Seven Sins, Seven Virtues

Pride

His phone rang only once before he answered. He was waiting for Parker to call but it wasn't his son on the other end.

"Booth."

"Um, Booth?"

"Bones? What's wrong?"

Her voice was laden with tears and he could tell, even though he couldn't see her, she was struggling to hold in her sobs.

"Are you at home?"

"Yeah. Bones, are you okay?"

She ignored his question and asked her own, her own voice sounding childlike. "Can I come over?"

"Of course, Bones. Do you need a ride?"

"No, I'm almost there."

"Okay. Door's open."

They hung up and he began to pace. Something was wrong and it scared him. If it had anything to do with Archer, the doctor was a dead man. Minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

"Bones, you don't have to knock. What's wrong?"

Her eyes were red from crying. Mascara had streaked down her cheeks. The tissues she held in her hand were falling apart. Booth wondered if she had been able to see out the window while she was driving. She didn't say anything, only lunged herself toward him. He hugged her and let her cry, not caring how much makeup she left behind on his shirt. It felt good to have her in his arms, even if the reason she was there in the first place was messed up.

"Shh, it's alright, Bones. I gotcha. It's okay." Like he had done it for years, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, hoping to soothe her. She said nothing and cried into his shoulder some more. Booth nudged the door with his foot, closing it, not wanting to let his neighbors spy on them. "Come on, let's go sit down." He guided her to the couch and sat close to her. "Do you want to talk?" She shook her head. "Do you want a beer?"

"Scotch?" she requested.

"Scotch it is." He disappeared for a moment into the kitchen and brought back two glasses and the bottle. He poured quickly and the moment he had finished pouring one glass, she took it and drained it. Booth was somewhat shocked. It had been a long time since he had seen her like this and it scared him a little. He was scared there was something wrong and he wouldn't know how to fix it. He took a drink from his glass and set the bottle back down. When she realized he wasn't going to pour her more anytime soon, she grabbed the bottle and poured more for herself. Again, she emptied her glass, but this time, instead of pouring more, she sat back on the couch.

"Bones, what's wrong? I'm going to keep asking until you tell me so you might as well just spill it."

"Archer and I had a fight…if you could even call it a fight."

"Bones, I'm sorry."

"He doesn't understand the pressure I'm under. These cases…it's completely different when kids are involved. These children are killed for no reason!"

Booth moved closer to her and put an arm around her. She leaned into his embrace and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

"Bones, people who aren't in our line of work don't understand. It's hard to explain what we go through to catch these guys. Anyone not in our shoes can't know what it feels like to work cases like these. I know Archer has it rough, working with sick kids, but he at least has a chance to see them become healthy again. We don't get that chance. We can't bring these kids back."

"Archer thinks it's easier for us because we never knew these children while they were alive. He sees children die of cancers that have progressed too far or that are extremely rare and he watches families fall apart because of it. But we see it too, Booth! We have to tell people that their child is dead! I hate it, Booth."

"I do too, Bones. It's not fair that murder even exists, but if it didn't, we wouldn't know each other," he told her, trying to make her smile, "and I'm really glad I know you, Bones."

Bones attempted a smile and it was all he could ask for. She poured a full glass of scotch and drank it without hesitation. "I'm glad I have you, Booth. You're a good friend. I'm sorry I got makeup all over you."

Booth looked down at his shirt and shrugged. "It'll wash."

"Do you we'll be okay? Archer and I? Do you think we could work this out?"

He didn't answer. He wanted to tell her exactly what he thought about her boyfriend, but he bit his tongue and said nothing.

They sat their silently for a while. "I should go," she finally said. Booth stood she did and she grabbed her keys but stopped when he spoke.

"Where are you going?"

"My apartment. Or, I suppose, my dad's."

"Bones, it's late and you've been drinking. I just put fresh sheets on Parker's bed. Sleep there. He won't mind."

She looked conflicted but only for a moment. "That'd be really nice. I'm very tired. I think I said this already, but you're a good guy, Booth. You really are."

"Yeah, you're tipsy," Booth muttered. He put his hand on her back and guided her to Parker's room. He left her only for a minute to find some pajamas for her. Booth came back with a pair of sweats and an old Foreigner t-shirt. He handed them to her and turned to leave. Silently, she put a hand on his bicep to stop him. She leaned up and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you. I know you don't get along with Archer, no matter how much I wish you would, but please don't do anything irrational."

More than anything, he wanted to kiss her back. But the line was still there and it was as solid as ever.

She was right. But it was more than he just didn't get along with him, he could honestly say that Archer was one person he hated. He wanted to deck the guy just for making her even a little sad. Things would go a lot farther than just a punch for making her cry. But she was here. She wasn't with Archer. All Booth could hope for was that Archer was beating himself up for making her like this. Booth smiled at her and she returned it with a sad one. It broke his heart just a bit to see her so upset. She loves Archer, that much was obvious, but what she couldn't see was how wrong he was for her. If he couldn't understand her job, the most important thing in her life, then maybe Archer wasn't right for her. Booth knew who was right for her.

She said it herself; he was a good guy. He was always there for her. He understood her, knew what made her tick and knew more about her than anyone. He knew her favorite planet. Such an obscure thing to have a favorite of, but Jupiter was his favorite because it was hers. Never, in the entire time he had known her, had he made her cry on purpose. He had never set out to hurt her, to be mean to her or drag her down. Apart from Parker, he loved her more than anything else in the world. He was the better man. So what if Archer had more money, was more handsome, and didn't eat meat? Archer could go to hell. Booth knew that he was the better man, hands down, no-holds barred.

But that was the last thing she needed to hear right now.

"Goodnight, Bones. Sweet dreams."