Thank you so much for the reviews! Sorry for the delay – it's been a busy few days! I'm so happy that Rob is well-loved. His character has been really fun to explore as well as the Rob/Amy dynamic which just sort of popped in my head as I wrote. I really love all of the comments and encouragement. Enjoy! :)

-Mac

Chapter 27

Brennan and Sam walked out of the victim's home. She'd identified the victim, with her team, days before and they were still working on motive, murder weapon, and interviewing relatives to gain as much information as possible. She was used to this part of the investigation, but… she was not used to Sam's approach. For starters, he was flirting with the victim's bereaved sister. Shamelessly flirting with her. And as the word "murder" became more apparent for the family, he did this kind of Romeo act to assure the family that he was on the case, as if his involvement somehow guaranteed them their safety.

"That was interesting," Brennan said, getting into Sam's car.

He flashed her his thousand-kilowatt smile and raised his eyebrows twice. "It was interesting. They were a very nice family. I got that girl Stephanie's number. I wonder if she's free tonight. You know, when we wrap up our stuff. We should be done right at five."

She looked at him. "Maybe it's a good idea to not pursue any romantic relationships with anyone while the case is still active. For all we know, she's the killer."

"Stephanie is not the killer."

"I've seen more surprising outcomes than that," she said. Because she had. All of these years working with Booth had proven to her that you just never knew.

She still had so much to sort through with the evidence at the lab. It was strange how he clocked out, though, daily. Right at five. For him, this was a job. He didn't seem to care about the case. Just… wrapping it up. And in the end, he did have a decent track record for solving his cases. She was just used to Booth. Even when the work ended up being her stuff… bone stuff, forensic evidence, he still found additional parts to work on – profiling, bringing people in, starting some of the paperwork – he worked when she worked. Even if it involved being at the lab to be present for her discoveries, and work through what it meant to the case with her. He didn't clock in and out like it was a 9 to 5 job. Because it wasn't. Booth cared. He'd always cared. She knew why his work was important to him on a personal level. And she always respected it. But she'd just assumed that every other agent at the bureau approached their cases the same way – with a commitment to the victims and a desperate need for justice as soon as it was possible.

That clearly had been a wrong assumption.

Tomorrow was Friday – and she'd finally get to talk to Booth. She didn't know what he wanted to say. It felt like they'd already said so much in Camden. Now, she just wanted to move forward. She had no idea what Booth's role in her life could be anymore. But just leaving him behind while they were both in pain did not seem to be the right approach. And at the very least, she was trying not to be someone who built walls around herself anymore. Especially around someone like Booth. No matter where they stood right now in their relationship – or lack of one – their history deserved respect. It seemed that he was trying to give them that. So she would, too.

If they could move forward in a positive way, that was a good thing. Even if regaining what they'd lost was impossible.

"Okay. I'll drop you back at the lab. I had the team deliver the extra bone remnants found at the scene – untouched, don't worry. And you can work on that."

She looked at him. "What are you going to do?"

He tapped his bicep and smirked. "Gotta hit the gym. Can't chase the bad guys if I'm in bad shape."

The effort it took to not roll her eyes was great. She would have to talk to Sweets when this case was over about her other options. Because there was no way they could be long-term partners. No way.

They pulled up to the Jeffersonian and she stepped out. "Remember, no calling anyone for personal reasons while this investigation is still ongoing."

He rolled his eyes. "Look, I don't tell you how to conduct your life, or how to approach your work. I don't have to bring you out into the field either. I chose to."

He drove away and she just stood there. Angela had said he was funny. And maybe he was to them. Maybe he just didn't like her. But… something still sank inside as she wondered if Booth had really ruined her for all others. Because right now, she was really, really missing her old partner.

She opened up the text thread from when she was away. The more-than-sixty messages sent from him that he knew she wouldn't see. She was just reading them one at a time. And she found herself looking for messages after spending any time with Agent Blake.

Bones. I never told you how much I loved being your partner. It was something I was always proud of. And I know we didn't always agree. And I know that at first our differences bumped up against each other at times. But… I loved being your partner. I was proud to be your partner. And I've had other partners. Nothing compared. And it was not about our solve rate. What we did was so much more than an outcome. And I just wish that I'd told you more often how much it meant to me. When I'd had it. The only thing that meant more than your partnership was your friendship.

Reading his message made her heart ache and her eyes fill with tears. He made her feel like what they used to have wasn't that far gone. How could it be when he'd sent message after message straight from his heart? When he'd shown up just to be there in Camden, for her? But…. How could she just dismiss what had happened? Because so much had happened without either of them noticing. This same man had somehow walked away, dismissed what they had quite easily – and left her alone once again.

She re-read the message as she walked into the Jeffersonian.

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

Booth walked out of Sweets office, getting ready to go home for the night. He was taking Parker to dinner and he didn't want to be late to pick him up. He saw Agent Blake walking to the elevators, looking like he was about to head out for the gym – if his clothes were any indication.

Booth walked up to him and realized he was on the phone.

"Let's meet at 9 – at Copa Cabana on Main," he said. "No, my colleague – that scientist I had with me today? She's holding down the fort on the work side so I'm free to meet up…. Great, see you then."

He closed his phone and waited for the elevator.

"Agent Blake," Booth said, walking up to him.

The agent looked at Booth and smiled. "Booth. Long time no see. How's it going? I heard you're working with Carlisle."

Booth nodded. "That's right. He's a good agent," Booth said, surprised that he really meant it. Carlisle had a commitment to the work that Booth respected. As Booth was heading out to eat with his son, Carlisle was still poring over the autopsy reports, looking for anomalies and other pieces that could give them next steps for tomorrow.

"Dr. Brennan is… good," Agent Blake said, kind of hesitating on the word 'good' in a way that made Booth want to shake him. This man didn't know how lucky he had it, working with her. "She's got a lot to go through with the remains, so she'll be pulling another late night."

Something inside – anger, it felt like – stirred within Booth. "And you? Are you working late? Helping her? Keeping her company? From experience, I can tell you that being present as she does her thing helps the case, helps you understand the crime, motive… it can't be clean split between your work and hers."

Agent Blake stared at him for a moment too long before finally taking a deep breath. "Well. She works a lot later than I like to. That's not my fault. We work closely all day long," he added, winking at Booth. "And now, I have a date."

Booth looked at his watch. "It's 5:30. You're done for the day?"

"Aren't you?" he asked, looking at Booth's keys in his hand.

Booth cocked a small smile. "No, I'm not. I'll be out for a few hours and then I'll do some paperwork later on, check in with Carlisle. When I'm on a case, I'm on a case."

Agent Blake took a step toward Booth. "I hope you're not telling me how to do my job, Agent Booth."

"No, not at all," Booth said, standing tall, looking the man in his eyes. "But I'll tell you this. If you're out in the field with her, pursuing your suspect and bringing her along – your job is to protect her. She's not FBI and you knew that when you requested to be her partner. This is your responsibility. You don't get to reap the benefits of her expertise and then leave her in the lurch to protect yourself. You wanted to work with her, that's what you signed up for."

"I know what I signed up for and it wasn't coaching by you. Or her."

Booth nodded, feeling something tighten in his stomach. His exact fears about her working with this agent felt like they were springing to life. He could tell that he was placing all of the work on Bones. And she probably felt like she had to do it – to prove to her worth to him. How could Hacker think this was a good match for her?

"If she gets hurt because you're distracted – you'll wish you'd never signed on to be her partner. I will make you wish you'd never joined the bureau."

A nervous flash crossed Blake's expression before it cleared and something tougher returned. "Is that a threat?"

"It is." And with that, Booth left to have dinner with Parker.

B*B*B*B*B*B*BB*B*B*B

Something that didn't work.

Brennan looked down at Rob's text prompt and smiled.

You first.

She always made him go first. She needed to relax. And she loved hearing about Rob and Amy. Three dots. He was writing.

She grabbed a glass of wine – her nightly tradition for her texts with Rob – and sat down, not even grabbing a folder to do work.

She was just getting home and it was 10pm. She was tired down to her bones. She'd always worked late with Booth, but somehow had never felt so exhausted. In fact, she often felt energized at the end of the day – overcome with the idea that she could keep going. Keep working. But… they'd really done so much of it together. Threading the pieces together into a full story had been a joint venture at all turns, in every case. Even this year… with Hannah. He'd never left her to work a case on her own. It had been different. There were fewer nights out at Royal Diner. It was more likely in her office or his. But… he'd always checked in with her. Or he'd keep working other angles while she did her thing and they'd regroup and figure out what it all meant. Together.

Agent Blake imagined himself, as Angela said, to be an action movie star. He approached every scene fully decked out in his armor of bulletproof vests – wielding his gun, telling people to not worry because they would "figure out who did this" like he was the lead in a soap opera. To Angela's point, it was kind of funny. Except… she had to walk around with him doing this all the time. And in the end, it was over the top. He was like a joke to such a noble profession. And she found that it really irritated her.

Something that didn't work. Amy and I, in high school, tried setting each other up on dates. We figured since we knew each other so well, we'd be the perfect people to set the other one up. We went on quite a few of these dates – we'd double sometimes. I remember one of the dates I set her up on, the guy showed up and was in the middle of trying to kick his Star Wars addiction, so he hyperventilated a bit any time she said words like 'dark', 'light', 'star'… you name it. And his name was Luke… so if she called him by his name, he got very agitated. He asked her repeatedly to not address him at all, while he 'coped.'

Brennan laughed out loud and threw her head back, relishing in these people that walked the same halls as her as the same time, but had such a different high school experience from her. She knew she was meant to meet them now, not then. But she still wished she could revisit those days – peek in on it – and see her friends back then. Maybe if she'd been their friend then, she could've nudged them a bit and helped to prevent this decade-plus back-and-forth.

And how about the dates she set you up with?

Three dots. She took a sip of her wine and waited. After a few moments, her phone vibrated and she read.

She set me up with some interesting characters. A girl who brought her soccer ball everywhere with her and thought a good date involved scrimmaging. A girl with purple hair and a real love for Michael Jackson music. Moonwalked around the restaurant we went to. And one girl that was supposed to be perfect. Sugary sweet. A little Mary Sunshine. But… she bored me to tears. Usually when one of us went on a date, we spent half the time calling each other to report on how it was going. And then we'd end up hanging out, watching an old TV show, eating popcorn and just being together. So us trying to play matchmakers for each other was a nice idea. Didn't work.

Brennan smiled. Because it was a clear sign you enjoyed each other's company more than anyone else's. That your dates should've been with each other.

Three dots.

Point taken. Your turn. Something that didn't work.

She took a deep breath. I'll write. But while I do, can you tell me about the one time you kissed? I know there are rules and it's supposed to be once a day. But… I have been very curious about it.

You make a compelling argument. Okay. Fine. I'll give you a bonus today. And I get to ask you a bonus Q when you're done, to be fair. Sound good?

That is fair. Okay. Something that didn't work. I loved what we did, me and Booth. Our work. Our friendship. When he told me how he felt about me, I felt like I became paralyzed in a fear of losing him. I'd lost him before. When he was shot, I thought he'd died. It broke me. That's the only way to describe how I felt. And I just put all of little protections back in place so he couldn't hurt me like that again. If I couldn't lose him, I couldn't be hurt. But… turning him down changed the game. It didn't work to handle that the way I used to. I used to run away from anything that I felt threatened my emotional well-being. So I pulled away. I put the walls back up between us. I put such an emphasis on the importance of working together and that must have hurt him. I never wanted to lose his friendship, yet I did what I always had done. I decided to leave. Literally. I went away for six months. I couldn't have put more distance between us if I tried. I thought the distance would help us to reset. So we could keep going as we once were. I just desperately wanted that safety net back. I'll risk my life. I'll risk my safety. Any time, to help a case or to protect Booth. I'd have taken the bullet for him that day. Easy. But… leaving him didn't reset us. It ruined us. I hurt him. I broke us. And when I came back, the friendship was gone. And I thought it was because of Hannah. I think, though, that I played a huge part in it. I mean, what I used to do to protect myself didn't work this time. This really, really didn't work. And I wish I'd stayed. That I'd figured out how to take a risk on him. Because I lost him anyway.

Temperance… it sounds like you both played a role, here. It sounds like you did put walls back up, to protect your heart. But from everything you've said, it seems like you two built a family of sorts. And a friendship that was more like a promise. If he found someone new and pulled back, he made a choice to, to leave you. And I personally feel like he regrets that, honestly. But please don't put everything on you.

It's hard not to see my role in our fall out.

And that's what makes you someone with a very open heart.

She took a deep breath, reading this. She'd told him about her worries in regards to loving Booth – that she'd always been afraid that she couldn't have the kind of open heart that Booth deserved. She'd never thought of her own responses as a sign that maybe she did have an open heart, after all.

Okay. Bonus Q: At a school fundraiser, Amy was asked to run the kissing booth. And she was nervous because she'd never been kissed before. She had two major concerns: she'd suck at kissing and be the talk of the school and that she'd lose her first kiss to Barney Simmons, this kind of gross kid who never showered and had a huge crush on Amy. So, I told her if she wanted practice and a better first kiss than Barney (hopefully) – I could be her first kiss. So, the day before the event, I took her to the lake – over to where the bistro now stands actually. I figured I'd make it special for her. I brought my stereo, played her favorite love song, "When You Love Someone" by Bryan Adams. We slow danced and I kissed her.

That is probably the sweetest story I've ever heard.

Very sweet. The next day she kissed half the school.

Brennan laughed out loud at that. It was kind of part of the arrangement.

It was.

Was it a good kiss?

The best I've ever had.

None since?

Nope.

Brennan for the thousandth time wondered what on earth they were so busy fighting. They were so completely perfect for each other. And they'd managed to complicate over and over everything between them, making the road to happiness for them begin to feel impossible. Was that worth it? If they both loved each other as much as they clearly did, was all this resistance worth the fears that drove them apart over and over again? It certainly didn't seem like it was worth it, when the other option was love and happiness.

Bonus Q for you: do you miss being Booth's partner?

She took a deep breath and a sip of her wine. How did he know this had been weighing on her all week.

I miss it more than I should, considering I gave him up.

He gave you up, too. As much as I think he's majorly regretting it, it was both of you. Don't own it all. Please.

You keep telling me that. I'm working on it. I know he gave me up.

So you miss him?

I miss him.

She wiped a tear she didn't even realize had fallen. I miss what we had. Our friendship. Our partnership. I wish I'd been able to keep him. That I'd been enough. Enough to the point that no one could have stopped him from still being my friend. I wish my friendship had been enough.

It was enough.

Then why did I lose him?

Because… maybe you had to. Maybe he had to.

Why?

To understand what it is that you had.

She sat back, mulling that one over. Another text came through, from Sam.

I'll be in late tomorrow. But keep working the evidence. I will meet you at the warehouse on 21st and Warren. I just got a lead that whoever made the bomb did it from there. 2pm.

Who did he get the lead from, she wondered. Was it Stephanie? Had he gone on that date? It gave her a strange feeling to think that someone they were investigating might be providing him with leads. But, she was lent out the FBI for this work. Hacker trusted him. Sweets trusted him. He was a good agent with a good track record. Just because he worked differently from Booth didn't mean he wasn't good. She took a deep breath.

See you there.