This is another Angela/Hodgins one-shot… it's pretty random but deals with some important issues I feel! So Enjoy and leave a little review if you are that way inclined! Some parts are loosely based on a conversation I once had with someone I loved (and still do) very much… I won't tell you which parts ; )

Take This For Granted

Angela shifted dramatically in the bed before glancing over to her right to see if this movement had any effect.

'Uh' she sighed shifting in the bed again. 'Hodgins' she whispered loudly.

'Mm?' he answered, remaining totally still.

'Are you asleep?' Angela asked leaning further and further over to him.

'Yes' Hodgins muttered seemingly trying to turn further into the bed.

'Jack, please I want to talk' Angela nudged him hard on the shoulder.

'Okay, okay I'm awake… well semi-awake. I'm all ears' he stretched leaning back on the frame of the bed next to her.

'Well, I've been thinking' Angela began 'and-

'see that's your first mistake, thinking is for the daytime baby' Hodgins kicked back the blanket adding 'I'm too hot'

'As I said I've been thinking' Angela continued though gritted teeth 'and…what do you think would have happened if you and Brennan hadn't been buried in that car?'

'I would probably have a lot less respect for oxygen' he laughed lowly.

'Jack I'm serious' Angela persisted getting more and more agitated. 'you and me…what would have happened?'

'oh Ange don't ask me that' Hodgins rubbed the side of his head with his hands.

'I have to know' Angela threw her arms above her head. 'imagine…imagine there's a parallel universe where the whole grave digger thing never happened and you and I are just…stuck in some kind of limbo between being friends and…' she smiled slightly 'this'

'Parallel universe?' Hodgins repeated. 'what have you been reading?'

Angela rolled her eyes and throw her legs over to the side of the bed 'Just forget it' she exhaled standing up from the bed, wrapping herself in a robe and walking out the door.

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'Stupid Hodgins' Angela muttered to herself as she filled the kettle with water and settling it back down on its stand, flicked the on switch.

'It's a little early for coffee isn't it?' Hodgins voice came from a distance behind her seconds later. He glanced at his watch; 3.14am. God, the amount of sleep he had lost over her.

'I'm having tea' Angela said bluntly, remaining with her back to him. 'do you want a cup?'

'Sure' Hodgins answered slowly sensing that he had to tread lightly here.

'Jack' Angela said suddenly spinning around to face him. 'does it not scare you that it took you being buried alive for me to…you know…act? Because it scares me.'

'Are we really going to have this conversation now?' Hodgins sat down on the stole at the counter.

'It took you nearly dying for me to realise how much I couldn't bare losing you' Angela moved forward so she was on the exact opposite side of the counter. 'but what if that had never happened?'

'But it did happen Angela' Hodgins leaned forward. 'I really don't see the point in talking about it.'

Angela groaned in frustration. He really wasn't getting it.

'I'm an artist' she stated simply. 'I'm meant to embrace life and be thankful for it at any given moment but I'm not. I take things and people for granted and I know I shouldn't' she paused as she glanced at the ground under her feet before raising her eyes to back to him. 'I don't want to take you for granted Jack'

Hodgins left out a small laugh before extending his hand 'Come here'

Angela rounded the counter, feeling increasingly self-conscience about her outburst.

'Feel free to take me for granted' Hodgins smiled as he wrapped his arms around her to bring her closer to him.

They continued to stand there in silence for brief moments before Hodgins spoke quietly. 'I think the kettle is boiled'

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'Shit, we have a minor spillage' Hodgins grabbed the nearest piece of clothing and soaked up the tea he had just spilt on the bed.

Angela laughed resting her cup on the locker to help him rotate the duvet. 'Drinking tea in bed truly is a lost art.' she teased picking back up her cup and taking a sip out of it.

'You feeling better?' Hodgins asked once he had safely settled himself as to avoid any further spills.

Angela nodded 'tea makes everything better'

'I though that was chocolate' Hodgins narrowed his eyes.

'Well chocolate is a whole different story. It holds magic powers, it can even cure a broken heart you know' Angela informed him with all seriousness.

'I really do not understand the women and chocolate thing' he shook his head.

'Chocolate is…' Angela began but soon found their were no words so instead resorted to a statistic. 'you know the majority of women would pick chocolate over sex?'

'What about you? Chocolate or sex?' Hodgins smirked.

'ah Jack don't ask me that' she smiled, paraphrasing his earlier words.

'Touché' he raised his cup to her.

Minutes passed in comfortable silence apart from the sipping of tea and every so often a swear as Hodgins spilt another drop of tea.

'I'm sorry I brought up the 'buried alive' scenario' Angela finally spoke as she rested her empty cup on the locker. 'it's just… the dreams came back'

'The dreams?' Hodgins asked, confused.

Angela nodded sadly. 'I'd see you and Brennan in buried in the car but I couldn't get to you for the longest time but when I did…it would always too late.'

'Why didn't you tell me?' he asked bring his arm around her shoulders to pull her closer to him.

'You were having your own nightmares' she shrugged. 'and they stopped…until a few nights ago.'

'Ange, I don't know what would have happened between us if I hadn't been buried' he answered her question form earlier in the night truthfully, sensing that it was what she wanted to here.

'This is going to sound terrible' she let out a small laugh 'but I'm really glad you were buried alive in that car.'

'That does sound terrible' Hodgins nodded 'but I would have to agree with you.'

'Just don't do it again' Angela warned him.

'I won't' he assured her. 'now seeing as I've answered your question' he lay down properly in the bed taking her with him. 'chocolate or sex?'

'Depends on what kind' Angela mused.

'of sex?' Hodgins smirked.

'of chocolate!' Angela laughed.

'oh right of course, so say it's your favourite kind of chocolate or sex with me' Hodgins grinned wickedly.

Angela covered in mouth in mock shock before smiling coyly. 'Can't I have both?'

'There's no such thing as both in the land of hypothetical questions baby' he informed her.

'you then' Angela concluded.

'sex with me you mean' Hodgins corrected her.

'I'd pick you over chocolate aswell' she blushed slightly.

'What made you come to that decision?' he asked hoping he wouldn't regret asking.

'Well' Angela moved even closer to him 'as great as chocolate is, it's not the first thing I think about every morning.'

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The whole tea thing comes from my two best friends who maintain that 'tea makes everything better!' I'm personally more of a coffee person!

Thanks!

xx