TITLE: Undoing
CHAPTER FOUR: Unanswered


Angela had kept her eye on Brennan for the rest of the work day, cataloguing her behavior until she left for the night. Her watch resumed the next morning when she noted from her office that her best friend headed for the bathroom first thing upon arriving. Within minutes she'd emerged, everything about her completely normal save for the pallor in her face.

Angela narrowed her eyes resolutely at the sight and sprang to her feet, logging off her computer and heading for the door. She met Brennan at the bottom of the stairs, calling out a cheery, "Morning, Sweetie!" and patting her friend on the back.

Tired blue eyes met hers though a response was sent cheerfully back. "Morning, Ange. You're here early." She headed for her office and Angela, as always, followed on her heels.

"Yeah, I decided to be a good employee and log a couple extra hours this week. So what's up for your day?"

Temperance shrugged and sat down at her desk, booting up her computer. "Booth wants me to chase some leads with him, but I have an appointment at three today with my editor."

"Ahhh."

Temperance looked up at her friend, studying her contemplatively. "Everything okay, Ange?"

She shrugged in response. "You tell me."

Tempe raised an eyebrow. "You're acting just a little strange."

"Guess that makes two of us, then. What's going on with you, Brenn? You know you can tell me anything."

"Of course I know that. And nothing's going on with me," she insisted, bringing up her e-mail account and typing speedily, "I'm fine."

"Yeah, that's become your motto these days." Without further pretense, she flopped onto the couch and posed her nonchalantly-voiced question. "So when are you going to tell Booth that you're pregnant?"

The fast typing stopped. Angela flinched when the pull-out keyboard tray was flung back into the desk. Tempe's chair spun around and revealed the shock on her face. "What-- how did--"

Angela rolled her eyes then. "Sweetie, I am neither male nor an idiot." She tilted her head slightly. "Aaand, I found your test in the garbage."

"You snooped!"

"Yeah, and under the circumstances, it's a damn good thing that I did! How the hell did this happen?"

"Are you looking for a clinical description?"

She rolled her eyes again. "Alright, so I know how it happened. But... when? It's Booth's right? I haven't seen you with any other hunky FBI agents lately."

"Booth and I slept together a couple weeks ago."

"Well he must have some powerful swimmers then, because to get through a condom..."

"Well see, I was on the pill at the time and we were at my place. I don't really keep those kinds of supplies on-hand, and--"

"Oh, Sweetie, you didn't!" Her tone was low, admonishing.

"Well, I was on the pill! It's supposed to have ninety-nine percent accuracy!"

Angela shook her head. "But you've gotta know it's not foolproof, honey. You've got a Ph.D."

"Right."

"So what now? Does Booth know?"

Now it was Temperance shaking her head. "No, and he never will."

"Okay, I know that he's male and they're not the brightest, but... I think he's going to notice when your stomach is the size of a bowling ball in six months."

Tempe continued shaking her head as she rose to her feet. "I can't talk about this anymore. I have to go meet Booth at the Hoover building and get some work done before my appointment today."

"Wait a minute." Angela reached out and grabbed her friend's arm, preventing her from leaving and searching her eyes. "The appointment. At Anderwood."

Tempe rolled her eyes. "Do you go through all of my things?"

"That's not important right now, but yes I do. That appointment's not with your editor, is it?"

"Ange..."

"Sweetie, you have to tell Booth. He'll want to go with you to the appointment, I'm sure."

"No, he wouldn't. Look, I have to go. I'll call you later."

Before anything else could be said, Temperance was out the door and Angela was once again left hanging around her office. The computer was still on, she noted, so she pulled up the web browser and did a search for 'Anderwood'. She still had unanswered questions... ones which she knew would not be answered by her ever-evasive best friend.


TBC