I t seemed to be so easy to nod her head as he said he just needed some time, . . .to get back into a good place and not be angry any more. And yet, here she was, for fourth time this morning monitoring exactly how close they were sitting, how much she smiled, how long she looked into those amazing pools of chocolate that were his eyes.

She knew that it created tension in their working relationship, and he didn't understand it. She sighed and looked across her apartment at Booth, catching him staring quizzically at her.

"Did you find something?"

He wished to hell she had, as this pregnant silence was killing him. Ever since last month when they were caught in the elevator, she seemed to be off. If you didn't know her, you would never notice it. "But I know every pout, pursed lip, and tell tale sweep of your bangs, don't I Bones," he thought. She had said that she was becoming "less impervious" and wanted a relationship, but with Bones it was always a little hit and miss when it came to the definition of that word.

"No, I'm tired, I'm hungry, and I think that there is very little chance that going through these files for the 3rd time is going to get us anywhere. I am very thorough, I told you I wouldn't have missed something." The Bureau is just going to have to find another way to investigate this one."

She sighed again. If it were not for the fact that this case involved a young missing child, who looked so forlorn in the Child protective services file, she would have stopped long ago. Looking at Madelyn's photo brought up tortured memories of her families loss when she was sixteen. At least she was nearing adulthood when she had been thrown into the system, poor Madelyn was only eight.

"Who could do something to such a sweet looking child? Madelyn was only 8 years old!"

He grunted, smiling that sad half crooked smile he always did when he was reminded of his son, Parker. He knew that this one hit a little close to home for his partner. Trying to lighten the mood, he commented "I bet Parker would have loved playing with her, she has a little mischievous look about her eyes, don't you think? And we only found blood, and hair, not an actually body, so she may still be somewhere out there."

As he looked at her sad eyes, her drooping lids, his physically felt his need to care for her switch into overdrive. She was exhausted, mentally and physically and needed food and rest.

"Listen Bones, why don't we go grab some dinner, and get you to bed, I know you have had a long week with all your lectures and book thingies"

"Book thingies, what exactly are you describing as a book thingies" she smirked.

"Oh hell, Bones, you know… your book signings, and fancy movie première parties," Which by the way, you never invite anyone but Angela to, I might add!"

Bones looked up at him in surprise, as she started to grab her jacket and keys. "Would you have wanted to come to any of those? I figured they were boring to you, and plus, you would have had to rent a tuxedo."

He stood up and stood right in front of her, nose to nose. "I will have you know, my best selling author partner, I actually OWN a monkey suit, and could have gone at any time. I just don't have a partner that thinks she can take me to any of those fancy smancy dinners!"

"Booth!" breaking his stare as she furiously attempted to halt the rapidly expanding pink blush that was racing down her face. As she turned, her mouth pursed into a straight line, and her eyes furrowed in confusion, "what in the world does an ape costume have to do with a movie premiere?"

Booth erupted into laughter, "Bones, monkey suit, tuxedo, tuxedo, monkey suit, any questions?"

"Then why didn't you just say tuxedo? Your constant need to substitute a single word description for an abstract phrase that defies logic is really quite frustrating!" With that, she brushed past him, hating herself for the thrill that went up her arm as she felt the warm skin of his arm brush her own. For a brief moment she found herself daydreaming…. It was the simple everyday things she dreamed about, walking down to the diner, with the warmth of his skin on hers, his arm draped around her waist, her head leaning on her shoulder. How he brought her chin up to his with his hand to gently, and softly. The warmth of his lips as they brushed hers…"

"Earth to Bones . . . Bones" He grabbed her arm and spun her around, "Where did you go?"

She was literally jerked back to reality, and flushed crimson again; "Well obviously I am standing right here next to you, you do have my arm in your hand!"

Booth grinned at her, that devilish smirk that he knew worked on every other female except his lovely Bones. He loved that she had blushed down to her toes twice in as many minutes, and he really wanted to know the source of such embarrassment. "Alright Bones, give it up, where did you go in that pretty little head of yours?"

Brennan looked up at him and decided that despite the fact that she hated impish, coy behaviors, that is exactly what she was going to employ at this moment. "Wouldn't you like to know." With that, she stalked through the open doorway, shut the door and locked it with authority.

"You are kidding me, Bones. It must be something really juicy if you won't even discuss it with me . . . Does it involve me? Don't I even get a glimpse? Please, please, please? He jumped around her punctuating each please with that devilish grin.

Brennan giggled and smiled, as he circled around her. "You really are exhibiting primate behavior, maybe the term monkey suit was appropriate. Come on, we are going and you are buying me dinner if you can get your opposable thumbs to operate this door and open it for me, …and here I thought you were a gentleman, and not an ape!"

As they walked into the diner, Booth looked up at the waitress and signaled for their usual booth. They walked over, sitting down across from Bones. For a brief moment, he contemplated what it would be like to sit down right next to her and put his arm around her lithe shoulders. Why couldn't they get past this imaginary line they had placed between them? "I placed that line between us, what right do I have to gripe about it," he chided himself.

As they sipped on their beer and waited for the food to arrive, the simple pleasure of sitting close to Booth. Unfortunately, it was rudely interrupted by the shrill of his phone.

Looking down at his caller ID, he groaned. It was Hacker, and if Hacker was calling it couldn't be good.