AN: I really don't hate Hannah, just want her gone with the minimum amount of angst for all concerned. Brennan has handled the whole Hannah situation in an adult manner, mostly wanting the best for Booth, and I think Hannah would do the same.

Chapter 9: Tea and Confidences

Angela peered into her cup and absently stroked her stomach. Good thing she'd always liked herbal tea. She'd heard more than one expectant mother in the doctor's waiting room bemoaning the loss of caffeine.

"Looks like your godmother is going to be okay, little one. Hope my anxiety didn't upset you too much, but now the good vibes should be flowing through." She'd received a text from Booth around 6 am with the news that Brennan had been waking up on and off throughout the night. She and Hodgins had laughed at the idea of Bones reviewing her x-rays. She almost felt sorry for the doctor who would be coming around today. He had no idea what he'd be in for.

"Hi Angela, mind if I join you? Don't want to interrupt a private conversation though."

Angela laughed. "No problem Hannah, I should have years of conversations with this one ahead of me. Of course, I am trying to get as much in as possible before the kid actually talks back."

Hannah smiled and took the seat opposite Angela at the hospital cafeteria table. She held a steaming cup of coffee between her hands as if trying to warm herself up.

"So, what brings you here today, Hannah? I thought you were heading off with the President or something."

"I have to report in a couple of hours. I'm all packed, so I thought I would stop by and check in here. Looks like I'm a bit early though. Russ is the only one in the waiting room right now and he's sleeping, so I came down for a coffee. Not sure when Seeley will be taking his next break, but I hoped I'd catch him then."

Angela glanced down at the table, unsure of what to say. Booth was clearly having a difficult time over what happened to Brennan and she knew he'd have to be the one to sort everything out. Yet, Angela believed she knew which way the wind was blowing, especially given Avalon's predictions, so it might more kind to Hannah if she could figure out a way to ease the blow. Give her a sense of where things stood.

"You probably haven't heard. Brennan woke up a few times during the night. Booth says the worst is over. He is going to get Brennan transferred into a private room as soon as he can so that the visiting restrictions will be lifted. I'm hoping to go up as soon as he gives me the go ahead. Visiting hours start at 8, so hopefully he'll call or text around then." She lifted her cell phone from the table in front of her and waved it. "So, I'm not sure if we'll actually see Booth down here anytime soon."

Hannah bit her lip in consternation and then pulled out her cell phone to check to see if there were any messages she'd missed. Nothing. "Well, I guess he didn't see the need to tell me the good news."

Detecting a hint of bitterness in the other woman's tone, Angela tried to think of something to say that would explain the lapse. Something better than - it must have slipped his mind. He'd texted all the Squints, after all. "He told us you were traveling today, so he probably was waiting to give you all the details until you had gotten to wherever you were going."

Tilting her head in a clear show of skepticism, Hannah continued. "Okay, Angela. I think it's time that you fill me in here. Doesn't it seem odd to anyone but me that Seeley is in charge of Temperance's care? He's her partner, not her husband. She has a father, a brother and yet they all defer to him completely. He stays with her 24x7 and everyone else is relegated to a few minutes here and there while he takes his breaks. It really makes no sense."

Well, Hannah opened the door, Angela thought, so now she had to figure out how much of what was on the other side she should show.

"Hannah, a lot of this is really not my story to tell. And even if I felt comfortable telling you everything, it would take all day. A few days, maybe. So, why don't we start with you telling me what you know about Brennan and Booth. Their relationship, I mean."

Leaning back in her chair, Hannah sighed. "Funny, I thought I knew all I needed to know. I'm a reporter and I didn't even ask questions when things didn't quite add up. He always talked about Temperance with great awe and respect. His partner who was a genius and a kick-ass crime fighter. He liked her, that was clear, but once I met her and saw them together, I didn't notice anything more than a friendly working relationship. Some after work interaction, a few conversations after hours, but nothing out of the ordinary. They play off each other's strengths and do a great job fighting crime and are friends. Perhaps I didn't look further because I didn't want to see anything more."

Angela nodded. "I don't think I'm breaking any confidences if I tell you what Brennan was like before Booth came into her life. She worked all the time, mostly research on ancient civilizations. She was quite removed from what we'd call the "real" world, although she'd argue with that. Brennan thinks ancient civilizations are the most real worlds there are. Booth recognized how much she had to contribute to the here and now. He dragged her, kicking and screaming sometimes, into the work they do because he knew she could make a real difference. And she came along ultimately because she saw the value in giving the dead, the murdered, a voice and an identity. That's very important to her. Do you know anything about her background?"

Hannah shook her head.

"Brennan's parents disappeared when she was 15. Her brother was 19 and couldn't take care of her, so she ended up in the foster care system. She had a very tough time. Her work became everything to her. But she lost her ability to trust anyone, until Booth, that is."

"What about you?"

"Yes, she trusts me, but that's easy. We've always been completely accepting of each other and we give each other the space we need. It's never been like that with Booth. He's in her face, he pushes her, makes her leave her comfort zone. And she does it, because it's Booth who's asking. She has grown to trust him completely, which is huge. I don't know how to make you understand how huge that is."

"But her father? Her brother? They are here now."

"That's an even longer story. A year after Booth and Brennan started working together, it was discovered that an unidentified body in the morgue was that of Brennan's mother. Turns out her parents were criminals and they ran away to protect their kids from a hit man who was coming after them. Booth found her brother and later her father turned up. It's all been very difficult, but Booth was the one who got her through it. Russ and Max know that they owe the precarious relationship that they have with Brennan to Booth, so they are willing to defer to him in most things relating to her."

Hannah closed her eyes in seeming concentration and then opened them again to look directly into Angela's face.

"Okay, so Temperance trusts Seeley, relies on him, I get that. But what about him? Until the past few days, his interactions with Temperance have been very professional. I know they are friends but he's also friends with Cam and the rest of you. Yet, if something happened to any of the rest of you, I doubt that his reaction would be the same. I know she's his partner and they've worked together for six years, but that just doesn't quite explain..." Hannah spread her arms wide, taking in the whole hospital "all this."

Angela stared up at the ceiling as if looking for an answer. She chewed her lip in thought and took a deep breath. "Booth is going to have to answer that one. I honestly don't know what he's thinking these days. However, I can give you a little insight into their "partnership" which will maybe shed some light. A few highlights from some of their cases..." She hesitated.

Hannah leaned forward in interest. "Please."

"They hadn't been working together long when Brennan got in trouble in New Orleans. She'd woken up one day, bloodied, beaten and implicated in a murder. Booth was on the next plane out, got her a lawyer, helped exonerate her. That was the first time I realized how protective he was of her."

"That's Booth."

"Yes, you are right. That is Booth. He'd probably do that for anyone. After that, there was the time where there were threats on Brennan's life so Booth was sticking to her like glue until he was blown up by her refrigerator."

"What?" Hannah was aghast.

"A bomb. The refrigerator had a bomb. Anyway, he was in the hospital when he figured out that the FBI man guarding Brennan at his request was actually the one trying to kill her. So he made Hodgins take him to the place we figured out she was being held and he killed the agent right before he was going to shoot Brennan. That time, a swat team was there, and he could have let them handle it, but he didn't. He was the one who rescued her, despite the fact that he was injured. There are so many of these stories I could tell you, like when Booth wouldn't give up trying to find Brennan and Hodgins the time they were buried underground, even though, by all calculations their air would already have run out. I truly think he would move heaven and earth for her. He would definitely put his life on the line if it would save hers. In fact, he actually took a bullet for her once when a crazy woman was trying to kill her."

Hannah shook her head. "So, what are you saying, that he's in love with her? I know they haven't slept together because I actually thought to ask that question early on. He was so taken aback that I knew he was telling the truth when he said no."

"Is Booth in love with Brennan? I'm not sure if what they have fits into any traditional definition I have of love. Brennan doesn't believe in love in any case. The "no-sex" thing, though," Angela shook her head and smiled sadly. "Anyone who knows them can't believe it, though I do know it's true. Before Afghanistan, and, well... you... the two of them spent most of their waking moments together. You haven't seen it because Booth has been with you lately, but he diligently worked to keep Brennan on a regular schedule. He forced her to eat, made her leave the lab at a decent hour, brought take out to her house at all hours. Brennan is afraid of romantic relationships, believes they all will end, so I'm sure she never wanted to jeopardize what she had with Booth by adding a physical dimension, and I think he respected that to a point. But I know he is also a very romantic, very loving person. It was probably inevitable that he'd move on." She gazed directly into Hannah's eyes. "I do think he really loved you, you know. Wanted to make it work."

Hannah sighed and sank back into her chair. "It's very telling to me that you put those last sentences in past tense."

Angela started. "God, I'm sorry. I didn't ...I mean..."

Hannah reached out and patted Angela's hand. "It's okay. Really. You are only confirming what I've been suspecting...dreading actually. I think something snapped in Seeley when he listened to Temperance's voice message. That's when everything changed. He's protective, true, but his response goes beyond that. The guilt, the despair. I will never forget the look on his face when he found her. I don't know what he would have done to himself if he'd gotten there too late. He was truly crazed. And now..." She paused, her voice filled with emotion. "And now, he can't even look at me. I don't know if he blames me or himself for not taking that call, but it's like there's a wall between us, one that can't be breached." Her voice hitched on this last word.

"I'm so sorry Hannah. But I do think this will all become clearer with time. Brennan is recovering now, so hopefully Booth's guilt and worry will dissipate. He'll have time to think, to sort out his feelings. The best thing for you to do is to go on your trip. Allow space and time to do its job. You two can talk when you get back."

Hannah nodded slowly. "You're right, Angela, although I think we both know how that conversation is likely to go. I'd better swing by the apartment before I leave today and pack up the few items I managed to unpack. Make the whole thing easier on both of us. Very adult."

At that moment the cell phone on the table began to vibrate. Angela looked at the phone and then at Hannah.

Hannah stood abruptly and began to wave her hands. "Don't tell him I was here, Angela. I'll text him when I get there."

"Are you sure?"

"I think it's best. And thanks. I appreciate your honesty." With that, she strode towards the cafeteria exit, motioning to the security guard who had been sitting at a discrete distance to indicate that he should follow her.