Now I'm standing alone in a crowded room and we're not speaking.
And I'm dying to know if it's killing you like it's killing me yeah.
I don't know what to say, since the twist of fate when it all broke down.
The story of us is a lot like a tragedy now. Next chapter.
One year later.
"Come on Katie sweetie, let mommy put you in your pretty new dress. People will be here soon," Angela pleaded with her daughter.
"Only one and she's already a tomboy," Hodgins laughed entering the nursery to join his family.
"She is going to wear this dress to this party whether she wants to or not."
"Ah come on, Ange, it's her birthday. Let the girl wear what she wants."
"Jack, she's one. If I let her choose, she'll opt for no clothes at all. Our daughter is not starting her life out as a stripper."
Hodgins laughed again, ruffling his daughter's mop of curls. "You're not going to be a stripper are you, Katie? You're going to be a scientist like your dad."
"Or an artist," Angela put in, surveying the child's closet for another dress.
"All right compromise," Hodgins suggested. "You can be whatever you want to be as long as you keep your clothes on."
This time, it was Angela's turn to laugh. "Deal." She walked over to Katie with a blue sundress to replace the ruffled pink one. Katie let her dress her in this one.
"Guess she doesn't want to be a princess," Hodgins shrugged. "Which may or may not be a good thing."
"I blame Brennan," Angela said with a smile. "She keeps criticizing the Disney Princesses every time she watches a movie with us. Guess I can't blame her with everything the girl's been through, but still her parents were around for her childhood. That should mean something, shouldn't it?"
"With Brennan, I never know. Speaking of, isn't today going to be the first time she and Booth are in the same room together since well…you know?"
"Yes," she responded, as she began brushing Katie's short hair. "But they've both assured me that they can handle it. And they better because I threatened both of them to behave for this party or else."
"Again, I emphasize the point that she is one. She's not going to remember her first birthday party."
"Maybe not, but I will. And I will not spend my day mediating between them."
Hodgins sighed. "Want me to assign that job to Cam and Sweets?"
"You shouldn't have to, but if push comes to shove, then yes."
Hodgins nodded, taking Katie into his arms.
"You know I love our life right now, but some days I feel like I would give anything to just go back to the days when they were happy together. I hate seeing them fight and I hate seeing Brennan so sad all of the time."
"Oh I know," Hodgins agreed, using his free hand to rub his wife's back. "Those were good days. But you know? So are these. And in my opinion, with the history that those two have, they can't hate each other forever."
"I really hope so because this George guy is really starting to get on my nerves."
"Greg, honey his name is Greg."
"Oh whatever."
"You'd think that after a year, you'd know his name."
"I also thought that after a year Brennan and Booth would be a couple. See how wrong I can be?"
Hodgins was about to respond when the doorbell rang. "Oh look party's starting!"
"Uh-huh, way to avoid the question." Angela turned off the light in the nursery, praying that today would go off without a hitch, especially one involving Booth and Brennan.
(Insert line break here.)
He was early; he knew that. But he'd overestimated the amount of time it would take him to buy his goddaughter a birthday present. He'd rationalized that since he was the godfather it was okay for him to show up early. Thinking that made him feel like Brennan and he immediately worried that she too would be there early, leaving the two of them awkwardly alone while Angela and Hodgins finished setting up.
When he pulled into the driveway, he was relieved that her car was nowhere in sight. And then he saw a car he didn't recognize and began to fear that in their year apart she had purchased a new car. She certainly had the money for it.
As soon as Hodgins opened the door, Booth blurted, "Please tell me you got a new car."
"Uh yeah, we did. Angie's been complaining about my classic car's ability to function with a car seat."
"Oh thank God," Booth sighed with relief, pushing past him into the house.
"May I ask what that was about?" Hodgins asked, following him into the kitchen.
"I thought maybe Brennan had gotten a new car."
"You realize she is coming today right?" Hodgins asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, but so are a ton of other people. As long as we're not the first two people here, I can avoid her."
"You're not even going to talk to her?"
"Nope." Booth took down a glass from the cabinet and filled it with the lemonade Angela had set aside for the party.
"Booth, she's your best friend."
Best friend? What was he? Nine? She was just his partner…whom he told everything to…who told everything to him…who he had been in love with…who broke his heart…No! He couldn't go back to that place. Brennan had pushed him away to protect him from her and for the first time he could see why.
"Was. Past tense."
"Booth! That's for the party!" Angela exclaimed walking into the kitchen holding Katie and gesturing toward the lemonade in his hand.
"Well, I'm here for the party," Booth replied taking a sip. "And I'm here to see my favorite girl; it's her birthday after all."
Katie giggled at that.
"And you promise that you won't be fighting with Brennan?" Angela pressed.
"Don't even plan on talking to her," he shrugged.
"Seriously? Not even a hello?"
"Do you want us to fight or not?"
"No! I just…I want everything to go back to normal. Is that too much to ask for?"
"Actually it is –"
"All right, all right. Enough," Hodgins interrupted. "Today is about Katie, can we please keep it that way? I know I'm guilty of bringing your guys' relationship into this as well, but if we can stop talking about it now before Brennan gets here, that would be ideal."
"Don't have to tell me twice," Booth said reaching to take Katie from Angela. "Let's go look at all of the pretty decorations outside shall we?"
Hodgins turned to Angela and whispered, "I still think we should have had separate parties for them."
"Will you relax? Everything's going to be fine."
"You realize that now that you've said that, everything is going to go to hell, right?"
"Jack…" Angela warned.
"I'm just saying," Hodgins replied holding his hands up in defense.
"Well if everything goes to hell, I'll just blame you," she smirked, heading out back to join Booth and Katie.
"I knew I was digging a hole with that one."
(Insert line break here.)
He was the first thing Brennan saw when she stepped into Angela and Hodgins' backyard. He was talking to Cam and Sweets next to a table lined with pink-frosted-cupcakes and glitter confetti. He looked…happy and she had to admit that made her angry. Why does he get to be happy after everything that's happened when the only thing Brennan felt these days was lonely?
"Brennan!"
She turned to find Angela standing behind her with her hands on her hips.
"You look upset. Why are you upset?" Brennan asked.
"I saw you looking at him."
"What am I not allowed to look at him now?"
"No, that's not it. I just think that if looking at him makes you so sad, you should avoid it," Angela replied, moving to embrace her friend.
"I'm not sad, Angela. We've been through this."
"Yeah, yeah, tell me that all you want, but I won't believe you. I know you Temperance Brennan. Therefore I know that he makes you sad."
Brennan sighed turning her gaze back to Booth and the others. "It's been a year. I should be over this by now; over him."
"And like I said a year ago, you guys are 'Booth and Brennan.' It can't ever be over between you two."
"But it is. Before anything ever really started. But never mind that, where's Katie?"
"With my father. Which is…around here somewhere."
"I had no idea Katie had so many friends," Brennan mused, observing the throng of people mulling about the yard.
"Yeah a lot of them are from daycare," Angela laughed. "But to be completely honest, I would have preferred it just to have been the team."
"Please don't tell me that you invited all of these other people just so Booth and I could avoid each other."
"Don't be silly, we invited these people for Katie. They're her friends!"
"Uh-huh," Brennan said skeptically. "I may not know a whole lot about child development, but I do know that at the age of one –"
"All right fine," Angela cut her off. "We invited all of these people so you two could avoid each other. Are you happy now?"
"Not necessarily…"
"Oh Bren," Angela sighed. "Come on, let's go find your goddaughter."
(Insert line break here)
He was talking with Cam and Sweets when he saw her enter the party. She was growing her hair back out and her bangs had long since disappeared. She looked like the girl he had fallen in with again. Booth watched her as she looked in his direction and only held her gaze for a second before laughing at whatever joke Sweets had been telling.
"Oh did you like that Agent Booth?" Sweets asked. "I've got another one…"
"No, it's okay Sweets one is good enough for me."
"You see her, don't you?" Cam asked raising an eyebrow.
"See who?" Booth asked trying to sound oblivious.
"Doctor Brennan," Sweets replied. "She just got here and now she's talking to Angela."
"Well good, let her talk to Angela."
"You know, it might actually be beneficial to both of you if you were to go talk to her," Sweets suggested.
"Can't do that. Angela made me promise we wouldn't fight. If I go over to talk to her, we'll end up in a fight."
"You don't know that," Cam stated. "I'm sure you two are plenty capable of having a civil conversation."
"You'd think that, wouldn't you?" Booth mumbled.
He thought back to the last "civil" conversation he'd had with her. It had been at Michelle's graduation party. What had started out as small talk had turned into a full out yelling match.
You don't have the right to say anything like that!
Like hell I don't!
You know what you can just go to hell!
Too late. I'm already there!
Booth shuddered at just the thought of it. He'd never seen her get that pissed before; never heard her talk like that before. And to think that he was the one who had caused it? At the time it had been intentional; he was trying to get a rise out of her so she would stop blaming him for everything and just go away. But now…no, he would not be talking to Brennan today. The last thing he needed was for her to slap him again.
"Agent Booth, do you know what I think?" Sweets started.
"Yeah, I do. And I don't care," Booth cut him off.
"Seeley, he's just trying to help," Cam put in.
"Yeah, I get that, Camille. But I'm sick and tired of everyone trying to help us. Get over it; it's over. Isn't there anyone at this party who knows how to mind their own God-damned business?" He walked away from them with that, intent on finding Katie. That child certainly wouldn't care about his past relationships.
Of course as luck would have it, when he did finally locate his goddaughter, she was in Brennan's arms.
"Did you want her?" Brennan asked before he could get away.
"Now isn't really the best time to discuss that," Booth said trying to leave.
Confusion etched across her face, "I was talking about Katie."
"Oh!" Booth blushed, embarrassed. "Well yeah I came looking for her, but she's in good hands so I can just –"
"You can take her. I've had her for a while anyway."
"You sure?"
Brennan nodded handing Katie over to him. "What did you think I meant by 'do you want her?'?"
"It's not important."
"Did you honestly think I was making a reference to Hannah? After all this time?"
"Seriously, can we not do this right here?"
"Do what, Booth? It's not like there is anything left of our friendship to wreck."
"We promised Angela we wouldn't fight, okay? So just…forget it."
Booth started to walk away when a comment from Brennan stopped him. "What happened to us, Booth? We used to be so happy."
"I guess some people are just meant to fall in love with each other but are not meant to be together." And before she had a chance to respond, Booth and Katie left the room leaving Brennan all alone.
(Insert line break here.)
"Oh man, what a day," Angela sighed, slumping down in her seat in the car.
"No kidding. It was nice of Michelle to volunteer to watch Katie while we checked back in at the lab," Hodgins commented from his place in the driver's seat.
"Hey, she's a poor college kid now. She needs the cash."
"Ah man, I remember being a poor college kid…"
"Jack, you're from a family of billionaires."
"Well yeah, but they wouldn't let me touch the money until I had earned a degree. I mean they paid my tuition and everything, but for food and stuff, I was on my own."
"Oh you poor thing," Angela laughed.
"Hey, your dad is a rock star. You're loaded too."
She laughed again and turned to look out the window. "Look at the sky over there. Looks like it's about to storm."
"Oh great," Hodgins mumbled as rain began pelting the front of the car. "We'll never get Katie to sleep if there's thunder keeping her up all night. You know she hates storms."
"I'm sure she'll tire eventually. She is one now; old enough to sleep through the night. Babe, you should probably turn on your headlights, it is really coming down out there."
"Right, headlights. And those would be where?"
"You seriously haven't figured that out yet?" Angela asked with a smirk.
"Well…no," Hodgins confessed, playing with various buttons on the dashboard.
"It's on the other side," she told him, trying to point to the button's location.
"Over here?"
"Yes," she said turning her eyes back to the road. "Oh my God, Jack, watch out!"
AN: I'm the kind of person who checks their e-mail every hour looking for reviews. Just in case you were wondering…