A/N: This episode just flustered me so much I had this written by lunch the next day, but, of course, never got around to posting it. And yes, I do realize it's completely unlikely. I'm a fangirl. Leave me alone.

Disclaimer: If I owned them, Angela wouldn't have broken Jack's heart, so obviously I don't own them.

Never The Way It Was

Now it was Jack's turn to ignore Angela, while he waited for the opportune moment. It came shortly after lunch.

"Hey, Cam, can I talk to you?" He asked her, just as she'd finished working on something with Zach and Temperance.

"Sure."

"In private?" The whole lab didn't have to know.

"Oh, ya, of course." She led him into her office and shut the door. "Sit down." She told him, taking her own place behind the desk.

Jack sat down and took a deep breath. "I'd like to give my notice."

"What?"

"My two weeks notice. I'm leaving."

Cam shook her head. "No. What? Why?" She stammered.

Hodgins shrugged and avoided making eye contact with her. But he saw the look of realization cross her face.

"It worked, didn't it?" Her face displayed her inner torment.

Now it was Jack's turn to ask, "What?"

"Your date with Angela. Tempe and I convinced her to go because, while flirting at work is great, it never works out in the real world."

"You would know, wouldn't you?"

"We're not talking about Seely and I." Cam looked like she regretted saying it. "We, Tempe and I, thought that you two would go out once, the date would be a disaster, it would awkward for a week or so, and then everything would go back to the way it was."

"Why does everybody want everything to go back to the way it was?" Jack asked angrily, standing up. "Why is everyone so afraid of change?"

"Are you sure about this?" Cam asked softly.

"Why wouldn't I be sure?"

"I just don't want you to regret your choices in life."

"Right now I'm regretting living." He turned and started to leave. When he was almost out the door, he turned back around. "I'd appreciate it if you kept this a secret." Cam nodded slowly and Jack left quickly.

"Angela? Are you hiding out in here again?" Tempe asked, coming into the staff lounge.

Angela didn't say anything, hoping her friend would just go away, but Tempe came around the couch and saw her lying there. She made a sympathetic noise and sat down at the foot of the couch. Angela, curled in a ball, took up less than half the length of the piece of furniture.

"What's wrong?" Tempe asked, using the same tone of voice Angela would have used to ask the same question.

"Nothing." Angela lied quietly.

"You're lying. Anthropologically speaking, anyone curled in the fetal position is either in imminent danger, or dealing with immense physical or emotional trauma." Angela almost smiled at how Tempe could make anything sound like a science project. Almost. "I'm going to go with the latter." Tempe added.

Angela sighed and absently fiddled with her necklace. "When we went out two nights ago, he kissed me."

"Well, that's – oh." It took Tempe a minute to fully comprehend.

"Tempe, it was the best night of my life." Angela said, her voice choked with tears. "And when Jack kissed me, I – I've never felt like that before."

Tempe moved off the couch to the floor so she could be at Angela's eye level. "You weren't expecting that, were you?"

"No, I never thought that a guy I made myself believe was only a friend could kiss me and make me feel like that." The tears ran across Angela's face, following the course of gravity.

"Did you guys talk about this?"

Angela sniffled. "Ya, yesterday. I told him, that for your and Zach's sake, we could only be friends." She paused and took a deep breath. "Anything that starts out with a date too good to be true has to come crashing down sooner or later, and I didn't want that messing up our work as a team."

Tempe rubbed Angela's shoulder comfortingly and smiled. "Now I feel responsible for you crying." She joked.

"It was Cam who told me it wouldn't work."

"Would you feel better if I suggested we hate Cam together?"

"Hate's a strong word." Angela seemed to be crying less now.

"Cam's a strong woman." Tempe smiled again. This time, Angela smiled weakly in return. "I think you should go home early today. Maybe if you rest, you'll feel better."

Angela shook her head. "I don't want to be alone."

Tempe understood how that felt. "Girl's night tonight?"

"Okay."

That night, Angela and Temperance went to a bar, and Angela got so drunk she crashed on Tempe's couch. The next morning, Angela called in sick and Tempe stayed home with her, on call, and they watched chick flicks Tempe had never even heard of until three AM. The next night, after a tense work-day, they went for a run, and Angela ended up showing up at Tempe's in the middle of the night. That's how it was for the next two weeks, tension so thick at work you couldn't cut through it with a chainsaw, Angela thinking she could be alone, but not lasting for more than an hour, and Tempe watching movies she would rather not watch and being a comforting best friend.

"We're missing a Squint, aren't we?" Booth said one day when they were all working on a case. Cam's guilty expression drew attention.

"Dr. Hodgins got a job at the university." She told them uneasily.

"When did this happen?" Tempe asked, shocked.

"He gave his notice two weeks ago. When he finished yesterday, he said he'd got a job there doing research."

"Jack's gone?" Angela said more than asked, sounding like a scared child.

"Why didn't he tell us?" Zach sounded understandably angry.

"I don't know." Cam answered.

For the rest of the day, no one spoke more than necessary. At the end of the day, Tempe asked Angela how she was.

Angela shrugged. "I don't know."

"Do you want me to come over tonight? I could pick up Thai." Tempe offered.

"No, that's alright." Angela's attention seemed to be someplace else. "I have something I want to do." Tempe didn't have time to inquire further, because Booth choose that moment to start a conversation with her.

"Hey, Bones, do you think something weird's going on with Angela?"

Tempe didn't feel like trying to explain something she hardly understood herself. So instead she told him, "Don't call me Bones."

As Angela drove, she tried to think of what she was going to say, but nothing seemed appropriate. She wasn't even sure what would be considered appropriate at a time like this. She knew what wasn't though – leaving your job without evening saying goodbye.

When she pulled up in front of his building, she still didn't know what to day. But if she didn't go in now, she'd be parked on the street till next year. She got out of the car, shaking slightly, and took a deep breath.

"Now or never." She whispered to herself, striding towards the door.

She'd only been to Jack's apartment once before. He'd invited her and Zach (and Tempe, but she'd refused) over and they'd watched Star Trek for five hours straight.

Before she knew it, Angela found herself outside his door. She told herself that it was a waste of time, and ordered her legs to walk away. Instead, her arm raised and her hand knocked on the door. Even if she was immature enough to run away, her legs wouldn't move.

The door opened enough to reveal Hodgins' head and one shoulder against the doorframe.

"Montenegro." He greeted coldly.

"Hodgins." Angela's legs felt like jell-o. He looked at her, waiting for an explanation, and she looked anywhere but at him, gathering courage.

"Did you want something?" He asked after what seemed like an eternity.

Angela took a deep breath. "You left, and you didn't tell anyone you were leaving, you didn't say goodbye. You just left."

"Do you have a point?" Hodgins kept up the cold façade.

"You were part of a team, and you let us down. Why would you do that?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you." He started to shut the door, but Angela put a hand against it to stop it.

"Don't you dare close the door on me, Jack." She said, louder than she'd meant.

"Angela, what did you really come here for?"

"You abandoned us!" She screeched, practically hysterical with emotion.

"Stop yelling." Jack opened the door all the way. "You're going to get my neighbors mad."

Angela interpreted this an invitation in. When she walked past him, their arms brushed and it gave Angela chills. She tried to focus, but found it impossible.

"Not only did you abandon Zach and Tempe and the rest of the lab, you abandoned me!" She yelled as soon as he'd shut the door.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Jack replied mockingly, "did I abandon you, my friend?"

"You know we can only be friends. We work together, it would never have worked out!"

"Worked, Angela, we worked together." Hodgins' voice was now the same volume as Angela's. "We don't anymore. And you don't know it wouldn't have worked because you were too scared to give it a chance."

"I wasn't scared, I was thinking. Even if it had worked out for a while, it would have had to end eventually, and then what would we be? A couple of co-workers who can't get along anymore because they dated, and that would mess up the whole team."

"What if it weren't to end?" Jack asked, with less volume and more emotion.

Angela dropped her eyes to the ground and shook her head. "All good things must come to an end." She whispered, and the silence that followed seemed louder than their yelling. A tea kettle whistled in the kitchen.

"Would you like tea?" Hodgins asked, as if nothing had happened.

"Tea?" Angela raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Yes, herbal tea. All my family drinks herbal tea when they're stressed."

"Okay."

Neither one of them spoke until they were seated at the kitchen table with strong-smelling herbal tea in mugs of them.

"Why are you so stressed?" Angela asked him, not sure if she was continuing their argument or starting a friendly conversation.

"I don't like starting a new job. It freaks me out." Jack stared at swirling steam coming off the tea.

"Then why did you leave? Isn't it every science geek's dream to work at the Jeffersonian?" Angela tried to make a joke, but it came out seriously.

"The place was great before it broke my heart." Jack said harshly. "Oh, wait, that was you, wasn't it?" The attitude was back.

"Is that what the problem is, Jack?" Angela felt tears prick her eyes. "You quit a great job because some girl tells you she doesn't date her co-workers?"

"Not just 'some girl', Angela. You, the woman I love."

Angela couldn't meet his eyes. Or hold back the tears. She pretended to be interested in the scientific equations on the mug in front of her, while really crying. "You mean that, don't you?" Her voice betrayed her emotions.

"Ya, I do." Angela heard him push his chair back and come towards her.

Angela lifted her head. "You're stupid, did you know that? I don't know about you, but I would rather work every day and be friends with the man I love then never see him. You are really, truly, very stupid." Angela yelled at him through heavy tears.

Hodgins was silent as Angela rushed to the door, then paused to turn around. "I hope you regret this. I hope you regret this so much you'll do what's right."

"And what's that?"

She held back a sob. "Thank you for the tea." And then she slammed the door after her.

"He quit because of me." Angela wailed as soon as Tempe opened her front door.

"What?" Tempe asked, pushing a stray strand of hair out of her face.

"I just went to Hodgins, and he told me he left the Jeffersonian because of me."

"Oh, that's terrible!" Tempe said, motioning for Angela to come in. "But I'm sorry, I don't understand."

Angela flopped on the couch in the living room as Tempe shut the door. There was a kickboxing video still playing. That explained Tempe's stretchy pants and disheveled hair.

"Tea, hon?" Tempe offered.

Angela made a whining noise and shook her head. "No tea."

"Beer?"

"Beer would work." Brennan came back a few seconds later with a beer bottle in each hand, and she shut off the TV as she went by. She sat on the couch beside her friend. "Tell me everything."

Tempe listened silently as Angela told the whole story, pausing only to choke back a sob or take a swig of the alcohol.

"We need to do something about this." Tempe said tenderly when Angela was finished.

Angela sighed, she was all cried out now. "What do you suggest, Dr. Brennan?"

"First of all, we need to convince Hodgins to come back, I'm sure Cam wouldn't mind pulling the strings to get him back on the team. Second, I think you need to change your co-worker anti-fraternization policy."

"Since when do you give advice?"

"Since my best friend decided she would fall in love with the entomologist, then break his heart, clearly shattering her own in the process, and is now deeply depressed because of it."

"I think I liked it better when you had no clue what was going on." Angela laughed for a few seconds, then went back to frowning.

"But I'm right, right?"

"You may just be, sweetie."

"I'll call Cam while you go talk to Jack." Tempe said, as if they'd come to a conclusion.

"Tonight? I don't think so." Angela waved a finger to emphasize her point.

"Why not? The sooner you stop moping around, the better."

"I am not moping."

"Are too." Temperance stood up, put both their beers on the coffee table, grabbed Angela's hands and pulled her into a standing position. "Tap 'em dead, tiger."

"It's 'knock 'em dead', Temp, and for some reason I don't think killing Hodgins would resolve anything."

Tempe rolled her eyes. Angela picked up her purse from the table and pulled out her car keys. "I expect to know how it goes." Tempe said.

"I'll come over later."

"Alright."

"Thank you, Tempe."

"What are friends for?"

For the second time in less then double that number of hours, Angela stood in front of Jack's door. Only this time, she knew what she was going to say. And her legs felt less like jell-o.

She knocked. The door opened.

"Can't resist me, can you?" His eyes twinkled, obviously happier to see her than he had been earlier.

Angela hit him playfully on the arm as she walked in. "You're full of yourself."

"Thank you." Hodgins closed the door.

"It wasn't a complement."

She wrung her hands together. He motioned for her to sit on the couch. She did, and he sat down next to her. He sat down close to her. She cleared her throat, some bravado gone with his proximity.

"I know you didn't come here to engage in our usual witty banter." Jack said.

"You're right." She took a deep breath. "I was wondering if you would come back to the Jeffersonian."

"Didn't I already explain to you why I can't work there anymore?"

Angela did a mental scan for the proper wording. "I could make an exception to my rule."

"Even if I wanted to go back, I quit. Employers aren't exactly thrilled when someone who quits wants their job back."

"Tempe's calling Cam right now to see if she'll pull some strings and get you back."

"You've talked to Brennan about this?" Hodgins looked suspicious.

"Of course I did. She's my best friend."

"And now she's calling to get my job back and she doesn't even know if I want it or not."

Angela held up her hands in an 'innocent' pose. "Not my plan, hers."

"And she figured you'd be able to convince me to come back?" Jack clarified.

"She's counting on it. She can't stand my moping."

"You've been moping?"

"Not my words, hers."

"Have you been mopping over me?" He looked oddly hopeful.

"Not so much moping over you, but moping over me being stupid."

"You were really mean."

"Thanks, that makes me feel so much better." Angela said sarcastically, adding a Tempe-worthy eye-roll.

"But I would be willing to forgive you if I did get my job back and you were willing to make an exception to you're rule."

"Alright." Angela smiled the first big, genuine smile she'd smiled since the night of their date.

"I missed your smile." Jack tucked a strand of hair behind Angela's ear, and kept his hand there. "Actually, I think I missed all of you."

"I promise I won't do anything that stupid again."

"Just don't get boring on me."

"Don't worry." Angela moved so her head was against Jack's shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around her.

"Mmm, your hair smells good." He commented.

Angela laughed. "Are you sniffing my hair again?"

"What? It does smell good." He laughed with her. He paused for a few seconds. "Does this mean you'd be interested in another date?"

"Yes."

"Right now?"

Angela pulled away so she could look at him. "Right now?"

"Ya, there's a swing set just down the street."

"Okay."

On the sidewalk in front of his building, Angela stumbled for a moment, and Hodgins caught her hand.

"You okay?"

"Just klutzy."

He didn't let go off her hand as they walked the two blocks to the deserted playground. They had just started swinging when Angela's phone rang. It was Tempe.

"Hey Tempe, what did you find out?"

"Cam's going to get Hodgins' job back."

"That's terrific."

"Are you with him now?"

"Yes."

"Okay, see you tomorrow."

"Bye. Thanks, sweetie." She hung up and turned to Jack. "You've got your job back."

"Awesome, so it's back to the way it was?" He slowed his swing and got off of it.

"No, never the way it was."

"I can handle that." From the look on his face, she knew what to expect next, but it didn't stop her heart from beating faster when he stopped her swing.

"I can handle that, too." She said, and suddenly Jack was kissing Angela on the swings all over again.

A/N: All reviewers get telepathic popcorn! (Hint hint)

Love,
Callieach