Brennan's POV
"No! Angela, you know that I do not—"
"Uh-uh, Bren, you're not getting out of this. You made the bet, now it's time for you to pay up." Angela interrupted her.
Brennan sighed in frustration. She hadn't even known they actually had a bet.
I wish I had never made that stupid bet. But really, how was she supposed to know that the daughter had done it, without any physical evidence that it was so? All the evidence had pointed to the father at first. And here she'd thought that science and her brains would never fail her.
"Fine, I'll do it. You have to go wait over there." But she didn't have to be happy about it.
"That works for me," Angela replied. "But I'll be watching."
As Angela walked out of the office, Brennan almost decided to fake it. Then she realized that Angela would just check her call log on the damn cell phone and catch her and make her do something even more embarrassing. Turning on the radio to her favorite station, she made the call.
Booth's POV
Booth was driving around, listening to country heart break songs on his radio. He and Hannah had just had a talk and he was pretty sure that they were over. (A/N: FINALLY!) She had come back from work that day to tell him that she was leaving for Afghanistan in three days. Booth still couldn't believe it. Even more so, though, he couldn't believe that he had taken the out she'd given him.
**Flashback**
He was sitting on the couch, going over the paper work dealing with the case he and Bones had just solved. He'd known it was the daughter, but it had taken Bones quite awhile to find the necessary physical evidence. He looked up when he heard the sound of the door close.
"Hi Seeley!" Hannah said coming through the door. She sounded uncharacteristically nervous.
"Hey Hannah! How was work?" Booth asked. He figured that she would tell him what was wrong without prodding. She wasn't one to beat around the bush. She was blunt, just like Bones.
"It was good. Great actually." She looked at Booth, then continued, "Seeley, there's something that we need to talk about."
"What's wrong Hannah?" He smiled because he'd known that she wouldn't beat around the bush.
"I got offered my old job back, and I'm taking it." She said it matter-of-fact-ly. Booth's smile disappeared.
"What?" He must have heard her wrong.
"I'm leaving Seeley. I love you, and I want you to wait for me, but I can't guarantee how long I'll be gone or that I'll ever want to come back. I'll understand if you don't want to wait. I'm so sorry." She had tears in her eyes.
Booth wanted to cry out that he would wait for her, that he understood and supported her. He opened his mouth to do so and said,
"Hannah, I understand. And I love you too. I really do love you. But you're right. I won't wait; I can't. It's just not enough." Hannah didn't look surprised.
"Thank you Seeley. I know your heart was never truly mine." Then she walked over and kissed his cheek. Taking a step back, Booth said,
"I'll leave and let you pack. Do you want to stay here until you leave?" He would find somewhere else to stay.
"No. I'll pack tonight and then stay with a co-worker." She paused. "I really am sorry Seeley."
"I know," he replied. Then he turned and walked out the door.
** End Flashback**
They just finished playing Kenny Chesney's hit 'Anything But Mine', and Booth couldn't help but think of how fitting it was. He loved Hannah, but she wasn't his anymore, and it was hard to imagine her as anyone else's. He pondered again why he'd let her go. She was perfect; she was everything he could ask for. She was smart, strong, and independent; she was everything Bones was, but Hannah was willing to love. But no matter how much Hannah was like her, she just wasn't Bones. And that was the problem. That was why he had let her walk out of his life. Suddenly his attention was turned to the voice on the radio program.
"So, now we will take some calls. Hello, you're on the air."
"What do you mean 'on the air'? That is quite a silly statement."
He must be hearing things. He must have been thinking of her too much. That couldn't be his partner on the radio. The radio announcer laughed.
"And what is your name?" he asked.
"M-my name? Um, it's Bones. Yes, Bones. That's what he calls me." Now he knew he must be dreaming; maybe he'd fallen asleep at the wheel. But there was no doubt in his mind that this was Bones on the radio. Who else would say their name was Bones?
"Ah, I see. Bones. I like it. And why does he call you that?" The radio voice sounded amused.
"I honestly don't know." She sounded sad.
"So, what can I do for you Bones?"
"Well…I was wondering if you could play a song for me." It really was Bones. Only she would call a song request station and wonder if they would play her song request.
"Of course. What would you like to hear?"
"'I Told You So' by Carrie Underwood with Randy Travis?" she said, but it sounded more like a question.
"Sure. Any particular reason you want to hear this song? Any special meaning?"
"The words are significant. I want to call Bo—him, but I can't. The words are all correct, except I wouldn't ask what he would say, I already know. He shows me every day. I know that I deserve what he did to me, what he's doing to me; and I know what he deserves. He deserves to be loved, so I have to protect him from myself, you see. And I deserve to hear I told you so over and over and over. In a way, I do hear I told you so, every day when I see him. And even though he left me, metaphorically speaking of course, I still love him. I always have, and unfortunately, I think I always will. Unless I get over it like he did. So maybe there is hope for me yet…still, right now, it would be a relief to die. But I don't deserve the peace that would bring." She wasn't talking to the radio announcer anymore.
"Wow! That guy sounds like a tool. Sweetheart, you sound like a woman with a lot of heart. Don't count yourself out because you fell off the horse once. You just have to dust yourself off and get back on. No worries about anything sweetheart, we'll play your song, and you just go get over him. You deserve better."
"He really isn't…" she started to defend him, then decided against it. "Thank you."
Suppose I called you up tonight
And told you that I love you
And suppose I said I wanna come back home
What the hell did that mean? She loves me? Why was she on that show?
And suppose I cried and said I think I finally learned my lesson
She doesn't cry. She never cries. Did I make her cry? Oh my…
And I'm tired of spending all my time alone
She is lonely. How could I not see that? Of course she is.
If I told you that I realize you're all I ever wanted
And it's killin' me to be so far away
She had said that she wished she was dead, but that she didn't deserve even that. How could I drive her to that? How could I hurt her like that? How could I not see…how could I?
Would you tell me that you love me too
And would we cry together
Or would you simply laugh at me and say
I told you so
Oh, I told you so
I told you someday you'd come crawlin' back and askin' me to take you in
I told you so
But you had to go
Now I've found somebody new and you will never break my heart in two again
Does she really think that's what I would say to her? I still love you! I would say I love you too! But she didn't know that; she couldn't know that. He hadn't given her any reason to know that. Looking back, he realized that.
If I got down on my knees and told you I was yours forever
Would you get down on yours too and take my hand
Forever? She wants me forever? But she said no questions, so she doesn't think I'd want her. He sat silent and listened to the rest of the song.
Would we get that old time feelin'
Would we laugh and talk for hours
The way we did when our love first began
Would you tell me that you miss me too
And that you've been so lonely
And you've waited for the day that I returned
And we'd live in love forever
And that I'm your one and only
Or would you say the table's finally turned
Would you say I told you so
Oh, I told you so
I told you someday you'd come crawlin' back and askin' me to take you in
I told you so
But you had to go
Now I've found somebody new and you will never break my heart in two again
Now I've found someone new and you will never break my heart in two again
When he heard that last line, he could hardly breathe. That was what she really thought. He had shoved that idea in her face every day since they'd gotten back. He hated himself more than anything else in that moment. Before he knew what he was doing, he was sitting outside the Jeffersonian. He knew this was where she'd end up. She always came to work when she didn't want to face her emotions.
Sure enough, there was her car. He got out of the car and headed toward the building. He saw Angela exiting the building. She looked up and caught sight of him.
"She's inside Booth," Angela said.
"Thanks," he said.
"Look," she continued, "I'm not so sure you want to go in there right now. You know how she is when she cries. She kicked me out because she didn't want me to see that, but it might kill her to have you see it."
"I know," he said. "But I can't let her suffer alone."
"Right answer," Angela said with a smile. "Be careful with her. You have no idea what she's been through." Then she turned and walked to her car.
I think I do now, he thought. He turned and walked in, determined to help his Bones and let her know that he is in love with her.