"Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thought no measure words, but pouring them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away." George Eliot

Faithfulness

She would be the first to admit that living people were not her forte. Dead ones she could understand and interpret for others, but not so the living with their myriad forms of non-verbal communication which eluded her no matter how much effort she put forth. Even the kinesiology courses she had taken in college- while they had been helpful in increasing her knowledge of the mechanics of the human body- had done little for her in the area of reading the body's subtle nuances.

As a result of this shortcoming, people were often able to conceal their true natures from her; thus far, her track record for choosing the people she allowed to get close to her was abysmal. Twice she had been abandoned by her father and her brother. She had given Michael a second chance too, only to be used and tossed aside, then there had been Peter, then David, and the list went on. Sully, she had been assured, had been one of the "good guys" and she had genuinely liked him, but in the end he'd tried to force her into something she wasn't ready for, and had literally sailed off into the sunset without her.

The lone exception- so far- to this lapse in judgment was the man who now stood on the opposite side of an altar from her, with a minister and a church full of people looking expectantly at them. He looked very handsome in his tuxedo and for one brief moment she wondered what it would be like to be attached to him in a romantic sense.

"Earth to Bones," the moment shattered and she blinked, readjusting her focus, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she lied, knowing that he would not be fooled, but that he wouldn't press her, either.

She watched him turn, heard him make some sort of announcement that must have been humorous as a wave of laughter rippled through the crowd, then she took the elbow that he proffered and they walked up the aisle and out of the church.

There were no signs indicating where Hodgins and Angela had gone, though Hodgins' classic sports car was missing and Angela's car was still in the parking lot, suggesting that they had driven off together. Caroline joined the four of them who remained, informing them of Angela's previous marriage, which had brought the ceremony today to a grinding halt. The prosecutor shrugged at Zack's inquiry as to when the couple would return, then headed off in the direction of the reception hall muttering something about a mint julep.

Cam produced a cigarette from her clutch purse, offering to give Zack a ride home, and the two of them took their leave.

"Where do you want to go, Bones?" Booth asked.

She shrugged.

"The reception?" he asked.

She shook her head and almost instantly his hand was on her lower back, guiding her toward his SUV. Still trying to process everything that had occurred, she allowed him to help her up into the vehicle, slipping off her high heels as soon as she was seated. He drove them to Wong Fu's and signaled that she wait for him in the car. Several minutes later he emerged, his arms laden with food and a few minutes after that they had pulled into a parking space near the Washington Mall.

Armed with food and the blanket Booth kept in the trunk for stakeouts, they claimed an empty patch of grass and sat down to the impromptu picnic.

"Mmm," Booth groaned at the first bite, "Guarantee you this is way better than reception food."

"You would've eaten it," she pointed out before successfully navigating another bite of food into her mouth and away from her dress.

"Yeah, but it wouldn't have been this good," he shook his head, "Reception food's just a step up from cafeteria food no matter how much you pay for it."

This was generally true in her experience so she nodded and they worked through the food in companionable silence. When he had finished eating he produced a folded letter and explained Zack's decision to go to Iraq. Once again, silence enveloped them as she attempted to come to grip with yet another close friend's departure.

"Dance with me," Booth broke the silence, raising her to her feet as music from a nearby stereo floated past them.

She frowned at the absurdity of it.

"You would've danced with me today anyway," Booth smiled as he took her hands and they began swaying to the music, "So just think of this as an anthropologic inevitability."

Several retorts sprung to her mind but died on her lips as he drew her closer, imbuing her with his strength. More couples joined them as the music played on, until rather a large group had assembled around them. Ensconced in the relative anonymity of the crowd, she felt her defenses relax, so much so that when Booth asked for the second time that day how she was doing, she found herself answering him much more honestly than she normally would have.

Words poured forth from her like a fountain whether she wanted them to or not and Booth listened. When she ran out of words, he quietly assured her that Zack would not die in Iraq, that Angela and Hodgins would be back at work Monday morning, and that while her father had run out on her twice the fact that he had turned himself in was at least a step in the right direction. At some point he led her away from the dance and they collected their things and made their way back to the SUV.

It was much later that night before Booth left her alone in her apartment and he left only with her solemn promise that she would call if she needed anything. As the door closed behind him, leaving her cursing herself for showing so much vulnerability, she wondered which was harder: dealing with the fallout from those who had left her, or having to face the truth about her growing connection to the man who never would.