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telarynTitle: Exposed
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
telaryn
Word Count: 758
Fandom: Bones
Characters: Hodgins/Angela (post breakup, pre-marriage)
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Mild spoilers for the episode "The Hero In the Hold".
Disclaimer: No ownership implied, no profit obtained.
Summary: Hodgins' theft of evidence in the Gravedigger case conceals a deeper, more lasting set of scars.
Author's Note: Written for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
angst_bingo, for the wildcard prompt "post-traumatic stress disorder". This is my very first attempt writing in the Bones fandom; if you can't tell, I'm a major Hodgins/Angela 'shipper. *g*
“You don’t trust him?”
“No I don’t.”
It was like the air had been sucked out of the room. I thought she would understand. Brennan, of all people, should have understood what drove him to do what he’d done. She knew how it felt – the soft, deadly darkness that overtook you as carbon dioxide replaced the oxygen in your lungs and you became too weak to fight.
She walks with death every day. Maybe it had warped her in a way he’d escaped, safe with his bugs and slime. Maybe she didn’t wake every few nights in a cold sweat, convinced she was back in that car, hovering on the verge of death herself…no salvation…no hope…
“Jack?”
He flinched away from her before he could stop himself. Angela…God… Hodgins knew as their eyes met that his shame was on his face, mingled with his guilt for her to see. “I thought you went with Brennan,” he said, turning away from her and grasping desperately for some measure of control.
“Are you okay?” Undaunted, Angela moved around him – forcing him to look at her. “Jack?”
She’d been his shield against the attacks at first. As long as they’d been together, he’d been able to forget what the Gravedigger had done to him. Now that they were over…It’s not her problem. “I’m fine,” he said, meeting her gaze as squarely as he could. “We should get to work – we don’t have a lot of time.” He started to walk past her, but she had his scent now, and Angela had never given up once she set her mind on something.
She caught his arm, pulling him back. “Don’t.” She shook her head, concern flooding her large, dark eyes. “Don’t shut me out. This is more than you getting caught with your hand in the cookie jar, Jack. Spill.”
The tears were coming, and he wouldn’t be able to stop them. “Ah, damn,” he breathed, knuckling his eyes for a moment. This is gonna be a big one. “I didn’t…” he began.
limbs growing heavy…black…so black…all the intelligence and power and money in the world wouldn’t save him from a chance encounter with a maniac…
He let go everything else, and focused on his breathing as best he could. He’d found if he let his lungs do what they wanted during one of these attacks, nine times out of ten he hyperventilated himself into unconsciousness. We don’t have time. Booth doesn’t have time.
In…out…in…out…
He had no idea how long he stayed trapped in his own head, back in Brennan’s car hovering on the very brink of death. When reality began to tentatively creep back into his awareness, Hodgins realized he was on the floor of the lab, with Angela hugging him to her chest.
“I’m here. You’re safe. You’re safe. I’m here.” She was repeating it over and over, like a prayer for his damaged soul. Shaking with the after-effects of his attack, Hodgins let himself lean into her embrace for a few more minutes.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered, wiping at his eyes and struggling to sit up. “God, Ange…I didn’t…I don’t…”
“Shh…” She let him go, but gently combed her fingers through his curls. The gesture was soothing, and softened the reproach in her voice when she said, “You should have told me.”
He sighed heavily. “I was hoping I’d catch this bastard, and I’d never have to tell anyone.”
Her brow furrowed. “You weren’t like this when we were together.”
“You can be very distracting.” He smiled ruefully.
Angela looked pleased at the compliment, but clearly wasn’t going to be dissuaded. “We should tell Brennan.”
Panic shot through Hodgins, and he scrambled to his feet. “No. Absolutely not.” He cut her off when she tried to speak. “Angela, I’m serious. She already thinks I’m compromised. If she finds out about this, she and Cam’ll kick me off the case.”
Still unconvinced, Angela looked up at him. “Don’t you think you’d be better sitting this one out?”
He shook his head. “I need to do this. Please, Angela.” His whole body ached, but Hodgins knew if he walked away it would cripple something inside him. Something I might never be able to fix.
Finally she reached up a hand, and he obligingly pulled her to her feet. “All right,” she said. “Brennan said you shouldn’t be left alone anyway.”
Overcome with relief, Hodgins embraced her tightly. “Thank you,” he whispered.
He could almost feel her smiling as she hugged him back. “Well, I hear I can be very distracting.”
Author:
telarynWord Count: 758
Fandom: Bones
Characters: Hodgins/Angela (post breakup, pre-marriage)
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Mild spoilers for the episode "The Hero In the Hold".
Disclaimer: No ownership implied, no profit obtained.
Summary: Hodgins' theft of evidence in the Gravedigger case conceals a deeper, more lasting set of scars.
Author's Note: Written for
angst_bingo, for the wildcard prompt "post-traumatic stress disorder". This is my very first attempt writing in the Bones fandom; if you can't tell, I'm a major Hodgins/Angela 'shipper. *g*“You don’t trust him?”
“No I don’t.”
It was like the air had been sucked out of the room. I thought she would understand. Brennan, of all people, should have understood what drove him to do what he’d done. She knew how it felt – the soft, deadly darkness that overtook you as carbon dioxide replaced the oxygen in your lungs and you became too weak to fight.
She walks with death every day. Maybe it had warped her in a way he’d escaped, safe with his bugs and slime. Maybe she didn’t wake every few nights in a cold sweat, convinced she was back in that car, hovering on the verge of death herself…no salvation…no hope…
“Jack?”
He flinched away from her before he could stop himself. Angela…God… Hodgins knew as their eyes met that his shame was on his face, mingled with his guilt for her to see. “I thought you went with Brennan,” he said, turning away from her and grasping desperately for some measure of control.
“Are you okay?” Undaunted, Angela moved around him – forcing him to look at her. “Jack?”
She’d been his shield against the attacks at first. As long as they’d been together, he’d been able to forget what the Gravedigger had done to him. Now that they were over…It’s not her problem. “I’m fine,” he said, meeting her gaze as squarely as he could. “We should get to work – we don’t have a lot of time.” He started to walk past her, but she had his scent now, and Angela had never given up once she set her mind on something.
She caught his arm, pulling him back. “Don’t.” She shook her head, concern flooding her large, dark eyes. “Don’t shut me out. This is more than you getting caught with your hand in the cookie jar, Jack. Spill.”
The tears were coming, and he wouldn’t be able to stop them. “Ah, damn,” he breathed, knuckling his eyes for a moment. This is gonna be a big one. “I didn’t…” he began.
limbs growing heavy…black…so black…all the intelligence and power and money in the world wouldn’t save him from a chance encounter with a maniac…
He let go everything else, and focused on his breathing as best he could. He’d found if he let his lungs do what they wanted during one of these attacks, nine times out of ten he hyperventilated himself into unconsciousness. We don’t have time. Booth doesn’t have time.
In…out…in…out…
He had no idea how long he stayed trapped in his own head, back in Brennan’s car hovering on the very brink of death. When reality began to tentatively creep back into his awareness, Hodgins realized he was on the floor of the lab, with Angela hugging him to her chest.
“I’m here. You’re safe. You’re safe. I’m here.” She was repeating it over and over, like a prayer for his damaged soul. Shaking with the after-effects of his attack, Hodgins let himself lean into her embrace for a few more minutes.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered, wiping at his eyes and struggling to sit up. “God, Ange…I didn’t…I don’t…”
“Shh…” She let him go, but gently combed her fingers through his curls. The gesture was soothing, and softened the reproach in her voice when she said, “You should have told me.”
He sighed heavily. “I was hoping I’d catch this bastard, and I’d never have to tell anyone.”
Her brow furrowed. “You weren’t like this when we were together.”
“You can be very distracting.” He smiled ruefully.
Angela looked pleased at the compliment, but clearly wasn’t going to be dissuaded. “We should tell Brennan.”
Panic shot through Hodgins, and he scrambled to his feet. “No. Absolutely not.” He cut her off when she tried to speak. “Angela, I’m serious. She already thinks I’m compromised. If she finds out about this, she and Cam’ll kick me off the case.”
Still unconvinced, Angela looked up at him. “Don’t you think you’d be better sitting this one out?”
He shook his head. “I need to do this. Please, Angela.” His whole body ached, but Hodgins knew if he walked away it would cripple something inside him. Something I might never be able to fix.
Finally she reached up a hand, and he obligingly pulled her to her feet. “All right,” she said. “Brennan said you shouldn’t be left alone anyway.”
Overcome with relief, Hodgins embraced her tightly. “Thank you,” he whispered.
He could almost feel her smiling as she hugged him back. “Well, I hear I can be very distracting.”
Tags:
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
13/5/11 00:22 (UTC)(no subject)
13/5/11 00:27 (UTC)Effing enabler. *g*
(no subject)
13/5/11 00:32 (UTC)