AN: So BostonLegalGirl and I were talking yesterday, and very rarely do you find a person who enjoys Mondays. Therefore! I hereby proclaim all Mondays, "HannahDay" You will soon learn, my fellow Bonios, that I do not like Hannah and frequently call things that I dislike Hannah or Taffet, because really, who likes Taffet?… It's not the name… but the character! So no offense intended! But yeah… HannahDay.
This may be hard to believe, but I, was… wrong. About Bones! *Gasps!* Yes… I am ashamed to admit when I said that this story acknowledges events up to The Twisted Bones in the Melted Truck, I meant The Bones in the Bag… *Shakes head* Yes… I know. I'm quite ashamed, and I'm sure Bosonlegalgirl will be holding this over my head for quite some time. She makes a habit out of hating on me at the beginning and ending of her chapters! Don't believe me? Check em' out! This one is quite long, so I apologize! Go forth, and enjoy!
Chapter 3: A Change in the Anthropologist:
Jeffersonian Institute: Medico-Legal Department
*STILL IN FLASHBACK:
Angela Montenegro was now starting to worry about her best friend. When she abruptly left yesterday, she decided to give her some time to process her thoughts. Staring at the minutes that ticked by as she paced back in forth in front of her office door was getting tiring. Finally she couldn't take it anymore and headed for Cam's office.
"Hey Cam, have you heard from Brennan this morning? She's still not here." She says as she flops a folder on Cam's desk.
"Yes," Cam says as she glances at the folder then looks back up to a worried Angela. "She said she had to finish up a couple chapters and work on an article she wanted to publish. She said she'd be in this afternoon."
Both looking up at the clock that hung on the wall, they saw it was just after noon. Just then Hodgins walked in.
"Hey… what's… going on?" he said looking to his wife and then to Cam.
"We're worried about Brennan." Angela says.
"Oh. Well you two are in for a treat," Hodgins says as he smiles wickedly. "She just got here."
"Ok," Angela puts her hand on her hips, "what's going on babe. You have that look in your eyes. You know the one you get when you think you've stumbled on a conspiracy."
With that, Cam smiled, and Hodgins smiled even bigger.
"Well my wife, you'll have to go see for yourself. It's really quite a phenomenon!" Hodgins beams as he makes googley eyes at the mother of his child. Angela smiles back at him adoringly. Cam rolls her eyes, and rises from her chair to head to the forensic platform. She turns, half way there, walking backwards now as she stiffly points her two pointer fingers at the duo, "Not in my office you two!" and with that, she continues towards the platform.
Cam walks up and swipes her ID badge as she makes her way up the stairs. There she sees Brennan reach into her lab coat to retrieve her hair tie as she quickly pulls her hair up in a loose pony tail. Wendell is standing there with gloved hands pointing to different parts of the remains that are presently lying on the stainless steel table. Updating her on what he's learned about the unidentified victim so far. Brennan reaches for gloves and quickly puts them on, picks up the left femur that still has some flesh and particulates on it, and looks at it closely as Wendell awaits her approval.
Cam looks at Brennan, and studies her, while Brennan studies the bone. She looks… well, great! It appears she's had a good night sleep. Thank God! This place just isn't right when she's not herself.
Just then, Angela swipes her ID and both her and Hodgins head toward the group. Brennan looks up at Wendell and smiles a huge brilliant smile. Wendell, at first is taken back. He clears his throat and smiles back nervously.
Brennan laughs, and Cam, turns stiffly to look at Brennan, then to Wendell, and then back to Brennan again. Did she just laugh? Now she is officially freaked out! What is going on?
"Excellent work Mr. Bray! I mean, brilliant! I am quite please with your conclusions in my absence. You are one of the brightest students I've ever had the pleasure of working with, and I have no doubt you will accomplish many great things!" Brennan praised, as she carefully places the bone back on the table with a careful ease as she removes a glove and pats Wendell on the back.
"Uh…" he looks at Cam and Angela who were in shock, then, quickly looks to Hodgins for help, who shrugged his shoulders as he shook his head slowly in astonishment. He then returns his gaze upon his mentor and clears his throat again. "Th- thank you?" his voice cracks and he clears his throat yet again, "Thank you, Dr. Brennan," he says as he again smiles nervously.
"Mr. Bray it appears you may be catching a cold of some sort."
"Excuse me?"
"You keep clearing your throat. A scratchy throat is a classic indicator that you are becoming ill," Brennan states. "Perhaps you should let me finish up here and you can return home to get some rest."
Again, Angela, Cam, and Hodgins, all look around at each other with priceless expressions on their faces.
"Umm… Dr. Brennan, I feel fine. But thank you. Besides it's just after noon, and I have to a lot to finish up here."
"Actually, Mr. Bray, you've worked quite hard yesterday and this morning since my abrupt departure. Please, take the rest of the day. I sometimes forget you are still quite young and deserve a break, especially when one is due. Now, please, go! I assure you, you won't get many chances to do so" she says as she steps behind Wendell, and practically pushes him towards the stairs. "Go and enjoy your day."
With that, Wendell, went down the stairs, giving Cam a questioning look. Cam just looks at Brennan and back to Wendell. She smiles approvingly and nods her head. He smiles back at her and goes to gather his belongings.
Now the focus of interest is back on Brennan, as she smiles, humming a little tune while writing in some notes. She looks up to see the attention is on her. She quickly grabs her bag that she hastily placed in the corner of the platform and looks at her family.
"If anyone should need me, I'm going to check my email quickly and then I will be back to finish the initial findings of these remains. Dr. Hodgins, if Dr. Saroyan is completed with the flesh, you may start on particulates. Please inform me if you find anything." She pauses to think if she's forgotten anything, and when she is satisfied, she gives them all a dazzling smile and descends down the platform.
The group watched her leave and then all looked at each other with puzzling looks. Angela was the first to speak.
"Ok. That just happened right?" Angela questions as their attention turned back to the door of Brennan's office.
"Duuuude… we broke Dr. B…" Hodgins says in a panicked tone.
"How do we fix her?" Cam asks with mouth still slightly agape.
They all looked at each other for the answers and when nobody said anything, Angela left the platform on a mission.
Angela cautiously walks into Brennan's office as she quietly waits for her to look up from her computer. Unfortunately for Brennan, Angela's need to know gossip instincts kicked in and she couldn't wait anymore.
"Bren? Sweetie?"
"Yes, Ange?" Brennan says still looking at her computer, typing a few things and then stops to give Angela her undivided attention.
"Is everything ok? I mean, you left here yesterday in a bit of a hurry, and… well, we're all worried about you."
"Well Ange, as you can see, I am perfectly fine." She said smiling widely.
Ok… What the hell happened to Brennan…? Is she… is she giddy?
"Well, what happened? I mean, no offense Sweetie, but, you are acting…" Angela pauses to think of a good description of her friend. "Well, you're acting sort of hinky Bren."
"Hinky?" Brennan replies slowly. "And that's slang for iffy, correct?"
"Well, yeah." Angela replies going over to sit in the chair in front of Brennan's desk.
Brennan looks into Angela's eyes and sees her growing concern. Brennan takes a deep breath and smiles. She stands up and goes around her desk to sit in the other chair beside her best friend. Not knowing what else to do, she takes her hands in hers, and looks at Angela, glad to see her instantly relax.
"I've had an epiphany."
"An epiphany?"
"Yes," Brennan paused, waiting for Angela to respond. When she didn't Brennan started again. "An epiphany, in this case, would mean to have a sudden realization."
"Yes, thanks Bren. I know what an epiphany is. I was waiting for you to explain."
Brennan took a deep breath, and let it out. Looking at her best friend she began.
"When I was in college, I had a really hard time." Angela nodded looking at her friend and hurting for her.
"I was alone, had no money, and was barely eating once a day. I worked very hard. I took on a great deal of courses, just trying to get as much accomplished as I could. I never knew for certain if my scholarships would continue to provide for my education. I didn't get to laugh and enjoy going to parties. But I didn't want to. I was awkward and didn't want to form any ties to anyone. I couldn't. I had to focus. All the time. At the time those things didn't matter. Five days ago, those things didn't matter. All that mattered was my work. My IQ is my greatest gift. It would be foolish if I didn't take advantage of that. It's all I had Ange. But five days ago, my world turned upside down. For three days," Brennan paused gathering her thoughts. "Everyone is going off and starting their families. You and Hodgins, Cam, Paul and Michelle…" Brennan trails off and whispers, "Booth and Hannah…"
Angela's heart breaks a little more at the obvious pain the last two people were causing her best friend. Brennan looks down and takes a breath and begins again.
"I missed my chance Ange," Brennan says as she looks Angela in the eyes with big tears Brennan refused to let fall. "I spent my time in Maluku fantasizing about Booth. Booth and Bones," Brennan said smiling her crooked side smile. "But now I'm too late. I've been living my whole life holding myself back from great opportunities. I was," Brennan paused, looking at a blurred Angela as big tears left her eyes, and fell like big rain drops on her jeans. "I was scared. I didn't want to take a gamble. Booth and me, we are too important to gamble on. How couldn't he see that? If we failed at this, which we would have, we would lose everything." Brennan half whispered, half choked out. "But now, there's nothing I can do. He's with Hannah. It proves to me that his love for me wasn't as strong as he thought, so it's probably for the best that I didn't indulge in my feelings toward him. However, as irrational as it may be, I find that I am regretful.
Trying to compose herself, Brennan takes in a big breath. "I had a lot of time to think yesterday. I've come to the conclusion that I don't want to live with regrets. I find that I still want a family. I understand there is more than one kind of family. Booth has explained and proved that to me many years ago. But I want more. I want a monogamous relationship. I want a progeny. I want… a family." Angela looked at her friend with tears in her eyes. She smiles brightly back at her, squeezing her hand a little tighter.
Brennan laughs, "It's really, quite liberating."
"Wow Sweetie," Angela says, completely taken back by Brennan's open honesty. "Well, you deserve it… all. Everything. You've had a hard life. You've worked hard for so long, and now, now it's time to use some of that time and focus on you."
"I don't want to wake up one day and realize nobody is worried about me, thinking about me. I'm going to try harder to trust my family, and depend on them, as much as they depend on me." Brennan releases her best friend's hand, as she wipes a tear away and again smiles her crooked side smile. "For the first time, in a very long time, I feel refreshed, and happy. Excited and scared. But very much… alive."
Alone in her office, Brennan sighs and looks up at her clock. 05:43. Brennan contemplates going home when suddenly there's a knock on the door.
"Sweets. What are you doing here?"
"I stopped by to say hello to Daisy. She still has a lot of work to do." Sweets pauses and takes a deep breath. "Would you like to join me for dinner?"
"Is it work related?" Brennan asks.
"Yes."
With that Brennan looks at Sweets and gave him a questioning look. "You appear to be anxious Dr. Sweets."
Sweets looks at Brennan, then looks back at her office door, not seeing anyone around. He quickly walks to the front of her desk and looks her in the eyes.
"Dr. Brennan. I need for you trust me, and to join me for dinner. I don't want anyone to get suspicious. I'll explain everything very soon. Just act as normal as possible and please join me."
"Sweets, if I were to act normal, I'd tell you I had better things to do with my time," she whispered smiling. I really am becoming quite amusing, she thought.
Sweets' expression didn't change, and Brennan was now curious as to what Sweets could want. "Ok Sweets. Where are we having dinner?"
"Take out. My office."
Suddenly the air rushed out of her chest. This is about Booth. I haven't seen him since the other night. He's trying to mediate a meeting between me and Booth.
Sweets immediately saw her distress. "Agent Booth will not be present." Brennan nodded her head once, reached over to the mouse on her desk and shut down her computer. Without out a word she grabbed her purse and walked out of her office, leaving Sweets to chase behind her.
"Hey Sweetie! Are you leaving so soon?" Angela says walking out of her office, getting ready to leave herself.
"Yes. It appears that I am joining Sweets for dinner."
"Really," Angela replies crossing her arms not believing her for a minute. Looking for alternative motives in her friend's eyes, she sees none. With Bren's epiphany, and this pregnancy, I'm all out of whack!
"Yes," was all Brennan said.
"Well, we should get going. I'm starving," Sweets said rubbing his stomach.
Brennan scoffs, "That is a completely unlikely Sweets," as they headed toward the door.
"Man, you are wicked literal! We should work on that!" as they disappeared from sight.
Angela looks up to the platform to see her husband shaking his head. "That was… weird," he said formulating many possible conspiracies.
"You're tellin' me…"
AN: Whoa! What's goin' on with Sweets? Yeah, I don't know either! I hope I figure it out! LOL! Thank-you all for the story alerts, favorite story and favorite author and of course the reviews! I read them all and they totally make my day! Questions? Comments? Likes? Dislikes? Click the review button below and let me know!