Chapter 3 - Accusation

They were safely back in the car and on the road to Western Virginia in search of the scene of their most recent case.

"Awfully quiet there Bones." He really wanted to hear the sound of her voice. Although he was nervous that she might actually say something that would start a fight, he would rather fight with Bones that almost anything else he could think of. She really kept him on his toes and he appreciated both her candor and her naiveté.

"I was just thinking . . . Why don't you have a FBI partner, Booth?"

"Because I have you, Bones." He said sending her his most devious charm smile.

"Well yes, but you persistently remind me of how inadequate I am. I don't understand people, I have no intuition, and I am not a cop." He sensed a little hint of sadness in her voice. That was not like her.

"I would never classify you as inadequate." He stated in his most assuring tone.

"Still, it seems rather irrational for you to have to deal with me as much as you do. Your energies would be better utilized in catching bad people." Oh boy, there go those logical wheels spinning in that complex brain of hers.

"Do you really have to rationalize everything?"

"Yes Booth, I am a scientist."

"Are you asking for my full confession here?"

"Don't tell me that God has something to do with this?"

"Ok, I am going to ignore that question." He straightened a little in the seat and cleared his throat. "I have had partners in the past, and there are different reasons why we do not work together anymore. Partnership and I mean any kind of partnership here Bones, requires a lot of work, attention, and care to maintain. It takes chemistry and trust. So, I choose you as my partner because we understand each other and have the same goals—we want to find the truth and help in any way we can. Over the last three years, one thing has become crystal clear to me: you are an honorable woman Bones and you do not falter no matter how dire the circumstances. You challenge me to be alert and not to jump to conclusions. I know that you will always have my back. I trust you completely." He could not stop himself. Once he started, everything just flowed out as natural as breathing. He stopped just short of making the professional personal and glanced over to see those beautiful eyes boring into him. He felt a softness there that touched him deeply.

She looked at him for what seemed like an eternity and Booth could feel the heat rise to his cheeks. "Booth, you are the most honorable individual I have ever met." She said breaking the silence and he was certain that she could see his heart leap into his throat. Then there was silence and he considered her as she peered out the window for the next several miles.

"You know that our partnership means a lot to me don't you Booth?" She was still looking out the window and he was again startled by not only the sound of her voice but the words that she was saying. He was very jumpy today.

"Well, it is nice to hear you say it, but yes I know that it is important to you and you know that it is important to me. You do your scientific thing, I do my people thing, and together we catch bad guys." He was smiling proudly at their success.

"Yes, but . . ." She was wistful and more than a little distant. In fact, it suddenly seemed as if she was miles away instead of safely secured next to him in the vehicle.

"But what?" There was a little catch in his voice as the breath had been knocked right of him. "What is this all about, Bones?"

"I don't know exactly. I have been thinking about our partnership a great deal over the last few months since Zach . . ." her voice trailed off but he knew that she wasn't finished. He heard her intake of breath as she continued, "I always considered Zach as more or less of an equal intellectually and rationally. It worries me to realize how easily he was manipulated under the guise of logic. Then I think about Sweets testimony at my father's trial—he said that I was so rational that I could commit murder. It makes me wonder . . ." she trailed off again.

"Listen to me carefully now Bones, because I want you to take heed of what I say. You are not capable of murder. Like me, you have had to kill people in the line of duty, but you are not the kind of person who would ever take someone's life based on someone else's logic. Moreover, Zach was never as strong-minded as you are so don't worry about your stability there. As far as Sweets is concerned, did you by chance listen to my testimony?" He was still not completely sure what was going on in that brain of hers, but he was determined to find out. The problem was that they were getting close to their destination and he knew that she would clam up the moment she had some new bones in her life. As the silence stretched on, he confronted her, "Come on Bones, What is bothering you?"

"When I found out that you were alive, I should have been thrilled but all I felt was angry and hurt. For whatever reason, you chose not to trust me and that has changed something between us. I don't know what to do about it."

Damn. Why hadn't he called her? He needed to take the next few minutes very carefully. "I am not sure that I can say anything that will fix this. I made a mistake, Bones—a huge mistake! I hope that you believe me when I say that I wanted to contact you."

She chose not to answer that and shifted in her seat to face him. "Do you remember the night we conducted your little drinking experiment? You said that you would never betray me. This feels like a betrayal."

He couldn't stand the hurt look in her eyes. As he was trying to formulate exactly how to respond, he noticed the park ranger flagging him over to a parking space. Before he could say anything else, Bones hopped out of the car and introduced herself to the ranger inquiring about the remains. Although he was relieved for the break from the intensity of her accusation. He feared that she would continue to withdraw from him if he didn't set this right. Perhaps he could make her understand on the way back to D.C.