Fic: Burdens Which Allow Us To Fly

[ladychi]

Title: Burdens Which Allow Us To Fly
Author: ladychi
Characters/Pairings: Booth/Brennan, Russ Brennan
Rating: Teen, for language
Summary: In an alternate universe, where Brennan's parents are both killed, and Russ is in the Army with Booth. A study in how some things are meant to be.

Author's Note: I'm sure it has not escaped your notice that it is

Comments

[muzakys]

Excellent job on this. I love the AU start, but including all the elements that make them who they are. Thanks so much for posting the one-shot. I'm still looking very forward to your story update though!!!

[ladychi]

Scarecrow returns on Monday and will run, balls-to-the-wall, once or twice weekly until it is done, no more breaks. I promise.

I'm glad you enjoyed this in spite of it not being what you were expecting today!

[tempertemper]

Everyone's gone AU tastic lately.. I'm not sure if it's something to do with what we are and aren't getting in canon or what, but I love it!

The weaving of what we know is canon into this is so perfect. I especially love the greater certainty that Brennan has about life with Russ staying with her.

♥

[ladychi]

Are you sure it isn't that lovely comment!meme you're running? Hee! Well, for me, there's just a lot of STRESS in my life right now, and I wanted to go someplace slightly happier than what's about to happen in Scarecrow, so.

I think Russ would have made all the difference, really. If he would have stayed, showed her that she was worth it, then... I think she'd still be Brennan, just -- you know. More like this!

Thanks, bb, for a lovely review!

[magpieinthesky]

Oh, this is such a lovely AU - the way you wove canon into it, the drama of the story, how subtly Brennan was changed because Booth was there in her life early on... GORGEOUS. Memming!!!

[ladychi]

Thank you for the mem, my dear! So glad you enjoyed this!

[gaialy]

Very nice indeed:)

[ladychi]

Thanks!

[huronia]

You really hit this one out of the park.

I could feel 15 year old Brennan's despair at being so alone in the world. That was a great passage of what her mother did for her in terms of interpreting social cues. I think you did a great job from that point of showing a still socially awkward Brennan, who has lots of emotional baggage but not the abandonment issues of cannon and carrying her development through the next years.

Booth and Brennan's friendship was such a sweet, natural progression - really lovely.

The prom - heartcrushing.

Her reaction (both her internal reaction and her words to Booth)re: the pregnancy news was perfect.

Have I gushed enough? My only complaint is derived from your author's note. I really do wish this was novel length.

[ladychi]

I could feel 15 year old Brennan's despair at being so alone in the world. That was a great passage of what her mother did for her in terms of interpreting social cues.

Thank you so much! I've noticed that Brennan really tries, socially, and she does a lot better when she has someone there to help "coach" her through difficult emotional interactions. I would hope her mother, her father, and Russ played that role in her early life; helping her understand what other people grasp instinctively. Later, of course, Booth would take up that role. And, to a certain extent, Angela.

I'm so glad you liked the progression of their relationship... I tried to make it natural and plausible.

Thank you for all of your kind words. They meant the world this week!