A/N - A warm hug and a big THANK-YOU to jsq. She's pushed me to be a better writer and handed me the Elmer's Glue when I needed to put things back together. I'm lucky she didn't throw up her hands and walk away when I changed the plan and the ending on her. She's amazing. Find out for yourself using the convenient link from the Favorite Author page on my profile.

Disclaimer - I don't own Bones.

Brennan

"I don't know why anyone would do something like that," I remark as we walk into the lab. I want to ask how they stopped being in love. He's the heart person. Surely he'll have some sort of explanation. Maybe I can use it to learn to fall out of love with him.

"People in love do crazy things," he says. His hands are crammed in his pockets. He doesn't touch me like he used to. I almost tripped the other day, and he didn't even notice.

We don't see the plant hanging in my office until we're standing right underneath it. I pull the little slip of paper that floats in my face down and cram it in my pocket before Booth can see it. Hope you and Booth can get into the spirit of Christmas. Suddenly I find myself wanting to murder my best friend. Booth is in a relationship, and she does this? I know she means well, that she's trying to help me. Only she isn't.

"Caroline again?" he asks.

"Angela," I breathe, pushing my bangs out of my eyes as I find myself counting tiles on the floor. I feel the moisture welling beneath my lids and squeeze my eyes shut. I don't want him to see me cry. If he holds me, touches me the way he used to, I'll break. I'll tell him everything I've been holding back.

His fingers run up the line of my arm and I have to fight not to shiver in response. His head cocks sideways to look at me. "Kissing you in front of Caroline was torture," he says slowly, his tone wistful. I can almost hear him smile without seeing his face. "And then you had to go and say it was like kissing your brother."

"I lied," looking up at him, I quickly admit the truth.

"Oh, I know," he tells me with a smile. My eyes close as he raises a hand to my cheek to wipe my tears away.

His lips touch mine lightly. Unlike our last kiss, this one is about comfort rather than desperation. Only I am desperate. Desperate to take back that night outside the Hoover. To take back Maluku and ensure Hannah had never entered into his life. Hannah...

He pulls back. He pulls back and I feel...empty. He's barely touched me, yet I feel the loss immediately. He exhales.

"I'm sorry, Booth," I whisper. I can't meet his eyes. How could I do this to him? Maybe I was right, maybe he does need to be protected from me. "That shouldn't have happened. It was my fault. I shouldn't have..."

"You weren't alone in this, Bones," he says as he drags a hand over his face and scrubs at the light stubble on his chin.

I reach out and touch his sleeve, wanting to offer him comfort even as I feel my heart squeeze painfully in my chest. "Do you think it would help if I talked to her? If I explained?" Not that I want to do it. But I would. For him.

"No. It's okay. All right?" he sighs as our eyes meet. "I'll take care of it."

"I know you want to make it work, Booth." I know how badly he needs this - Hannah, being happy, all of it. As much as I want him in my life, I know I can't get in the way of that. "I'll go to Cullen. I'll ask for a new agent to be assigned to the Jeffersonian."

"You don't mean that," he replies, grabbing my hand.

I yank it away unable to face what I feel is the end of our partnership - worse, what's left of our friendship. "I'm afraid it's what's best. For you, Booth."

His chin drops, and his hands come to his hips. As he considers further protest, I seize the opportunity and hurry past him to get out of the lab.

In the parking garage, I sit in the Prius with my head back against the headrest. I know the tears are falling. I can feel them, hot and wet, on my face. Yet I am still trying to convince myself that by holding my head in this position I can prevent them from sliding over my cheeks. Taking a deep breath, I put the car into drive and pull out of the employee lot, eager to get away from what could have been my life. Away from the man I promised myself I'd stop running from.

My cell phone starts to ring. I glance at the screen before answering, half expecting it to be Booth. "Dr. Brennan speaking," I say to the person on the other end of the unfamiliar number. I'm offered a dig. Peru. They want me to leave tonight. "I'll have to get back to you. There are a few details I'd need to work out."

I'm taken aback when I realize I'm sitting on the curb outside of Cam's house. That I drove here without realizing it surprises me greatly, but it suits my purposes and saves me a phone call. Walking onto the porch, I ring the bell.

My boss answers the door in a cocktail dress and heels. She smiles at me. "Dr. Brennan, I wasn't expecting you."

She motions me in and I step out of the cold. "It appears you are going out, so I'll be brief."

She tilts her head toward the living room and I follow her to the couch. "What brings you here tonight?"

I take a deep breath. "Dr. Saroyan," I begin, hoping that the tremor in my voice is only touching my own ears.

Cam takes a seat on the sofa and crosses her feet at the ankles in her usual lady-like fashion. "Dr. Brennan, Temperance, is everything okay?"

I flinch at the use of my given name. Every time anyone says it, I hear Hannah's voice. It's worse now because of the kiss. I want him to have everything he wants, and he's obviously decided that it's not me. At least not anymore. "I need to get away. Far away from here," the words leave my mouth hurriedly. "I had not previously requested time off because of the case and Angela and..."

To her credit, my boss nods. "Take as much time as you need."

"But I just got back," I say softly.

Her lips press together and I can tell that she's thinking. "And we'll deal with it. You need to do this for you."

"Are you sure?" I ask, my brow furrowing.

She laughs. "Yes, Dr. Brennan. Go. Everything will be fine. It's not like you'll be gone for a year. You'll recharge your batteries and hopefully things will get back to normal."

As we walk to the door, she pauses with her hand on the knob. "For what it's worth, we all think Booth's behaving like a jackass," she says.

"I..." What's between us is ours, I think as I realize that I am about to tell at least part of the story. "It's not Booth's fault."

"We're your friends, too," she tells me as I'm walking out her door.

"Thank you," I say quickly before hurrying down the walkway to my car.

Getting beck to my condo is relatively uneventful. Except for the light snow that's beginning to fall. There's something cleansing about a snowfall, even when it's just flurries. The scene is washed white and made new. After tonight's events, I need new. I need to escape. As pretty as it is, hopefully it will hold off long enough for me to catch my flight.

I pack a suitcase. Usually I do so in a structured fashion - clothing, undergarments, toiletries, boots, tools - carefully arranging to maximize the amount of space in which I have to pack. Not tonight though. Tonight is about getting it done and getting out of here. Getting away from the desires that tonight made me realize I'm never going to fulfill. Perhaps being away from here - away from him - I'll be able to do what he's done. Move on.

I call a cab company. I'd rather not leave my car in long term parking. It'll be safer here at my building. They promise a driver will be here in 30 minutes.

Taking a deep breath, I make a call I know will be difficult. "Hey, Ange," I say when she answers the phone.

"What's up, Sweetie?" she asks casually.

"I'm leaving," I tell her plainly.

She gasps. "What? Bren, why?"

I tell her about the mistletoe and Booth. I tell her about my heartache over what happened outside of the Hoover in March. I tell her that I figured it out, that I love him, but that he's moved on with Hannah. I tell her everything.

We cry together for a few minutes. She apologizes for her role in my upset. Surprisingly, however, she does not attempt to keep me from going.

As we are about to hang up the phone, she says something that stops my heart. "You have to tell him, Sweetie. If nothing else, he's still your partner."

Deep down, I know she's right. So, I do it. I send a text.

I accepted a position on a dig in Peru. Will be gone for 2 weeks.

And then I head down to the lobby to wait.

To be continued...

A/N - Yes, I did it. Again. This just became a 4-shot. Call it a Christmas Bonus!