Message Received chapter 8

After they both had gotten ready Booth took Brennan to her apartment to pick up some clean clothes, she also packed a bag to take with them. They then travelled to the Jeffersonian in utter silence. Brennan was scared, scared of being caught and scared of what they'd see.

As the SUV pulled up in its usual spot she felt herself become overwhelmed with panic. "Booth, I can't go in there." She said. "If I go in there someone will see and eventually the whole team will know."

Booth grabbed her hand and forced eye contact. "Okay, but you have to lock the doors as soon as I leave. You got it?" he said giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

She nodded, relived.

Reluctantly Booth exited his vehicle and walked toward the stair well leading into the building as he griped the door handle he turned back to make sure she was locked in. Satisfied he carried on, detouring straight to the security offices.

Brennan sat in the SUV with her eyes closed and her head safely nestled against the headrest and window. For the fist time in a week she instantly drifted off into a light sleep. 5 minutes had passed when she was jolted out of her sleep by a sharp rapping on the glass. She turned to find her best friend; shock marked her face as her jaw-hung agape at the damage evident on her friends pale skin.

Angela had arrived at the normal time, pulling in to her allocated space. She proceeded toward the elevator that lead into the lab but stopped as she noticed the familiar black SUV parked in its usual space right next to the stairwell door. Angela paused, as she grew closer, noticing the figure slumped against the door unmoving. Cautiously she moved toward the window. When she grew closer she noticed the battered features of her best friend. Carefully she raised her fist and knocked on the glass. She watched, as Brennan was startled out of her slumber. She caught the full extent of the injured as she turned to face the window, making her jaw hang agape.

When she saw that friendly yet utterly terrified face, Brennan carefully manoeuvred herself so she could unlock the doors. Angela took this as an invitation and moved around to the driver's side and slid into the seat. Once the door was securely shut she turned toward her friend with a questioning but concerned expression and immediately blurted out "Bren, what happened?" moving her hand towards Brennan's jaw, manipulating it this way and that to see the extent of her injuries.

"I'm okay, Ange." She whispered turning her head out of her reach but the sudden move made her wince.

"Sweetie…"

"I'm fine!" She said rather harshly. This caused her to revert her eyes so she was staring aimlessly out of the window. She immediately regretted being snappy. She knew if it were Angela who looked like she did right now she would be concerned too. "I'm sorry."

"Brennan I'm just concerned, your face sweetie…. Please tell me what happened."

She grew nervous, trying to come up with a satisfactory excuse that wouldn't raise too much concern. "I was attacked on my way home yesterday. I am okay though." She felt terrible lying, but I wasn't a complete lie, she was attacked but she knew who did it. God it was so complicated. "You don't need to worry, Booths sorting it out for me. He is getting the security footage now."

"It was here? How come nobody in the security office noticed?"

"I don't know Ange." She said turning to face the watery eyed woman but the look on her face made her seek the comfort of the still parking structure. A couple of awkward silent minutes passed until both women saw the cocky Agent fast approaching the SUV.

When Booth returned he noticed a certain artist situated in the driver seat of the vehicle, so he made his way the passenger door and jumped in.

"Hey Angela."

"Hey." She replied solemnly.

"Do you want me to come back later?" he said as the silence continued, with Angela side staring at Brennan and Brennan doing almost anything so she didn't look at her.

"No. Brennan just told me what happened."

Booth learned forward over the centre console. "You did Bones?" he said sceptically, a little surprised.

"Yes, Booth. I told Angela that I was mugged last night in the parking structure and that we're going to review the footage to see if we can catch this guy." She said emphasising on the word 'mugged' to let him know she'd lied. Angela however caught this.

"Why are you guys talking like that?"

"Like what, I always talk like this."

"So, you got this disc?"

"Yes Bones." He said holding it up and wiggling it for emphasis. He made sure to give Brennan a glare.

"Angela, Booth and I need to go now." She said bluntly trying to get her to leave. This caused Booth to grimace.

"But I could help. I could run the disc through the Angelator. It will take less time than you two going through each frame. Plus the machine might be able to catch something that might be missed." She said assertively. Ignoring the hurtful mannerisms her friend sometimes exhibited in her bluntness.

"You know she might be right."

"But, Booth..." she said pleadingly.

"But, Bones. If you have any chance of catching this guy, Angela might be the key."

"I don't know how to do this again." She said peering at him. Tears were welling in her eyes.

"Angela is there any chance we could do this after I make Bones eat sometime?" not bothering to acknowledge the muttering of "I'm not hungry."

"Yeah sure. But I want to know what's going on once your back."

"I'm not coming back." Brennan exclaimed, agitated by the notion of even more people seeing her like this.

"Brennan...Sweetie..."

"I mean it. I can't come back, I already lie to Cam."

"You lied?"

"I told her Hailey was sick and I needed time of to visit her in the hospital. I couldn't very well go into work looking like this, could I?"

"This is not your fault, Temperance." Angela said. The shock of her given name falling off Angela's lips made her seek eye contact.

"You don't understand..."

"I may not understand but I know you, Sweetie. You may seem cold and distant but underneath you're all heart. You are a strong person; this is not your fault." She said enveloping her friend in a gentle hung, being cautious of her injuries.

Silent tears started to run down her face seeping into the other woman's top. This made her tighten the embrace. Angela had said such nice words to her, she had acknowledged the walls she had constructed so long ago and took a hammer to them. But Brennan had doubts at the back of her mind; Angela says this now but she doesn't know the whole truth. This caused her to pull away. Looking at her friend with a weary smile on her face. She then glanced at Booth sad gaze, full of sympathy. God, why do I have to keep crying in front of him? She flashed him the same smile to let him know she was okay.

When she turned back to Angela she asked, "Can I explain later. I think food might be a good idea, I haven't eaten since..." she trailed off trying to think of the last time she ate.

"Sure sweetie. I'll see you later with your explanation." She said eyeballing her to let her know she wasn't getting out of this so easily. She then reached over and hugged the anthropologist again. She then turned and ruffled Booths hair as she opened the door. She heard him curse, followed by a grumpy "Bye Angela."

"Bye Studley. Look after her."

"I will."

After Angela had disappeared into the elevator, he got into the front seat and turned to look his puffy eyed best friend. He couldn't help the concerned look that had taken up residence on his face.

"Can you stop that?"

"Stop what?"

"That look, I know you're concerned but that look makes me feel uncomfortable."

"I can't help that you worry me." He said, "I'm surprised I haven't had a heart attack yet with the amount of trouble you seem to get yourself into. And the fact that you seem incapable of eating by yourself."

"Hey!"

"I'm serious Bones; you gotta start taking care of yourself."

"I can take care of myself!"

"Yeah, that's going sooooo well."

"What am I going to do?" she said huffing at his previous comments. Leaving her head against the window.

"You are going to eat."

"I'm still not hungry."

"You ARE going to eat."

"Fine."

He turned back and started the engine and exited the parking structure and headed towards the diner.

"You know you probably have to tell Angela the truth."

"I know. I don't know how though."

"You can do it, you told me." He said smiling at her.

"She'll hate me."

"I don't hate you. And she was right you know; it wasn't your fault."

"She didn't know what she was talking about."

"She did. She knows you, just like I know you. She'll be able to tell that you didn't mean to do it. You just have the have a little faith."

"I have faith in you Booth."

His breathing hitched as manoeuvred them into a parking spot outside the diner. Tears gleamed in his eyes as he turned to her and pulled her into a guy hug.

"I know you do, I have faith in you too. You just need to give Angela a chance to have faith in you as well." He said stroking her hair as she melted into the embrace.

"I don't know what I'd do without you." She mumbled into his shoulder. He replied by softly kissing her head and tightening his hold on her.

Yay! Please review; it makes me happy in this hard exam season :-)