A/N: (Apr. 2009) This was my first attempt at a multichapter story. This includes references to Asperger's syndrome suggested as a possible reason for Brennan's odd emotional and social difficulties. I also thought resolving more of the trauma from when her parents left was one way to help her accept Booth in her life as someone she could allow herself to count on. A ghost or two helping the process shouldn't hurt!

Disclaimer: Just playing with someone else's stuff.

Marte


Angels in the Angelator

Chapter 1

On Monday afternoon, Angela and Brennan walked down the street after lunch at their favorite Chinese restaurant and passed by a little occult/new age bookstore. A sandwich board on the sidewalk advertised psychic readings.

"Come on, Brennan," Angela said, "let's go in. It'll be fun."

"You know I don't believe in this kind of thing. I've studied similar beliefs all around the world and it's all based on superstition just to give people an answer to the unknown," lectured Brennan, "I met a Patagonian shaman once who…"

Angela smiled, grabbed her arm and pulled her through the door. It was a well laid out brightly lit store that contained the expected selection of books, bins of crystals, gemstones and other paraphernalia. The air was lightly fragrant with sandalwood incense. The back of the store was set up as a tea room with a central table that held a crystal ball on a brightly colored brocade tablecloth. Beside the ball was a shiny roughly rectangular shape that was likely to be a deck of tarot cards wrapped in a piece of silk. A blond haired young woman stood behind the counter and nearby, at one of the bistro tables, sat a little girl about 4 years old in a red jumper coloring on a pad of paper.

"Come in," welcomed the young woman with a slight southern accent. "I was just going to make myself some tea. Would you like some? It is free with a reading."

"Sure, that would be great, thank you. Jasmine green tea would be nice if you have it," replied Angela, "Actually, I was interested in tarot readings for myself and my friend," Angela indicated Brennan who wandered in a distracted manner around the store and picked up things at random to inspect.

The woman looked questioningly at Brennan before getting her attention. "Yes, that would be fine for me as well, thank you," said Brennan. The little girl looked up from her drawing and smiled shyly in Brennan's direction as she moved around the store.

Angela approached the little girl and glanced at her unusually detailed drawing of a garden scene, saying, "Hi, my name is Angela. Your picture is very good. I like drawing pictures too."

"Thanks, I'm Anna," said the little girl. "This one's for Momma," nodding in the direction of the storekeeper making cups of tea. "What do you draw?"

"Mostly people's faces, but I like gardens, too," replied Angela.

Anna looked at Angela as if to say something else, but became shy and focused her attention back to her drawing.

Anna's mother returned carrying a tray with several mugs, a glass of milk and cream and sugar containers. She placed it down on a table closest to the one set up for readings, handed the mugs around and placed the milk where Anna was seated. Brennan sat down at one of the tables with her mug.

"My name is Karina Maisson. Who would like to go first?" said Karina, before seating herself at the reading table.

"I will. I'm Angela Montenegro and my friend is Dr. Temperance Brennan," Angela said, as she made herself comfortable across from the young woman.

"Oh, what a surprise. I've enjoyed reading your books, Dr. Brennan," she said with a smile at Brennan who was pleased with the praise. "Well, let's get started then. Are you familiar with the tarot, Angela? Have you ever had a reading before?" asked Karina as she prepared her cards for the reading.

'A little. A friend, years ago, tried to teach herself to do readings and I was one of her practice subjects," answered Angela.

Karina began to lay cards on the table when her daughter came up to her, patted her arm and whispered, "Momma, Momma?"

"It's okay, I don't mind," said Angela who understood that having children around usually lead to interruptions.

Karina looked down at her young daughter and said, "What is it, baby?"

Anna whispered cautiously, "Momma, I have a message for Doc-or B-enan," Her little girl voice was not yet able to completely pronounce some sounds.

"All right, baby, remember to ask her permission," replied Karina.

Anna gathered her courage and approached Brennan sitting at a nearby table. "Can I tell you something? Someone wants to tell you something," she said.

Brennan looked at the girl's mother hoping for an explanation. "Ever since she started to speak, Anna has been able to communicate messages she receives from those who have passed on. I am very careful who I let her approach with her messages."

Brennan spoke carefully to Anna, "I don't want to hurt your feelings, Anna, but I don't believe in messages from the dead."

"That's okay, it doesn't matter. Didn't you know you get messages from dead people all the time? When you find their bones, they help you understand them." Anna said seriously.

Brennan had met psychics before who tried to hook her with some profound prediction but, for some reason, this child had her genuinely spooked at hearing this appraisal of her work. Apart from believing she was a generally moral and law-abiding person, she had rejected the notion of God and life after death as being empirically without proof. Her studies had revealed so many cultural variations that she was convinced that religion was just a function of society. Her life's meaning came directly from her work and personal relationships, not devotion to a faith.

"Your Momma Ruth loves you very much and she's real happy you found her and she's sorry she and your daddy had to go away," said Anna, her words tumbled out all at once. After a moment to catch her breath, she continued, "there were a lot of spirit people with you when you came into the store. She said that she's with you all the time to protect you so the other spirits don't get in the way. Ruth told me about what you do when you find people's bones. You help a lot of people. She worries about your daddy and your brother though. They do bad things sometimes. She's glad they came back and you're not alone anymore. I was making my picture for Momma but Ruth wants me to give it to you. She asked me to add some things just for you."

Anna went back to her table, worked on the picture for a few minutes, tore it out of its pad and came back to Brennan to give her the picture. Brennan was stunned when she looked at it but managed to give Anna a smile and said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," said Anna.

Just at that moment, Brennan's cell phone rang. She quickly answered it, simply saying, "Brennan," folded the picture carefully and placed it in her handbag. "All right, I'm with Angela. I'll drop her off at work and meet you there in ten minutes."

"I'm sorry, Angela, but we have to go right away. A case has come up," said Brennan, trying not to sound relieved at being able to leave.

"Momma, I'm going to go play with my dollies, okay?" said Anna. She took a quick look at a spot behind Brennan. "Oh, Ruth just said she's happy Booth is your friend. He likes you a lot," giggled Anna, "and keeps you safe all the time. She wants you to tell Max and Kyle that she's okay and loves them both, too. Max can explain the picture." With that said, Anna ran to the back of the store where her things were.

"I'm sorry, I'll have to come back later," said Angela. "Here, let me pay for my reading in advance." She followed Karina over to the cash register and quickly paid the fee.

The two friends hurried to leave the store and almost collided with a delivery man on his way in with a large package. A dozen steps more found them tossed into the street like rag dolls as an explosion caught them with a deafening whirlwind of sound. The old building was soon engulfed in flames as sirens in the distance grew louder.


All comments, suggestions, etc gratefully accepted.

You do want to know if they are all right? What could possibly be so shocking in a child's drawing? Right?