The next morning Brennan woke up with an excruciating headache, she had not had a hangover in a very long time. She groaned as she rolled over and put a pillow over her head. She let out a long sigh as she recalled her night out and the display on stage between her and Jonathan. "Okay Tempe get up and get some aspirin and lots of water."

Finally pulling herself out of bed she slowly made her way towards her kitchen when it felt like someone was beating on her head with a sledge hammer with every pound on her front door. "SHHHH" she repeated as she opened the door to Booth standing there looking like death warmed over.

"Booth go home." She started to close the door and he pushed it open.

"No, not until we talk."

"Could you not yell then please?"

"I can't guarantee that."

"Then can't this wait until I am in a better physical state?"

"No."

"There you go yelling again." she said as he held her head in both hands.

"Bones I have not begun to yell."

She swallowed some aspirin and half a bottle of water then sat down on a stool. "Go ahead."

"Why did you tell Hannah we were not going to be partners anymore?"

"Because it's true."

"Since when?"

"I have been thinking about it since you told her about my confession to you about missing my chance."

"She is my girlfriend; she had a right to know."

"What happened to what is between us is ours?"

"Bones, this was different."

"I don't understand how and we both know I am not very good with these type of things, so I would not understand where that line is that can't be crossed any longer. I do now understand why you were very upset about the egg incident. When you tell someone something private and personal and they act like it is nothing it can cause discomfort in the chest region. While I don't understand why, I know the feeling."

"Bones I had to tell Hannah what you said. We are together; I can't keep something like that from her."

"If I would have known you were going to tell her I would have kept that information to myself. While I understand your need to tell her, I do not understand how you could betray my need to have my friend to confide in."

"Bones I am sorry, I didn't realize. But you can't end our partnership. We are the center."

"Booth the center cracked deeply when you came back with Hannah, it will break eventually and could end up with us hating each other. It is much better to make a clean break and maybe someday be friends again."

"Bones, don't do…."

She walked to the door and opened it, "I am sorry Booth." She never looked at him as he walked over to her, she just stared at the floor.

"I am going to miss you." he said and she nodded and swallowed hard holding back the tears that were close to spilling over. He cleared the threshold and she closed the door and locked it and then put her head against it and cried. He put his head against the door and could hear her crying. In a whisper he said "I'm sorry Bones, I am so sorry." He backed away from the door finally turning and heading for the elevator.

"What do you mean you and Dr. Brennan can no longer be partners?" Hacker demanded

"Things have happened since I returned …"

"You mean Hannah?"

"Yes Sir."

"Sir I tried to talk to Dr. Brennan this weekend and she has her mind made up."

"Agent Booth, I need to talk to Dr. Brennan about this and then I will do the paperwork."

"Thank you Sir." Booth stood and turned for the door. Hacker's voice stopped him.

"You are absolutely sure there is no way to fix this?"

"No Sir, I wish there was. I would do anything to prevent this from happening." Hacker nodded and Booth left his office.

Hacker dialed the phone and waited. He was greeted by her voicemail. "Temperance, this is Andrew. Agent Booth was just here and I need to speak with you, if you could call me back and let me know a good time for us to meet up."

It was bright and early Monday morning when Booth headed for Washington Hospital Center he wanted to speak with the good doctor. Upon arriving Booth realized only knew the doctors first name.

"Booth made his way to the main desk and charmed a young Candy striper out of the doctor's last name and office number. Booth headed for the 8th floor to talk with Dr. Jonathan Weaver.

Booth was in luck as he got off the elevator there stood the good doctor talking to what appeared to be the family of a patient. Booth moved off to the side and quietly waited for Dr. Weaver to finish.

As Jonathan headed down the corridor towards his office he heard his name being called. He turned around to find Booth standing there. "Agent Booth, What do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"I was wondering if there was somewhere we could talk" Booth glanced around "in private."

Jonathan motioned with his head towards the corridor in the direction he had initially been headed. "My office is just down here."

Booth followed Jonathan into a rather expensive decorated office. Jonathan walked around behind his desk and saw Booth looking around. "My ex-wife decorated it, not exactly my taste, but she said I had an image."

"She has some very expensive taste."

"Too expensive if you ask me, I would be happy with a metal desk, file cabinet, and a bookshelf." Booth couldn't help but smile, he could see the doctor did not seem to fit into the model this office portrayed.

Jonathan motions for Booth to sit down in one of the chairs in front of his desk. "So Agent Booth, what brings you here today?"

Booth jumped in with both feet "Dr. Brennan, she is what brings me here today. She is a very special woman and I just don't want …."

"To see her hurt." Jonathan finished his sentence. Booth looked up at him. "I agree she is a very special woman and there is no way I will ever hurt her. There is a lot you don't understand about our relationship and I am not sure if I am the one to tell you." He studied Booth for a moment then continued. "What I will tell you is that no one can ever hurt her like you did … do."

"I care deeply for her" Booth eyes narrowed at he looked at the doctor.

"Agent Booth, no disrespect, but for someone who claims to care like you do, you have a funny way of showing it. See I can't hurt her; no one can hurt her again. Temperance will never allow herself to feel that pain again, which is my loss. I will never feel her love; she will never allow herself to feel mine. You had a rare gift and you threw it aside. Time for you to step back and I will take it from here, she is no longer your concern."

"I didn't come here to challenge you; I just wanted to ask you to take care of her."

"I have been and I will continue to. We take care of each other and unlike you I won't give up on her." The words stung Booth, as he nodded and left Jonathan's office.

Jonathan took a deep breath and called Brennan. "Temperance, Booth just left."

"He was there."

Jonathan grinned, "Yeah, he wanted to make sure I would take care of you and not hurt you." Jonathan relayed their conversation and added, "There will be no reason for anyone to doubt our relationship after that."

"Thank you Jonathan for everything."

"My pleasure Temperance. Hey, we still on for dinner tonight."

"Yes, but what do you think about eating in. I can make a killer Mac 'n cheese."

"Oh, your on, I will bring some wine."

"My place about 7?"

"I will be there with bells on."

"Jonathan, why would you wear bells?"

He laughed lightly, "Figure of speech, I will explain it to you later." He hung up his phone. He was smiling to himself when the door to his office opened and in walked Kim, the ex wife from hell. The smile slid off his face.