Chapter Six || The Center
With Zack in the middle east, Temperance was sticking to staying in the lab and not going out in the field. She used his absence as an excuse to focus on science and not her estranged partner who was also her husband and the arresting officer on her father's case. Of course the latter was the least of her worries and not one bit of why she was avoiding Booth, but in reality it didn't really help matters.
After their disastrous first date that didn't result in any resolution, she decided to just let things run their course and hope that the end result was near regardless of what it meant for her and Booth.
"Because, when Hodgins and I ran away from our wedding, we left you and Booth standing at the altar. And that iconic image totally freaked you out." Angela stated as they stood in her office, Temperance being lectured on her lack of being able to hire a new assistant in Zack's absence. She played it off of not understanding what she meant. "We'll talk again when you catch up."
It was like everyone knew that she and Booth were avoiding each other and it was starting to irritate her that not only was she avoiding him but he wasn't avoiding her at all. In fact he was always at the lab trying to get her to go out in the field with him or to lunch and it was as if he had forgotten about the entire situation.
Perhaps that was his entire point in the scenario, to forget about it. So she chose to do the same throughout the case and until Zack made his return.
"Because you and me, we're the center." He said as they sat on the cold bench. "And the center must hold." She murmured to him as he nodded and asked if they were going to hold his eyes almost pleading for normality between them that she wasn't sure how to answer.
"As partners, yes we're going to hold. We're the center. My question is whether we're going to hold, as us or what we're going to do." She whispered like someone around them were to hear. He sighed and ran a hand down his face.
"I'm trying to figure this out, Bones. The entire idea of use together I want that so much, but we jumped about a million steps and I guess I'm still shaken by how we just did it without thinking you know?" He murmured.
She turned towards him and smiled, trying to find a way to help him but knew they were just both conflicted. "We're the center, no matter what right? I don't think why we did it matters at this point. What matters is that neither of us are moving to file paperwork and frankly we're sort of making each other miserable by not dealing with it."
He nodded as she spoke a smile finally forming. "Do you want to kiss me hand again? I think that's a good way to settle things." He teased and she laughed.
"I didn't kiss your hand to start with, you put it over my cup." He laughed and stood up reaching out for her hand. "Dinner? I think I owe you a million dinners after our date the other night. Brining up Caroline was probably pretty dumb."
"It definitely ruined the mood." She smiled as she took his hand and stood up. "I would like that very much. Thank you."
She looped her arm in his as they walked towards Founding Fathers. "You know Bones, I think we're going to be okay. I haven't figured out how yet, but we're going to be alright."
"We are partners, Booth. I can't imagine a world where we're not okay."
So this chapter was short but I really wanted a sort of closure chapter that could make this the final of the story or could potentially be just a filler if I choose to continue. I have different ideas for it all the way through the finale of season 3 and then some honestly if you count my never ending world going on in my mind. Thoughts? Do you want to see more of this what if? I have a couple unpublished I've been writing on my own also what ifs from the series but I don't want too many in progress going. (thank you attention span of zero, I write a paragraph of one story then I have to go to another) Thanks for reading, as always!