Bones fic: On the Importance of Taking Notes

[ayiana]

Title: On the Importance of Taking Notes
Author: Ayiana

Rating: G
Wordcount: About 2k
Spoilers: Through 8.02, The Partners in the Divorce
Genre: Episode tag

Author's Note: Episode 8.02 made much of Booth's anger and his issues surrounding Brennan's decision to leave while mostly ignoring how difficult it must've been for Brennan. This fic

Comments

[mendenbar01]

Excellent story. Hart and Co. seem to be going a different way, but this has to come into play somewhere along the line. I like how you handled it.

[ayiana]

They do seem to be going a different way. The B&B we're seeing in the series now isn't at all the B&B I would've expected 3 or 4 seasons ago. Apparently TPTB and I have very different visions. Thank God for fanfic.

And thank you. I'm glad you liked it.

[fourth_rose]

"Words, Dr. Brennan. He knows you missed him, but he doesn't know it."

I think you're summing up one of my main problems with B/B as they are now with this line - because I can't help thinking that the Booth we saw during earlier seasons would have known, just like the "old" Brennan would have known how to reach him without needing Sweets as a translator. This is a truly lovely story, but it made me a little sad too because it reminds me of how things used to be between them.

Side note: I'd really like the show to acknowledge Booth's alcohol problem at some point, because it seems to me that he hits the Scotch whenever things get difficult these days, and given his history with addiction, I find that pretty alarming.

[ayiana]

I can't help thinking that the Booth we saw during earlier seasons would have known

I think he might've known, though I'm not certain on that score. What I am certain of is that Booth of old wouldn't have gotten so wrapped up in his own problems that he couldn't see hers.

the "old" Brennan would have known how to reach him without needing Sweets as a translator.I hate Sweets. I don't imagine that's much of a secret. But at least in the last episode or two he's been acting marginally more like a professional. I still don't like him, but at least I haven't been screaming at my TV every time he makes an appearance

[fourth_rose]

The B&B we're getting isn't at all the B&B I thought we'd be getting when they finally became a couple. S6 to one side, they're less of a couple (to me, at least), than they ever were in the early seasons. It's very strange, and the failure to rise to potential makes me sad.

Same here - I keep looking for that old, deep connection between them, but to me it seems to have gotten lost somewhere along the way.

I don't think they even see the alcohol issue as something that needs to be addressed, but that scene with Booth sitting in the dark with that bottle definitely stood out to me - and again, I'm pretty sure that there was a time when Brennan would have noticed.

[farmerliz]

Oh, I like this take on Brennan's time away. I went for Brennan, the artist, writing mostly for herself, and you went for Brennan, the scientist, keeping all the records a pediatrician would have kept, but more personally, and for Booth. Thanks for posting this.

[ayiana]

lol - I was actually a little nervous when I started reading yours, since I was afraid we'd hit on the same concept. Then I was impressed with your take, which turned out to be quite different from mine, beautifully written, and entirely believable. :)

eta: I've figured it out. Brennan wrote all the things. All that time with nobody to talk to but Christine? Yeah. She wrote it all.

[farmerliz]

"Brennan wrote all the things."

Lol! Of course she did. It's how she kept from killing Max while they were out there. :-)

[vakhdar]

I really liked the point on this. Brennan knows something's wrong, but has no idea what it is or how to fix it. And she went to Sweets! And even after all is said and done, she still doesn't know what was wrong or why it's fixed, but she recognizes that she did the right thing- at last

[ayiana]

Booth started changing drastically (in my eyes) when he came back from Aphganistan hooked up with Hannah. From that time one he showed a lack of empathy towards Brennan that I found rather boorish.

Agreed. I tell myself that his behavior came out of pain and disappointment, but that doesn't make it any easier to watch. And when B&B finally did get together everything felt awkward and uncertain, as if neither one of them quite trusted that they could work.

This season feels like it's going better so far. There's an old school feel to recent episodes that I'm rather enjoying, and there's even an occasional spark of chemistry between B&B. It gives me hope, but TPTB have a long haul ahead of them to repair the damage they did over the last two seasons. I'd love to see it happen, but I'm pretty battle-weary at this point, so I'm not expecting miracles.

[mammothluv]

Oh, this is lovely! I'd have enjoyed seeing something similar to this on the show. I know they dealt with it in a way but it all felt a little too glossed over or rushed whereas yours feels very true to them and like a legitimate understanding was reached. I adore the postcards. I love when Brennan does things even when she doesn't quite understand how much they mean or what they mean but she's just compelled to do them anyway. There's something so sweet about it.

[ayiana]

Thanks!

Maybe the show could've done a more thorough job, but I'm sure it's hard to fit everything into that strict 43 minute time slot. Besides, if they'd aced it, there wouldn't have been anything to fic, right?

That said, I sorely wanted to see some acknowledgement of what Brennan went through, and I also wanted something more from their reconciliation than, "Hey, let's go to the carousel."

I'm so glad my solution worked for you, and grateful that you took the time to share your thoughts.