A/N: This is based on the promo for The Sin in the Sisterhood. I hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you thought!
Disclaimer: I don't own Bones.
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"You can love a lot of people in this world, but there is always one person you love the most," Booth said, his soft brown eyes meeting hers.
"I love many people in my life – Angela, Max -."
"No, I mean romantic love," Booth said cutting her off.
"So, you are saying that someone can love two people at once?" Bones asked cautiously.
"Yes, you can, but there is always someone you love the most, above everyone else," Booth replied in a low voice.
There was something in Booth's eyes that has been absent for many months, and for once, Temperance Brennan did not miss the subtext of his statement. She abruptly rose from her bar stool, nearly tripping.
"You can't say things like that to me, Booth! Not anymore!" she cried as tears began to well in her eyes.
Taken aback, Booth blubbered, "I'm sorry."
"Don't tell me that you can love two people at once!" she shouted.
"But you can and I do!" he replied.
After the words left his mouth, Booth felt unburdened of their weight. Finally, he'd spoken the truth, no matter how messy that might be.
"I never stopped loving you, Bones."
Bones shook her head violently, "But you said you were with someone now; that Hannah wasn't a consolation prize."
"I am with Hannah, because you traveled half way around the world to get away from me," Booth replied sadly.
"I – I needed some distance," Bones replied weakly.
"Distance," Booth snorted, "You never called. For seven months!"
"I told you; I only had access to a satellite phone for emergencies."
"Then, you could have written."
"I didn't have an address," Bones replied, knowing the excuse was flimsy at best.
"You know there are ways you could have gotten that address. I was following your lead on this one, Bones. I didn't hear from you, so I assumed you didn't want to hear from me."
"That wasn't true," Bones said quietly.
Booth watched as he could practically see the wheels in her mind turning; her anger renewed.
"I may have neglected to contact you during our time apart, but you told me that you were "that guy"; that you wanted us to have "30, 40, 50 years" together. Then, after a mere seven months apart, you fell in love with another woman!"
"I told you I had to move on," Booth said softly.
"You did more than move on," Bones replied, the tears in her eyes threatened to fall.
"You cut me out of your personal life. The only time you've been to my apartment was when I invited you and Hannah for dinner. This is only the second time since we've gotten back that we have had our traditional celebratory drinks after closing a case.
"I was hurt. I'm not saying I did the right thing, but you said you didn't want to be with me."
"I never said that!" Bones shouted.
By now, there wasn't a single ear in the bar that wasn't tuned into the presumed lover's quarrel.
Booth spluttered, trying to formulate a response. What did Bones mean she hadn't said that?
"I was wrong, Booth," Bones said, wiping away tears, "Hearts can break."
Before he could react, Bones was out the door.
"Well, aren't you going to follow her?" the bartender shouted.
Booth jumped out of his seat, knocking over the bar stool Bones had just vacated. When he got out the door, Bones was reaching for the door handle of a cab.
Booth reached for Bones' arm, "Please, Bones, please don't get in that cab. Don't runaway."
Bones looked over her shoulder at Booth and, after a moment's consideration, she released the door handle. Booth took her newly freed hand in his.
"Bones, I never ever wanted to hurt you. You're my best friend. No one knows me like you do, Bones – not Jared, not Cam, not Hannah. You know about my gambling problem, my abusive, alcoholic dad, my past as a sniper, and you don't judge me for it."
Bones said nothing, and Booth was grateful that she hadn't removed her hand from his grasp.
"Hannah isn't a consolation prize, but she's a poor man's Temperance Brennan."
"I don't know what that means. How is your financial status a factor in this?" Bones muttered.
Booth gently cupped Bones' face, "She's a stand in, and you are the standard."
Booth brushed away a tear rolling down Bones' cheek, "We aren't Dr. Eames and that pilot; we didn't miss our chance. Bones, tell me I didn't miss my chance."
Bones looked at Booth in awe. His warm brown eyes were clouded with tears.
"You're with Hannah," Bones began.
"No, I'm not going to make the same mistake twice. How you answer that question? It doesn't matter. I can't live a lie anymore. I don't want to," Booth said his voice trailing off.
Booth slowly removed his hands from Bones' face, "I am going to do what I should have done months ago.
Bones wasn't completely sure just exactly what that was, but she heard the finality in his statement.
"I don't want Hannah to get hurt."
"Neither do I, but I have to do this."
Bones nodded, not sure how to respond.
"Let me give you a ride home," Booth said softly.
Bones shook her head, "I'll just take a cab."
A few minutes later, for the third time in his life, Booth watched the woman he loved drive away, her palm pressed against the cool glass of the taxi's windshield.
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Two hours later, Booth stood outside Bones' apartment. He didn't have flowers, chocolates, or any of the other gifts a prospective lover might offer, only a hopeful heart.
When Bones heard the knock at the door, she knew it could be only one person. Before rising from the sofa to let Booth in, she steeled herself against the possibility that he'd decided not to trade in a sure thing for a gamble. Bones unlocked the deadbolt and turned the door knob to find the expected guest on the other side of the door.
"Come in," Bones said softly.
Instinctively, Booth took a seat on the couch, unaware that she'd remained standing.
"Hannah's gone. She's going back to Afghanistan, I think."
"I'm sorry," Bones said, not knowing what else to say.
"No, I'm sorry, Bones. Hearing you say that I broke your heart, Bones, that was worse than when you told me you couldn't give us a shot. I waited for years for the right time, the right moment then I acted like a teenaged boy on prom night."
"I don't know what that means."
"It means I rushed you. And when you weren't ready, I skulked off like a wounded animal. I'm sorry that I was impatient. What we have and what we could have; it's worth waiting for -."
"Booth," Bones interrupted.
"Yeah, Bones?"
"I would like to give you my answer to your previous question."
Booth's eyes widened expectantly, and he looked intently into the blue eyes of he woman he'd fallen in love with long ago.
"You didn't miss your chance. We didn't miss our chance, Booth."
Tears of joy pricked at his eyes, and Booth leapt from the couch. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling Bones' body flush against his.
Later, they would share a kiss, a bed, and a life, but tonight, they shared a moment – their moment.
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