Title: Confrontation

Summary: Saroyan tries to help Brennan make up her mind about her.

Disclaimer: Don't own Bones or any of the characters off the show.

Rating: K

"Dr Brennan."Cam Saroyan saunters up to her office and leans against her doorframe like they're old friends.

"Yes?" Brennan has no patience for the new entity in her space. She doesn't like change and she's not all that keen on new people and Saroyan is both.

"May I come in?" The question takes her back. She looks down at her new boss and notices she hasn't set foot in the door, she's made sure to stay on the outside, waiting to be let in to her office.

"Sure."

Saroyan smiles and enters the door, coming to a stop in front of Brennan's desk. She takes a moment to scan the office and Temperance can't shake off the feeling of being violated. Her probing eyes swiftly glide over the surroundings as though she were absorbing her personality just from the room. Brennan didn't like it.

"Can I help you?" She asks sharply, demanding Saroyan's attention. Her eyes lock on to the doctor in front of her and Brennan suddenly wishes she would look away again; continue to probe her character from her office.

"Booth informed me that the reason you're not up in my face like the rest of your team is because you haven't made up your mind about me." She cut straight to the chase. It was late, the last employees having left long ago. She wanted to get the confrontation over as quickly as she could.

Brennan looks up at her silently. Not understanding why they're having this conversation. "Look I know you're used to working a certain way, and I know you don't like me confronting your staff-"

"Intimidating." Her silence finally ends.

"I guess I am." She accepts the comment gracefully, and is happy the other woman is finally talking. "Look, when it all comes down to it I'm not here to make your life difficult, but I'm not going to let things slide either. I'm here to do my job. I'd appreciate if you could support me in front of your staff…and I hope we can be friends." She watched Temperance process her words and waited for a reaction.

"Alright. Goodnight."

Much to Brennan's bewilderment her new boss started laughing at her. "I'm sorry. Booth really was right about you. You don't try to intimidate." Brennan frowns.

"I don't need to terrorize people in order to get things done. I talk to them, and I listen. They're not just colleagues, they're friends."

Saroyan looks sceptical at her remark. She had known Temperance Brennan for very little, but already she knew how she was with her colleagues and people in general.

"I'm willing to be I already know about your 'friends' than you do." She folds her arms and her words sound like a challenge. Brennan isn't childish enough to rise to it.

"You're probably right." She agrees flatly. "But go out there tomorrow and see who they respect more. Wait till one of them has a problem and see who they come to. I don't have to know their birthdays or what they do with their weekends to have a connection with them."

The next meeting they have is in Saroyan's office. Temperance walks in to her office and stands patiently in front of her, waiting for her attention. "Can I help you Dr. Brennan?" She puts down her pen and looks up at the woman standing before her. Once again it's late and they're the only ones left within the lab.

"I just wanted to say thank you."

"For what?"

"For defending us against that prosecutor."

"Your welcome. Temperance, I'll always stick up for my team, as long as they're not the ones in the wrong. From now on if I have a grievance with any of them I'll consult you first and we can both deal with it accordingly." She smiles and holds out her hand, waiting for Brennan accept it. She cautiously shakes the other woman's hand.

"And I'll inform you the next time we bill Spam on the expenses."

"Deal." She rises to her feet and pulls her jacket over her tired shoulders. "I don't suppose you want to come out for a drink tonight? I sure as hell could use one." Brennan looks like a rabbit caught in the headlights as her brain scrambles to find an excuse.

"I…I ugh…" Saroyan shrugs it off and heads out of the office.

"Maybe another time?"

"Sure."

Temperance Brennan is a terrible liar. And Saroyan knows it.