"I can't believe you did that," Jared laughed after Angela told him about the whole Tanaka incident and finding out he was a man.
"Someone had to do it," Angela shrugged, smiling. They were sitting at the Royal Diner having a simple dinner together. Jared had purchased a motorcycle recently, and they had gone for a ride before stopping. Jared had something he wanted to tell Angela, but he was unsure of how to do it. She was sitting there grinning at him, and he didn't want to spoil the mood. They had only recently started having sex again since they had been going slower with their relationship, but Jared was getting a calling, and he didn't want to miss the opportunity. He hoped she would understand.
"What's wrong?" she asked. He smiled to himself. Intuitive as always. Something he really loved about her.
"I've had something on my mind for a while," Jared started. "The opportunity has recently come up to accomplish what I've been thinking about doing, and I want to take it. However, I don't want to leave you."
"Oh," Angela said, feeling her heart sinking. She knew where this was going.
"Don't look so sad," Jared said, feeling bad.
"I can't help it. You're breaking up with me," Angela said. She put her face into her hands. Jared gently tugged at them to make her look at him.
"I haven't even told you yet," he said.
"What? What is it then?" she asked.
"I've been given a dishonorable discharge from the Navy," Jared explained. "Apparently they didn't like me using their resources for personal use, even though it was to save my FBI brother. So, I have no job. What I really want to do is...well, I really want to go see India without having an ulterior motive."
"Y-you're going to India?" Angela asked, shocked. She hadn't seen that one coming.
"Yea. I want to ask you to come with me, but I didn't know if that was too fast," Jared finished.
"I...wow. This is...huge. I...I don't know what to say," Angela stammered. She really didn't. Go to India with Jared? Have an extended vacation? She would tell anyone else in this position to go, but she wasn't sure. Could she?
"Think about it," Jared said. "I'm not leaving for a week at least."
"A week?" Angela asked, stunned. "That's...short notice."
"I know. It was kind of a split decision made late at night out of anger from being fired," Jared said sheepishly.
"I see," Angela sighed. "Well, I will think about it."
"All I can ask for," Jared smiled. They finished dinner in silence. He really hoped she would consider coming with him. He wasn't quite ready for their relationship to end just yet.
Booth & Brennan
"Eight months next week," Booth whistled.
"What's eight months?" Brennan asked curiously.
"Our relationship. That's how long we've been together," Booth explained. She looked at him, surprised.
"It certainly hasn't felt that long," she smiled.
"Time flies when you're having fun," Booth grinned.
"So what should we do?" she asked.
"About what?"
"Our eight month anniversary. I don't think I've ever reached this milestone before," she mused.
"Really? Well, we can do whatever you want to do," Booth said. "Fancy dinner. Lots of sex..."
"We do that all the time," Brennan interrupted, confused. "It has to be something different than that, something we'll remember years later."
"Years later?" Booth asked, surprised.
"Yes. Why is that so surprising?" Brennan asked. "I do think of our relationship as one that will last a long time. I know before I was skeptical of such a thing, but being with you has made me realize that it's not unreasonable or irrational to feel like we will be together forever."
"Really."
"Yes. Don't you?"
"Yea! Oh, yea. Wow. Okay, okay. Let me think of something special we can do and you tell me what you think," Booth said.
"Okay," she agreed. She waited, but he didn't say anything else. "Booth?"
"What?"
"Have you thought of something?"
"I need a day or two to figure it out," he told her. He was absolutely stunned by her speech. He never figured she would think about their relationship as lasting forever.
"Oh," she said, nodding. Booth's phone rang just then.
"Jared," he said. "Wonder what he wants."
"You'll find out when you go talk to him," Brennan said.
"Right," Booth sighed. "Okay. Well, I'll talk to you later." He bent down to kiss her before throwing on his coat and heading out the door.
Max & Zack
"What could possibly be going wrong?" Max asked Zack. "I thought you two were in the honeymoon phase?"
"I feel that I am more complicated than she imagined," Zack replied. "I don't think we are a good fit together."
"You're crazy," Max said, incredulous. He saw Cam coming just then. "Cam, tell Zack he's crazy."
"Why?" Cam asked.
"He's going to break up with Payton!"
"Really?" Cam asked Zack.
"It just seems logical," Zack shrugged. "She is going to do it soon, I think. Why wait for that to happen?"
"Because she might not break up with you," Max answered. "I think you're reading too much into this."
"I don't think so," Zack said.
"I'm gonna go now," Cam said, gesturing. She wasn't really comfortable discussing Zack's love life.
"What did she say specifically to make you feel she's breaking up with you?" Max asked, not even noticing Cam leaving.
"She just said she needed some time to think, that things were going too quickly, and she didn't want to move forward without figuring it out first," Zack explained. Max slapped his hand to his forehead.
"That's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard," Max scoffed.
"Why is it crap?" Zack asked, confused.
"Has she been on her phone more than usual?" Max asked.
"Yes."
"Has she been at other places and being vague about where she's been or what she was doing?"
"Yes, but that's her kind of work..." Zack started.
"Horsefeathers!" Max interrupted. "She's cheating on you."
"W-what? How do you know?" Zack demanded.
"Secrecy. Being vague. Now saying she needs time to think? She's cheating," Max clarified. Zack was stunned.
"I don't believe it," he said, sinking into the chair next to him.
"I'm sorry, kid," Max said, patting his shoulder. "Talk to her. Confront her if you have to."
"I don't know how," Zack lamented.
"It's not hard. You go, 'Payton, baby, are you cheating on me?'" Max instructed. "See? Simple."
"I don't call her 'baby,'" Zack said.
"Would you quit focusing on the unnecessary parts of my speech?" Max asked, annoyed.
"We've got a case!" Cam called from the other room.
"See you later," Zack said, eager to escape. He needed to talk to either Hodgins or Angela about this.
Booth
He was on his way to see his brother when it hit him what he wanted to do for their eight month anniversary. With a smile that was barely contained to his face, he surged onward to his new destination. The little bell above the door tinkled when he opened it, and he was greeted by a very smiley faced woman.
"Hello, how can I help you today?" the woman asked.
"I'm looking for something very special for a very special woman," Booth replied.
"Well, you've come to the right place," the woman beamed.
The Jeffersonian
"Where is Booth?" Brennan asked. "I called him and told him where we needed to go." She was tapping her foot, waiting for him to take her to the college where the deceased beaver boy had been in a fraternity with.
"I'm here!" Booth called, coming up the stairs two at a time. He had just left Jared and was blown away by his brother's decision to travel to India. There had been a heated conversation about Jared hurting Angela, but then it was brought to light that Jared had asked Angela to go with him. Booth felt very conflicted.
"Finally," Brennan said. "We've got to go to the college."
"I know, I know," Booth responded. "Let's go." He placed his hand on the small of her back and led her out. Cam caught this, but she thought nothing of it. Booth was always touching Brennan in any way he could because he loved her. She wished Booth would realize that Brennan wasn't going to respond to his behavior any time soon.
"Ever notice those two look extremely happy together lately?" Max asked, coming up beside her.
"Hm? Oh. No, I haven't. They've always behaved that way, so it's not new or noticeable," Cam replied.
"I think we're missing something," Max mused.
"Missing something? No. Oh, no. We would know if Booth was dating Dr. Brennan," Cam laughed. "He can't keep big secrets like that for long." She shook her head, still laughing as she walked away. Max pondered what she had said, but he still had a feeling she was wrong.
Zack & Hodgins
"You're coming to me for advice," Hodgins said, surprised.
"Yes. You're my friend, and I trust your opinion," Zack said.
"O-okay. Let's hear it," Hodgins said, leaning back. He was supposed to be looking at the particulates Arastoo had brought him, but this was more interesting. Zack told him all about Payton and the things that had been happening recently and what Max said she was doing. When he stopped, Hodgins stared at him, unsure of what to say next because Max was right on the money.
"Well?" Zack prompted. "Do you agree that she's cheating on me?"
"Uhhhh," Hodgins stalled.
"How are those particulates coming, Dr. Hodgins?" Cam asked, entering the room.
"G-great. Just great. Um," Hodgins paused, turning to look at the pile behind him. "Uhhhhh. Oh! A 22 caliber bullet." He pulled it out triumphantly.
"Ah. Possible murder weapon," Cam nodded. "Good work." She turned and left, leaving Zack staring at Hodgins and waiting for an answer.
"Well?" he asked again.
"Dude, I think I'm with Max on this one," Hodgins replied. "I'm sorry, man."
"I knew I should have talked to Angela!" Zack huffed, leaving quickly.
"She'll tell you the same thing!" Hodgins called after him.
Angela
She still didn't know what to do. Jared's invite was bouncing around in her brain nonstop, but she had no answer to give him yet. Should she just drop everything and leave with him? Or should she stay here at a job she didn't necessarily like with no boyfriend?
"Ugh," she muttered. That's when Zack came bursting in.
"Angela," he said, out of breath.
"What? What?" Angela asked, concerned.
"I need your advice," Zack went on.
"I need my own advice," Angela retorted.
"I don't know what that means," Zack frowned.
"Nevermind. What is it?" she asked, sighing.
"Both Max and Hodgins are saying that Payton is cheating on me," Zack said. "I need a woman's perspective."
"Okay. Let's hear it," Angela said. So Zack told her. Once he was finished, she sat there looking at him sadly.
"You're going to agree with them, aren't you?" he asked.
"I'm afraid so. Look, Zack, Perotta is hot, yes, but she isn't your type. You need to be with someone who has the same kind of brain you do," Angela explained.
"I see," Zack sighed.
"I'm sorry. I know you really liked her."
"I feel like it was beginning to be more than just like," Zack told her.
"Aww, sweetie," Angela said, going over and hugging him. "You'll find someone else who will love you for you and never cheat on you."
"I hope you're right," Zack said. He felt sad for what he had to do that night after work. The evidence was clear, though, and he needed to end things before he got even more hurt than he already was.
Booth & Brennan
"I still can't believe those boys put their sexual conquests on the wall," Brennan frowned. She was going through the sheets she had collected.
"That's college for you," Booth shrugged.
"So you're saying you put your conquests on the wall for your frat brothers to see?" Brennan asked.
"Nooo..."
"Dr. Brennan," Arastoo said, coming in. "We have located a bullet." Hodgins came up behind him.
"Well, I found it really," Hodgins said.
"Yes, but I was the one who gave it to you," Arastoo said simply.
"Okay whatever," Booth interrupted when Hodgins opened his mouth to object. "Give it." Arastoo passed it over to him, and Booth took it to examine it. Hodgins left in a huff while Arastoo observed.
"The one boy is in ROTC," Brennan pointed out. "I bet he might be a good suspect."
"You are correct," Booth nodded. "I'm going to go talk to him right now."
"Okay," Brennan said.
"Oh, and I'm gonna meet with Jared again. He is spouting off some garble about traveling to India," Booth snorted.
"All right. I'll see you later," Brennan said. He gave her a meaningful look before walking out of the room. Brennan was lost in her thoughts until she was brought to reality very quickly.
"How long have you and Agent Booth been together?" Arastoo asked. Brennan jumped, startled.
"W-what? No. Agent Booth and I..." Brennan started, but Arastoo put up his hand.
"Please," he said. "I am very observant. That look you just shared with him said it all. You are in love."
"Absolutely not..."
"Dr. Brennan, it's okay," Arastoo said. "I won't tell a soul."
"There's nothing to tell," Brennan tried.
"That's right," Arastoo said, smiling. Then he was gone. Brennan felt a sense of dread. They had been so careful! How is it that one of her interns finds out about it before anyone else? Booth was gonna freak out.
"Sweetie?" Angela said, coming in.
"Yes?" Brennan asked, feeling guilty. Of all the people who should have found out first, her best friend should have been the one.
"Jared wants me to go to India with him," Angela confessed.
"Oh," Brennan said.
"Yea. Oh. I don't know what to do!" Angela started to cry.
"If the thought of going makes you cry, then I suggest you don't go," Brennan said.
"I don't know why I'm crying. The old me would have been, 'Yes! Let's go and never look back!' Standing here right now, I don't feel that. I don't want to lose Jared, but I don't want to go either," Angela finished.
"That is a dilemma," Brennan nodded.
"What should I do?" Angela asked.
"I...I can't tell you what to do, Ange," Brennan said. Angela sighed.
"I know you can't. I just thought maybe you would know what to do," she said.
"I am not the expert on running away with someone," Brennan told her. "Remember Sully?"
"Yes, and I thought you were very stupid to do that," Angela laughed. "Maybe I should go."
"You always said you wanted to take some time away from here," Brennan pointed out.
"You're right. Thanks, Brennan," Angela said, hugging her. Brennan felt happy for being able to help Angela for once. She still had the thought in her mind about telling her about Booth, but she let it go. Things were just going too well for her and Booth to have public eyes on them just yet.
Hodgins
He had heard everything. Angela was going to India. He hid behind a door when Angela came out of the room. He forgot all about what he was even going in there to tell Brennan. His mind was whirling. Angela was leaving. She was leaving with Jared. Jarhead. For a moment, Hodgins felt like he was going to cry, but he held it back. She was over him, so why should he still be hanging on to her? It was crazy. He went back to his office slowly. He needed to process before he could pretend he was okay.
The Next Day-Jared & Angela
"You're really going?" Jared asked, getting excited.
"Yes!" Angela laughed. He picked her up and whirled her around.
"I'm so stoked right now!" Jared exclaimed.
"Me too!" Angela grinned.
"Okay. Okay," Jared repeated. "Wow. Okay. Let's get ready to go then shall we? I'll book our flight for next week."
"Okay," Angela echoed. This was something she wanted to do. She was sure of it. Why, then, did she feel like she was making a big mistake?
Zack
"I broke up with Payton," Zack said glumly, sitting down on the chair on the balcony at the Jeffersonian. Max was sitting there sipping his coffee.
"Was I right?" Max asked.
"You were right. She was cheating on me. She cried. It was so awkward and awful, but it's over," Zack sighed.
"Better to know now than find out later when more time and love has been invested," Max told him.
"I just wish I knew where I had gone wrong," Zack mused.
"You didn't go wrong. You don't make people cheat on you, that's their choice. They can blame the other person all they want for driving them into the arms of someone else, but it's ultimately their choice for doing it instead of either working it out with the person or breaking up with them before going elsewhere," Max explained.
"You think I drove her into the arms of the other guy?" Zack asked.
"No! Do you ever listen to me properly?" Max growled.
"Sorry. I'm just really disappointed right now," Zack said. Max patted his shoulder.
"Kid, you're gonna be all right. I know it," he promised. He left, and not too long after, Naomi from paleontology showed up with a cup of coffee and kind words. Max watched from below and smiled. The kid was gonna be just fine.
Booth & Brennan
"Poor girl," Booth was saying about Molly.
"I agree. Beaver was a pervert and now she's paying the price for his stupidity of pulling out the nail," Brennan said.
"She still should have called the police, but I get the fear she had," Booth sighed. They were sitting at Founding Fathers.
"So Angela is going with Jared," Brennan said, changing the subject.
"I know. It feels weird," Booth replied.
"It does! I'm not sure why," Brennan said, puzzled.
"It's because Angela is supposed to be with Hodgins," Booth told her.
"What do you mean? They are broken up," Brennan frowned.
"Right now they are, yes, but those two were meant to be together. Angela and Jared...it doesn't seem right. I think Jared knows that and that's why he's leaving, but he felt obligated to ask her to go because they're dating."
"So you don't think he really wants her to go with him?" Brennan asked, confused. "Then why ask her?"
"Because he's an idiot," Booth said, pulling out his phone.
"What are you doing?" Brennan asked.
"Stopping him from making a big mistake," Booth answered.
Jared & Angela
"Thanks, bro," Jared said, hanging up. He was packing while Angela helped.
"What did he want?" Angela asked. Jared sighed and stopped packing. He looked at her seriously.
"Do you really want to go with me?" he asked. Angela paused, surprised.
"Yes. Of course," Angela answered.
"Really?" he asked again. Angela's heart was pounding now. Could he tell she was hesitant? Or did Booth tell him?
"I...I love the idea of going," Angela started.
"I see," Jared said.
"I'm so sorry," she said.
"It's okay. Look, I asked you to go with me because we are dating, and I didn't want to just bail on our relationship," Jared began. "But I think a part of me has always known that we aren't meant to be together."
"We aren't?" Angela asked.
"No. It was just temporary, remember?" Jared pointed out.
"I remember," she echoed. He went over to her and hugged her tightly.
"I care a lot about you, Angela, but I don't want you coming with me if you are meant to be here," Jared said quietly.
"I think I'm meant to stay here," Angela said, starting to cry.
"And that's okay," Jared said, pulling back to look at her. "I am meant to go to India and be free. I've never been free. Or alone. It will be a good thing for me, and for you."
"I'll miss you," Angela sniffed.
"And I you, but don't wait for me," Jared said.
"I..."
"Promise me you won't wait for me," Jared said again. "Move on. Find your soulmate. Don't wait for me."
"O-okay," Angela promised. He squeezed her shoulders one last time before stepping back.
"Don't watch me pack either," he said. Angela nodded and grabbed her purse before going out the door. It was heartbreaking to lose another relationship, but she knew he was right. They weren't meant to be together. She walked on, her vision blurred by her tears. She was going to do the celibacy thing. Sweets was right. She needed to figure out how to be in a relationship without sex involved.
A Week Later
"Hunger."
"Sex."
"Whoa."
"Horse."
"Cowboy."
"Child."
"Baby."
"Booth."
"You think I'm a baby?"
"You're a father."
"Oh. Mother."
"Birth."
"Happy."
"Sperm."
"What? This is getting weird."
"Keep going," Sweets encouraged.
"Fine. Egg."
"I want a baby."
"Whoa!"
"Horse."
"No. Whoa as in stop!" Booth said. He turned to Brennan. "You want a baby?"
"Yes," Brennan nodded.
"I think we can stop here," Sweets agreed.
"I should have a progeny. It's selfish not to," Brennan went on.
"That's not a reason to have a child, Bones," Booth said.
"I'd like to have your sperm to do it," Brennan ignored him. Sweets' eyebrows shot up so high they disappeared into his hairline almost.
"Y-you do?" Booth asked. His phone rang then.
"Agent Booth, please don't..." Sweets began.
"Booth," Booth said, ignoring Sweets. "Okay, thanks. We got a case!" he said, pulling Brennan up.
"I really think we should talk about this more," Sweets began.
"We're good!" Booth called. They went out the door and headed to the elevator. Once inside, he spun to face her.
"What?" Brennan asked.
"You want a baby?" he asked, incredulous.
"Yes! You said to share if we thought of something we could do for our eight month anniversary. I shared," Brennan replied simply. "You still haven't, by the way."
"That's kind of big for an eight month anniversary!" Booth cried. "And I haven't because I haven't thought of anything yet." That was a lie. He had it all planned out for their anniversary that was coming in four days. He wasn't telling her because it would ruin the surprise.
"But we've been close for years," Brennan argued. "I thought you loved me."
"I do! I really do! But is it smart for us to have a kid right now?" Booth asked.
"You're scared because it will make our relationship public," Brennan said, catching on.
"No. That's not it. I mean, yes, telling people is a big step and a bit scary, but I want to! Bones, I just think we should figure out our future before deciding to bring a child into it," Booth responded.
"You might be right, but I feel I really want you to be the father of our child," Brennan said.
"Do you hear yourself?" Booth asked. "Of course I'm going to be the father of our child. How could I not? Our means you and me."
"I could get a sperm donor," Brennan answered logically.
"A sperm don...! Okay, let's just take a minute to breathe, all right?" Booth asked. He was sweating now.
"Okay," Brennan said, kissing him. "Think about it."
"Oh I will be," Booth replied. The doors slid open and they made their way to solve a murder.
Booth-Interrogation Room
It had been a long couple of days. Sweets had meddled and asked and probed about the whole baby thing, leaving Booth uncomfortable and unsure of how to answer him. Brennan hadn't seemed fizzed at all. She kept talking about it, and Booth kept feeling stressed about it. He didn't want to have a child right now, not yet. He wanted more time first. He didn't know how to tell her that without upsetting her and losing her. Brennan was fragile at times still, and he didn't want to hurt her. Now, he was standing and interrogating a murderer when suddenly Stewie from Family Guy pops up and starts yammering on about why he should have a baby with Brennan.
"Booth, who are you talking to?" Brennan asked, concerned.
"No one," Booth snapped. He tried to go on with the interrogation, but it kept happening. He couldn't get Stewie out of the room.
"You, sit," Brennan ordered the suspect. "You, come with me." She dragged Booth out into the hall.
"Look, now isn't the time," Booth said to her. "I want to have a kid with you, yes, but not right now. I'm sorry if that hurts but..."
"Fine, no kid right now. That's fine," Brennan said, cutting him off. He looked at her, confused.
"Bones..."
"You need to go to the hospital right now," she said.
"Why?"
"Why?! You were talking to an invisible person in the interrogation room!" she exploded.
"It was just Stewie," Booth reasoned.
"Stewie?"
"Yea, the baby from Family Guy. No biggie," Booth shrugged. Brennan stared at him.
"We're going," she said.
"But, why?" he asked.
"Because you don't just see cartoon babies in real life and converse with them, Booth!" she answered roughly.
At the hospital
Everyone was in the waiting room feeling nervous. Sweets was distraught. Hodgins was feeling scared. Cam and Angela were wringing their hands while Zack sat there staring at the wall. Max was the only one pacing.
"Shouldn't we be calling Jared?" Max asked. "He is Booth's brother."
"He is on a plane thousands of miles from here," Angela murmured. Hodgins looked over at her. He knew she was still upset about breaking up with Jared, but he knew he had to say something to her. He scooted closer.
"Angie," he began. "This whole thing has really shown me that we can't take anything for granted."
"I know," she answered.
"Look, I know we broke up, but we could have stopped it," Hodgins went on. "It could be so easy to start again..."
"Jack..." Angela started. Brennan entered then, and everyone stopped and looked at her. She was trying not to cry.
"What's going on?" Sweets asked.
"They think it's a cerebellar pilocytic astrocytoma," Brennan answered.
"Oh, God that sounds bad," Sweets winced.
"Brain tumor. Benign usually," she went on.
"Get in there," Angela ordered. "He shouldn't be alone."
"I'm going," Brennan nodded. Max went over to hug her tightly before she went back inside. She turned at the door. "Just so you know, he should be fine."
"If it's going to be fine, then why is she crying?" Zack asked.
"It's an emotional time, buddy," Hodgins replied.
Booth & Brennan
"Can you come in with me?" Booth asked her. He was really scared right now and trying not to be.
"I can try," Brennan said. "Let me talk to the doctor."
"Wait," Booth said, stopping her. "Temperance, if I don't make it..."
"You'll be just fine," Brennan interrupted.
"If I don't make it," Booth went on anyway. "I want you to have my stuff."
"What?"
"My stuff. I...I went to the clinic after you mentioned you wanted me tested, not that I have any issues there," Booth said, getting sidetracked.
"Booth..."
"Right, so I gave a sample for them to check out, to put you at ease. I've got amazing stuff, Bones, just so you know," he grinned weakly.
"Booth, you didn't have to do that," Brennan said, crying.
"I did, cos I love you. If I die in there, you are gonna have our kid," Booth said. Brennan bent down and kissed him passionately.
"Happy eight month anniversary," he whispered. he was extremely disappointed that it was not going the way he had planned.
"Oh, Booth," she cried.
"It's time," the doctor said, coming in. Brennan went over and talked with him quietly. When the doctor nodded, she turned to Booth.
"I'll be right back," she said. They started wheeling Booth out.
"Wait," he said. "I'm not going without her."
"She's scrubbing up," the doctor told him. "She'll be there."
Four Days Later
Brennan finished typing her book and stared at it for a moment. She looked over at Booth and wished for the thousandth time that he would wake up. The others had come and gone already. They were just as worried as she was. Brennan looked at her book again. It was pure nonsense, and she couldn't publish something like that. Everyone would then know she and Booth were together. Even though Booth said he wanted to tell people, she didn't think a book was the way to do it. She hadn't told him about Arastoo knowing either. There hadn't been a right moment. A stirring in the corner of her eye grabbed her attention.
"Booth?" she said, leaning over. He opened his eyes and blinked at her. "Thank goodness! You reacted poorly to the anesthesia and have been in a coma for four days. What took you so long?" She smiled at him and reached for his hand. He pulled his hand back, making her falter.
"Booth?" she asked, getting scared.
"Who are you?" he asked.
Please don't unfollow this story after this. You guys are gonna hate me for a bit, but then you'll (hopefully) love me again. It's time for the drama to begin, but remember I am following the canon and just altering, so you know how it ends already! ;) I plan to skip most of season 5 in order to get there just fyi. I'll just be hiding behind this couch for now...