It was Booth and Bones. That's how it had been for what seemed like forever. But now it wasn't. He hadn't been able to get to her. Booth had promised but he couldn't do it. He couldn't save the woman he loved, the mother of his child, his best friend.
In their last case, they had been investigating the murder of the US President. Bones told Booth she'd be back later, as she thought she had a lead. Five hours shed been gone when Cam finally let Booth go to find her. She was tied up on the floor of an abandoned shack. The same mark the president had been marked wit was now streaked across her beautiful face. Booth couldn't stop the tears rolling down his face as the realisation sunk in. His everything was gone. He couldn't bring her back. He'd failed to protect her after everything they'd been through, and after everything he'd promised her. He should have gone with her.
Booth was a dead man walking; Bones was what made him happy. He missed seeing her face first thing every morning. He missed the perfect sound of her laugh. The light that shone in her eyes when she smiled. He missed her creased forehead when he made a silly comment, as her genius brain worked to try and decipher what he meant. He missed her.
The funeral for her was unbearable. Angela was crying uncontrollably onto Hodgins' shoulder, who himself had several shiny tears rolling down his face. Their baby girl, Christine, sitting there with a grim look on her face. She was too young to understand what was happening. She had asked Booth that morning where her Mummy was, and if she'd be home soon. She cried as Booth tried to explain that she couldn't. Sometimes a girl just needs her Mum.
He kept it together until that night. He had their big bed all to himself and he spent the night smelling her pillow. It still smelled like his perfect Bones. He cried. He cried all night. He yearned for the loss of a part of him. He needed her back. After everything they'd been through it just wasn't fair.
The next day Angela and Hodgins took Christine and Michael out to the park so Booth could have some time alone. He got several phone calls from family, friends and workmates expressing their remorse for the loss of Dr. Brennan. He sat and read through her will. He read her neat handwriting and clutched her wedding ring in his other hand. It was a symbol of their partnership. They managed to stay together, even after killers went after them, wars, separation and fights. But this time evil had won. They had stolen Bones away from Booth, and Booth swore he'd get revenge.
That night when he dreamed, he dreamed of ones. He dreamed of what it felt like to have her near him. He dreamed of hearing her correct another of his errors. He always took that for granted, but now he'd give anything for her to correct him. To help him evolve, as she once said.
The next few months were a blur. Booth couldn't remember anything. The only thing getting him out of bed was Christine. But it hurt him to look at her. Every day she was starting to look more and more like her beautiful Mum did. She even had her laugh. It reminded Booth of Christmas. Of family.
It too time, but eventually Booth had to learn how to live without his partner. He gave up his job in the field to do paperwork. It kept his mind occupied, and hardly ever reminded him of her. This was how he liked it. It hurt him too much to think about Bones.
That's why he had to give up Christine. She was now living with Jared and his wife. Booth had gone back to gambling and drinking. It made him feel numb. He could no longer feel the pain. And he couldn't raise Christine like that. Bones would have wanted her with someone responsible, and Booth just wasn't that anymore. He tried. He had counselling from Sweets and many other specialists. But he felt like Bones was literally his other half, and couldn't live without that half of him.
He was a destroyed man. He learned to live, without really living. Nothing anyone did made him feel better. Nothing anyone said could make him forget the pain. It was a constant thing. He'd never find love again. Bones was it for him. His partner. His lover. His friend.