Hey everyone, this is my first Bones fanfic. Let me know what you think!

You know I don't own it, I just love to write it. Enjoy!

You could be happy and I won't know
But you weren't happy the day I watched you go

Special Agent Seeley Booth sat on the couch in his apartment, cold beer in hand. The tv sounded mindless drivel in the background while he sat contemplating. Normally he avoided such introspection but tonight he couldn't help the melancholy thoughts that flitted through his head. Tonight, he only had the tv. He didn't have Parker, a case, her. Tonight she was gone. She'd left for a three month dig in South Africa.

And all the things that I wished I had not said
Are played in loops 'till it's madness in my head


Is it too late to remind you how we were
But not our last days of silence, screaming, blur

"I got offered the chance to head up a dig. And I think I'm going to take it." Her announcement the month prior had come as a shock to Booth. They had been debating the merit of models in society when she had blurted out that life-altering sentence. After a beat of silence they started on a new round of debating, this time the reasons behind her potential absence. She argued that while she was fulfilled with their current work, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to study… Booth tuned out the rest of the details, focusing instead on the heart-wrenching feeling of abandonment coursing through his veins.

They continued this debate until a week before her departure. He had been following her around the lab, giving her all of the reasons she shouldn't leave (duty to the victims, duty to the Jeffersonian, friends she'd be missing, people who wouldn't get their closure, the list went on) when she suddenly turned around, making him bump into her. They were in a quiet hallway and she looked up at him, exasperation, among other emotions, plain on her face.

"Give me the real reason you don't want me to go," she said earnestly, whispering even though no one was around, "give me that reason and I won't leave."

Because I love you, he thought. While he struggled momentarily on what to say (anything but that), she kept looking up at him, eyes pleading for something. He vainly hoped he knew what it was.

"You've heard all of my reasons Bones. If that hasn't convinced you, what else can I do?" he whispered instead, watching her face drop in disappointment for a fraction of a second before she made her expression blank again.

"I see. Well, that settles it I guess." She said before walking away. He didn't even try to follow her this time.

Most of what I remember makes me sure
I should have stopped you from walking out the door

As he stares off into space, Booth is pretty damn sure he made a mistake. Thinking back on that last week, he shakes his head in defeat. He was too much of a coward, too proud to ask her to stay. Their last hug before she went through the Airport security was devastating. Sure she was coming back in three months, but he wasn't sure they would quite survive it. He wasn't sure if he would survive it.


You could be happy, I hope you are
You made me happier than I'd been by far


Somehow everything I own smells of you
And for the tiniest moment it's all not true

His pity party continued as he got up to pace. He should be happy for her. She was off doing what she loved. He knew that the civilization was in good hands. Well, anthropologically and physically speaking, my hands are in excellent condition he heard her say in his head and smirked at the thought.

As he kept pacing across his apartment, he noticed the little imprints she had made in his apartment alone. The apples with the little "organic" label, the bottle of scotch they had drank one night, the National Geographic she had brought over one day. He could almost hope that he was going to open the door to her and a box of Thai food. This would have been her night to buy. She would have insisted.

Do the things that you always wanted to
Without me there to hold you back, don't think, just do

The shrill ring of his phone woke him from his musings. The phone display flashed an out of area number, blinking with an urgency he knew a phone shouldn't have.

"Booth," he answered briskly.

"Yea, I know," a voice answered after a pause.

"Bones? What are you doing?" he was more than shocked at a phone call at…1:27am.

"Well, I'm here. I just arrived and I—" she trailed off momentarily, "What are you doing up anyways?"

"Just thinking, but tell me about your dig," As she went off excitedly about the details of the people they had found, the artifacts they were going to be collecting, he just smiled. She was doing what she loved, and he couldn't hold that against her. He found that he was truly happy for her. Well, mostly.

More than anything I want to see you, girl
Take a glorious bite out of the whole world

"Booth, it's…2:46 your time. I'm sorry I kept you awake!" She voice echoed her embarrassment at keeping him awake at such an unreasonable hour.

"It's fine Bones. I'm glad you're having a good time." Little white lie. He didn't need to tell her that his heart ached at the fact that she was seven hours away from him and hearing her voice only served to manifest his pain.

"Booth," she questioned after a slight silence. He prompted her on. "It appears that if we work efficiently on the site, the time devoted to the discovery and subsequent analysis of the remains and artifacts would be sufficiently reduced." his heart stuttered back to life at the implication.

"So, you'd get to come home early?" he asked, hoping her scientific ramblings meant what he thought they did.

"Possibly," she cautioned, but he could hear the smile in her voice, "would that be acceptable to you?

"God yes," he responded before thinking.

"Good," she stated simply, her voice softening with…affection? He hoped so.

"Night Booth," she continued.

"G'night Bones," he smiled before closing his phone. One day down.