A/N: I thought I would pass the hiatus and cope with spoilers by finding out whether or not I'm capable of handling a multi-chapter story. I have this fic completely outlined to guarantee that I don't leave it unfinished. It will likely be 11 chapters, and it will also be my first attempt at angst. Here's hoping for the best!

Spoilers: Refers to spoilers for upcoming season 5 episodes

Disclaimer: Not Mine

It was irrational. There was absolutely no reason for her to be standing in front of his door at 11:30 PM on a Friday. If anything, she should be at home, in her own bed, catching up on some much needed sleep. He was probably with his girlfriend- that was the logical assumption. Rationally, she knew that were he to open the door, he wouldn't be alone, and she would be left to try to explain why she was showing up unannounced at another woman's boyfriend's home, at an hour way too late to be innocent. Unfortunately, she had left rationality behind twenty minutes ago; a truth that made her feel as though she were drowning. She just couldn't get rid of the (metaphorical) knot in her stomach, couldn't stop the feeling that a (metaphorical) fist was squeezing at her heart. Why hadn't he called? Why, when she called, did his phone go straight to voicemail? Girlfriend or no, Booth called, Booth picked up his phone. These were things she knew to be true, what she counted on, especially now when he was supposed to have been back in D.C. over four hours ago...especially when he and the kid psychologist had been called off on some hush-hush assignment and had been gone for two weeks without a word. She was a genius, she knew what "hush-hush" meant, it meant "dangerous." It meant that there was even less of a guarantee than usual that he would make it back in one piece. The fist around her heart squeezed tighter, and she knocked sharply on the door in front of her.

Two Weeks Earlier:

Special Agent Seeley Booth tapped his foot in frustration as he waited for his partner to tear herself away from the Native American remains and help him come up with a solution to their problem. "Bones, the man's been dead for three hundred years, he can wait an hour. We need to figure out what we're going to do about this now."

She didn't even look up. "Booth, this is a female. How is it possible that you've managed to learn nothing about the human skeleton in the five years that you've been frequenting this lab? I promised I would help with verification for the Jeffersonian's special exhibit on the Powhatan Confederacy. This is my work, and it is important. Besides, I really don't see what there is for us to figure out. What's done is done, and there's nothing we can do about it."

Booth fought the urge to grab the human skull out of her hands and hurl it at the wall. He needed to find a way to release his anger, but desecrating human remains probably wasn't the answer. If shooting a plastic clown got him suspended and sent to therapy, he could only imagine the repercussions for destroying a skull. Bones would certainly never speak to him again, and he'd be forced to talk to a psychiatrist...which was exactly what had started this whole mess. Still, it might be worth it for the few seconds that he could pretend that Indian's skull was Sweets'.

"Bones, the book was released yesterday. He didn't listen to us, he didn't make any changes, and now everything he wrote about us is out there for everyone to read."

Brennan finally looked up at her partner and rolled her eyes. "While I admit that I wish Sweets had taken us more seriously when we tried to highlight the errors underlying his conclusion, I really don't think it's anything to be so upset about. It's a psychology text; I would hardly say it's something EVERYONE is going to read. In fact, I would be hard-pressed to think of ANYONE who might read it. Really, Booth, there's nothing to worry about."

Just then a loud squeal pierced the lab, as Angela came running in, holding an object above her head as if in victory. Hodgins and Cam, who had been trying to pretend they weren't eavesdropping, finally dropped the act and joined Booth and Brennan on the platform.

"I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!" Angela swiped her key card quickly as she ran towards the partners, a triumphant smile on her face. When she was standing in front of them, she thrust the book that she had been waiving above her head in their faces. "Now I have proof, right here,in black and white."

Brennan looked at her friend as if she had spouted a second head, and Booth narrowed his eyes. "Angela...," he started, menacingly.

"No, no, don't even try to deny it, " she said, smiling sweetly, "the two of you are completely in love." She held the book up again. "A professional says so."

Cam managed to hold back her laughter, but Hodgins wasn't quite as successful. Booth shot the bug man his scariest ex-sniper death glare, silently daring him to let one more chuckle fall from his lips. People thought this was funny, another piece of ammunition for teasing them, but Booth was furious. The rage he experienced when reading the pre-release copy of Sweets' book had been growing with each passing day. Booth was starting to think they would be lucky if shattering an old skull was the worst of what he did.

Sweets had always annoyed him a bit with his arrogant psychological mumbo jumbo, but over time the kid had grown on him. Booth had even started to respect him. He had never thought that Sweets could be deliberately cruel, but he really had no other explanation for what the psychologist had done with his book. Sweets knew, KNEW, how Booth felt about his partner. He knew he loved Bones, yet he warned the agent not to tell her, convinced him that what he felt was fake, the product of surgical trauma. Yet, he turns around and writes a book announcing to the world that Booth and Brennan are madly in love with each other. Was the kid trying to torture him? It certainly felt like a personal attack, especially when it was obvious from Bones' non-reaction that the conclusion was so far from the truth that it didn't even warrant a passing thought. Was that Sweets' goal all along? To show Booth exactly how unrequited his love for his partner was? Well, if so, mission accomplished. Now he just had to figure out how to make the kid pay. "Sweets is a dead man."

At his mumbled words, Brennan cast a worried glance at her partner who was repeatedly clenching and unclenching his fists. "Booth," she said hesitantly, "you know I can't let you kill the boy."

He couldn't help but smile in response to Bones' serious expression. He needed desperately to find a way to stop himself from reaching a breaking point. "Don't worry Bones, " he tried to keep his tone playful, "I'm not really going to kill your baby duck...of course he doesn't have to know that." His voice darkened as he spotted the psychologist entering the lab.

Before Booth could make a move, he found himself in the embrace of what he could only describe as a bouncing brunette whirlwind.

"I am so, so totally happy for you guys!!!!!" Daisy squeaked, rushing over to hug Brennan, who instinctively took a big step back. "I mean, everyone's known it for years, but now we can all talk about it. Vincent, Arastoo and I were talking with Paul from security, and we decided that you HAVE to have your wedding here at the Jeffersonian. How romantic would that be! Oh, and now you two can double date with me and Lancelot. We're going to have so much fun. Do you guys like bowling? I-"

"ENOUGH!" Booth silenced the enthusiastic intern and the rest of the lab with a roar. He turned to glare at each one in turn, noting that Sweets couldn't even look him in the eye. "Okay Squints, listen up, who else has read this book?" He yanked the offending hardcover from Angela and held it up high. To his chagrin, every person in the lab held up his or her hand, including the courier who was just dropping off some papers for a signature. "Fine, well, allow me to set the record straight. This book is bullshit. You all wasted your money. Dr. Brennan and I are partners and professionals who care too much about our work to engage in a relationship that could put that work at risk. Understood?"

He looked around the room for confirmation and was pleased that the majority of the squints were nodding with fear in their eyes. Bones' expression was unreadable, as usual, but Angela, Cam, Sweets and Hodgins were smiling at him condescendingly. "Oh for God's sake, people, I have a girlfriend!" Okay, so that wasn't exactly the truth. He had gone on three sort-of dates with Catherine, and she had even bought him a tie, but he hadn't seen or talked to her in three weeks. She was nice and pretty, and she should have been perfect for him, but she wasn't, and he was too much of a gentleman to string her along...but the Squints didn't need to know that. "That's right," he said, noting his friends' shocked expressions, "a girlfriend. And she," he pointed to Bones, "is currently dating my boss. So. Back. Off."

Everyone turned to Brennan, who was taking in her partner's angry stance. She didn't know what to think of his outburst. She wasn't sure exactly how she felt about his reaction to Sweets' book. Was it so horrible, the idea of them loving each other? She was sure she loved him, now that she had come to accept his concept of love. In truth, she had loved him since he had flown to New Orleans to help her all those years ago. Of course, she was also certain that her feelings were unreturned and that, even if they weren't, there was no way that she could cross the line he had so clearly drawn. Didn't he trust her? Did he think that she would betray him by ignoring the parameters he had placed around their relationship? She found that question painful. Hadn't she done exactly as he had asked for three years? Didn't he realize how much she valued him and that she would never risk their friendship?

Still, it seemed important to back him up now, so she nodded at her friends. "It's true, I've been dating Andrew for several weeks now. Obviously this would be an untenable situation were Booth and I 'in love'," she stated calmly, forming finger quotes around the phrase 'in love.' Booth looked at her gratefully, and she smiled at him, happy to have said the right thing for a change. Who cared if it was a lie? Who cared if she hadn't actually seen Andrew since they had coffee together a month ago? He had tried to kiss her, and she had thought she wanted it too, but at the last second, she turned and offered him her cheek, rather than her lips. He had smiled wistfully and said that he hoped they could be friends. She had smiled back, not telling him that she already had enough friends. He was a nice man, and there was no need to hurt his feelings. Still, if Booth had a girlfriend, it would just be easier for everyone to think that she was seeing someone too. They couldn't pity her if she were also dating. Brennan had learned long ago that the only thing that could make personal hardship worse was the pity of others. She preferred to deal with her pain privately.

She could see that Angela was forming a rebuttal, when a strong Southern voice interrupted. "Seeley Booth! I don't know why I even bother looking for you where you are supposed to be anymore," Caroline Julian stood with her hands on her hips, taking in the crowd gathered on the platform. "Do I look like someone who has time to be driving all over the city, hunting down your sorry ass? I guess it's my own fault- I suppose I should have known you'd be here, even though you haven't had a case with Dr. Brennan in a week and a half, and you have absolutely no professional reason to be at the Jeffersonian. Taking in an exhibit, Seeley?"

Booth sighed, "What do you need Caroline?"

"I need you to pack your bags and come with me, Cherie. I require your services on a case. You too, Doogie," she said, spotting Sweets in the crowd.

"What about me?" Brennan asked, expectantly.

"Oh no, Morticia, this case is all about the living, not the dead. Not exactly your skill set."

Brennan stalked over to Booth. "Did you tell her what they called me in high school?," she whispered angrily.

Booth flashed her his best smile, and said quickly, "I don't know what you're talking about Bones, well, Caroline, come on, lead the way." Booth didn't care where he was going, or even that Sweets would apparently be accompanying him. In that moment, he was grateful for any distraction. Maybe by the time he got back he could figure out some way to resolve the increasingly unmanageable feelings he had for his partner.

"Wait," Brennan exclaimed, "Where are you going? When will you be back?"

"Sorry, cher, this one's strictly hush-hush. We shouldn't be gone more than a couple weeks, though. Boys, follow me."

Booth waived as he followed the prosecutor and the psychologist out of the lab.

Brennan resisted the urge to stamp her foot like a small child. Instead, she whirled around to face her co-workers. "Doesn't everyone have work to do? This was still a workplace, last I checked," she snapped.

Everyone scurried back to their stations, knowing it was going to be a long two weeks.

TBC