Love is not Enough (Inspired by Ella)

Alright, I've been reading Ella's story [Only admins are allowed to see this link] and after reading the bit where Drew dies and Booth breaks his lunch date with Brennan to console Rebecca, well given the thin ice their on anyway, I sort of see that as a pivotal moment in their relationship. Things could get better, probably will get much worse. I chose to explore what would happen when it got worse. IMO Booth has his limits. Here's what happens when he's reached his.



A/N: This scene takes place six months after Rebecca calls Booth to tell him of Drew’s death in the plane crash. It is also six months from the day that Brennan requested a new FBI Liaison to replace him, and the pair broke up because Brennan believed Booth was cheating on her.

The clipping felt tissue soft in her hands, pliant from being folded and unfolded countless times since she’d cut it out of the newspaper six months ago. The print was smudged, the type practically illegible, the surface creased and lined and worn. Still she could read every word as clearly as the first time. The staccato report of high heeled boots was warning enough but she didn’t care. Angela would dig it out of her anyway, and she was just too tired to fight it anymore.

“Hey Bren.” Brennan didn’t reply, simply folded the clipping carefully and tucked it back into it’s envelope. Rolling her eyes Angela reached forward and snatched the envelope from Brennan’s hands before her friend could put it back in her center drawer.

“Angela!”

“Bren, you can’t keep obsessing about this. It’s not healthy, and reading about the plane crash isn’t going to change anything.” Dropping the envelope back on her desk, she put a friendly hand on Brennan’s shoulder and squeezed gently. “He’ll come around Bren, he will. Booth loves you.”

“You don’t know that Ange. You can’t know that.”

“I can and I do. Look sweetie, this is Booth. You know, Seeley breaking the laws of physics, father of your daughter, moved back from New York just to be with you Booth?” Angela patted her shoulder encouragingly. “You know he loves you Bren, you just need to give him time and before you can say Hello Studly he’ll be on the phone…”

“He called earlier.”

“Booth called? Really? And?”

“He’s returning to the Jeffersonian as Liaison.” Her voice was flat, almost emotionless. Only Angela could tell how much she was hurting inside.

“Wow. That’s good news though, right? I mean he comes back as Liaison and that means you two are partners again. Trust me sweetie, you two being partners again is a good thing. I mean it’s got to mean something that he asked to come back.”

“He didn’t ask, he was assigned. It appears the FBI is incapable of finding anyone else with his qualifications willing to take the position of Liaison on a permanent basis, so Deputy Director Traynor decided that Booth would be resuming the post until a permanent replacement can be found.”

“Bren…”

“Don’t start Angela. This is all my fault. He never lied to me, never. Not once in the five years we were partners, not once during our relationship, not once since the birth of Abbey. Booth may have his faults, he’s made his share of mistakes, but he never, ever gave me a reason to doubt his honesty.” Turning to face her friend for the first time, Angela stifled a gasp when she saw Brennan’s red rimmed eyes, puffy from crying. “So why did I? Why Angela? Why, when all I had to do was ask, all I had to do was listen, why did I assume he was lying?”

“Honey, after the way that girl came on to him in that bar…”

“I know, I know, but how is it his fault that she found him attractive? He’s an exceptional man in so many ways Angela, any woman would be lucky to have him…I had him and I let him go.”

“No, you didn’t let him go Bren. It was a fight, a stupid misunderstanding. First that slut hit on him, then he ditches a lunch date with you for Rebecca, how were you supposed to know he was only consoling her?”

“Because he told me Angela, he told me that’s all it was. He told me about Drew dying and I didn’t believe him. I called him a lying bastard. I threw him out of the lab and I demanded the FBI reassign him or I’d resign.” Brennan bit back a sob “Him or me, Angela. That was the choice I gave them and they chose me.”

“Bren, sweetie…”

“And you know what? They made a mistake, they should have chosen Booth. I should have chosen Booth.” Brennan scrubbed at her face, wiping away the tears collecting on her cheeks with the backs of her hands. “I was wrong Ange, I didn’t let him go. I ran him off. I made him want to leave me after Abbey was born, and I chased him away when Drew died.”

“Oh honey, he didn’t want to leave you. Leaving you was the hardest thing Booth ever did, and this time was no different.” Angela pulled her in for a hug. “Bren sweetie, he still loves you. You can’t be this pissed off at someone for this long and not love them.”

“He doesn’t love me Angela, and he’s not upset with me anymore.” Brennan pushed away from Angela, sniffling. “He was very calm on the phone today, very polite. He simply said that we would be working together again and he hoped that we could maintain a civil relationship at work since we’d be partners once more, and, and he wanted to know if it would be okay to bring Abbey and Parker by to see me since they were both excited about our working together again.”

Angela gave Brennan a bemused look, “But honey, how does that mean he doesn’t love you? He’s trying to be nice, he wants you guys to be partners again, he’s bringing the kids by to see you. Aren’t those all good things?”

“I…I could hear her talking to him in the background.” Angela saw the crestfallen look on Brennan’s face and the fresh tears tracing their way down her ruddy cheeks. Her breathing was ragged, her voice choked with emotion. “They’re getting married Angela. Booth and Rebecca are getting married.”



A/N: Right, well I'm going to add another scene or two. I'll have one when Booth comes in and meets Brennan again, and maybe another one after they've started working their first case together. They'll be short, 1K words or less probably (practically drabbles for me, lol) but there was just something about the way Ella had them on the verge of really breaking up in her story that inspired me to write this. Oh, and I have to appologize to Sherry - I got behind on work today and then I did this instead of finish either of the two chapters I was going to send you to Beta, so Wednesday is the golden day. Sorry.

RM

AWW! OMG! Thank you! I am soo glad my writing has inspired this! Now I'm going to feel like I'll have to live up to it!

P.S. Do you mind if I keep the Deputy Director Traynor?

First Ella made me sob over her story , and now you made me cry over yours.

aww, I did? I didn't mean to make you cry!!! :O

RGPageantqueen wrote:P.S. Do you mind if I keep the Deputy Director Traynor?

Nope, feel free. And thank you, btw, since it was your story that inspired me!

RM

RGPageantqueen wrote:aww, I did? I didn't mean to make you cry!!! :O

Yeeeees, you diiiiid... *sob* [Only admins are allowed to see this image]
And Robert... his story is even more depressing... [Only admins are allowed to see this image]... aaaaa! [Only admins are allowed to see this image]

mereva wrote:First Ella made me sob over her story , and now you made me cry over yours.

I'm sorry, honest I am, its the angst monkey - I've written so much fluff lately that the angst monkey threatened to start flinging feces if I didn't give it an out. Don't worry though, it'll get better at some point. I mean it can hardly get worse can it...unless I add character death to the mix. Hmmm.


RM

Aw. Well I won't have Rebecca and Booth get married... But you never know what could happen. I've had somethings even worse pop in my head. But i think Rob would kill me.

RGPageantqueen wrote:Aw. Well I won't have Rebecca and Booth get married... But you never know what could happen. I've had somethings even worse pop in my head. But i think Rob would kill me.

There are only a few things worse and while I could never bring myself to harm a single hair on that sweet little head of yours my dear, dear Ella, I'm not above emotional black mail. Hey, we're a community where women out number men like, 50 to 1, as they say "when in Rome", or in this case, when in Jimmy Choos.


RM

Aww, that is so sad. And angst-filled. But perfectly understandable. It's a rocky road ahead...

THX1138 wrote:... I mean it can hardly get worse can it...unless I add character death to the mix. Hmmm.
RM

What?! [Only admins are allowed to see this image]

mereva wrote:

THX1138 wrote:... I mean it can hardly get worse can it...unless I add character death to the mix. Hmmm.
RM

What?! [Only admins are allowed to see this image]

Oh dear!!!

I like! You write well..for a guy and all

howie wrote:I like! You write well..for a guy and all

Thanks, I think?


RM