A/N: ANGST WARNING. Really. Blame Seralis, I've been reading her stories and they absolutely kick ass with all their angst. And I love angst.
This could, technically, be the fourth part in my wedding series (Out of Place, White, Thinking Over), but I'd like to end that way happier than this. So, this is unrelated to those stories.
When it comes to the letter, to make this easier, anything in (parenthesis) was crossed out by the writer (who's name you will soon know).
Warning: Character death.
--
She wondered, for a brief, agonizing moment, why he wasn't there. Standing at the alter, she scanned the crowd, and his face wasn't there.
Shoving the thought aside for happier ones, she turned back to David, uttering vows that she didn't really care much about, making a mental note to call Booth from the reception and find out just where he was.
As she and her now-husband made their way back down the aisle, she looked one more time.
Brennan could see Hodgins, Zach, and even Goodman. Camille was in one of the rear pews, and Russ in the front. David's parents were smiling on the groom's side, right next to his younger sister. She knew Angela was trailing behind her in her powder blue bridesmaid's dress.
But he wasn't there.
--
The reception was around the corner, and they walked. Brennan would've insisted a 'Just Married' car to be horrifically traditional anyway. Before everyone had arrived, she excused herself to the bathroom, pulling her cell phone out of her purse.
She dialed Booth's number from memory, getting frustrated with each ring. Refusing to leave a message, she called three more times before leaving an exasperated, "Where the hell are you, Booth?" on his voice mail.
Plastering an 'I'm-trying-desperately-hard-to-look-happy' smile on, she reentered the hall, seating herself beside David, who leaned over to her, asking her if she was alright. Trying to make her utterly fake smile more real, she murmured that she was fine.
As the celebration continued, she began to forget that her partner was absent. Brennan danced with David, mostly, and Angela. She even spent a couple songs with Zach and Hodgins.
She smiled and laughed and actually enjoyed herself more than she had in quite some time. In a far, distant corner, her abandoned purse muffled the sound of her ringing cell phone, and no one bothered to interrupt the bride to inform her.
--
Once everyone had finally departed the newlyweds were the last to leave. Remembering her purse, Brennan ran back into the hall to retrieve it from where she'd tossed haphazardly into a corner to get it out of her way. Pulling out her cell and flipping open, she spotted a missed call and a message from a number she didn't recognize. She pressed the phone to her ear, listening to her voice mail.
When the phone fell to the floor, echoing in the empty room, no one was there to hear it.
And when her shock finally morphed into sobs, no one heard that either.
--
The death of Special Agent Seeley Booth had been officially ruled a suicide. Gunshot to the temple and a note in plain sight made for an easy declaration.
The first to read the letter was, of course, Dr. Temperance Brennan, to who the paper was addressed.
(Bones-)
Despite the situation, she smiled slightly at how vigorously that first attempt had been mauled with lines of ink.
Temperance-
(I'm sorry.) I apologize for doing this to you on your wedding day. But I couldn't bring myself to hold out any longer. I know there are better ways to handle this. I do. And I considered every last one of them. But they all left me (alone) without you. There was no way I could live like that, live knowing you were with him. This is the best, for both of us. You'll see that, one day. Be happy with David. You love him, and he loves you. Cherish that.
And know that I'll be keeping an eye on you, from heaven. Even if you don't believe in it.
(I'll always love you.)
It tore at her heart that he had crossed that out in such a way that it was nearly illegible.
-Seeley Booth
P.S. Don't tell Parker what I did. Make sure he doesn't know, Temperance. Do that for me.
And the letter fluttered to the floor as Brennan retreated into her husband's arms, knowing that she was going to make this marriage work. She knew that she needed to do this for herself and for David.
But for the most part, she was doing it for Booth.
--
End
A/N: So, looking back over this, I realize that this has got to be the most insane thing I've ever written. And I hope you review this so I can judge how truly crazy I am.