This story came to me while listening to the song "This Bitter Earth". This is NOT a song fic.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooo

Sitting in the chapel, Booth leaned forward, his hands clasped before his face his eyes closed his body filled with tension. He'd been there for a few hours and still he couldn't find the answer he needed.

Father Aldo, leaving his office, noticed Booth sitting on the back pew of his small chapel and worried that his most vexing of parishioners was in trouble. Walking quietly over to where the young Master Sergeant sat, the priest slid onto the pew and sat a few feet from the despairing man. "Is there something I can help you with Booth?"

Shaking his head, Booth cleared his throat and mournfully replied, "Not really."

Afraid for his friend, Aldo placed his arm along the back of the pew and tried to assure him, "I know that last mission you were on was pretty rough. I know you had to do some things that you didn't want to do, but you did what you needed to do, what you had to do."

Sitting up, Booth stared at the altar at the front of the church, "Yeah, I get that. That guy was a murderer and I did what I had to do. . . . I have something else on my mind. I have a big decision to make and I don't know if I can do it."

Concerned, Aldo pressed him, "Do you need some help? Is it something I can help you with?"

Turning to stare at the chaplain, Booth grimly replied, "I don't know."

Sympathetic, Aldo tried again, "Why don't you tell me what decision you need to make and then I'll see if it's something that I can help you with, how about that?"

Bitterly, Booth explained his problem, "Rebecca had her baby. He's a boy. This should be the happiest time of my life. . . .Even though she broke up with me she says that I can still be part of my son's life. . . . My grandfather wants me to sue for partial custody but I can't risk it. . . . Look at what I do for a living, I kill people. The Army sends me out on secret missions and half the time I end up working with the CIA. Every time I go out there's a chance I might not come back. I can't be the father I want to be for my son and it just tears me up inside. I want to be someone my boy can count on to be there for him. I need to be that guy."

Running his hands through his hair, Booth exhaled slowly, "I have to make some changes in my life but I don't know if I can. It may be too late for me."

His concern growing, Aldo worried about the defeated tone of voice in the disturbed man, "It's never too late to change, Booth, believe me. What kind of changes do you want to make? Maybe you could change your MOS."

Rubbing his eyes, Booth lowered his hands and stared at the altar once more, "I've been offered a job with the FBI and I'm thinking about taking it. I love the Army, I really do; but, I need to think about my future. If I'm going to have a future with my son, I need to make some serious changes in my life. I don't want my son to grow up without a father. I can't do that to him. I need to be there for him and that means I need to leave the Rangers but . . . I'm worried that even if I do leave . . . if I make this change . . . I'm afraid that it still won't be good enough. I'm afraid I won't be good enough."

Moving his arm from the top of the pew, Aldo clasped his hands together and gently encouraged the young man, "You're an intelligent man, Booth. You couldn't do the things you do if you weren't. You're smart enough to see you need to make a change and I think you're on to something. The FBI could be your chance to make a clean start. I think you should take it."

His shoulders hunched, Booth turned his gaze towards his hands, "I wanted Rebecca to marry me but she said I'm too unstable. I asked her what she meant by that but she wouldn't explain. She just said that we missed our chance and she couldn't marry me . . . what if . . . what if I'm too damaged to ever find someone that will . . ."

"Love you?" Worried, Aldo shook his head, "Look, Booth, just because Rebecca turned you down doesn't mean you're going to go through life alone. She's not the only fish in the sea you know. You need to get back out there. There is someone out there for you. You just need to find her that's all."

Snorting, Booth turned to look at his confessor, "Yeah that should be easy. . . . I've been looking for a long time for someone that will accept me for what and who I am and so far I haven't found her. Maybe she doesn't exist."

Leaning over, Aldo patted Booth's shoulder, "She exists, you just need to be patient that's all. Make the change. Make it while you still can."

"If I leave, I'm going to miss you Father." Crossing his arms, Booth leaned back against the pew and stared at the cross on the wall behind the altar. "You've been a lot of help to me that's for sure. If I hadn't had you to listen to me . . . to really listen to me, I'm not sure what would have happened to me."

Shrugging his shoulders, Aldo remarked, "I'm glad I could help you. It's what I was here for . . . . um . . . if you decide to stay in the service, you're going to have to learn to do without my help. . . I'm leaving the priesthood."

Stunned, Booth turned to stare at his priest, "You're what?"

A half-smile on his face, Aldo informed him, "You aren't the only one who needs a change, Booth. I worry about my future too and I've decided that I can't be a priest anymore. It's complicated and I can't tell you why but it's something I've been thinking about for awhile. I've already petitioned Rome and I should be hearing back from them soon. I'm leaving the army too. I've had enough. I'm not sure what I'm going to do, but . . . well, it looks like we're both making major changes in our lives."

Bewildered, Booth asked, "Can you do that? Just leave the priesthood? What about your connection to God? How . . ."

Shaking his head, Aldo interrupted his friend, "I can't talk about it, Booth, really. It's personal, but, yes all I need is permission from Rome."

Standing, Booth leaned over and offered his right hand. Shaking Aldo's hand, Booth remarked, "I hope you know what you're doing Father. Good luck."

Shaking Booth's hand, Aldo smiled, "You too Master Sergeant. I hope you find the peace you deserve and the love that you need."

Oooooooooooooooooooo

A few years later, Booth walked into 'Paradise Lost' and lifted his hand in greeting, "Hey Father, I heard you'd moved into the District and I came by to see how you are."

His hands quickly rising, Aldo made a shushing movement, "Hey, hey, Booth, I'm not a priest anymore so let's stop the Father business, alright?"

Sitting at the bar, Booth pointed at the bottles lined up on the shelf and frowned, "Scotch if you don't mind."

Pouring a drink, Aldo handed him the glass and stared at the changed man before him, "How'd you find me?"

Amused, Booth drank his Scotch and smiled, "I'm FBI Father. We know everything."

Rolling his eyes, the bar owner poured the Agent another drink, "How've you been?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth replied, "Not so good. My life has turned to shit, but then again maybe it's always been shit and I was just too stupid to see it."

Old concerns for his former parishioner rearing up, Aldo asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Staring at the Scotch in his glass, Booth responded, "Yeah, I guess that's why when I found out you were here I decided to look you up. I don't have a lot of friends and no one I can really talk to. Well, I do have one really good friend but she can't help me. . . . Would you like to hear my confession?"

Annoyed, Aldo tapped the bar, "I'm not a priest anymore. No, I don't want to hear your confession but I will talk to you as a friend."

A feeling of sadness overwhelming him, Booth rubbed his eyes, "I met a woman, Father and I knew from the minute I met her that I wanted her. . . . I screwed that up and it took me a year before she'd even speak to me again. We came to an understanding and she became my work partner and that's all. She's an anthropologist and the smartest person I've ever met. The way she thinks is really fascinating. She's got an eidetic memory so she can't really forget anything . . . and that's the problem for me . . . for us. She had a rough childhood and she doesn't trust love. She doesn't think it exists."

Trying to be consoling, Aldo patted his arm, "Just be patient, Booth. Maybe she'll change her mind."

Huffing, Booth shook his head, "I've known her for seven years and I've been her partner for about six. I tried to get her to give us a chance and she turned me down. . . . I gave up and I moved on, or I tried to."

Not liking what he was hearing, Aldo shook his head, "What did you do that for?"

Snorting, Booth placed his head on his hand and stared at the TV across the room, "Who the fuck knows? I'm stupid okay. She told me no and I know her so I thought that mean no forever. What was I suppose to do? I didn't think she'd change her mind about us so I just . . . anyway I went back in to active service for awhile and I served in Afghanistan . . ."

Shocked, Aldo interrupted Booth, "Are you kidding me? Why for God's sake?"

Sitting up straight, Booth pointed at his empty glass, "It's too hard to explain. I just did. Anyway I met someone over there and when I came back she followed me. I thought I loved her and I asked her to move in with me. . . I thought she loved me and long story short, I asked her to marry me."

Leery, Aldo asked, "And?"

"She turned me down of course." Somberly he replied, "No one gives a damn about me so why should Hannah have been any different? Well, anyway. . I almost screwed up my relationship with Bones too. I've really been batting a thousand lately."

Confused, Aldo refilled Booth's glass, "Bones? Who is Bones?"

Sipping his Scotch, Booth muttered, "She's my partner. Her name is Temperance but I call her Bones. She's a genius when it comes to bones. She can look at a bone and tell you if it belonged to a woman or a man, how old they were . . . stuff like that. I'm the only one that calls her Bones." A sad smile touching his lips, Booth placed his glass down, "She's my Bones. No matter what our relationship is going to be in the future, she's always going to be my Bones."

Cautiously, Aldo asked, "You said you almost screwed up your partnership?"

Nodding his head, Booth sighed, "Yeah, when Hannah turned me down, I took out some of my anger on Bones. It wasn't fair but at the time I didn't give a shit. Thankfully she forgave me and stood by me. She's a great friend. I've never had a friend like her. I guess she's my best friend and always will be."

"You still love her." Placing the bottle of Scotch on the shelf, Aldo leaned on the bar, "What are you going to do about it?"

Finishing his drink, Booth slid the empty glass towards Aldo, "Nothing. She told me not too long ago that she missed her chance and I think we both did. The problem is she still doesn't believe in love. I guess I'll always just be her friend. It's better than nothing and right now that's all I have, nothing."

Shaking his head, Aldo remarked, "Doesn't sound like nothing to me."

Ooooooooooooooo

A few short months later, Booth entered 'Paradise Lost', slapped the top of the bar and shouted, "Hey drinks on the house."

Amused, Aldo looked around and drily remarked, "Well considering you and I are the only ones here right now, that's mighty big of you."

Laughing, Booth sat down and pointed at the bottle of Gledfiddich, "The good stuff Father, not that cheap shit you normally sell me."

A twist in his lips, Aldo poured them both a drink, "Well, you're in a good mood. Win the Lottery?"

Knocking back his drink, Booth replied, "In a manner of speaking, yeah, I did. Bones and I are . . . well we're together. She's mine . . . I'm hers. We're finally together."

Sipping his drink, Aldo noticed the youthful exuberance in his friend, "I'm happy for you Booth. I told you a long time ago there was someone out there for you. All you had to do was find her."

Ecstatic, Booth smiled, "She found me, but who gives a damn. I'm never going back, Father. This is it. I have what I want and I'm never going back."

Oooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.

A/N: MOS = Military Occupation Specialties

"This Bitter Earth"

This bitter earth

Well, what fruit it bears

What good is love

That no one shares

And if my life is like the dust
Mmm, that hides the glow of a rose
What good am I
Heaven only knows

Lord, this bitter earth
Yes, can be so cold
Today you're young
Too soon you're old

But while a voice within me cries
I know heaven will answer my call
And this bitter earth
Ooh, may not be so bitter after all

But while a voice within me cries
I know heaven will answer my call
And this bitter earth
Ooh, it may not be so bitter after all, ooh