Dear readers, here is the next installment! Enjoy!

As always I do want to thank my faithful reviewers. Reviews are life! But anyway, without further ado... the next chapter.

Booth walked into the conference room in the Hoover Building, where he had assembled everybody, the entire team. Well, almost, but he was going to fix that problem today. He wasn't nervous, but he had to admit he wasn't looking forward to this. Essentially, the entire team had been lied to and Booth was most worried about Angela's reaction.

Closing the door behind him, he faced his tribe. Angela and Hodgins were sitting together at one side of the table, they were huddled close together. He noticed that Hodgins had entangled his fingers with hers, offering silent but consistent comfort. At the head of the table was Caroline Julian. She was quietly conversing with Cam. None of the interns were present, but Booth had excluded them on purpose. It wasn't that they didn't have a right to know the truth, but he didn't want to overwhelm Bones, who still referred to herself as Joy. He sat down opposite to Caroline and spoke up. "Sweets not here yet?"

It was Caroline who answered. "He insisted on getting us coffee and water. He'll be right here. Why don't you get to the point, Booth?" Her eyes twinkled. Clearly, she thought this was a good idea.

He cleared his throat and nodded. "Thank you all for coming. There is no easy way to say this, so I'm just gonna say it. Bones is alive."

Caroline nodded and sat back. "Finally, Cherie, sure took you long enough."

Cam, Angela and Hodgins all looked at each other before Angela turned on Caroline. "You knew?" she asked, her voice demanding and low. "You knew all along?!" She turned to Booth. "How long have you known?"

Her voice was calm, but Booth knew that she was only just picking up steam, so he decided to go with the truth. "A little while. It doesn't matter how long I've known. There is a reason why I'm only telling you now, Angela." Her piercing look told him to get on with it. "I don't know all of the details of this convoluted plot, I only found out recently. She has amnesia, Ange," he told her softly. "She doesn't remember anyone. Not you, her colleagues, not you guys as friends. Not her father," he swallowed, "Not even me."

The door opened and Sweets entered with coffee and water. "Gee, thanks for waiting on me, Booth."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I couldn't keep it a secret any longer."

Sweets spoke up as he passed out coffee and plastic cups with water in them, before he sat down. "She is still in danger. We haven't caught the one who was stalking and threatening her. We put her in protective custody with Max." Caroline chimed in. "And before you all get your panties in a twist, Sweets and I fought them tooth and nail over this. But without Booth on our side, we failed to change Hackers mind."

Angela frowned, "If she's still in danger, why are you telling us now?" she wanted to know. "Are you in lead of the investigation now?"

Booth shook his head. "No. I've spent the last few weeks with her and although she really doesn't remember any of us, she is going stir crazy in that little cabin in the middle of nowhere."

Sweets jumped in as Booth sipped from his hot coffee. "I was hoping her memory would return, but without any triggers, it has proven very difficult. Even Booth's presence hasn't really triggered anything. I'm trying to tell you to not get your hopes up."

Angela snorted. "My best friend is alive, Sweets. I don't fucking care if she remembers me or not. She's alive. Where is she?" This question was for Booth and he responded immediately.

"She's in my apartment, waiting for us."

Angela stood. "What are we waiting for then?"

Hodgins rose as well, but Caroline held up her hands. "I understand you want to see her, and you will, but this complicates things. We haven't heard from her stalker again, but she might still be in danger. She's back in a city where people know her. And although I can understand that might be a good thing for her amnesia, it isn't for her safety. She's a high profile citizen, we won't be able to keep this out of the news. She'll need to be protected."

"And why am I still standing here?" Angela demanded to know. "I trust him," she pointed at Booth, "to keep her safe. They've been through hell and back. We all have." She walked over to Booth. "Either you are taking me or I'm breaking in. Your choice." Booth had to bite back a grin and stood. "You guys can follow in an hour. I don't want to overwhelm her."

Reassured, now that Booth had basically promised her to take her to her best friend, she stormed out of the office.

Booth strode after her. They got into the elevator and as they started to descend, a heavy silence fell over them.

Angela was the one to break it. "I love her as much as you do. I need her as badly as you do." She turned to him. "Why was I not worth a phone call?"

Booth swallowed. "You'll understand when you see her, Ange. It's not easy being around her. Don't get me wrong," he added softly, "it's fantastic, but it's not... she's not how you remember her."

Angela sniffled and nodded once as the elevator door opened. They walked through the underground garage and got into Booth's SUV. He drove them over to his apartment, without even bothering to turn the radio on. He wanted a minute with his thoughts, and he could imagine she needed some time to think things through as well. The drive ended up taking only ten minutes, but he could still practically feel Angela buzzing with nervous and anxious energy. He parked his car and reached for her hand. "Try to let her set the pace, okay? And if you need to, we can talk afterwards. Just us."

Impulsively, she leaned forward and hugged him tightly. "I'm a bit scared. It was so hard getting through that shell the first time.."

He returned the embrace and whispered, "I promise, Joy isn't as tough a nut to crack. Her memories might never come back. Just... do whatever you did the first time around. She's your sister. There is a reason she loves you. She'll love you again, Ange," he tried to prepare her. He felt her embrace tighten for a moment, before she released him, got out of the car and walked straight up to his building. He chuckled. This woman was just as much a fierce warrior as any Navy Seal or Ranger he knew. Sure, her life wasn't on the line, but her heart definitely was.

He followed her and unlocked the door. He walked up the stairs in front of her and when they were both upstairs, he unlocked the door and let her walk in. "Joy? I'm home. Angela is with me." Booth put his hand on the small of Angela's back and gently guided her into the living room, staying close. Knowing that Bones was alive was one thing. Seeing her and meeting Joy was something different altogether.

She had been sitting on the couch, surfing on her computer, when the door opened and Booth entered. When he told her that Angela was with him, her tummy got tied up in knots. He hadn't told her that he would be bringing Angela home with him. She stood and turned around. The beautiful brunette looked familiar and all of a sudden a crazy memory came to her and she smiled widely when she said. "You flashed airport staff once when you came to pick me up at the airport!"

Angela grinned widely as tears slowly fell. Her first step was shaky, but with each step she took, she gained confidence and gratitude. "Sweetie!" She pulled the other woman into a tight hug, which was immdiately returned. "Angela..."

Booth watched as both women clung to each other. A lump formed in his throat as saw the smile on Bones' face and practically felt contentment and safety radiate outward from her as both women cried and laughed together. Diplomatically, he took a step back and disappeared into the kitchen, where he poured three glasses of water, before sitting down at the kitchen table, giving them privacy for a moment. And to be honest, he needed a moment as well. It was an old memory, but it had definitely happened, Ange had indeed flashed airport staff years ago when she had been there to pick Bones up. This didn't solve everything, but it sure made life a whole lot better.

I hope you enjoyed it! Leave a review, I love to hear what you think!

WHAK

AbsyntheFather