"Hey Bones, she is a great kid." He turned around and was leaning against the counter.
"Booth, I don't think you should come by as much or unannounced." Her voice was shaky and she was playing with the hem of her shirt.
"Bones, why," was all he could spit out
"I..I..don't want to see her get attached to you only to have you leave."
"Bones, where the hell did that come from? You think because your father left you, that I would break that little girl's heart."
"Not intentionally, but when you meet someone it will devastate her and I don't want her to have to go through that, she has already lost her parents."
"Bones" he closed the distance between them. He gently turned her face up to meet his. "I screwed up, I know that. It took me this long to realize just how much I screwed up. I don't intend on hurting you ever again."
"Booth, don't please." She tried to pull back, but he caught her by the shoulders and wouldn't let her run.
"No, Bones, you are hearing me out. You pushed me away and I didn't fight for you. I fell for the first pretty face I saw, I tried to move on, I tried and I failed. I didn't move on because I can't settle for second best. He paused letting her take in his words, but not long enough for her to counter. "The night you told me how you felt, that you had missed your chance, you have no idea how hard it was for me to walk away from you, how hard it was to let you believe I didn't care. But, I was afraid, I was afraid that you would change your mind. Hell, I am still afraid you will change your mind, but this time I am going to fight for you, Why? Because, you are the most beautiful, stubborn, smart, tender, and aggravating woman I know. And, I can't imagine my life without you."
She didn't know what to say, she was fighting tears that threatened to overtake her.
"I am leaving now, but only because I think we both need to think. But, I will be back. I am not letting you go without a fight. You never missed your chance Temperance, but I missed the ring twice, I am not missing a third time." He kissed her on the forehead and left. Only when she heard the door close and latch did she sink to the kitchen floor and start to cry.
Booth entered his apartment and closed the door, leaning against it just shaking his head. He went into the kitchen and got a beer, sitting back on his couch he cursed himself. This is not how he pictured this night going. He never intended on spilling his guts like that. He wanted to take it all slowly, get the friendship and trust back. Why did she have to back him into a corner where he felt he had to defend himself? Booth groaned, I said everything I felt, everything but the three words that would probably have sent her flee for the farthest reaches of the universe. Those would come in time. Did she really think he had abandoned her? I guess in her eyes he did, first for Hannah, then after the break up. He grabbed his phone and just looked at it. He knew he couldn't talk to her. Maybe he could text her.
Bones, I am sorry, please forgive me.
Okay, was the only answer he got back. What did she mean by okay? Okay she forgives me? Okay she got the message? Okay, what?