Note: Warning: Character death. And, well, see the what if.

What if: Booth had married Hannah?

Note #2: Also, Doctor in the Photo didn't happen in this universe.

AU? Yes

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The vinyl on the chairs had been replaced. The linoleum on the floor was faded and scarred, but it was the same pattern she remembered.

They were the first ones to arrive, and they claimed the same old table by the window, the one where they'd had so many good times. By the time Zach arrived, they'd ordered coffee and were desultorily discussing the changes they'd noticed in DC since their last visit.

Soon Zach and Hodgins were deep in conversation, and before long Cam joined them, along with Wendell, Sweets, and Clark.

By the time Caroline's grandson wheeled her chair over to the table, the conversation was flowing fast and loud as they traded introductions and greeted the friends they hadn't seen in years.

They pulled over another table and shifted around to make room for the retired judge, seating her at the head of the table. Her recent surgery hadn't diminished her personality, and she took stock of the group clustered around the table – the artist, the professor, the coroner, the forensic anthropologist, the engineer, the psychologist, and the CEO. "Well", she said, "it seems like we're missing someone."

The group exchanged glances, and Cam raised her hand as if she were a child being asked a question by a demanding teacher. "I called him. And e-mailed. I didn't get an answer."

"Hmph", Caroline replied. "Seems like the least he could do would be to answer. Someone needs to teach that boy some manners."

"Agent Booth is hardly a boy", Zach answered seriously. "I'd estimate that he's at least fifty nine."

Caroline glared at him affectionately. "I see all those years in the looney bin didn't teach you that the year you were born has nothing to do with how old you are."

Zach opened his mouth to answer, but was silenced by a kick under the table. As he turned, puzzled, to Hodgins, Angela squealed. "There he is!"

They all shifted and craned their necks to confirm the sight of Booth walking slowly up the street, as if he were dragging himself every step of the way. The conversation died down as they waited for him to join them. When he'd finally made his way inside and sat down at the remaining chair, Sweets said, "Good to see you, Agent Booth".

"It's about time", Caroline added.

"Good to see you, too, Caroline", Booth answered.

"Good to see me", Caroline fussed, "Of course it's good to see me. And it's good to see you, too, even if you don't have the sense God gave an apricot."

"But..." Zach started, only to be cut off by another kick.

"Caroline", Angela said bravely, "It wasn't Booth's fault."

"Hmph", Caroline answered, "It wasn't only Booth's fault. Dr. Brennan had her part in it, too, God rest her soul. But if Booth hadn't married that reporter, the bone lady would still be here, and not buried under a pile of rocks in some god-forsaken country."

"Ms. Julien!", Cam scolded, "Booth didn't make her leave."

"Did I say Booth made her leave?", Caroline asked innocently, "Of course Booth didn't make her leave. Only a fool would think Dr. Brennan ever did anything other than what she wanted to do, and I am not a fool."

"We're agreed", Booth said. "It wasn't my fault that Bones decided to quit her job and start being some sort of traveling anthropologist – all of which happened twenty years ago, in case you've forgotten."

"Oh, that was your fault", Angela said loyally. "But the rock slide wasn't."

Booth glared at her. "Bones wasn't happy with her job here. That's why she took off to the Makapoopoo Islands, and that's why she quit for good after we got back."

Angela shook her head. "Nope. Uh uh. Not what happened."

Hodgins nodded. "She's right."

"Sorry, Seeley, I have to go with Angela on this one. Dr. Brennan left because you married Hannah.", Cam added.

"Don't call me Seeley, Camille."

"Then don't call me Camille", Cam answered, as she always did.

Booth leaned across the table toward Angela. "Ange, seriously, she didn't leave because of me and Hannah."

Angela nodded.

"But …" Booth glanced around the table, noticing the number of people who didn't meet his eyes. "She said she didn't want me", he hissed in Angela's direction. "She was happy about me and Hannah."

"No", Angela answered, "She said she was scared. And she tried really hard to be happy for you, but I'm not sure she actually succeeded. Not that she'd ever say so."

"Dr. Brennan made her choices, just like you did", Sweets interjected. "You weren't responsible for her choices, any more than she was responsible for yours."

Booth sat back in his chair, looking like that idea didn't give him any comfort.

"I know!", Hodgins said in an attempt to redirect the conversation, "Let's tell stories about Dr. B."

"Like the time she did a post-mortem exam on the chicken at a dinner party", Angela contributed.

"She and I devised an early warning system so that she could let me know Cam was around when I was doing an unauthorized experiment", Hodgins said. "It was brilliant. He grinned at Cam. "You never caught on."

"Hmph", Cam replied, sounding remarkably like Caroline.

"She was the toughest professor I ever had", Wendell added. "Man, she expected me to be perfect every time. I wouldn't be the forensic anthropologist I am without her."

"Dr. Brennan could be very demanding", Zach agreed. "But she also came to visit me every Wednesday that she was in town. Of course, it's been a while since I've seen her."

"When we were buried alive", Hodgins said, "She cut my leg open – remember? And she told me I wasn't allowed to die, that she didn't want more air if that was the cost."

"She used to send me notes on my psychological assessments. If I made a typo or misspelled the subject's name, I knew there'd be a copy of it in my mailbox, corrected in red ink."

"Dr. Brennan … she was amazingly brilliant. And stubborn. You all know that. I swear she used her veto every week. If it was Friday afternoon and she hadn't used it yet, I knew she'd come up with some reason to use it, just to make a point", Cam remembered.

"Which was?", Clark asked.

Cam grinned. "That even though I was her boss, she'd still do whatever she wanted."

"Tells you what a pain in the ass she could be", Caroline contributed. "But she was brilliant. She got me more convictions than any other squint. That's why I know her name. And that's why I'm here with you all to pay tribute to an amazing woman."

"To Dr. Brennan." Sweets raised his coffee cup in a toast.

Coffee cups, water glasses, and one chocolate milkshake were raised in a gesture of respect.

Booth's phone buzzed and he glanced at the message. "I need to go", he said. "Basketball practice is over, and I'm doing pick-up today." He pushed his chair back and stood. "Good to see you all."

Angela pushed back her chair as well. "Booth, can I talk to you?"

They stepped away from the table, and she handed him a picture of him and Brennan, toe to toe, obviously in the middle of a heated discussion. "This was in her pack. She carried it with her everywhere. You should have it."

Booth took the picture, then met Angela's gaze helplessly. Angela wrapped her arms around him. "She loved you", she whispered, "She wanted you to be happy – she did – she just couldn't stay and watch."

"I … " Booth tried to reply.

"She knew", Angela answered. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

She dropped her arms, and he took a step back, staring at her wordlessly.

"Go", she said, smiling. "You have kids to pick up from basketball."

He nodded and waved to the group of people trying to look as if they weren't eavesdropping, then he turned and left the diner.

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Allow me to duck behind this big inanimate object ….

More seriously, I need non-AU suggestions. What are some what ifs that could actually happen in the universe that exists today? (Or possibly the universe that exists on Tuesday, because we all know I'm unlikely to update before then.)