Consolation Prize

By LizD

Chapter 2 of a One Shot ... is that just wrong?

A/N: There wasn't going to be a chapter two, but maybe I will keep these "one shots" (or MiniShots) up until Hannah has left the building. Damn, what if she never leaves? She is not a bad person. What if Booth is really in love and really happy? What if Brennan really missed her opportunity and will need to look elsewhere for the love she finally had decided she wants? Who knows what TPTB have in mind, though if I am reading the signs correctly … Hannah is not gonna last forever. What say you?

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"Gotta go, Sweets," Booth said rushing into the elevator. "But I really appreciate your I-told-you-so," he said sarcastically. "And your 'friendly' offer to 'debrief the situation'." Booth used his free hand to air-quote the words that Sweets had used. "Maybe another time." There would be no 'other' time

"Booth," Sweets called after him. "Booth, we should really talk." Booth faked a broad smile and waved as the elevator doors closed.

It had been a little over a week since Hannah's departure and clearly the word was getting around. Both suspected there was a Jeffersonian link to the leak but he was pretty sure it wasn't Brennan. She seemed to be more affected than he was; not that she would talk to Booth or anyone else about it.

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Brennan was putting the finishing touches on the evidence package for their latest closed case when Booth walked in. "I will have this ready for you in a minute," she said without looking up. "I am almost finished."

"I said I would help with that." He slumped down onto her couch, turned his back to her and opened the file that was his contribution to the case. He had been doing that a lot recently. Not looking at her. Not looking her in the eye when they spoke. Sitting next to her at the counter or the bar rather than across a table from her. Calling rather than dropping by the lab. Suggesting that she observe during the interrogations from behind the mirror, rather than sit in the room with him. Engaging third parties in their conversations. Brennan either didn't notice or she didn't mind. "Did you get that thing with the bone and the whatchamacallit?"

Brennan looked toward him. "Yes." She had no idea what he was referring to, but she had covered all that they had discussed so whatever it was, she got it. She scanned the file one last time and signed the bottom. "Done."

Booth jumped up, took the file from her and immediately opened it to read it. "Great, I will get this to Caroline."

"Good." Brennan shut down her computer, grabbed her bag and headed for the door. "See you tomorrow, Booth."

"Yeah, OK," he said not really noticing that she was leaving. Actually he was acutely aware of her every movement, but he was trying to pretend that he wasn't noticing. "Drink?" he asked not looking up from the file.

"I can't tonight," she said flatly. "I'm meeting a colleague."

At that Booth did look at her. He tried to decide if what she was wearing was 'date' apparel or just her normal clothes. He didn't remember her looking that good earlier in the day, so she must have changed. Her make-up was fresh - what little of it she needed. Her hair was down and loose, he distinctly remembered that it was pulled back earlier that day because he noticed several stray strands around the nape of her neck that escaped the hastily tied rubber band. And she was wearing black pants earlier, now she was in a skirt. He liked her in skirts."Colleague?"

"Dr. Barnes has written a book and wants my input."

"Fiction?"

"No. Dr. Barnes is an archeologist who just returned from a dig in South America. The book details the experience."

"Oh." Booth had to wonder why Brennan was being asked. It was probably someone wanting to rekindle an old flame.

"Dr. Barnes and I were in graduate school together. You should join us. Dr. Barnes has asked about you and our work together." Booth hesitated. "Please. I would like you to join us."

Booth didn't want to go; didn't want to be the undereducated person at the table again. And if Dr. Barnes was hot for Brennan, he didn't want to witness that either. With two more assurances of his welcomeness, Booth was compelled to go.

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Sixty minutes later Brennan was back at her desk working. Ninety minutes after that Booth stormed in - a little worse for the third and fourth drink he didn't want and hadn't ordered but was pushed on him by Dr. Janice Barnes. Janice Barnes was not the hard bodied colleague whose only interest in Brennan was between the sheets - as Booth had feared. In fact her interest was not in Brennan at all. She was tall, with deep auburn hair and green eyes that were the color of the ocean after a storm. If Hollywood were casting the sexy scientist for the next tomb raider movie, Janice Barnes was the type they were looking for (assuming Angelia was not available).

"What the hell was that?" Booth barked. "Did you set me up?" He didn't sit down which forced Brennan to stand.

"Set you up for what?"

"What that a blind date? You trying to hook me up with your 'colleague'? Is she is a real doctor at all?"

"She is an archeologist."

"Answer the question, Bones. Did you try to set me up with her?"

"No."

"Not even for my own good? You are good at that sort of justification. Back on the horse and all." He was slurring his words and not really making much sense. "Did you set me up?"

"No," she stated trying to hide the hurt in her voice. "I wouldn't do that."

He ran a hand through his hair. "So why did you ask me to join you and then bail on me like ten minutes later leaving me to defend myself with Laura Croft Tomb Raider."

"You two seemed to be engaged in conversation and I have work to do." Barnes was all over Booth like a cheap suit and Brennan was nothing more than a fifth wheel. It seemed to her that no one would notice if she made her quiet departure. Booth noticed. "I didn't think you would mind."

"MIND? Of course I mind, Bones." He was bordering on saying something he wasn't ready to say yet. He needed to distance himself from that quickly. "I don't need you intruding in my sex life." That wasn't it.

"I didn't set you up, Booth."

"Well I find that really hard to believe because Dr. Janice knew way too much about me. About you. About us. About Hannah." Dr. Barnes did know a lot of the intimate details but most of them didn't involve Brennan.

"I haven't seen or heard from Dr. Barnes in nearly ten years. She came by the lab today, unannounced and asked for my thoughts on her book. We were to discuss it tonight over drinks."

"You said she asked about me ... about us ... about our partnership." In spite of his intoxication level he was still a hell of a detective.

"Yes."

"Where did she get that from?"

"I assume she heard about it. Read about it. Read one of my books."

"And how did she know about Hannah ... Hannah by name?"

"I don't know," Brennan defended. "Maybe she met Hannah. They were both in the Amazon."

That took the wind out of Booth's sails. He slumped down into the chair. "So she used you to get to me ... but why?"

"Why does it need to be nefarious? Maybe they met in the Amazon, they formed a bond, they discovered that they had people in common- Hannah with you and Dr. Barnes with me. Why does there have to be a SET UP of some kind involved? Maybe that is just the way she is."

"I don't know ... there just does." He wasn't about to tell her that at several points in the conversation he had to remove Dr. Janice's hand from his thigh and reject an offer to come up to her hotel room for a nightcap. Nor was he about to tell her that she kissed him goodnight. He hadn't been rushed like that since he was in his twenties particularly from a total stranger. He didn't like it.

"Have you heard from Hannah?" Brennan asked even though she promised herself she wouldn't bring her up. Oh course strictly speaking she hadn't, Dr. Barnes had.

"Hannah called me when she arrived to say that she had gotten there safely and to apologize again."

Brennan nodded thinking back to the time she challenged Hannah on her commitment to Booth suggesting that if she was not sure, she should back off. Hannah seemed sincere about her commitment. But just like every story Hannah broke, every cause she took up, Hannah was sincere until the story had run its course and then she was off being sincere on the next story. Was Booth just another story to her? Brennan really tried not to dislike Hannah. She really tried to appreciate her nomadic lifestyle. But she had hurt Booth and Booth was her priority. Brennan did dislike her. But for Booth's sake, she kept her opinion to herself.

"And she sent me an email with a longer apology." He shook his head. "I got it the first time. I'm not as dumb as people think."

"No one thinks you are unintelligent," she said. Brennan looked down and sat down in her chair. "I'm sorry, Booth."

"And I am sick to death of people apologizing," he snapped. He face immediately softened. "Sorry," he said softly.

He hadn't meant to snap at Brennan. She may not have given him what he wanted, but she was at least honest with him, she never led him on and her motivations were not entirely selfish. What had she said? That it was he who needed protecting from her? That wasn't exactly true. Booth needed protecting from Booth. Hannah would have been nothing more than a distraction for a few months, but he was so defeated by Brennan breaking up their partnership and seeming indifference during their separation that he overreacted. If Hannah hadn't followed him back to Washington (a place she was never invited) he would have gotten over her in a few weeks. They probably would have met at random times in the future, talked, laughed, remember old times, had amazing sex and then go about their separate lives. It would have been a very intense fling. Unfortunately, she did follow him back. He did get his hopes up that maybe, just maybe she was going to be the one he could build his life around. When it came right down to it, Hannah was not the forever kind of love. She was the BURN HOT, BURN BRIGHT, BURN OUT – leave as friends kind. He had been there before – all too often. Somewhere deep inside himself he knew that and didn't blame her for leaving. He was angry at himself for pinning his future on someone so obviously transitory.

"Why don't I take you home?"

"I'm fine." He stood quickly and lost his balance slightly. "Yeah, think I will take that ride. Thanks Bones."

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Booth fell asleep in the car and didn't wake up until Bones was trying to pull him out of the passenger seat. She was strong, but not that strong. Not to lift Booth dead weight. She helped him up the stairs and to his couch. His choice. Said he couldn't sleep in the bed yet. Brennan's heart panged. Booth really did love Hannah. It would be a long time before he got over her, she thought.

Booth kicked his shoes off as Brennan went to get him some water. When Brennan came back Booth had his head back and his eyes closed. He probably wasn't asleep yet, but he would be soon. She covered him with a blanket. He was going to wake with a crook in his neck if she didn't adjust his position. She tried to lean him up and put a pillow under his head without waking him but it was no use. When she pulled back he was looking at her. They were inches apart.

"You really should think about sleeping in your bed. This isn't good for your back or your neck."

"Thank you, Bones," he said softly his eyes half closing from too much drink.

"I'm serious."

"I am too." He tucked some hair behind her ear. "You love me," he said with a lopsided smile. Brennan didn't respond. "You told me you love me."

"I did."

"I shouldn't have tried to move on, Bones." He let his fingers gently caress her lips. "I wasn't ready. I'm still not."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Booth." She stood up. He grasped her forearm not allowing her to step away. "Booth?"

"I didn't give her my whole heart," he protested. "Not like I did with -." He grasped her forearm more tightly. "Probably why she left."

"Get some sleep and drink lots of water," she instructed as she pulled her arm out of his grasp and retucked the blanket.

She turned out the lights and stepped to the door. Booth had curled into a fetal position and held the pillow tightly against his chest. "You love me," he mumbled. "I love you too."

Brennan wiped at her eyes. They weren't wet yet, but they would be by time she crawled into her own empty bed that night knowing that the little tete-e-tete would be forgotten by morning at least by Booth.

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A/N: It ain't over until it's over.