"Brennan!" Angela squealed, pulling her friend in for an enthusiastic hug. "You look great. I love the hair."
"Thanks," Brennan said, brushing self-consciously at the bangs. She took a good look at her friend as soon as she let go. She had a look a relaxation and happiness about her that Brennan couldn't help but envy. "You look good, too, Ang. Paris must have agreed with you."
"Oh, it did," Angela agreed. "There's nothing like taking an entire afternoon to draw the Eiffel Tower." Hooking an arm through Brennan's she walked with her toward Brennan's office. "How was Maluku?"
Angela felt Brennan stiffen and looked at her curiously. "Fine," Brennan responded curtly. "It wasn't quite what I hoped. We didn't make the scientific discoveries I was expecting. The funding was pulled and I was forced to come home early."
Unfortunately, she'd made some other discoveries. About herself and about Booth, but none of those were any of Angela's concern. And Brennan knew she needed to keep trying to move on.
Except Angela would make the whole thing her concern. And then everyone in the Lab would make it their concern. Taking a deep breath, Brennan wondered if she should have left Maluku at all.
As soon as they were in the office, Brennan pulled her arm away and moved toward her desk to fire up her computer. Even after so long, the familiarity of the surroundings put her at ease.
But she looked up to see Angela and immediately tensed again. Brennan knew Angela had always been able to see right through her. But instead of discomfort, Brennan was surprised to feel a certain sense of relief at the thought. Maybe, she'd finally have someone she could talk to.
But Brennan really didn't want to talk to anyone about this. Except Booth. And he was the one person she was pretty sure she couldn't talk to.
From the other side of the desk, Angela watched her friend curiously. For a woman who'd just come back from a warm, tropical destination, Brennan looked anything but relaxed. She looked tired and stressed out emotionally.
There was only one man who could put that look on her friend's face. So many months apart and those two still hadn't figured it out.
"Have you seen Booth?" Angela asked, deciding to relax in a chair. Conversations of this sort could take a while and Angela knew if she wanted to find anything out, she needed to do so before a dead body showed up.
The pause was so subtle, Angela wouldn't have seen it if she hadn't been looking for it. "I saw him yesterday," Brennan said as she sat at her computer. She could feel Angela's eyes on her and knew she wouldn't leave until she got what she wanted.
Talk or not? Her mind kept circling between one option or the other. Should she share everything that happened, the letters she'd sent and the answers she didn't get? Or should she just tell Angela the basic facts and leave the rest unsaid?
Brennan knew she couldn't, shouldn't hide Craig from her friends for even a moment. To do so would suggest so many things, probably even some she wasn't aware of.
But now that the time had come, Brennan was having a hard time saying the words. Because, to be honest, she wasn't sure how much longer Craig would be in the area.
Craig wasn't Booth and Brennan couldn't stop herself from comparing the two men.
"And how is he?" Angela asked. "Looking fine and tan from all that time in the desert?"
"He looked well, Angela. He didn't display any apparent injuries from his time in the military. And I don't think he was trying to purposely get a tan. He should be back to work today, as well."
Something was wrong, Angela was sure of it. Instead of warmth and pleasure at the thought of seeing a good friend again, Brennan was agitated. She kept playing with a pen on her desk and her eyes looked every where but at Angela. "Are you having lunch with him?" she asked and frowned when Brennan shook her head.
"I'm having lunch with Craig," she said, keeping her eyes on the pen in her hands.
"Craig? Who's Craig?" Angela demanded. She had a bad feeling, already knowing what the answer was going to be.
Brennan's blue eyes finally met hers. "He's my boyfriend. I met him in Maluku."
It took every ounce of control Angela possessed to school her features in a neutral expression. Something had happened between Booth and Brennan before either had left, Angela was sure of it. But in typical fashion, neither of them had been willing to share. There had been rumors and conjecture of course, but it appeared no one had first hand information of the falling out that had taken place.
All Angela knew is the fight, or whatever it was, had sent the two of them as far apart as physically possible. Even communication between the two would have been difficult for the last eight months.
What could have happened to make them not want to see or even talk to each other?
And now, here was Brennan, telling her she'd brought a man home with her. A man who wasn't Booth.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Brennan asked, her eyes clouded. But she knew. Knew exactly why Angela wasn't saying anything. It wasn't Booth she'd brought home and they'd all judge her for it. Starting with the friend sitting across from her.
What would Angela say if she knew it had been Booth's choice this time, not Brennan's?
That was why Brennan knew she couldn't talk to any of them.
"I'm processing," Angela said slowly. And she was, furiously, frantically trying to make it all make sense. To not hurt her very good friend sitting in front of her waiting for an answer. "Are you happy?" she asked finally.
Funny, that was the same question Booth had asked her. Why did everyone assume that she wasn't?
"I was in Maluku," Brennan responded. And though her words said she had been her body language didn't say the same. "I feel that it's too early to make that kind of assumption now, since I've only been back in the city a couple of days."
"Does Booth know?" Angela asked. "About Craig?" Brennan could tell her she was happy until she was blue in the face. It was clear to Angela she wasn't. Not even close.
A nod of the her head was the answer, and not the one Angela was expecting. If she'd been Brennan, she'd keep the two men as far apart as possible.
Of course, if she was Brennan, she'd have slept with Booth years ago.
"I told Booth when I saw him. It seemed wrong to keep it a secret. We are friends after all and I'm telling you so why shouldn't I tell him?"
Wondering who she was trying to convince, Angela asked, "And how did Booth take it?"
She pictured the man going ballistic, but that was only wishful thinking. These two would forever step around their feelings, a dance that was so old it was almost exhausting.
"Who cares how he took it?" Brennan asked with a flash of anger. "He has no say over anything in my life."
Angela held up both hands in surrender. Anger wasn't an emotion she was expecting. There was pain behind the words. She was covering pain with anger and Angela wondered what the cause of it was.
"Of course, he doesn't, Bren. I just figured, or hoped the two of you would finally hook up after you got home. I take it eight months apart hasn't changed a thing." She couldn't begin to hide the disappointment in her voice. Booth and Brennan were fated for each other, she was sure of it, and she was a strong believer in that sort of thing. But somehow, fate had found the two most stubborn people on the entire planet.
A bitter look flashed across Brennan's face. Standing suddenly, she grabbed her lab coat. She was done with this conversation. It had been wrong to think talking to Angela would help anything. "I'm going down to bone storage," she announced. Her heels clicked as she took deliberate steps toward the door away from Angela. "And eight months," she added, stopping at the door but not turning, "changed everything."
Brushing past Cam as she exited her office, Cam looked from one woman to the other before approaching Angela. "What's going on?" she asked, clearly recognizing an unhappy Brennan. "What did eight months change?"
"Brennan brought a guy home," Angela said bluntly. "Apparently eight months apart changed how Brennan felt about Booth." Looking down, Angela smoothed her skirt.
Eyes widening, Cam stared at the artist. "You're telling me Dr. Brennan brought home a man who wasn't Booth? Wow."
"Some guy named Craig," Angela answered, waving her hand vaguely in the air. "She said Booth knows."
More than a little shocked, Cam sat on the edge of the chair next to Angela. "I can't believe he's too happy. Of course, he could have brought someone home, as well, I suppose."
Angela snorted. "I didn't get that impression from Brennan. But she's not happy, even if she claims to be. Played with a pen the entire time she talked and could barely look at me. And was even less happy when I started asking questions she didn't like."
"I take it she went downstairs?"
"She went to hide," Angela snapped. "Or to keep pretending she's not in love with Booth." Angela sighed in frustration. "I don't know why I bother anymore."
"Would it do any good to tell you to leave this alone?" Cam asked. When she'd taken this job, it had been an opportunity to come work at one of the best institutions in the country. She hadn't expected to make friends here, to find people she considered family. But because it was a family, personalities often conflicted and no one minded their own business. "Booth and Brennan have to figure this out on their own. And if Brennan brought a guy home, maybe they already did and this is the result."
"The hell it is," Angela muttered. "This is just another colossal mistake for the two of them. Brennan hasn't jumped seriously in the dating pool for years. What the hell pushed her in?"
If she was surprised to hear Angela say hell in the span of several sentences, Cam didn't show it. "Just don't push too hard, Angela. Something happened and we both know Brennan could just pick up and leave again."
Getting to her feet, Angela glared down at Cam. "If she tries, and Booth doesn't go after her, I'll go and get her myself this time."
Cam watched Angela storm off, presumably to find Hodgins and vent some of her anger to him. Also standing, she smoothed the front of her lab coat and prepared to return to her office.
Despite the conflict that was sure to come, she was glad to have her family home again.
And like Angela, she'd do everything in her power, and probably some things that weren't, to keep them there.
