Love Alone

I know it hurts
I know you're bruised
But it's only on the inside
I know you're lost
And you're confused
It's only on the inside
I see you walk
And you're dragging your feet
But it's only for a moment
Stuck at the part
Where you're feeling complete
Yeah, it's only for a moment

It's not too late to walk in my direction
When honey everything you'll needs in your reflection

I know you're torn
And in between dreams
But it's all you've ever known
And I know you're worn out at the seams
Yeah, it's all you've ever known
Well there's no place left for you to run
You can cast your past into the sun
Watch it light up the night
And honey you will be fine

It's not too late to walk in my direction
When honey everything you'll needs in your reflection

Who's gonna walk you home?
And who's gonna hold your hand?
When you're heavy like a stone
And there's trouble where you stand
No I won't tell your heart where to go
Or make it feel something it won't
You could rearrange the stars
Whose gonna walk you home?
Because you can't fall in love alone
You can't fall in love alone

Ashley and Booth had spent the night in the queen sized guest bedroom. Ashley was tired and ached all over. When morning came, the poor little girl opened her eyes immediately asking for Hannah, forgetting she had passed away. Booth had only sighed and felt the water start to well in his own eyes.

"Mommy's in heaven with her mommy baby." Brennan was in the kitchen when she heard Ashley's cries and Booth's comforting voice. She decided best to let the two be and continued to make breakfast for everyone. She remembered Ashley loved the diners strawberry pancakes and had made some strawberry pancakes this morning.

Though, now she sat alone at the table eating hers as she periodically glanced to Booth and Ashley's now cold pancakes in the kitchen. She had heard Booth talk to Ashley until she cried herself back to sleep this morning. She still hadn't seen Booth this morning. She stood to put her plate in the washer and ran into his tired figure. She froze at their close contact at first, and then he looked up into her eyes.

His once vibrant puppy boy eyes were now so foreign to her. They were filled with deep pain and a visible loss. She said nothing but she cocked her head to the side ever the slightest. It was evident to him that she ached for him in an I'm so sorry type way. He looked into her once blue skies where he had left all of his faith and hoped to lay. The blue skies of a woman he trusted with him and his daughter's life. Those skies were now dark and clouded over with grey as they stared into his. As she stare frozen into his distraught orbs she managed to find words.

"Sorry Booth." She looked away quickly and he didn't even attempt to fake any kind of half hearted smile.

"It's fine." He managed to mumble as he headed toward her couch. He sunk down into it loving and hating how familiar, and almost at home he felt on the couch. She watched from the kitchen out of the corner of her eye. Watched him as he sat alone until the water in his eyelids grew too heavy and spilled over forming tears. Tears that flowed freely and quietly down his face. She wanted to cry too, wanted to take his pain away. Hell, she loved him and she would give anything for Hannah to be alive. She would do anything for him to be happy again, to take away his pain.

Though, she didn't cry. She slowly walked over to the couch and sat down next to Booth. She was hesitant to sit close, but did. Hesitant for the couch was where she and he almost crossed that fine line. Where the logs that made up the dam were heard creaking as the center shifted them and the water grew to new heights. She shook the memory from her mind and concentrated on the broken man before her, his heart while once hers was now shattered upon the ground.

"I was going to meet them at the park." Booth smiled sadly rolling his eyes "Hannah and Ashley were supposed to meet me there but I had to stop by the office." She kept quiet as he glanced to her for a moment and then looked forward settling his head in his hands he went on.

"I saw the accident and noticed the lights…the car looked like Hannah's." Booth inhale and exhale as she watched a single tear rain silently down his face. Booth didn't bother to wipe it away. "I turned on my radio…it didn't do any…when I arrived at the scene she was…" he closed his eyes for a second "God, oh God Bones. What am I going to do?" She watched as more tears fell down his face the tracks were endless.

"Tell me why God? Ash didn't deserve this? Hannah didn't deserve it!" Brennan watched helplessly as Booth broke. "You should have took me damn you! Ashley needed her mother!"

He fell silent as he looked up to her his own misty eyes locking with her cloudy ones. Her eyes were huge with sorrow, and she struggled to be strong for him. Her eyes were huge because like the intern named Sarah in Australia had said "I can see the hurt you won't let go of it, it's in your eyes. You carry it with you, you can't let go…can't let him go." Shethenheard Angela's voice, something she said from years ago. "Sometimes a simple touch is all it takes." She placed her hand atop of his he looked into her eyes and let the tears flow she smiled sadly nodded in understanding and squeezed his hand tight.

Then he placed he grabbed onto her arm with one hand and placed the other atop hers. Slowly he unexpectedly leaned into Brennan and began to cry more silent tears as she held on to him.

"What am I going to do now Bones? What am I going to tell my baby girl when she gets older? When mommy isn't there for her wedding, or her first date or Oh God…God you should have taken me!" Brennan contemplate it a moment, really thought on the matter as she held him in her arms soothing his fears and comforting the pain in his fragile soul the best that she could.

"You tell her that her mother loved her with her whole heart and that she protected her with her life. Tell her that she was the best mother Ashley could have ever asked for because she loved her unconditionally. No matter what Hannah would be there for Ashley. You tell her that she was the best thing that ever happened to Hannah and if she knew she was only going to have two and a half years with Ashley she would do all over again. For Ashley's love is…"

Brennan smiled thinking of it and Booth watched her intently as she thought about what she was saying knowing if Bones said it, it made it that much more special because it was one hundred percent full of truths. "…Ashley's love is contagious, transcendent and eternal. She is of Hannah and you Booth. You were right, in a way love is eternal. Hannah will always be with us, just look at Ashley." Brennan smiled thinking of Ashley and her happy angelic and innocent laughter. When Piper laughed she laughed from her gut but not Ash she giggled a lot, it was always music to Brennan's ears when she made her giggle.

"…Booth she is a mirror image of Hannah. While her mother is not with her physically, she will not have to be told that she is very smart Booth and metaphorically, Hannah is within her heart and loves her with all of it." She looked into Booth's eyes suddenly realizing just how open she had been with him. He saw the fear in her eyes.

"Bones?"

"Hhmm?"

"Thank you for being here for us."

"Always Booth, I'll always be here for you." She stated honestly. It was only when he had fallen asleep in her arms, cried himself to sleep that she allowed her own tears to spill. Damn it! Why did this happen to him? Well hell, if she was going to ask that she mind as well curse everything else making her cry! Why?

Why, when she fell in love with him? Fell for the first time did she end up loving him with her whole heart? Tell her damn it! Tell her how was that her fault, her problem? Though it was for how was she supposed to move on with the man she loved holding her tight as she soothed his sleeping form?

She knew that Booth and Hannah's relationship was rocky throughout but Ashley had been their light in the dark a type of saving grace for them. She didn't think that a child should be the lifeline in a relationship but no one asked Temperance. She only knew she had given her heart away and it was apparently evident in her eyes, apparent she couldn't let him go.

She looked down to his sleeping form and watched as he breathed in and out. She knew through the years there were times he was happy, but she had always wondered. Wondered if it was the type of happiness that deep down longed for forty, fifty, or sixty years. Wondered if he loved the life and man he saw when he looked in the mirror each day.

She wondered a lot in Australia at night when the night's sky would light up with a million stars, she would remember. Remember lying on the hood of a car looking up at them together. She smiled at the memory even now as she held him. She would wonder of Hannah and Ashley a lot too. How were they? How big was Ashley? She knew Piper and Ash were growing up friends and was happy Hannah had, had a girl for Piper to play with. She remembered back to a certain night in Australia when she spoke to Angela.

"Come home Sweetie, I know it must be hard it's-"

"No! No! You have no idea Angela. You never had to give up someone you loved for a greater damn good! I watched him walk out of my door…it…it's not…we're not the same. It's over between us Angela. I know Booth and he will ask the mother of his child to marry him. He has done it before and he will do it again. There is no place left in his life for me." Said Brennan

There was a moment of silence on the line. Brennan could hear Piper and Hodgins in the back ground. "I can't tell you how or what to feel Bren. Though, I can tell you that that man you love, Booth. He will always love you and always have a place for you Brennan. Sweetie, take your blinkers off and if you see nothing else, realize nothing else. Realize he will always have a place for you. Bren, I don't think he ever stopped loving you." Brennan's eyes rolled up toward the night's sky as tears fell down her face. The confirmation or truth in Angela's tone and voice was overwhelming.

"Tell everyone hi Ange, I have to go." Brennan hung up her cell and noticing she was alone cursed the stars above her. Screaming to the heavens for some type of answer, her only answers were the loud crickets chirping. She sank to the ground as she cried, alone. She startled at a soft hand on her shoulder and looked up curiously to Sarah this was the second time she had found her teacher crying. She said nothing for she knew a simple touch could go a long way.

Brennan was still on her knees looking up at Sarah, a young intern about twenty three. "I can't go home…it would be too hard. Too hard for both of us and I can't…" Sarah nodded understanding.

"My friends, my two god daughters…I know I'm missing out on their little lives but I…I just feel as if there is not much to go back too. Besides I'm not a home wrecker…it's just…" Brennan struggled with her words.

Sarah offered her own "Someone else took your home."

Brennan nodded sadly yes as she swiped at tears and stood up "…and now I can't go back."

"I'm sorry Dr. Brennan." Sarah said and she embraced her tired tear stained teacher, who had needed a hug. "Come on Dr. Brennan let's get back to the site." Brennan inhaled and exhaled wiping her tears away and slowly the two walked back toward camp.

Sarah knew as she and her teacher walked toward camp, Brennan was dragging her feet. Yet speaking of shooting stars and Sarah thought that maybe, just maybe her teacher would make it through tonight. Brennan had asked Sarah never to speak of their little incident. Sarah only smiled replying "No worries Dr. Brennan."

Brennan heard Ashley's cries and was on her feet in an instant leaving Booth on the couch. She walked into find the little girl with a pouty bottom lip, it quivered. The gloss in Ashley's eyes was almost too much for Brennan too handle.

In that moment Ash's once light blue skies crashed into her Auntie's grey clouds and in that moment Ashley understood her unasked question so she didn't ask it. She simply said what came to her mind next. "Auntie, where's my Dada I'm hungry."

Brennan sat down on the bed next to her looking into her confused innocent eyes but knowing the skies would become clearer with every day that passed. God promised he would never flood the Earth again, he said he would remind us every time it rained with a rainbow. In that moment Brennan felt as if she needed to believe, as if a little faith was found as she smiled down at the little blonde with ringlets and she smiled back up at her. Ashley Faith Booth, it was an excellent name. Hannah meant God's Grace, so Bren felt the middle name Faith suited her well.

"Your Daddy's asleep on the couch, but I have some strawberry pancake batter left over if you want strawberry pancakes."

"Yay! Please Auntie Bren!" Brennan smiled at Ashley's words.

"Do you need help getting up to go to the bathroom Ash? I think it's time we do that, your bandages may need dressing. I need to check." Ashley looked at Brennan hesitant at first. Brennan decided some incentive was needed. "Pancakes afterward?"

"Okay." She helped Ash out of bed she noticed that she talked a bit like Hannah, formed some of her words the same way. Brennan thought it was cute coming from a child's mouth. As she sat her on the toilet and inspected her bandages as she went to the restroom Ash continue to talk. "Where were you gone for so long Auntie Bren?" She was curious like Hannah too. Brennan picked her up off of the big person's potty and helped her to the ground.

"I was in Australia."

"Austwaya! That's like forever away Auntie!" Well she had inherited Booth's geographical direction of the world.

"Really Ash? Who told you that?" asked Brennan

"I know'd it already. I know a lot of stuff cause my mommy and daddy show'd me all of it and told me too." Brennan smiled laughing lightly. Ashley was now standing on the toilet seat looking in the large mirror to her right. "You're pretty Auntie."

"Thank you Ash, so are you." Brennan touched Ashley's nose with her index finger and she started to giggle which made Brennan smile.

Booth walked toward the giggling coming from the guest bathroom and stood unnoticed right outside the bathroom door as the girls continued to converse. The giggling made him smile and it turned Ash's eyes a little bit clearer.

"Mommy said you's pretty to Auntie Bren." Brennan paused taking this information in, no one noticed Booth as he observed them.

"That's very nice of her Ashley."

"Piper said you's not as pretty as Ange but we decided because Ange is her mommy it's okay that way." The innocence in Ash's voice warmed Brennan. Then Ashley started to giggle again. "Piper said that her mommy said you only flew on one way ticket planes. We don't know what she meant, do you?"

It was then Brennan caught Booth's reflection in the mirror starring at the two of them. She held his gaze a moment knowing he had been ease dropping on their conversation. She saw it in his broken, pained, and tired eyes. Yet, she also saw that tiny glint, that same glimmer that shone in hers. It was a reflection if you will of faith, hope and yeah that other word that they had taken out of their language years ago.

It had been so long, but were the chemicals ever wrong? It was only four letters but someone had forgotten to tell them that some hearts can't say goodbye. Some hearts think they missed their chance when really, they only just found one another again. Found that one person who wasn't going anywhere, the person they loved the most.

Brennan looked at Ash "Auntie, we are gonna eat strawberry pancakes now?" She was glad Ashley had forgotten what she previously asked.

Brennan smiled and picked her up setting her gently on the ground. "Yes Ash, It's time for strawberry pancakes!" Brennan smiled making Ash giggle. "Oh my Gosh! Look it's your daddy! Run!" Brennan scooped up Ashley and ran passed Booth toward the kitchen, their laughter music to his ears.

"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."

She smiled as she flipped the pancakes because Angela was wrong. She didn't have a one way flight, she had come home.