"I should know who I am by now…
Your name is the splinter inside me while I wait…
But I don't have to make this mistake
And I don't have to stay this way
If only I would wake."
'Winter', Joshua Radin
oo00oo
Angela leant against the railing that encircled the forensic platform, adding a few finishing touches to her latest sketch. With a sly smile, she flipped the pad shut as Hodgins approached, trying to grin through an enormous yawn.
"Hey Ange, how's it going?"
"Not too bad thanks. I'm about to embark on the first phase of my evil plan though…"
She let her words dangle in the air for the conspiracy-fuelled scientist as his eyes narrowed.
"Evil plan? You do realise that the whole point of our jobs is to catch the bad guys, not become them?"
She grinned, linking her arm through his as she guided him back down the steps, missing the distinct reddening of his cheeks as her hand made contact.
"Booth leaves tomorrow, sweetie, and I say if he's gotta go to some hell-hole war zone, then the least we can do is give him the send off he really wants."
Hodgins blinked rapidly as Angela led him in to her office.
"You mean, get him a chorus line of showgirls, a black jack table and a really big gun?"
Angela glared at him playfully, placing her sketch pad on her desk before dropping in to her chair, swinging it round to face him.
"As fun as that sounds, I think it'd be a little hard to organise before tomorrow morning. I was thinking along the lines of getting him something a little more readily available."
She nodded behind him and he turned to glance over his shoulder, seeing Brennan strolling towards her office with her nose buried in a thick book. He turned back to the stunning artist in front of him.
"Readily available? That's Doctor Brennan you're talking about. I think Booth would have more luck with the showgirls. It sure as hell would be fun. All those feathers and sequins…"
Angela rolled her eyes.
"He doesn't want anyone but her and, as much as she wants to deny it half the time, she doesn't want anyone but him either. They're a perfect match."
Hodgins eyes locked with hers, his gaze intense.
"So, these two colleagues, these friends, are basically destined to be together even though they're yet to share their feelings and admit what's really going on?"
Angela was caught there in his gaze, seeing the desire in his eyes and knowing it was reflected in her own. She just nodded, unable to form the words. A slow smile spread across his lips as he took a step closer.
"Then we'd better give them a hand with that. What's the plan?"
Angela grinned.
This is going to be good…
oo00oo
Temperance Brennan had managed to resist the urge to call her partner all night and all morning. She had to give herself time to thoroughly think it through, to figure out just what she was going to say, to plan it out carefully and analytically. But now she was getting antsy.
She reached for the phone just as Angela marched in to her office with a wide grin. Brennan looked up at her with a tight smile, her hand on the handset.
"Ange, could you give me a minute? I just need to make a phone call."
Her friend frowned briefly before the smile seemed to widen even more.
"Sure sweetie, you go ahead. Just give me a yell when you're done."
She practically skipped out of the office, pulling the door closed behind her, and leaving Brennan wondering just how her friend always knew exactly what she was thinking.
I hate psychology…
Taking a deep breath, she stared down at the phone, willing herself to pick it up.
You can do this, Temperance. It's not like you've never called your partner before.
Her stomach seemed to be tying itself in knots.
You've practised what you're going to say, you know it off by heart. Just pick up the damn phone and tell him.
Slowly, she removed the handset and dialled Booth's office, ignoring how much her fingers were shaking.
"You've reached the office of… Special Agent Seeley Booth… The agent you are trying to reach is unavailable at this time. Please leave a message after the tone."
Brennan hung up.
I'll be damned if I'm having this conversation by voice mail.
She dialled her partner's cell phone, willing him to pick it up. After six rings, she heard the familiar deep voice.
"Hey, you've reached Seeley Booth. Sorry I can't get to the phone right now but leave a message and I'll get back to ya soon as I can. Thanks!"
She hung up again, a slight feeling of concern beginning to overtake her nerves.
He always answers his phone. Maybe he's ignoring me…
She stared at the phone on her desk, almost as if it itself could give her answers. Unsurprisingly, none came.
Maybe he's interrogating a witness or he's stuck at a crime scene. Maybe he just didn't hear the phone.
Convincing herself that she was just being irrational, she booted up her computer.
He'll get back to me in a few minutes. He always does.
Sorting through her emails, the minutes seemed to stretch on for hours and her eyes kept dragging back to the phone on her desk.
After twenty minutes of reading the same email over and over because she wasn't taking it in, Brennan called the one person she knew who could help.
"Deputy Director Cullen."
Brennan tried to force the worry out of her voice as she greeted her partner's boss.
"Agent Cullen, it's Doctor Brennan."
There was a slight smile in his voice as he replied. She had been well aware of his increased respect for her following the tragic case involving his daughter nearly a year earlier.
"Hello, Doctor Brennan, this is a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you?"
"I was just wondering if you could tell me where Booth is at the moment. He's not picking up his office line or his cell phone."
There was a pause at the other end before Cullen cleared his throat.
"Doctor Brennan, Agent Booth is not here. As I'm sure you're aware, he leaves for Iraq tomorrow. I'm sorry but I have no idea where he is."
Brennan's heart sank.
"Thank you, Agent Cullen."
She hung up, dropping her head in to her hands.
Where are you, Booth?
She picked up the phone again, determined to try one last time.
"Hey, you've reached Seeley Booth. Sorry I can't get to the phone right now but leave a message and I'll get back to ya soon as I can. Thanks!"
The tone sounded, jerking her in to action.
"Booth, it's me, it's Temperance. I… I need to talk to you. Could you please give me a call when you get this? It's urgent. Thanks."
She hung up, staring at the receiver in her hand.
What if he doesn't call back? With everything I said yesterday, the way I basically forced him away, he'd be well within his rights to just go. After all, he may not be a typical alpha male but he does have the stubbornness associated with those traits…
Determined to say her piece, Brennan grabbed her coat and practically ran out the door, heading straight for his apartment.
A/N: Off to watch the wonderful Daily Show with Jon Stewart now, then Spooks, then Have I Got News For You, then more Spooks now... Yeah, my evening is being dictated by television... I have the place to myself tonight and I can't be arsed to do anything else, so sue me! Even so, I'll try and get another update online soon, definately by tomorrow morning. Reviews keep me going...
