Hey guys, I'm back after the weekend hiatus. Thanks for sticking with me on this. I'm going to update more frequently during the weekdays.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the TV series Bones. It is owned by Fox and Hansen. No infringement intended.

Personal Disclaimer: In my own Bones universe, that whole thing with Zach never happened, and he's right where he belongs, working at the lab.

Several days later, after working exhaustively on the same case, night and day, Brennan was once again in her office, this time clearing up some final paperwork. It was late and the lab was empty and quiet. All the lights were dark but for the ones lining the hallway and a few lamps in her office.

Brennan shut her eyes for a moment and stretched her neck, savoring the peace after a busy week. Her conversations with Booth had been short and sometimes terse. They did not need to work together very much on this case, and she had not seen him in person since she had first examined the body.

She thought about her conversation with Angela. Angela had such faith that she, Brennan, and Booth were right for each other. Brennan had no such faith. She didn't believe in people "belonging" together. Her experienced seemed to tell her that people felt things for each other, and if two people happened to love each other at the same time and managed to tell each other, they could build a relationship. She and Booth had missed their moment, she thought, and suddenly felt her heart constrict painfully.

Could it be as simple as that? Their feelings simply didn't align? If it was so simple, why did she feel so much pain? Why couldn't she forget?

Rational thought led her to the conclusion that she should try to forget as quickly as possible, that feelings were temporary, that bonds once made—however strong—could be broken. She simply needed to move on. Because Booth was very clear—he had moved on—from her.

The sound of familiar footsteps brought her back to real life. The pages in front of her swam somewhat. She blinked. She looked at the door and saw Booth walking toward her. She smiled at him, despite herself.

"Almost done there, Bones?" he asked briskly.

"Yes, I'm almost done," she said.

"Okay," he said looking at his watch, "we've still got an hour before the pub closes. Let's go." He clapped his hands. "I'll buy the first round." He walked back to the door and started to grab her jacket from the coat rack.

"I am going to pass, Booth," she said, trying to sound as nonchalant as she could manage. She was not a good actor. He turned to look at her.

"What do you mean, Bones? You never miss a victory drink."

"I'm really tired," she said, "I think I'll just go home." She gathered some work into a shoulder bag and picked up her jacket from the coat rack. He followed her out the door and then walked with her outside into the frosty night air. He felt wracked with guilt over what he had said to her in her office the previous week. He had been trying to make amends all week but nothing seemed to allay his guilt. And he feared that he had damaged his friendship with Bones permanently.

"You want a ride home at least, Bones?" he offered when they reached the base of the steps of the Jeffersonian.

"No, thanks," she said, "I have my car."

"Listen, Bones," he said, "I'm sorry about what I said. About you needing to move on. It was a really harsh thing to say, especially since… well… I know exactly what you're going through." It was a sincere apology and Brennan appreciated it. She nodded and said, "It's okay. I'm okay."

"Yeah," said Booth, "But it really wasn't nice. You never said anything like that to me when I…."

"It's okay, Booth," she said, sincerely, "It was the truth. You told me the truth, like you always do. And I…." She struggled to put her final thought into words. "I value that."

"Okay," he said, quietly. "I'll see you later then, Bones." He got into his SUV, which was parked outside the building, shut the door and watched Brennan walk toward the parking garage. Something had changed in the last few days. It was like he could actually feel Brennan peeling herself away from him. First she had closed him out emotionally, though she was rarely open as it was. Now she was pushing him out of her social life. He wondered how long it would be until she pushed him out of her life entirely.

It would be no less than I deserve, said a voice inside him he had been trying to ignore. I'm the one who told her to accept things the way they are. It would serve me right if she took my advice and forgot about me altogether.

Bones had disappeared into the parking garage. Booth gunned the SUV and drove home.

Brennan got into her hybrid and drove home in silence. She turned the lock in the key and stepped into her empty apartment. She walked to the bedroom, the sound of her heels on the tile floors echoing in the wide space. She changed into her pajamas and walked back to the kitchen. Surveying the refrigerator, she pulled out a few things. She composed a salad and sat at her dining table, eating and reading a newspaper. When the clocks read midnight, she shut out all the lights in the apartment and went to bed. Another day was done.

Next time: Brennan's in trouble and Booth comes to the rescue. A certain elevator spoiler gets an unexpected treatment. Plus Booth comfort—can he resist Brennan for much longer?