Hey everybody. I have just finished a successful history exam (hopefully) and decided to take a little reprieve. The following is a kind of intense story which is me basically combining my pent up stress of exams and my dissatisfaction with this year's Bones season. As always, all thoughts and reviews are welcome. I am l also currently working on Independent Change which is about Brennan trying to re-establish the independence she feels that she has lost since she met Booth. There is no connection between the stories. I intended this to be a one shot but if you guys want it to continue into a two shot please say so. Thanks again and by the way, I don't own Bones.

~JesseniaRose~

Booth saw red. His heart began to beat faster and his Adam's apple bobbed as his eyes narrowed in upon his weeping partner. No-sobbing was a better description. Her shoulders shook as she obliviously cried while hunched over at her desk; unaware that she had an audience. What had happened? She looked utterly broken and suddenly Booth had to fight control as his temper began to escalate. She was dressed up. Covered in an elegant evening dress with delicate pearls hugging her neck. Her soft auburn curls fell to her shoulders and Booth knew that she had just returned from her date. He felt his cheeks burn as jealously snaked its way through him like a volcano spewing lava throughout an unsuspecting village. He would find her date and give him a piece of his mind. How dare this man make her shake and sob! This man, whoever he was, would be tracked down and have only Booth to contend with. But wait... Why did he care so much? He was acting like an enraged boyfriend from some movie that he and Hannah had watched last weekend with a bowl of popcorn firmly separating them. He felt his fingers nervously tighten his striped tie. Because Bones is my partner and partners stick together, he chanted silently. There was no other reason or ulterior motive.

Sucking in a few deep breaths he made his way over to her; awkwardly standing before unsure of what to do. If it had been last year he would have sucked her into a bear crushing guy hug and repeated his pep talk on how she would find true love and how the scum bag that had done this to her was worthless and idiotic. But now, he felt trapped, desperately wanting to hug her but held back by an invisible barrier. A barrier that was worse than their invisible line that they could pretend to ignore. This barrier was so high and thick that he felt tears prick his eyes at the frustration that was rapidly overwhelming. He felt like screaming, even begging for someone or God, to help them make what was wrong to right but instead he whispered in a voice that he barely recognized, "Bones? Bones talk to me. What happened? Who hurt you?"

It was only when her tear filled eyes and blotchy face started towards him that he saw the raw pain in her eyes. It looked like an open wound that had slightly begun to heal only to be ripped open again and made worse. He swallowed. When he got a hold of the jerk who had done this to her, he would dish out his own form of justice.

Sadly, she shook her head in a defeated swing before uttering the words that would cause his heart and world to freeze over. "Why do you care?"

Booth felt his body go rigid and his eyes widen in surprise. He had not expected that. He had been prepared for avoidance or compartmentalization but this was shocking, painful even.

Dejectedly she continued, "You have Hannah... And well, I have the bones of dead people."

Appalled, Booth stumbled over his words in his quest to correct her. "What? No you have Angela, your brother, your father... And me. You hear me Bones? You have me! You'll always have me."

Sighing she stood up before replying, "No Booth, Hannah has you. I missed my chance."

Booth felt and probably appeared like he had been slapped. "No Bones, what goes on between us in ours. You have to remember that. Hannah will never come between us!"

He watched with guilt as she smirked. "You see Booth that is where you are wrong. It has already happened. You have replaced me with Hannah..." Her voice wobbled a bit before beginning to escalate, "We never hang out anymore. I barely see you even when we are working a case. I'm not blind Booth! I'm not some cold fish! I have feelings too! And I feel anger!" She was fully shouting now. Pent up rage and sorrow filling her face as she continued her rant. "You are a liar Booth! You told me love was eternal and that when you knew that you found the right person you waited, not matter how long it would take. Well guess what? On the steps in front of the FBI building when you said you wanted to grow old with me?" Her voice trailed off, broken and destitute. With a little shudder she finished, "Well guess what Booth? You disproved your theory of eternal love when you returned with a girlfriend after only confessing your undying feelings for me 7 months earlier. A little hypocritical, huh?" With that she began to collect her things ready to go home. "And by the way, I broke up with my date because I realized it was too hard trying to be happy for someone else when all you feel is agony whenever you look at them and your replacement."

Booth stood still. Mouth open in silent protests before closing it and accepting her words as true. He was horrified with his actions now that he reflected. In all senses, he had done what he promised her he wouldn't. He had abandoned her and left her alone. He watched as though he was out of his body as she ran out of the room with her classic trench coat thrown over her right shoulder.

Somehow he had to make this right before he destroyed not only himself but the one person besides his Pops and son that he truly was in love with.