Booth was not the least bit surprised by how hard it was to walk away from her. This completely vulnerable, practically begging woman was a side of Brennan he had never seen before. He didn't know her, but she was still her, and he was still him. No matter how she acted, no matter what she said, she was still the woman he loved. The fact that somehow the rain had washed away the last of her walls didn't change how much he loved her.

He hated what he had to say, what he had to do.

Maybe someday she would forgive him for not fighting for her like she asked, like she said she needed.

But that was the whole point. She didn't need him.

Faced with the beaten down, let down, bruised up and shut up Temperance Brennan that she concealed so well, Booth had been left with a decision. One he had had to make in a split second. He could either carry her through the battle, let her stay weak and have her resent him for that for the rest of their lives…or he could, in that moment, show her the greatest act of unkindness and let her fight alone.

Walking away was not the easier choice. And he wasn't even sure if it was the right choice. Not three minutes ago he had told himself that the least he could do was be there for her. The least he could do was hold her through the tough times. And now, when the toughest moment had come, he was gone.

Betraying her to save her.

Betraying her, because he was the one who had started this whole mess. He was the one who decided that now was a good time to bring up all this crap they'd been ignoring for years. He was the one who couldn't wait any longer.

And he had seen his mistake in not waiting too late.

Booth made his way slowly up the stairs. He closed the door to his apartment behind him with an aching hope that she would find the strength to follow him, knowing it would be disastrous if she did. Wanting nothing but to turn back around. Longing to carry her through the battle of self. Wishing he didn't care that he'd hurt her by helping her. Hoping he was, indeed, helping her.

The rain pouring down outside sounded oddly muted as he sat on the edge of his couch and rubbed his face with his hands. He was soaked.

But with a sudden jolt back to reality, seeing through the clouds of his complete inner turmoil, Booth realized that he had taken his keys back and her car was still at the Jeffersonian. He had left her in the dark, rainy parking lot with no way to get home.

Shit.

Knowing he was half-going against his resolve to let her go, Booth ran as quickly as he could back down the stairs. Just because he was abandoning her emotionally didn't mean he had to completely abandon her as a human being. He cursed himself for being such an idiot.

Booth didn't exactly know what he had expected to find. Perhaps her sitting under the awning, soaking wet and freezing. Perhaps her still standing there in the rain, soaking wet and freezing. But what he found was what he hadn't expected. She was gone.

He tried to think how long ago he had left her. It couldn't have been more than two minutes. Still unsure of what he was looking for or what he might find, Booth walked back out into the rain, looking between the cars and around the side of the building. She was gone.

XXXXX

She didn't blame him for leaving her in the rain without a car. But it wasn't hard to catch a cab and it was better to just avoid him completely. Within twenty minutes she was back in her empty apartment where she belonged.

Though she had already begun to do so in the cab, complete solitude was the easiest and fastest way to rebuild walls. She had a lot of experience.

Still soaked through, Brennan peeled off her wet clothes as she walked in the door of her apartment. Knowing his nature better than anyone, Brennan walked straight to her phone and dialed Booth's number. She had ignored her cell the whole cab ride home.

"Booth," he answered after the first ring.

"I'm home and I'm fine," she said shortly.

She heard him breathe a sigh of relief that seemed to come from deep within. "Good. I'm so sorry. I'm an idiot."

Unsure of what to say, she said nothing.

The silence was awkward.

"I'll see you at work tomorrow?" he asked hopefully. How could he ask her that, like everything was just fine?

She may have laughed if it weren't such a painful question. "I don't think so."

The silence was sad.

"Goodbye, Booth."