A/N: Here it is, chapter 3. I had a terribly hard time writing this, so I really hope it's okay.
The song is The Way We Were by Barbra Streisand.
Memories light the corners of my mind
Misty water-colored memories of the way we were
Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were
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She tapped lightly on the door frame. "Booth?"
He looked up from the paperwork on his desk, but was too stunned to speak. She looked just as beautiful as he remembered, maybe even more so . Her hair was longer; it was pulled to the side in a low ponytail, a style he had never seen her wear. She was wearing her mother's earrings, and he recognized the chain around her neck as the necklace he had given her for their anniversary, despite the fact that she refused to celebrate it. He was surprised she still had it.
"Booth?"
"What? Oh, yeah, come in, Bones."
Bones. More than anything, she had missed him calling her that. As she sat down in a chair in front of his desk, she noticed the photos that were proudly displayed before her; one of Angela and Booth, holding each other on a sunny day, laughing like there were no problems in the world; one of Parker (he had gotten so big), holding a baby swaddled in pink, and sitting next to him was a young, blonde girl with Booth's smile; one of Angela alone, sleeping peacefully on the bright green grass; one of Angela, Booth, Hodgins, Zack, Cam, Sweets, Daisy, Clark, and a man she didn't recognize, who she presumed to be the man who had been hired to fill her position, all packed into Sweet's office for a 'group Christmas picture'; and finally, one of herself sitting on Booth's lap, their arms wrapped around each other. It was taken at his birthday party. They were both smiling; Angela had always said that they had the dopey-eyed, in-love look on their faces.
"So… what can I do for you?"
"What?"
"Did you need something?"
"No, I just came to, see how you were, but if you're too busy, I can leave."
"Yeah, actually, I have a lot to do."
"You seem… bitter."
"Nope, just swamped."
"Well, I just assumed, that you would make time for me."
"Well, you shouldn't have assumed that."
"I'm sorry, I guess I should have called you-"
"Yeah, you should've. Why are you here, Temperance?"
"I missed…my job, and they said I could reassume my position here, at the Jeffersonian."
"You should have talked to me about it first, Bones. Did you really think I would want to work with you again after everything that happened?"
"I assumed-"
"You really gotta stop doing that. Didn't you used to yell at me for assuming? A lot of things have changed."
"So I was wrong to assume that you missed me? Because, when I left, I got the impression that-"
"Yes, of course I missed you, Bones! That's kind of the problem. You don't get it," he interrupted, frustrated that she couldn't understand how hard this was for him.
"I talked to Angela. She explained love to me. The logic in it, more or less. Seeing as we're all mature adults, and we all have a mutual understanding of a complicated situation, I don't see any reason why we all can't be civil."
Booth laughed. "Okay, I think L.A. may have changed you and you just made a joke. Because if you really think that then you do not understand anything."
"Then, explain it to me."
Booth sighed and rubbed his eyes as he paced the room. "I believe in fate, Bones. I know you don't, but I do. And I believe that fate brought us together twelve years ago. And, more importantly, I believe that you were the love of my life. But you just couldn't accept something that wasn't supported by facts. You couldn't accept that I was in love with you despite our differences. And I think you made a huge mistake by leaving. Now normally, I would think that fate brought us together again. You know, telling us we're destined to be together. But I'm not going to think that. Because I'm with Angela now. I'm in love with Angela. You hurt us both when you left, and we both felt guilty when we got together. But we were able to overcome that, and now you're back, so the guilt is back. So yeah, maybe I am bitter. I'm bitter because fate brought you back to me too late."
"I'm not going to ask you to leave Angela, Booth."
"You didn't come back here for me?" Booth questioned, sounding unconvinced.
"Yes, I did. But now that I see the two of you- You're both really happy."
"Why did you wait so long to come back, Bones?"
"Why did you get together with Angela so soon after I left?"
"It was nearly a year."
"Why did you lie to me?"
"What? When?"
"When I was leaving. You said you would wait for me."
"Did you expect me to wait forever?"
"Honestly, yes."
"I couldn't just stop my life because you walked out the door."
"I expected you to."
"Well, you shouldn't have. And you probably shouldn't admit that."
"Why?"
"Because it makes you sound self-centered."
"It does not. I was simply making a hypothesis supported by facts."
"Maybe to smart people, but to normal people, it's called self-centered."
"Intelligence has nothing to do with. Average people make inferences every day."
Booth chuckled.
"What?"
"Nothing, it's just… We kinda sound like the old us."
"Yeah. I miss that."
"Me too."
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Can it be that it was all so simple then?
Or has time rewritten every line?
If we had the chance to do it all again
Tell me, would we? Could we?
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"Angela invited me to dinner."
"Are you coming?"
"Do you want me to come?"
"If you want to come."
"Well then, yes. I'll be there."
"Parker will love to see you. And you can meet the girls."
"What are their names?"
"Sailor and Brielle."
"Sailor? Like, on a boat?"
"Angela chose it. It came to her in a dream. And Madison Hope is due in two months."
"I thought Angela said no one knows the sex?"
"Well, no, not for sure. But I'm, like, 95 percent sure it's a girl. And Sweets is backing me up, so I've got psychology on my side. "
"What if it's a boy?"
"Then we will have Beauregard Hugh."
"That's interesting."
"I picked the girl name, Ange picked the boy name. Apparently it means beautiful spirit or something, I don't know."
"So how do you like your new partner?"
"Well, it's been five years and I still don't take him anywhere with me. The guy doesn't like Foreigner, sports, or kids, I mean, come on. I got nothing to work with. If you can't jam to Hot Blooded with you partner then you know he's no good."
"I could probably talk to someone; convince them to allow us to be partners again."
Booth sighed. She was so sure that everything could go back to the way it used to be. He wanted to believe that too. But it had been so many years. She had missed so much, and he had moved on without her.
But maybe if he believed it for tonight, then it would make it easier. And maybe"Yeah, maybe. Come on, we're gonna be late for dinner."
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Memories may be beautiful and yet
What's too painful to remember
We simply choose to forget
So it's the laughter we will remember
Whenever we remember
The way we were
A/N: Only one chapter left, and it should be up anytime.
Opinions? Tips? Complaints? Compliments?
I'd love to hear them.