The only sound came from the vent above her table. The lab was empty. Everyone had gone home for the night, the sun had set and dinner time had been hours ago when Temperance looked up from the victim on her autopsy table. She had been at it for hours, examining the body from every angle, trying in vain to figure out what had happened to her. She could see no sign of struggle and the only injury she could find probably had resulted from a fall Courteau had done from her bike as a child and, thus, could not be a cause of death. Cam had ordered a tox screen on the organs and Temperance was pretty sure the answer to their question would be found in that report.

Stripped of her putrified skin, all that was left of Evelyne Courteau were her bones. The foetus laid on a table next to hers, in the same condition. Temperance had guessed the baby's age to be no more than five months ol. It (he, Booth had corrected her) would be buried with Courteau as soon as the investigation was over and that the remains were back in Canada.

This was one of the reason why she didn't want children. Why bother bringing them into this world when it was corrupt by violence and hatred? She couldn't understand why people even began to think about giving birth to a child and put their own flesh and blood through of all that. She was well aware that this train of thought alienated her from other women. Not only from other women, also from men. She could feel their stare bore into her, judging her for a decision she had made logically and thoughtfully. It's not that she didn't like children. She just didn't want to raise any. Booth said she would change her mind one day. She highly doubted it.

Angela knew all of that stuff and yet she had asked her to be her surrogate.

She hadn't stopped thinking about it. Usually, concentrating on her job helped her push any unpleasant thoughts in the back of her mind where they couldn't pester her. Her job was her mental getaway, her way of dealing, since she had started working at the Jeffersonian. But tonight, even as she was hunched over Evelyne Courteau's remains, scrutinating the remains (squinting, as Booth would put it) for evidence of foul play, Angela's question still haunted her. Her, a surrogate?

She loved her best friend. She was the only who didn't judge her when she acted differently from others, who had stood by her through hard times and had taken her under her wing and showed her what life could be. She knew, after all Angela had done for her, that it was time to pay her back by accepting to carry her child but there were just so many things to consider.

First, she'd be pregnant. There would be lifestyle changes she would be forced to make to be sure she didn't harm the baby in any way. She would have to stop working on the field with Booth and stick to the lab. Worst, Angela would probably send her into early maternity leave just in case she contracted some weird illness of some sort brought in by a decaying body.

She'd also put her body through an awful lot of stuff. Not only would she gain a lot of weight but there would be morning sickness, mood swings, back pains, loss of bladder control and many sleepless nights tossing and turning, trying desperately to find a comfortable position to finally be able to get some rest.

Then, as if all of that wasn't enough, she'd have to give birth.

All of that for someone else.

Think about it. Angela had told her.

Temperance sighed. Taking off her latex gloves, she covered Evelyne Courteau's remains with a blanket and turned off the overhead light. Grabbing her clipboard and her pen, she took one last look at the foetus on the table and sighed. She had done all the thinking she needed to do. There was no way she would be able to go through with Angela's proposal. Tomorrow, she would inform her best friend of her decision.

The heels of her shoes echoed off the walls as she made her way to her office. Sitting down at her desk, she touched her mouse. The screen turned on, casting a faint ray of light in the dark office, making Temperance squint against the brightness. Her novel was already waiting for her, the chapter left unfinished since this morning.

10:05 pm, the clock read. She'd write for a little while and then maybe lay down on her couch to sleep. There was no use in going home tonight, only to come back here tomorrow at seven.

As she began typing, she lost herself in the world of Kathy Reichs whom, unlike her, didn't have to worry about carrying children for someone else. She only had to focus on her case and the occasionnal 'personal' meeting with her work partner.

She heard the sound of keys rattling on the other side of the door and she knew it was probably Hodgins arriving. He had gone out for dinner with her father, leaving her to pace back and forth nervously, wearing out the carpet under her feet, in the living room.

Her heart had nearly stopped when Hodgins had told her about her father's request.

"He wants to meet with me?"

"What?"

"At dinner, tonight. He wants to meet with me."

Even though her father had sworn to her he liked her boyfriend, Angela couldn't help the feeling of anxiety that plagued her since she had first found out about the meeting. Of course, she had told him about her second miscarriage. He had insisted on flying up to Washington but she had refused. After a few minutes of talking, she had changed her mind. Was that why he wanted to meet with Hodgins? Did he blame him? Was he mad at him?

The front door opened and Angela felt a rush of cool air pass by her. She listened as Hodgins dropped his keys on the table beside the door and took off his shoes, jumping on one foot then the other in hopes of keeping his balance. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out in the hallway to face him.

"How was dinner?"

Hodgins looked up, a weird expression she couldn't understand in his eyes.

"Your dad is nuts."

Angela bit her lower lip.

"Did he yell at you?"

"No, he did worst."

Angela frowned.

"What did he do?"

A smile tugged at Hodgins' lips.

"He offered to pay for the adoption."

Angela's eyes widened in surprise.

When Jack had finally changed into something a bit more comfortable and Angela had fixed herself an early-night snack, the couple sat down in the den. A fire roared in the fireplace, warming up the smallest room in Hodgins' house. Jack let himself fall onto the couch while Angela took a seat in an armchair near the fireplace, plate on her lap.

"Tell me everything." She said, as she took a bite out of her carrot.

"Well, we arrived at the restaurant at the same time and the waiter immediately gave us a table. Apparently, your dad had called ahead to make a reservation. We sat down and I asked him why he wanted to meet me. He kept avoiding the question and changing the subject, talking about the restaurant's menu and wanting to know what I did for a living."

"But he already knows what you do for a living."

Jack simply shrugged.

"Anyway, our plates came and that's when he mentioned your miscarriage. He asked me what the doctors had said and I repeated everything you had already told him. I talked about your uterus and how they couldn't quite figure out why it wouldn't hold the baby in. Then I told him about the options that we had."

"Interesting dinner conversation."

"Yeah, I was pretty sure the couple at the table beside us was listening to our conversation. Anyway. After I told him all of that, he came up with his proposal of paying for the adoption."

Angela quirked an eyebrow.

"I told him we hadn't taken a decision yet, that we didn't know whether to choose adoption or surrogacy. So he told me that whatever our decision was, he wanted to pay."

"He's insane." Angela replied, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I know. That's what I told him."

"Well what did you say to him?"

"I told him I really appreciated his offer but that I couldn't ask him to do something like that. We're talking about a lot of money here. Adoption and surrogacy aren't cheap procedures."

"And what did he say to that?"

"He said 'Nonsense. I'll do anything I can to help my daughter. Nothing's too good for my little Angela.'"

"That's Daddy!"

The couple let out a sigh.

"What are we going to do?" Angela asked, momentarily defeated.

"I don't know." Jack replied, shrugging. "I mean, adoption sounds great. Getting a kid, giving it a family, raising and loving it like it was our own. What more could I ask for?"

Angela nodded, slowly.

"What?"

"Nothing." The artist replied, avoiding his gaze.

"Come on, Angela. I know you better than that. Something is wrong. What is it?"

Angela sighed.

"I want a child that's ours."

"Okay..." Jack replied, unsure of what she meant.

"I mean," Angela started, getting to her feet. "Adoption does sound great, it really does. What you said about it, I'd feel honoured and happy to do something like that. But a part of me wants our child to be ours; half-you and half-me. It's like I was telling Brennan today. I want a child that has my artistic talent and your paranoia."

"That would be one hell of an artist."

Hodgins chuckled at his own joke, earning a glare from his girlfriend.

"I'm serious, Hodgins."

"Sorry."

"And I know I'm being selfish, that I'd be lucky to adopt a child, but that's what I want."

"So you want to go for surrogacy?"

Angela stopped pacing.

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Jack nodded.

"Okay. If that's what you want, then that's what you'll get."

Angela sighed in relief, a smile slowly spreading from ear-to-ear. She sat back down.

"Have you thought of someone who would agree to be our surrogate?"

"Yeah." Angela replied, dipping a celery stick in dip.

"Who?"

"Brennan." Angela answered, nonchalantly.

Jack's eyes widened in surprise.

"Brennan? Brennan as in Dr. Temperance Brennan, the forensic anthropolgist who works with us?"

"Uh-huh."

"Are you crazy?"

"What's wrong with Brennan?"

"Nothing is wrong with Brennan, Angela, but don't you think you picked the wrong person? The woman doesn't even want children. You really think she'll agree to carry a baby for you?"

"She's my best friend, Hodgins." Angela replied, as if this fact settled the question.

"Hey, don't get me wrong here, Ange. I think Brennan is great. I just think it's a long shot."

"Well who would you ask, Hodgins?" Angela retorted, anger slowly rising in her. "We don't know anybody else. Brennan is the only person I trust enough in the entire world to entrust to something as important as our child. And yeah, it might be a long shot but she's the only chance we've got."

Jack simply nodded, not wanting to risk another outburst of anger by saying something inappropriate, but something was telling him that his girlfriend hadn't picked the right person. He had no doubt his boss would do anything for her friend but to do something she claimed loud and clear she would never do? He just hated seeing his girlfriend sad and hurt, she had been through so much deception in the last months that he couldn't bare to see her deceived once more. She seemed to hold on so dearly to the idea of surrogacy that, if Brennan was to refuse like he thought she would, he was pretty sure Angela's emotional wall would shatter into a million pieces and that, this time, she wouldn't be able to rebuilt it.

Angela seemed to have read his thoughts for she spoke again, her voice seeming really loud in the quiet room.

"Twice, Hodgins. Twice, we were so close to getting what we wanted."

Tears shot to her eyes, one managing to fall and slowly slide down her cheek. Hodgins immediately felt guilty for his last thoughts.

"And twice that chance got taken away from us. All I want is to, one day, hold our baby in our arms and say that we made this. It doesn't even matter if our child was conceived in a dish because it'll be us united for ever."

Angela paused and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"It's what keeps me going, Hodgins. Ever since we buried Jade..."

"Don't." Hodgins warned, a lump forming painfully in his throat.

"Ever since we buried Jade," Angela repeated, ignoring his warning, "all I have been thinking about is how I wasn't able to give her a life. A couple hours ago, I learned that I wasn't even going to be able to give her a brother or a sister. I just... I just want to give her at least that."

Jack blinked and a tear fell from his eye.

"I have faith in Brennan and I know that she's capable of doing the right thing." Jack replied, the quivering in his voice betraying the pain he was currently feeling. "But I just don't want to see you hurt again if she tells you she can't do this."

"I know." Angela replied, sniffling. "It's a long shot. But I have faith in her too. After all, she's my best friend. I know she'll do make the right decision."

Jack sighed as he tilted his head back and rubbed his face with both hands.

"I just hope you're right."