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When Hodgins first met Booth, he considered the agent to be the enemy. A man in a suit that worked for the Federal government. The scientist didn't trust anyone that worked for the government even though technically he was a federal employee since he worked for the Jeffersonian.
He knew about too many secrets that the government was keeping from its citizens. Being one of the owners of the Cantilever group he had access to information that would have struck fear in the hearts of many if they knew and he had little patience for the small cogs imbedded in the government's wheel.
Of course, Booth wasn't a cog, he was a human being and Hodgins started to see some of his humanity as they worked together. He began to see him in a different light when the agent found a way to help the entomologist avoid attending a formal function for the Jeffersonian. Hodgins had known that some of his rich peers were going to be there and he didn't want them to know he worked at the Jeffersonian. Booth had found some soil samples that needed testing that kept him in the Lab and Hodgins was grateful to the agent. It was a small thing, but he hadn't asked for the help and it was given anyway.
He caught another glimpse when Booth had saved Brennan's life from a rogue FBI Agent. The agent had left his bed in the hospital and asked the scientist to drive him around while they tried to find Brennan and Agent Kenton. They had found her about to be bludgeoned by Jaime Kenton and Booth had shot the murderer to prevent the fatal blow. Hodgins had been impressed with Booth's skill with a gun and the fact that he had shot first and not asked questions or gave warning. That is what Hodgins felt he would have done under the same circumstances and that moved Booth up a notch.
A little taken aback, Hodgins had seen the soldier side of Booth when a former soldier had been murdered and his body had been dumped on the grave of a war hero. The agent had been a little intimidating during that investigation, but Booth had also shown the bitter side of serving your country. Broken men and women with PTSD trying to survive in a world that had left them behind and Hodgins could see that Booth wasn't impervious to what his former comrades went through when they broke and the pieces couldn't be put back together. It was thought provoking and humbling and made him rethink what it meant to serve in the military. It wasn't as cut and dried as he had assumed.
One of his biggest changes in attitude towards Booth had occurred when both Hodgins and Brennan had been kidnapped and buried alive by the Gravedigger. Hurt and trapped underground, he and Brennan had worked each problem that tried to end their lives while they waited to be rescued. It finally dawned on them that they may not be rescued and that they would have to save themselves. In the end, their escape attempt had been successful because Booth had pushed everyone he knew to find the missing scientists and he was there to help dig them from their gravel pit grave before they suffocated. Later, Hodgins had heard how Booth had threatened people, making Zach work on finding them even though the young man assumed they were dead. Booth wouldn't let anyone give up and that stubbornness had put him and their rescuers above them in the gravel pit when Brennan had blown the windshield of the car they had been trapped in. Instead of suffocating trying to get to the surface, Hodgins and Brennan had been pulled to the surface by eager hands reaching for them. It was a moment in his life that he would never forget.
Ultimately, things changed between them and Hodgins considered Booth to be his friend. Their relationship became strained when the entomologist hid the fact that he had known a murder victim and had removed from the crime scene a picture that belonged to Terry Bancroft that showed Hodgins and Terry together. Hodgins had wanted to be part of the investigation and when Booth had found out what he had done, he had threatened him. The agent wasn't very forgiving if anyone screwed up any investigations that he worked and the fact that the murderer might walk because of Hodgins had been a line Booth couldn't forgive. Ultimately, Hodgins withdrew from the investigation and offered to quit. Booth forgave him and Robert Frasier was found guilty of the murder of Terry. Hodgins respected Booth and for the agent to forgive him proved to him that they were friends. They both may not have given it a name, but the friendship and respect were there.
Over the years, Hodgins clashed with Booth over certain aspects of investigations, but he never lost the respect he had for the agent. Booth could be arrogant and impatient with people who tried to talk over his head, but Hodgins knew that the man wasn't stupid and he was never sure just how much Booth did or didn't know about any given subject that came up during investigations. Angela had clued him into the fact that Booth was brilliant at appearing stupid. He used that persona to go after criminals who thought they were brilliant or at least smarter than any policemen or agent that came after them. Observing him over the years, Hodgins had seen for himself that Booth was quite intelligent and he wasn't someone to under estimate.
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To the horror of his friends and co-workers, Booth had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and because of Brennan's swift action, the tumor was removed and Booth's life was saved. After the emergency surgery, they found out that the agent's memory had been altered and for some reason he thought he and Brennan were married. Not understanding what was going on, Booth thought he was being lied to about his relationship with Brennan and Sweets had suggested to Brennan that she go on a dig while Booth was given therapy.
Though Brennan did what was asked of her, Hodgins swore that he would stay nearby and help Booth if he could. He didn't know how this was going to end, but he wanted to know he helped his friend when the chips were down.
Relieved to find out that Booth's grandfather was moving in with Booth while he recovered, Hodgins decided that familiar surroundings would help the agent and so would familiar faces.
A little wary, Hodgins knocked on the door and waited to see who would come to the door. In mere moments, the door opened and the entomologist smiled. "Mr. Booth, my name is Jack Hodgins and I work with Booth . . . Seeley. I wanted to come by for a visit, if that's okay."
Grateful that his grandson had a visitor, Hank stood back and let Jack enter the apartment. "Seeley had a rough morning. That young doctor came by and talked to him for a couple of hours and my grandson has been angry ever since. Don't count on him being in a good mood, I'm just saying."
"I understand." Hodgins lowered his voice and stepped closer to the old man. "Booth has his moments when we're working together, so don't worry about me."
Once they were in the living room, Hank pointed towards Booth's bedroom. "He's in his room. Knock before you enter, he likes his privacy."
Taking the old man's advice, Hodgins knocked and waited.
"What?"
"It's Hodgins, can I come in?" After a few moments, the door opened and Booth gently pushed Hodgins backward. "I'll come out." Once he was in his recliner, Booth waited for Hodgins to sit down. "Why are you here?"
Holding up a bag, Hodgins smiled. "I brought you a can of Almond Roca, I know you like candy."
"Thank you." Booth took the bag and placed it on the coffee table. "What I want is beer, but I'm not allowed to drink any right now because of the meds I'm on." Sighing, he leaned back against his chair. "How's Bones doing? She hasn't come to see me." He hadn't asked Sweets, because the man was obsessed with Brennan at the moment. If he mentioned his partner for just a moment, Sweets went on the offensive and he was tired of him and his therapy. "I haven't seen her since I was in the hospital . . . I think she's mad at me."
Surprised that he didn't know, Hodgins decided to be truthful. "Dr. Brennan went on a dig. Sweets told her that it would be okay and probably help you in the long run."
"Help me?" Angry, Booth felt like breaking something, but if he did that it might upset his grandfather and he'd never do that. After a few moments, Booth felt calmer. "Right, Bones is my partner . . . I'm not married to her. That's what Sweets keeps saying and so does Pops . . . what do you say?"
Torn, he didn't want to anger his friend any further but Booth needed a friend at the moment, someone he could trust. Hodgins sat back, crossed his legs and debated what he should say. "Yeah . . . she's your partner and your friend and I think she thinks you're her best friend, even though Angela says she is . . . I um . . . We're not trying to make you mad and we're not keeping secrets from you Booth. You can ask me anything and I'll always tell you the truth, always."
"When I woke up from the surgery, I thought Bones was my wife . . . I scared her, I know I did . . . is that why she went on the dig?" Tired of Sweets' evasion, he wanted to hear the truth at least once. "You said you'd tell me the truth."
Staring intently at the agent, Hodgins finally nodded his head. "I talked to her before she went on the dig and she was upset. She's never been in a situation like this . . . she loves you Booth as a friend . . . I don't think she's ever considered it deeper than that . . . you know Dr. Brennan, she's careful not to get too close to anyone, I mean she can commit to friendships, but you know she's never committed to a serious relationship at least not since Sully sailed away on his boat. He hurt her. I could see that . . . everyone could see that and you were there as a friend to get her through that. She appreciated it . . . you've got a great friendship going on. You guys eat out and you go to movies together and you've helped her through some issues with her father and other stuff and I know she's been there for you . . . Maybe while you were in your coma, you got mixed up because you two are so close, but I swear Booth. No one is lying to you. You're not married and neither is Dr. Brennan."
He had listened to everything that Hodgins said, glanced at his grandfather who was standing in the kitchen doorway listening and finally responded. "Thank you." During that first week when he had laid in the hospital, he had seen how Brennan was growing more and more reluctant to see him, to be with him and deep down, he had known that they weren't married. It had been hard to let go of that dream and he had tried to push everyone away who told him he wasn't married. He'd argued, shouted, cried and nothing had changed. She had stopped coming to visit him and so far, the only one that had visited him at home was Sweets. Now he knew why Brennan hadn't come to his apartment and it hurt a little, but he also knew that he had scared her. "I guess, I have to let that go . . . that dream that we were married . . . I mean, she left the country to get away from me and that . . . that right there tells me that my memories of her and me were just a fantasy . . . a wonderful fantasy, but it wasn't real . . . We're just friends."
"Yes, you're just friends." He watched his friend while he obviously ran through a gamut of emotions. In the end, sadness had won. "When she comes back, you can be partners again. She needed the break and you needed it too."
"Yeah . . . I guess so." Deeply sad, Booth felt his heart break and he knew that everyone had done what they could for him. Now it was time for him to help himself. "Sweets, says I need therapy for at least five more weeks. I'm having some issues, but he thinks they're temporary and I'll be able to go back to work . . . that's good. I love my job."
Glad that he had come, Hodgins nodded his head. "Yeah, your job is pretty cool." Leaning forward, he took the can out of the bag and wiggled it. "How about we open this bad boy and eat some candy? It's not beer, but who can turn down Almond Roca?"
"Yeah, go ahead." Booth watched his friend open the can and toss him a piece of candy. Once the wrapper was off, he popped it into his mouth and chewed it slowly. He felt sad and he probably would be sad for a long time, but his life had been filled with disappointment and grief his whole life. This was just another chapter in Seeley Joseph Booth's life. He was not destined to have a joyful life, but he had known that since he had been a boy. At least he had a few friends and that was good, wasn't it?
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