Thanks to Katrina for beta-ing this story!

Enjoy!

Sourire)

Chapter 1. Future lives, Part 1.

8 years later

Angela woke up because her youngest daughter was jumping on her bed.

"Mommy! Mommy, get up! We made breakfast for you!"

Her sonorous voice was so loud that she might have woken up not only her mother but also all their neighbours.

"Tempe, honey, don't cry! I have already got up."

"No, you haven't! You are still lying!"

She continued jumping. Angela sighed and tried to make a serious face to calm her daughter down. But it was really impossible to be angry with the frizzy-haired, charming child for long periods of time. Angela sighed again and got out of bed. As soon as her feet were on the floor, Tempe took her hand and started to pull her out of the room.

"Tempe, why are you so excited about this breakfast?"

"Ollie and I made it for you!"

"Only by yourselves?!" – Angela imagined what her active daughters could have made without adults and tried not to think about the damage to the kitchen. Her elder daughter, Olivia, was only six after all.

Tempe slowed down.

"Well…daddy helped us...but not much!"

Angela smiled with relief. But her smile disappeared when Tempe added:

"He said, today was a special day," – she didn't see her mother's expression and continued. "He also said that I mustn't tell you…" she stopped, realizing what she had said, and looked up at her mother. "Don't tell him I said it! Please!"

Looking into her pleading eyes Angela couldn't say anything but:

"Of course, I won't tell him."

She was smiling again, but her voice was sad.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

"Richard!" After her husband hadn't responded, Cam called again, louder, "RICHARD!"

This time he heard. Entering the room, he saw his wife holding their three-year-old son and trying to find some paper between the documents on the table at the same time.

With his wide Afro-American smile, Richard came closer, kissed Cam and took Tommy out of her arms. She glanced at him.

"What took you so long? I have to find the report of the last case, call Dr. Heenman to set up a meeting, organize the delivery of a new microscope, then…"

"Cam!"

"What?" She was trying to think about anything other than what day it was.

"Calm down. It can wait. And it will."

"But…"

"I understand, it is hard for you, but we should be there."

"I know," – she sighed. "It's just…seeing him on this day…"

"He needs our support. Your support."

Cam looked down. The tear slid down her cheek.

"Mommy, are you crying?"

"No, sunshine, I'm alright." She smiled weakly. "Come on, Michele will be here any minute."

She took her son back and practically ran out of the room. Richard sighed and walked out too. The day was going to be a hard one.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

"Mommy, when we are going?" – Olivia waved her legs impatiently while sitting in her car seat. She was eager to see her two best friends. Angela turned around to look at her.

"Soon, sweetie. As soon as your father and Tempe…" – at that moment she saw Hodgins come out of the front door carrying their younger daughter who had a big brown teddy bear in her arms.

"Here they are. Jack, what took you so long?"

Hodgins smiled apologetically.

"Tempe decided to take the bear when we were near the door. So, we had to go back and find it."

"His name is Billie!" A resentful voice of a four-year-old said. "I've already told you he would miss us! And he would be alone here!" The last phrase was said towards Angela in apologetic tone. Angela smiled.

"Of course, you are right. But now we have to hurry, Jack. At first we should go to Cam's because Michele is going to babysit the kids. Then we have to…"

"Pick up Zach," – finished Hodgins. "I know. And I've already called everybody to tell them that we are late."

Angela nodded in response.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

While Hodgins was walking the girls to Cam's house, Angela stayed near the car. She wanted to be alone for a few minutes. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice behind her back.

"Angie!" – Angela turned around and smile as she saw Daisy coming closer. She had changed a lot during the years. From an always smiling intern who had made a lot of inappropriate comments, she had grown into a beautiful calm woman. They were good friends with Angela and so were Olivia and Daisy's six-year-old son, Edward.

"How are you feeling, Daisy?"

"Oh, I'm fine. My feet are sore and my back hurts a little, but it's normal."

Angela smiled. Having carried two children herself she knew how it was to be seven-months pregnant. Daisy continued speaking.

"I'm so excited! The only fact that scares me a little is that we are having another boy. It will be me among three men!"

"I think I understand you! I have a similar situation. It's frightful," – said Hodgins coming closer to both women. Angela glared at her husband and he raised his hands in surrender. "I take that back! I'm the happiest man in all the world!" He smiled and hugged Angela. "Hi, Daisy. Sweets will be here soon."

"Hi, Jack. Thanks."

"We promised Zach we'd pick him up, so…"

"Oh, of course. See you later!"

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

Zach was only one among his friends who had neither wife/husband nor children. Though Angela tried to organize dates for him several times, he didn't feel like really being with someone. He just couldn't think of any person to be his soul mate. He didn't even believe in soul mates. Besides, all the women he had met thought he was weird.

But he was happy. He loved his work, which helped him to make this world better. He had his friends who supported and trusted him.

After the Gormagon's case, Zach had spent several months in the hospital. He was there the day when Dr. Brennan disappeared. When he found out about it from Dr. Sweets, he immediately offered his help in searching. Though they didn't find her, he was working with his old friends again, even if for a short period of time.

And then Sweets 'accidentally' told everybody that Zach hadn't killed anyone. It caused a reaction and some weeks later he was finally released from the hospital with a probationary period.

He was on the crossroads of his life. His friends helped him again. Cam managed to hire him as a forensic anthropologist and Angela helped to find a place to live.

Zach was surprised that they let him be close to them again after all he had done. It was illogical. But it was still so. He had to take it for granted.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

The same day evening

A cottage in a forest zone

(three hours outside Washington)

"Diora!"

Donald burst into the room. A woman, sitting on the bed, jumped after hearing his voice and looked up trying to understand what had made him so angry.

"Where is Alex?"

Horror appeared in her blue-grey eyes soon to be replaced by anger.

"What do you mean by that? You've lost my son?!" – Diora got up in order to go and find the child but Donald didn't let her pass him.

"Where are you going? I don't remember giving you a permission to leave!"

Donald grabbed her by her forearms and roughly pushed her backwards. It made her fall. Not noticing any pain, she quickly got on her feet though the previous experience told her that it would make the situation only worse. But at that moment the most important thing was to make sure that the boy was alright. When she started to speak her voice was dangerously low.

"What happened to my son?"

"He is my son, too!"

"He has never been yours!"

Her words pushed Donald over the edge. He punched her again and again...in her face, in her chest – in any part of her body which he was able to think of. Diora fought back but he was so much stronger. Very soon she was curled up on the floor trying to protect her head. Suddenly the beating stopped.

"Get up!" – When she didn't move, Donald repeated it louder and kicked her to emphasize his point. With a constrained moan, Diora managed to pull herself of the floor using the wall as a support. All her body was in pain but she was used to it. She would do anything to protect her children.

Donald seemed to be much more calmer than a few minutes before, like he had let off steam.

"So, back to my first question. Where is OUR son?"

"I do not know…where he is…"

"He has run away! Do you get it? It's your fault!"

"My fault?" – Diora felt angry again. "My fault? You don't let me see him more often than three days a week! How could it possibly be my fault?!"

"You don't see him because I can't trust you!"

Diora stared at him in silence. She had nothing to object.

She remembered the last meeting with her son trying to think of the place where he could have gone to.

***

A few days before

"Mommy, are you hurt?" Seven-year-old Alex sat near his mother and carefully touched a big purple bruise on her cheek.

"No, it's fine. It will heal in a few days."

The boy looked at her not believing any word and asked:

"Why does daddy hurt you? He is not supposed to!"

Diora flinched at those words. 'He starts to ask questions…'

"Your father was angry…"

"But he shouldn't have done it!" – He repeated sternly.

Diora couldn't help crying. Tears ran down her cheeks. She hugged Alex and buried her face in his hear.

"Mommy, everything will be fine. I'll help you."

She shook her head.

"No! Don't say a word against him! Do you hear me?"

"But…"

"I forbid it! Do you understand me?"

"Yes. I won't say anything."

Diora smiled through tears and wiped them off of her cheeks.

"You are a good boy. Now, let's read this book."

***

Diora considered that moment as the one when Alex decided to run away. But she couldn't understand how he managed to do it.