Ch5

"You don't say much
You don't say any more than you have to
Have you lost touch
With the ones you adore and sought after, yeah

And you don't know why
Yeah, they put a bullet through your heart
And told you not to cry
You know life should be beautiful
So come on out of your shadow for while

I swear I never mentioned this to anyone
So go on, you can tell me what it is
You see I, I'm barely hanging on to you
And the way I feel, yeah, somethings got to give

It's hard enough to walk a line in pieces
But you don't have to do this on your own
We can pass the time by reading signs along the freeway
You don't have to do this alone

I wanna know where you go
When you're dreaming
I wanna see what you see
When your eyes close
And when it all goes down
Will you have a place to run?
Cause I don't know and I can't tell what you're thinking
So we'll just drive through the night
Till we find some kind of home
Some kind of home, some kind of home"

"Some Kind Of Home"

Angela showed up around ten that morning just as she promised she would. Ashley was awake and while tired she was excited to see Angela. She knew her Auntie Brennan and trusted her but had come to know Angela, Jack and Angela's daughter Piper better in the past year. She hadn't seen her Auntie in a while come to think of it.

"Ange! Daddy, Ange is here!" Booth looked to Ash her vibrant light blue eyes lit up the way her mother's use to when she was excited, though Hannah had always had a natural zest for life anyway. Angela walked over to Booth and gave him a hug then moved on to Ashley.

"Hey Sweetie, how are you doing Ash?" Angela sat on the bed Ashley's little legs were scooted to the side making room for her. Brennan stood in the back ground feeling as if she didn't belong, as if Ashley didn't even know her. Which in all actuality the little girl didn't, not really for Ashley was almost two and a half.

Brennan had missed the most pivotal moments of the little girl's life. Angela was much more of an Auntie to Booth and Hannah's little girl. Brennan felt like she had been a bad Godmother. She remained standing near the couch, an outsider looking in. She noted how enthusiastic Ashley had become at Angela's presence. It was a good thing. It meant that she was healing even if she didn't appear to be.

Booth looked at Brennan behind him, she stood alone. He left Angela and Ashley's side and walked over to her. "Hey Bones." She smiled at him but said nothing. She only stared past Booth to Angela and Ashley. Booth's eyes followed her gaze and settled on his daughter and Angela.

"Ash loves Angela so much. I've missed so much of her life Booth." She continued to stare at Angela and Ashley. Booth turned his head looking at her as she spoke. When she finished she slowly turned her head and met his eyes, eyes that pierce her own. "I'm sorry I left Booth."

Neither knew what to say they only stared at one another one of their old locking of blue orbs mixing with brown. Unspoken words drift through the air until they both came to a mutual understanding of forgiveness, the past didn't matter now. In that moment the why or how wasn't important, only that she was here with him. That she had come home to D.C from Australia, that she was back.

As mentioned Ashley was an accident and born into a rocky relationship. Booth and Hannah were going to split up a few months prior to Hannah finding out about Ashley. This was she and Booth's second try at making it work and now they decided that they were going to make it work for Ashley. When they had broken up the first time they had been apart for about four months.

In those four months Booth and Temperance had walked a fine line between friends and more than just partners. They had never crossed it, the dam hadn't broken. But the water was filling fast and the logs were becoming weaker and weaker as each day past. They were creaking as they shifted, ready to break at the drop of a hat.

Then Hannah discovered she was four months pregnant. Things changed, the water receded and the shifting noisy logs were now quiet. The night Booth left her was burned in her memory. He kissed her softly on the lips. Then turned leaving and she watched his back as he walk out of her apartment door. She shut the door and slid down the back of it her tears now uncontrolled. She should have known he would have only brought her heartache.

Brennan stayed around for a year and a half after Booth and Hannah made her Ashley's Godmother. She smiled bittersweet at the family every time she saw them. Knowing that Hannah could have been her, when she saw Booth kiss her she flashbacked to all of the times she had kissed him and almost done more. When watching the family became too much and she had an offer for a dig near Sydney she jumped at the chance. She was on the plane and out of D.C before anyone could blink.

Hannah never knew of her and Booth's dangerously close liaison. They thought it best to keep it that way and so she said goodbye to Booth and tried hard not to think of him when she was in Australia. Though, it had proved impossible. Images of him continued to haunt her mind while awake and in her dreams. She had to focus harder than usual at tasks that were placed in front of her.

Brennan once remembered an intern coming up to her on a night her eyes were a bit red rimmed while in Australia. "Miss home, do ya Dr. Brennan?" said Sarah

Brennan had come to like Sarah. She usually minded her own business she was intelligent and sharp witted. Brennan looked at her and decided that she could divulge information to her. It's not like Sarah knew anyone back at the Jeffersonian nor was she coming back to the States.

"Not exactly home Sarah. I missed… we missed our chance he and I." said Brennan speaking of Booth aloud to anyone for the first time.

"Oh, one of those, I'm sorry Dr. Brennan. Almost lovers can leave deep scars. Sometimes they run just as deep as if you had, had your chance." Said Sarah

"I don't have any scars."

"Oh, but you do Dr. Brennan. It's evident, especially on nights like tonight. I can see the hurt you won't let go of it's in your eyes. You carry it with you, you can't let him go." Sarah said

The truth in Sarah's words stung and made Brennan swipe at a tear. "Sarah, please just…just leave me alone." Said Brennan

Sarah nodded and turned walking away. She glanced back at Dr. Brennan once more and saw she was crying racking sobs now her head in her hands. She felt so sorry for her teacher but knew she could do nothing. Love sucked.

"Sometimes things happen, Bones and there is nothing we can do to change them. Nothing but move on with our lives the only way we know how. Everyone moves on in their own way. So, don't ever be sorry you left Bones" he paused only long enough to look deeper into her eyes, eyes that look to his with that familiar look as she listened intensely "…because you came back. You came back when I needed you most, when we needed you most."

Booth knew instantly he had said more than he had intended to say to Brennan. He only intended to lift her confidence, hell he hadn't meant to say anything at all. But the look in her eyes, the sad pitiful look of loneliness. That look made him open his mouth and he knew when he spoke that look would be replaced with admiration for him.

She only thought of one thing when he said that. It was something he had once said to her, "There are a lot of people you love in this world Bones, but only one you love the most." She remembered asking him what happens if she missed her chance with that person. She remembered loving his answer. "That person isn't going anywhere."

She looked up to him and what he had to say. He needed that now, those familiar glances that her eyes used to give him daily. Glances full of an unspoken love for him and everyone and thing he loved. Those eyes were sad when he was sad, happy when he was, knew him in his entirety.

Those eyes were stronger then he could ever be, didn't know the word impossible, took him as he was, and although she didn't know it they were where his faith lay right now. Those eyes that had returned home, and in their selves were some kind of home to him in this hell he was living.

"Booth?" he didn't hear her. "Booth?"

He stared back into the blue skies that looked into his own chocolate orbs curiously. "Hhmm?" he came out of his trance. Back to reality and to his own personal hell.

"I'm not going anywhere." He held her stare knowing what she meant. He rubbed his face overwhelmed with everything that was going on and walked over to Angela and Ashley.

"Daddy!" Ash yelled as Angela smiled at Booth and Brennan stood in the shadows. "Daddy when we can go home?"

"I'll go and check." Offered Brennan as she left the room and sought out Dr. Richards. When she returned she brought Dr. Richards along with her. Angela still sat on Ashley's bed and Booth on the other side.

"Mr. Booth I have discharge papers for you to fill out. Ashley is ready to leave the hospital now but she will need twenty four hour treatment for her perforation. The surgery was a success and because Ashley is young she will most likely heal quickly. Though, if you have anyone to help you with her wounds as she heals I would recommend it." Booth had no one. Angela looked to Booth and he looked at her.

"Booth, hon the two of you are always welcome to stay with Hodgins and I." said Angela

"No, I wouldn't want to impose on you Angela."

"Booth you wouldn't be imposing at all, you know that." Angela said and Dr. Richards slunk out of the room so the family could figure out what to do.

Brennan stepped forward out of the shadows "Booth, if you want…if you and Ashley are okay with it. I have the guest bedroom and I'm quite capable of doctoring a perforation surgery that is in the healing process."

Angela and Booth stared at Brennan. Angela with that look of 'it's about time you said something' Booth on the other hand looked like he was contemplating the matter. Brennan knew he was when her eyes met his. Maybe staying with Bones would be good for healing his metaphorical wounds as well. While he didn't intend on marrying Hannah at first, with time they had grown to love each other and he missed her. She was the mother of his little girl after all.

He looked to Brennan and memories swept over him. Gentle touches, gentle finger tips, lazy circles, walking hand in hand, Christmas trees, soft lips, the night he walked away…could he stay with her?

"Okay…okay, Bones you have experience doctoring surgeries like Ashley's?" asked Booth

"Not exactly like hers, but I have on occasion doctored a perforation in the healing process once, in Taiwan." Booth nodded his head seeming to accept her answer.

"Alright" Booth took a deep breath. "I guess we will stay with you Bones." He locked eyes with her and she looked into his the tiniest hint of a smile crept onto the edge of her lips. She was home, she was home.

Ashley was in the backseat of Brennan's car as she drove and Booth sat his head starring at road signs and lights that passed them by. "We're going to Auntie's now?" Ashley asked tiredly.

"Yeah princess." said Booth

"Auntie Angela went home now?"

"Yeah Ash." Booth answered his voice laden with sleep.

Brennan concentrated on the road ahead her eyes were tired from staying up all last night. She knew Booth was tired too, but she wasn't letting him drive at night not with everything he had been through. Brennan glanced in her rear view and noticed Ashley's eyelids fluttering shut. She glanced to her right and saw Booth was struggling to keep his eyes open as well.

"Sleep Booth, Ashley is already out."

"Mkay." and a groan was the only acknowledgment she received, then he too was asleep against the window. She drove them home through the night. The car tires on the pavement reached a low hum. It was the only sound she heard until they arrived.