Hope you guys are still interested in this. it took me a while to get to it, because of a particularly hectic post-holidays. Regardless tell me what you think. And if you want more then cross your fingers that Thursday will be inspiring. lol. Anyways, enjoy.

Chapter 3: Tears in the Night

They hadn't spoken since they'd entered the car but Booth had to know.

"Um, Bones, what's been going on? Why did you say that you and Lauren aren't the same person? I mean, I know that. She's not you, Bones."

"I know, it's just this case, Booth. I lost all objectivity. She's so much like me."

When Brennan said that she'd lost all objectivity, he thought back to all the times she'd left. This last time though, it'd killed him. He'd thought leaving as well, would help, but it'd only hurt. He couldn't have her leave again though, if this was the only way that he'd ever have her, he could live with that. But he needed her as his partner, or else he'd never be able to do this job again. "Maybe you just need a couple days off.

"I'm all right now. Except I... I made a mistake."

Booth looked at Brennan, could she really be saying? No, don't be stupid, Booth. "No, I told you my opinion. I mean you got it right."

"Not everything."

What else could there be, he thought, everything is explained.

"She died with regrets."

"Come on, Bones. Everybody has regrets."

"I heard her, you know?" Booth did know what she meant, he used to be able to hear them too. But it was such an un-Bones thing for her to say.

"Micah says that all we get are these..." Brennan chuckled nervously, "dim, staticky messages from the universe."

Booth nodded as if he understood. "Who is this Micah guy?"

"The night watchman. But he attends a lot of lectures. Anyway, the point is, she never gave him a chance."

"Micah?" Booth knew deep down what she was saying. He hadn't completely lost the ability to read her after Afghanistan. He just didn't want to hear it.

"No. No. The helicopter pilot. He offered himself to her, but she never gave him a chance." Booth couldn't deny it anymore, she saw what he saw. It seemed that in every case, Booth could see himself in it. In this case, the helicopter pilot had clearly been in his shoes. "That was her regret."

Booth was at a loss for words. "I got the signal, Booth. I don't want to have any regrets."

Oh god, Bones I wish it was that easy. But I have regrets too. I'm not the same man from that night and you don't even know it. I can lie to Hannah, cause she doesn't know me, not like you. But you'd know, Bones, you'd know I was lying. I don't deserve you, and if I did that to Hannah I definitely wouldn't be the kind of guy you should be with. I did that once, Bones, and it fell apart anyway. "Um... I'm with someone." I can't do this just because you have regrets. "Bones." Hannah deserves better too. "And, uh, Hannah? She's not a consolation prize. I love her."

Hearing Bones cry tore at Booth's heart, he'd been there when she cried over her parents and later her parents. But he hadn't been the cause of her tears, he'd always been able to hug her and comfort her, he couldn't do that now. Instead, he said the only thing that he could. "You know, the last thing I want to do is hurt you, but those are the facts." He turned away at her sob.

"I understand... I missed my chance."

Booth's jaw twitched in anger at the unfairness of it all and some of that was anger at her. If only this had happened before they'd left, he'd be a different man. He would have been able to stop her tears, giving her what she wanted, but not now. Now he was with someone else, and he was someone else. .

"My whole world turned upside down. I can adjust."

Booth thought about how he'd adjusted to killing people, not just in war, but here in his country. How he'd adjusted to lying to everyone. "I did."

"Yes, you did."

The anger subsided, and he thought of her, of what she needed. "Do you want me to call someone to be with you, or...?" It couldn't be him this time though and it hurt him.

"No, I'm fine, alone... Thanks."

Booth drove her home in silence. He longed to comfort her, reach out and touch her, to tell her that he'd always be there for her. But he'd been through this and he knew that was the last thing she wanted to hear. She got out of his SUV with barely a 'bye', and he watched her walk up the steps to her building but unlike other times he didn't wait for her lights to turn on.

Booth turned right around and drove back to Woodland. Even if he couldn't finish the job, he'd left his rifle behind in his panic. Luckily for Booth, his gun was still there and tonight's target was an insomniac. Usually Booth divorced all emotion when actually taking the shot. But after tonight he just couldn't do it. His guilt and anger were battling for dominance. And so it was the heartbroken Seeley Booth who took the shot, not the Sergeant and not the Agent. Just Booth.

Booth saw the bullet spinning through the air, seeking out the warmth of Albert Samuel's beating heart. He watched as it tore through Albert. From Bones and Cam, he knew that it drove through the sternum, the right ventricle and the right rib. He saw Albert slump on top of his kitchen table, his bowl of food spilling onto the floor.

As Booth gazed at the life he'd taken, he'd started to cry. The first tears were brutally wiped off his face, but he couldn't stop. He slumped down behind the bridge's ledge and gave in to the tears. He cried for Albert, he cried for Bones, and he cried for himself.