A/N: Thanks for the reviews and everything on the last chapter. This one has slight spoilers, I am saying slight because I don't actually know if the spoilers I saw are true or if some of the things I refer to are going to happen before this would take place. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Let me know.
It was Valentine's Day. More precisely, it was the evening of Valentine's Day. Booth and Brennan were sitting quietly in his office reviewing the paperwork from the case they had just finished. The unusual quietness was not due to intense focus on their work; rather it was due to the fact that a month previously Brennan had admitted that she had made a mistake and three days ago Hannah had walked out of Booth's apartment for the last time. Neither knew what to say so they maintained simple polite professional conversations.
Brennan normally did not give a second thought to Valentine's Day. It had never been something that she celebrated. This year however, she was acutely aware of the fact. Booth respected the Valentine's Day tradition, being ever the romantic, although he believed that you should show the person you love them everyday, not just on the designated day of the year. However this year, he too was acutely aware of the fact that it was Valentine's Day.
"Thanks for helping out Bones." He said sincerely as they finished their paperwork and began to pack up their things for the night.
"It was no problem. It needed to be done and I didn't have any plans for this evening." Brennan replied. The awkward tension was still there.
"Neither did I." Booth said sadly. His mind drifted to Hannah, who had not been able to handle his past with Brennan. He had not been able to honestly say that he longer has feelings for his partner.
"I'm sorry Hannah left." Brennan said, bringing him back from replaying the most recent painful memories.
"Thanks Bones." They stood awkwardly for a moment.
"Although I do not put any importance on Valentine's Day, I know that since you are a romantic it probably makes her leaving harder because of the importance that society places on this overly commercialized holiday." She continued. Booth sighed and waited for the pain to pierce his chest again, more deeply because of her words. He opened his eyes however and realized that he wasn't hurting as much.
Because he wasn't alone on Valentine's Day. Bone was with him. Trying to comfort him even though he now knew how much his relationship with Hannah hurt her.
"You're an amazing friend Bones." He said abruptly, interrupting her lecture on the history of Valentine's Day that he hadn't really been listening to. Brennan paused in her speech and met his eyes. He could see how much what he had said meant to her.
"Come on, let's go get something to eat." He said before she could resume her anthropological history lesson. She nodded okay. Booth picked up her coat and held it out for her to put on. She smiled gratefully, ignoring the urge to tell him that she was perfectly capable of putting her coat on herself or pointing out that he hadn't helped her into her coat since they had returned to DC. His hands lingered on her shoulders for the smallest moment before his left hand moved to its spot on her lower back.
Together they made their way out of the Hoover building and towards the diner to enjoy a nice "partnerly" dinner; and perhaps tonight, she might just try the pie.
