Hey everybody out there who has happened to stumbled or purposely found this fanfic. This is my second story for Bones although the first one was a one-shot. If you like the direction that this story is heading feel free to review,: D,and send any thoughts or comments. I'm not sure if this will remain a one shot or develop into story. Please send feedback if the latter is something you might be interested in. Thank-you! Oh and I don't own Bones, (obviously). And finally, to all those who have exams out there around this time... Good Luck/Bonne Chance! ~JesseniaRose~

Alone.

Temperance Brennan was alone again. He had told her, no, promised her that he would never betray her, but to her rejection might as well be equivalent to abandonment. She begrudgingly allowed a few lone tears trickle down her cheeks as she thought over his hear crushing statement to her before dropping her off. Hannah isn't a consolation prize. Those few words reverberated through her cranium as she slothfully dragged herself off the couch towards her rarely touched liquor cabinet. As much as she disagreed with alcohol use in time of pain or anger, her fifth foster father had taught her that, she couldn't help but allow herself some in times of immense hurt.

Quietly she scoffed at her musings. If anyone, even a world renowned doctor, had told her that she would be drowning her sorrows in liquor over a man, she would have ever so gently urged them to undergo a brain scan. After all, it had been almost five years since she had really had a good pity party and that had been when she had discovered her mother's bones in the Limbo off all places. And then there was Booth.

Booth saving her from the mentally unhinged stalker and eventually taking that bullet for her... And dying for two weeks... Two weeks... Surprisingly, she hadn't touched or done anything that would ease the pain. No painkillers, depressants, alcohol, or therapy. Instead, she bottled up her emotions and allowed them to harbour around the memory cells as she continued her daily tasks. Sweets had once hesitantly offered therapy but she had stonily told him off without voicing why. Why she didn't want psycho babble as Booth would say... Oh and yes, the baby duck would certainly have a field day with this if he ever got breeze of it... No... What was that word again? Wind Bones, wind. Brennan started, that voice had seemed so real. Hmm... Now she remembered why alcohol was always a bad alternative.

Ah... But back to the real question she thought idly as she slowly twirled her glass with her slightly shaking hands. Despite the many adjectives that people would cruelly mutter behind her back such as cold, heartless, and emotionless during those two weeks; they were really just antonyms. Admittedly she had compartmentalized but not to the point of ignorance... No, instead she had carefully placed them in her mind's eye and had quietly reminisced the happy nights at Wong Fu's, the occasional movie at his place and even the flashbacks to that one night...

The night that would be burned into her sub consciousness forever was even welcomed because she had experience with loss. When her parents had gone missing and she had been instructed to carry with her only the bare minimum, her pictures had been left behind and over time her parent's faces began to grow fuzzier and fuzzier. When she had first realized this transition she had broke down into a sobbing mess. Emotions rapidly overwhelmed both her and the foster parents who only fed her for the extra income. Two weeks later she was being moved again with the official label as a problem child. It was that drive away from the couple on the front porch that had finally made her realize that all relationships of any kind were bound to end...

With a sigh she shuffled to her feet and put the bottle away, slightly disgusted with her own weakness. As she headed to the washroom to brush her teeth she took a good look at herself. Who was this woman she had become? This woman that was reliant upon other's opinions? (Well at least Booth's she mused). After a few more seconds of staring, she turned on the taps and began to wash her face. She spent a long time with the water splashing her and she welcomed the almost cleansing sense that it provided. When she had finished she re-examined her mirrored image. Deliberately she forced herself to smile. It was time to stop living in the past. She knew what she had to do. She had to remind herself that she was the great world renowned Dr. Brennan, untouchable and... Hmm, perhaps a call to Angela would resolve that last pause. She knew that her friend would be undoubtedly eager to have some more girls bonding time especially with her pregnancy hormones raging in full swing.

Yes, that was exactly what she was going to do. It was time for Temp Brennan to stop be so dependent and reliant and remind herself just exactly how she had made it to the top from the lowest rung on the ladder. Now where was her cell phone? A few minutes of rummaging around led her to discover the phone under a pile of anthropology magazines. She quickly snatched and flipped it open.

Incoming call from Booth flashed her cell phone's bold words.

With her head cocked to one side and her eyes betraying a swirl of emotions, she calmly allowed it to ring its last before speed dialling Angela's number. For the first time that night she genuinely smiled as she heard friend's chipper voice even this late at night.

She took a deep breath before whispering, "Hey Ange."