Here is a new story that I was originally going to do as a one shot, but in writing it; I realized it would need to be longer. Hope you all enjoy, much thanks to those who've added me as a favorite author, or have any of my stories as a favorite, that is totally awesome.

Thanks to BONESDBCHIPPIE for her beta-ing skills! – riviera41797-

The Woman on the Rooftop

She slowly walked down the dim hallway to her apartment, keys in hand,
her bag slung over her shoulder, cell phone in her pocket. It was well
after 10pm, and she'd lingered at the lab as long as she'd had cause to,
but ran out of work or excuses to stay, so reluctantly forced herself to
leave. Fatigue was evident in her small frame, shoulders slightly turned
in, and circles beneath her eyes. Yet she knew sleep would elude her again
tonight. Perhaps that was why she had no desire to return home.

It was Friday night, and while the rest of the world was out having
drinks, on dates, or out socializing with friends and family, Dr.
Temperance Brennan, world renowned forensic anthropologist and best
selling author, was alone again, and had no immediate plans for the
weekend. She had no book she needed to work on, no reports to be
written, and not even a new good book she could read. Angela had been
talking all week about the get-a-way her and Hodgins had planned to a
bed and breakfast, so she couldn't count on doing anything with her friend.
Russ was gone, to who knows where with her fugitive father, so she
couldn't call and talk to him, and obviously a visit was out of the question.

Shaking her head impatiently with the direction her thoughts were
headed, she sighed and slid the key into the lock, turned the knob, and
entered her cool, dark apartment. She shut the door, and the click was
soft, yet audible due to the all encompassing silence of her home. She
dropped her keys, cell phone, and bag on the table and slowly drifted to
the balcony without turning on any lights. She unlatched the door and stepped out, gazing up at the stars above. She lifted her chin slightly, closing her eyes momentarily letting the soft breeze caress her face, and lift her hair. The cool air brought goose bumps to her skin. The sounds of the city drifted up to where she stood cars, horns, and a far off train. She opened her eyes again and sighed.

She leaned with her back on the rail, elbows resting on the metal. The
sky was ink black with the stars bright like diamonds across the sky.
She mentally found the constellations, and whispered them aloud to
herself, remembering how much she and her mother had loved pointing them out in the night sky together.

Again, she closed her eyes, willing the tears building behind her eyelids
to subside. She swallowed hard against the lump that had formed in her
throat. Opening her eyes, she re-entered her home, leaving the patio
door open, drapes fluttering as the breeze lifted them.

She switched on the lamp by the door, and sank down into her sofa. Her
eyes fell on the vase on the coffee table with the bouquetof White Calla
Lilies Sully had given her the week before. A deep, melancholy feeling
enveloped her oncemore.

Sully. Another person who had left her. Why did it seem like all the
people she cared about left her in one form or another? She thought to
herself miserably. Yes, even though she'd declined his invitation, it still felt as though he'd left her.

Restless, she stood again.

She hadn't had anything to eat that day, and wasn't hungry now. She
wandered over to her kitchen and poked around the pantry and, then
refrigerator, before finally settling on a glass of red wine. She poured
herself a wineglass full, and leaned on the counter a moment,
thinking about the dark sky, the stars. Taking a sip of her wine, she
had an idea.

She walked to where she'd deposited her keys, and snatched them. She
pulled open her apartment door, and pulled the knob with her as she
went, not bothering to lock the door. As she departed, she heard the
click of the door as the latch caught. Two doors down from hers was the
roof access. Fumbling a moment with her keys, she located the
appropriate one, and within moments had ascended the short set of stairs
to the door that led to the roof.

She left the door open from where she'd come from, and cautiously
approached the ledge of the building, wineglass still in hand. She sat
on the thick, concrete ledge of the building, took another sip of wine,
and gazed up at the stars.

End this chapter

More to come soon – let me know your thoughts!

-R-