A/N: Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing and alerting! This one is a little different from the others but I hope you like it! And that they are not ooc.

Booth had had enough. He had just wanted to go for a run to clear his head. Hannah had decided that she was not coming back to DC anytime soon and therefore had ended their relationship because she didn't want to do it long distance. Booth knew that there was a different reason. Namely a certain forensic anthropologist, who had managed to break down just as many walls around his heart as he had around hers. Unfortunately, this had made them both so vulnerable that they had both made some huge mistakes and unfortunate decisions. He had been thinking about that when Max Brennan, Keenan, Bones' father Max had emerged from the trees and made him stop short.

"Jeez Max." Booth said irritably. He was not in the mood to deal with people at the moment.

"Hello to you too there Booth." Max said in his normal jovial tone, although Booth could detect some anger and resentment behind it; not that he blamed Max.

"What do you want Max?" Booth said making his way over to an empty bench. He could easily out run Max to avoid the conversation, but for some reason he felt an odd desire to talk to him.

"I want to know if I'm gonna have to do to you what I did to your boss." Booth actually laughed, and it felt good.

"I hope not. I don't think Bones would like you going back to jail." He countered.

"I don't think she would like it if you were dead." Max said seriously. I knew that funeral would be a waste of time. He knew that I could compartmentalize your death and move on and that is precisely what I did. The memories quickly ran through his head and Booth felt his chest tighten.

"She'd compartmentalize and move on." Booth said, his voice sounding strangely hollow. Max crinkled his forehead as he frowned.

"Do you really believe that?" He asked solemnly. Booth, in a week you're going to a warzone. Please, just, don't be yourself. Don't be a hero. Booth sighed heavily.

"Honestly. I don't know. Sometimes she'd say things that make me think that she would really miss me and other times…I'd be able to believe that she really would be able to get over my death in a couple days." Booth let out another heavy sigh as he tried to keep a close reign on his emotions.

"She would miss you." Max confirmed. "As much as you would miss her." Booth's heart leapt and sank at once. Suddenly he did not want to talk to Max anymore. He stood up and looked around the park for an escape. Max watched as the agent got up and began to look around. He knew what was happening. He had seen his own daughter run from her emotions enough times to notice the signs.

"What happened to the man who wanted to arrest me not because I killed someone but because he didn't want to see his partner get her heart broken again?" Max asked as Booth began to walk away. Booth whipped around and locked eyes with Max. The pain Max saw in the younger man's eyes almost made him catch his breath.

"I don't know." Booth said quietly after a stretch of silence. "I honestly don't know. I feel like I don't know anything anymore." Max nodded, taking a few steps forward so that he wouldn't have to speak loudly. Many passersby had stopped in curiosity.

"Temperance told me what happened between the two of you that night in front of the Hoover." Max started. Booth shook his head.

"It wasn't just that night Max. It was so many nights before, and some after that too." Booth interrupted there was a hint of defeat in his voice.

"You got tired of waiting." Max said with understanding. Despite the fact that he harbored some anger towards Booth for hurting his daughter, he knew that it was much more complicated than Booth simply breaking her heart. Max wished he knew why they had to make everything so complicated.

"I was more tired of hurting." Booth corrected sadly. "I still love her, but…"

"No one ever said love was easy." Max pointed out, Booth chuckled sadly.

"Nothing worth having comes easy right?"

"I was trying to avoid using too many clichés." Max tried to infuse some lightness into the conversation. But the look on Booth's face remained the same. And it was the same look that Max had been seeing on his daughter's face more and more frequently lately. Heartbroken guilty defeat.

"Tempe was never good at forgiving and giving people second chances. When she turned eleven, her friend was invited to go to a different birthday party, with the more popular kids. When she said she still wanted to be friends Tempe said no. And you especially know how much she didn't want to give me and Russ a second or third chance. But you, she would give you another chance in a heartbeat." Max explained carefully. Booth blinked to make sure that there were no tears visible in his eyes.

"I know. I know she would because she regrets not taking the chance that I gave her. But would this second chance be like the first? Would things just go back to the way they used to be? Or would she finally trust me? Would I be able to trust her not to break my heart again? Because I'd take that second chance in a heartbeat if I knew the answers." Booth said desperation and hope mixed with his defiance. It was something he needed to know. If she gave him another chance, and he gave her another chance: they would have to fully trust each other, not only with their lives and their secrets, but with their hearts as well.

"I can't answer that. Only you and Tempe can answer those questions." Max said, for once going against his con artist instincts and telling the complete truth. As much as he wanted his daughter and Booth to finally get together, he knew that they couldn't be pushed this time. They needed to get over their fears and their pain and accept and trust each other. Booth nodded; he had already known that. He had just hoped that perhaps Max had some insight into Brennan's brain and heart that could help him.

"I think we're both still too scared to answer." Booth admitted honestly with a sad smile.

"Okay." Max said with acceptance. Booth gave the older man a genuine smile before starting on his way again.

"Just try not to be too much longer, last time I showed Parker an experiment, he asked me when he'd be able to start calling me Grandpa Max."

"Marriage is an antiquated ritual." Booth replied in a teasing tone. It felt good to tease and laugh; it felt as though it had been a long time since he had laughed sincerely. Of course it was a Brennan who made him feel better Booth thought to himself. It only made him smile more.