A/N: For now this story is a oneshot. I might turn it into a multi-chapter depending on the demands, the time, and the inspiration. Personally, I would love to see Pelant get what he deserves. You don't mess with B&B!
He followed the sounds of her footsteps up the stairs and to their bedroom. He listened as she gently closed the door behind him. Only then did he release the breath he had been holding. Walking back inside the living room, he collapsed on the nearest couch.
He hated himself for what he had done tonight. Though she had put her rational front back up pretty quickly, for a split second, he had seen the hurt in her eyes. Why did he have to be so weak? Why couldn't just explain to her why he really couldn't go through with their wedding plans? He had told Sweets himself: he had waited his entire life for that moment and nothing would get in the way. Yet, he had let Pelant get in the way. He hated himself even more just for that.
The house was quiet. He wasn't sure what to do with himself. It was too early to go to bed. Besides, he doubted his partner wanted his company so soon after their conversation. Yet, watching TV and acting as though nothing had happened seemed cruel and heartless. Something had happened, he couldn't erase that.
If only he could explain to her, he knew she would understand. She knew him very well. She would understand that he couldn't marry her knowing the lives of innocent strangers depended on him. She would know he wasn't rejecting her or her proposal; she would know that he did want to spend the rest of his life with her and that Pelant would never change that. Instead, he had had to lie. Not only protecting people he didn't know, but also to protect his own family.
Even being at home didn't feel safe anymore, not since his nemesis had been through his home. Of course they'd had the FBI search the house many times for hidden microphones and hacked Internet connections. Nothing had come out of those many searches. Yet, Booth felt that if he told his girlfriend about the sick deal he had made with Pelant, even in the comfort of their homes, he would know.
Minutes ticked by and the pain he felt at hurting the woman he loved still painfully squeezed his heart. He had faith they would get through this. Surely God wouldn't let him down now that he was so close to his ideal life. He'd been so good at making amends for his past, he deserved to be happy.
Minutes turned into hours. Booth let out a long and deep sigh. There wasn't much he could do now. Pelant was hiding somewhere and, even if he were to search all through Washington for him, he doubted he would find him. If Pelant wanted to hide, he would hide very well. For now, all he could do was get some sleep. He still had a job and a family to support. Killers and death didn't take holidays out of respect for his sadness.
Getting to his feet, Booth stretched. He'd been sitting for close to two hours and his muscles felt stiff. Sleeping in the living room was out of the question. If he wanted to show Bones that he loved her and make her understand that his feelings hadn't changed towards her, he needed to sleep in his own bed. That was where he belonged. With her.
He made a quick stop in his daughter's bedroom. Christine was sleeping peacefully, unaware of what had occurred mere hours earlier below her bedroom. For a moment, Booth envied her oblivious state. Sure, she was bright, but she was still too young to understand the negative aspects of the world. Her hair had grown and curled in the past month. She almost resembled a younger version of what Parker had looked like as a baby.
Christine tossed in her sleep. Booth retracted the hand that had been gently petting her hair. For a while now, he had secretly hoped that they would give their daughter a younger sibling somewhere down the road. In the light of what had happened tonight, he wasn't so sure of it anymore. It would all depend on how long he would need to keep the reasons of his rejection a secret. He knew the longer he kept that information from his girlfriend, the larger the rift between them would be.
Quietly he exited his daughter's room and made his way towards his own. The door was closed, a sign that Brennan had wanted some privacy. Carefully, he opened it. The room was dark. Slowly, he undressed and made his way towards his bed.
She had her back to him. Prompting himself on his right arm, he looked at her from over her shoulder and removed a strand of her hair from her face. Her cheeks still glistened, a sure sign that she had been crying. Booth felt his heart swell painfully at the thought that he was responsible for those tears.
Lying on his back, he closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep. Normally, she would have been turning towards him by now, snuggling up against him. It would be her heat and presence that would send him into his state of oblivion. Tonight, she remained still.