So we're taking a break from Aubrey and Jessica's story in 2017 and briefly visiting Hodgela for Christmas 2021. So, in this chapter, he's acting strangely and Angela is getting suspicious. What does she find out?
There's a special note at the end of this chapter, so don't miss it.
At 10 AM, Angela was working at her desk while trying not to wonder what was going on with Hodgins, who once again, was arriving late after an appointment. He said it was a quick meeting, but that was two hours ago. Usually, he told her what the meeting was and who with, but he had given her some vague excuse. Sitting back, she thought back to all the weird stuff that had happened in the last few weeks.
It started with the secretive phone calls at home.
His phone would ring, and he'd wheel himself into his lab or in the kitchen to take the call. Angela was surprised, but she didn't think much of it at first because her husband probably didn't want to be rude while she was watching television. However, what used to be the occasional call became more frequent until it was daily.
Next, it was happening while they were at work, too. Hodgins always left work for his hot sauce business outside of the lab as not to interfere with the Jeffersonian. However, he began conducting Opie & Thurston business calls while working at the lab. An even bigger surprise is Cam didn't seem to mind him working on his other business while he was in the Ookey Room. After a week of this, she asked her husband about the calls and it was always just a production issue with the hot sauces.
Then, it was the frequent appointments with 'Brooke' starting two weeks before Christmas.
He always met with her alone out of the lab or during Zoom meetings at home in his lab. Last weekend when she knocked and entered, Hodgins closed his laptop as if she caught him doing something that she shouldn't have.
"Hodgins…what are you hiding?"
The scientist gulped. "Nothing, Angie. Hey, you brought me a Coke. Thanks."
Angela set the can down on the desk. "Hodgins, if you're looking at weird wheelchair or messed up science porno, you know that I don't care."
"I know that, Angie." Hodgins grew fidgety. "I'm just doing some Christmas shopping for you and it's fun stuff that I can't have the boys see. Is there anything else?"
Angela's instincts told her that her husband wasn't being truthful. Hurt that she was being pushed out of the lab, she shook her head. "No. I'll let you know when dinner's ready."
"Okay, Babe."
Seeing he was waiting for her to leave, the artist did so. As soon as the door was shut, she overheard the conversation from the other side on Hodgins' end.
"Sorry to I had to do that, Brooke. Angela walked in and I didn't want her to know I was talking to you."
Still, she gave Hodgins the benefit of the doubt. They've been married for over eleven years, had two wonderful sons and were discussing adopting a third child. Their sex life still had some sizzle, even with him in a wheelchair. However, he didn't usually keep secrets from her.
That is, until the change in their daily work commute.
Usually, the two rode into work together unless Hodgins had more work to complete for another case. However, this week, he drove himself to work four out of five days with him taking 395 instead of his preferred commute onto the Arlington Memorial Bridge and arriving to work later than usual. Each time, he always blamed it on DC's notorious bad traffic or due to having to drop something off beforehand. However, Angela's suspicions grew.
'What was going on?' Angela pondered as she spotted her husband wheeling himself into the lab below. Then the next question. 'Is he having an affair?'
Suddenly, she sat up straight. "He's having an affair!"
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
"Angela…I don't think Hodgins is having extramarital relations. He loves you."
The artist fidgeted on the couch in the break area. "I know he does, Bren, but something is not right. He's driving himself to work on the 395…"
Brennan considered what Angela said. "He hates that route. As long as you two have lived in Virginia, he's always commuted here using the Arlington Memorial Bridge."
"I know Bren." Angela sipped her tea. "He's also taking phone call and Zoom meetings with some 'Brooke'. Who the hell names their daughter 'Brooke'. It's a damn shallow stream of water. Mom's probably a Valley Girl like her."
Brennan pat her shoulder. "Angela, I'm sure there is a rational explanation for what's going on with Hodgins."
"Yeah, maybe, but if he's having an affair, I need to find out for sure before I murder him slowly…" Angela smiled as Brennan lifted her tea cup. "…and you're going to help me, Bren."
Surprised, Brennan almost spit out her tea. "I am?"
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Two hours later, the two women sat outside of the parking structure in Angela and Hodgins' new Mercedes sedan. "Angela, this seems almost like…spying."
"Fact finding, Bren. With that birdie I planted in Hodgins' special car, I can follow him wherever he goes."
"But won't he recognize your vehicle?" Brennan asked. "You two did buy this car a few weeks ago together."
"No, because I told him that I dropped it off at the dealership this morning for some final detailing and took a loaner car to work. He won't…there he is. Let's go."
With Brennan holding Angela's phone with the tracker app, the two women followed Hodgins' vehicle around DC until he arrived at 2230 California St NW. Parking the vehicle at the end of the block, they watched Hodgins pulled into a parking space. Pulling out his wheelchair, he efficiently got himself situated and when the coast was clear wheeled himself up to the entrance of the building where he warmly greeted a tall woman with blonde hair.
"He's with that Brooke…here!"
Confused Brennan looked at her friend. "What is this place?"
Angela pointed to the white building. "It's called the St. Nicholas. It's a fancy condo building. You've never heard of it?"
"No." Brennan examined the structure. "However, it seems you are familiar with this building. I take it you have been here before?"
"Roxie used to live here…when we got back together." Angela looked back. "The condos are lovely and there's a killer farmer's market nearby. I'm so going to kill Hodgins."
"Angela…."
"Don't worry, Bren. I'll wait until after Christmas." Angela spit out. "I'm not going to traumatize my sons and ruin their day."
Brennan grew worried as Angela started up the vehicle before driving back to the Jeffersonian.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
"No way is Bug Boy stepping out on Angela, Bones. Even if he wanted to, he knows that Billy will make mincemeat out of him when he finds out."
Brennan dried the dish Booth handed her. "I don't think so, either, but he's being very suspicious. Keeping secrets from Angela, going to work by himself, meeting up with a blonde woman at a prestigious apartment building…"
Booth rolled his eyes. "Angela has never worried about him before and she shouldn't worry about him now. Make her understand that, Bones before she does something crazy, please."
"I'll do my best."
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Hodgins wheeled himself to the dishwasher, opened it, and put the plate and coffee cup he set on the counter inside. "Angie, I'm going to drive separately into work today. I've got a meeting with the company lawyers at 2:00."
"Hodgins, it's Christmas Eve. Do you really have to meet them today?" Angela asked. "We're supposed to have our family Christmas tonight."
"Yes I do, but I'll be home in time to spend Christmas Eve with you and the boys. It's just a meeting for me to sign some papers and go over some tax stuff so they can be filed before the new year. Don't worry, I'll be home by dinner time." Hodgins leaned up but Angela didn't lean in. "Angie…come on, you know I'll be here. Nothing is more important than Christmas with you, Michael Vincent, and Jeffrey."
"Fine." Leaning down, she kissed her husband and watched him go out the garage door. Seeing him pull out of the driveway a minute later, the artist cleaned up the rest of the breakfast dishes and made a plan.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
At 1:45, Angela waited in the car in front of the St. Nicholas with Brennan in the passenger seat and Jessica in the back seat. "Thanks for coming ladies. I need some back up so I don't kill Hodgins and his little blonde twat."
"Angela, do you really think Curly is cheating on you?" Jessica asked. "I just don't see it. He adores the ground you walk on. Maybe he's planning a surprise for you?"
"I totally trust that he loves me, but I don't like that he's lying about meeting up with some blonde skank named Brooke. If he's not cheating on me, then she's lured him into something bad, probably with some fancy scientific flirting to reel him in. If that's that case, I'll need to step in just in case she tries something."
"Angela, I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for all this." Brennan counseled.
"Well, I can't wait to hear it…there he is." Angela pointed out Hodgins' car parallel parking on to the street. After the scientist looked out and found it all clear, he pulled his wheelchair out of the back area, got in it, and headed up the ramp through the doors of the St. Nicholas.
"Angela, there are over 30 apartments in this building. How will we know which one he's in?" Brennan asked.
Angela grabbed her phone and pushed a button. "I'm testing out an update to the tracking app I've installed in all your phones. This version will not only give me a picture of where he's at, but I'll even get a road map on where to do. That bitch is toast."
"Wow…" Jessica said, at a loss for words.
Angela watched as Hodgins traveled through a blueprint of the St Nicholas before the trail ended into what looked like an apartment. "Fourth floor…according to the blueprint of the building, that's Unit 4CW. Come on girls…it's showtime."
Brennan and Jessica followed a determined Angela out of the car. Entering the building the three women were stopped in the lobby by a doorman.
"Excuse me, but who are you here to see?"
"Dr. Brennan has an appointment to look at Unit 4CW. Please direct us..." Angela answered and read the man's name tag. "…Patrick."
The doorman looked at his list. "Your names, please."
"Angela Montenegro, Dr. Jessica Warren, and like I just told you, Dr. Temperance Brennan, the famous author." Angela pointed to each of them. "We're joining our friend Dr. Brennan to visit the apartment she is thinking of renting as a workspace to write later novels. She has an appointment at 2:00, buddy."
"You're that Temperance Brennan?" The man saw the impatience on the women's faces and pointed to the elevators. "My apologies. I just started here last week. Take the elevator and when you get to the 4th floor, make a left."
"Thank you." Angela led the three women up and they finally reached the room. Before she could open, her hand recoiled.
"Angela, what's wrong?" Jessica asked.
"I don't know if I want to know. I did…but now that I'm here…I…" Angela took a deep breath. "Yes, I do. Ladies, if it comes down to me and Hodgins…kill Hodgins."
Throwing open the door, she stormed into the room, past the kitchen and in the living room where she saw Hodgins and the woman at the table covered in papers. However, it was at that moment they began hugging and Angela's sense of reason flew out the window.
"Get away from my husband, you skank!"
Startled, the scientist looked up. "Angela…what are you…"
Incensed at what she saw, the artist stormed up to the table. "What's going on, Hodgins? How long have you been screwing around with this bimbo?"
"Hey, reinforcements are here…" Booth yelled as he, Aubrey, and Wendell walked in holding boxes of ornaments and gifts. "Bones?"
Aubrey set down one box holding Christmas decorations while still clutching another one. "Jess? What are you all doing here?"
Jessica saw what the men were holding and then looked back at the table, papers, and the blonde woman moving away from Angela's penetrating stare. "Aubrey, what's going on?"
"Well, Bug Boy…" Booth took in the scene and put his boxes down in the living room. "I think your surprise is blown. Might as well tell Angela now."
"Tell me what?" Angela took two steps closer and for the first time noticed the lighted Christmas tree in the room. Nearby, she observed Wendell, who carried a grocery bag, enter the kitchen and Aubrey put down his other box by the tree. "Hodgins, those are our Christmas presents at the house…that's our tree. What's going on?"
Hodgins astutely knew he had to resolve things post haste. "Angie, this is Brooke Thomas. She's a realtor with Duncan and Associates. She's helping me with this apartment."
Now really confused, Angela walked around. "Why with this apartment…and why is our stuff here, Hodgins?"
Hodgins turned to the real estate agent. "Brooke, do you need anything else?"
"No, we're all set." Sensing it would be a good time to leave, Brooke gave the keys to Hodgins and picked up her briefcase. "You are now the owner of this apartment. Call me after Christmas if you have any questions, Dr. Hodgins. Merry Christmas everyone."
After Brooke quickly left the dwelling, Angela turned her attention back to her husband. "What's going on, Hodgins?"
"Merry Christmas, Angela. This apartment is your Christmas present." He tartly replied.
Booth cleared his throat, deciding it was time to leave. "I don't know about you Aubrey, but we should probably head back to work to finish tying up loose ends so we can be home for our families tonight. Wendell, don't you have to pick up Andie from work today?"
The forensic anthropologist picked up the cue. "Uh, yeah. I need to pick up her up because…her shift at the Infusion Center ends at 3:00. I'm right behind you."
Aubrey and Booth grabbed their wives and gently guided them out. "Aubrey, what's going on?" Jessica asked.
"I'll explain in the car, Jess."
Booth took Brennan's hand. "Come on, Bones."
"Booth…Angela said to stay here so she didn't murder Hodgins…"
"Trust me, Bug Boy will survive Christmas after they talk." Booth shut the door behind them.
When they were gone, Angela turned to an obviously frustrated Hodgins. "Okay, what are you talking about this being my Christmas present?"
"Well, I know you sometimes have issues with painting and working on your photography at your studio at home because of the boys. You do a lot for our family, Angela and I wanted to give back to you, so I decided to find you a place where you could work interruption free. Brooke has been helping me look at spaces the last month or so. She found this one last week and when I came by to see it with her, it was perfect. I know you've always admired this building, so I decided to buy the apartment and give it to you for Christmas."
"You did this for me?" Angela quietly walked around the living room area.
Hodgins wheeled himself into the living room. "I thought this would also be a nice place in case one of us or our friends couldn't get home from work since it's so close to the Jeffersonian. It's two bedrooms with a nice kitchen so if we wanted to host a few people or if we wanted to stay here alone one night without the kids, we could."
"The natural light is so amazing here, Hodgins. I could paint right over here…" Angela ducked back into the bedrooms. "Hodgins, that back bedroom would be perfect for a dark room."
"Yeah, I thought so, too. I thought I would get the papers signed today and then surprise you and the boys later tonight with having our family Christmas here. Surprise was on me when my wife and two of our friends barge in here and proceed to accuse me of having an affair with my realtor, who's gay by the way, Angela."
"Christmas at the St. Nick building…I have an apartment here for me to paint and work…" Angela felt so bad as the reality of what happened weighed on her. "I can't believe I thought you might be having an affair. I'm such a moron, Hodgins."
The scientist wheeled up to his wife. "Angela, my stock worth to potential lovers has decreased in the last few years, okay? You don't have to worry about any woman chasing after me."
"Shut up, Hodgins. You may be in a wheelchair, but you are still a very dirty, creative, and talented man." Angela wiped her face. "I'm so sorry for thinking you were cheating on me."
"Hey, it's nice to know I can still make you jealous." The couple chuckled before the scientist slapped his hands on his lap. "You know, Aubrey volunteered to take Michael Vincent and Jeffrey home with him and Jessica for a few hours…"
"Hodgins…you want to fool around at the ol' St Nick, don't you?" Seeing her scientist husband nod enthusiastically, she sat his lap. "Lead the way…"
Special treat for fans on my fanfiction Pinterest page. Search under MIBonesFan or follow the links on Twitter or AO3.