A/N: Thank you all for the reviews and alerts you've given this story. I'm overwhelmed by the amazing support ya'll have been giving me and I'm so thankful for it. You guys rock!
Melissa and Lori you guys really are the best! This story wouldn't be nearly as easy to write without your encouragement.
Disclaimer: As before I do not own Fox, Bones, or their characters. The only thing that is mine is my imagination and a few original characters. Though, I really, really want to work for Hart. So, if that could be arranged I would love it!
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"How long is the rendering going to take Angela," Brennan asked impatiently to the video link of her friend. "Do you have any time frame?"
"I wish I did," Angela assured her, "but the scan was incredibly unclear. It's doing what it can, but so far the rendering hasn't showed us much yet."
"But will it?" Cam asked from behind Brennan her arms crossed tensely across her torso. "Is there anything else we can do? Anything?"
Angela grabbed her handheld Angelatron remote and clicked a few buttons that brought up on the screen a fraction of the note that was still nearly unreadable. They all squinted at the screen and still couldn't find anything useful.
"Without being able to try and pull the layers apart myself and scan them separately we might not be able to get them clear enough to read."
"I don't know if we can do that," Cam told her, "I can ask…"
"We have to do something, " Brennan argued, "something."
The tent was silent for several moments as they thought through the best course of action in retrieving the information from the burnt and wet mangled piece of paper. The folded layers were stuck together strongly after the water form the team putting out the flames had gotten to it.
"What if," Brennan started hesitantly, unable to let go of the thought that this could be a link to information about Booth. "What if we work on separating the layers here and scan them individually to you."
"Would that work Angela?" Cam asked hopefully at Brennan's seemingly simple answer.
"It's the best option we have at the moment," Angela agreed, "so it is worth a shot."
They all agreed that Brennan and Cam would work on separating the layers of Booth's letter once and Cam glanced at her watch before heading out to grab something to eat for her and Brennan for dinner before the mess tent closed for the night.
Angela didn't hesitate to take the opportunity to question Brennan on how she was holding up.
"Sweetie," Angela breeched quietly, "how are you doing. Really doing? And please be honest with me."
When Brennan's teeth captured her bottom lip and her eyes flooded with tears, Angela knew that Brennan was going to be telling her the truth. And Angela knew it was going to hurt.
"I don't know how much longer I can do this Ange," she whispered the turmoil evident in her quiet words. "Every time I see a set of remains I see his face. I don't know if I can be the one to identify him. I'm loosing my objectivity."
"You don't know that you will sweetie," Angela countered. "We don't know for sure what happened. And you don't always have to be detached. It's okay to feel, to have hope."
"I can't let myself have hope," Brennan argued the tears making trails down her cheeks. "It hurts too much."
"And thinking he is dead hurts less?"
"No," Brennan admitted, "but it is better than hoping he's alive only to find out later he's not. If I think he's de…gone now and he turns out to be alive, it would hurt a lot less."
"I fail to see the logic there Bren," Angela countered attempting to use logic against Brennan. "I just don't."
"I know," Brennan said, "but it makes sense to me."
"In your head or in your heart?"
"My heart can't sense things…"
"You know what I mean Bren," Angela interrupted, refusing to allow her to use that out. "And I want honesty."
"My heart."
Angela had never seen the type of distress cross her best friend's face like what she was seeing now. Not even the last time they had thought Booth had died and then they had been expected to attend his funeral. Angela picked at her fingernail, a nervous habit she'd had since childhood, and wished she could be there with Brennan to comfort her.
"Sweetie…"
"Please don't Ange," Brennan begged between sobs, "I can't take any more pity. I can't do it. I…I can't be here. I'm falling apart. This isn't normal for me and I don't like it. I need control"
"Brennan," Angela said sternly but gently, "you've opened your heart and it's the best thing that has ever happened to you."
"No," Brennan argued. "It isn't when I can't do my job. I have to get my control back."
"Don't do that," Angela all but begged, "please. Don't put up your walls again."
"I don't know what that means."
"Yes you do," Angela told her. "And I'm going to fight it. You can't run away from this Brennan. You have to face it and deal with it. And you've got people around you that will there to support you."
"But…"
"I'm not going to let you retreat back into the fortress that Booth worked hard to tear down. You've changed Brennan; you have to learn how to deal with it."
"I can't change."
"You might think that sweetie, but it isn't the truth."
"It hurts Angela," Brennan admitted softly. "So much."
"I know," Angela comforted gently. "I know it does."
"Why does it have to hurt?"
"Because you love him," Angela stated firmly. "And it scares you."
"It scares me that I'll never be able to say the words to him," Brennan confessed around her tears. "And I want to, Ange. I want to tell him so much."
Angela felt powerless as her best friend cried half a world away. When Cam re-entered the tent Angela watched Brennan furiously swipe at her tears and put on a brave face. Clearing her throat Brennan spoke, "we'll work on getting the layers separated after we eat Angela. How late is too late for us to call you back?"
"It's only noon here," Angela stated simply, "I can be here for several more hours."
"Thanks Angela," Brennan said and the look in her eyes spoke to her best friend and they shared a brief moment. "For everything."
"Of course sweetie," Angela answered with a nod. "Just let me know when you've got something for me to work with."
ooo
Booth was going stir crazy in the uncomfortable hospital-type bed. He had convinced Dr. Jameson to loosen the restraints around his head so he could move it side to side and the same with the restraints around his arms. His legs were still secured to the bed. He wasn't sure if they didn't loosen his legs because they were worried about his injuries or if they were worried he'd try to leave.
The envelope that held the quick and coded letter to Sweets that Sarah had helped him write sat on the small table next to his head. It had only been two days since he'd woken up but to Booth it was starting to feel like an eternity.
"Good morning Booth," Sarah's chipper voice greeted, "how did you sleep?"
"Uncomfortably," Booth grumbled. "These beds aren't exactly the best mattresses."
"I know," Sarah replied, "but they are the best we have. At least you don't sleep on a rock hard cot."
"Touché," Booth replied after taking a sip of the thick coffee Sarah handed him. "Ugh, sludge. Thanks Sarah."
"No problem," she answered with a smile. "You'll get used to it soon. I promise."
"That's what I'm afraid of."
"We'll get you out of here as soon as possible," Sarah told him. "I know it's not easy for you to be here."
"What are the updates with Grigley and Adams? They getting any better?"
"Dr. Jameson will be able to tell you more about that," Sarah told him slowly, "I'm not qualified enough…"
"You're not a nurse?"
Sarah laughed and tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder, "oh no. I'm not at all. Just assisting where I can. I can take temperatures and blood pressure, but that is about all."
"Ah," Booth said with a nod and he started to eat the breakfast she brought to him. "Tell Jackson his cooking seems to be getting better."
"Jackson didn't cook this morning," Sarah told him and the shared a chuckled, "Kelsey did. We try to rotate jobs as best as we can around her. It helps us not get burnt out."
"Makes sense," Booth agreed with a laugh. "Now, are you going to finally tell me about this guy?"
"There really isn't anything to tell," Sarah answered with a shrug. "Guys don't really like the long distance thing. Especially since I couldn't tell him when I would be back."
"He sounds like he needs a good kick to the head to let a good girl like you get away."
Sarah blushed and played with a strand of her hair. "Thanks, but I think that is was what was right for us at the time. If it's meant to be then we'll get back together when I finish here. And if it isn't, then I'll find someone new."
"You're quite mature for your age Sarah," Booth told her honestly. "It is refreshing to see that."
"Thanks again," she replied and pushed herself off the nearby bed where she was leaning. "Alright, I'm heading to the village today so I'll see you around supper."
"Do you have anything that I can do," Booth asked, "like a book or a video game or something."
"Well," she started, "I think there might be some books around here somewhere. I can have Jeff see if there is one you can borrow."
"I'd appreciate it."
"Sure," Sarah said and headed out of the door with a wave.
Not much time passed before another one of the team members brought him a stack of books. He couldn't help but smile when he pulled one of Bones' early books from the pile. He opened it up and ran his fingers over the first dedication she ever made to him. After a few moments he clutched his hand around the dolphin charm at his neck and sent a silent prayer to the heavens for her safety.
He turned the to the first chapter and jumped into the world of Kathy and Andy, despite the fact that he had read that book before multiple times. Almost to the point where he had it memorized.
He wasn't sure how much time had passed before there was an increase of noise outside the long hospital tent. Booth tried to sit up fully before he remembered that he couldn't.
One of the team members can into the tent, panicked.
"What is going on Jackson?"
"It's the Chinese army," he answered out of breath. "It's a raid."
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A/N: CLIFFHANGER! (If you haven't noticed yet, I like them, a lot.) And you didn't really think that I would make it easy on anyone did you? What fun would that be?