"I'd rather walk a winding road,
Rather know the things I know,
See the world with my own eyes,
No regrets, no looking back, no goodbyes.
Someday I'll go where there ain't no rain or snow,
'Till then I'll travel alone.
No goodbyes."

- 'A Place Called Home', Kim Richey

oo00oo

Watching through her office window as Angela was guided away by Hodgins, Temperance Brennan dropped her head in to her hands and cursed herself for getting mad at her best friend.

So what? She deserved it. She should have told you about Booth and Cam.

Brennan shook her head, trying to quash the angry thoughts racing through her brain. Frustrated, she folded her arms across the desk and rested her head on her hands, staring sideways at the wall and letting her mind wander.

Even Zach knew, for heaven's sake! Booth didn't even tell me either. I suppose we're not as close as I thought. Not that it matters anymore. Give it a week and he'll be gone and I won't need to worry about it.

She screwed her eyes closed, blinking back the angry tears as she chastised herself for the thought.

When he goes, he might never come back. He's going to a war zone, Temperance. Do you really want to part on bad terms with him?

She sighed heavily, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes.

This is why I refuse to let my guard down. This is why I refuse to let my 'relationships' become anything more than the purely recreational. People always hurt you, they always let you down, they always leave.

Blinking back the tears, she turned her head to face the glass wall of her office which looked out over the lab. Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat. Booth was walking towards her, engrossed in a file and talking to someone she couldn't quite see. Rounding the metal pillar, Brennan saw his companion.

Cam.

Her heart sunk as she watched their easy manner, their mild flirting.

He has Cam, why would he ever want me?

Refusing to let herself feel the disappointment that threatened to pull her into a deep dark pit of despair, Brennan sat up straight and took a long breath, steadying herself. She felt herself detach from the situation at hand, felt her heart return to the box that Booth had previously managed to crack open.

And it's his fault that it's closed again.

She watched as Cam peeled away in another direction and Booth kept coming, thoroughly engrossed in the file as he flicked through pages. She quickly pulled out her keyboard and booted up a selection of reports, desperately wanting to look busy when he arrived.

Seconds later, there was a knock at her door. Closing her eyes briefly as she took another long breath, Brennan tried to keep her voice level.

"Come in."

It just sounded cold.

Booth sauntered in with a slight frown, his eyes locking on the back of her head as she refused to look away from the computer screen, pretending it was the most interesting thing in the world. He sunk in to the chair opposite her desk and waved a hand in her direction.

"Bones? What's with the closed door?"

She answered without looking at him.

"I wanted some peace and quiet. Some of us actually do work around here, you know, as opposed to gossip and flirting."

She couldn't hide the bitterness in her tone and she saw him flinch out of the corner of her eye at the venom dripping from her words. Slowly, he leant forward with his elbows on his knees as he attempted to get her attention.

"Bones, what's wrong?"

She didn't answer.

If I talk, there are too many things that I might say, that I'll regret. Angela was wrong, he doesn't see me the same way I see him. If he did, he wouldn't be with Cam.

He sighed heavily at her lack of response, his next words quiet and full of concern.

"Temperance…"

That got her attention, sending a shiver down her spine at the use of her first name, something he rarely did and meaning all the more for it.

She turned slightly in her chair, still not quite fully facing him, still not quite giving in to that charm.

"Yes, Booth?"

"Is this because… Are you being weird with me because I'm leaving?"

"I'm not being weird with you about anything because I'm not being weird."

Booth raised an eyebrow and shook his head, not once breaking eye contact with her.

"I know you're not one for the psychology, Bones, but something's up and that's why you're being weird."

She couldn't keep it in any longer, she couldn't hide her frustration, her anger, her hurt.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

He blinked slowly, obviously confused.

"I did tell you, Bones. I told you yesterday that I was going."

She waved a hand through the air in frustration, her voice hard.

"Not about that, about Cam."

His eyes widened slightly, his mouth slightly open as he struggled to regain his composure.

"Cam? What about her?"

Brennan's eyes narrowed, her cheeks flushing with anger.

"Don't play the fool, Booth, it doesn't suit you. I know you're sleeping with her."

He just stared at her, unable to come up with an appropriate response. Leaning back in her chair, she folded her arms across her chest as she sighed heavily.

"I know I said that if you 'slipped' again, then I'd support you but this is different. It's Cam that you've slipped with and didn't it ever occur to you the sort of problems that's going to cause? Did you not think about what this could do to us at work?"

He put his hands up in front of him in a distinct sign of surrender.

"To be honest Bones, I wasn't exactly thinking, full stop."

She threw her hands up in frustration as she practically jumped to her feet.

"Well, it's nice to know how high I feature in your list of priorities, Booth. To see that you never even considered the consequences this might have on our partnership, our friendship, and the fact that you didn't even dare to tell me about it -"

He cut her off as he stood, crossing the distance between them with two quick strides.

"Wait a damn minute, Bones. Since when is it necessary for me to seek your permission before I have a relationship with a woman? I'm a grown man, for God's sake! And as for why I didn't tell you, it was because I was worried that you were going to react the exact way that you are right now."

She glared at him, refusing to budge as he invaded her personal space.

"Can you blame me? You've jeopardised our whole working relationship!"

He blinked slowly and she was suddenly aware just how close he was, just how soothing his familiar presence was even in the midst of an argument. His eyes bored in to her own, his voice quiet and emotional.

"Are you bothered because it's jeopardised our working relationship or our personal one?"

His words hit her like a blow to the stomach, winding and disorientating her.

Of course that's why, of course that's what's wrong. I thought we had something… And now all you've done is prove me wrong, all you've done is hurt me.

She shook the thoughts out of her head, locking her eyes with her partner's. She could see the shock in his eyes at the coldness he found there, the nothingness. She spoke her words through almost gritted teeth.

"As far as I'm concerned, we don't have a personal relationship. At least not anymore."

Scooping a file off her desk, she marched out of the office without looking back, her heart breaking a little with every single step.

No regrets, no looking back, no goodbyes. He doesn't want me so what's the point? He doesn't want me.

She attempted to blink back the tears as she marched through the lab.

But I still want him.

A/N: Big thank you to Mariah. You're a star, little lady! Everyone else, please review and tell me what you think... Am I being a little bit too sappy and angsty? I'm still not sure about all of this so please let me know where you think I'm going wrong (or God willing, where I'm actually going right!). Thanks for reading