Monday morning Brennan was sitting in her office, her eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep. She felt empty inside, like something was missing, she was also confused. She would talk to Booth today and Sweets, she needed to find out what happened. Was she over Booth? Had she moved on? Was it too late for them? The thought of all of them made her sad; she had finally had the ability to love only to lose it.

She picked up her phone and called Sweets.

"Dr. Brennan nice to hear from you, what can I do for you?"

"I need to talk to you, but I would prefer not to do it in your office."

"Sure, did you have somewhere in mind?"

"Could we meet at my place after work, I just want to be somewhere we won't be interrupted."

"Dr. Brennan are you okay?"

"I am not sure; I hope you can help me with that."

"Okay, your place say 6."

"Thank you Sweets."

She headed out of her office and upstairs to the lounge, she needed somewhere she could try to work without too many interruptions and no one used the lounge. Plus she could see everyone coming and going. She watched Booth walk in, he was dressed in jeans and a T shirt, she shrugged it off that he had taken the day off. She was going to call out to him and then he turned and she saw his face, the stress, the sadness etched deeply into it. Had she caused that? He barely glanced around the lab as he headed straight for Cam's office.

Brennan went back to what she was working on. He wasn't in Cam's office long, when he emerged he headed for the sliding doors, stopping once and looked towards her office, dropped his head and shoulders, he walked out of the lab. He looked like he was hurting and she wished she could take his pain away. After seeing him she decided she was better to not say anything to him today, at least not until she talked to Sweets.

Booth took a deep breath before he walked through those sliding doors into the lab. He was thankful that no one stopped him as he headed for Cam's office. Once inside he shut her door. "Seeley, what brings you here today? You have a case for us?" Cam took one look at his face and knew there was no case. "What's wrong?"

"Cam I am taking some time off from all this. Perotta can take over for a while."

"How long?"

"Not sure Cam, but probably a while."

"Seeley, what happened between you and Dr. Brennan the other day?"

"I messed up and I waited too long." Booth looked down at his hands. "Could you guys make sure she eats, she tends to get wrapped up in work and forgets."

She nodded slightly "Sure Seeley." He pulled her door open "Seeley if you need anything, you know where I am."

"Thanks Cam" he left

He headed for the exit doors and just had to take one last look at her office. He saw the lights on; she was probably in there going over paperwork. He sighed dropped his head and shoulders and walked out of the lab.

Booth walked back into his apartment and plopped down on his couch. He leaned back and closed his eyes. He needed time to regroup, get his center back. He flipped out his phone and called an old friend, Sam Hensley. Sam had a condo in St. Thomas right at Sapphire Bay, which Booth would occasionally go to when he needed a calming influence. Last time he was there was before he met Bones. He always thought the next time he went it would be with her.

6:00 p.m. on the dot she heard a knock on her door. When she opened it Sweets was holding a flower for her.

"Sweets you didn't misunderstand, this is not a date."

"Dr. Brennan, I did not misunderstand. The flower is only to make you smile." She chided herself on jumping to conclusions and she gave him a tight smile and graciously took the flower he offered her.

"Can I get you anything she asked?"

"Water would be fine."

She grabbed them each a bottle of the refrigerator and she sat down across the coffee table from him in a square back chair.

"So Dr. Brennan what did you need to talk about."

"Booth."

"Okay, so anything in particular with regards to Agent Booth?"

"I think I hurt him"

"How did you hurt him?"

"I asked him where we went from here and he said that depended on me and if I had moved on. I couldn't answer him."

Sweets was having difficulty breathing, "What, when did this happen?"

"Couple of nights ago."

"He just showed up here and …." He motioned with her hands to give him the story

"Sweets, can we just worry about the facts and not how we got here?"

"Dr. Brennan, how you got here might be important in figuring out your answer."

"Fine." She closed her eyes thinking to herself where to begin.

"After the club I came home to find Hannah waiting for me."

"Hannah was waiting … here … for you?"

"Well not here, but outside my door. She was sitting on the floor."

"What did she want?"

"She wanted to talk to me about Booth, said he wouldn't talk to her and that they had split and then I passed out. I woke up as they were loading me into the ambulance and took me to the hospital. Cam and Angela stayed with me that night and the next day Booth came over and we had a talk and he kissed me." Sweets watched her as her eyes got a far away look in them remember the kiss. "It was the same intensity that Booth and I apply to anything we do and then …" her face got sad "I was numb."

"Numb?"

"It was after that he said it depended on me and if I had moved on and I couldn't answer him. He didn't push, told me to take my time and he left. I haven't seen or talked to him since."

"How do you feel now?"

"Sad, like something is missing, but not devastated. Have I moved on?"

"Let's not jump to any conclusions, we need to talk more and see if we can figure out why you went form intense to numb."

"Okay" she started intently at him

"You mean now?"

"Yes, please. Booth looked hurt today and I know I caused that hurt. If I did and I can take it away, I need to do that. I can't let him hurt like this if I can stop it."

"Dr. Brennan you realize what you are asking usually takes people multiple sessions to figure out." She pleaded to him with her eyes. This was very important to her she wanted to understand, and she wanted to find out why.

"Okay, we will try, but do you mind if we eat, I am starving."

As they ate Brennan and Sweets continued to delve into why it appeared her feels had changed from the kiss they shared on the dance floor and the kiss they shared the next day.

"Dr. Brennan, did you say that you didn't know Hannah and Booth were split when you found Hannah sitting by your door?"

"That is correct."

"And before that you shared a kiss on the dance floor?"

"Yes, you know that. You were there."

"So when you kissed him, it was safe, he belonged to someone else. At least you thought he did. When he kissed you the next day you knew he was available to you and that scared you."

"But, I told him before how I felt …"

"Dr. Brennan you told him after he was with Hannah, again when he was unattainable."

"So, what does that mean?"

"I think it means you are scared and you are still running and hiding behind walls."

"Do I love him or not?"

"Dr. Brennan only you can answer that." He watched her for a few minutes. "Once you figure that out you will know where to go next." Sweets stood up and picked up his coat.

"Where are you going?"

"Dr. Brennan I can't help you with this, this is something you need to do."

"Can you at least tell me how to start?"

"The only thing that changed between Friday night and Saturday was your knowledge of his relationship status. Start there, call me when you figure it out and I will help you with the next step." Sweets let himself out.

Brennan stood at her window looking out at the all the lights of Washington trying to decipher the hardest puzzle she had ever worked on. I am a scientist I deal with facts. She grabbed some 3x5 index cards and a pen and pulled her small corkboard off her wall in her guest room/office. She cleared off her coffee table and started writing down facts and placing those face in order of significance.

4:00 A.M. came early. Booth pulled himself out of bed, he was showered and shaved in 15 minutes and was on his way out the door to wait for the cab he called. He sat on the stairs and remembered a time before when he flew away from her, from the pain. He had promised her to take all the time she needed and he refused to give up on her just yet, but he needed some time to evaluate himself as a man and a spouse. He picked up his duffle bag as the cab arrived.

Once he was boarding the plane, he sent her a quick text message, knowing she would get it when she got up, which would be a couple hours after he was gone.

Hey Bones, out of town for a few days. Call you when I get back. Booth

"Chicken shit move Booth, but I need to prepare for her to tell me I am too late."

He powered down his phone as he headed for the check in.

Brennan still not sleeping was staring at her facts she had laid out in front of her when her phone buzzed on the end table. She picked it up and pulled up the text message. She knew it was impossible, but she felt like her heart was sinking into the pit of her stomach.

Where? Is this a case? Do you need my help? Call me, Bones

She held onto her phone and stared at her cards all lined out on the table. When she didn't get an answer, she leaned forward elbows on her knees and then she took her hand and quickly slid it across the cards on her table sending them sailing off in different directions.