Title: "Monty & the Doctor"
Author: ForensicMama (MilkMamaReturns)
Pairing: Dr. Wyatt, Brennan, Angela
Spoilers: S4: The Bones that Foam, S2: The Priest in the Churchyard
Chapter Summary:Brennan invites Dr. Wyatt out to drinks at the Royal Diner before the having dinner with Booth at the Founding Fathers Bar. She comes for work advice, but leaves with advice of another sort.
Rating: K+
Chapter: 1-Shot

He sipped from the white mug. His large nose, crooked from congenital deformity or perhaps from an accident as a child, brushed against the edge of the cup.

For a moment, her mind wandered to the proportions of his face. She sipped her coffee.

He put down his tea-cup, crossing his arms across the table. "Shall we talk, Dr. Brennan, or are we simply going to stare at one another?"

"Sorry. I'm not exactly feeling talkative."

"And yet you asked me out for a drink. A tête-à-tête over tea and café au lait." He sipped again, finger tips on both sides of the cup. He set it down, eyes on the doctor. "Talkers are no good doers," Wyatt challenged.

"William Shakespeare."

"Ah. Quite right, Dr. Brennan. Now, I suppose that if Monsieur Shakespeare were incorrect, then your business would be moot."

Brennan leaned forward a bit, thoughtfully, "Booth says that having a psychological advantage over the suspects is inherent. When I was in the interrogation room, I thought I was doing fine. I planned my strategy all day, but as it turns out, I was quite ineffective."

Wyatt smiled and sat back a little bit, clutching his arms over his chest. "So, I take it that this need to be one with your partner is still as acute as ever."

"Technically speaking, he is better in that area than I am. However–"

"You find it humiliating that you are not as strong in that domain."

"Yes. I've never been bad at any one thing." She leaned forward a bit. "You've interrogated suspects, correct?"

"Dr. Brennan, this is about you and Agent Booth, not about my interrogation expertise."

"I'm not deflecting, Dr. Wyatt. I simply want to know whether or not I can better myself–"

"Have you?"

"Have I what?"

"Bettered yourself, Dr. Brennan."

"I went over a handful of techniques with Dr. Sweets, going over facial expressions and how to react to said expressions."

"There are some things that cannot be learned, Dr. Brennan. When we accept that we are fallible, weak, subject to imperfection, we open ourselves to judgment."

Brennan sipped carefully. Put her mug to the table. "So, what you're saying is that this is normal?"

"One hundred percent."

"And I've opened myself to criticism, which can only better my skill."

"Precisely." He smiled, almost amused. Drank. Than spoke over his tea cup. "So, since we last saw one another, have there been any, I don't know, developments between you and your partner?"

Brennan smiled. "Such as?"

"Oh. I don't know. It's better that I don't put ideas in your mind, rather that I hear it straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak."

"Nothing of that nature, Dr. Wyatt."

"So. Your relationship is the same as it was two years ago when we last spoke? Exactly, precisely, tantamount as when last we sat in these very chairs."

"Of course not. Nothing is static. We, as humans and as subjects to biological and scientific laws, are always changing."

"So, we are all moving toward something?"

"Yes."

"What, exactly, is that something for you and Agent Booth?" He made an impish smile.

Brennan was not so easily tricked. "Booth and I are just partners. If you're implying that we're moving toward a romantic relationship, you're wrong. We're friends. Nothing more."

"I didn't imply anything of the sort, Dr. Brennan. You're reading into my words."

"Besides, our ideals are completely different. We are incompatible–"

"Such as?"

"Love. For him, it's as physically real as you or me."

"And what do you say it is?"

"It's not what I say, Dr. Wyatt. It's a scientific fact that love is nothing but a release of serotonin, a rush of endorphins, all necessary for propagation and survival of the species. Any other interpretation is a societal construct."

"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, Dr. Brennan."

"Shakespeare again, but quoting a dead playwright isn't going to make me change my mind."

"How on earth are you ever going to explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love?"

"I'm not familiar with that one. Bates?"

"Albert Einstein." He gestured at her with his spoon, then stirred Sweet 'N Low into his tea.

Taken off guard, Brennan was formulating an answer when Angela walked up behind her best friend. "Hey, sweetie." Her eyes fell on Dr. Wyatt. "Hey, Monty, what are you two doing here?"

Wyatt smiled. "Averting our eyes, oh Lord."

Angela smiled back. "Well, don't. It's just like those miserable psalms, always so depressing. Now knock it off."

Brennan looked confused. "What are you two talking about now?"

Angela sat down beside Brennan. "Booth is waiting for you outside, sweetie. Now run off, so I can have the good doctor here to myself."

"Booth is here already?" Brennan stood and looked at her cell, noticing a missed call. "Excuse me, Dr. Wyatt, Booth and I have dinner plans."

He nodded. "Of course, of course."

Brennan put her jacket back on. For a moment, it looked as if she was going to volley the Einstein quote. Then she said, "It was nice to see you again, Dr. Wyatt."

"And you. Ta-ta, Dr. Brennan."

Angela waited until Brennan had walked out of the diner and climbed into Booth's SUV before she spoke. "So what's with all of this love talk?"

"I'm retired, Ms Montenegro. My priorities have changed."

"So you told her that she and Booth are being ridiculous and should just put us all out of our misery already?"

"Love is begun by time, And time qualifies the spark and fire of it," he quoted.

"If that's true, those two are just about to internally combust."

"Touché, my dear."

Angela reached over and stole a fry. "Good fries."

"And might I commend you on your ability to quote Monty Python. You are a woman after my own heart."

She stole another fry. "I studied up just for you… Monty.

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This was inspired by my one-shot, which is on my profile, called Skipping Pleasantries, featuring Booth & Dr. Wyatt.