Disclaimer: The whole premise of this fic is inspired on the trailers to the Bones finale. All characters, the Angelator, and the basic plot are property of Fox television and whoever is responsible for the creation of the fantastic show known as Bones.

Author's note from Erkith: I began writing this before I saw the finale, so it was based of the trailers for the finale alone. I guess you could consider it an alternate beginning… This is my first (posted) Bones fic, so please review… I'll do my best to reply to reviews.

And, as always, please enjoy!

Erkith

It Began with a Whisper

It wasn't the first time I've snuck into Brennan's office. It damn sure won't be the last. But it was the first time I was actually afraid of being caught.

Hell, I've been caught before. Brennan huffed a little, but she came around quick enough. She doesn't actually care if I read the book early. She's just embarrassed. I guess once it's published it's out of her hands, and she figures she can't change anything…

If it had been me just sneaking a peek at her novel my blood wouldn't have been racing that fast. Dread would not have been shivering its way into my trembling hands. If it had been just that, I would not have been cradling her phone to my ear.

The ringing in the ear-piece was terribly loud. I glanced around instinctively, but no one seemed to hear. My adrenaline induced, over-sensitive ears exaggerated the cut of the ring through the silent office.

Suddenly, the connection was made.

"Hello?" I asked in a near whisper.

"Booth." Good, I guessed right on the speed-dial.

"Hello?" I repeated.

A small pause on the other line. "Who is this?"

"Booth, it's me, Angela." My voice split the silence. I shuffled nervously.

"Angela." He repeated tonelessly.

Oh, come on, hurry up, Booth! "Angela… Angela Montenegro… from the Jeffersonian?"

"Yes, I realize that. You're on Brennan's phone; I'm sure I don't know why."

"Because…you see… it sort of complicated…"

His exasperated sigh cut me off, mid explanation. "Angela, I'm busy, get to the point."

I could hear Brennan talking to Goodman. They were coming this way! "You need to get to the Jeffersonian ASAP!"

"Is Brennan alright?" The words snapped through the phone.

"She's fine."

He let out a breath. "Then why are you calling me?"

"You're needed at the lab."

"Why?"

I glanced out the door, Dr. Goodman and Brennan appeared to be arguing somewhere below me – their voices carrying. "I can't tell you on the phone," I whispered.

"I can barely hear you. Why are you whispering?" The agent's voice was getting louder.

"Just come, Booth," I begged.

"Angela, I'm busy!"

I narrowed my eyes, even knowing he couldn't see me. "How busy can you possibly be?"

"Very!"

I winced at the volume.

He was getting mad, but I really didn't care. This was so much bigger than he knew.

"Unless you're taking Parker to the hospital, or saving the world from nuclear terrorists, you are not nearly busy enough. Get your sorry ass down here." I paused, but before he can answer, I said: "Brennan needs you…" and hung up.

The voices were much closer. I slipped out of the office quickly, and sprinting back to the Angelator, pressed reset. I began recalculating, hoping I was wrong, hoping I risked that phone call for a false alarm, hoping he was coming for nothing.

God, I thought, I hope he comes.

"Alright, Angela. What's going on?"

I looked up at the angry agent. "Booth." A sudden thought occurred to me. "Did Brennan see you?"

"No."

I relaxed a little. "Good."

"What's the state secret?" he asked, pacing.

His tone says he's really pissed at me. That's okay. He can be pissed at me.

"I was worried you weren't going to get here."

He gave me a direct look. "I was supposed to have Parker."

"Oh."

"I had to argue with Rebecca for another time. So, I'm sorry if I'm a bit later than you hoped for."

He didn't sound particularly sorry. I understood. I felt bad, but not guilty.

"I've been sitting on this information for over 2 hours." I paused and typed in the file name, continuing while the Angelator processed. "I had to lie to Brennan twice."

He stopped pacing. "You've been sitting on information… for a case?" He turned to me. "That's very unlike you."

I nodded. Fair enough. "We're IDing some Jane Doe's."

"You called me from her office. You were whispering… why?"

"I don't have your cell. She does." The answer was vague – evasive.

"Why didn't you just ask her for it?"

I looked into those sharp eyes and had to break my gaze from his. I walked around the counter to put the Angelator between us.

"Why are you lying to her, Angela?" he asked, softly, sensing the gravity of the situation.

"Because… I… I… ca… can't…"

Tension seized my throat. My eyes were tearing. The words just wouldn't come.

"Angela?"

The concern in his voice made me want to cry, which forced me to swallow.

"Because she needed you to be here." I hugged my clipboard to me as chills raced across my skin.

"Why?"

Biting my lip, I looked up at him. He searched my eyes. A couple tears escaped me. We were silent for a moment… then.

"Ange?" Brennan. "Ange! Are you done yet?"

Her voice made me close my eyes. I didn't want to see this. I didn't want to be the one to show her this. I turned away. "Yes."

I heard her pause on my threshold. "Booth, what are you doing here? I thought it was your day off…" She sounded surprised. I sensed her shifting her gaze to me, but did not give her my face. She was breaking my heart. I didn't have it in me to hold so much pain, so much powerless sympathy.

"Angela said she had something to show me."

"What?" Brennan sounded puzzled.

I swallowed passed the block in my throat, not bothering to wipe the tracks of tears from my cheeks as I turned to face them. I watched Booth move closer to his partner, instinctively protective. I hoped I'd been right to call him.

"Ange?" Brennan asked, uncertainly.

He laid a hand on her arm, watching me with sudden understanding. "I think she's about to show us," he answered softly.

And so I did.

"Oh my god. Oh my God. Oh my god! Oh my GOD! OH MY GOD!" she repeated it with growing disbelief and horror. She stared at me in terror, swamped by the implications of the unrelieved, indisputable picture. The utterly, inescapable reality. "NO!" Then she broke.

I pressed my lips together against the agony in her expression, hugged the clipboard to my chest so hard it hurt.

Booth gathered her close, pressing her sobs into his shoulder as he held her tight. A short, pained look passed between us, all apologies and regret. Then he closed his eyes, and lowered his head to hers to share her grief, maybe muttering nonsense in her ear, maybe just holding her in silence with his lips pressed against her hair. I didn't know.

I couldn't take any more of this. I'd suffered alone for her, for hours. I was unable to release what I was feeling; knowing I couldn't protect my best friend from her past, or completely understand what this would do to her. I couldn't bring myself to tell her. I knew I couldn't be the one she needed. And that hurt in ways beyond mention…

I had to leave. And so I did, almost at a run, looking back, only once, to stare at the image and then at the woman in Booth's arms.

She looked so much like her mother.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed the fic! Please review and let me know what you thought (good/bad) and how to improve…

Erkith