(After 'The Change in the Game')

A/N: Fanfiction is a disaster right now. It isn't notifying anyone when stories are updated and reviewed. It isn't notifying anyone when the author replies to reviews. Just to let you know, I am updating this story and I am replying to reviews. You can check your private messaging inbox to see my replies. Thanks for your patience.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooo

It hadn't taken as long as Angela had thought it would. She now knew the identity of Crimeismygame44 and once she'd seen a picture of the woman on Linkedin, she knew that Brennan's heart was going to be broken.

She found Daisy in one of the examination rooms working on a set of remains. Brennan had assigned the remains to her intern and expected Daisy to find out the cause of death of the victim and if possible, the identity of the remains.

"Daisy, I need to talk to you." Angela had closed the door firmly behind her once she was in the room. Certain that this was going to be an unpleasant conversation, Angela felt she had no choice but to continue. "Crimeismygame44. I know who that is."

Puzzled, Daisy placed the scapula down on the table and turned to face Angela. "I don't know what that means."

"Crimeismygame44 is the username your friend Tristan uses when she's on the Temperance Brennan fan sites . . . Tristan Myles. She's been here a couple of times to pick you up for lunch, so I know who she is." Angela studied the intern's face and saw the moment the young woman realized that Angela had discovered her secret. "Your friend posted a secret about Brennan on two Brennan fan sites and since Tristan doesn't work here, I can only assume you told her that secret. I don't know how you knew, but what you did was wrong . . . Why Daisy? Why betray Brennan like this? What has she done to you that you'd embarrass her like this."

A little afraid, Daisy decided to feign ignorance. "I really don't know what you're talking about. What secret are you talking about?"

Disappointed in Daisy, Angela shook her head and felt that the intern didn't realize just how much trouble she was in. "Somehow you found out that Brennan is pregnant. You told Tristan and Tristan told the world . . . well, the part of the world that is interested in Brennan. You betrayed her, Daisy. Don't you realize that? She wasn't going to say anything to anyone until her second trimester just in case the pregnancy fails. It was her right to protect her privacy for something so important, but you've betrayed her and now the world knows she's pregnant. What do you think will happen if the pregnancy fails? Because of you, she'll have to mourn in public instead of in private. Do you think that's right or fair?"

"I was at the Founding Fathers waiting for Tristan to arrive . . . I was sitting in the booth behind Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth. They were talking and I heard them mention that Dr. Brennan is pregnant. If they wanted to keep that news private then they shouldn't have been talking about in public." Daisy saw the flash of anger on Angela's face and shrugged her shoulders. "I left the bar in a way that they couldn't see me. I left by the back entrance . . . I told Tristan because I was excited and I knew I couldn't tell anyone here. It would have got back to me and well . . . I just needed to tell someone and I didn't think of the ramifications of telling Tristan . . . No one around here knows who Tristan is, so I thought it would be harmless to tell her . . . It was a stupid mistake and I certainly didn't approve of her posting that information on Dr. Brennan's fan sites. She promised me that she wouldn't say anything to anyone then she blabbed about it on the fan sites. She betrayed me . . . I can't undo what I've done."

"You certainly can't." Angela was angry and wanted to shake the younger woman, but she knew Daisy wouldn't understand why she was so angry with her. "You do know you're going to be on Booth's shit list. Not just Brennan's . . . It's not a good idea to make an enemy of Booth. It's just not a good idea."

Angela was sure Booth wouldn't hurt Daisy, but he was the head of Major Crimes and he could get her fired from the Jeffersonian if he created enough stink. Booth knew how to get revenge if he felt he'd been wronged. "And Brennan, she's the world's leading forensic anthropologist. What do you think would happen if she blacklisted you from any dig she worked on in the future? People would ask why . . . Girl, you've really made a mess of things."

Feeling sick, Daisy knew that she might have ruined her career before she even had one. "I didn't know Tristan was going to post that information anywhere . . . but yes, I've made a big mess and I don't know how to fix it."

"Honey, I don't think this is fixable. A reporter approached Brennan at a crime scene and she was forced to acknowledge her pregnancy because she doesn't believe in lying . . . If I were you, I'd go tell Brennan what you did before I do. I'm going to give you until tomorrow morning to tell her."

"Oh, why do you have to tell her?" Daisy didn't see why Brennan had to know about her part in this fiasco.

She felt sorry for Daisy, but Angela knew that Brennan had to come first. After all, they were best friends. "Because I told her I would find out how her news got out into the public and I won't protect you from her. She's expecting answers and I have to give them to her . . . I can't protect you. If I don't tell her and she finds out later that I knew what you did . . . I won't betray my best friend like that."

"I understand." Daisy knew that her career was on the line, but she didn't really have a choice. "I'll tell her the next time I see her today."

"Good." Angela shook her head. "This is a crime lab. A lot of personal information flows through this Lab and the FBI has to be able to trust the people that work here to keep that information a secret. We learn things about victims that need to remain secret until the FBI and the Justice Department are ready to release that information. It's our mission to make sure that the bad guys can't use the information we have to get away with what they did. If the FBI and the Justice Department can't trust us to keep our mouths shut then we're of no use to them . . . You found out that Brennan is pregnant. That information should have been kept a secret until she was ready to tell the world. If you can't keep secrets then no one will trust you. No one will trust that you can do your job properly . . . Even on digs, you have to realize that when you're on digs, you have to keep quiet about what you find until the mission director is ready to release that information. That is done to protect their dig site and to protect the people working on the site from grave robbers and other bad guys . . . This is about trust, Daisy."

Tears slowly leaking down her cheeks, Daisy knew that Angela was right. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well . . . I'm sorry too . . . Tell Brennan as soon as possible." Angela felt terrible, but she knew she had done what needed to be done. Since she was still on maternity leave, she left the building and went home. Her housekeeper was looking after Michael Vincent, but Angela knew the lady had work to do and she couldn't do it and watch a baby. She was grateful that Mrs. Landry liked little Michael and didn't mind watching him when it was necessary.

Oooooooooooooooooo

Brennan found Daisy crying in the examination room. Concerned, she entered the room and closed the door behind her. "Why are you crying? If you are unable to identify the cause of death of the victim, I expect you to go over the bones again and reexamine them. I don't think it's reasonable to cry about the situation. Sometimes, it takes a while to determine cause of death. If it was easy to do, then anyone could do it. You are still training in your field and you have a lot to learn. Tears will not accomplish anything and just delay your search."

Embarrassed, Daisy pulled a tissue from her lab coat pocket, wiped her cheeks and blew her nose. Unable to do anything else, she turned to face her mentor. "I'm not crying about the bones I'm examining. I did find cause of death. He was stabbed in the upper portion of his left thigh near the groin area . . . He probably exsanguinated since it was likely that his femoral artery was cut near the Lesser trochanter."

Since her intern had found what she thought was cause of death, Brennan grabbed a pair of latex gloves, pulled them on and examined the femur. Studying the bone, she let her fingers run across the nick in the bone and agreed with her intern. "Yes, it would appear that he was stabbed." Placing the femur back on the table, she turned to face her intern. "If you have found the cause of death, then why the tears?"

Clearing her throat, Daisy knew it was time to tell Brennan what she had done. "Last Friday, I was at the Founding Fathers waiting for a friend . . . I was in the booth behind you and Agent Booth and I overheard your conversation." She held up her hand. "I was not trying to eavesdrop on your conversation, but you and Agent Booth were speaking louder than you should have been . . . I assume you found the noise in the bar to be louder than normal and tried to compensate." She saw she had Brennan's complete attention.

"When I heard you mention that you were pregnant, I knew it would be better if I left. I walked to the back exit, walked through the back alley and back around to the front of the building where I waited for Tristan to arrive." She saw her mentor was starting to lose patience with her. "I knew I couldn't tell anyone here at the Lab. It really isn't anyone's business, but . . . I was so excited that I knew something most people didn't know and I knew I was going to get a migraine if I didn't tell anyone . . . I made sure no one was around when I talked to Tristan and I told her that you're pregnant. She's a big fan of yours . . . a really big fan and she was so excited when I told her. I know now I shouldn't have told her, but really, I just had to tell someone and I thought I could trust her."

"Your trust was misplaced." Brennan was not happy and she wasn't sure what she was going to do about her intern. "Your friend posted on two fan sites that I'm pregnant. It was my intention to wait until my second trimester before I told anyone, but that is no longer possible . . . Agent Booth is very upset. He feels like his privacy has been invaded as do I."

Slowly nodding her head, Daisy felt her cheeks were warm and she knew she was blushing. "I am very embarrassed that this got out of hand. I realize that I should have kept your secret, but I didn't and I can't put the genie back in the bottle. I really do apologize and I hope you will forgive me . . . I promise I will never do this again. If I ever find out a secret about anyone else, here at the Lab or wherever I'm working in the future, I will keep my mouth shut. I have learned a valuable lesson. Gossip can be dangerous in the wrong hands."

Since her intern had betrayed Booth as well as herself, Brennan knew she would have to talk to her partner before she decided what to do about Daisy. "Continue working on these remains. Record the markers for the skull so Angela can do a reconstruction when she gets back from maternity leave. Once you are done, record everything and give me your notes."

"I'm not fired?" Daisy had been certain that Brennan would fire her.

"Not at this time." Brennan removed the latex gloves from her hands and placed them in the bio-hazard bin. "I will let you know by the end of the week what your fate is."

Once she was alone, Daisy began to cry again.

ooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. I appreciate reviews. Thanks.