Side Effects by Bremilyfan

Ok, never posted fanfic here before but I posted a lot of this at the Boneyard-which is goneish-so I thought you all might enjoy it!!

Side Affects

“Faint heart never one fair lady…”

Part 1: Fuel to the Fire
“Thank you for joining me Agent Booth,” Sweets said with a welcoming smile as he opened the door to his office.

“Yeah, whaddya want Sweets?” Booth said as he sat down, earning an eye-roll from his psychologist.

“Well,” he said with a hopeless sigh, “I just wanted to check up on you. How are feeling? No headaches, nausea, other side affects…” Sweets had noticed Booth’s edginess lately. He had also noticed the source, his brilliant and gorgeous partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan. Seeley Booth had fallen in love with her. Head over heels.

“Nope,” he said jumping out of seat, “See ya later!” Sweets outstretched his arm to make him sit down.

“Now Agent Booth,” he said with growing urgency, “it’s not healthy to avoid feelings. Are you still experiencing feelings of love towards Dr. Brennan?” Booth blushed and looked down. Of course he did. “And I suggest you tell the truth because, as a trained psychologist, I will be able to tell.” Sweets looked at Booth skeptically.

“Alright! Yeah Sweets,” Booth confessed as he stood and began to pace. “I love her!” he turned and looked at Sweets, who nodded in understanding.

“All other symptoms have subsided?” Sweets inquired.

Booth nodded. “Yeah,” he admitted, almost inaudibly. Sweets nodded in that annoying psychologist way.

“Hmm, okay,” Sweets said thoughtfully. “Now, Agent Booth, I believe you love her. But the real question is: will you always love her?” Booth stared solemnly. “Dr. Brennan is a very… delicate woman. She built a shell of fact, logic, and reason around her heart. In this shell, she has stored suppressed feelings of pain, joy, even love since her abandonment. Now, if you choose to break this shell, and she lets you in, those feelings will inevitably be released for good.” Booth understood. He knew this about Bones.

“I know Sweets,” he said.

“Yes Agent Booth, I’m sure you do,” he agreed. He knew this whole ordeal had been very difficult for him. “But I don’t think you fully comprehend the potential consequences.”

“What are you talking about?” Booth was getting annoyed. But Sweets could be right. All he thought about was how wonderful it would be if she was his. He didn’t think about consequences.
“Well, if she opens up to you, and you, in the future, decide you don’t love her anymore, that emotional pain would consume her. She would most likely never trust anyone again and go into a depression,” he spoke softly. He noticed how much pain Booth felt when his partner was in pain. And this particular image, her being consumed by grief, caused him deep emotional anguish.

“Depression?” It was almost a whisper, barely audible.

Sweets nodded. “Yes.” The pain on Booth’s face was hard to witness. Sweets spoke slowly, “Well. That’s all I needed to talk to you about.”

“Okay,” he stood up and walked to the door. “Thanks Sweets.” Sweets nodded, and Booth was out the door.


The words kept going through his head. Consumed by pain, never trust anyone again, depression… Could he do that to Bones? It was so selfish. Could he risk her wellbeing, her happiness, to experiment with his own happiness? No.

But it wasn’t experimenting. He loved her. This was Bones, and he loved her.

Didn’t he?

Sounds like Booth needs to do some soul searching!!

Part 2: Impossibilities
“Hey Sweetie!” Angela said as she happily bounded onto the platform.

“Hi Ange,” replied her best friend without looking up. Angela had gotten used to that. Put a bone in front of Temperance Brennan, and you won’t get her attention until she knows absolutely everything about it.

“Sooooo,” Angela said with a mischievous grin, “it’s Friday, any big plans for tonight?”

Brennan rolled her eyes. Angela was always bugging her to go out and “glug glug woohoo!” or something like that. “No Angela.”

“No?” she said, feigning shock. She gasped with mock excitement, “I know! Why don’t you call Booth?” At this Brennan looked up, making a face at Angela’s ridiculous suggestion. It was ridiculous. But for some reason, a rarely accessed part of her wished it wasn’t. Angela caught the glare. “Oh come on Bren! He’s the hot FBI guy, you’re the sexy forensic anthropologist! Everyone’s rooting for you!”

“What?” Brennan looked at her with confusion, “who’s everyone?”

Oops. Angela searched for an answer as she recognized her mistake. “Umm, no one.” Oh yeah, good save, Angela. She rolled her eyes at herself. Rookie mistake.

“That’s impossible, Angela. Everyone can’t be no one at the same time,” Brennan corrected.

Angela walked over to stand by her friend and put a hand on her shoulder. “You know Sweetie, a lot of stuff seems to fall into the ‘impossible’ category with you. As a scientist, you should know that we wouldn’t get anywhere without attempting the impossible,” she mused. Before Brennan could come up with a way to use logic to discredit Angela’s very true statement, the familiar swipe and beep warned them that Booth had just arrived.

“Hey Bones!” Booth grinned.

“Speak of the devil,” Angela laughed.

Confusion covered Booth’s face. “You guys talking about me?”

“Oh honey, always,” Angela said with a seductive wink and a smile as she walked off the platform. Booth looked down to hide his blushing, but wasn’t quick enough. The girls both laughed.

“Ha ha. Alright Bones, come on. We got a case,” he beckoned.

“Okay,” she said as she followed him to her office. “How is it?” she asked as she began to unbutton her lab coat.

“Weird,” Booth answered, slightly distracted with the idea of her taking off the rest of clothes, “just how you like ‘em.” He flashed the striking smile that Brennan liked maybe a little too much. She matched it with his favorite sexy half smile of hers, and they were out the door.