A/N: SORRY! I apologize for the lateness, I've been sick for like 5 days and feeling vomitous! I'm feeling better now so I thought I'd better get posting this chapter. (And writing my other stuff.) It's a shortie but there will be a new one tomorrow. I promise!

Chapter Three: The Phone call

Brennan woke up with a start. 'Where am I?' she thought to herself. 'What time is it?' She rubbed her eyes and looked around.

'Right'. She thought to herself. 'Hodgin's place.' She heard a faint knock on her door.

"Come in." she said. The door opened and Angela walked in.

"Hey Sweetie." Angela said. "Don't get up. I just came to tell you that Jack and I are haeding out for a bit."

"What time is it Ange?" she croaked.

"Almost noon." Angela replied. "Clearly you needed the sleep."

"Noon!" she said, sitting up straight and starting to get out of bed.

"Whoa, calm down." Angela said. "It's Christmas Eve. You don't have to work."

"Ange, I don't think I have ever slept in until noon before." She said, lifting her head and patting down her messy hair.

"Yeah if Booth could see you now." Angela chuckled.

"Oh god, Booth." She said, slumping back on the bed.

"Sweetie, I am not leaving until you tell me what's going on." Angela said, coming to sit beside her on the bed. "I knew something was up when he called. His voice sounded really sad at the end."

She felt tears welling in her eyes. "Please, Angela." She said. "Don't make me tell you now. I will tell you everything later, just not now."

"Okay." Angela said, giving her a hug. "Hey, Jack and I are going snowshoeing if you are interested."

"No thanks, Ange." She replied.

"Well, we will be back in a couple of hours." Angela said, heading for the door. "And Bren?"

"Yeah." She replied.

"Call him." Angela said. She watched as Angela walked out the door and shut it behind her.

'Call him.' She thought to herself. 'What would I say?' She knew she had to do it now before she lost her nerve and talked herself out of it. She rummaged through her bag and found her cellphone. Before she could think about it, she dialed his number. The phone rang and rang and then went to voicemail. Suddenly she didn't know what to do.

"Hi, you've reached the voicemail of Seeley Booth…" the message started. A few seconds later it beeped.

"Umm, hi." She said anxiously. "It's me. I heard that you called. Sorry my cell was off. I'm at Hodgin's for a couple of days."

'Stop stalling.' She thought to herself.

"So listen, yesterday was…um… what I'm trying to say is that yesterday was nice. The skating and everything. So thank you. And I'm sorry I didn't mean to… the kiss was… I'm sorry. I'll see you when I get back to work."

She hung up quickly. That is not what she meant to say at all. She wanted to tell him that it was a mistake, but the words wouldn't come out. Now what was she going to do.