The Choices We Make
Rated: T
Pairings: Booth/Cam (although I hate to do it) Brennan/other Angela/Hodgins
Dr. Sayoran forces Brennan to make a decision that has repercussions for everyone. Now,
Booth has a choice to make. Will he be too late?
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Dr. Temperance Brennan walked to her office at the Jeffersonian on autopilot. She had a lot on her mind.
She had to decide whether to take the latest assignment she had been offered. If it had been a straight
offer for her to go to some other country to identify body remains she would have immediately packed
and informed Dr. Goodman she was on her way. It was the qualifier the CIA put on this particular trip
that caused her to contemplate the choice she had been offered.
"Bren?" The voice of her best friend interrupted the tilt-a-whirl ride her mind was on. She welcomed
the intrusion.
"Ang" She smiled at her friend and motioned her in.
"What were you thinking so hard about?"
She considered it. She knew that Angela would eventually get it out of her. And, someone was going
to have to know where she would be. Her first instinct would have been to tell Booth but she no longer
felt comfortable doing that. His confession that he had been dating her new boss and his recent actions
on a case where both doctors had found themselves in danger caused her to realize that their partnership
was not as important to him as it was to her. Unfortunately, she would have to give Dr. Sayoran at
least some of the information. Brennan doubted she'd voluntarily give the information to Booth. Then again
he may not bother to even ask his girlfriend about it. Brennan mentally snorted. Booth probably wouldn't
even realize she was gone as long as Cam was around.
She noticed Angela staring at her worriedly. She smiled. "I've been offered a new assignment. I just had to
decide what to do about it."
"Have you decided?" Angela looked solemn. She knew that Brennan was going away again. She never knew
how long her friend would be gone or if her life would be in danger while she was off on her own. She waited patiently
for Brennan's answer.
"Yes. I have to go, Ang. It's just that this is kind of a different situation." She took a deep breath. "This is going to
take a few minutes. Remember Jamie Kenton?"
"That FBI agent who tried to kill you? How could I forget? Wait a minute, what does this have to do with a
new..."
Brennan raised her hand to stop her friend from going any further. "He called me a month ago. Asked me to
come to see him. He was in the infirmary. The Cuginis have a hit out on him. No surprise, right?" She looked
at the astonished face of her best friend. "I've been visiting him a couple of times a week since then."
Angela's outraged gasp wasn't unexpected but it didn't halt Brennan's speech. She had to get this out all at
once or she'd chicken out of telling her the rest. "The CIA has approached me about going to The Hague to help
in the identification of some ancient bones found in a mass grave."
"Why would the CIA want you to identify ANCIENT bones?"
"They're not really concerned with the bones. They want me to leave the country for my own safety." She looked
at her friend.
Angela jumped off the edge of the desk where she had been sitting. "The Cuginis put a hit out on you, too?
Brennan! Why would you need to think about this?"
Brennan nodded. "I told you I've been visiting Jamie? Well, the CIA want to send him on assignment with me
to protect him as well. They think if they get us out of the country and some place fairly unfamiliar to the
Cujinis we'll be safe."
"WHY? Why are they so concerned with keeping a murderer alive?" Angela deflated as her anger left her. "He
has to testify against them, right? If he's dead they get off scot free, don't they?"
Brennan nodded. "That's the fear."
"But, to send you off with the man who tried to kill you? Honey, that's just not done."
"We've talked that all out, Ang. I understand his reasoning. And, I believe he's sincere in his apologies over the
situation."
"Bren, you are not the most people savvy of us. He could just be playing you. What does Booth say about
this?"
"I've no idea. There's no reason to tell him anything. I think we can all see that Booth and my partnership has
come to a close. It was inevitable. So, I'm not telling him. And, neither are you." She looked at the artist to
see if she got the message.
Angela slowly nodded her head. "Okay, Bren. I can see what you're saying. I hate to say that you're right about
this but, I'm sad to say, I believe it, too."
She rounded the desk. "I'm going to miss you. When do you leave?"
"I have to call my contact and give him my answer and things will be arranged as soon as possible."
"Just let me know, huh? I hate it when you disappear without telling us."
Brennan gave a small smile and nodded.
They released their hug when a knock was heard at the door. They looked up to see Dr. Camille Sayoran
standing in the doorway smirking at them.
"Am I interrupting anything?"
Brennan and Angela exchanged a glance.
"No, as a matter of fact I needed to speak to you about something." She nodded at Angela as she walked out
of the office. "Talk to you later, Ang." She conveyed her promise to call in the short sentence.
"So, what can I do for you, Dr. Sayoran?"
"Why don't we get your problem out of the way first?"
"My ' problem'?"
"Yes, you said you needed to speak with me."
"Yes, of course. I have been given a special assignment that will take me a way for an unspecified length of
time. I just wanted you to know."
"What kind of assignment?" Cam looked suspicious.
"I'm not at liberty to say. It is extremely classified."
"Well, then I'm going to have to say no."
"No? You can't say no. It's not the way this works. I get an assignment from the government several times
a year to go to places that I can not speak of and I go. It's in my contract with the Jeffersonian."
"Contract or not you're not leaving these premises until I get some idea of where you'll be and how long
you'll be gone."
"You've no right to that information." Brennan's eyes crackled with anger.
"Then you'll stay. I've got a new assignment for you."
"Get out of my office."
"What?"
"Get out."
"Dr. Brennan your insubordination will get you suspended. I'm your boss I can do that."
"Don't bother." She grabbed the other woman by the upper arm and dragged her out of the office firmly
closing the door behind her. She ignored the immediate banging from the angry pathologist and sat
down at her desk.
Pulling her keyboard to her she typed out her letter of resignation and signed it as soon as the copier
spit it out. She nearly ran the other woman over as she left her office and marched down the hall to
see Dr. Goodman.
Everyone in the lab had turned their attention to the two angry faces coming toward them. It had been
hard to ignore Dr. Sayoran's loud knocking and admonitions that Brennan open the door. Angela, Zack
and Hodgins watched as Brennan entered Dr. Goodman's office and closed the door in the face of the
woman following her. Their eyes widened in astonishment.
Jack and Angela shared a 'what the hell' look. Dr. Sayoran turned to stare angrily up at the platform.
Zack immediately turned away but the other two gave her penetrating gazes that should have told her
not to mess with them. Instead she took it as a challenge and climbed the steps to where they were
standing.
"What is wrong with her? She has no sense of chain of command." She fumed. Turning to Angela
she spit out, "Where is she going?"
Angela raised a brow. "I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about. Dr. Brennan is an extremely
private person. She doesn't tell me everything."
Jack barely held in his snort at that last sentence.
"Oh, she told you. I know she did." Cam nodded to herself. "We'll see."
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Author's Note: I do not like this new character especially since I've read some of the spoilers. So
yes, before she even appears I'm making her a bitch. Also, in reference to the part
where the Bones and Cam were in danger and Booth was a wuss, it's another story
I have floating around in my brain. I may have to write it.