Disclaimer: I only own the agents in the beginning...

A/N: My first 'Bones' fan fic ever! Yay! Okay, here's the low down people: Booth, Brennan, Angela, Hodgins and Zack are headed down to Oahu (that's Hawaii for those of you who didn't know) on a case that the Bureau down there haven't been able to solve. But that doesn't mean there won't be some time for a little fun in the sun, right? Booth/Brennan, Angela/Hodgins, Zack/OC.

(---)

Grim. That was the only way to describe this crime scene. Special Agent Richie Hawthorne stood over the remains of the twenty-something girl and the only thing he could think of was 'grim'. This was the third body that the authorities had turned up in the same amount of weeks. Each scene was the same.

The girl--all close in age--was the center of the distorted picture. Surrounding her was her pair of shoes and two flower leis. One was made of orchids, and the other was hibiscus. Every scene. Always the same. And the bastard always left 'em in plain sight in the middle of beach. Scratched into the sand above the corpse's head was a single phrase: I AM JANE.

The cops had quickly figured out that the perp was talking about the common name for an unidentified victim. As for every other aspect of the case, well, they were clueless to say the least. Hawthorne rubbed at the five o'clock shadow that had sprung up on his face. Lily must be worried sick, he thought, attempting to push thoughts of his wife out of head. She wasn't going to be happy when she learned he hadn't had a wink of sleep.

Hawthorne looked up as two men wearing FBI jackets walked over to him. He was familiar with these agents by now--they had showed up after the second murder, last week. Agents Orville and Wilbur. They talked in hushed tones with one another before the taller one--they had been there a week but Hawthorne couldn't for the life of him keep them straight--Agent Wilbur, he thought, walked over to his dark SUV and pulled a cell phone out of his pocket.

"Officer Hawthorne, unfortunate to see you again tonight," Agent Orville (or was it Wilbur?) said as he strutted up to Hawthorne.

"Same to you," Hawthorne replied. He felt it was better to go without names in case he got the two agents mistaken. After a second, the taller agent, Wilbur (or maybe Orville?) returned to the fold.

"I just got off the phone with Deputy Director Andrews in D.C." he said, "He said they've got this forensic anthropologist up there that may be able to help us with this one."

"Wait, now we're bringing in an outsider?" the shorter agent asked indignantly.

"Director Andrews says she's the best. Something Brennan. I don't know. Apparently, she's also this fancy writer. She's working with one of ours."

"Really, who?"

"Booth."

"Well, well, well, will he be joining her?"

"They'll be arriving with their team in two days."

"I can't wait."

(--)

"I'm sorry, you're going to have to say that again so that I can try and comprehend what it is that you're trying to tell me," Dr. Jack Hodgins asked in disbelief. The Squints were sitting at the lab table listening to Dr. Goodman explain their newest case to them.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Hodgins, let me put it in terms which you are more likely to understand, you, Dr. Brennan, Ms. Montenegro, Mr. Addy and Agent Booth, will be going to Hawaii to assist in a case of serial murders. You leave tomorrow morning."

Dr. Goodman clicked his heels, turned, and walked out of the lab. Behind him sat four people stunned into silence. In fact, more than one jaw was hitting the floor. Angela sucked in a breath of air, suddenly broken from her shocked silence, she screamed.

"Oh, my god! Guys, do you understand what this means? We will be on an all-expense paid trip to Hawaii for who knows how long! This is incredible!"

"But we're working a case, Ange; we won't have time for fun," Brennan chided lightly.

"Who says there won't be a little time for some fun in the sun?" Angela replied happily.

"Well, I'm up for it!" Zack chimed in excitedly.

"You would be," Hodgins said looking down on him reproachfully.

"Oh, come on, Jack, don't tell me you don't wanna go," Angela asked.

"Think about it, Angela, all of the sudden, we are all asked to leave the lab. With barely any explanation. Let me guess, they'll put us up in a 5-star hotel, they'll wine us, dine us, and when we get back we'll find traces of a government take over."

Angela straightened up. She took a strong step toward Hodgins and looked down her nose at him--a glare in her usually flippant eyes--Hodgins seemed to shrink in comparison. He looked up at the brunette with the tiniest hint of fear in his eyes.

"Jack, if you ruin this trip for me, I swear to god, that psycho down there won't be the only one killing people."

Hodgins gulped. Brennan stepped forward, hoping to break up the fight she placed a gentle hand on Angela's shoulder and pulled her away. Angela calmed quickly into her normal persona and relaxed in her chair.

"Look, Bren, we all need a vacation, especially you, so do me favor, try and make this as enjoyable as possible," Angela begged her friend, "who knows, maybe you and Booth might actually--."

Angela wouldn't have stopped talking except for the fact that Brennan's hand was now clamped firmly over her mouth. With a simple nod, Brennan let go, and Angela didn't continue her rant, but her eyes shined with the thought of working her matchmaker's magic.

"What might Booth do?" the cocky voice caused Brennan to turn around in a flash. Her cheeks were already bright red by the time she'd faced him--she couldn't look him in the eye, least she wanted him to see the present embarrassment. After a moment, she let her eyes travel upward toward his, pausing at the appropriate places, before making eye contact with him.

"Not a thing," Angela replied, covering for Brennan's sudden speech impediment, "unfortunately," she added under her breath. Only Brennan heard and she turned her head backwards to glare at Angela before looking away again.

"Booth, did Cullen tell you about this whole Hawaii thing?" Hodgins asked getting straight into the issue at hand.

"Yeah, he told this morning. He said Goodman would tell you guys," Booth replied. He watched Brennan avoid his gaze and attempt to concentrate on the clipboard in her arms. He wondered what it was that Angela had said to make her act this way around him.

"So, what do you think?" Zack inquired.

"About what?" Booth asked distantly. He was still concentrating on Brennan and her obvious attempts to ignore his presence were starting to bother him. He began to worry whether or not Angela had actually said anything and Brennan's evasive mood wasn't because he'd said or done something that pissed her off.

"Well, Dr. Hodgins thinks that we're being sent down there to cover up a government takeover, Angela is planning to have a beach-party vacation, and Dr. Brennan is purely concentrating on the case," Zack informed the uninterested Booth. Booth's non-existent regard for Zack fueled Zack's pride even more. He understood the rules of manly bonding and he was willing to comply with them if it meant that Booth would still be friends with him.

Hodgins, Zack and Angela stared at Booth expectantly when he didn't answer. They waited a few seconds before Zack asked him again.

"Agent Booth?"

"What!" Booth snapped, finally turning to look the young assistant in the eye. Zack cowered when Booth turned on him so abruptly. Apparently, the thin line of the male bonding has been crossed and Zack had just screwed everything up.

"Nothing." Zack replied quietly. Booth looked away as Brennan stepped off the secured platform that took up most of the lab floor. He watched her as she walked toward her office. With a glance back at the Squints, Booth casually followed Brennan's path.

When Booth arrived in Brennan's office, he found her standing with her back facing the doorway, reading over some notes in a file folder she held in her hands. He leaned against the door frame and watched her. He loved to watch her. He knew all of her mannerisms and he loved each an every one of them. He chastised himself a little, Bones would be upset if she knew how much he enjoyed watching her like this.

He moved his shoulder a little--it hadn't really been the same since the explosion--to loosen up the stiff joints, but as he did so, he knew that she could sense his presence behind her. As if to verify his thoughts, Bones turned around with the darkest glare on her face. Booth looked at her like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Hey, Bones," he said, trying to cover the embarrassment of being caught watching her. He stepped further into the room and Brennan felt like he suddenly filled the entire space. His personality was so immense she felt that he had similar effects on the other aspects of his life.

"What do you want Booth?" Brennan asked nonchalantly, barely glancing up from her notes--which were actually just a blank piece of paper that she scribbled her grocery list on.

"Just the pleasure of your company," Booth replied, giving her his trademark grin.

She could've stabbed him right there if she knew she wouldn't miss him that much. She knew that he what she was thinking, but his boyish smile didn't waver or disappear. Brennan rolled her eyes and sidestepped him, moving out of her office.

"What's wrong, Bones? Does the thought of spending several days lying on a white beach, with blue water lapping at your feet, a flavored drink in hand and yours truly lying right beside you make you nervous?" Booth jumped in front of her, halting Brennan's path as she bee-lined for the safety of Goodman's office.

"Booth, for your information, nothing you do makes me nervous," Brennan replied. Booth quirked an eyebrow; he took a step toward her, to which she responded with a step back. This dance continued until Brennan was pinned--he back against the wall--with Booth right in front of her, blocking her side exits with his arms, positioned strategically against the wall by her head.

"Really, nothing?" Booth breathed his voice barely audible. Brennan took a deep breath trying to calm her frayed nerves. Being in such close proximity to Booth was causing her resolve to unravel before his prying eyes.

"Yes, nothing--," her breath hitched in her chest as the tip of Booth's nosed touched hers. He was so close now that she could've kissed him if she felt the desire to do so--which she did--but very-Brennan-like she used as of her energy to steel herself against making any such movements. Still, Brennan could not stop Booth if he so wished--and her eyes close in anticipation--anticipation of what though? Of a kiss? It never came. In fact, the feeling of loss came over her as she felt Booth step away.

When she opened her eyes, Brennan was met with the twinkling ones of Special Agent Booth, now standing a good five feet away from her. He smiled then reached in his pocket, he pulled out a round, red, lollipop and stuck it in his mouth. Without so much as a word, Booth strode off in the opposite direction, leaving Brennan alone with her thoughts. She'd completely forgotten her reason for going to talk to Goodman and thus abandoned the quest completely and returned to the comfort of her own office.

(--)

"I hate airports," Booth said as he and the four Squints stood at Dulles Airport, the next morning. It wasn't even six, so Zack and Hodgins looked bedraggled and tired. Even Angela, who hadn't stopped talking about the trip since the day before, looked like she hadn't slept all night. Booth and Brennan, however, had both had exorbitant amounts of coffee that when Booth stopped by Brennan's apartment to pick her so she wouldn't have to leave her car in the commuter parking lot. They'd stopped at four coffee shops in the 45 minute drive from her apartment to the airport.

"Why?" Brennan asked, eyeing the fancy billboards--brandishing their advertisements in your face with bright colors and scantly clad people on beaches or in hot tubs or whatever--with disdain.

"They're always so sad," Booth replied.

"What'd you mean?" Brennan asked, turning her attention back to him.

"People stand here, they have to say goodbye to the people they love--sometimes they don't know when they'll be back--you make empty promises at airports," Booth stated sadly. Brennan was surprised; she was usually the pessimistic one. She watched Booth, analyzing his grumpy mood. He'd seemed fine when he'd picked her up that morning, chipper even. Maybe he was suffering from a caffeine low--it had been nearly ten minutes since he had downed his last cup of coffee.

"I don't think so," Brennan said softly. Figures, Booth thought, it's just like her to argue. "I think they bring people back together." Booth looked up and met Brennan's eyes. Understanding flashed between them. Brennan turned and then it was gone. Another moment gone unnoticed by the Squint Squad.

"Flight 659 to San Francisco, now boarding," said a voice over the P.A. system.

"That's us," Brennan said. As she did, she felt a surge of excitement--a new case in an exotic place--this was a high that was better than the caffeine flowing through her bloodstream. This was Brennan's favorite thing.

(--)

To Be Continued in Chapter 2…

A/N: I hope you liked my first Bones fic! Please read and review.