"I can't," she told him. She quickly looked down when she saw his face fall. "It's nothing to do with you Sully, I like you a lot – it's just – bones…they're my life. Everything I know is here and I can't just leave it. I'm so sorry,"

She took his hand. He smiled at her as if from somewhere very far away.

"I understand, Tempy. I really do. It's just –" he gazed at her softly. "I'll really miss you."

She gave him a blank stare. "I'm still going on the trip," he said. "I wanted you to come, but I can't give this up just because of a setback. This is what I want to do. Maybe you'll be here in a year."

She smiled sadly at him. "Maybe,"

"Or maybe Booth will have swept you off your feet by then and you'll never look back." He said, jokingly. She looked at him, puzzled.

"What do you mean?" she asked him.

Sully seemed to notice his mistake at once. "Oh, well it's just, you know – you and Booth – kind of inevitable."

"No, I don't know. Booth and I are partners. That's it," she said firmly.

"Right..partners. You tell me in a year how that charade is going." Sully took a swig of his coffee.

Brennan looked at him sadly. She could see what he was doing.

"Sully, I know that your upset, but you don't have to shelter your true feelings from me. It's me. I get it."

"Right." He said.

"I do get it. You're feeling hurt and rejected, therefore causing you to lash out at people currently affecting you – like me. And Booth."

"I thought you didn't do the psychology thing," he said wryly.

Brennan looked at him for a few long seconds and then stood up. "Good bye, Sully. Have a wonderful trip and I – will miss you." She took his hand for a few fleeting seconds and then she was gone.

As soon as she had decided it was a reasonable hour the next morning, she called Angela Montenegro, her best friend.

"Hey, sweetie, what's up?" she asked her when she picked up the phone.

"I had a decision to make, Ang, and I've made it. I've made my decision," Brennan said decisively. "I told Sully that – wait, what's that noise?"

"Oh, that's just Hodgins, being an idiot. He's trying to cook me breakfast and failing miserably." Brennan heard Hodgins cry out in pain.

"Oh my god!" Angela cried, laughing. "Turn the burner off, Jack!"

The muffled laughter in the background made Brennan feel sadder and more alone then she had in a long time.

"So, sweetie, what did you decide?" asked Angela, turning her full attention back to Brennan.

"Oh, actually, I have to go, they want me to give a lecture down at the University, and I just realized I'm late," she said, although she still had two hours before she had to arrive.

"Oh, okay, but you call me as soon as your ready to open up," said Angela sympathetically. "Do you want me to stop by later?"

"Maybe," said Brennan, distractedly. Sully's comments about Booth were running through her mind once again. She hung up a few minutes later and, sighing, sat down at her computer to write some of her novel.

Three hours later, Booth arrived at the Jeffersonian. He strutted in in his usual I'm-so-cocky-but-you-know-you-love-me manner. He flashed Angela a smile when he saw her sitting down, sketching.

"Hey, Ange. You seen Bones? There's something I knida wanted to tell her," Had Angela looked up, she would have noticed the excited, anticipating look on Booth's face. Unfortunately, she was very distracted by her drawing, and simply mumbled – 'She, uh, was saying something about going to see Sully, because of some – decision or whatever. You can try her cell, she's down at the University."

"Uh, no, it's okay," said Booth. He made an excuse and walked to his office. There he sat down, heartbroken, and began to truly wonder whether everything he thought about Bones – dreamed about Bones – put himself through for Bones – was really worth it.

Okay, I tried to make this one less of a cliffhanger, as people seem annoyed by them. Please review.