Chapter Four: Better Sorry Than Safe

Booth could feel the cold water slush in his shoes with every icy step he took; but after walking the streets of DC for the last three hours a few more drops of water wouldn't hurt. The tears were the ones that were cutting like a knife. As much as he had assured himself over the years that he knew her better than anyone else, these last few hours were proof he barely even knew himself.

He loved her, he had always known that to be true, yet the second his partner disappeared into the moonlit streets he knew that it would take more than a heartfelt apology and a smile to mend all the bridges that had shattered. He had broken the small piece of hope she had left. He had always put her wellbeing before his own but in one split second that had all changed and now all was left was regret and shame.

As he walked back into the dark bar, destroyed and broken, the bitter smell of defeat hit him like a ton of bricks. She had returned, just as he had, but as his eyes slowly narrowed on the shaking figure before him he knew she was missing much more than just the heart he had ripped from her grasp hours before. He had killed every ounce of humanity she had left.

With every step he took he could feel the slight tremble his mere presence had caused. The strong stench of liquor was so overpowering he gasped as he closed the small space between them. He could feel his heart rip to shreds with every second of silence, but this was something he needed to do. He had to face all that he had done, the destruction a few utterances had caused.

"Leave. Me. Alone." Brennan hissed, refusing to even flinch against Booth's outstretched palm.

"But Bones…"

"You lost your chance." The woman growled as she slowly swirled around her stool. "You fucking left me with no other choice, Booth. I gave you my heart just to have you destroy it. I thought we were a family, Booth, not just a fling until that pretty little face walked back into your life."

"Wait…" Booth stepped forward, closing the small space between his partner and himself, "What are you talking about?"

"Her. I saw you with her. The way you look at her while you are with me; how happy you are with her…" Brennan's voice broke as she began to trail off, lost in her own thoughts.

"Who, Bones, who?" Booth's voice cut the dreaded silence, "Damnit Bones, what more do you want from me? It's over with Hannah. She dumped me, kicked me to the curb. I shouldn't have taken it out on you but…"

"No." Brennan growled as she shoved her partner's chest, "No. No. No. I just can't…" Brennan slurred as her world slowly began to fade to black.

"Bones… Bones…" Booth called but as he felt her body go limp in his arms, he knew words would not be enough anymore.