Thank you so much for the continued support for this story – every review means so much! I love the varying thoughts on Booth and Brennan and the next steps on their road ahead. I know I won't please all, but I'm hoping to have a storyline that serves this story well. Thanks again! – Mac

Chapter 19

Brennan leaned forward, and took a deep breath. She was still shaking, but she felt good facing Gary – saying everything to him she didn't say that night. Couldn't say. As the words came out of her mouth, she realized how true they were – that she loved putting people like him behind bars, taking them out of society – for hurting, killing innocent people. She had left the field and her partnership so quickly, her feelings hurt – not really thinking about how much she needed to do that job. Booth had had his reasons – his cosmic balance sheet. But… her initial insistence to have full participation in the investigations and get out into the field was something she now understood in a way that she never had before. Her own trauma had left her with such a strong desire to fight evil, to protect and help – and save lives. To defend the defenseless – like she once was. Prevent other people from going through things she herself had had to survive.

And yet, she did not want to work with Booth. But… she needed to talk to Sweets. Because… she was not done yet with that. Not like she'd thought she might be. She still wanted to help do that work. And as she'd told Gary about the good people who spent their lives protecting society from people like him, she'd thought of Booth. For all of his faults, he still showed up every single day to do a job that stemmed from innate goodness. No matter how he'd treated her, she knew he was a good man. The better part of the world she lived in. His loss suddenly felt greater, her own blindness last year more achingly real. Where recently her pain from him had begun to create a harsher view of the man himself, memories of their old friendship and all the times that they'd worked together to solve these cases softened the view back up – making her remember why she ever loved him to begin with. After looking Gary in the eyes tonight, it was clearer than ever; Booth was one of the good guys.

"You okay?" Rob asked, after a moment.

Brennan nodded. "I hadn't meant to cause a scene." She looked at Rob and Amy searchingly. "But this was one of the reasons I came here. This reunion. I needed to face him. Face them. Except… I didn't see Molly."

Amy breathed out, rubbing her belly, looking at Brennan with pain in her expression. "Molly Higgins?"

Brennan nodded. "She choked me and pushed me under… I wanted to see her. I wanted her to know what she did to me that night."

Rob looked at Amy briefly before looking back at Brennan. "She died about two years ago," he finally said.

She… she hadn't expected that. "How?"

"Drug overdose. She had problems since high school," Amy explained. "She tried to get it under control when he son was born. But… she obviously didn't."

Brennan stared ahead. She wouldn't get to face this demon – one of the people she had most wanted to see tonight – and in general in making the trip. She could see Molly's eyes – red with fury after being hit by Brennan, tears in them. And that anger… she could feel her hands on her neck. She'd never get to look into her eyes and tell her what her words and her actions had cost her. At one time, they'd cost her everything. And even now – all of these years later, she was still paying for that moment in the water and everything from that awful night. In so many little ways, that girl had left permanent scars on Brennan.

She didn't trust anyone. She had trouble letting people in. She'd been so bullied by her and tormented, she hid behind science, finding comfort only in the safety of logic. She'd lost friends. Her family. She'd lost Booth – in every way that really mattered. Because she walked out of the water that day, with the shadows of Molly's hands keeping a stronghold on everything thereafter. And now, she was dead – and continuing to cause her pain. Because her hate had nowhere to go. Her need for closure backed her into a corner.

"I see her ex-boyfriend – the boy's dad – sometimes at the school."

Brennan looked at Amy. "The school?"

"Amy's a dance teacher. She works at Miss Gwen's School of Dance in town," Rob explained.

"The little boy, Felix, takes lessons. Hip hop. They seem okay."

Brennan nodded. Molly. This woman had felt like a puppet that someone set to 'bully'. But now… she was an addict, with likely her own demons. She was a mother who died, who left a child behind. Where could her hate go when the images she'd always had of Molly suddenly became so… human. And now she'd lost yet again to this girl. Though she was keenly aware of who had really lost when the dust settled that night.

She'd had the strength to climb above all of it. And Molly didn't.

"Let's get out of here," Rob said, offering a hand to both women. Brennan stood up, nodding in agreement. She looked at her two new friends, thought of Jana… and even her confrontation with Gary and she smiled. She had gotten more from this night than she ever could've hoped.

Some redemption. And friendship.

They began to walk out. "By the way," Rob said quietly to her so Amy couldn't hear. "Next time I go on and on about how my prom night left me with scars, please punch me in the face."

Brennan laughed and he squeezed her tighter.

B*B*B*B*B*B*B*B*B*B**B*B

The next morning, Booth walked into the bistro from last night. He sat at a booth and pulled a piece of paper from his pocket with an address scrawled on it. 21 Carlton Way. 6 miles away. He would be paying a quick visit there later, before boarding his flight. He wasn't exactly sure when Bones would be coming back. But… she'd said they could talk there. Already, he could feel the familiar anxiety rolling around at the idea of her being just gone… cutting herself purposely off from him.

"Agent Booth, you came back!"

Booth smiled hesitantly up at the waitress from yesterday. "Katie?"

"Keeley. I am really glad you decided to come for breakfast."

"You made it sound like a deal I couldn't refuse," he said genuinely as she poured his coffee. She handed him a menu.

"I'll be right back to take your order."

A text made him look down and his stomach clenched. It was from Hannah.

Seeley, I wanted to give you one more chance now that you've had a chance to calm down. I can forgive your outburst in the office. I probably shouldn't have pushed you so much on the day your partnership ended. I know you two have been partners for years. Best solve rate. You've told me. So I am sorry if I was insensitive or blunt. I don't know if you're busy with another case or training someone new or what. But I was hoping we could have dinner tonight. I have something I want to talk to you about and you will want to hear what I have to say. xo, H

Booth's brow furrowed at that. He had no interest in seeing Hannah. In working this out. He hadn't even taken a minute in the last few days to properly process their breakup and how he felt about it. How he'd felt about their entire relationship. He had a lot of think about and he knew that. He wanted to go through that alone. Not with her. He felt sure saying goodbye to her was the right move. But her final line made him curious. What was her something?

He'd been so lost in thought, he barely registered Keeley's return, but he could see she was not alone. He looked up and saw Keeley standing with a man who looked familiar.

"Rob, this is Agent Booth. Temperance's former partner. Agent Booth, this is my brother, Rob."

Booth's heart constricted on that word "former." He'd always been so proud to be Bones's partner. He reached his hand out and shook Rob's hand, realizing he was there last night – one of the people that Bones walked into the school with.

Rob sat down across from Booth.

"Okay, I'll just get you some coffee, too. Be back in a jiff!"

"Iced!" Rob called out to his sister.

"Whoa – are we eating together?" Booth asked, beginning to get really irritated at this town. The only person he wanted to talk to in the world right now was not that waitress or her brother. He wanted to be alone so badly and no one was really leaving him be.

Rob smiled. "Keeley said you're a friend of Temperance's, so I thought—"

"That we could just be, what, best friends?"

Rob laughed. "No. I think she is going to be my best friend for life. And yes, a person can know these things that quickly. You… I'm aiming lower."

"Much lower," Booth said, sipping his coffee.

He shot off a quick text to Hannah.

Fine. Tonight. Royal Diner. 8pm.

He pocketed his phone. "You guys don't seem to get a lot of out-of-towners. But I'll give you a tip. Don't be so clingy. People from big cities sometimes like to keep to themselves."

Rob nodded. "I don't know. Temperance really welcomed the friendship. Seemed like she really needed it." He looked at Booth knowingly at that, as the bell over the door chimed. Booth looked over and saw Bones walk in with that pregnant girl from the previous night. He stood up, wanting to leave. He'd told her last night that he'd go back, that he wouldn't get in her way on this trip. He wanted to follow Sweets' advice and make sure he backed off because this was supposed to be all about her. And here he was sitting with one of her friends in what felt like a set up by the nosy waitress, looking like he was crashing her whole world after she had sent clear signs she wanted to be as far from his as possible.

"Amy, Temperance!" Rob called out. And when Bones's eyes landed on him, she looked surprised.

"Booth… what are you doing here?" She looked from Booth to Rob, confused.

"He's eating with me," Rob said, cheerfully. Booth squinted his eyes at the man. What was his game? Him and his sister? What were they getting at?

"Great, I'm starving," Amy said, scooting in beside Booth. Once settled she offered her hand. "Amy. I'm eating for two. And before you ask, there's no husband, he's not the dad – because like everyone I meet assumes he is – and I'm really very okay with all of this."

Booth nodded and sat back down – since his exit was completely blocked by this woman. "I wasn't going to ask," he said honestly. He looked at Bones. She looked torn on what to do – almost looked like she wanted to bolt. And that made it all worse. The last thing he could stand was making things worse with her.

"Come on. Join us," Rob said to her. Booth noticed her look at Rob – with so much trust. Was this an old friend from when she lived here? It sure seemed like they'd known each other for years. But Rob had seemed to imply that they'd just met and hit it off. He'd called her a potential best friend.

Something that felt like jealousy stirred in his stomach. It felt like she was starting a new life. Leaving him behind. And he knew he deserved that. God, hadn't he done the exact same thing? Had Hannah made her feel so… inconsequential? Had Bones felt like the odd man out – an extra puzzle piece that didn't fit into the new picture of his life? Had she felt left behind by him like he did right now?

He knew she had. He'd made sure of it.

He looked up at her. "I can leave, Bones."

"Bones – that's an interesting… is that a nickname?" Amy said, confused.

Bones walked closer to their table. "I work with bones, so he… he's been calling me that for years."

"She doesn't like it," Booth said quietly.

"Didn't like it. It… grew on me. Over time."

He met her eyes at that – at all of their history hanging in the air between them. Unsettled. Strong and yet so very broken. "I can leave," he repeated. "It's okay. I don't want to be in your way."

She sat down beside Rob and shook her head at him. "Stay, Booth. It's fine. And anyway, Keeley won't let you out of here," she finally said.

He sat back against the booth and looked at her. She looked down at her menu, commenting about the lack of vegetarian choices. And for the first time in a long time, his world, just for a moment, felt right again.