Careless Whisper

by Alex Doggett

Booth is given an assignment that causes him to lose Brennan.

-1Title: Careless Whisper

Summary: Booth is given an assignment that causes him to lose Brennan. What did he do?

Warnings: Slight language, Tissue usage, and Sully alert

Disclaimer: I am not Hart Hanson. This is the single most depressing sentence any Bones fan can say, but it is true. Therefore, Bones? Not mine. I own only the kind barista.

A/N: Okay, I'm warning you now. This isn't a happy ending story. The song is 'Careless Whisper' by George Michael. I took out a few things to make the story slightly shorter.

You want answers?
I want the truth!
You can't handle the truth!

Jessep and Kafee, A Few Good Men

Brennan stood staring her friend, love, and partner in the eye, trying to stop the tears from falling.

"Tell me it's not true Booth. Tell me you didn't."

Booth stared her straight in the eye. The look she was giving him made him want to cry, and it hurt him more than anything that he had caused it. But he wouldn't let himself cry, because he didn't deserve the comfort of finally letting go after what he had done to her.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, and the words hung in the air. They both knew this was it. This was how it all ended.

Time can never mend the careless whispers of a good friend
To the heart and mind, ignorance is kind

Series of flashbacks

Booth ran his hand down her shoulders, exploring her for the first time. He kissed her lips gently, as though handling her too roughly would cause her to break. "I love you Temperance." He whispered.

B&B&B&B&B&B

"Hi, my name's Lainey." She smiled at him. "Lainey Rayne."

"Seeley Booth." He greeted, flashing her a charm smile.

B&B&B&B&B&B

"Booth, I need you to get this info off of that girl. I don't care how you do it, just do it!" Cullen demanded. "The faster we get a confession out of her, the faster we can get her in jail, where she belongs! I swear, if I don't have that woman in court by the end of the week, I'll assign a new agent to the Jeffersonian!"

"Yes sir." Booth said, already knowing the only way he'd ever get information out of Lainey Rayne.

B&B&B&B&B&B

"I'm gonna be late at work. Don't wait up." He lied over the phone to his girlfriend, almost feeling so guilty he couldn't go through with this.

Almost.

B&B&B&B&B&B

Booth threw back his head and downed the shot. What was happening to him? In the last week he'd lied several times to his girlfriend to be with a girl in a way said girlfriend would never approve of, to get information that shouldn't be important enough for him to risk his relationship with Temperance for. And the worst part? Today, he'd felt it. That rush of adrenaline that comes from doing something you know you shouldn't, and getting away with it. And he felt sick from it.

What kind of man did it make him if he enjoyed cheating on his girlfriend?

B&B&B&B&B&B

"Where have you been?!" Temperance asked for what seemed to be the hundredth time this week.

"I've been at work, I told you. God Bones, what do you want from me?!" She felt a pang of sorrow when he called her Bones, instead of Temperance. He hadn't called her Bones in months. But she refused to show any emotion.

"What do I want from you?! You know what I want? I want you to force me to eat my lunch! I want you to walk into my office and take me out into the field. For once, I'd like to go to sleep with you next to me! I want to know that this" She held up the engagement ring on her finger "Actually means something. But you know what I'd really love Booth? God, I want you to look me in the eye and tell me you haven't been sleeping with the same girl I'm trying for murder! I just want the goddamn truth Booth! So tell me, please Booth, just tell me the truth. Tell me and I'll believe you." She was nearly begging.

And for once, Booth had nothing to comfort her with.

End series of Flashbacks

there's no comfort in the truth
pain is all you'll find

"You know Ange, I wonder… if I hadn't called him on it, if I had just let it go… if he would have stopped. If we'd be alright now."

Angela looked at her friend sadly. "You shouldn't beat yourself up about this. He's not worth it."

Brennan looked at her friend. "You're right. It's just… I trusted him."

Should've known better

1 MONTH LATER

Brennan put on a fake smile and walked to her position at the altar. It was Angela and Jack's second wedding. They'd recently had Angela's old marriage annulled, and now were getting married properly.

Zack was the best man this time. Booth was at the wedding as well (Hodgins and Angela had invited him to watch out of courtesy, but Angela refused to give him a part in the wedding) , and Brennan could see him standing there in his tux. She avoided eye contact with him all through the wedding.

Finally though, she could avoid him no longer. He went up to her and smiled sadly.

"Temperance…"

"Don't Booth." She said, her voice cold and showing no emotion.

Though it was what she had said, her mind was pleading with him to stay. To force her to talk to him and get this worked out. To make her listen to his explanation and let him whisk her away to happiness.

He stood her up and dragged her out into the hall. He found an empty room and lead her into it, all the while ignoring her protests.

"Just let me explain…" He began.

"Explain what? How good it felt to fuck her?! How easily she made me slip from your mind? Some sick reason for how I just didn't matter anymore? Because I don't want to hear it Booth! I-" He cut her off with his lips on hers. Shocked, she nearly pulled away, then kissed him. All the pent up passion came pouring out.

Then she remembered. He had cheated on her. And she couldn't forgive him. She pulled away and tried to slap him, but he easily caught it.

"Temperance, listen to me. Give me five minutes, and if you still don't want to forgive me, I'll drop it. I'll never bring it up again." Brennan looked him in the eye and saw the pain, the desperation in them.

"Five minutes." She said.

"Okay, first I want to tell you. I love you Tempe. And that isn't going to change. I'm not telling you that so that you'll be swept off your feet, I'm just making sure you know. Bones, I… Cullen- it was." He sighed, frustrated. "I'm not explaining this right. Cullen had me get some information off of this girl. She- the only way for me to get her to trust me was to sleep with her. I swear, it meant nothing."

"Five minutes is up." She said. He nodded.

"Booth." He stopped as he heard his name. Hand on the doorknob, he turned around.

"Did you get the information you needed?" She asked. He nodded.

"He'd threatened to split us Bones. At the time, our partnership was the most important thing in the world to me."

"At the time?" She asked. He looked her in the eye and saw the misunderstanding there.

"Now, the most important thing to me is you, and you being happy." He said. "That's why I resigned."

Brennan looked panicked. "You what?! Why?!" She asked, the desperation and panic obvious in her voice.

"I thought you didn't want me."

"Booth, I… I need you. I don't want to but… please, don't leave." She was in tears now, and Booth felt his heart break.

"I'm sorry Bones. I have to." he said.

"W-When?" She asked after a few moments' hesitation.

"Tomorrow."

She nodded and he left.

An hour later, the majority of people had left. There were a few of Hodgins' college buddies left at the bar, one of Ange's cousins was still on the dance floor, and then there was Booth and Brennan, unwilling to leave knowing that this would be the last night they were truly with each other.

Brennan walked up to him and they wordlessly went on the dance floor.

I feel so unsure
as I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor

Brennan put her head on his chest as they swayed to the music. She took in every detail, the smell of his cologne, the definition in his biceps…

Eventually they were the only two left, other than the band. When the band too left, Booth looked into her eyes and saw the sadness, the betrayal there. He was instantly reminded that he had a plane to catch tomorrow.

as the music dies, something in your eyes
calls to mind the silver screen
and all its sad good-byes

TWO WEEKS LATER

Brennan hadn't left the lab at all since he'd left. Hodgins and Angela had recently come back from their honeymoon, and Ange had been trying to get Brennan out of the lab. Every night she'd stop by the lab and remind Brennan of the time, just in case today was the day she'd leave. But every time she'd just nod and say goodnight to Ange.

Friday nights Ange would spend about twenty minutes trying to drag Brennan to a club, but Brennan refused to go. She was never in the mood to dance.

I'm never gonna dance again

MEANWHILE

Booth sighed as he threw his suit jacket on the back of a chair and his keys on the table. He looked around the apartment. He knew why he'd chosen this one, it looked exactly like hers. The apartment where he'd spent many a night eating Wong Foos and talking with the love of his life.

He hadn't been on a date since he left D.C. He felt too guilty about Temperance, and he could still recall the betrayal that had been seen in her eyes as he left the wedding, effectively leaving her just like every other man in her life had.

He'd had several calls from Angela, who had left a message every time saying something to the effect of 'Brennan needs you sweetie, she misses you. We all do. So please call me back when you get this!' Hodgins had called twice, once leaving the message 'Dude, Angela made me call you. Just call her back, please? Her and Dr. B haven't been the same since you left. None of us have. I doubt Dr. Brennan has even left the lab since you left.'

But he hadn't gotten a call from her. Not a text message. Not even a freaking e-mail. She hadn't even seen him onto the plane.

But he couldn't blame her. He had done what he swore to her he'd never do. He left her. And that was unforgivable. He wouldn't be surprised if he never heard from her again, it was just how she was.

guilty feet have got no rhythm
though it's easy to pretend
I know you're not a fool

Neither wanted to admit it, but they knew that they couldn't deal without the other. They depended too much upon each other.

For the third time that day, twelfth time that week, and twenty-fifth time since he'd arrived in Boston, Booth cursed himself for letting her down. He knew she didn't let many into her heart, but she had let him in and he'd broken it. Broken her. He never should have taken that damn assignment.

Should've known better than to cheat a friend
and waste the chance that I've been given

So I'm never gonna dance again
the way I danced with you

FLASHBACK; NIGHT BEFORE BOOTH LEFT

The music had stopped. The band had left. Yet neither were willing to let go, leave the dance floor. Finally, Booth said "I need to get home." Brennan held tighter to him.

"Come to my apartment." He just couldn't bring himself to deny her one more thing. He'd hurt her so many times.

"Okay."

Once there, Brennan kissed him, hard. Booth kissed her back with equal passion, and they both ended up in the bedroom.

It was eight am. He knew he had to leave if he had any hopes of catching his plane, but he didn't want to. He looked into her eyes and was lost. They were filled with sadness. He hugged her.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

"So am I." She whispered back. As he left, he pressed something into her palm.

Time can never mend
the careless whispers of a good friend

When he was gone, she opened her hand and looked down. It was his Saint Christopher medallion. Crying, she put it on, carefully hiding it behind her normal chunky necklace.

Maybe she would have been happier never knowing what had happened. Maybe she shouldn't have asked him if it was true. Because she thought she wanted the truth. But the truth was, the honest hurt like hell.

to the heart and mind
ignorance is kind
there's no comfort in the truth
pain is all you'll find

PRESENT TIME

Booth sighed. His buddy had dragged him out to a club, and a total of twelve women had asked him to dance. Twelve had been turned down. He just couldn't dance tonight.

Never without your love

"Bren, come on. Just come one time? Please Bren, I'm begging you. It's not healthy to be pent up in here with the dead bodies all day." Angela pleaded. "One night out? Please?"

Brennan sighed. She didn't have the energy to argue. She grabbed her coat and allowed herself to be led out by her friend.

Brennan spent the entire time sitting at the bar, downing shot after shot, unaware that her ex partner was doing the same somewhere out there.

Tonight the music seems so loud

I wish that we could lose this crowd

Booth sighed as he finally got pushed onto the dance floor by one of his 'buddies'. A real friend would just leave him be and let him get drunk enough to forget her. For one day of his life, just let her go.

Maybe it's better now that he's gone. Brennan thought. Maybe now I can begin to get over him. But Brennan knew that wasn't true. It had been over a month since Booth had left. If she was going to ever get over him, she would have at least started to do so.

Maybe it's better this way
We'd hurt each other with the things we'd want to say

"We'd just fit, you know? We made sense. Like Scully and Mulder, or peanut butter and jelly. We could have been a forever kind of thing, you know? But we were, for a time. Then I went and screwed it all to hell…" Booth ranted drunkenly to the barista, who sat listening intently. She'd heard many a story working here, but never any quite like this. "Love sucks." He declared. She smiled and gave him another shot.

We could have been so good together
We could have lived this dance forever

"Hey man, we're heading out. Need a ride?" Booth nodded and went to pay, but the bartender stopped him.

"This one's on the house. Lord knows you need it." Booth thanked him and his buddies led him off.

"Not gonna dance ever." Booth said as they put him in his bed, already half asleep. "Only wit her."

But no one's gonna dance with me

A YEAR LATER

Brennan reached into her pocket and pulled out her credit card, scanning it in. As she did, she caught sight of an all too familiar face. Booth. Hurrying, she jotted in the necessary information and walked out, jumping into her husband's SUV after packing the food in the trunk.

"Hey Tempe, what's wrong?" Her husband asked as she walked into her house, food in hand. Her husband placed their child back in his crib and helped her with the bags.

"I saw Booth." She said. His eyes widened slightly.

"Oh Tempe. What did he say?"

"I didn't talk to him. I walked out of the store before he saw me."

"But he's back?"

"I don't know." She shook her head.

Meanwhile, Booth had driven by after seeing his son. He had a plane back home the next day, but he was hoping to see Brennan before he left. Angela had given him the adress after several warnings to just go home. But he didn't listen. He needed to see her too badly.

(Now that you're gone) What I did's so wrong
that you had to leave me alone

When he got to her house, the first thing he saw was Bones, holding… a baby? Bones didn't want children. Then he saw her company. A face he knew well. The man kissed her, ruffling the child's thin head of hair.

"Sully. She's with Sully." He thought. "That's my punishment."

When he'd gone wrong over a year ago, he'd done it in hopes to insure he had some part of Brennan with him. And instead, he'd lost everything.

He backed out of her apartment and left the family alone, not having the heart to ruin her life again.

Fin

A/N: I told you it wasn't a happy ending. Please R&R!