Thank you everyone for your reviews. The number of reviews was quite a lot so here goes: topaz270 (agree what we wanted might have been too OOC for both B&B), grc73, dms517, RobinAngelena (I know, the way he looked at her), GalaxieGurl (Story fix, yup this is what it is, he definitely didn't have to move on right away, but the writers made him do so, I suppose it was needed to help each other especially Brennan see what she was missing), bookwormlady, Lauwy (thanks!), doge, Poppyblue5, 554Laura (me too), jsboneslover, gatewatcher (things would get better), ChrissieA, aadams00(might have to wait awhile for resolution), kareneb, regbride12, ZinaR, mendenbar.

Sunday came and Booth sent Parker to a friend's house for a birthday party after church. Rebecca would pick the boy up after the party was over. Having an afternoon to himself, Booth decided he would take the time to think over his current predicament.

He wasn't the thinking sort but he knew he had to do something. Hannah would be home that night and the thought of her coming home again filled him with the same dread that he had experienced since that faithful night. He knew that wasn't healthy for a relationship. Sitting on his couch, a glass of scotch in hand, it was as if someone hit the replay button in his brain. Brennan's words echoed in his mind.

He tried to figure out why he had reacted the way he did that night in his truck. There she was, the woman he had wanted since the day he had met her, telling him she was ready to be with him but he had turned her down. Why did he have to tell her Hannah wasn't a consolation prize? He remembered his initial reaction was anger. Anger at her for choosing that exact moment to tell him, when he had already settled into a relationship with Hannah. When he had convinced himself that he was over her. He shook his head. Why was he even angry at her?

For once in a long time, things were going well for him. For once, the woman in question did not reject him. For once, she accepted his affection openly. There were no invisible walls to tear down, Hannah had always been more than happy to accept what he had to offer. If he wanted to, he could have made a life for them together. And then there was Brennan's confession to him that night and that changed everything. He thought that if Sweets where there to hear his thoughts, the kid would have been proud of his self-realization.

His initial anger to Brennan's untimely confession had seemed to have dissipated and Booth knew deep down inside, Hannah wasn't the one his heart belonged to. There's someone for everyone. Someone you're meant to spend the rest of your life with. If he were to be brutally honest with himself, he knew Hannah wasn't the one.

"I'm not the kinda guy to dump one woman for another!" Booth groaned out loud to himself.

He knew he had two choices. He could just pretend that nothing happened and just carry on with Hannah or he could break up with her and go crawling back to Brennan. Either way he didn't like the odds. He couldn't just take back what he had said in the truck that night. He was at a loss as to what his next step should be.

And then an epiphany hit him.

"Who am I kidding?" He chuckled to himself, shaking his head. His partner had ruined it for all other women. She was his standard. She had always been.

He still had feelings for her. If he had gotten over her, her confession would not have turned his world upside down. Even when he was with Hannah, he was still in love with her. He decided then that he could not carry on a relationship with Hannah. It would not have been fair to anyone. He would be two-timing Hannah. He might have been with Hannah, but his heart belonged to Brennan.

At that moment, he resolved to do the right thing. His Pops had always told him he had all the answers inside of him. His heart was all he needed. At that moment, he resolved to follow his heart.

…

"Thank you for meeting with me." Hannah started at Brennan took the seat opposite her at the café.

"Is Booth okay?"

"Yes he's fine. I last saw him yesterday morning, shortly after he came home from checking on you."

"Oh he told you."

Perplexed, Hannah asked, "Told me what?"

"What I told him the night before in his truck."

"No. He didn't mention any conversation you both had. He just said your recent case has been hard on the both of you. He seems very worried about you."

Brennan nodded.

"Is what you told him that night important?"

"I don't think it is." Brennan shook her head slightly. "Although I'm top in my field, I'm afraid I'm not very good when it comes to things pertaining to relationships."

"Something's changed."

"Could you be more specific?"

"Between Seeley and myself. Ever since I came back stateside, our relationship has subtly changed. Maybe I could ignore it at first but ever since two nights ago, when he came home, the changes are hard to ignore. He's no longer as affectionate. You've been partners for a long time."

"Yes. Almost six years."

"You know him very well. I was hoping you could help me figure out what's going on with him."

"I see."

"So you do know what's wrong with him."

"I'm afraid I might have inadvertently come between the both of you."

"So something did happen that night." Hannah's eyes grew wide. "That night, did you and Seeley hook up or something?"

"Hook up. The euphemism for sex?"

Hannah nodded.

"No. Of course not. Booth is an honorable man. He loves you. He extols the virtue of love all the time. He could never be unfaithful to you, that I can assure you."

"Were you two ever together? Not as partners but more. Lovers?"

"I'm not good at subterfuge and I do not want to sabotage yours and Booth's happiness. As such, I'm unsure how I should answer."

"I would appreciate your honesty Temperance."

"Booth and I have never been together, not in the romantic sense. We are truly just partners. However, some months before Booth left for Afghanistan, before he met you, he had expressed his desire for us to become more than just partners. I turned him down. Shortly after, I left for Maluku and he left for Afghanistan. Where he met you."

"I see. And what you said to him that night?"

Brennan bit her lip. "I told him I regretted my decision to turn him down."

"I understand now."

"No Hannah you don't. You would be happy to know that he told me he couldn't leave you for me. He said he loves you. He genuinely wants to be with you. I'm sorry I temporarily lost self-control. I should not have blurted out my thoughts like that. I'm sorry if I had caused a rift in your relationship with Booth."

Hannah was silent for a moment. "Thank you for being honest with me. In my line of work, honesty is a rare commodity."

"You have to give Booth a chance. He deserves to be happy with you."

Brennan was suddenly worried. Worried she had ruined the happiness of the man she so deeply cared for. By the time he had come to check on her in the early hours of Saturday morning she had already resolved to keep him at arm's length. She had already made up her mind that if Booth thought he could not be happy with her, then he deserved to be happy with Hannah. And that was something she knew she could live with, as long as Booth was happy.

Hannah offered Brennan a bitter smile. "I think we both know who he can only truly be happy with."

…

Booth stood as he heard the keys to his door. Hannah was home.

"So got the big story you wanted?"

"Yes. I'm not one for small talk, let's cut to the chase shall we?"

Booth nodded. "I have something I need to tell you too."

Hannah laughed bitterly. "I think I'm going to beat you to it. We should break up. That was what you were going to say wasn't it?"

Although he had meant to break up with Hannah, hearing her initiate it, still stung. "Yeah. How'd you know?"

"I met up with Temperance, before I came here."

"Oh."

"You're still not over her. I'm the rebound girl."

"It's not like that."

"You're always the gentleman. It's okay. She told me how you had wanted to be with her before you went to Afghanistan. I was a fool to think that the closeness you both shared was just a strong bond forged over partnership. It's so much more than that. The way you look at her? A blind man could see you're still in love with her. Not to mention the way she looks at you, how much she cares for your happiness. You know, the funny thing is that she tried to convince me to stay with you. To make you happy."

"She did?"

"You two need to get your act together, before there's more collateral damage."

"I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I really thought we could make a life together."

"That is until you came home to DC. Until you saw her again."

Hannah had hit the nail on the head. He had managed to bury all his feelings for Brennan but when they were together again, his love for her raged on with a ferocity that scared him.

"I wasn't being fair to you. I was trying to have a relationship with you while still being in love with Bones." His admission made him feel lightheaded with relief. It was as if he had been living a lie all this while.

"I was never the kind to be tied down to one guy or one place anyway. Why don't you go look Temperance up. I'll pack my stuff, leave your key under that rock outside your door. I'll be gone by the time you get back."

"Yeah." He knew it was for the best. "I'm sorry Hannah. I never meant to lead you on. We were good together."

"But even then we could never have what you and Temperance could've. She helped us put things in perspective. I hope you're happy with her."

Booth exited his apartment that night, feeling like the weight he had been living under for months had lifted. He mused that Parker would be glad to know the next time he came round Brennan would be there with them. His heart thudded loudly in his chest as he made his way to the parking garage. He needed the courage to make things right with the woman he had always been madly in love with.

Ok got rid of Hannah. What do you all think of this version?