Chapter 14. The Boneless Bride in the River.

Brennan is in her office discussing the latest case with Cam when Sully walks into the doorway.

"Uh, Temperance? Hey, um, ya got a sec?" he asked a bit nervously.

"Excuse me." She said standing and Cam nodded watching as they walked out of the office.

"What's up Sully?" she asked curiously. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys dangling them infront of her. "You bought the boat." She said smiling excited for him.

He nodded. "Finalized this morning."

"Wait. Sailboats have keys?" she asked confused.

"…Well, no. Not… not really. These are the keys to the marina but y'know, it's symbolic." He said with a chuckle.

"Congratulations." She said kissing Sully with a smile.

"So I'm gonna tell you something and I want you to think about it a while before you answer." He said seriously.

"Okay." She nodded.

"Well, you say okay, but it takes you microseconds to think things though. So this time I'd appreciate it if you, ah, took a breath 'cause …it's big."

"I promise I'll think about it." she promised laughing.

"Okay, good."

"What is it?" she asked curiously.

"…I'm headed south, in the boat to the Caribbean."

"When?" she asked her face falling.

"When this case is done."

"You quit the FBI?" a surprised expression spread across her face.

"No. No, not yet. I'll take a couple of months to get used to the boat. Ya know, really check it out and then I'll start running charters… probably for the Turks & Cacaos which is –"

"You're...You're really talking a lot." She pointed out growing more anxious with every word.

"I know. And I haven't even gotten to the main part. Which is, um, I really …really want you to come with me."

"…You do?" she asked feeling relieved, not realizing what that meant.

"I do." He said smiling and stepping closer to her. "Look, take a sabbatical. There's more to life than, than corpses and murderers. You know, we do this job for too long, we get warped. I… I can feel it happening already and maybe you can too. Let's… Let's run away together." Brennan stared at him, unable to speak. "Well,… ya know. …Think about it." He said still getting no reply. "Wanna hug?" he offered and she takes a step back. "Okay, no. I know, that's… that's a lot… to process, so just, y'know, …I don't know, …let me know when you think that maybe…" she falls into him and hugs him, not wanting to let him go. "…Okay."

A week later. After they got their confession.

"you know, Booth, uh, is a really good guy." Sully said looking at Brennan as she watched Booth book their murderer.

"He says the same about you." She admitted not looking at him.

"Really? …'Cause I figured he was the one talking you out of going with me." Sully said stepping infront of her.

"No…." she shook her head. "He told me to go. Angela did too. Everyone thinks it's a great idea."

"Everyone except you. But you're not gonna go, are you?" he guessed and she shook her head. "Why, Brennan? Sailing around warm oceans with someone who loves you? Please. Tell me what is holding you here. Look. I don't.. I don't want to sound conceited but, …I think I'm worth the risk."

She nodded a small smile on her face as she met his gaze. "You are Sully. You definitely are."

"…Alright, well, you're the logical one. What's your thinking?"

"Rationally…" Brennan hesitated slightly "… Rationally thinking, I want to go. And I know I should go but...I can't."

"What you're doing, it's important. But it's not important enough to be your whole life."He kisses her and walks out the door, leaving her alone and she wipes a tear away from her eye.

Brennan walks up on the platform at the Jeffersonian and sees the skeletons of William Chang and Li Ling Fan laid out, side by side. And she stops staring at the 'wedding picture' that Angela painted for them and tears start to form in her eye again.

"are you ok Sweetie?" Angela asked from behind her.

Brennan shook her head. "no. …Sully's leaving in the morning… alone."

"I'm Sorry." Angela said honestly.

"it was my choice. I couldn't go Ange. I wanted to but I couldn't." Angela hugged her seeing the tears.

"I know sweetie." Angela said knowing that Brennan genuinely cared about him.

The next morning, sunrise. Brennan was at the marina saying goodbye to Sully. He kissed her lightly and stepped on the boat, preparing to set off. He looks back waving to Brennan on the dock and she watches as he sails away, leaving her behind waving after him.

Tears well up in her eyes and she turns to head home finding Booth behind her only to see Booth on the docks behind her. "What are you doing here?" she asked, not wanting to hear it right now, especially from him.

"I'm waving goodbye. See?" he said waving.

"What do you want?" she asked rolling her eyes.

"how about some breakfast." He suggested.

"I'm not hungry." She said not looking at him.

"Oh, come on, huh? What are ya gonna vomit when we come across one of those horrific cases?"

"I don't vomit." She clarified.

"Give it time, Bones, okay? Give it time. Everything happens eventually.

"Everything?" it sounded almost hopeful, letting him know that there was a deeper meaning.

"All the stuff, okay, that you think never happens… it happens. You just gotta be ready for it."

She smiled lightly grateful to have him there. "is it too early to drink?" she asked with a sigh.

He shrugged. "we'll have mimosas."

She couldn't help but laugh. "and some of your famous pancakes?" she asked hopefully.

"Ah, you're just trying to figure out my recipe." He accused with a Boothy grin on his face.

She smiled backing off the dock. "I will find out what's in them." She reassured him.

"of course you will. …but not today." He said wrapping an arm around her shoulder again as they walked back to his car.

A couple hours and one too many drinks later.

"…do you think I should have gone?" Brennan asked looking at Booth.

Booth shook his head filling their glasses. "I can't answer that"

She laughed taking the shot. "why is that?" she asked curiously.

"because."

"because why?" she asked looking up into his eyes.

"because… because." He shrugged taking another shot.

"what the hell does that mean?" she asked confused.

He laughed. "it means that… I didn't want you to go in the first place."

"then why did you say you did?"

"because I wanted you to be happy. …not that you would listen to me anyways if I told you not to go. I didn't want to sound like the jealous ex."

She smiled. "you're probably right." she agreed with a nod.

"see." He said refilling her glass, which she quickly emptied. "supportive ex boyfriend is way better."

"sexy ex boyfriend is more like it." She said kissing him.

He pulled away. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Right." she nodded. "…bad idea."

"…'cause I wouldn't want to take advantage. …you know… when you're vulnerable."

"exactly." She nodded. "…we wouldn't want that."

"no we wouldn't." he said meeting her deep blue eyes, only a few inches from her. "…so I should go."

She nodded. "maybe… before I…" she said slowly closing the gap and kissing him again sweetly. This time he didn't pull away.

He pulled her closer and she pulled him to his bedroom.