So this is my new story. It's a fluff filled case file. As always, I encourage you to leave me a review of your thoughts. I love to hear what you guys out there think.

Dr Temperance Brennan, renowned forensic anthropologist and author, was seated on the floor in front of the couch in her office at the Jeffersonian Institute. What seemed like mountains of papers were strewn around her and a box of animal crackers sat open beside her leg within easy reach. As she scrutinised an official report on a recent find in Asia that she was involved in, her free reached into the box and pulled a cracker out. Without taking her eyes from the report Temperance bit into the cracker but almost choked on it when a voice startled her.

"I go on vacation for one week and you resort to crackers for dinner?" Special Agent Seeley Booth strode into Brennan's office and made his way to her, flopping down on the couch. She coughed to clear her throat and put down the paper she was examining.

"How was your vacation?" Brennan asked as she pushed herself up onto the couch beside him.

"You know, a week of fun, sun and relaxation." He looked at her and the quizzical expression on her face. "Right, I forgot. On your vacations you like to ID dead bodies." He spoke seriously but broke into a grin when he saw the petulant look on her face.

"I brought you a present." He sang, instantly changing the mood in the room. Brennan noticed for the first time the small brown paper bag in his hand. She looked at the bag then at him.

"Why?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Because that's what friends do. They bring back gifts from their vacation for their friends. A token to show they were thinking of them when they were away."

"You thought about me?" Brennan blurted out. Booth was momentarily stunned. Boy did I think about you he swallowed hard.

"Well, you know." Booth shrugged, trying to brush it off. "Here." He thrust the bag at her in an attempt to get out of answering her question. She seemed to accept that he wasn't going to answer and instead turned her attention to her gift. He stared at her intently as she opened the bag and peered inside.

Booth felt a small flutter in his stomach when he saw Temperance's eyes light up as she pulled her gift from the bag. Her eyes grew wider as she was fully able to see the contents of the bag.

"Booth." She exhaled. Held in her hands was a necklace; a thick round leather strap with a large circular bronze pendant attached to it. The pendant had an intricate native Mexican design engraved on it. "It's beautiful." She said softly as she examined the pendant more closely.

"Thank you." She finally lifted her eyes to meet his and she saw how his eyes were sparkling. She knew that Booth was pleased he had picked out something she would like.

"It's nothing Bones, just a token from Mexico." He shrugged. Her next actions took him by surprise though. She swiftly removed the beaded necklace she was already wearing and began to put on his gift on her. She struggled to clasp it together at the back with the small metal fixing so Booth leaned forward and slid his hands behind her neck. Trying not to let his feelings show, Booth concentrated on fastening the necklace and not how close his lips were to Brennan's or how if he moved just an inch or so to the left he could brush those full lips with his. Finally, the necklace snapped closed and Booth pulled back, accidentally on purpose running his fingers through her soft hair. Brennan's hand rose to feel the pendant on her chest as she dragged her eyes up to once again meet his.

"I really love it Booth." She smiled.

"Don't get too gushy on me Bones. You might consider this a bribe."

"A bribe?" she queried.

"Cullen called when I was on my way over." Booth rose to his feet. "We have a new case."

"Are you even back at work officially yet?" Brennan asked. As she rose to her feet she retrieved the box of crackers from the floor.

"No but when has that ever stopped Cullen." Booth laughed lightly. "And for God's sake Bones, loose the animal crackers." He reached for them and snatched the box out of her hand.

"I was hungry." Brennan made a futile attempt to get them back but Booth held the box high above his head.

"I'll buy you dinner on the road." He waggled his eyebrows and grinned.

"On the road?" she asked curiously, lowering her hands and ending her attempt to get the cracker box back.

"We're going to Virginia." He flashed his eyebrows and smirked. "Come on Bones, you've had a week to catch up on your paperwork, don't give me some excuse about being busy." He could see the wheels in her head turning.

"I wasn't going to say that." She planted her hands on her hips. "I was simply going to tell you I have to make a call before we leave." Her lips formed a pout and Booth felt his heart flutter.

"A call?"

"I have…a dinner." Brennan admitted. "I need to reschedule." Booth immediately stopped smiling. She has a dinner? What kind of dinner? Is she dating someone?

"Who's the lucky guy?" he tried to sound light hearted.

"No one you know." Brennan smiled widely and walked around Booth to her desk. He thinks I'm seeing someone she grinned on the inside. Making Booth jealous was one of those games she swore she would never play. But he was too easy to do it with and it felt good to know he got so worked up when there was another man in her life. With Booth pretending he wasn't paying any attention, Brennan picked up her phone and dialled a number.

"Hi, it's Temperance. I'm afraid something has come up and I can't make our dinner. Call me back and we'll reschedule." She put the phone down and lifted her eyes to look at Booth. There was no mistaking the jealousy in his eyes and for a moment Brennan felt guilty. But as soon as she met his eyes, whatever had been showing in them disappeared and he returned to looking like he always did.

"Give me a few minutes and I'll get my things." She nodded.

"Not a problem. I have to pay the squints a visit anyway." He grinned and took off out the office. It was only as he left that

Brennan noticed him picking up a large brown bag which he had obviously left at the door when he came in. She wondered what was in the bag and what he had to see her team about.

XxXxXxXxX

Booth strode out to the centre platform where Angela, Hodgins and Zach were working. Well perhaps working wasn't quite the right way to describe what they were doing. Angela was speedily sketching on a large artists pad while Zach and Hodgins appeared to be arguing over a set of remains.

"Booth, nice to see you. You look well rested." Angela greeted him with a smile and hug when he was standing on the platform beside her.

"Welcome back man." Hodgins nodded, giving Zach a shove and mumbling something about 'personal space'.

"How was your vacation?" Zach asked. Booth couldn't help but notice how Zach asked exactly the same question as Brennan did. Sometimes he thought Zach was turning out a little too like his partner than he should.

"It was great." Booth replied. "Mojitos by the pool, hot summer sun…" Booth raised his eyes to the ceiling as he recalled his time away. Zach followed his gaze, wondering what Booth was looking at.

"What's in the bag?" Angela asked as she leaned forward to try and peer into the bag.

"Oh this? Just a few things I brought back for you." Booth grinned and looked at the squints to see the shocked expressions on their faces. He knew this would catch them off guard.

It had occurred to him during his vacation that in the last few months he had spent more of his time, working or otherwise, with the squints than he had his FBI colleagues or other friends. Without realising it, he had come to regard them as friends and not just his partners' team. What had truly surprised him was how that made him feel. A year ago he would have been worried that his closest friends were a bunch of squints but now he was proud to call them his friends, strange as they could be.

"Zach." Booth reached into the bag and pulled out a traditional straw sombrero, passing it to Zach who looked quite stunned.

"A sombrero." He stated. "In Mexican society, peasants wore sombreros made from straw while the wealthy wore ones made of felt. It was a status symbol. They are rarely worn in modern society however, except in traditional festivals and celebrations." Zach nodded. "Thank you Agent Booth." Zach began examining the sombrero and the design woven around the rim.

"It's just a hat." Booth shrugged to maintain an air of nonchalance whilst inside feeling pleased that the young scientist seemed to like the gift. "Hey Hodgins." Booth passed Hodgins a glass container with a cactus inside.

"Wow, a Strombocactus disciformis." Hodgins studied the rare species of cactus with bright pink flowers emerging from the top of the bulb shaped plant. "How did you get this into the country?" he asked in awe.

"I work for the Government. A badge gets you a lot of things." Booth laughed. He could see Hodgins' mind spinning as the bug man thought about bureaucracy, red tape and how easily an FBI Agent could get around it.

"And for the lovely Angela." Booth reached back into the bag for one last gift and pulled out a rolled piece of canvas. He handed it to her and watched as she delicately unrolled the canvas to reveal a stunning native Mexican painting, the subject of which was a beautiful landscape in the south of the country.

"This is a Maria Izquierdo piece!" she exclaimed. "I love it!" Angela exclaimed before throwing her arms around Booth.

"You guys don't get souvenirs very often do you?" Booth chuckled as Angela hung onto him.

Across the lab, Brennan had watched the whole exchange. She smiled widely as she saw that Booth had brought gifts for her friends too, and ones that they would truly appreciate. That meant he had thought of them too. She felt her heart warm as she recalled how Booth had initially hated working with her colleagues because he didn't understand them but how, over the last two years, all that seemed to have changed. Judging by this, he did indeed consider them his friends; friends he knew well based on their reactions to their souvenirs.

"Hey Bones!" Booth spotted Brennan at the door to her office as he stepped away from Angela. "Let's go." He left the squints and jogged down the stairs to meet Brennan as she strode across the floor with a large bag in her hand, the heels on her boots making a loud clicking noise as she walked.

"Angela, Booth and I are going to…" she turned to Booth, realising he only told her they were going to Virginia.

"South Hill, Virginia." Booth told her. Brennan checked her watch and given driving time and examination of the crime scene, it was unlikely they would return to D.C that night.

"Right, we'll be gone overnight." She told Angela.

"Maybe longer." Booth added with a suggestive flash of his eyebrows.

"I'll call you when I know more." Brennan added before sending Booth a glare of disapproval for his innuendo.

"Okay Sweetie." Angela waved the pair off then turned to Zach and Hodgins. "You know what this means." She groaned.

"We're going to be working tonight." Hodgins rolled his eyes. "And I was looking forward to our night out." Angela stepped forward and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, disappointed herself that they would miss out on dinner and dancing.

"I didn't have plans." Zach shrugged.

If you can spare a minute, send me a review and let me know what you liked (or didn't if that be the case). Constructive criticism is welcome, flames are not :)