Hannah was relaxed. She was leaning back into the seat, with the sunlight streaming on her face. She could hear her boyfriend's foot tapping absently along to the radio as he drove. Neither knew where they were going, but they were driving. It was a grand adventure, just for the two of them. She fiddled with the sunglasses atop her head. The sunglasses that Brennan had given her.
They really are hot glasses, she thought, gazing at herself in the side view mirror. She gazed out the window. They had left all traces of Brennan behind right now. There was nothing to trigger a single memory out here. They had left the city, and were travelling along barely paved roads. Totally Brennan free. Hannah became even more relaxed at the thought. Though they were 'friends', she felt a little threatened by the woman. She felt threatened because she knew that Seeley put more in a glance at Brennan than he did when he was gazing at her.
Go away thoughts, she hissed to herself. Seeley loved her. Seeley wanted to be with her. End of story. That was all there was to it. Brennan was only factoring in as a work aspect now, or was on her way to being that. Because Seeley loved her. Because she loved Seeley with all her heart.
She focused on the radio, playing faintly, she didn't know the song, but that was fine, because that song was ending. Instead, came on a song she knew very well. Hot-Blooded.
"Hey!" Seeley cried. She looked to see him brighten considerably, reaching for the volume. "This is our song!"
With those four words the song was ruined for her forever, and her heart dropped into the center of the earth. She and Seeley didn't have a song. And there was only one other person he would have a song with. Hannah felt physically ill.
Seeley didn't notice. The volume was loud, pounding the vehicle, and he was screaming along at the top of his lungs. The smile on his face as he belted out the lyrics he knew so well; Hannah almost cried. She hadn't seen a smile that genuine since Seeley had last been with Parker.
Filled with anger, she turned off the radio violently, stabbing at the knob.
Seeley turned to her, bewildered. "What's wrong?" And he was concerned, truly, but Hannah didn't know if it was her reaction or the loss of the music.
"I don't like this song," Hannah grumped. She crossed her arms, and her legs, and pressed into the door as much as she could.
"It's a good song." Booth was frowning. No one hated a song that much.
"Well, I don't like it."
Seeley slowed down, pulling over to the side of the road. "Are you sure that's all?"
"NO! No, that's not all!" Hannah screeched, surprising herself. "It's your stupid partner!" She got a strange, sick thrill out of calling Temperance Brennan stupid.
"What's Bones got to do with anything?"
"And that stupid nickname!" Hannah vented. "You don't even have a nickname for me."
Seeley's lips moved, but no words came out.
"And that song? I adored Hot-Blooded. Absolutely adored it! But: 'it's our song'? Seeley, we don't have a song!" Hannah exclaimed, waving her arms wildly, as much as the confined space would allow.
"Hannah, a song is just a song."
"Usually," Hannah allowed, "but not with you. With you, everything means something. With you and her, every other word that comes out of your mouths is some inside joke that only you two know. I'm sick of feeling like a third wheel when I'm out with my boyfriend. I'm sick of coming in second to your work partner!"
"I had no idea," Booth murmured.
"Oh yes you did!" Hannah snapped, going at him again. "You aren't an idiot, Seeley, and you know that I'm not either. You had to know that I could still see that you loved her, that when she smiled, you couldn't look anywhere but at her. When she's talking, you won't interrupt, unless it's to move into the 'bickering' phase of the conversation, because you two are too perfect to full out 'argue'. You had to know about all the conversations I hear when I'm around her co-workers – "
"What did the squints say?" There was a threatening edge behind his voice. If this squints had anything to do with this outburst, so help them God, Booth couldn't help but think.
"Nothing but confirm what I already knew," Hannah wailed. "They wouldn't say it to my face, but I'm not deaf. I could hear the 'I don't know what she's doing here' and the 'I can't believe that Booth brought the rebound girl home'. I get it; you're in love with her." Tears formed in Hannah's eyes. "You love her like you could never love me."
"Hannah," Booth reached out to touch her arm, but she jerked back, "I do love you. I don't consider you the rebound girl."
"I am the rebound girl. Don't think I don't know the story; you confess your love, and she rejects you, before you both head off to other ends of the earth. I was just an outlet for you. You were trying to forget her; you were trying not to worry about her, you were trying not to love her. You were trying so hard that you managed to convince yourself that you love me. And maybe you do, a little, on some level. But I'm not her. You can never love me like you are in love with her," softly, so softly that Booth almost missed it, Hannah whispered, "like she's in love with you."
"Bones doesn't love me," Booth couldn't help but exclaim.
"But she does," Hannah smiled sadly at him. "I was stupid to fall for you like I did. I should have seen that there was someone else. I should have known."
"There was nothing for you to know," Booth claimed.
"Just stop this game," Hannah's eyes flashed angrily for a moment. "I don't belong here. I know it, you know it. We should both just accept it. You love her, she loves you. I never should have tried to get in the middle of it."
"Are you breaking up with me?" Booth asked.
"There's nothing else for me to do. I'm sorry that I love you. I'm sorry that you tried so hard to make this work. Mostly, I'm sorry that I had to delay you two even more." Hannah let out a heavy sigh. "Just take me back, Seeley. I'll collect my things and go."
"Go where?" He wondered, but put the car in gear anyway.
"Far away. Like I said, I don't belong here. I miss my old job. Maybe there's still a place for me there."
"I don't want you to go."
"Because that's the kind of man you are," Hannah looked at him with admirable eyes. "This is better for both me and you. And her."
The drive back was silent, Booth chewing over everything she had said. In the end, he had to admit that she was right. He always had been, and always would be, in love with Bones. When she ran from him, he had run from her – straight to Hannah. The definition of a rebound girl.
Together, they walked up to his apartment. He sat at the kitchen table as she packed her things. It all fit perfectly into the few bags she had brought with her. When she was finished, she stood in front of him.
"I'm sorry," was all he could say. And he was. Booth was truly sorry for dragging her across the world for a failed relationship. He felt like he had deceived her. He didn't like the feeling.
"It was great while it lasted, but I also know when to let go." Hannah leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. She placed Brennan's sunglasses in front of him. "Give these back to her."
Hannah turned to leave, but Booth's voice stopped her.
"Why did you take the sunglasses?"
She faced him one last time. "I thought they would make me more like her. That way you would like me more." She put one bag over each shoulder, and walked out the sidewalk, to the cab that was waiting.
The driver put her bags in the trunk. He helped her into the back of the cab, before settling into the driver's seat. She gave him the address of the hotel she was going to be staying at.
"Do you mind if I listen to the radio?" He asked.
Yes, she did mind. She wanted silence. "Not at all."
Hot-Blooded began playing on the radio.
Hannah does not belong in Bones. That's just my opinion. I think that she should bow out gracefully before Angela kicks her out. I don't own Bones or the song 'Hot-Blooded'. I hoped you like it enough to review.
~DI4MGZ~