A/N: Hi All I do not own Bones. That is Fox. I am just borrowing characters. Not my usual story but I am finding it cathartic :)

A Lesson in Futility

All I want is to sit here and drink, yet she walks in. She sits beside me and I feel angry. Why in the hell is she here.

"Drunk?"

"Relatively...more then usual." I laugh and down more of my drink.

"You sound something...Hannah called me." Of course she did.

"I am done and over it."

"What's next?" She means it innocently but it hits a nerve.

"You want evidence Bones? You always need evidence. I fell in love with a woman we have a kid and she doesn't want me and another and well that's...now Hannah and what is it with nobody wanting me. Can you tell me that Bones?" I look at her briefly and wave for another drink. "The mother of my son says no, you say no and Hannah said no." She opens her mouth to speak and I can see her struggling. "I don't want to hear it. I don't want to talk. I want to sit here and drink." I swirl the liquid in the glass. "This is what we are were partners and we solve cases. If you are my partner sit and drink with me. Otherwise leave and tomorrow I will find you a new FBI guy." I see her stiffen and I know I had gone too far. I took another sip of my drink and waited.

"Those are my only choices?" Her voice held a hope but I was in no mood for a discussion with her.

"Yeah Bones, those are your only choices." To my surprise she waved the bartender for a drink. She downed the shot.

"I am still your partner Booth. You don't want to talk, so listen instead." She downed another shot. "You have treated me like a stranger while you have been with her. I understood you were in a relationship, but I did not anticipate the detriment to our friendship." She paused and I could feel her eyes on me. "I will always be your partner and friend. Ultimatums and hostility toward me, I will not continue to deal with."

She's right. I have been an ass to her but at the moment I really don t care. She is still sitting here with me even though I know it hurts her. I nod and take another sip of my drink.

"Barkeep?" The bartender walks over with a smirk and I have a smile a bit too at that name she uses. She hands him a twenty. "Make sure he gets a cab." She stands up and walks around me to leave.

"Thanks Bones." I look up and give her a grateful nod. She walks back toward me and places a hand on my arm. Glass shatters and she gasps. There is a growing red stain on her chest. She wavers and I grab her. I pull her to the ground, out of view of the windows. She's shot and bleeding badly. It has to be Jacob, the shot was meant for me. I pull off my jacket pressing it to the wound. I pull out my cell and dial headquarters.

"This is Agent Seeley Booth, we have shots fired and an Agent down at Founding Fathers. Need an ambulance and backup." I hang up and focus on Bones. "Stay with me Bones." She is staring up at me and her eyes are unfocused. "Come on Bones, stay with me." I feel the tears on my eyes, god no...she can't die on me now. Her lips move and I can't hear her. "You stay awake! Her eyes flutter." I lean toward her. "Fight you are a fighter stay with me here."

"Love you..." I hear her whisper it and I see the tears fall from her eyes. She is giving up.

"No don't you do this. Stay with me!" I am crying now. Her eyes are open still staring up at me but there is no light in them. She is gone and I am damned.

End