Wow! I am absolutely floored by the response to this story. I had soooo many favorite story's, story alert's, and reviews that it took up most of my inbox! I am incredibly happy you guy's like the first chapter so much, because I am really enjoying writing this.
Most of you said it was either Booth, Cam, Hannah, or Sweets that was lurking in the shadows, and you are about to find out! So to those of you who guessed correctly, congratulations!
Now on with the show!
Hannah Burley was no home-wrecker. She was not the type of woman to move in or try to steal other women's men. It just wasn't her. So when she heard Temperance Brennan telling Angela how she really felt about Booth, she knew she had became that woman, the rebound girl. Something happened between Booth and Brennan that she didn't know about yet. But she knew it had to have been bad for them to leave each other for 7 months, and for Brennan to have said "I made a huge mistake."
She knew once she arrived that she was an intruder, an outsider, but she stuck around for Booth, because she loved him. But as the months went on, she began to see that Seeley Booth wasn't hers' to love. That his heart already belonged to someone, and that woman was Temperance Brennan.
Hannah unlocked the door to her and Booth's apartment and entered. Booth was sitting on the couch watching the Phillies game.
"Hey babe. Where have you been all night?" Booth asked, standing up and greeting his girlfriend with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"Around. Honey, sit down." she said in a serious tone.
Booth could easily tell something was wrong. "Hannah, what's the matter?"
"Just…sit down. Please."
Booth turned around and sat back down on the couch, as she sat beside him. She sighed, tears starting to fill her eyes due to what she was about to do.
"Han, are you crying?" Booth asked, reaching to wipe the tears away.
She stopped him, grabbed his hand, and held it.
"I love you." she started.
"I love y…"
"No. Stop. Let me talk, please?"
Booth nodded. He knew something bad was going to happen. He had been through this before. Hannah was about to break up with him and held his breath for what was about to come.
"I love you. These past 10 or 11 months have been….amazing, anything I could've ever asked for. Our time in Afghanistan was great, made it easier being there. But when we got here, I…I realized I should have stayed there."
"Hannah, why?" he interrupted, confused as ever.
"Stop interrupting!" she shouted.
Booth jumped at her sudden outburst.
"Sorry." she whispered. "As I was saying. I shouldn't have came here. Don't get me wrong, I have loved spending every day and night with you for the past 5 months here but…you know as well as I do that…this was never going to be a life time thing. You're in love with Dr. Brennan."
"What?" he exclaimed, completely taken aback by what she just said. "Hannah, no I'm not. I love you."
"What happened between you guy's?" she asked, stopping his soon-to-be rant on how he didn't love Brennan.
"What do you mean?" he asked, avoiding the answer.
"What happened between you guy's Seeley? I know something happened because two best friends and partners don't just go to opposite ends of the world just to have a change of scenery. So I'm asking, what happened?"
Booth took a deep breath. He knew one day he would have to share his former rejection with her, but he didn't think it would be this soon.
"She rejected me." he whispered. "About a month or so before I went to Afghanistan, I asked Bones to give us a chance. She said no, that she couldn't change, and she didn't have an open heart like me. I told her I knew from the very beginning and that I wanted to be with her for 30, 40, or 50 years. She said no. So I told her I had to move on. And I did."
"Did you tell her you loved her?" she asked.
"What? Of course I….shit." he whispered.
"What Seeley?"
"I…I never told her I loved her. I just told her I knew and wanted to give us a shot. I never said I love you."
"Seems to me you didn't fight for her hard enough, which I don't understand. Because the Seeley I know, wouldn't have let her say no. He would've fought and proved to her that she did have an open heart, not just back down and say okay."
"Well I was heart- broken! Okay? I have been in love with her for almost 7 years and…she just took my heart, and ripped it out. And then she just leaves! Without even asking me first!"
Hannah heard his word's loud and clear and realized that her theory was just proved right. He didn't say "I used to be in love with her." or "I was in love with her for almost 7 years." He said, "I have been in love with her." meaning he still was, and probably always will be.
"Did you ever ask her to change? Did you ever tell her that she didn't need to? That you loved her just the way she was? Maybe that would've helped. Because maybe, she would've told you that she loved you, instead of Angela."
"What are you talking about?" he asked confused.
"I stopped by the Jeffersonian to ask Temperance if she wanted to have a girl's night out sometime, since it seemed like she hasn't been around forever. But when I arrived, the door was cracked, and I heard two people talking, Temperance and Angela, and Temperance is hurting, Seeley. She said she loves you and that she made a huge mistake, which I now figure she is referring to your rejection, and that she's going to have to watch the man she loves love someone else."
"She said that?" Booth asked, surprised.
Brennan never expressed her feelings like that. Had she really been that upset these past 5 months without him realizing?
"Yes. And…I don't want to stand in the way of your guy's love story any longer. I know when to bow out gracefully."
Booth put his head down and sighed.
"I'm so sorry Hannah. I..I do love you. With all my heart."
Hannah nodded. "But your heart is no longer your's to give. Somebody already has it, and it's not me."
Booth squeezed her hand and reached over, kissing her on the cheek.
"Thank you Hannah, so much."
"I'll have my things gone by tomorrow afternoon, and tonight I'll stay at a hotel." she said, standing up.
"You don't have to do that Hannah. You're more than welcome to stay in the guest room." Booth said, as he stood up as well.
Hannah raised a finger and shook her head.
"Don't mess this up Seeley." were her final words, as she grabbed her purse and exited their, his, apartment.
"I won't." he said to himself.
Hope you guy's were pleased with the mystery eavesdropper and the break up. I surely hope I didn't dissapoint. Now please let me know what you thought by leaving a short, or a long (rather preferred) review. Thanks!
