"I love you Bones." I whispered softly as I closed my eyes. She wiped the last tear from my cheek and tightened her hold on me. I felt her softly kiss my forehead before I closed my eyes and fell asleep in her arms. I awoke alone in the bed the next morning, I was worried that she had left, that I had scared her off. I rolled over beginning to panic and saw a note on the pillow.

Booth, Went to get food. Be back soon. Love always, Bones.

I got up and went into the shower, she had not left, I do not know what I would do if she had. The mere thought of it caused the tears to start to fall again. I turned the water as hot as it would go and stood in it as my skin went raw as it was burned by the heat. I needed the pain, physical pain to break the emotional pain I was unable to control. Physical pain was controllable.

I sank to my knees as the hot water ran to luke warm, then cool, then cold. I let the water wash away my tears. My friends died seven years ago and it still felt like yesterday. The pain was so strong and I tried so hard everyday to hide it away and most of the time I succeed at hiding it. This week, the second week in September, I just couldn't do it anymore, I did not know how to hide it anymore and instead of a little coming out it is as if my emotions are exploding. I hated the feeling, I hated being so out of control, needing someone as much as I did, I felt weak. I was exhausted, not physically but mentally, and if I did not have Bones here with me I do not know what I would do. I just could not take the pain any longer. With the freezing water pounding on my back I let out a cry of grief and fall to my knees. I lost control over my emotions and lay there hunched over in the shower as freezing water continued to fall and wash my tears down the drain.

"Booth?" I heard her calling from the room, I let out a sob, a whimper, my heart hurt so much it felt like it was breaking. I heard the door open and saw her rush over to me and turn off the water and felt her wrap a warm towel around me as she pulled me close to her warm body. She felt so far away and so close at the same time. I did not feel like I was there, I felt like I was somewhere else watching my body act and react to the pain I had been hiding inside. She held me on the floor of the bathroom while I lost it. I do not know how long I was on the floor, a naked broken man, barely a skeleton of the man she knew as her partner and yet she stayed.

She pulled me out of the shower and held me as close as she could bring me to her body. I could tell she was talking but I was so far away I just could not hear what she was saying. She pulled another towel off the rack and wrapped it around me and held me. She cried seeing me in so much pain and the longer I was on the floor the tighter she held me until I was on her lap entangled completely with her.

"Booth, Honey look at me." I heard her say, it sounded like a whisper coming through a long tunnel. I looked up into her blue eyes and saw a ray of hope. A way for me to come back home, "Booth, Baby are you okay?" She asked me. I nodded my head and leaned my head into her chest. She held me until I was ready, she did not say I needed to hurry and get ready or we would be late, she knew that it would not do any good. She held me and knew that when I was ready she could let go and I knew that she would not let go until I was ready for her to do so. I gave her a hug and pulled the towel around my waste and stood up. She watched me as I walked into the room and got dressed and ready. Once I was dressed she came out of the bathroom and went over to the window. "It is a shame you cant see the light during the day."

I knew that was her way of seeing if I was really okay. I knew that she would never mention me completely losing it. I knew she would keep this whole week just between her and I unless together we shared it with someone else. I knew that she would always be here for me and that she would never give up on me. I'm not quite sure what it all means, everything is different once again but this time the difference is good. I am finally good, or at least on the way back to being good. Now I just had to make it through my visit with Brittany. Then tonight I was going with Bones to meet Payton and Levi and our roles would be flipped once again.

We met Brittany at a small park in NYC that we all used to go to. Where we used to play football, throw around Frisbees and just have fun. She ran up to me and jumped into my arms. We fell to the ground laughing. Seeing Brittany was different than the others, I had seen her since Jeremy died. I was their when she married Kyle and when she had a baby boy, that she named Jeremy. Kyle was another soldier that Jeremy and I had served with and he knew our unit though he was not in it. Her and Jeremy's son Carter was eleven and Brittany would let him come and stay with me some weekends to spend time with Parker and I would see them when I went to visit my parents. When I asked where the boys were she said that Kyle had taken them to the memorial museum, the same place I took Parker a few days earlier.

It was weird to talk to her about Jeremy. We all grew up together. When the Unit died she was the only one I couldn't turn my back on. I grew up with her and her husband was my best friend. She was the only person from my past that I talked to, but we never talked about that day. After the funeral we never even mentioned the deaths, it was just too hard for both of us.

We had lunch with her at a local pizza joint and planned on meeting for breakfast at five the next morning and that we would all go to the memorial together before Bones and I headed back to DC. When she left she said she was going to meet up with the other wives to have dinner and let the kids play together. Bones and I walked her back to her car and said goodbye.

Then Bones and I walked down the street to our car and we drove across town to a small apartment building. We parked and then crossed the street to a small park. Bones ran ahead and picked up a young girl and swung her around. I watched as she smiled when the little girl squealed "Tempeeeeeee".