NO, no…No, this could not be happening. Booth stormed up the steps outside the Jeffersonian. He'd heard she'd…he couldn't even say it until he saw for himself. Saw what he prayed wasn't true. No, this could not…no. He didn't even want to think it.

He stormed through the lab toward her office, and…sure enough, it was dark, closed, abandoned.

"NO!" He pounded on the window and pressed his forehead against it, trying to look inside, trying to catch a glimpse, anything, that would clue him in onto how she could do this to him, to HIM, after all this time.

"You" he barked to the closest security guard, "open this door."

The guard paused for a moment, long enough for Booth to pull out his badge and his gun.
"Do I need to repeat myself?"
"No sir." The guard moved to unlock the door.

Booth practically shoved him out of the way and raced toward her desk, pulling it open, sorting through files, searching for anything…his fists clenched.

"Booth…what are you doing?" Cam entered the office. "Booth calm down."
"Calm down, CALM DOWN!?" He pulled another drawer completely from her desk and dumped the contents on the floor.

"Booth! Stop. Stop…doing this isn't going to bring her back. Stop."

He froze and placed his hands over his face, blindly moving toward the couch. Once he got there, he laid on his back, with one arm over his face.

"So, it's true, then." He stated.

Cam was silent, but he knew that meant agreement. "Are you really that surprised?" She finally spoke.

He laughed, but there was no humor in it. "I don't know. I mean, three and a half years! Years I've been with her, partners. I've helped her deal with this, this idea of being left behind, and I can't…I can't believe she's done this to me. She's gone."

Cam walked out of the office, but returned a moment later with an envelope. She handed it to him, and he opened it.

"Booth,

If you're reading this, I'm gone, I guess. Please don't come after me. This is something I had to do, and…well,

Goodbye,

Brennan

No…no, no…no. He looked at Cam.

"She gave this to you?"
"Yes, she said to give it to you when I saw you."
"You couldn't have called me?"
"She made me promise not to, or she wouldn't leave the note."

He stood there.

She placed her hand on his arm.

"Is it bad?"

He shook her hand off, and turned to face the wall.

"Do you know where she is?" He asked quietly.

"No, Booth. I don't. She came into my office and told me she was leaving. I asked her if she'd told you, and she handed me the note. I'm sorry. I know how hard this is for you."



He stormed out of the office and up to the lab table.

"You." He pointed at Angela. "You know where she is."
"Of course."
Booth paused. "Of course?" He'd just been threatening.

"I'm the best friend, of course I know where she is."

Booth growled, "Tell me."

"Uh, huh, not happening, buster…Booth, come on, is it really that bad?"
"Yes…yes! She left me. After almost four years of me sticking by her, she turns around and leaves me…like this? I don't know…just tell me where she is. And don't even think about pleading the first amendment, that's not going to work with me."
"Booth, I promised I wouldn't tell."

His eyes narrowed and he turned toward Hodgins.

"You know." He walked toward him.

"Dude, wait, you're totally putting me in a tough spot here."

Booth moved closer, menacing, his fists clenching and releasing repeatedly.

"I just need to know if it's true…is she gone?"
"Yes, Booth, it's true." Hodgins looked to his wife for support.

"Booth, it's true." Angela told him, placing a comforting hand on his arm. "I'm so sorry."

Booth slumped against the table, his mind finally acknowledging what his heart had suspected. "I just…I can't believe it, you know? I mean…yeah, in the past few years, I've thought about doing this, but I didn't, you know? I stayed."

"I know, Booth."

"You couldn't have stopped her?"
"Booth, don't you think I tried?" Angela moved beside him, motioning for Hodgins to do the same on the other side. "But, you know how she is…once she has an idea in her head, it's hard to dissuade her."

Booth shook his head. "So, that's it then, she really left me. She…she…went on vacation."