A/N: Well, inspiration finally hit for this story, so I wrote while I could. Managed to squeak out an update for ya'll. Hopefully, this settles some questions that may have arisen from all the madness that came before. Love if you will, hate if you must. Enjoy!

Unbeknownst to Brennan and Cory, one very special FBI agent sat in the main living area of Cory's lovely mountain home, watching them both with sorrowful deep brown eyes. From the second Booth had entered the house, his ditzy, blatantly unaware attitude had dropped as his eyes went from lively and laughing to dull and full of pain. He had known, almost before Brennan did, that she was deathly ill. Kate's last gift to us has served us well, he couldn't help but think as he watched the Army sergeant lend Brennan his shoulder as she leaned against him, taking comfort from his presence.

The Shadow Song had woken Booth one night, just before Brennan was diagnosed with terminal, inoperable, untreatable cancer, bringing him a tragic message that he would never forget. Those whispering voices had told him of his partner's imminent demise, but more than that, they promised danger ahead, something that he could not protect Brennan from. In the end, they had whispered, she will protect you.

Bones, protect me? Bah! It's supposed to be the other way around…I'm supposed to keep her safe, make sure that no harm comes to her. We were supposed to be together for thirty, or forty, or fifty years. All it takes is one little thing to ruin the most grand of plans. Not that this will ever be her fault, not in a million years. And it's not like she's the one that is going to be left behind…not this time…

It was for Brennan, and Brennan alone, that Booth kept his spirits up and a happy smile on his face. She had not told him of her cancer, and he would not demand an answer. She had a reason for not telling him, that much he understood. Even though it hurt like hell that she wouldn't tell him. Trust in her, Seeley. He yelled in his mind. Trust that she has good reason to keep this from you. She always has a reason, whether it's good enough for you or not. She always has, and she always will.

Another thing Booth noticed as he stood there and observed the anthropologist and the soldier was the intensity in the black stallion's eyes as he stared at Brennan. That is just the strangest thing. It's almost like the horse knows that she's sick. Booth thought, before he chuckled at his own stupidity. Of course he knows. It's well known that animals can sense what we pitiful, short-sighted humans cannot. Stands to reason he'd be able to pick up on something like terminal cancer. Booth stood quietly until they pushed off the fence and headed for the front porch. The moment they did, he scrambled into the living room, grabbing his and Brennan's bags and charging upstairs and into the guest bedroom that Cory had mentioned. He managed to throw the bags on the bed and yank his own open before he heard their shoes on the wood floor as they came inside.

Whistling cheerily to himself, he made a big show of unpacking and sorting his clothes as Cory and Brennan came up the stairs to see what he was doing. "Oh hey guys. Figured I'd may as well get started on sorting my stuff so that we don't have to spend forever unpacking tonight before we go to bed." The big FBI agent said with a chuckle that was free of tension and guile. He cringed inwardly at how happy and naïve he sounded, but he'd be damned if he dropped the pretense too early.

Booth looked into Brennan's eyes just in time to catch the veiled sadness she was hiding before her own walls shot up and she smiled a false smile that was full of fake cheer. "Good idea, Booth. Cory was just introducing me to his prized stallion Onyx." Booth grinned widely as he transferred his gaze to the soldier, his sharp eyes not missing the intensity in the other man's eyes as he said, "Ah, so that's what you call that handsome animal! He's very impressive." Cory smiled his own fake smile as he replied, "Thanks Booth. I raised him from a colt. He's got great lines and is a champion in his own right, if only I had the time to get him his titles." They all chuckled, the sound grating on Booth's nerves as he ground his teeth in a desperate attempt to not lose his cool. God, this is hard. I'm tired of all this false happiness bullshit. Something's gotta give, and at this rate, it's going to be me.

The moment he and Brennan walked into the guest room that his friends would be staying in for the duration of their visit, Cory sensed the change in Booth. The only reason he picked up on it was because Booth had been in the Army for a long time. Otherwise, Cory would not have been able to see the emotions that were buried in the big FBI agent's stunning deep brown eyes.

The moment their eyes locked, Cory saw it; the pain, the hurt, and the betrayal that Booth was hiding from his partner sprang out at the soldier like an enraged panther. Well I'll be damned. He knows. Somehow, he knows. Cory thought as he smiled and responded to Booth's praise for Onyx. He felt nothing but relief when he realized that all Booth was doing was putting on a front. He would have killed the agent had that not been the case.

For as long as the two of them had worked together, Cory knew there was a very strong bond that ran between them. It was a bond that had kept them together through thick and thin, through the sane and the insane, and through the joys and the pain. It was that bond that had saved both of them more times than either of them could count. Both had nearly died for the other, and thought nothing of it when they talked about it later. This is something that runs deeper than bone. If I know anything about bonds, this one goes to the very soul. And Booth is going to be hurting badly when Brennan leaves him to walk alone.

Suddenly, Cory saw an opportunity to figure out just how much Booth knew. "Hey Booth, c'mon, let me take you to meet Onyx. That way, Dr. Brennan can take the time to unpack her stuff without you getting in her way." Booth sensed what Cory was trying to do and jumped right in. "Sounds good. We'll be right back, okay Bones?" She nodded, and Cory could tell she needed some time to think after everything she had told him.

Both men clomped down the stairs and out the door, chattering cheerily to each other as they approached the corral, where Onyx was still standing and staring intently at where Brennan had last been in his sight. The moment they reached the stallion, he turned his attention to the FBI agent, and Cory would later swear that the huge animal stared straight into the other man's soul, as if searching for his worth as a man in regards to Brennan's condition.

As they leaned on the fence and idly patted the horse, Cory looked at Booth, his gaze razor-sharp as he asked quietly, "How long have you known?" The dark-eyed agent didn't look at him as he focused on the stallion, his gaze lingering on the beast's fierce eyes as he said softly, "Since about a week before she was diagnosed. Long story. Has something to do with that talent that Kate had for 'hearing voices', as some have described it." Cory nodded, blowing air through his nose forcefully as he replied, "All right. I found it hard to believe that you could be so clueless as to what she was going through, her being your partner, best friend, and soul mate, as 'twere."

Booth snorted, staring at Cory from the corner of his eye as he responded, "That's all a façade. She hasn't told me yet and I don't want to upset her by telling her I know. She'll tell me when she's ready. But wait, how the hell do you know?" Cory snorted right back as he looked at Onyx and replied, "She just told me. I couldn't stand how tense she was, and how dense you were, or so I thought. She chose to tell me. I didn't force it out of her."

Both men fell silent for a little bit before Booth's one word question floated through the air. "Why?" Cory could tell he was just wondering aloud but decided to answer anyway. "Why tell me and not you? I think it has to do with the fact that she has abandonment issues and that in her mind, she believes that by telling you, she'll be leaving you with those same feelings that she has from her past. When it comes down to it, she doesn't want you to hurt unnecessarily. I think it's rather selfless what she's doing, but it's also quite shortsighted. I don't think she realizes just how much time you would have wasted believing everything was okay when in reality it isn't."

Cory pondered for a moment before turning fully to face the FBI agent, his glittering green eyes as hard as emeralds as he said quietly, "But that doesn't change the fact that she needs you now, more than ever. You know what you need to do, Booth. Now do it."

Rafe had been running non-stop for hours. His paws were bleeding and he was exhausted, but he didn't dare stop. Keep going, Rafe. Keep going. You must hurry. You must. The huge male Rottweiler ground his teeth in frustration before suddenly skidding to a halt, staring off to his left as an unbearable whine assaulted his ears before transitioning to a screech. Howling with pain, he fell flat on his belly, placing his forepaws over his ears in a vain attempt to lessen the pain.

A fraction of a second after the annoying sound faded, Rafe got back to his feet, intent on continuing when suddenly, Kate's voice echoed in his ears. Rafe, that's a military base, and those are military flights. One is leaving soon, bound for Fort Carson. Find it, and get on it. You don't have any time to waste.

Obeying his fallen master's voice without question, the Rottweiler changed course, racing for the Air Force Base as his paws pounded a steady rhythm on the ground and his chest heaved. Hurry Rafe. Hurry.

Rafael was on the move.