Note: The weekend kind of got away on me, so this is a little later than I would have liked.
What if: Brennan had said yes in the Parts in the Sum of the Whole?
AU? Yes
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She was used to relying on herself, used to trusting that her brain would evaluate her options and choose the best one.
Booth didn't make decisions like she did – he prided himself on "going with his gut", as though his digestive tract could provide better guidance than his brain. Despite his unscientific decision-making process, he was successful and happy, with a demanding job and hobbies he enjoyed. He had a son, friends and people who loved him.
He may not have been as intelligent as she was, but in all other respects, he lived a much fuller life.
As ridiculous as the idea of basing choices on intuition instead of facts was, it was Booth's way of doing things. She trusted Booth, so when he asked her to give them a shot, move from their comfortable but limited partnership into a full relationship, she said ignored all the reasons it was a bad idea and said yes.
She'd never seen him look that happy.
That night, they moved from being partners to being more. It was good – they'd both known that they'd be sexually compatible – and the first few weeks flew by in a blur of sex and bickering, take out food and debates late into the night. They went to her high school reunion, and Brennan noticed the girls who'd tormented her in high school sending admiring glances Booth's way. She was a world-renowned forensic anthropologist and a best-selling novelist, but she still found it extremely satisfying to know that they were jealous that she had Booth.
They returned to D.C., and continued splitting their time between work and home, his place and her place. She went to his hockey games, and he picked her up for a late supper after karate. They spent Friday nights watching movies on the couch and Sunday afternoons in bed. After their first Saturday afternoon video game session with Parker, Brennan stayed up late every night for a week practicing her video game skills, vowing that she'd win the next time.
They remained professional at work – it was important to both of them to keep their personal relationship from influencing their professional partnership – but their friends quickly noticed that something had changed.
That was fine – neither of them was ashamed of their relationship.
The weeks marched on, and the newness began to wear off. In other circumstances, they'd still be getting to know each other, but they already knew each other's stories and idiosyncrasies. Instead of being happy to see each other, they started to remember all the reasons they'd kept their distance for so long. She needed a schedule, a routine, while he was inclined towards spontaneity, ready to drop everything on a whim. He needed social interaction, while she was happy to spend her weekend in solitude, working on a paper or her latest novel. She'd spent her life learning to be alone, he'd spent his searching for someone to spend his life with.
It might have been better if they'd been able to talk it out, maybe even have it all come to a head in a drop-down fight, but that didn't come naturally after years of avoiding talking about how they felt. Instead, she started to work late in a transparent attempt to avoid the conversation they needed to have. He started spending more of his free time on other activities, volunteering to coach Parker's little league team and joining another hockey league.
By the time Brennan was asked to join a dig in the Maluku Islands and the army started trying to convince Booth to o to Afghanistan to train snipers, their relationship was past saving. They packed their bags and said exchanged contact information, both of them knowing they'd never use it.
Before they left, he said, "A year from today, at the coffee cart."
She nodded. "I know", she agreed. "One year from today."
They shook hands, as if they had never been more than partners, and climbed onto their separate flights, each of them as prepared as they could be for a year apart.
Neither of them knew that the fate she didn't believe in had other plans for them.
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I'd love to hear what you think. Also, please give me some happy ideas. :)