Aren't you guys proud of how quickly I updated? – I'm proud anyway. Enjoy !
Life is unfair, was Booth's only thought in the seconds that immediately followed Brennan's words of confession, in front of the entire federal court. She hadn't really admitted that out loud, had she? She couldn't have actually said, knowingly said, in front of a whole room of people, that she loved him? She couldn't have meant what he prayed and hoped she meant; she must've meant it in an 'atta-guy', you're my partner, kind of way. If she had really meant it, he shouldn't be pacing back and forth in the corridor just outside courtroom two. He should be with her, twisting her hair between his fingers, entwining his hand with hers, covering every inch of her with light delicate kisses; living in the moment. But, as much as he knew now was not the time for this intimate moment to be shared, the only glimpse of doubt in his mind was the fact she openly declared this without caring what they thought. He held his gaze so strongly he felt he would be betraying her if he looked away. A hint of a smile toyed at the corner of her lips, a true happiness showing in her words. She had said it; and she had meant it.
Over the last week, she had thought for many hours, time and time again, about how she would say it. She had envisioned it not being while she was sitting in the witness stand. She had envisioned it not being whilst she was still on trial. She had envisioned it being romantic; for Booth's sake, not hers. She had envisioned his smile and his joy and the way he would softly press his lips against hers before they both became unaware of their surroundings. These envisions of hers did not come true. Instead, she was sitting in a witness stand and she was still on trial. It was not romantic and yes, he did flash a glimpse of that smile that made her heart 'flutter' a little and she could see the joy from her words overwhelming the sorrows he felt, being in this situation. But the image of brushing her lips against his and wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, was completely non-existent.
"Do you love me?" Hodgins burst out, turning to face Angela as her eyes widened with surprise.
"Wha – Hodgins? Where'd that come from?" Angela said, the pitch of her voice raised from the shock of this sudden outburst.
Tilting his head slightly to the side, he asked again, "it doesn't matter, do you love me?"
"Hodgins, we're barely together and you know that before, when we were, that yes, I loved you more than you knew," she said, knowing how the truth behind those words had never become a lie.
"I know that you loved me, but I want to know if you love me now?"
Looking down, first at their arms, extended in the space amid them as they did their separate work, their entwined hands outstretched between them. Then, raising her gaze to meet his blue eyes, said with complete honesty, "yes."
Hodgins smile broadened to match the steady thudding of his heart and said cockily, "well, you're about to love me a whole lot more." The furrowing of her eyebrows prompted Hodgins to explain. "Dr Brennan was armed with a Smith & Weston Model 500 and because Dr B had admitted to shooting Marble, ballistics didn't bother to search too deeply in the matching of the bullet to the gun. And me being me, I thought I'd just double-check, and it turns out that…"
He paused, watching as her frustration built.
"C'mon, Jack, the suspense is killing me," she whined, tugging lightly on his hand.
Pulling her hand strongly, he dragged Angela, along with her wheelie chair, close to him so that their knees were touching. "It turns out that the diameter of the bullets in Booth's Smith & Weston, were 1.754mm wider than the bullet that caused Jeffry Marble's death. There was someone else in that warehouse; someone else shot him. Dr B's innocent!"
"Oh my god!" Angela squealed with excitement, jumped up quickly with the rush of adrenaline and crashed her lips down against his, caught up in the moment and the recently lifted emotions. His hands travelled to the back of her neck, pulling her closer to him, before feeling her stiffen in his arms. She pulled back briefly, looking at him with weariness written all over her face, until he smiled reassuringly and cleared any second thoughts from his mind as he brought her face back down to his, pressing his mouth to hers.
So yeah, I know it's short again, so I apologise. Thanks to Jess for the idea. Please leave a review with your thoughts and I hope you are enjoying this story.
Em xXxXxxx