Thank you to everyone! I really loved all the positive feed back. As with all things, this may be angsty, depressing, etc. Mentions of certain triggering topics such as suicide or depression could be mentioned. If you don't think you can read it, then please, pass this story by. I don't want anyone feeling horrid because of my stories. I love you all. Reviews are appreciated. Thank you all and I hope you have a wonderful week!

"Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these; 'It might have been."

Booth was anxious.

Perhaps anxious was more of an understatement, but he couldn't find a word that would describe what he was feeling. If Bones had been half with it or reading his thoughts, she might have suggested, 'Solicitous, overwrought, unquiet'. However, Bones wasn't out here with him and, in fact, it was mostly her that was causing his worry.

Nothing was changing.

She wasn't letting him in.

He wasn't even sure if she was eating like she should be. He'd found some left overs in the trash, something that Bones wouldn't have done before. She didn't waste. She never wasted. So what the hell was going on?

Really, he was desperate. He didn't know what to do.

Grabbing the phone, he started to dial the number before hanging up. He did so again twice before he let out a loud sigh and picked it up once more, dialing the number slowly until he heard the sound of ringing. Closing his eyes, Booth prayed that someone was home.

'Ello, Hodgin's residence. Jack speaking,'

"Hodgins…Thank god…Look, is Angie there? I need to talk to her…"

'Yeah, she's here. What's up, G-man? How's it going?"

"I'm hoping maybe Ange could figure that one out…"

There was silence, and the sound of a phone being exchanged between hands, rustling, before the sound of Angela's voice came onto the speaker.

'Hey, Booth. How's it going?'

"Look, I don't mean to bother you but…Bones is acting off. And getting worse. And I know there's nothing I can do, she won't let me in, but I think maybe you can get through to her. Can you go in and talk to her?"

'…Booth?'

"Yeah?"

'What exactly do you mean by off…'

"Look, I know that it's good to grieve and I'm grieving too, but she won't leave the guest room, Ange. She won't eat as far as I can tell. She's throwing food away, Ange. That isn't her,"

'Booth…'

"And I know that it's not fair to think that she can just bounce back, but even you were doing stuff-" He cut off suddenly and bit his tongue, cursing himself. He could never say the right thing. Damn, he really needed to shut up.

There was silence on the other end of the line as Booth tried to think of something to repair what he'd just said.

"I'm sorry. That was uncalled for,"

Silence again, until a tight breath was taken in on the other end.

'It's okay. I'll be over there soon.'

"Ange, I'm-"

'Save it, Booth,' an exasperated tone mumbled back, and he closed his eyes before shutting off the phone and tilting his head back. Damn, this sucked. This all sucked so freaking bad. When had he let his tongue slip this much? Suddenly, Booth jumped up when the phone rang again and he picked it up sharply.

"Booth,"

'Hey. Ange is coming over. If I slip in with her, you want to go out for a drink or something while the girls talk?'

For a second, Booth hesitated, thinking it was a trap or something, but he suddenly realized that he was very much up for a drink. Christine was at the zoo with Max, so they didn't have to worry about her, and Brennan might be less likely to talk if he was in the house. Anyways, he'd wanted to talk to Hodgins soon. He'd wanted to understand some things.

"Sure. I'll get my billfold and I'll be waiting outside."

'On me, man. Drinks are on me,'

Booth accepted this and hung up, sticking his hands in his pocket and walking outside. He didn't even stop by the guest room door to check on Brennan.

He was so damned exhausted.

Right after Hodgins had pulled in, Angela crawled out and Booth climbed in, not even nodding at Angela. Really, Ange didn't pay much attention to him either. Everyone seemed to be ignoring each other.

Hodgins and Booth both drove in silence, and Booth was happy for this. A silent drinking buddy is a good drinking buddy. Doesn't get too much info out of you.

They stopped in front of the Founding Fathers and both walked in, before Booth ordered a beer and Hodgins ordered rum and coke. Sitting in silence once more, Hodgins finally broke the barrier.

"Hey. Look. I know what this feels like. I know how much it hurts. But you got to buck the fuck up G-man,"

Booth suddenly turned his head and almost snarled at him. His eyes glimmered with anger suddenly, and Hodgins brought up his hands in defense.

"Don't get me wrong. But the way you've been neglecting Christine, shrugging her off onto Max. That isn't cool. And more so, when we took her the other day, she was almost in tears, man. She thinks you're ticked at her. Really, really ticked at her. And don't get me started on you and Dr. B-"

"Bones can deal with things herself! She doesn't need me! She's made that perfectly clear!" Booth came back. He didn't have a comment on anything with Christine. Because that was true. He had no excuse. He didn't want an excuse. He just…He couldn't look at her.

"She's hurting, man! Don't you get that? And you are too. You don't just leave a woman in a bedroom to weep alone, that's what cowards do! You aren't a coward! Cowards also shove their kids onto other people when they can't handle them. I'm fine with taking her, but she better damned well know her dad loves her when I do! Got it?" he stated, shoving Booth slightly. Booth almost snapped and pushed him back, but he was so tired, so exasperated, he couldn't.

"How the hell did you do this with Angela, Hodgins? Huh? How the hell'd you do it?"

Jack was silent for a long time and rubbed his eyes before taking a long drink and slamming his glass onto the table.

"We took it one day at a time, Booth. Just like you gotta do. But you can't just leave her hanging,"

He was silent and then shook his head.

"What about me? Why is she allowed to leave me hanging?"

Hodgins looked almost into the distance and took a long time to answer that. He rubbed his face, rough with a beard, and started on the drink the bartender had poured for him.

"It's what we've got to do sometimes. It's what everyone's got to do. One foot in front of the other, and let someone else be your crutch, or be the crutch for someone else. We hope to hold up long enough that the other person can help be our crutch,"

"Is that what you did for Angela?"

Hodgins was silent for a long time before he shook his head.

"No. That's what Angela did for me,"

They were silent once more until they finished their drinks, and called for a cab. They'd get the car later, have Booth drive them both down to the bar and let Hodgins take it home. Even without the risk of a DWI, neither felt much like driving.

"Sweetie?" Angela asked softly as she knocked on Brennan's door and then snuck in. She saw the letter next to her bed and started to grab for it, to see if that had anything to do with anything, before Brennan spoke up.

"Zach wrote me…" she stated, half exhausted tone showing clearly. Angela nodded in understanding and sat next to her, hoping that her friend would manage to at least turn and face her. No avail.

"Sweetie. I need you to talk to me. Booth says-"

"What's Booth been saying?" she asked quickly, turning and staring at Angela with cold, calculating eyes. Angela had to keep away the feeling of deep despair she saw when she looked into her friends eyes, and sighed.

"You're not eating and you're here all the time. Have you been sleeping alright?"

Brennan huffed and laid back down, tense now and not willing to let anyone in.

"I've been sleeping just fine, Angela. Now please. Go. I'm tired,"

She had no doubt that she was tired, but she had no intention of leaving. Crawling further and leaning on the backboard of the bed, Angela looked down on her friend. She suddenly reminded her of the Temperance Brennan she'd first met, the young, almost starving Anthropologist who was so afraid of everyone that she'd barely been willing to talk to Angela. It was a miracle she'd managed to get through any walls at all.

"Sweetie. I need you to talk to me, or else I'm going to call Sweets. I can't know whether to worry or not if you don't tell me what's going on in that brilliant brain of yours," she offered, smiling slightly and hoping to get a chuckle.

Nope. Nothing.

"Please. Talk to me. I don't want to have to call Sweets,"

The threat was very real, even if Angela could barely believe it was coming from her own mouth. Angela was starting to recognize the change in Brennan, and it scared her. It scared her just like it had scared her when Hodgins had started to stare off into space, starting using a rubber band against his own wrists. When he had started to push his food around or give some to Michael and then throw the rest away. When he'd simply walked around in a daze.

Brennan looked up at her and shrugged.

"It's irrational,"

"Try me,"

There was a long, tense silence, and both stared at each other before Brennan started to talk.

"I'm tired. I'm tired and I feel almost…Dead. I'm guilty…We fought and it was partially my fault and what if that was part of it…I'm guilty for not being able to take care of Christine…I'm angry at Christine and Booth, and at you and Hodgins, and then I'm guilty for being angry…And I don't want to do anything, Ange. Even Zach's letter, it didn't affect me at all. I haven't slept in days. That's inaccurate….I haven't slept more than two hours in days…And Ange…" she cut off suddenly and closed her eyes.

"Yeah, sweetie?"

She took in a deep breath and shook her head once more.

"You'll hate me,"

"I would never, ever hate you, Brennan. What's wrong? Tell me,"

She stared off into the distance and pointed to the table on the edge of the bedstand. Angela's eyes wandered over until she found exactly what Brennan had been focused on.

A bottle labeled Ibuprofen.

"Brennan, I-"

"I wasn't going to take it or anything. It's not like that… It's just, I was staring at it for a long time and thinking to myself about how much it would take to really hurt you…I'm not suicidal, Ange…I just…I think that if a murder came into the house right now, I wouldn't fight back. But I'd never take them. I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't. Okay? Deaths just invading my thoughts more and more lately," she admitted, and choked back a sob.

Angela was keeping back tears as well and pet her friends hair, before walking over and grabbing the bottle, walking into the bathroom and dumping the contents down the toilet. She then walked back to Brennan and coaxed her head into her lap, tears falling down her face.

"I love you, Bren. Don't EVER do that to me. Don't you EVER do that to me…"

When Brennan had finally drifted into something close to slumber, though Angela was unsure if it was real or not, Angela pulled out her cell phone and dialed Sweet's number.

"I'm sorry sweetie…I'm so, so sorry…"