525600 moments Chapter 17
I couldn't help myself, I needed to write to relax. So I can present you the next chapter:
Chapter 17: Friends and strawberries
"Ha! I win!" Hodgins grinned proudly and held his hand out in Cam's direction, prompting her to hand over the Monopoly money she owed him. "Come on, pay up and hand over the street cards," he went on tauntingly. His forehead wrinkled in confusion when Cam reached behind her and pulled out some money that she had hidden underneath a pillow a while ago, when she still had had more money than him and Michelle.
"Sorry, honey," she grinned right back at him and handed him some bills before she put the rest of the money down beside the board where it belonged.
"You have a secret stash of money? Isn't that against the rules or something?" he asked and turned to Michelle seeking help. The teen was lying on the couch, playing with her phone and grinned when she heard them bickering. She had been kicked out of the game a while ago.
"As far as I remember I didn't read anything about where you have to put your money," she shook her head.
"Your turn," Cam told him and pushed the dice in his direction. Most streets belonged to her and so far he had only been lucky because she had landed two times in a row on streets he had already built hotels on. Still muttering under his breath he rolled the dice and winced when he saw the number.
"Boardwalk!" Cam laughed when he landed on the most expensive street where she had already set a hotel on. "Pay up bucko!" she said this time and held out her hand the same way he had done before.
"I'm so screwed," he muttered, because he knew that it would cost him nearly all of his money.
"I'm sure Cam would accept real money once you're out of fake bills. Paying the sum from your private account shouldn't be a problem," Michelle teased him from the couch.
"Remind me to call the contractor tomorrow and tell him that he doesn't have to come, because I'm bankrupt and lost all of my money to you," he said to Cam, who only laughed. The contractor was simply coming so the changes that needed to be done to the rooms that would soon be Michelle's could be worked on before they moved in.
"Considering that the house would be mine as well then, I don't think you should spend your last cents on a phone call," she stage whispered back at him and pulled him close for a quick kiss.
"Speaking of phone call: Did Perry call?" Michelle asked them and sat up.
"No, not that I know of," Cam said and Hodgins shook his head as well.
"He said he'd call. They should have landed over an hour ago and he still hasn't called," the teen complained.
"Maybe his plane got delayed," Hodgins shrugged.
"He could have called anyway," Michelle insisted.
"Young love," he sighed exaggeratedly to tease her.
"You really want me to comment on that?" she deadpanned and raised her eyebrows, making Cam laugh again.
"You're not helping," he accused her and pointed at her, but then had to laugh with her. "Your turn," he reminded her, motioning to the dice on the floor beside the board and kissed her again before handing it to her. Before she could roll it though the door bell rang.
"Who the hell is that?" Hodgins asked and checked his watch, pretty sure it was already really late and beyond the time that it was acceptable to stop by unannounced.
"If it's anyone with the last name Saroyan I officially give permission to shoot. Pure self-defense," Cam said while he got up and walked to the front door to check who was intruding so late on a Friday night.
"No, the last name is Booth. Permission to shoot anyway?" he asked her and had already pressed the button to open the gate.
"If Seeley's here this late something is wrong," Cam replied as she came up to him looking worried.
"Don't know if I wish it's work related or not," Hodgins said and wrapped an arm around her shoulders while they both walked to the front door.
"I hope it's nothing health related," Cam replied and felt Hodgins place a kiss on her temple to calm her a bit, before he opened the door.
"Can't get rid of you, man," Hodgins sighed exaggeratedly when he saw the FBI agent and tried to lighten the mood.
"Sorry, I just... can I talk to you?" Booth asked Cam uncharacteristically nervous, all his usual cockiness gone.
"Sure, but first come in," Cam nodded and stepped aside to let him in, Hodgins arm still wrapped around her. She gave his waist a squeeze before they both followed Booth inside and closed the door.
"This is not a house Hodgins, it's a palace," Booth said, turning around, taking in the entry way.
"You want a tour?" Cam asked him.
"Maybe later," he said and looked around uncomfortably, making it obvious that he wouldn't talk while Hodgins was still around. His perception of him had gotten better since he and Cam were back together and he saw she was happy, but they still weren't exactly best buddies.
"I'll help Michelle clean up the living-room. You can go into the study if you want," Hodgins told Cam as the silence once again spread.
"Thanks, Jack," she smiled slightly and pecked his lips.
"You want a beer?" Hodgins asked before he walked away and left the two in the hallway.
"No, thanks," Booth shook his head and followed Cam into the study. She switched on the light in the dark room and he firmly closed the door behind them. Without asking she walked to the bar that was hidden in a cupboard and took out a bottle of whiskey. She poured both of them a drink and handed one glass to him before she sat down in one of the big armchairs.
"Figured you could use something stronger. Usually we have these talks in a bar and get pretty wasted," she said with a small smile as he sat down in the armchair opposite of her.
"How do you know it's gonna be one of those talks?" he asked her, mirroring her small smile.
"I know you Seeley. Now spill it," she told him and handed him the bottle with booze when he emptied his glass with one gulp. He refilled it, swirled the liquid around watching it and then emptied it again.
"Bones and I saw Sweets today to talk about his book and his conclusions," he started while he refilled the glass once again. Cam waited, just looked at him and knew he would speak again when he knew what to say and how to say it. "His conclusion was based on the fact that the Eller case was the first time we worked together," he went on after another drink.
"I think you worked together before that, didn't you?" Cam asked and tried to remember the exact details of the case, but couldn't even come up with the victim's name. She hadn't been involved in it and only knew about it from Seeley. "Wasn't that when you finally got that judge?" she finally remembered.
"Yeah, it was," he nodded. "Did I ever tell you what happened between Bones and me back then?" he asked her.
"Not with so many words, but your behavior suggested that something happened," she grinned suggestively.
"We didn't sleep together," he defended himself and tried to destroy the suspicion she had. "We... kissed," he admitted though.
"And?" she wanted to know.
"And nothing. We started fighting and missed our moment," he said, pouring himself yet another drink.
"I don't think something that happened that long ago made you come here tonight and down the booze," she concluded and waited for him to fill the blanks.
"Sweets said that one of us had to make the first move. I'm the gambler so I did it. I kissed her outside the office and told her that I wanna be with her," he sounded slightly desperate and his tongue started to get heavy with all the alcohol he had consumed so quickly.
"And she told you off," Cam nodded and closed her eyes, knowing that he must be devastated.
"She said that she can't change and won't be able to give me what I want. I really thought we were ready for the next step," Booth said sadly. "She says that I'm the one who needs protection," he added as an afterthought.
"She doesn't want to break your heart. I think that means that she cares a lot about you," Cam said to offer some solace, but there really wasn't any.
"And what does that get me? She doesn't want to be with me. Whether it's because of her lacking feelings for me or because she doesn't want to break my heart in the future doesn't make a difference for me," he replied sadly and raised his eyebrows when Cam took the liquor bottle from him after he had poured himself yet another drink.
"Will you still be able to work together?" she asked and ignored his look and put the bottle back in the liquor cabinet.
"We've always been able to work together. And we didn't fight," he shrugged and placed his empty glass on the table in front of him.
"What kind of deal did you two make then? Try again in a year? Sit it out and wait until she changes her mind? Or will you try to convince her?" Cam asked as she sat back down.
"None of the above. I told her that I can't wait anymore," he shook his head as he said it to emphasize the fact that he just couldn't do it anymore.
"You're sure?" she asked disbelievingly, because in her opinion they were made for each other. Sure, she and Seeley had had fun, but even back then she had been able to see that he was in love with the pretty doctor.
"I don't want to be alone anymore and wait for her while I keep watching her date meaningless other guys. I tried it, I know now for sure that there is no point in waiting any longer. I just… I have to try and find someone else to fall in love with, marry, have a family," he didn't sound too convinced himself.
"You know I just want you to be happy with whomever that might be," she replied with a small smile, that was far from amused and more sympathetic.
"I know," he said and for a few moments there was silence. "Are you happy?" he asked her then. She didn't even need to think about it.
"I am," she nodded. "Very."
"I was worried about you for a while. Around Christmas. My gut told me something was off," he slurred even more now.
"Jack and I are ok now," she just said.
"You don't want to tell me what was wrong?" he sounded offended.
"Another time, Seeley. Right now you're drunk and probably won't remember anything I tell you tomorrow.
"I think you and Hodgins are good for each other, as weird as it still is for me to admit that. I hope he knows how lucky he is," Booth sighed.
"You can tell him once you're sober again," she laughed.
"I will," he nodded emphatically. "I should go now," he said then.
"You can't drive anymore," Cam shook her head when she saw how much he swayed when he got up. "I'll get a room ready for you," she added and was a bit surprised when he didn't even protest.
"I'm not tired yet," he piped up when she led him to the stairs.
"Ok, fine, then let's see what the other two are up to," she agreed and led him to the living room instead. When she pushed the door open she found Hodgins and Michelle standing in front of the TV in a familiar way. "Oh boy," she muttered when she saw them, knowing they were engaged in one of their video game competitions again.
"Wow, Guitar Hero, I love that game!" Booth exclaimed and stumbled over towards them.
"Dude, you're way too drunk to play," Hodgins laughed when he saw the FBI agent coming up next to him.
"I can beat you when I'm drunk and asleep," Booth huffed and grabbed for the plastic guitar that Hodgins held out of reach. "And I'm still armed," Booth growled and grabbed for it again.
"Man he's even more dangerous when he's drunk," Hodgins shook his head and handed the plastic guitar to the agent.
"Hit the button, Michelle," Seeley grinned and started playing with the teen while Hodgins walked over to Cam and sat down beside her on the couch and wrapped one arm around her shoulders pulling her close.
"Is he ok?" Hodgins asked Cam quietly, his breath tickling her skin as he whispered in her ear.
"I think he will be, but it might take a while," she replied and laced her fingers through his.
"He's staying here tonight?" he wanted to know next.
"Yes, I'm gonna go and get a guest room ready for him," she confirmed.
"You know where to find the sheets," Jack said and let her get up. "Looks like I'm still the guitar hero here, guys," he teased Booth and Michelle then and got up and joined them again.
"All done?" Cam asked Jack when he came into their bedroom later that night.
"Yeah, I threw Booth on the bed and then cleaned up the living room. Your daughter is messy," he reported and lay down beside her. And your friend Seeley kept telling me that I should be grateful that you love me," he said and raised his eyebrows questioningly.
"He and Brennan talked to Sweets today about his book and it brought up some old issues between them," she replied cryptically.
"He loves her, doesn't he?" he asked, but it sounded more like a statement. He rolled onto his side so he could see her better, mirroring her position.
"Yeah, but she's scared," she confirmed, now that he'd admitted that he already knew part of it anyway.
"I'm really happy we worked things out. Wouldn't want to trade places with the poor fool," Jack smiled, cupped her cheek with his hand and stroked his fingers over her skin.
"It saddens me to see him like this. It's been a while since I saw him happy and in love… actually I've never seen him that crazy for any woman," Cam mused and turned her head, pressing her lips against his palm for a moment.
"By the way: Perry called while you were talking to Booth. Means we can make plans alone tomorrow," he let her know.
"Did she kick his ass for not calling?" Cam grinned.
"I don't know what he told her, but her anger vanished quickly. You wouldn't have been as forgiving," he teased her with a smile and let his hand wander through her hair.
"No way, it's nice to have you begging for forgiveness," she chuckled and moved closer to him.
"Right back at ya," he laughed as well, rolled over and switched off the lights, before he turned back towards her and pulled her even closer to him.
"You have any ideas about what we could do with our day tomorrow?" she asked him in the darkness.
"First we have to get rid of our houseguest and Michelle," he pointed out.
"It's been a while since we used your pool and hot tub," Cam told him.
"Relax and then go to dinner at night? There's this new Spanish restaurant in the neighborhood," Hodgins asked.
"Sounds great. Good night Jack," she nodded against his chest and then leaned up and pecked his lips.
"G'night Cam," he replied, closed his eyes and loosened his grip on her a bit so she could sleep more comfortably.
"Look who finally fell out of bed," Michelle laughed when she saw Booth walking out on the patio, blinking against the sun and rubbing his aching head.
"God, why does it have to be sunny today?" Booth groaned in reply and sat down on an empty chair at the breakfast table.
"I'll get you a cup and a plate," Hodgins chuckled when he saw his face and got up.
"Add some Tylenol and a glass of water to that," Cam smiled knowingly.
"Duly noted. Anything else?" he asked.
"You could bring out the honey, now that you're asking," she said after thinking about it for a second.
"Sure," he nodded and leaned down to fetch a kiss in advance.
"Can you stop being like this? I'm already sick enough without having to watch you kiss the bug man," Booth grumbled when Cam deepened the kiss for a second.
Before Cam could reply Michelle looked up from her cereal. "Can we pretend that airplanes
in the night sky are like shooting stars? I could really use a wish right now..." she sang.
"Smart ass," Cam commented, Hodgins rolled his eyes and Booth laughed out loud for the first time since he had set foot into Sweets office the day before. "Is Perry coming over today? she asked then.
"He's picking me up later and we're going to the movies," Michelle said.
"And you? You wanna stay here today?" Cam turned her attention to Booth.
"And do what?" he wrinkled his forehead.
"Hodgins has an indoor pool and a steam bath in the basement," she shrugged.
"And soon that will all be mine," Michelle grinned smugly.
"What was that song about a wish?" Cam asked her pointedly.
"You plan on killing them?" Booth asked the teen.
"No, didn't Cam tell you that we're gonna move in?" Michelle replied.
"That doesn't mean that you own anything, just to make that clear," Cam insisted.
"He owns more houses than are good for him. He could just give me one. A small one," Michelle pouted jokingly. "He wouldn't even notice."
"I will give you the tool shed for your next birthday," Hodgins commented when he came out at that moment. "You would have your own house, a really small one and we could save the money for the construction work on the penthouse," he teased her.
"We could spend it on the new bedroom furniture we were talking about," Cam nodded in agreement.
"I hate it when you two gang up on me. It sucks," the teen pouted again.
"Try working when they keep making out in the office," Booth huffed.
"You think they're better here?" Michelle shot back.
"Jack, why don't we just kick those two nigglers out and enjoy a nice quiet weekend?" Cam turned to Hodgins.
"Sounds great. And we could make out wherever we want and how much we want," he agreed and ducked when Michelle threw a piece of her bagel in his direction.
"Ew!"
"Missy, I've had enough now," Hodgins said seriously as he wiped the bagel crumbs off his face and slowly got up. "First you cheat in video games, then you try to slowly take over my money, then you annoy us and as the last straw you start throwing bagels?" he stopped in front of her. Michelle was looking at him wide eyed, not sure if he was really annoyed with her now. She looked over to Cam, but her mother's face didn't give her any hint if Hodgins was joking or not. She was just about to open her mouth to apologize, when he suddenly grabbed her, pulled her off her chair and before she knew what was happening she found herself in the ice cold pool, still dressed in her pajamas. "You need some cooling off," Hodgins grinned and marched back to the breakfast table, where Cam was hunched over with laughter, while Michelle stood in the pool, unable to close her mouth.
"Good call bug man. I will remember that one for Parker," Booth grinned and the three adults resumed their breakfast while Michelle climbed out of the pool, already plotting how she could get her revenge.
That afternoon, sometime after Michelle had left, the two men lay on their deck chairs around Hodgins indoor pool with closed eyes and relaxed. The third chair was empty and the radio played in the background, informing them of the newest basketball scores.
"Guys, if you think I'm your personal maid for the day you're mistaken. Get your asses out of the chairs and clean up this mess," Cam lectured when she came in the room again, carrying three cans of beer. The time she had been upstairs doing laundry and getting herself something to drink had been enough for the guys to empty a bag of chips, leave crumbs everywhere between their chairs and throw the empty beer cans on the ground.
"Urgh," Hodgins only groaned, while Booth didn't even react and pretended to sleep.
"Now!" she used her don't-mess-with-me-voice.
"You're ruining our relaxing time," Hodgins muttered but got up and started cleaning up.
"You have no idea how much your relaxing time will be ruined if I step on wet chip crumbs," she replied darkly, then glared at her friend. "Seeley!" she barked and he finally opened one eye at least.
"I'm the guest," he shrugged and tried to use his charm smile on her.
"Don't even bother trying to charm your way out of this. It's been a while since that worked," Cam replied and sat down in her own chair, careful not to step into the mess on the ground.
"Good old times," the agent sighed with a smile that showed for once his comment wasn't referring to PG related memories only. That didn't slip Hodgins attention.
"Clean up," he barked and pushed the rubber trekker in Booths direction, nearly hitting him in the head with it. "I don't wanna see that smile on his face ever again, when he's thinking about you," he quietly told Cam and leaned over her when she lay down on her chair.
"You'd rather have him write a book about it?" she grinned overly sweet and opened her eyes again to see his reaction to her strike back. She still wasn't over the whole Angela-book- sex scene thing.
"You're mine," he growled and stroked his index finger over the exposed skin of her stomach, grinned when he made her shiver in reaction.
"You're going all caveman on me again?" she smiled, this time a real smile and didn't try to hide from him how much his behavior excited her.
"When you're jealous it's always natural and understandable. When I get jealous you accuse me of being a caveman," he replied and placed his palm on her upper thigh.
"Who said the caveman thing was a bad thing?" she grinned and raised her eyebrows.
"Ok, the caveman me says we're going swimming now," he smiled and picked her up. She didn't protest when he carried her to the water and then used the wide stairs to slowly walk into it with her still in his arms. She slung her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist as soon as they were in the water and his lips descended on hers.
Booth had watched their exchange while he had cleaned the floor and pushed the water and the crumbs into the drain on the other side of the room. He lay back down on his chair and couldn't help but watch them, when Hodgins carried her into the water and how tenderly Cam kissed him once they were in the pool. They swam side by side and never missed an opportunity to splash the other one with water or steal a kiss. Even his trained sniper eyes and ears couldn't make out what they were talking about so quietly as it was drowned out by the sounds of the water and the radio that still played in the background.
He felt jealous and happy at the same time while he watched them. He wanted what they had with Bones- his Bones. And he was happy for his friend that she had found someone who was obviously good for her. In the beginning he had thought that Cam would be too bossy for Hodgins, the guy who had bent and stretched to every wish Angela had ever had. And even though he had just witnessed bossy Cam around her boyfriend, he knew watching them that they were equals and that Hodgins must have found a way to get her to trust him completely.
She seemed softer when she was around him and let her guard down completely. It was nice to see, because he had never witnessed it before. In all the years he had known her he had never seen her allow someone to watch her back. She could be relaxed because she knew that Hodgins would protect her from whatever would come their way. Although he had stated earlier that they made out at the lab, he knew it wasn't true. They were really professional at the Jeffersonian and he had rarely had the opportunity to watch them together outside the lab.
They got out of the water and walked back towards him and he didn't make an attempt to hide that he had been watching them. Hodgins handed Cam a large towel and used the other one for himself. He sat down on his chair while Cam was still rubbing herself dry. Without speaking a word he next handed her a brush so she could comb out her long hair and exchanged the now wet towel on her chair with a dry one. She thanked him with a small smile, handed him the brush back and spread out the dry towel on her chair before she lay down. There was a routine and an understanding in their actions that left Booth a bit stunned. How long had they been together again?
"We just talked about tonight and we thought it would be nice to go out. How about you come along and we hit the sports bar, watch the hockey game tonight, eat steak and fries and hang out?" Hodgins asked him and Booth nearly regretted it that their display of silent communication had come to an end.
"I don't know," he said uneasily, not sure how much of this was Cam talking Hodgins into providing a distraction for him.
"Oh come on! I need someone to actually talk to while Cam is drooling over the players," Hodgins groaned and Cam playfully slapped his arm.
"Where do you want to watch it?" Booth asked, admitting to himself that it didn't sound too bad.
"Papa Joe's," Hodgins replied and Booth nodded approvingly. "Speaking of Papa: Think we should ask your dad to come along?" Hodgins turned to Cam.
"Why would you say that? Are you nuts?" she gasped shocked and Booth started laughing.
"We haven't heard from him in... a few days and I have this feeling that he might show up unexpectedly again if we don't take care of it beforehand," Hodgins defended himself.
"I made myself clear the last time that I don't want to see them for at least a year," Cam huffed. "My head hurts just thinking about dealing with one of them."
"They started popping up again?" Booth grinned.
"Oh yeah, even dumped their kids on our doorstep and tried to talk Jack into giving them money," Cam replied.
"So you got the Saroyan seal of approval?" Seeley asked Hodgins.
"Kind of. Tallulah wants me to marry her," he laughed.
"Tallulah is the youngest one, right?" Booth tried to remember.
"Not young enough not to fall in love with Hodgins," Cam laughed.
"Oh Parker asked me a while ago when you'd stop by again. Seems like you have your own little friend," Seeley told Cam.
"Send him over whenever he likes. I'm sure we'll come up with something to do for him," Cam nodded and softly nudged Hodgins to make it clear that she was talking about the two of them.
"I'm in. Would give me the opportunity to see you actually participate in a manly ballgame… in heels," he grinned.
"With all these kids suddenly popping into our life I'm sure I'll be able to tackle you sometime soon," Cam laughed.
"All these kids… maybe that's a sign," Booth said only for his own fun, wanting to see the panic written all over Cam's face when thinking about having her own kid. His mouth fell open though when he saw the look that passed between Hodgins and Cam.
"Maybe," the bug man only grinned while Cam shrugged and gave him a small smile. Booth was too stunned to say anything and then they all fell into an easy silence again. Cam started reading a book, Hodgins contented himself playing with her fingers with one hand while she did so and Booth watched them from time to time, hoping he would have what they had soon enough.
The next week Cam and Hodgins were back at the lab and Brennan and Booth had sent over a body from Illinois where they had been called to. Brennan was talking to the team from her hotel room via video feed and Wendell was unpacking the remains.
"The Butcher of Burtonsville?" the intern asked.
"That's what we called him," Brennan confirmed.
"Insect activity puts time of death at approximately 10 days ago," Hodgins let them know after taking a look.
"You should swab the dismemberment points - there could be trace evidence from the blade," Cam told him while she walked past him so close that he could smell not only her perfume, but also the scent of her hair- which was more than a pleasant surprise considering there was a rotting corpse not too far away.
"You know, you get very bossy when you don't have flesh to play with," he smirked at her, always happy to tease her a bit and flirt with her when he could without being inappropriate at the lab.
"I am the boss," she let him know with a smirk of her own.
"And he removed his victims' ribs because..." Wendell turned back to Brennan.
"He eats them. Barbecue," the anthropologist stated.
"You don't actually believe that," Cam exclaimed.
"There's no evidence of cannibalism. It's merely an urban legend," Bones said luckily.
"But they never found OUT who killed the girl in your class?" Hodgins wanted to know, intrigued already by yet another mystery that could be spun into his conspiracy theories.
"No. Sarah Tidwyler. Booth is getting the old case files to find links," Brennan replied.
"The stumps on the victims 4th and 5th ribs show evidence of hemorrhagic staining," the intern provided.
"So two ribs weren't sawed off," Cam concluded.
"Fractured and then snapped off it appears," Brennan confirmed when Angela came onto the platform.
"So, your high school is famous, Sweetie. The earliest reported mention of The Butcher of Burtonsville was in 1956. Young people were warned to avoid secluded locations at night, as there was a lunatic who killed and dismembered his victims, then barbecued and ate their ribs," she knew.
"Yet, until Sarah's murder it was just an urban legend - society's attempt to control behavior through a fear-based myth," Brennan said.
"This is very teenage slasher movie-ish," Hodgins said and was getting excited about it.
"Whatever blade was used left very clean and precise cuts," his colleague said in approval and Cam shook her head slightly.
"It's always a tad creepy when you admire the killer's handiwork," she told Brennan, but threw Hodgins a disapproving glance just for good measure.
"There appear to be some metal flakes embedded in the margins of the bone," Wendell told Hodgins later that day when he came into his lab with a tray.
"Ooh. Come to the king," he was instantly excited.
"Man. Social pressures, sports, sexual psychodramas; I'm surprised there aren't more murders in high school," the intern got comfortable, obviously wanting to chat for a while.
"Your high school sounds a lot more exciting than mine," Hodgins replied, thinking back to the boring boarding school he had spent his time at.
"Pretty tough place. A lot of violence, lot of drugs, lot of pregnancies," Wendell nodded.
"So you've been through the 'babydaddy' scare before?" Hodgins asked without thinking about it.
"Before? Before what?" Wendell asked and Hodgins realized that obviously Angela had once again kept some important info to herself. She still wasn't communicating in a relationship. It had slipped his mind and he internally slapped himself for assuming that Angela and Wendell had gone through the same progression as him and Cam and were openly talking about everything in their relationship.
"Oh, no..." he groaned when he realized his mistake. A second later Wendell left heading in the direction of Angela's office and Hodgins quickly followed him.
"Oooh. Ugh," he made and hurried past the intern, jogging through the lab.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I had no idea you hadn't told him. Big mouth and I am sorry," he said in a rush when he reached Angela's office and found her working on some sketch.
"Big mouth what?" she didn't understand what he was talking about. However when Wendell entered and looked upset she realized what Hodgins was apologizing for.
"Oh. Oh," she only said, staring at the two men in her office.
"You were pregnant?" Wendell blurted out and Hodgins turned to leave, running into the intern who was blocking his way.
"I was gonna... leave but you're kinda in my - you know, I'm gonna go around..," he stuttered, walked around Wendell and left the two alone in Angela's office. He walked back into his own lab and tried to work, but found he couldn't. His mind kept drifting to his mishap and he knew it wouldn't get better until he talked about it.
"You have a moment?" he asked Cam when he walked into her room.
"Sure, what's going on?" she asked him and looked up from her screen when he leaned against her desk, standing next to her.
"I didn't think and didn't keep my big mouth shut. I told Wendell about Angela's pregnancy scare," he admitted and sheepishly scratched his neck.
"She hadn't told him yet?" Cam asked astounded.
"I'm so glad you're saying this!" he sighed relieved. "It's not normal, right?" he wanted confirmation that he hadn't been stupid for assuming that Angela had told Wendell.
"I don't think it's normal, but then again it's Angela and she's anything but conventional. And I guess it's still her thing who she tells and who she doesn't," Cam shrugged.
"I didn't even think about it. I had said it before I even considered that she hadn't told him," he justified his mishap.
"Angela never asked you to keep your mouth shut did she?" Cam asked. "I assumed she told him as well."
"No, she never did. Actually when she told me she said that Wendell would be the next to know." He was slowly calming down, his voice getting calmer and the words not spilling out of his mouth as fast anymore.
"How did he react?"
"He went to Angela to talk to her. I told her I was sorry, but I don't know how she'll get out of this," he reported and then sighed deeply. "Will you help me flee if she comes after me?" he asked her.
"Always," Cam chuckled and glanced to her screen when she saw an email coming in.
"I'll let you get back to work then," he said and stood up straight, pushing himself away from her desk.
"We're on for lunch?" she asked him before he left.
"Sure," he nodded. "Any ideas?"
"I'd like to just grab some fruit over at the market. Haven't had that in a while," she suggested, knowing that he loved the fruit salad snacks just as much as she did.
"K, we can sit out at the park. It's nice out," he nodded and gave her a small wave when he saw her glancing nervously at her screen again. "Don't be late," he said with a wink.
"Pick me up at noon," she smiled at him and returned the wave when he left.
"I get your strawberries you get my blueberries?" Cam asked glancing at the red fruit in his cup longingly. She had already eaten hers, but she could never get enough of them, even if it meant sacrificing her blueberries.
"Your blueberries plus that one apple slice you have left," he replied.
"You're ripping me off!" she protested, then glanced at the strawberries again with a pout. "Fine," she finally muttered and held out the plastic cup to him so he could take out the apple slice. Just as he took it out her cell phone started ringing and with a groan she placed her fruit snack between them on the bench and picked up the call.
"Not fair calling my private cell just because I'm on my lunchbreak, Booth," she said as a greeting.
"It's a private call so I thought I'd call your private number," he replied.
"So why are you calling?" she asked and slapped Hodgins hand when he tried to steal her pineapple as well.
"You're in a hurry?" he asked her teasingly, speaking especially slowly.
"Jack is stealing my lunch," she complained and even to her own ears it sounded like whining.
"So, shoot him," Booth joked.
"I would, but then again I usually kind of like him," Cam said and glanced down to where her fruit had been and found the cup nearly empty. "Although at the moment not so much," she added darkly when she saw it. Hodgins only reacted by demonstratively eating one of his strawberries, making sure she saw it.
"Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you for the weekend," Booth changed the topic and pulled Cam back into the conversation.
"You know that you don't need to thank me for that," Cam replied. "How is it going now? Must be weird," she said referring to them being away together after what had happened.
"It's fine. We have separate rooms this time, that helps. And we've both kept our distance so far. Then again we are officially married when it comes to Bones classmates," he sighed.
"Call when you need someone to talk to," Cam told him and suddenly gasped when she saw that her fruits were all gone and all that was left was an empty plastic container.
"You're ok?" Booth wanted to know, wondering what those two were doing.
"He ate my fruit!" she exclaimed loudly and he had to hold the phone away from his ear.
"You remember that one spot I once told you about on the hand?" Booth asked her and Cam grinned.
"Oh yeah, I do. Thank you for reminding me," she grinned evilly at Hodgins so he knew that something was coming his way.
"Then I'll let you go so you can torture the bug man. Bye Cam," Booth said and hung up.
"Don't look at me like that! I'm not sleeping on the couch for eating some fruit," Hodgins laughed and held up his hands.
"That wouldn't be painful enough," she said darkly.
"Do you really think I would do that to you and eat your lunch?" he asked her then, giving her puppy eyes.
"Why are you even asking? I just saw you doing exactly that," she exclaimed.
"No, you saw me sacrificing myself by eating those last pieces of fruit, so you would still have room left," he paused and pulled another plastic cup out of the brown bag. "To eat these delicious strawberries that I bought for you earlier when you vanished into the shoe store," he laughed when he saw her eyes widen.
"God, I love you!" she sighed and kissed him deeply before she took the fruit from him and started eating.
"I have one more cup, but those will be for tonight, when we're alone," he winked at her. She kissed him in reply and the taste of strawberries on her lips gave him an idea about what awaited him.
After the lunch break Cam went on her usual round to see what the others had come up with.
"This is a cross section of the victims distal femur. As you can see, the kerf wall is smooth - indicating whatever blade was used, the size of its teeth were small," Wendell told her out on the platform.
"But it did have teeth, so we're looking for a saw of some type," she thought out loud.
"Judging by the bone loss from the cuts, a saw blade about 2 mm thick, I can't determine what type of blade yet, though," the intern confirmed.
"Let me know when you can," she told him and was about to leave when Hodgins came onto the platform, waving a report around.
"Whoa, hold on. Show and tell is not over yet," he started "So, we have got two particulates transferred during dismemberment - it's a pretty messy process, well, with all that blood spurting and muscles and sinews tearing...," he told her and she knew she had to stop him.
"Okay, we get it. What did you find?" she interrupted him.
"Well, after much effort - and expertise - I found calcium sulfate and flecks of 3003-H14 aluminum," he finally spit out.
"How are either of those, in any way, cooler than discovering the saw?" Wendell asked him challengingly.
"I'll let Dr. Brennan know that we are looking for a saw which can cut through metal. And you don't have to fight, you both did well," she told them before they could really start competing. Then she turned around and left them alone. "I run a kindergarten," she muttered to herself.
Later the same day, after they had found out how the victim had been killed Hodgins and Wendell were taking a coffee break together, knowing it would be a long day at the lab. Brennan and Booth had yet to go to the reunion and they were all waiting for news on how that would go. However at the moment Wendell had other problems, considering he had just told Hodgins that he and Angela had broken up.
"It's none of my business if you broke up with Angela," Hodgins said. He couldn't shake off the feeling that he was somehow still involved in all of this, although he was with Cam. Ever since Cam had mentioned that she thought that Angela tried seeking him out alone, he had paid more attention and had to admit that she might have a point. So just to make it clear he refused to take any blame in the break up between Angela and Wendell.
"It's your business because we're friends and it's kinda a big deal for me," Wendell pointed out though and he had to admit that he was right if you looked at it from that angle.
"Oh. Yeah. Right. Uh, I'm sorry. Of course. You know what? You - you need to - you need to go out. And get drunk, you know. Pick a fight. Steal a car. Come on. I got your back," he advised, not really knowing what to say.
"What I need is for you to know that I did my best, concerning Angela," the intern said honestly.
"Yeah. I know that already," Hodgins agreed.
"I haven't told you about it," Wendell sounded surprised.
"You don't have to; I know you," Hodgins said and moved over to the railing overlooking the platform.
"Someday, maybe we can talk about what kind of woman Angela is," the intern said carefully.
"Someday, yeah," Hodgins agreed with a smile. The kid needed some time however before they could do that in all honesty.
"I guess, somewhere I always knew she was just on loan," Wendell went on wistfully and Hodgins tried not to react. He wasn't sure if Wendell was implying what he thought he was implying.
"She is awesome, isn't she," he said instead, not wanting to go into the dirty details of Angela's commitment problem.
"It was totally worth it, man. I mean...," Wendell agreed.
"I know," Hodgins said and thought about his time with Angela. He didn't regret it, he never would and in the end he had somehow got Cam. That was all he cared for.
"I know you know," Wendell said and when he looked over he saw a smile forming on Hodgins face. He followed his look, nearly expecting to see Angela, but found Cam leaving her office instead. She seemed to feel their eyes on herself and looked up, smiled back at Hodgins without even realizing it. She changed her route and came up the stairs instead of going out to the elevator.
"Hey, you two. Nothing to do?" she greeted them.
"Just stopping for a short coffee break so we won't fall asleep later," Hodgins replied and showed her his mug. She stepped closer to him and took it from him, then sipped before she handed it back. Wendell watched them with interest. It had been a while since he had seen them together in a situation that wasn't work related. They were standing closer to each other than would be appropriate for a boss and co-worker situation and it seemed normal for them when she stole his mug and gave it back. Hodgins didn't even protest or react other than taking it back when she was done.
"I have a meeting in fifteen minutes, but I don't think it'll take too long," she told them and turned around to lean her arms against the railing beside Hodgins.
"Then we'll wait for and Booth to call from the reunion, see if something happens there?" Wendell asked.
"Yeah, but we'll push paperwork to tomorrow. Will take a while anyway," Cam nodded.
"Did you already call Michelle and tell her we won't be home for dinner?" Hodgins asked her and turned his head to look at her.
"I did and she wasn't happy at first, but later sent me a text message saying she'll stay the night at her friend's place, because there at least a regular dinner occurs that the teenager doesn't need to cook," Cam cited the message.
"Dramaqueen," Hodgins rolled his eyes. "It's been weeks since she last cooked for us."
"You tell her that, I'm in no position to say anything," she replied and checked her watch. "And now I have to go," she told them, gave Hodgins' arm a squeeze and smiled friendly at Wendell before she left. Hodgins turned his head and watched her walk away and down the stairs until she was out of sight. Then he sighed quietly, but still loud enough that Wendell heard it.
"Still really serious between you two, huh?" the intern grinned.
"She is just...," Hodgins trailed off, not knowing how to describe it. He had said that Angela was awesome, and she was, but Cam... "Wow," he finally just said for lack of something more sophisticated to say. "And we should get to work, before she kicks our butts when we're not done when she comes back," he added then and Wendell nodded.
Late at night they were all standing in front of a picture Brennan had taken of Booth holding a metal star in hand.
"So the star points have a 52 degree taper," Angela said.
"An exact match for the injuries found on the bones," Cam knew.
"Yeah, and the edging shows that the stars were cut by the same saw that was used to dismember the body," they went on.
"But there are multiple wounds. It's hard to believe that she was stabbed, repeatedly, with the star until she was killed," Hodgins voiced his doubts.
"Can you show us the placement of all the bone injuries?" Wendell asked Angela and she did.
"Stab wounds are usually localized," Cam said.
"Well, maybe there were multiple stars," Angela considered.
"There. Look. The picture from shop class," Wendell pointed out the drying rack.
"Okay, well this is the drying rack. Uh, this is where they placed the stars when the varnish was drying. So let's see if the points line up," Angela showed them.
"The wounds are so deep, falling wouldn't kill her," Wendell said.
"Well, unless somebody shoved her onto them," Angela replied and showed them once again the altered animation.
"That explains the two ribs that were broken and not cut. They were fractured when the murderer threw Evelyn onto the stars," the intern knew.
"Digging the stars into her bones and puncturing the pleural cavity, killing her," Cam nodded.
"Somebody really hated her," Hodgins agreed.
"Ok, then I'll tell Brennan and Booth about the results and we can all head home," Cam sighed and walked out of Angela's office, followed by Wendell who couldn't wait to leave.
"Hodgins wrote down some last minute notes on his report so he wouldn't forget it the next day and turned to follow the other two when Angela stopped him.
"Hey Jack," she started hesitatingly.
"Ange?" he asked her and turned back around.
"I know it's late, but do you maybe want to go out for a drink and talk?" she asked him. Of course he knew that this was about the break-up with Wendell. He hesitated for a moment, knowing that she might need someone to talk to. But then he thought of Cam and the evening he had planned. And he thought of the hints that Wendell had dropped and that he had ignored before. He needed to make it clear that she was a friend, a good friend, but that was all there was left between them.
"Sorry, Angela, not tonight. It's late and Cam and I still need to get something to eat. Maybe another time," he told her and left while she just nodded.
"You're alright? You seem a million miles away," Cam observed while they lay together in bed and she had her head propped up on one hand while the other drew circles on his naked chest.
"Just... forget it, I shouldn't even think about anything but you right now," he sighed, cupped her chin with his palm and guided her lips to his, kissing her softly. "You still taste like strawberries," his smile widened.
"Come on, tell me," she refused to let him distract her.
"It's about Angela. She and Wendell broke up today. Wendell told me and then later she asked me if we could talk and go grab a drink, but I brushed her off," he told her what was bothering him.
"And now you have a bad conscience about it," she concluded.
"I do," he nodded. "She's still a friend and I should be there for her when she needs me," he added.
"Why did you say no?" Cam wanted to know and placed a kiss in the middle of his chest, moving closer to him, so she could place one leg over his and adjust the sheet she had wrapped around herself to protect herself against the cool air.
"I guess I didn't want to ruin our evening. And I had already heard the story once from Wendell and I didn't feel like hearing it again from Angela, especially because she was the one who ended it," he said. Cam didn't reply, she just kept looking at him, her hands now both resting on his chest. "Wendell kept alluding that I was somewhat involved in it," he finally admitted.
"I told you Angela is still in love with you," Cam said softly.
"And I don't wanna hear it. I love you and she and I are friends and that's it. And if she ruins her relationship because of me, then I don't want to know about it, because it's none of my business if she doesn't get the hint that we're done," he replied and sounded frustrated.
"Maybe she really just needed someone to talk to because Brennan is out of town," Cam said.
"Weren't you supposed to make me feel better?" he asked her and raised his eyebrows.
"I think I made you feel pretty good a few minutes ago," she smiled at him and managed to make him laugh. "If it weren't so late, I'd say call her, but now you can only wait until tomorrow. If she still needs to talk she will seek you out again. Angela doesn't give up that easily," she added then.
"You're right," he agreed with another sigh and slung his arms around her middle before he rolled them over so he was on top. "One can't feel good often enough though," he grinned and kissed her deeply.
"No ice cubes this time," she muttered against his lips when he pulled the sheet away from her.
"No, just us," he agreed and started another round of feeling good.
The peace of mind lasted until the next evening for him. He hadn't seen Angela all day, all of them were buried in paperwork that they had neglected the day before. And Cam had been right, just when he was done for the day and packing up his things Angela showed up in his lab.
"Hey," she said.
"Hey," he said back.
"Did, um… did Wendell tell you?" she asked hesitatingly and he gave her a knowing look in reply. "Of course he did, you're friends."
"You okay?" he wanted to know.
"Yeah. Yes, I am. As you know, I have some experience in this area. And, I'd like to know if Wendell's alright?" she said and he had to smile.
"Well, he's doing much better than I did after we broke up," he admitted and his smile widened.
"Well, I don't want to be the kind of person who leaves this string of good-hearted guys behind her, ya know?" she told him and he kept the smile in place, seeing his opportunity to say what he had wanted to say for a while now.
"Ange, we broke up. Ya know. You did not dump me and Wendell is fine. And I gotta tell ya, I think you left him in - in better shape than you found him," he smiled.
"I don't know about that. I mean, I'm pretty sure he was born that way," she only half joked.
"Still. He is better for having known you, Angela," he told her honestly and put on his jacket.
"And how can you be sure?" she wanted to know.
"Because I've been there," he said with a grin and grabbed his bag and the reports he had just finished. "You coming to the bar tonight?" he asked her and switched off his microscope.
"Sure," she nodded.
"We can give you a ride if you want. It's Cam's turn to drive," he told her as they walked out of his lab.
"Wasn't it her turn the last time as well?" Angela laughed.
"Last time she was pregnant and couldn't drink anyway," he chuckled without any pain, showing her that he was finally over it.
"Sounds good, I'll just leave my car here," she agreed. "Just let me get my things."
"Meet you at Cam's office," he told her and walked in the opposite direction. "Ready to go?" he asked his girlfriend and handed her his report.
"Yes, just in time," she nodded and got up, placing his report on the stack with the others.
"Wow, you changed," he grinned, knowing she hadn't been wearing that short black dress before.
"Got blood on my blouse while weighing the organs," she reported.
"I like it," he grinned and held out one hand to her and pulled her close when she took it. He kissed her quickly but kept his arms around her as he went on. "I talked to Angela, she's riding with us."
"You talked about the other stuff as well?" Cam wanted to know.
"A bit. Told her I was better for having known her," he nodded and Cam raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Because she was the one who taught me some stuff about relationships and commitment that we can now make use of," he clarified and kissed her again, longer this time. For once Cam gave into his kiss at the lab, something she hadn't done in a while. She tightened her hold on him, wrapping her arms around his middle and deepening the kiss.
"You're done or shall I come back in half an hour?" Angela's voice came from the door and she grinned widely upon having caught them. They both just smiled and exchanged another peck before they grabbed their things and left the Institute.
The whole gang was gathered around a table at the Founding Fathers bar for a drink.
"Even ten or fifteen years later, you put the same people, in the same environments and the exact same interpersonal relationships pick up where they left off," Sweets said.
"Well, when the wall fell - the majority of KGB Agents kept their positions when the organization turned to other endeavors," Brennan knew.
"Are you saying that high school is like the KGB," Booth asked her and Cam, who was standing next to Brennan and Sweets was happy that they were still able to be around each other.
"Yeah," Hodgins grinned.
"Clandestine meetings, secret pacts, murder. Sounds like her high school," Cam agreed and took a sip of her water.
"Well, I tried to change their perception of me by telling them how rich and successful I've become but they still didn't like me," Brennan reported and Cam spit out her drink as the others started to laugh as well.
"Why would you tell them that?" Sweets asked her.
"You know what? She didn't do it right," Booth knew why it hadn't worked.
"You told her to do that," Hodgins saw right through him.
"Well, look. It had to be subtle," Booth defended himself.
"I am so never going to my high school reunion, ever," Angela told them all.
"I think it'd be fun to see how everybody turned out," Wendell disagreed.
"Oh, heck, yeah! I'd love to see how Suzanne Dowell turned out. Oh, man. She used to wear these jeans... must have been painted on," Hodgins exclaimed and his voice got dreamy as he remembered Suzanne. Cam just grinned.
"Stephanie Roberts and her little pink shirt," Sweets did his own trip down memory lane, only he didn't seem to come back.
"Dr. Sweets, are you still with us?" Cam teased him laughingly.
"Sorry," he blushed.
"Look, they didn't dislike you, Bones, they just didn't understand you. That's a big difference," Booth turned to Brennan.
"It didn't bother me. I found the reunion to be quite educational. And you were right. It was good to go back. It made me see how lucky I am. Now. This is what friendship is like; this table. I am very lucky," Brennan replied and looked around.
"Aww. Cheers!" Hodgins said and held up his drink and they all clinked glasses together.
"Cheers!"
"Salud!" Brennan said.
"You just had to say that in a language other than English," Booth teased her.
"I know someone else who usually does that," Cam said and threw Hodgins a look over the table.
"Come on, they all know you love me," he grinned back and they all had to laugh when she blushed and laughed out loud.
"We just always have to have one couple amongst us," Booth groaned and the rest laughed again.
"Next time you come over for a drink I won't even let you onto the premises," Hodgins threatened while laughing.
"Cam and I were friends before we even knew you existed," Booth shot back and switched placed with Brennan, wrapping an arm around Cam's shoulders.
"It's been a while, Seeley," she grinned up at him.
"We've known each other for a while as well," Angela grinned at Hodgins and tried to tease the other two the same way they were teasing him.
"What did I tell you this weekend at the pool?" he ignored Angela and walked over to Cam and Booth instead.
"Damn, I forgot," she grinned cheekily and stepped closer to Booth. Hodgins crooked his finger and moved it in a come hither way. She followed his invitation and grinned widely when he pulled her close and whispered in her ear "Mine."
"Oh right, now I remember," she giggled and turned back around in his arms so she was facing the table again.
"Can you get me my drink?" he asked her quietly and she leaned over the table and fetched it.
"Monsieur," she grinned when she handed it to him.
"Merci," he said and placed a kiss on her neck before they joined the friendly banter at the table again, his one arm still wrapped around her waist.
TBC
Chapter 17: Friends and strawberries
"Ha! I win!" Hodgins grinned proudly and held his hand out in Cam's direction, prompting her to hand over the Monopoly money she owed him. "Come on, pay up and hand over the street cards," he went on tauntingly. His forehead wrinkled in confusion when Cam reached behind her and pulled out some money that she had hidden underneath a pillow a while ago, when she still had had more money than him and Michelle.
"Sorry, honey," she grinned right back at him and handed him some bills before she put the rest of the money down beside the board where it belonged.
"You have a secret stash of money? Isn't that against the rules or something?" he asked and turned to Michelle seeking help. The teen was lying on the couch, playing with her phone and grinned when she heard them bickering. She had been kicked out of the game a while ago.
"As far as I remember I didn't read anything about where you have to put your money," she shook her head.
"Your turn," Cam told him and pushed the dice in his direction. Most streets belonged to her and so far he had only been lucky because she had landed two times in a row on streets he had already built hotels on. Still muttering under his breath he rolled the dice and winced when he saw the number.
"Boardwalk!" Cam laughed when he landed on the most expensive street where she had already set a hotel on. "Pay up bucko!" she said this time and held out her hand the same way he had done before.
"I'm so screwed," he muttered, because he knew that it would cost him nearly all of his money.
"I'm sure Cam would accept real money once you're out of fake bills. Paying the sum from your private account shouldn't be a problem," Michelle teased him from the couch.
"Remind me to call the contractor tomorrow and tell him that he doesn't have to come, because I'm bankrupt and lost all of my money to you," he said to Cam, who only laughed. The contractor was simply coming so the changes that needed to be done to the rooms that would soon be Michelle's could be worked on before they moved in.
"Considering that the house would be mine as well then, I don't think you should spend your last cents on a phone call," she stage whispered back at him and pulled him close for a quick kiss.
"Speaking of phone call: Did Perry call?" Michelle asked them and sat up.
"No, not that I know of," Cam said and Hodgins shook his head as well.
"He said he'd call. They should have landed over an hour ago and he still hasn't called," the teen complained.
"Maybe his plane got delayed," Hodgins shrugged.
"He could have called anyway," Michelle insisted.
"Young love," he sighed exaggeratedly to tease her.
"You really want me to comment on that?" she deadpanned and raised her eyebrows, making Cam laugh again.
"You're not helping," he accused her and pointed at her, but then had to laugh with her. "Your turn," he reminded her, motioning to the dice on the floor beside the board and kissed her again before handing it to her. Before she could roll it though the door bell rang.
"Who the hell is that?" Hodgins asked and checked his watch, pretty sure it was already really late and beyond the time that it was acceptable to stop by unannounced.
"If it's anyone with the last name Saroyan I officially give permission to shoot. Pure self-defense," Cam said while he got up and walked to the front door to check who was intruding so late on a Friday night.
"No, the last name is Booth. Permission to shoot anyway?" he asked her and had already pressed the button to open the gate.
"If Seeley's here this late something is wrong," Cam replied as she came up to him looking worried.
"Don't know if I wish it's work related or not," Hodgins said and wrapped an arm around her shoulders while they both walked to the front door.
"I hope it's nothing health related," Cam replied and felt Hodgins place a kiss on her temple to calm her a bit, before he opened the door.
"Can't get rid of you, man," Hodgins sighed exaggeratedly when he saw the FBI agent and tried to lighten the mood.
"Sorry, I just... can I talk to you?" Booth asked Cam uncharacteristically nervous, all his usual cockiness gone.
"Sure, but first come in," Cam nodded and stepped aside to let him in, Hodgins arm still wrapped around her. She gave his waist a squeeze before they both followed Booth inside and closed the door.
"This is not a house Hodgins, it's a palace," Booth said, turning around, taking in the entry way.
"You want a tour?" Cam asked him.
"Maybe later," he said and looked around uncomfortably, making it obvious that he wouldn't talk while Hodgins was still around. His perception of him had gotten better since he and Cam were back together and he saw she was happy, but they still weren't exactly best buddies.
"I'll help Michelle clean up the living-room. You can go into the study if you want," Hodgins told Cam as the silence once again spread.
"Thanks, Jack," she smiled slightly and pecked his lips.
"You want a beer?" Hodgins asked before he walked away and left the two in the hallway.
"No, thanks," Booth shook his head and followed Cam into the study. She switched on the light in the dark room and he firmly closed the door behind them. Without asking she walked to the bar that was hidden in a cupboard and took out a bottle of whiskey. She poured both of them a drink and handed one glass to him before she sat down in one of the big armchairs.
"Figured you could use something stronger. Usually we have these talks in a bar and get pretty wasted," she said with a small smile as he sat down in the armchair opposite of her.
"How do you know it's gonna be one of those talks?" he asked her, mirroring her small smile.
"I know you Seeley. Now spill it," she told him and handed him the bottle with booze when he emptied his glass with one gulp. He refilled it, swirled the liquid around watching it and then emptied it again.
"Bones and I saw Sweets today to talk about his book and his conclusions," he started while he refilled the glass once again. Cam waited, just looked at him and knew he would speak again when he knew what to say and how to say it. "His conclusion was based on the fact that the Eller case was the first time we worked together," he went on after another drink.
"I think you worked together before that, didn't you?" Cam asked and tried to remember the exact details of the case, but couldn't even come up with the victim's name. She hadn't been involved in it and only knew about it from Seeley. "Wasn't that when you finally got that judge?" she finally remembered.
"Yeah, it was," he nodded. "Did I ever tell you what happened between Bones and me back then?" he asked her.
"Not with so many words, but your behavior suggested that something happened," she grinned suggestively.
"We didn't sleep together," he defended himself and tried to destroy the suspicion she had. "We... kissed," he admitted though.
"And?" she wanted to know.
"And nothing. We started fighting and missed our moment," he said, pouring himself yet another drink.
"I don't think something that happened that long ago made you come here tonight and down the booze," she concluded and waited for him to fill the blanks.
"Sweets said that one of us had to make the first move. I'm the gambler so I did it. I kissed her outside the office and told her that I wanna be with her," he sounded slightly desperate and his tongue started to get heavy with all the alcohol he had consumed so quickly.
"And she told you off," Cam nodded and closed her eyes, knowing that he must be devastated.
"She said that she can't change and won't be able to give me what I want. I really thought we were ready for the next step," Booth said sadly. "She says that I'm the one who needs protection," he added as an afterthought.
"She doesn't want to break your heart. I think that means that she cares a lot about you," Cam said to offer some solace, but there really wasn't any.
"And what does that get me? She doesn't want to be with me. Whether it's because of her lacking feelings for me or because she doesn't want to break my heart in the future doesn't make a difference for me," he replied sadly and raised his eyebrows when Cam took the liquor bottle from him after he had poured himself yet another drink.
"Will you still be able to work together?" she asked and ignored his look and put the bottle back in the liquor cabinet.
"We've always been able to work together. And we didn't fight," he shrugged and placed his empty glass on the table in front of him.
"What kind of deal did you two make then? Try again in a year? Sit it out and wait until she changes her mind? Or will you try to convince her?" Cam asked as she sat back down.
"None of the above. I told her that I can't wait anymore," he shook his head as he said it to emphasize the fact that he just couldn't do it anymore.
"You're sure?" she asked disbelievingly, because in her opinion they were made for each other. Sure, she and Seeley had had fun, but even back then she had been able to see that he was in love with the pretty doctor.
"I don't want to be alone anymore and wait for her while I keep watching her date meaningless other guys. I tried it, I know now for sure that there is no point in waiting any longer. I just… I have to try and find someone else to fall in love with, marry, have a family," he didn't sound too convinced himself.
"You know I just want you to be happy with whomever that might be," she replied with a small smile, that was far from amused and more sympathetic.
"I know," he said and for a few moments there was silence. "Are you happy?" he asked her then. She didn't even need to think about it.
"I am," she nodded. "Very."
"I was worried about you for a while. Around Christmas. My gut told me something was off," he slurred even more now.
"Jack and I are ok now," she just said.
"You don't want to tell me what was wrong?" he sounded offended.
"Another time, Seeley. Right now you're drunk and probably won't remember anything I tell you tomorrow.
"I think you and Hodgins are good for each other, as weird as it still is for me to admit that. I hope he knows how lucky he is," Booth sighed.
"You can tell him once you're sober again," she laughed.
"I will," he nodded emphatically. "I should go now," he said then.
"You can't drive anymore," Cam shook her head when she saw how much he swayed when he got up. "I'll get a room ready for you," she added and was a bit surprised when he didn't even protest.
"I'm not tired yet," he piped up when she led him to the stairs.
"Ok, fine, then let's see what the other two are up to," she agreed and led him to the living room instead. When she pushed the door open she found Hodgins and Michelle standing in front of the TV in a familiar way. "Oh boy," she muttered when she saw them, knowing they were engaged in one of their video game competitions again.
"Wow, Guitar Hero, I love that game!" Booth exclaimed and stumbled over towards them.
"Dude, you're way too drunk to play," Hodgins laughed when he saw the FBI agent coming up next to him.
"I can beat you when I'm drunk and asleep," Booth huffed and grabbed for the plastic guitar that Hodgins held out of reach. "And I'm still armed," Booth growled and grabbed for it again.
"Man he's even more dangerous when he's drunk," Hodgins shook his head and handed the plastic guitar to the agent.
"Hit the button, Michelle," Seeley grinned and started playing with the teen while Hodgins walked over to Cam and sat down beside her on the couch and wrapped one arm around her shoulders pulling her close.
"Is he ok?" Hodgins asked Cam quietly, his breath tickling her skin as he whispered in her ear.
"I think he will be, but it might take a while," she replied and laced her fingers through his.
"He's staying here tonight?" he wanted to know next.
"Yes, I'm gonna go and get a guest room ready for him," she confirmed.
"You know where to find the sheets," Jack said and let her get up. "Looks like I'm still the guitar hero here, guys," he teased Booth and Michelle then and got up and joined them again.
"All done?" Cam asked Jack when he came into their bedroom later that night.
"Yeah, I threw Booth on the bed and then cleaned up the living room. Your daughter is messy," he reported and lay down beside her. And your friend Seeley kept telling me that I should be grateful that you love me," he said and raised his eyebrows questioningly.
"He and Brennan talked to Sweets today about his book and it brought up some old issues between them," she replied cryptically.
"He loves her, doesn't he?" he asked, but it sounded more like a statement. He rolled onto his side so he could see her better, mirroring her position.
"Yeah, but she's scared," she confirmed, now that he'd admitted that he already knew part of it anyway.
"I'm really happy we worked things out. Wouldn't want to trade places with the poor fool," Jack smiled, cupped her cheek with his hand and stroked his fingers over her skin.
"It saddens me to see him like this. It's been a while since I saw him happy and in love… actually I've never seen him that crazy for any woman," Cam mused and turned her head, pressing her lips against his palm for a moment.
"By the way: Perry called while you were talking to Booth. Means we can make plans alone tomorrow," he let her know.
"Did she kick his ass for not calling?" Cam grinned.
"I don't know what he told her, but her anger vanished quickly. You wouldn't have been as forgiving," he teased her with a smile and let his hand wander through her hair.
"No way, it's nice to have you begging for forgiveness," she chuckled and moved closer to him.
"Right back at ya," he laughed as well, rolled over and switched off the lights, before he turned back towards her and pulled her even closer to him.
"You have any ideas about what we could do with our day tomorrow?" she asked him in the darkness.
"First we have to get rid of our houseguest and Michelle," he pointed out.
"It's been a while since we used your pool and hot tub," Cam told him.
"Relax and then go to dinner at night? There's this new Spanish restaurant in the neighborhood," Hodgins asked.
"Sounds great. Good night Jack," she nodded against his chest and then leaned up and pecked his lips.
"G'night Cam," he replied, closed his eyes and loosened his grip on her a bit so she could sleep more comfortably.
"Look who finally fell out of bed," Michelle laughed when she saw Booth walking out on the patio, blinking against the sun and rubbing his aching head.
"God, why does it have to be sunny today?" Booth groaned in reply and sat down on an empty chair at the breakfast table.
"I'll get you a cup and a plate," Hodgins chuckled when he saw his face and got up.
"Add some Tylenol and a glass of water to that," Cam smiled knowingly.
"Duly noted. Anything else?" he asked.
"You could bring out the honey, now that you're asking," she said after thinking about it for a second.
"Sure," he nodded and leaned down to fetch a kiss in advance.
"Can you stop being like this? I'm already sick enough without having to watch you kiss the bug man," Booth grumbled when Cam deepened the kiss for a second.
Before Cam could reply Michelle looked up from her cereal. "Can we pretend that airplanes
in the night sky are like shooting stars? I could really use a wish right now..." she sang.
"Smart ass," Cam commented, Hodgins rolled his eyes and Booth laughed out loud for the first time since he had set foot into Sweets office the day before. "Is Perry coming over today? she asked then.
"He's picking me up later and we're going to the movies," Michelle said.
"And you? You wanna stay here today?" Cam turned her attention to Booth.
"And do what?" he wrinkled his forehead.
"Hodgins has an indoor pool and a steam bath in the basement," she shrugged.
"And soon that will all be mine," Michelle grinned smugly.
"What was that song about a wish?" Cam asked her pointedly.
"You plan on killing them?" Booth asked the teen.
"No, didn't Cam tell you that we're gonna move in?" Michelle replied.
"That doesn't mean that you own anything, just to make that clear," Cam insisted.
"He owns more houses than are good for him. He could just give me one. A small one," Michelle pouted jokingly. "He wouldn't even notice."
"I will give you the tool shed for your next birthday," Hodgins commented when he came out at that moment. "You would have your own house, a really small one and we could save the money for the construction work on the penthouse," he teased her.
"We could spend it on the new bedroom furniture we were talking about," Cam nodded in agreement.
"I hate it when you two gang up on me. It sucks," the teen pouted again.
"Try working when they keep making out in the office," Booth huffed.
"You think they're better here?" Michelle shot back.
"Jack, why don't we just kick those two nigglers out and enjoy a nice quiet weekend?" Cam turned to Hodgins.
"Sounds great. And we could make out wherever we want and how much we want," he agreed and ducked when Michelle threw a piece of her bagel in his direction.
"Ew!"
"Missy, I've had enough now," Hodgins said seriously as he wiped the bagel crumbs off his face and slowly got up. "First you cheat in video games, then you try to slowly take over my money, then you annoy us and as the last straw you start throwing bagels?" he stopped in front of her. Michelle was looking at him wide eyed, not sure if he was really annoyed with her now. She looked over to Cam, but her mother's face didn't give her any hint if Hodgins was joking or not. She was just about to open her mouth to apologize, when he suddenly grabbed her, pulled her off her chair and before she knew what was happening she found herself in the ice cold pool, still dressed in her pajamas. "You need some cooling off," Hodgins grinned and marched back to the breakfast table, where Cam was hunched over with laughter, while Michelle stood in the pool, unable to close her mouth.
"Good call bug man. I will remember that one for Parker," Booth grinned and the three adults resumed their breakfast while Michelle climbed out of the pool, already plotting how she could get her revenge.
That afternoon, sometime after Michelle had left, the two men lay on their deck chairs around Hodgins indoor pool with closed eyes and relaxed. The third chair was empty and the radio played in the background, informing them of the newest basketball scores.
"Guys, if you think I'm your personal maid for the day you're mistaken. Get your asses out of the chairs and clean up this mess," Cam lectured when she came in the room again, carrying three cans of beer. The time she had been upstairs doing laundry and getting herself something to drink had been enough for the guys to empty a bag of chips, leave crumbs everywhere between their chairs and throw the empty beer cans on the ground.
"Urgh," Hodgins only groaned, while Booth didn't even react and pretended to sleep.
"Now!" she used her don't-mess-with-me-voice.
"You're ruining our relaxing time," Hodgins muttered but got up and started cleaning up.
"You have no idea how much your relaxing time will be ruined if I step on wet chip crumbs," she replied darkly, then glared at her friend. "Seeley!" she barked and he finally opened one eye at least.
"I'm the guest," he shrugged and tried to use his charm smile on her.
"Don't even bother trying to charm your way out of this. It's been a while since that worked," Cam replied and sat down in her own chair, careful not to step into the mess on the ground.
"Good old times," the agent sighed with a smile that showed for once his comment wasn't referring to PG related memories only. That didn't slip Hodgins attention.
"Clean up," he barked and pushed the rubber trekker in Booths direction, nearly hitting him in the head with it. "I don't wanna see that smile on his face ever again, when he's thinking about you," he quietly told Cam and leaned over her when she lay down on her chair.
"You'd rather have him write a book about it?" she grinned overly sweet and opened her eyes again to see his reaction to her strike back. She still wasn't over the whole Angela-book- sex scene thing.
"You're mine," he growled and stroked his index finger over the exposed skin of her stomach, grinned when he made her shiver in reaction.
"You're going all caveman on me again?" she smiled, this time a real smile and didn't try to hide from him how much his behavior excited her.
"When you're jealous it's always natural and understandable. When I get jealous you accuse me of being a caveman," he replied and placed his palm on her upper thigh.
"Who said the caveman thing was a bad thing?" she grinned and raised her eyebrows.
"Ok, the caveman me says we're going swimming now," he smiled and picked her up. She didn't protest when he carried her to the water and then used the wide stairs to slowly walk into it with her still in his arms. She slung her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist as soon as they were in the water and his lips descended on hers.
Booth had watched their exchange while he had cleaned the floor and pushed the water and the crumbs into the drain on the other side of the room. He lay back down on his chair and couldn't help but watch them, when Hodgins carried her into the water and how tenderly Cam kissed him once they were in the pool. They swam side by side and never missed an opportunity to splash the other one with water or steal a kiss. Even his trained sniper eyes and ears couldn't make out what they were talking about so quietly as it was drowned out by the sounds of the water and the radio that still played in the background.
He felt jealous and happy at the same time while he watched them. He wanted what they had with Bones- his Bones. And he was happy for his friend that she had found someone who was obviously good for her. In the beginning he had thought that Cam would be too bossy for Hodgins, the guy who had bent and stretched to every wish Angela had ever had. And even though he had just witnessed bossy Cam around her boyfriend, he knew watching them that they were equals and that Hodgins must have found a way to get her to trust him completely.
She seemed softer when she was around him and let her guard down completely. It was nice to see, because he had never witnessed it before. In all the years he had known her he had never seen her allow someone to watch her back. She could be relaxed because she knew that Hodgins would protect her from whatever would come their way. Although he had stated earlier that they made out at the lab, he knew it wasn't true. They were really professional at the Jeffersonian and he had rarely had the opportunity to watch them together outside the lab.
They got out of the water and walked back towards him and he didn't make an attempt to hide that he had been watching them. Hodgins handed Cam a large towel and used the other one for himself. He sat down on his chair while Cam was still rubbing herself dry. Without speaking a word he next handed her a brush so she could comb out her long hair and exchanged the now wet towel on her chair with a dry one. She thanked him with a small smile, handed him the brush back and spread out the dry towel on her chair before she lay down. There was a routine and an understanding in their actions that left Booth a bit stunned. How long had they been together again?
"We just talked about tonight and we thought it would be nice to go out. How about you come along and we hit the sports bar, watch the hockey game tonight, eat steak and fries and hang out?" Hodgins asked him and Booth nearly regretted it that their display of silent communication had come to an end.
"I don't know," he said uneasily, not sure how much of this was Cam talking Hodgins into providing a distraction for him.
"Oh come on! I need someone to actually talk to while Cam is drooling over the players," Hodgins groaned and Cam playfully slapped his arm.
"Where do you want to watch it?" Booth asked, admitting to himself that it didn't sound too bad.
"Papa Joe's," Hodgins replied and Booth nodded approvingly. "Speaking of Papa: Think we should ask your dad to come along?" Hodgins turned to Cam.
"Why would you say that? Are you nuts?" she gasped shocked and Booth started laughing.
"We haven't heard from him in... a few days and I have this feeling that he might show up unexpectedly again if we don't take care of it beforehand," Hodgins defended himself.
"I made myself clear the last time that I don't want to see them for at least a year," Cam huffed. "My head hurts just thinking about dealing with one of them."
"They started popping up again?" Booth grinned.
"Oh yeah, even dumped their kids on our doorstep and tried to talk Jack into giving them money," Cam replied.
"So you got the Saroyan seal of approval?" Seeley asked Hodgins.
"Kind of. Tallulah wants me to marry her," he laughed.
"Tallulah is the youngest one, right?" Booth tried to remember.
"Not young enough not to fall in love with Hodgins," Cam laughed.
"Oh Parker asked me a while ago when you'd stop by again. Seems like you have your own little friend," Seeley told Cam.
"Send him over whenever he likes. I'm sure we'll come up with something to do for him," Cam nodded and softly nudged Hodgins to make it clear that she was talking about the two of them.
"I'm in. Would give me the opportunity to see you actually participate in a manly ballgame… in heels," he grinned.
"With all these kids suddenly popping into our life I'm sure I'll be able to tackle you sometime soon," Cam laughed.
"All these kids… maybe that's a sign," Booth said only for his own fun, wanting to see the panic written all over Cam's face when thinking about having her own kid. His mouth fell open though when he saw the look that passed between Hodgins and Cam.
"Maybe," the bug man only grinned while Cam shrugged and gave him a small smile. Booth was too stunned to say anything and then they all fell into an easy silence again. Cam started reading a book, Hodgins contented himself playing with her fingers with one hand while she did so and Booth watched them from time to time, hoping he would have what they had soon enough.
The next week Cam and Hodgins were back at the lab and Brennan and Booth had sent over a body from Illinois where they had been called to. Brennan was talking to the team from her hotel room via video feed and Wendell was unpacking the remains.
"The Butcher of Burtonsville?" the intern asked.
"That's what we called him," Brennan confirmed.
"Insect activity puts time of death at approximately 10 days ago," Hodgins let them know after taking a look.
"You should swab the dismemberment points - there could be trace evidence from the blade," Cam told him while she walked past him so close that he could smell not only her perfume, but also the scent of her hair- which was more than a pleasant surprise considering there was a rotting corpse not too far away.
"You know, you get very bossy when you don't have flesh to play with," he smirked at her, always happy to tease her a bit and flirt with her when he could without being inappropriate at the lab.
"I am the boss," she let him know with a smirk of her own.
"And he removed his victims' ribs because..." Wendell turned back to Brennan.
"He eats them. Barbecue," the anthropologist stated.
"You don't actually believe that," Cam exclaimed.
"There's no evidence of cannibalism. It's merely an urban legend," Bones said luckily.
"But they never found OUT who killed the girl in your class?" Hodgins wanted to know, intrigued already by yet another mystery that could be spun into his conspiracy theories.
"No. Sarah Tidwyler. Booth is getting the old case files to find links," Brennan replied.
"The stumps on the victims 4th and 5th ribs show evidence of hemorrhagic staining," the intern provided.
"So two ribs weren't sawed off," Cam concluded.
"Fractured and then snapped off it appears," Brennan confirmed when Angela came onto the platform.
"So, your high school is famous, Sweetie. The earliest reported mention of The Butcher of Burtonsville was in 1956. Young people were warned to avoid secluded locations at night, as there was a lunatic who killed and dismembered his victims, then barbecued and ate their ribs," she knew.
"Yet, until Sarah's murder it was just an urban legend - society's attempt to control behavior through a fear-based myth," Brennan said.
"This is very teenage slasher movie-ish," Hodgins said and was getting excited about it.
"Whatever blade was used left very clean and precise cuts," his colleague said in approval and Cam shook her head slightly.
"It's always a tad creepy when you admire the killer's handiwork," she told Brennan, but threw Hodgins a disapproving glance just for good measure.
"There appear to be some metal flakes embedded in the margins of the bone," Wendell told Hodgins later that day when he came into his lab with a tray.
"Ooh. Come to the king," he was instantly excited.
"Man. Social pressures, sports, sexual psychodramas; I'm surprised there aren't more murders in high school," the intern got comfortable, obviously wanting to chat for a while.
"Your high school sounds a lot more exciting than mine," Hodgins replied, thinking back to the boring boarding school he had spent his time at.
"Pretty tough place. A lot of violence, lot of drugs, lot of pregnancies," Wendell nodded.
"So you've been through the 'babydaddy' scare before?" Hodgins asked without thinking about it.
"Before? Before what?" Wendell asked and Hodgins realized that obviously Angela had once again kept some important info to herself. She still wasn't communicating in a relationship. It had slipped his mind and he internally slapped himself for assuming that Angela and Wendell had gone through the same progression as him and Cam and were openly talking about everything in their relationship.
"Oh, no..." he groaned when he realized his mistake. A second later Wendell left heading in the direction of Angela's office and Hodgins quickly followed him.
"Oooh. Ugh," he made and hurried past the intern, jogging through the lab.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I had no idea you hadn't told him. Big mouth and I am sorry," he said in a rush when he reached Angela's office and found her working on some sketch.
"Big mouth what?" she didn't understand what he was talking about. However when Wendell entered and looked upset she realized what Hodgins was apologizing for.
"Oh. Oh," she only said, staring at the two men in her office.
"You were pregnant?" Wendell blurted out and Hodgins turned to leave, running into the intern who was blocking his way.
"I was gonna... leave but you're kinda in my - you know, I'm gonna go around..," he stuttered, walked around Wendell and left the two alone in Angela's office. He walked back into his own lab and tried to work, but found he couldn't. His mind kept drifting to his mishap and he knew it wouldn't get better until he talked about it.
"You have a moment?" he asked Cam when he walked into her room.
"Sure, what's going on?" she asked him and looked up from her screen when he leaned against her desk, standing next to her.
"I didn't think and didn't keep my big mouth shut. I told Wendell about Angela's pregnancy scare," he admitted and sheepishly scratched his neck.
"She hadn't told him yet?" Cam asked astounded.
"I'm so glad you're saying this!" he sighed relieved. "It's not normal, right?" he wanted confirmation that he hadn't been stupid for assuming that Angela had told Wendell.
"I don't think it's normal, but then again it's Angela and she's anything but conventional. And I guess it's still her thing who she tells and who she doesn't," Cam shrugged.
"I didn't even think about it. I had said it before I even considered that she hadn't told him," he justified his mishap.
"Angela never asked you to keep your mouth shut did she?" Cam asked. "I assumed she told him as well."
"No, she never did. Actually when she told me she said that Wendell would be the next to know." He was slowly calming down, his voice getting calmer and the words not spilling out of his mouth as fast anymore.
"How did he react?"
"He went to Angela to talk to her. I told her I was sorry, but I don't know how she'll get out of this," he reported and then sighed deeply. "Will you help me flee if she comes after me?" he asked her.
"Always," Cam chuckled and glanced to her screen when she saw an email coming in.
"I'll let you get back to work then," he said and stood up straight, pushing himself away from her desk.
"We're on for lunch?" she asked him before he left.
"Sure," he nodded. "Any ideas?"
"I'd like to just grab some fruit over at the market. Haven't had that in a while," she suggested, knowing that he loved the fruit salad snacks just as much as she did.
"K, we can sit out at the park. It's nice out," he nodded and gave her a small wave when he saw her glancing nervously at her screen again. "Don't be late," he said with a wink.
"Pick me up at noon," she smiled at him and returned the wave when he left.
"I get your strawberries you get my blueberries?" Cam asked glancing at the red fruit in his cup longingly. She had already eaten hers, but she could never get enough of them, even if it meant sacrificing her blueberries.
"Your blueberries plus that one apple slice you have left," he replied.
"You're ripping me off!" she protested, then glanced at the strawberries again with a pout. "Fine," she finally muttered and held out the plastic cup to him so he could take out the apple slice. Just as he took it out her cell phone started ringing and with a groan she placed her fruit snack between them on the bench and picked up the call.
"Not fair calling my private cell just because I'm on my lunchbreak, Booth," she said as a greeting.
"It's a private call so I thought I'd call your private number," he replied.
"So why are you calling?" she asked and slapped Hodgins hand when he tried to steal her pineapple as well.
"You're in a hurry?" he asked her teasingly, speaking especially slowly.
"Jack is stealing my lunch," she complained and even to her own ears it sounded like whining.
"So, shoot him," Booth joked.
"I would, but then again I usually kind of like him," Cam said and glanced down to where her fruit had been and found the cup nearly empty. "Although at the moment not so much," she added darkly when she saw it. Hodgins only reacted by demonstratively eating one of his strawberries, making sure she saw it.
"Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you for the weekend," Booth changed the topic and pulled Cam back into the conversation.
"You know that you don't need to thank me for that," Cam replied. "How is it going now? Must be weird," she said referring to them being away together after what had happened.
"It's fine. We have separate rooms this time, that helps. And we've both kept our distance so far. Then again we are officially married when it comes to Bones classmates," he sighed.
"Call when you need someone to talk to," Cam told him and suddenly gasped when she saw that her fruits were all gone and all that was left was an empty plastic container.
"You're ok?" Booth wanted to know, wondering what those two were doing.
"He ate my fruit!" she exclaimed loudly and he had to hold the phone away from his ear.
"You remember that one spot I once told you about on the hand?" Booth asked her and Cam grinned.
"Oh yeah, I do. Thank you for reminding me," she grinned evilly at Hodgins so he knew that something was coming his way.
"Then I'll let you go so you can torture the bug man. Bye Cam," Booth said and hung up.
"Don't look at me like that! I'm not sleeping on the couch for eating some fruit," Hodgins laughed and held up his hands.
"That wouldn't be painful enough," she said darkly.
"Do you really think I would do that to you and eat your lunch?" he asked her then, giving her puppy eyes.
"Why are you even asking? I just saw you doing exactly that," she exclaimed.
"No, you saw me sacrificing myself by eating those last pieces of fruit, so you would still have room left," he paused and pulled another plastic cup out of the brown bag. "To eat these delicious strawberries that I bought for you earlier when you vanished into the shoe store," he laughed when he saw her eyes widen.
"God, I love you!" she sighed and kissed him deeply before she took the fruit from him and started eating.
"I have one more cup, but those will be for tonight, when we're alone," he winked at her. She kissed him in reply and the taste of strawberries on her lips gave him an idea about what awaited him.
After the lunch break Cam went on her usual round to see what the others had come up with.
"This is a cross section of the victims distal femur. As you can see, the kerf wall is smooth - indicating whatever blade was used, the size of its teeth were small," Wendell told her out on the platform.
"But it did have teeth, so we're looking for a saw of some type," she thought out loud.
"Judging by the bone loss from the cuts, a saw blade about 2 mm thick, I can't determine what type of blade yet, though," the intern confirmed.
"Let me know when you can," she told him and was about to leave when Hodgins came onto the platform, waving a report around.
"Whoa, hold on. Show and tell is not over yet," he started "So, we have got two particulates transferred during dismemberment - it's a pretty messy process, well, with all that blood spurting and muscles and sinews tearing...," he told her and she knew she had to stop him.
"Okay, we get it. What did you find?" she interrupted him.
"Well, after much effort - and expertise - I found calcium sulfate and flecks of 3003-H14 aluminum," he finally spit out.
"How are either of those, in any way, cooler than discovering the saw?" Wendell asked him challengingly.
"I'll let Dr. Brennan know that we are looking for a saw which can cut through metal. And you don't have to fight, you both did well," she told them before they could really start competing. Then she turned around and left them alone. "I run a kindergarten," she muttered to herself.
Later the same day, after they had found out how the victim had been killed Hodgins and Wendell were taking a coffee break together, knowing it would be a long day at the lab. Brennan and Booth had yet to go to the reunion and they were all waiting for news on how that would go. However at the moment Wendell had other problems, considering he had just told Hodgins that he and Angela had broken up.
"It's none of my business if you broke up with Angela," Hodgins said. He couldn't shake off the feeling that he was somehow still involved in all of this, although he was with Cam. Ever since Cam had mentioned that she thought that Angela tried seeking him out alone, he had paid more attention and had to admit that she might have a point. So just to make it clear he refused to take any blame in the break up between Angela and Wendell.
"It's your business because we're friends and it's kinda a big deal for me," Wendell pointed out though and he had to admit that he was right if you looked at it from that angle.
"Oh. Yeah. Right. Uh, I'm sorry. Of course. You know what? You - you need to - you need to go out. And get drunk, you know. Pick a fight. Steal a car. Come on. I got your back," he advised, not really knowing what to say.
"What I need is for you to know that I did my best, concerning Angela," the intern said honestly.
"Yeah. I know that already," Hodgins agreed.
"I haven't told you about it," Wendell sounded surprised.
"You don't have to; I know you," Hodgins said and moved over to the railing overlooking the platform.
"Someday, maybe we can talk about what kind of woman Angela is," the intern said carefully.
"Someday, yeah," Hodgins agreed with a smile. The kid needed some time however before they could do that in all honesty.
"I guess, somewhere I always knew she was just on loan," Wendell went on wistfully and Hodgins tried not to react. He wasn't sure if Wendell was implying what he thought he was implying.
"She is awesome, isn't she," he said instead, not wanting to go into the dirty details of Angela's commitment problem.
"It was totally worth it, man. I mean...," Wendell agreed.
"I know," Hodgins said and thought about his time with Angela. He didn't regret it, he never would and in the end he had somehow got Cam. That was all he cared for.
"I know you know," Wendell said and when he looked over he saw a smile forming on Hodgins face. He followed his look, nearly expecting to see Angela, but found Cam leaving her office instead. She seemed to feel their eyes on herself and looked up, smiled back at Hodgins without even realizing it. She changed her route and came up the stairs instead of going out to the elevator.
"Hey, you two. Nothing to do?" she greeted them.
"Just stopping for a short coffee break so we won't fall asleep later," Hodgins replied and showed her his mug. She stepped closer to him and took it from him, then sipped before she handed it back. Wendell watched them with interest. It had been a while since he had seen them together in a situation that wasn't work related. They were standing closer to each other than would be appropriate for a boss and co-worker situation and it seemed normal for them when she stole his mug and gave it back. Hodgins didn't even protest or react other than taking it back when she was done.
"I have a meeting in fifteen minutes, but I don't think it'll take too long," she told them and turned around to lean her arms against the railing beside Hodgins.
"Then we'll wait for and Booth to call from the reunion, see if something happens there?" Wendell asked.
"Yeah, but we'll push paperwork to tomorrow. Will take a while anyway," Cam nodded.
"Did you already call Michelle and tell her we won't be home for dinner?" Hodgins asked her and turned his head to look at her.
"I did and she wasn't happy at first, but later sent me a text message saying she'll stay the night at her friend's place, because there at least a regular dinner occurs that the teenager doesn't need to cook," Cam cited the message.
"Dramaqueen," Hodgins rolled his eyes. "It's been weeks since she last cooked for us."
"You tell her that, I'm in no position to say anything," she replied and checked her watch. "And now I have to go," she told them, gave Hodgins' arm a squeeze and smiled friendly at Wendell before she left. Hodgins turned his head and watched her walk away and down the stairs until she was out of sight. Then he sighed quietly, but still loud enough that Wendell heard it.
"Still really serious between you two, huh?" the intern grinned.
"She is just...," Hodgins trailed off, not knowing how to describe it. He had said that Angela was awesome, and she was, but Cam... "Wow," he finally just said for lack of something more sophisticated to say. "And we should get to work, before she kicks our butts when we're not done when she comes back," he added then and Wendell nodded.
Late at night they were all standing in front of a picture Brennan had taken of Booth holding a metal star in hand.
"So the star points have a 52 degree taper," Angela said.
"An exact match for the injuries found on the bones," Cam knew.
"Yeah, and the edging shows that the stars were cut by the same saw that was used to dismember the body," they went on.
"But there are multiple wounds. It's hard to believe that she was stabbed, repeatedly, with the star until she was killed," Hodgins voiced his doubts.
"Can you show us the placement of all the bone injuries?" Wendell asked Angela and she did.
"Stab wounds are usually localized," Cam said.
"Well, maybe there were multiple stars," Angela considered.
"There. Look. The picture from shop class," Wendell pointed out the drying rack.
"Okay, well this is the drying rack. Uh, this is where they placed the stars when the varnish was drying. So let's see if the points line up," Angela showed them.
"The wounds are so deep, falling wouldn't kill her," Wendell said.
"Well, unless somebody shoved her onto them," Angela replied and showed them once again the altered animation.
"That explains the two ribs that were broken and not cut. They were fractured when the murderer threw Evelyn onto the stars," the intern knew.
"Digging the stars into her bones and puncturing the pleural cavity, killing her," Cam nodded.
"Somebody really hated her," Hodgins agreed.
"Ok, then I'll tell Brennan and Booth about the results and we can all head home," Cam sighed and walked out of Angela's office, followed by Wendell who couldn't wait to leave.
"Hodgins wrote down some last minute notes on his report so he wouldn't forget it the next day and turned to follow the other two when Angela stopped him.
"Hey Jack," she started hesitatingly.
"Ange?" he asked her and turned back around.
"I know it's late, but do you maybe want to go out for a drink and talk?" she asked him. Of course he knew that this was about the break-up with Wendell. He hesitated for a moment, knowing that she might need someone to talk to. But then he thought of Cam and the evening he had planned. And he thought of the hints that Wendell had dropped and that he had ignored before. He needed to make it clear that she was a friend, a good friend, but that was all there was left between them.
"Sorry, Angela, not tonight. It's late and Cam and I still need to get something to eat. Maybe another time," he told her and left while she just nodded.
"You're alright? You seem a million miles away," Cam observed while they lay together in bed and she had her head propped up on one hand while the other drew circles on his naked chest.
"Just... forget it, I shouldn't even think about anything but you right now," he sighed, cupped her chin with his palm and guided her lips to his, kissing her softly. "You still taste like strawberries," his smile widened.
"Come on, tell me," she refused to let him distract her.
"It's about Angela. She and Wendell broke up today. Wendell told me and then later she asked me if we could talk and go grab a drink, but I brushed her off," he told her what was bothering him.
"And now you have a bad conscience about it," she concluded.
"I do," he nodded. "She's still a friend and I should be there for her when she needs me," he added.
"Why did you say no?" Cam wanted to know and placed a kiss in the middle of his chest, moving closer to him, so she could place one leg over his and adjust the sheet she had wrapped around herself to protect herself against the cool air.
"I guess I didn't want to ruin our evening. And I had already heard the story once from Wendell and I didn't feel like hearing it again from Angela, especially because she was the one who ended it," he said. Cam didn't reply, she just kept looking at him, her hands now both resting on his chest. "Wendell kept alluding that I was somewhat involved in it," he finally admitted.
"I told you Angela is still in love with you," Cam said softly.
"And I don't wanna hear it. I love you and she and I are friends and that's it. And if she ruins her relationship because of me, then I don't want to know about it, because it's none of my business if she doesn't get the hint that we're done," he replied and sounded frustrated.
"Maybe she really just needed someone to talk to because Brennan is out of town," Cam said.
"Weren't you supposed to make me feel better?" he asked her and raised his eyebrows.
"I think I made you feel pretty good a few minutes ago," she smiled at him and managed to make him laugh. "If it weren't so late, I'd say call her, but now you can only wait until tomorrow. If she still needs to talk she will seek you out again. Angela doesn't give up that easily," she added then.
"You're right," he agreed with another sigh and slung his arms around her middle before he rolled them over so he was on top. "One can't feel good often enough though," he grinned and kissed her deeply.
"No ice cubes this time," she muttered against his lips when he pulled the sheet away from her.
"No, just us," he agreed and started another round of feeling good.
The peace of mind lasted until the next evening for him. He hadn't seen Angela all day, all of them were buried in paperwork that they had neglected the day before. And Cam had been right, just when he was done for the day and packing up his things Angela showed up in his lab.
"Hey," she said.
"Hey," he said back.
"Did, um… did Wendell tell you?" she asked hesitatingly and he gave her a knowing look in reply. "Of course he did, you're friends."
"You okay?" he wanted to know.
"Yeah. Yes, I am. As you know, I have some experience in this area. And, I'd like to know if Wendell's alright?" she said and he had to smile.
"Well, he's doing much better than I did after we broke up," he admitted and his smile widened.
"Well, I don't want to be the kind of person who leaves this string of good-hearted guys behind her, ya know?" she told him and he kept the smile in place, seeing his opportunity to say what he had wanted to say for a while now.
"Ange, we broke up. Ya know. You did not dump me and Wendell is fine. And I gotta tell ya, I think you left him in - in better shape than you found him," he smiled.
"I don't know about that. I mean, I'm pretty sure he was born that way," she only half joked.
"Still. He is better for having known you, Angela," he told her honestly and put on his jacket.
"And how can you be sure?" she wanted to know.
"Because I've been there," he said with a grin and grabbed his bag and the reports he had just finished. "You coming to the bar tonight?" he asked her and switched off his microscope.
"Sure," she nodded.
"We can give you a ride if you want. It's Cam's turn to drive," he told her as they walked out of his lab.
"Wasn't it her turn the last time as well?" Angela laughed.
"Last time she was pregnant and couldn't drink anyway," he chuckled without any pain, showing her that he was finally over it.
"Sounds good, I'll just leave my car here," she agreed. "Just let me get my things."
"Meet you at Cam's office," he told her and walked in the opposite direction. "Ready to go?" he asked his girlfriend and handed her his report.
"Yes, just in time," she nodded and got up, placing his report on the stack with the others.
"Wow, you changed," he grinned, knowing she hadn't been wearing that short black dress before.
"Got blood on my blouse while weighing the organs," she reported.
"I like it," he grinned and held out one hand to her and pulled her close when she took it. He kissed her quickly but kept his arms around her as he went on. "I talked to Angela, she's riding with us."
"You talked about the other stuff as well?" Cam wanted to know.
"A bit. Told her I was better for having known her," he nodded and Cam raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Because she was the one who taught me some stuff about relationships and commitment that we can now make use of," he clarified and kissed her again, longer this time. For once Cam gave into his kiss at the lab, something she hadn't done in a while. She tightened her hold on him, wrapping her arms around his middle and deepening the kiss.
"You're done or shall I come back in half an hour?" Angela's voice came from the door and she grinned widely upon having caught them. They both just smiled and exchanged another peck before they grabbed their things and left the Institute.
The whole gang was gathered around a table at the Founding Fathers bar for a drink.
"Even ten or fifteen years later, you put the same people, in the same environments and the exact same interpersonal relationships pick up where they left off," Sweets said.
"Well, when the wall fell - the majority of KGB Agents kept their positions when the organization turned to other endeavors," Brennan knew.
"Are you saying that high school is like the KGB," Booth asked her and Cam, who was standing next to Brennan and Sweets was happy that they were still able to be around each other.
"Yeah," Hodgins grinned.
"Clandestine meetings, secret pacts, murder. Sounds like her high school," Cam agreed and took a sip of her water.
"Well, I tried to change their perception of me by telling them how rich and successful I've become but they still didn't like me," Brennan reported and Cam spit out her drink as the others started to laugh as well.
"Why would you tell them that?" Sweets asked her.
"You know what? She didn't do it right," Booth knew why it hadn't worked.
"You told her to do that," Hodgins saw right through him.
"Well, look. It had to be subtle," Booth defended himself.
"I am so never going to my high school reunion, ever," Angela told them all.
"I think it'd be fun to see how everybody turned out," Wendell disagreed.
"Oh, heck, yeah! I'd love to see how Suzanne Dowell turned out. Oh, man. She used to wear these jeans... must have been painted on," Hodgins exclaimed and his voice got dreamy as he remembered Suzanne. Cam just grinned.
"Stephanie Roberts and her little pink shirt," Sweets did his own trip down memory lane, only he didn't seem to come back.
"Dr. Sweets, are you still with us?" Cam teased him laughingly.
"Sorry," he blushed.
"Look, they didn't dislike you, Bones, they just didn't understand you. That's a big difference," Booth turned to Brennan.
"It didn't bother me. I found the reunion to be quite educational. And you were right. It was good to go back. It made me see how lucky I am. Now. This is what friendship is like; this table. I am very lucky," Brennan replied and looked around.
"Aww. Cheers!" Hodgins said and held up his drink and they all clinked glasses together.
"Cheers!"
"Salud!" Brennan said.
"You just had to say that in a language other than English," Booth teased her.
"I know someone else who usually does that," Cam said and threw Hodgins a look over the table.
"Come on, they all know you love me," he grinned back and they all had to laugh when she blushed and laughed out loud.
"We just always have to have one couple amongst us," Booth groaned and the rest laughed again.
"Next time you come over for a drink I won't even let you onto the premises," Hodgins threatened while laughing.
"Cam and I were friends before we even knew you existed," Booth shot back and switched placed with Brennan, wrapping an arm around Cam's shoulders.
"It's been a while, Seeley," she grinned up at him.
"We've known each other for a while as well," Angela grinned at Hodgins and tried to tease the other two the same way they were teasing him.
"What did I tell you this weekend at the pool?" he ignored Angela and walked over to Cam and Booth instead.
"Damn, I forgot," she grinned cheekily and stepped closer to Booth. Hodgins crooked his finger and moved it in a come hither way. She followed his invitation and grinned widely when he pulled her close and whispered in her ear "Mine."
"Oh right, now I remember," she giggled and turned back around in his arms so she was facing the table again.
"Can you get me my drink?" he asked her quietly and she leaned over the table and fetched it.
"Monsieur," she grinned when she handed it to him.
"Merci," he said and placed a kiss on her neck before they joined the friendly banter at the table again, his one arm still wrapped around her waist.
TBC