A/N: Thanks to those who reviewed the first chapter!
Disclaimer: Ha. Don't own 'em. I wish, though.
Three Little Words
Part Two
I drum my fingers against the clipboard I'm holding close to my chest. Cam's been talking to me for a while now, but I've only gotten the gist of her spiel. I've been too busy thinking about last night's talk with Jack. What I've heard though, I don't like.
"Forensic artists hardly even do anything, why would we possibly need to confer?" I ask.
"Apparently, there's a new technique to doing something that's becoming problematic. I don't pretend to understand what they're talking about when they tell me to send my artist to Colorado." Cam raises her hands defensively.
I motion with my hand around the platform. "This is the best lab in the country, and we get some of the hardest cases out there. If there's a problem, I've already found a method to solve it with."
"I'm just doing what I'm told. It's procedure at the Jeffersonian to send our specialists to every possible course, seminar, and conference."
"Fine," I say, "When do I leave?"
"HR has already booked you a five o'clock flight."
"Tonight?"
"You've got an early start tomorrow."
I give her an irritated look. "That is not fair."
"You left in a rush last night," Jack says before I even notice he's in my office.
"Ya, sorry about that." I spare him only a glance.
He comes over and leans against my desk. "Care to make up for it tonight?"
"I've got some stupid conference thing to go to. I'm leaving in a few hours," I say, making as little eye contact as possible.
"How long?"
"Day and a half."
"Is everything alright with you?" Jack asks, pulling over a chair so he can sit beside me.
I start to tell him I'm fine, then stop and look at him. "With me, yes, but with us, no."
He nods once. "I noticed." When I don't reply, he continues. "What's the matter, Angela? Am I moving too fast for you?"
I had a better question to ask myself: how do you explain that you don't know what the matter is? "Listen, Hodgins," I say, covering the hand he has on my desk with my own. "How about we take advantage of my going away? We can use the time to do a little thinking, re-evaluate our views and positions when it comes to each other." I say 'we' only as a curtosy. Really, I just need time to mull it over alone.
Jack looks taken aback, but nods. "Sure. Have a safe flight, Ange."
My flight was delayed. I arrived at my hotel room after four in the morning. Thankfully, today's events supplied plenty of opportunity for rest. Now, I'm back in my room and my cell phone rings.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Angela, is this a bad time?" It's Jack, and it crosses my mind to tell him I'm busy.
"No, not at all."
"How's the con going?"
"Boring. Thank God it's over tomorrow."
"So you're flying back tomorrow night?"
"I'm supposed to be in by eight. Why?"
"I miss you." When he says this, I picture him giving me the sad sort of grin that says he really loves me, and it stings.
I laugh so the voice on the other end of the line won't be able to tell I feel badly about anything. "You saw me yesterday."
"I'm used to seeing you every day. And if I had my way, I would never let you out of my sight."
"I know you wouldn't," I say, smiling in the dim light.
"It's getting late there, isn't it? I should probably let you go."
"In a big rush to hang up? You only just called."
"I was just checking in on you. Besides, you should get all the sleep you can tonight," he says and we both laugh. "Sleep tight, babe."
"Good night, Jack."
"I love you." I'm not surprised he says it, I'm surprised by how I respond.
"I love you, too." Then I hang up before he can comment on the fact that it takes a long distance phone call to make me say the words he wants so badly to hear, and I always want so badly to say.