A Friend in Need (complete)

"Hello Andrew."

"Temperance." he stood up, a giant smile on his face. "What are you doing here?" she had told him, she wasn't really interested in a relationship with him. He'd been saddened by it, he really liked her, but he knew there were unlying issues, mostly having to do with Agent Booth.

He stood up, and walked to where she stood in the doorway. Not quite sure what to do, he touched her arm, "Want to sit?"

She walked over to a chair that was placed in front of his desk, "Thank you, Andrew." and took a seat.

"What brings you here today, Temperance."

"I have a question for you." she looked up at him as he took a seat, behind his desk. "I realize this might be a little uncomfortable for you."

"Nonesense, Temperance, you can ask me anything." he had a feeling where this was going.

"FBI rules stipulate that partners cannot be in a personal relationship with each other. Is this correct?"

"It is. I'm sure you understand the reasoning behind this rule."

"I do," she stood up, and handed him a piece of paper, "Thank you, Andrew." and she walked out his door.

"Temperance." he chased after her, waving a piece of paper, "What is this?"

"Just read it Andrew, its self explainatory." as she stepped on elevator, "I'm sorry Andrew, I have to go."

His feet were propped up on his desk, as he leaned back in his chair. His phone cradeled to his ear as he listened, "Thanks Charlie." he snapped his phone shut, and straightened in his chair. He looked up to see his boss looking at him thru his open blinds.

Booth stood up, and waved at him to come in. "Agent Booth."

"Assistant Dep....."

"Agent Booth, this once lets wave the formalities." Hacker interrupted him, he looked stressed. He paced back and forth in front a Booth's desk.

"Okay, sir, what can I do for you?" Booth sat back down behind his desk, and waited, wondering why he was so agitated.

"This." he waved the paper in his hand. "Just read it." and he slid it across his desk

"Okay." he reached out, and picked it up, and opened it. He began to read, and as he comprehended the words, his eyes widened, and he sat straight up. He was trying very hard not to get emotional in front of Hacker.

"She was here?" at his nod, Booth felt the muscle in his jaw tic, "when?"

"Just a few minutes ago. I tried to stop her."

"Have you showed anybody this?" he looked at Hacker.

"No, I wanted to show you first, I thought, maybe you could change her mind." he sounded whistful.

"If you don't mind sir....."

"Of course, by all means, go." Booth was already pulling on his suit jacket. "Good luck Agent Booth," Booth was already gone, leaving Hacker alone, "your going to need it." shook his head sadly and walked of Booth's office, pulling the door closed behind him.

He made it to the Jeffersonian in record time. He immediately made a bee line for her office. Her lights were out, and blinds were closed. He turned the knob, it was locked. He darted down the hall towards Angela's office.



"Angela." he stuck his head in the doorway.

"Hey Booth." she looked up from her computer.

"Have you seen Bones?"

"Not today, or yesterday." She stood up, and walked towards him, "she took a couple of days off. Is something wrong?" he looked at her, and handed her the piece of paper, letting her read it.

"Did you know about this." he accused her.

"Booth, I had no idea."

She put her hand to her forehead, rubbing her temples, "have you tried her cell?"

"Goes straight to voice mail." as he pulled out his phone, and tried again. "I'm going to her place." and he was gone, leaving a shell shocked Angela behind

He'd reached her apartment building, and with a quick look found her car in her designated spot. She was here, or at least her car was. He walked into the building, and pushed the up button on the elevator. He could see it was stopped at the top floor. Impatient not wanting to wait, he took the stairs, two at a time. Reaching her floor, he stepped out of the stair well and without any hesitation headed straight for her door.

She'd just stepped out of her bath, when she heard the banging on the door. After she left Hacker, she'd come straight home, and decided to take a long hot bath, trying to ease some of her tention. The banging continued, more forcefully this time.

She reached for her robe, and wrapped it around her, and hurried to the door. Even as she looked the the peep hole, he was banging on the door. He looked angry.

He heard the bolt lock turn, and he stopped pounding, he heard the click of her door latch turn, and there she was looking at him, thru the crack in the door.

She had odviously been in the bath. She wore a short Chinese robe, belted tightly at her waist, the color of her eyes. She'd pulled her hair up into a messy bun, wet tendrils of her hair clung to her neck. Her legs were bare, not even slippers were on. Water drops glistened over her bare skin, causing the silk of the robe to cling to her tightly.

"Booth. What's wrong?" he looked at her. "Did something happen?"

"How can you ask me that?" he waved the piece of paper at her, "and yes, something did happen." he looked at her, "Hacker came to see me." he handed her the paper.

She looked down at the paper, "I knew he would."

"So where you running to this time?" he sounded mad.

"Booth,"..he interrupted before she could continue.

"China? Guatamala? Indonesia?"

"Booth, I....."

"I should have known, I put it out there, and you run." he sighed, feeling defeated. "I thought that maybe I'd convinced you." he collapsed back onto her couch.

"Booth, I'm not going to China." she paused, "Or Guatamala." he looked up at her "and not Indonesia either."

He felt confused, "then what's with that?" he nodded to the piece of paper in her hand.

She took a deep breath, "It is my understanding that the FBI has rules pertaining to personal relationship between partners." she stood in front of him, "You told me to choose." he was looking up at her.

"I choose you, Booth."

"What time is it?" he shaded his eyes from the light coming in through the window.

"I don't know," she looked for the clock on the side table. "late I think. Where the damn clock go."

"Check the floor." he said. "you knocked it off last night."

"you mean you knocked it off." she said, "with your foot." she giggled, "there it is, it after ten, I gotta make a call."

"Now?" he whined, "because I have a few interesting ideas." she felt his fingers dance across her abdomen, moving downward, as he pushed his face into her neck.

She stilled his hand with hers, "Just give me a minute, Jack. I got to check on Bren." she looked down at Jack, as he layed back on his pillow. "I'm really worried about her."

"Its still early Angie, maybe you shouldn't call."

"Bren rises with the chickens, she'll be awake."

Hodgins had his doubts, "don't say I didn't warn you, if your wrong."

Angela dialed Brennan's number letting the phone ring. On the tenth ring, her answering machine kicked on. "Bren, this is Ang, call me." she hung up. She looked at Jack, "she didn't answer."

"Maybe that means she's not home?" leaning towards her.

Angela put her arm up, "Not so fast, Jack, I'm calling her cell."

"Do you really think thats a good idea?"

"I'm her best friend Jack." as she dialed her cell. On the third ring she got her answer.

"Hello." a very sleepy sounding Brennan answered.

"Sweetie."

"Ang?"

"I was so worried, Bren, are you okay?" she waited for her to answer. "Sweetie?" she heard rustling noises. "Hello?"

"Angela," Booth's voice equally sleepy came across the phone. "She'll call you back later." and with a click, the line went dead.

Her eyes got big, as she turned to Hodgins, "What?" he asked, sitting up, curious.

"Booth just hung up on me."

"Well its about time." Hodgins said with a giant grin, and swooping in for a kiss, "now where were we?"

Awwww[Only admins are allowed to see this link]

"Can't you drive a little faster Hodgins?" she impatiently tapped her foot in the floor board.

"Um let me think about it." he paused, "NO."

"You know," she rolled her eyes at him, "you don't have to make this harder on me."

"Now where would the fun be in that." she gave him a frosty stare, "just relax Angela, we'll be there soon enough."

"I'm just so, so," she scrunched her face, "I don't even know what I am yet, I just need to talk to Bren."

"I get that she's your best friend, and all that, but aren't you taking all this a little personal?"he asked her.

"I don't expect you to get this Jack, you are a guy. But, Bren is not just any friend." she sighed. "I have been coaxing her to Booth for years." she took a deep breath, "She just so deserves Booth, and she doesn't even know it." she looked at him, "But I knew it."

Hodgins reached out with his hand, capturing hers, "We all knew Angela."

"She's just been thru so much, I just want her to be happy, and not be afraid."

"Well, from the sounds of it, she wasn't afraid last night." Hodges quipped, with a silly grin.

"I hope so, Jack. " and she did.

"We're almost there." they could both see the diner. "What time did she say?" he asked her.

"She said to meet her in an hour, and," she glanced at her cell phone, "we're right on time. There's Booth's SUV."

He'd barely stopped the car, before she flung the door open.

"Come on Jack." she waited for him at the front of his car, "Let's go say hi."

They stepped thru the diner doors together, Angela's eyes immediately swiveling in the direction she knew they would be sitting. She saw them sitting together. She beelined it straight to their table.

"Angela." Booth stood up motioning to the empty side of the table. "Hodgins." he acknowleded Jack.

"You guys hungry?" Booth asked, seemingly oblivious.

Angela stared at Booth, and then Brennan. They seemed completely normal, like nothing out of the ordinary had happened at all. Neither of their expressions giving her any clue as to their current relationship. She frowned, this isn't what she expected at all.

"Bren, I need to use the little girls room, now." she stood up, and waited by Brennan's chair.

Though oblivious to many things when not plainly spoken, Brennan understand Angela crystal clear. "Sure Ang." she stood up, and Angela grasped her arm practically dragging her into the ladies room, leaving Hodgins alone with Booth.

A minute of silence passed at the table, before a high pitched squeal was heard from the back of the diner, causing both Booth and Hodgin's to smile.

"Sorry about Angela, Booth."

"Don't apologise, Hodgins."

"So, Booth, you and Dr. B?" he raised his eyebrows, "Who would have thunk?" he asked sarcastically

"Yea, yea, Hodgins."

"Dude, all I'm going to say is it's about time." and he stuck his hand out. "Dr. Brennan deserves it."

Booth took his hand with a smile, both of them turned when the heard the squeak of the bathroom door as it swung open. Angela led the way, closely followed by Brennan. Both of the men stood as they reached the table. Each of them pulling out the chairs for them to sit.

"Booth." Angela said, as she sniffled, her eyes suspiciously bright and watery.

"Angela." Booth smiled at her across the table. He looked over at Brennan as she sat down, her expression serene.

"Everything okay?" he asked her.

"We're good Booth." and for good measure she leaned into him and gave him a kiss on the lips, causing Angela to make goo goo noises.

"I'm so happy." Angela managed to get out between sniffles. "We're all so happy." she corrected herself.

After lunch, they walked out together, but before Angela could walk out the door, Booth grabbed her hand, and pulled her to a stop. They both watched at Hodgins and Brennan walked outside ahead of them the door closing behind them.

"Booth?" she asked, with a big smile. She couldn't wipe the smile of her face if she tried.

"I just wanted to say thanks." he smiled at her, "if it wasn't for you....." he hesitated, looking out the doors, and seeing Hodgins and Brennan both looking back at them.

"Booth," she said, laying her hand on his shoulder. "it was my pleasure." and gave him the biggest hug she could muster. "After all, what are friends for?" and they walked out the doors together.


The End