A/N: Hey, Nerds! So this is the first week of the Bonesology Summer challenge. Thanks to the people who run that site for giving us fodder to keep writing.

This weeks prompt is "Never let the words 'I love you' go unsaid" This chapter takes place around 2x14 'The Man in the Mansion'

Enjoy!

"Ange, come on!" The echo of the words, said almost in a whine, brake the comfortable silence of the lab in the morning. Cam walks out in time to see Angela closing all of the curtains to her office.

Hodgins, still standing at the closed door to his girlfriend's office, turns and meets her eyes. "I don't get it," he says, waving a hand, "I truly don't get it."

"What happened?" She asks, coming closer, her heels clicking on the floor, crossing her arms over her chest.

"We had a fight last night and she's still pissed off at me."

"Did you apologize?" Cam questions with a raised eyebrow.

"Why do you automatically assume it was my fault?" Jack cries, offended.

"Because if this had been Angela's fault, it would have been resolved last night and you two would come in here all happy and glowy like always." When he doesn't speak for a moment, she knows she's hooked him.

"I thought I did," Hodgins confesses, voice quiet now.

"You didn't do it right. You of all people should know what sometimes just saying "I'm sorry" isn't enough. Sometimes you gotta go beyond that; make her feel special."

"Yeah," he says, furrowing his brow, already in thought.

"If you don't fix this by the end of the day, you will have more than just Angela wishing horrible things upon you."

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Hours later, Cam pushes away from her desk, where she had been pouring over emails and paperwork, and leaves her office. She crosses the lab floor, watching as techs scurry around, and stops at Angela's office door. The blinds are still pulled closed, but when she tries the door, Cam is happy to find that it isn't locked.

"Go away!" Angela hollers, noticing someone entering her office. "Oh. It's you."

Cam goes further into the room, watching as her colleague scribbles harshly on a page in her sketchbook. There are similar drawings on the floor around her, obviously in an attempt to dispel her still annoyed mood. "Are you buying stock in 'Crayola Colored Pencils' now?" she asks, trying to make her friend smile.

"No," Angela chuckles, seeing the humor in her current situation. "I thought this might help, but I guess it's not working."

"You should sign these, they might be worth a lot someday," Cam says, picking up one of the scribbles done in a light pink color.

"Did you just come in here to talk about my scratch paper?"

"No! I actually wanted to ask you if I could borrow your printer. Maintenance still hasn't come to fix mine yet."

"Oh, yeah, sure," Angela nods.

"Thanks." Came turns to leave, but stops short. "What did Hodgins do to get you so pissed? It must have been more than leaving the toilet seat up."

Angela doesn't talk for a moment, busying herself putting her colored pencils away just so. "It started that way," she starts quietly. "But you're right: it's more than just something stupid." Her brow furrows as if she's still not sure if the words she's thinking are the ones she wants to say. "How could he do that? Hide evidence and risk our integrity?"

"He knew that if that evidence got out, he'd be suspect number one," Cam replies, reiterating facts she knew Angela already knew.

"I know. But he lied to me. I just don't get why he felt he had to do that."

There it was. Now Cam understood: Angela was hurt that it seemed her boyfriend didn't trust her enough to tell her he was friends with the victim.

"Did you tell him that?"

"No."

"You know, he may be smart, but Jack Hodgins is no mind reader. He's out there thinking he really messed up."

Angela's face falls and a second later, she stands from her desk and leaves her office, making a beeline for Hodgins' desk.

"Hey," she starts.

"Hey," Jack replies, not meeting her eyes.

"Can I talk to you?"

He finally looks up, and from the look on his face, she can tell he's just as hurt as she is. "Look, Ange, I'm sorry. I know you like to sleep in the dark, but I need a light and-"

"I know," she interrupts. "It's not about that. I'm sorry I snapped at you."

"It's not? Then what?"

"You know you can trust me, right?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Then why did you do that? Why did you think you had to hide something from me?"

"Do what? I never-. Oh. Oh, Angela." Now she's the one not meeting eyes. "Hey," he uses a hand to lift her face to his. "I'm sorry. I got scared. I didn't know what to do or what to think. I just did it. And I should have come to you."

"Yeah. You should have."

"And I know that now. I'm sorry."

"I know you are. It just hurt that you thought you couldn't trust me when things got bad."

"I know."

"Promise me something, okay?"

"Okay."

"That you'll always come to me. No matter what. We'll figure it out together, okay?"

"Okay," he smiles. "I love you."

"I love you too." She kisses him once, a hand on his cheek. "Come on, do something productive, or Cam's gonna ground us both."

"Okay," he chuckles, turning back to his computer, looking up as Angela walks back into her office, leaving the door open and the blinds up; no longer upset.