Title: Living Wide
Author: Gator-md
Summary: Post-ep following 2.16.
Disclaimers: Don't own Bones. For fun only.
A/N: First Bones fanfic attempt.
Brennan is sitting at her desk with an open file in front of her. Her computer hums in the silence of the office, as Brennan is lost in her thoughts. Angela enters unnoticed by Brennan and gives a rueful shake of her head.
"I was hoping you wouldn't be here." Angela's voice startles Brennan, who quickly turns to face her.
Brennan gives Angela a half-smile. "Where else would I be?"
"Oh, I don't know, but part of me really hoped you wouldn't let Sully sail off into the sunset without you. That maybe you would just live wide for once." Angela takes a seat across from Brennan.
"Live wide, Ange? Booth said the same thing when I told him about Sully's proposal. He said that we do is kind of narrow. But how can bringing justice to victims who no one else can help be narrow?" The idea seems to perplex Brennan more than any unidentified remains ever had.
"Sweetie, narrow isn't a bad thing. It's just not the only thing. That's all Booth meant."
"So taking a year off would be living wide?"
"Yes. Absolutely." Angela flashes a smile before continuing. "To an extent, your job, what you and Booth do, it defines you. Sailing around the Caribbean, drinking fruity drinks, playing Elizabeth to Sully's Captain Jack would definitely widen the world's definition of Temperance Brennan."
Nodding her head in understanding, Brennan glances at the open file on her desk. "I know. I…I just couldn't. I…" A sigh of frustration finishes her statement, as she is once again unable to find the words to explain. She hadn't been able to explain it to Sully and she wasn't doing much better with Angela. She hadn't been able to explain it to herself. After a moment, Brennan then asks, "Do you think I'm warped?"
Her blunt question startles a chuckle from Angela. "No more than the rest of us. Why?"
"Just something Sully said---that this job, if you do it too long, it warps you."
Leaning in, her tone more serious, Anglea shakes her head. "We see things here…horrible, terrible things. Things that make us question humanity. And when you encounter the depravity that we see every day, there is going to be an effect. It might warp some people---make them incapable of seeing the good in the world that counteracts all of the evil, but not you, Brennan. It makes you work harder to make sure that the good guy wins."
"That sounds better a lot better than Dr. Chen calling me a tool."
"You? A tool? Umm…gonna need some clarification." The idea of Brennan being a tool didn't exactly fit into the Angela's definition either.
"He said I used to serve a higher, more timeless truth, but now I'm just a tool of people with smaller concerns. And I know what he means…" Angela starts to interrupt, but Brennan cuts her off as she considers Chen's remarks. "I started off as an archeologist studying ancient remains, but the first time I was asked to consult was on a child homicide investigation and it completely altered the course of my life. Ancient bones tell a story from the past, but the bones I work on now, there's still a story left to tell and I can help. If that makes me a tool, then I guess I am." The hint of uncertainty is gone from her voice and a smile is on her face.
Angela returns it. "I guess we all are. Although, I have to say, I prefer squint. Tomato, tomato…I know. But Booth doesn't say it as dismissively as I imagine Dr. Chen did."
A slight smirk at the mention of Booth's name crosses Brennan's face. "Booth…"
"What about Booth, Brennan?"
"It's nothing." Shaking her head, she continued, "He showed up at the marina as Sully was leaving..."
"Probably to make sure he really left."
"Ange…" Brennan starts, but then decides to ignore the comment. "Actually, he claimed he wanted breakfast so that I could vomit if there was a case and then Booth…." She trails off unsure of continuing.
Deciding to bypass the vomit comment, Angela waits as patiently as possible for her to continue, but when it seems that nothing further is coming, she prods, "At the risk of repeating myself, what about Booth?"
Brennan takes a breath and releases it before answering. "Well, he said everything happens eventually, if you give it time and you just have to be ready for it. What do you think he meant by that?"
Angela responds without thinking. "Living wide, Brennan, living wide."