A/U: this is the last chapter. Sniffle sniffle, tear tear.
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Tony and Booth were walking back from a basketball game. Over the case, they had become friends and noticed that they shared the same hobbies. Playing basketball was one of them.
'Hey Tony, remember the conversation we had about a couple days ago?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Well, when you said you'd gone through hell and back for Ziva"
"Yeah," Tony asked, wondering what Booth was getting to, "What about it?"
"I've said that I'd do that for Brennan and I think it's really cool that you did that"
"You want to know what happens after"
"Sort of, how did you know?"
"Face it, you're head over heels for her and you want to know what would happen if you went through hell and back for her"
"I've seen how you and Ziva act around each other and I don't get it the problem is I'm not even sure what I don't get." The confusion on Booth's face made Tony laugh. It wasn't a friendly laugh; it was a laugh full of anger and hurt.
"You want to know what went wrong, huh?"
"Pretty much yeah, I mean you guys don't seem very comfortable around each other. I expected different" Booth and Tony had been walking and were now at the car. They got in and Booth drove for awhile before Tony spoke. His voice was full of an emotion Booth couldn't pinpoint.
"You expected her to fall into my arms and us be a happy couple, like in fairytales"
"That about sums it up"
"Well Booth, people like Ziva and I don't get happy endings"
"People like you and Ziva?"
"Yeah people who are a bit selfish and maybe a dash of insecure who hide behind sarcasm and guns and danger"
"I can relate" Tony shook his head at these words. Booth just wasn't getting it. It annoyed him that Booth thought of himself like them.
"You can't, but that isn't the point"
"It's not?"
"No, Ziva and I will never be a couple. For one thing, I don't like her like that. Secondly, we would get fired or worse for breaking rule 12"
"Rule 12? What's that?"
"Gibbs rule 12: Never date a coworker"
"Ouch, tough rule"
Yeah, well Gibbs had a relationship with our former director when they were partners and it went wrong. It's more for us, than in general."
"Still, that's not a very good rule. Getting back to my original question….."
"Oh yeah. You want to know what happens after, because it's not funny."
"Tell me, I can handle it"
"Your world goes to pieces. Nothing is ever the same, you shouldn't expect it to. There will always be the accusations and the confessions and the heartbreak. Never said aloud of course. Saying it aloud would mean dealing with it and dealing with it might shatter what's left of your world. The regrets will eat at you. The awkwardness between you will sit like a rude party guest, staying after everyone has left. Slowly, life will go on. It won't return to normal and maybe it's better that way. All you know is that something needs to be said, it won't though. Nothing will be said." Tony finished a sad look on his face.
Booth dropped Tony off with a promise to hang out again soon. All the way home he thought about Tony's words. They were heavy and he no longer would say that when people asked him what he would do for Brennan. He would say a lot, but never about going through hell and back. There was too much at stake for that to happen. Way too much.
Tony walked into his apartment. He was thinking about what he had said to Booth. It was true every word of it. Tony walked into his kitchen and pulled out a beer. He knew one part of it that could be changed. He regretted thinking that, it wouldn't happen.
He thought about the past week and knew that his experiences with the Jeffersonian crowd would never be forgotten. They had taught him a lot. Mostly, that he was happy to have a good team. And that no one ever really doubted him. He gave his beer a melancholy smile and raised it in an invisible toast. Here's to the Jeffersonian. And one hell of a case.
This is the end of my very first multi-chapter story. I hope you liked it. Thank you loyal readers.
You know you love me, XOXO,
SheWillBeLoved013