more arguing the semantics of love and religion, though they probably would still fight about the religion part of it.

Stop it, Temperance. She commanded herself, shaking her head, causing her ponytail to bounce playfully. She scowled, and leaned over to examine her newest set of remains. She let out a deep breath from her lips and ran her gloved fingers along the mandible of the remains.

"Dr. Brennan?" Micah's voice called her out of her reverie. She jumped, yanking her headphones out of her ears to look at him.

"Yes, Micah, what is it?" she asked. He tipped his head to the side, in the direction of her office.

"You have a visitor," he told her. She frowned.

"This late at night? Who would be visiting me now?"

"I think you should go find out," Micah said. She was confused by the mischievous, all-knowing smile that grew on his lips, but followed him nonetheless. He walked with her until she was a few feet from her office, then touched her arm and headed back to his station.

She turned to her office, not knowing what to expect. So she squared her shoulders, and walked in. She was surprised with what she found. Hannah was sitting on her couch, with a white coat, with her heels peeking out. There was a crease between her eyebrows and she was pursing her lips. Brennan looked at her for a moment, uncomprehending, before settling into panic mode.

"Hannah! What's going on? Where's Booth? Is he—"

"He's okay, Temperance. I came here on my own."

Brennan settled back on her heels, breathing in like she wasn't sure she would be able to do again, and glanced around the room. She looks down, and, for the first time, notices there are bags by Hannah's feet. She blinks, looks up at Hannah's face, and then back to her luggage.

"I thought you were having dinner with—"

"I was. That's actually why I'm here," Hannah interrupted, then bit her lip nervously. Brennan scrutinized her, and after a few moments of comprehension, she sighed.

"I don't understand…"

"Basically…" Hannah began, hesitant, "I'm here to tell you…he's all yours."

"What do you mean?" Brennan asked. She looked down at Hannah's bags again, a revelation sparking inside her, "Hannah, I told you. If he's in a relationship with you, he will give you himself. And he has. But you're still leaving him…" Her blood began to boil as Hannah shook her head.

"He didn't give me himself, Temperance. Not in the way you think. In fact, the truth is, he couldn't," she said, quietly, folding her hands in her lap and sighing, "Because he already gave himself to you."

She didn't want to hope, but a flame inside her ignited nonetheless. Her eyes filled with tears as she gazed onto her friend, and Hannah's mouth turned up at the corners slightly.

"I didn't—" she began. Hannah smiled and shook her head.

"I know," she replied in a whisper, "It's not your fault. I'm not angry at you…I'm not even angry at Seeley, come to think of it. I came here to tell you I'm leaving. Because I don't want two such extraordinary people to miss another opportunity with one another."

"But you can make him happy," Brennan pleaded.

"But you can make him happiest," Hannah answered with ease, "because you know him, for all his flaws and all his good qualities. You don't judge him. Just, do me a favor…don't let him slip out of your grasp again."

Overcome with emotion, Brennan threw her arms around Hannah. The woman was surprised for a moment, but accepted the gesture for what it was: gratitude and friendship. So they held onto one another, calling a truce for a rivalry neither fully realized they were in. Then they pulled back, and Hannah gathered her things.

"I don't regret meeting either of you," Hannah replied, "For the first time in my life, I got to be part of a real life love story. It just wasn't supposed to be mine.

"Right now, Booth would probably tell you that you will find yours," Brennan said, smiling shyly, "I think you will, too."

"I hope he's right," Hannah said, grinning. She walked towards the door. Right before she left, she stopped, turning back one more time to face her, "It's been a privilege."

"With you as well," Brennan answered, a smile finally lighting up her face. With one last smile, Hannah departed.