Thank you everyone for the reviews! And now Hannah is gone for good :) Though her impact remains. Thanks for being patient and supporting this story – it means a lot! – Mac

Chapter 25

Booth walked into Hacker's office first thing the next day, after getting an email from him that he'd like to meet. He knew what this was about. He was going to ask him to review the candidates for his partner and the thought made him feel sick. He still couldn't believe this. Couldn't believe he was going to have to – one way or another – resume field work without Bones. He'd used to joke about keeping her in the lab. Now – he just wanted her. In the field. By his side. He'd let her drive. He'd let her carry a gun. He'd let her do the talking. He just wanted her.

He'd have to work alone. For now, that was the only option he could handle. No one else would ever be his partner.

"Booth. Good morning!" Hacker said, in that cheerful way of his – as if he was totally clueless that their last meeting had been like a bomb going off in Booth's life.

"Sir, what can I do for you?" Booth asked, taking a seat.

"I have a case for you," he said, handing him a file. "High profile. A celebrity from New York was killed in her room at the WR Hotel on Main."

Booth furrowed his brow, for a moment thrown. The case sounded like one that would usually go to other agents. He got the decomposed corpses in shallow graves and… and he realized that right now, he wouldn't get those cases. Right now, he'd get the typical murder cases.

He took a deep breath. "You want me to work this case?"

Hacker nodded. "For now, this is what I need you to do. Agent Blake is liaising with the Jeffersonian right now, and this case was meant for him. So we need you to –"

"Agent Blake? Sam Blake?" Booth asked, his heart suddenly beating faster. "You've already assigned someone to the squints?"

"He's been working a case the last few days with them now. It was a pretty straightforward one so they're just wrapping up the paperwork now."

Booth sat back and closed his eyes briefly, anger beginning to course through his veins.

"You knew this was going to happen. The FBI still has a relationship with the Institute that we can use to our benefit in cases like this. And at the moment, you are not the main agent in connection with the team there. And… we need you here, working cases as well. I urge you to consider the potential partners I sent you."

Booth shook his head and stood up. "For now, I'll take a look at this case. But I'm working the case alone."

With a muttered goodbye, Booth left Hacker's office and went into his office, to find Sweets standing, waiting for him.

"If you tell me you have a list of partners for me to look at, Sweets, I'm going to physically throw you out of here," Booth said, gripping the file and looking at Sweets with a cold stare. He walked into his office and sat down, Sweets following him in and taking a seat across from his desk.

"I wasn't going to suggest any partners," Sweets said gently.

"Then why are you here?"

"How was the trip?"

Booth looked up at him, his face giving him away.

"Is Dr. Brennan okay?" Sweets asked, looking concerned.

Booth shook his head. "Not really," he answered. "In some ways, yes – she's doing okay. She's made some nice friends. And these people – they're straight out of a 1950's TV show. They're all nice and nosy. And… they seem to love her. Even though they barely know her. I remember when I met her, god I was so hard on her half the time." He put his head in his hands.

"You two got to a place that no one in her life – friendly as they may be – ever could get to. It was a point of trust and friendship and even love that is as strong as anything. But I'm happy if she's met some friends who see her strength of character. She needs that right now."

Booth nodded, sitting back. "Because I basically shattered her self-worth."

"I didn't say that."

"Sweets, I was one of the only people she ever trusted. Her best friend. And now, she was shaking in an effort to not let herself cry in front of me. She was hurting. And she needed me… the old me, I mean. She needed the old us. She was breaking in half and I wanted to be there for her. But she… she wouldn't let me. Because the last time she cried to me, Sweets, I sent her away. Then, I was angry she told me about her feelings. And when I told Hannah, I dismissed those feelings without thinking twice. And I did all of that in front of her. It took her six years to get to a place where she could be that vulnerable and open to me – and I only thought of myself and my girlfriend. Forget that I had a partner who I'd lay my life down for – and that never changed – who needed a friend. I left her alone and I can't change it. It kills me that I know that when I left she probably broke down. Because she needed to, after… and I couldn't be there for her. Because she promised herself never to cry to me again. I gave up that role in her life. I gave it up like it meant nothing." He sighed, fighting back his own tears now. "And it meant everything."

"How did you find her, when you arrived?" Sweets asked, his concern for Booth really showing, though he had business to attend to with this meeting.

"She was outside of the reunion at the school. She was crying."

Sweets furrowed his brow. "Why was she crying? Did something happen at the reunion?"

"I don't know, Sweets. I think I just explained that I no longer am the person she goes to anymore. I just saw her and we talked. Her friends came out and said that most girls dance to Cyndi Lauper not bolt out of the room, but she said not her – and she went back in with them."

Sweets breathed out, a knowing smile on the corner of his lips. "Cyndi Lauper, huh?"

Booth shrugged. "Yes. Sweets, that is the part of the story you want to laser in on? Not the part where I found her crying and wanted to be there but I can't be anymore because I'm an idiot? Really?"

"Booth – can you think of any reason 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun' might make her run out of a room crying? Because her friend is right. The typical response to that song for most women at a party is to dance."

Booth looked down and in a flash, he looked at Sweets, his mouth falling open. "That night. When I was… you don't think she was crying because of that…"

Sweets nodded. "I definitely do."

"She was facing things from her past. Bullies from her high school were probably at the reunion. These people tried to kill her on her prom night," he added, his fist curling into a ball until his knuckles were white. He still couldn't fully take everything she told him and properly piece it together without feeling like he might actually be sick. Or kill someone.

"She has nightmares," Sweets said. "I'm only telling you this because she told me as a friend. Not in a session."

"I know," Booth said. "She still has nightmares about drowning. And… that home." His face darkened.

"I mean, she has nightmares about you being shot," Sweets corrected him. "She had them every night when she thought you were dead. For weeks. And when you were back, she had them less frequently, Angela said. But she did still have them. They'd send her into an anxiety attack if they were bad enough. With the words she overheard Hannah say to you, and her response, I can promise you that she still has them. Her response to the words 'I'd rather be shot at' brought her back to that night and opened up the deep pain she felt that night. The fear. And my guess is it made the nightmares come back. That song… it's more of a trigger than those words were. Because that song was playing. She was singing that song. And her nightmares probably feature it on a loop. And music is far more connected to our memories."

Booth put his face in his hands, leaning over his desk. "Why did Hannah have to say that? And what was wrong with me that I just… agreed? Sweets, I laughed. I didn't think. No matter what, she will always know that I was capable of doing that to her, of… of leaving."

"Look, Booth, I want to help you. We need to understand exactly that."

"Exactly what?"

"Booth, I never thought you were capable of walking away from her. Or dismissing her feelings like that. I never thought you'd ever be anything other than completely unwavering as a friend to her. When I try to figure it out, I can only think that you were blinded by love for Hannah except…"

"Except I wasn't really in love with Hannah. I see that now. I'm sure you do, too."

Sweets nodded. "I do see it. Let's work on this, Booth. Meet with me every morning. I believe you two can come through this, but you have to understand what went wrong, why it went wrong and how to really rebuild the trust after a break like this in your whole foundation."

Booth nodded. "I'm not sure she is ever going to let me in again. And… I don't blame her."

Sweets nodded. "Do you think it's worth trying? Fighting for?"

Without hesitation, Booth said, "Yes. I walked away before without a fight. I won't do that again."

Sweets smiled. "Great. So I think you need to get a partner for your new case."

Booth rolled his chair back and stood up from it, agitatedly. "I knew you were going to do that. No. I don't want another partner!"

Sweets looked up at him, his eyes begging his friend for some trust. "What does Dr. Brennan value above most things?"

Booth thought about that. "Friends. Family."

Sweets smiled. "Yes, that. But I mean in her work. What does she most value?"

Booth thought about that. "Evidence."

"Exactly. She needs to work with another agent and you do, too. Neither of you can really know what you want until you figure out how you feel about what else is out there."

Booth shoved his hands into his pockets. "Agent Blake… he's a loose canon, Sweets. She can't go out into the field with him. He wouldn't hesitate to put her right into a dangerous situation –"

"You've brought her into the field to gang neighborhoods, stake outs, raids—"

"But I'd never let anything happen to her. I would die to protect her. Blake isn't… I don't think he'd put her first. He likes credit and praise. He likes the spotlight. He doesn't share the spotlight. And she likes to be involved in the cases. He'd take her. And she'd go poking around to help. If he was just worrying about himself, she'd get hurt."

Sweets considered this. "She can handle herself. You've seen her protect herself time and time again."

"She can take care of herself like no one I've ever met before. But still."

Sweets waited.

"If anything happened to her."

"I know."

Booth nodded and turned away from Sweets. "Well, anyway, she's not here to work with him right now anyway."

"Actually, she should be back tomorrow."

At that, Booth looked at Sweets sharply. "Tomorrow?"

"There's a more complex case. She's needed here and she's coming home."

Booth collapsed into his chair. He hated this. He hated this. He hated this. This should be his case. With her.

"Let her work with someone else, Booth. And you need to as well."

"For evidence," Booth said, mockingly.

"Yes," Sweets said. "If you have something to prove… then prove it."

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

Brennan walked over to the lake with Keeley, Rob and Amy and they sat down, Keeley opening up a picnic basket and taking out food for everyone. The sun set hours ago and Brennan felt the chill in the air go right up her spine.

"I can't believe you're leaving tomorrow," Keeley said. "We're going to miss you!"

Brennan smiled at her friends but knew that it was time to head home. She was needed at work. There were cases to solve – and now, more than ever, she felt that this work was a part of her. She'd always felt how rewarding it was to serve justice, see criminals put away. But it had always seemed like it was mostly Booth's thing. That she'd been sort of playacting – pretending she was a crime-fighting superhero. And that hadn't meant much until she faced her past and saw her seventeen year old self. She could've used a crime-fighting superhero in her life. She'd left this past behind and become someone who helped people exactly like her. Who'd been hurt when they were smaller and weaker. Who'd lost their voice when they felt like screaming. Who'd hidden every scar and bruise and hurt so deep down that it dominated her life ever after. Until now. She needed to continue this work.

And with Booth no longer her partner, she needed to be open to change. With all of these new friends in her life, she knew change could be a very good thing. But something sad poked at her, at the thought of working cases without Booth.

"I will come back," Brennan said. "I promise."

"Last time you left, it took you over twenty years to return," Amy said.

Brennan smiled. "I had no reason to come back here. This place was a bad memory."

"And now?" Rob said.

"Now, I have three – almost four – great reasons to return," she said, nodding her head toward Amy's giant belly. "And you all need to visit DC as well."

"Oh my god, I'm so there," Keeley said, beaming. "I want to meet Angela. And see the lab. And see where you live. I bet it's a glamorous, big apartment overlooking the whole city."

"That is accurate, yes," Brennan said, and they laughed. "And Angela will love you. All of you. Maybe your babies can have play dates," she said to Amy.

Amy looked very excited at that prospect. She really would miss these people, who lifted her up from such a low place – not even realizing that all she needed was acceptance and love. They gave it to her without a second thought. And they were a huge part of the reason she was leaving Camden feeling like she was someone that didn't make people leave.

"Okay," Rob said, after they'd finished eating. "Who's up for a swim?"

"Rob, are you kidding?" Keeley said. "The sign says—"

"Me and Temperance don't really care about that sign," he said, smiling at Brennan. She smiled back, understanding now why he insisted she wear her swimsuit all day today.

"Actually, I would've cared. If I'd seen it."

"But you didn't and now it's too late to pretend you aren't someone who illegally swims in lakes."

Amy was laughing, holding her belly. "I wish I could go!" she said. "But if my water broke, I'd never know it."

"Yes," Rob agreed. "I don't think swimming is in your immediate future. You can be our lookout."

"Rob, it's pitch dark out here," Keeley hissed.

It was true. The light of the moon was the only thing making the water even visible. Brennan smiled and began taking off her clothes until she was in her swimsuit. Rob followed suit, taking off his shirt, shoes and socks. Brennan caught Amy looking at Rob – in his current state of undress. He had a very fine form. Not slender and muscular like… like Booth. But she wasn't thinking about Booth. Rob was a bit bigger, huskier – a little bit muscular, a little bit hairy. Amy looked like she wanted to jump him right here on the beach. And he had no idea. He was jumping up and down like a kid, ready to go late night swimming.

"On three," he said. And Keeley and Amy did the countdown. "One, two, three."

And Brennan ran, feeling light and free – free from everything – right into the lake with her friend by her side. The freezing water numbed every inch of her skin, but she let it swallow her whole. Rob dove in and came up laughing. She was laughing.

She realized she'd never done this. Kids in her school had. She remembered hearing about. Thinking it sounded juvenile. But… this was hands down one of the happiest moments of her life.

"You're fearless," Rob said, smiling at her.

She dunked him, at that, and when he came up, he did the same. They splashed at each other – they couldn't even see Amy and Keeley on the beach; it was too dark.

"When you get home," Rob said, "Do me a favor."

"What's that?"

"Write me every single day. I want you to text me."

"Done," she said. "I was planning to keep in touch."

"I wasn't finished," he said, smiling, pulling his wet hair back off his forehead. His beard was dripping. And in the moonlight, his smile looked glorious.

"Okay, what else?"

"Write me something about your partner."

Brennan stilled for a moment, then brought herself back to this moment. "Ex-partner," she stammered.

"Something that worked with you two. Something that didn't work. A good memory. A bad memory. Something. Every day."

Brennan considered this. "Why? I don't understand."

"Because I see something here, and I want to understand you two a bit more. I want to help."

Brennan shrugged. "And if we can't be helped?"

"Well, now, that sounds defeatist."

"Why do you care about me and Booth?"

"Because I saw something when he was here. I saw it with you and I saw it with him. And sometimes when you're in the middle of your own mess, you can't see a damn thing clearly."

Brennan's eyes skittered over to the direction that Amy and Keeley were. "Then you have to do the same thing."

"What do you mean?"

"Amy. I want the same thing. Something that worked. Something that didn't work. A good memory. A bad memory."

"But—"

"Otherwise, no deal."

He rolled his eyes and shook her hand. "Fine. But trust me when I say – this isn't going to happen. Don't try to play matchmaker."

"Ditto."

He looked at her, long and hard. And then he dunked her again. And she did the same.

When they left the water, laughing and panting, Amy and Keeley held up their towels for them. Brennan was freezing. Shaking. But there was nowhere else she'd rather be right now.