Okay guys...here's chapter 6 as promised. It's a little short I know. And also it's a bit of a refresher for a scene in the original episode that really kind of irked me. I'm not sure why...maybe it's because I thought Brennan would have had to have a better reason for being so short with Angela...eh, so I re-wrote it :o) As always...I'm begging to know what you think :oP
"I told you it would be hard Angela. Just do your best." Brennan's voice came off a tad more abrupt than she'd intended.
"Okay, Bren…you're being a little edgy and short with me, and all I'm trying to do is tell you the truth," Angela's tone swiftly provided, as always, an equilibrium to Brennan's otherwise chaotic thoughts.
"Are things okay between you and Booth?" Angela prodded.
Oh Ang…
"Yes, they're fine. They're…I think they're fine…I mean, I don't know!" Burying her hands in her hair, she takes firm hold of her head, a move which clearly demonstrated her exasperation on the subject.
"Bren! Things were great when you left here this morning. What happened?" Brennan's only response was an agreeing quirk of her eyebrow as Angela observed the obvious.
"What did you do?" Angela accused upon reading her friend's expression.
"What? Why do you always assume it's something that I did? Maybe it's his fault!" she asserted in annoyance.
"Okay…you're right sweetie. I'm sorry." In a more understanding tone, she rephrased the question, "So tell me, what did Booth do to make you so upset?"
"Nothing!" Brennan answers, obviously becoming aggravated with herself all over again.
"Oh this is brilliant. Neither one of you did anything to the other, yet somehow you're both miserable." Brennan looked properly chastised, "So if neither one of you did anything to make the other upset, then that only leaves one other possible cause for all this tension…"
Frowning at her computer screen, Brennan waited for Angela's genius female mind to put the pieces together.
She didn't need to wait long.
"So…who is she?" Angela finally asked.
Brennan was as always momentarily amazed by her friend's uncanny intuition; and then she only had four words for her, "…Special Agent Tricia Finn."
"The L.A. Field Agent assigned to your case? What did she do?"
"It's not what you think Ang," she was careful to enunciate, it kept her from getting too worked up. "It's not like she's done anything overtly threatening. But suffice it to say that I'm fairly certain I don't like her cavalier approach to solving a murder case," then suddenly her tone became more forceful, "or her incessant questioning or for that matter the way she's been pawing my partner!"
Biting back a laugh, Angela added, "Okay Bren…I think I'm getting a picture here. And so far I can honestly say that I'm surprised you haven't busted out the Kung Fu on her ass."
Thankfully her joke settled Brennan's nerves when she was able to laugh out the rest of her frustration, "Ang!"
"Okay. Now tell me what exactly Booth did to deserve being put off on the night of your official first date."
At that, she is conspicuously quiet; not to mention visibly disappointed with herself.
"I see," Angela remarks. "Well then, in light of the current situation…I feel it's crucial that I remind you of something."
"Remind me of what?"
"That despite your best attempts to pretend you didn't notice…Booth is one seriously smoking hottie!"
"Ang!"
"…We're talking temptation with a capital 'T' here sweetie. And even though you've managed to compartmentalize it, the fact of the matter is that the general female population isn't likely to be as restrained."
As Brennan quietly absorbs her best friend's words, she finds herself admitting the logic behind them.
"Other women will hit on him Bren. It's a cosmic inevitability. The important thing to remember is that attraction is a two-way street sweetie, and Booth not only respects you, but he cares about you too much to ever hurt you that way."
As Angela continued, Brennan suddenly found that she felt ashamed that she could have ever let herself think otherwise, "In fact, I'm surprised that you need reminding of that obvious fact," Angela finished.
Looking appropriately chastised, Brennan admitted quietly, "I know you right Ang."
"Brennan you have to remember that Booth is one of the good guys. Granted he's a rare breed in a dying species," she cautioned, "but he is still a guy. And guys need to be periodically reassured of their worth in a relationship. Men are needy that way."
"Is that a fact?" Brennan asked.
"Surely in all of your anthropological studies somebody told you that women are the stronger sex."
They both shared a laugh at that before Brennan spoke again, "So I guess I should apologize for being such an insecure…"
"…girlfriend?" Angela supplied, knowing full well that she would have dodged the reality of the title. Brennan's startled reaction at the sound of the word only confirmed her suspicions.
"I'm thinking 'yeah'," Angela supplied, "And while you're at it, a little explanation might not be a bad idea either."
"Explanation? You think I should tell him that I was jealous?" Brennan was disbelieving of the suggestion.
"Are you kidding? Absolutely! Trust me on this…guys love it when their women admit they're jealous…it'll put him all in a frenzy."
Brennan's brow shot up to her hairline, "Frenzy?"
Angela's response was a teasing leer followed by a loud seductive purr that would have made Brennan uncomfortable if it hadn't first sent both women giggling like a couple of schoolgirls.
Chapter 7 coming this weekend :o)