"I made a mistake," Bones said.
It was pouring rain and the night was bitter cold. He found himself pondering why Bones was out late at night in a bad part of town. She was really taking this case personally, he thought. That made him more confused about it. Bones was hardly attached to her victims, but this particular one was really something. Sweets told him that Bones had compared her life to the victim's; they were so similar it seems.
He looked at her and stared straight into her eyes. "No, you got it right, " he replied, talking about the victim's death.
"No," she said, "not everything." He took his eyes quickly off the road and looked at her. Her eyes were filled with tears and her voice barely cracked. "She died with regrets, " she finished.
"Well," he started to say, "Bones, every one dies with regrets."
She started shaking her head, "I heard her."
He looked at her and saw in her eyes the sincerity. He was shocked, though, to hear those words come out of her mouth. It wasn't like Bones to act this way. At all.
She laughed.
"Micah says that all we get are these static-y messages from the universe," Bones continued.
"Wait," he interrupted, "who is Micah?" Suddenly wondering why she changed the subject.
"He's the night watchman at the Jeffersonian," she said, "but anyway, she didn't give him a chance."
"Who? Micah?" he found himself asking, a little dazed. "No," Bones said, "the helicopter pilot. He offered himself to her multiple times, but she never gave him a chance."
He felt her eyes piercing the side of his skull, as if she was waiting for him to comprehend what she was truly trying to say. "I got the signal Booth. I don't want to have any regrets," she finally said.
He realized that Bones was technically saying I love you to him; proclaiming her wish and love for him.
He had waited for her to say those words for a long time, even if it really wasn't exactly those three words.
He doesn't know what to say. He doesn't know what to feel. All these emotions started rushing up and down his body all of sudden. Finally, after a long pause, he stumbled with his words. "I'm with someone, Bones. And Hannah isn't this consolation price. I love her, " he said, his voice sounding sincere.
She started to cry. He felt like a dick for hurting her like that. "The last thing I want to do is hurt you," he found himself saying, "but that's the truth, Bones."
Yet, he began to doubt those words the minute he spat them out.
He sometimes wonder about being with Bones instead of Hannah. He then realized that he still harbored feelings for Bones. But he loved Hannah as well. The only thing different is that he moved on and finally found someone who wanted to be with him. He was tired of waiting for Bones, insisting that they keep a professional work relationship, even though he know Bones had a desire for him.
He wasn't going to spend the rest of his life waiting for someone who wouldn't come around. He had to move on.
But he didn't know what to do now.
"I know, " Bones said, "I've missed my chance. I understand."