"No, I'm fine. Alone. Thanks."

Those words absolutely crushed him. He didn't know what to do. Why did Hannah have to come back tonight? Why couldn't she stay away for just one more night? He wanted to take Bones home and comfort her; he wanted to be there for her like he promised her he would. He didn't want her to suffer alone. She's had to suffer alone for long enough. For the first time since Hannah had come to live with him, he wished she had just stayed away.

Booth was trying to stay focused on the road with the heavy downpour but Brennan's sudden declaration of her feelings for him made it very hard to do so. He knew that no matter how he could've said it, she was going to be hurt. He couldn't leave Hannah. Not now. He loved her and he was sure she loved him back. He wasn't that guy. He had to do Hannah right and as much as he hated it, he had to tell Bones that he couldn't leave Hannah for her. But why did she have to choose now to tell him this? Couldn't she have told him when they were outside the FBI building those many months ago? Why did she have to wait 8 months later after he found Hannah and was trying to be happy with her?

The conversation was on replay in his head, as he was sure it was in hers too. They sat there in an understood silence as both of them relived the conversation over again.

"Maybe you just need a couple days off." Booth said understanding this case took a toll on his partner.

"I'm alright now. Except I…I made a mistake." She said.

"I told you my opinion. You got it right."

"Not everything. She died with regrets." He didn't know where she was going with this but he could tell it wouldn't be good.

"Come on Bones, everybody has regrets." Booth tried to reassure her but he could tell he was failing.

"I heard her, you know? Micah says that all we get are these, dim, staticky messages from the Universe."

"Who's this, uh, Micah guy?" Booth asked confused.

"The night watchman, he attends a lot of lectures. Anyway, the point is, she never gave him a chance."

"Micah?" He was definitely confused now.

"No, no, the helicopter pilot. He offered himself to her, but she never gave him a chance. That was her regret. I got the signal Booth. I don't wanna have any regrets."

Booth didn't know what to say. He didn't want to hurt her. He'd rather die than hurt her. But he had to tell her the truth.

"Ya know I'm with someone, Bones. And uh, Hannah, she's not a consolation prize. I love her."

Brennan suddenly broke down and the sound of her crying made Booth break inside.

"Ya know the last thing I wanna do is hurt you, but those are the facts." Trying, and failing, to make it better.

"Yeah…I understand. I missed my chance. My whole world turned upside down. I can adjust."

"I did." He hated this so much. He wanted to make her feel better but didn't know how.

"Yes, you did."

"Do you want me to, uh, call someone to, uh, be with you?" Booth said regretting the fact that Hannah was coming home tonight.

"No, I'm fine. Alone. Thanks."

Those last few words would forever be burned in his brain. They just kept repeating themselves again and again. He could barely keep his eyes on the road, especially in the condition she was in. He wanted so much to just envelope her in a hug. He wanted to take all her fears and problems away. But to do that he would have to take himself away and he couldn't do that. Not to himself and especially not her. Not after she opened so much of herself up to him.

The last words Brennan spoke to him were on their hundredth time loop when he pulled up to her apartment. He shut the car off and they both just sat there not knowing what to do. He looked up just in time to see a silent tear slide down her face. He reached up and brushed it away and pulled her into another one his "guy hugs." He sat there holding her and she silently continued to cry. He would give anything to just go upstairs with her but he knew Hannah was home waiting for him. He pulled away and looked at her.

"Everything's going to be okay, Temperance. I promise. It will all be okay. Trust me."

He knew that she trusted him with her life but he needed her to trust him now more than anything. He needed that reassurance.

"I trust you Booth."

And with that, she climbed out of the car, into the pouring rain and walked up the sidewalk into her apartment building. Alone.