Thank God this case was over, they got the bad guy which was good, but he was yelled at by Cullen which wasn't the best, but he'll get over it. Still, Booth had an unpleasant burning sensation in his chest that he screwed up. And it had something to do with this stubborn, stuck-up, know-it-all, heartless, incredibly hot forensic anthropologist who said she hated him and vowed to never work with him again. He didn't understand it, yes, she was attractive, beautiful even, yes, she was smart and funny in her weird way, but she also insulted him, she clearly loved to be the smartest and she lacked basic human empathy, but he never, not once in his life felt such a strong pull to a woman. Her kiss was still burning on his lips, the taste of fire he really wanted in his life, it was a truly wow experience. Why did he let her go? He should have jumped into that stupid cab with her. He considered going back to gambling, but Brennan's accusing eyes wouldn't leave his mind. Maybe it was time, time to make some changes in his life.
He decided to go home instead, he had scotch and the Flyers game was supposed to be on, so it was good enough evening. He opened his door and looked around wincing. The place was cold and lonely, he thought about Rebecca and Parker and how once upon a time he wanted for them to be a family. But now it was not possible. Rebecca barely allowed him to see Parker, sooner or later she will get married and move somewhere taking his son with her. Booth wanted a family, an honest to goodness family with a white-picked fence house, kids and dog. But this option was not available, no sensible woman would agree to be with him while he was still gambling, he knew that.
He got drunk, a lot drunker than usual, good thing he was home. Booth fell on his bed, his head spinning wildly. He pressed his eyes shut to stop the spinning, but it was getting worse and worse. He tried to get up and maybe take a shower, but his body felt too heavy. Gradually, he fell into a deep sleep. But his sleep wasn't peaceful, he felt as if he was in a vortex, falling and more spinning. He knew he was alcohol-dreaming, the colors around him were too bright, the voices too loud. Suddenly, the spinning stopped and Booth opened his eyes, or whatever it was people open in their dreams.
His feverish dream changed to something floating, that the best he could describe it. It was as if he was looking at things through water, the image was almost clear but not really, it was in constant motion, the voices were muffled. He had a very strange feeling, he never had dreams like that, was he finally losing his mind?
He recognized where he was, it was his place, it was night, but he wasn't in his bed, he was in the corner looking at his dream self and a woman, the woman who was clearly upset with something, he couldn't really hear what she was saying, but it was something about leaving and that God should have let someone stay. His own counterpart was trying to comfort her, next thing they were lying in bed, dream-Booth was gently cradling the woman and he recognized her. It was Temperance Brennan, but she looked different from what Booth remembered. Was it some kind of sex dream? It didn't look like it, why would he want to comfort her and since when Brennan was capable of crying like that?
The scene changed, Booth was now in some kind of a barn, he heard woman's cries and man's encouragements. He recognized them. It was Bones, as he nicknamed the scientist he just met, and himself again, she was clearly in labor, the next second it was over and a dream-Booth was holding a child in his arms. They looked exhausted but happy, blissful even. Dream-Booth looked at Bones and the child with such tenderness and unconditional love it was almost painful to watch. Booth didn't understand it, but he wanted it, he wanted it to be real.
The scene changed again, he was in a garden full of people, it was clearly a wedding. He looked around and his watery mind noticed a lot of familiar faces in the crowd, the squints he met just now at the Jeffersonian, his mother who he hasn't seen in years, his Pops, Cam and his old army priest, Aldo Clemens who, for some reason, was there to officiate the wedding. He noticed his dream-self waiting nervously for whoever was about to appear. Booth already had a good idea who that would be. He glanced at the end of the aisle and there she was. Bones looked as if she was floating, his heart clenched painfully because he wanted to take his dream-self place. She was breathtaking and radiant in her white dress and her smile was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life. Dream-Booth and Bones were now saying their vows, something about chasing someone and ducks, burying someone alive and unfocused life. He didn't understand how those things could be in wedding vows, but it was a dream, so things shouldn't really make sense.
Booth was now at another scene. It was a house, it looked a little bit like those expensive houses, made of natural materials or something like that. Nobody was around, it was dark, only one window was illuminating, so Booth went there. He looked through the window and saw them again, they were talking but he couldn't hear a word. They looked older, dream-Booth and Brennan, they were having dinner, but they were not alone. There was a little girl about five years old, telling dream-Booth something clearly very important and a small boy, no more than two, who was sitting next to Brennan in his baby chair. They all looked very content and it was if they radiated warmth that could only by associated with happiness. If Booth could control it, he would have smashed himself through the window, he looked at this family hungrily as if it was his own, or was it? He wanted it, desperately, he wanted all of it. Was is it even possible? Was it a vision that God was sending him? Or did he fall in love with Bones at the first sight and now his mind was projecting a life he wanted for them? He wanted this woman, sure, from the moment he laid his eyes on her during the lecture. He already asked her if she believed in fate, but of course she didn't, it couldn't be that simple.
He was looking through the window and the picture was starting to fade, Booth was trying to imprint on his mind things he just saw, him cradling Bones in his arms, the birth of their child, their wedding and a family they built together. But it was time to wake up and the pictures were getting bleaker and further and he couldn't stop it.
Booth woke up, it was 4:47 in the morning, he went to the bathroom and washed his face. His head was killing him, he had some dream about the obnoxious, know-it-all Dr Brennan, too bad he didn't remember it, it must have been a sex dream for sure. For all her annoying traits, he still regretted not getting with her in that cab and her kiss was still something he didn't want to forget. Booth looked at his reflection and barely recognized himself, he didn't know why, but he knew it was a beginning of a new chapter in his life. It was time, next week, he is going to gambler's anonymous, he will get his life together and will find whatever it was he needed to find to be happy.